This
Ganelin Trio release is somewhat misleading. Although it is a trio date, and is led by
Vyacheslav "Slava" Ganelin, it is not the same
Ganelin Trio that wowed audiences from Russia all the way to California and Australia. Recorded in 1989, a year-and-a-half after the departure of Vladimir Tarasov and Vladimir Chekasin (who recorded as Ganelin Duos), it reveals why the duo left or were fired, depending on whose side of the story you buy. This trio is firmly under the control of
Slava Ganelin. His keyboards control the proceedings, even if they aren't playing (which is seldom). The other members of the group, cellist and bassist Victor Fonarev and drummer Mika Markovich (there is a guest here as well, vocalist Uri Abramovich) are fine musicians in their own right, but it's difficult to hear their full ranges because
Ganelin overshadows everything here; his piano and synth are even recorded higher in the mix than his bandmates. While there are moments of sheer improvisational brilliance in these proceedings (particularly on "Opus 3, Cantus"), what the listener is actually hearing is the sound of a ghost leaving its body behind and carrying its name aimlessly as it wanders the earth in search of a new vessel. Disappointing. ~ Thom Jurek