Urbaniak's Violin: The Unlikely Centerpiece
Michał Urbaniak's violin transforms the quartet into something neither classical nor purely jazz.
The presence of Michał Urbaniak on violin is what stops you cold on this record. Buster Williams built his reputation as a reliable anchor—the bassist you call when you need someone who won't oversell himself, who listens more than he plays. But here, the violin doesn't sit politely at the table. It demands space, stretches into the upper register, and pulls the entire group in unexpected directions.
What makes this work is that Williams surrounded Urbaniak with players willing to follow rather than lead. Roy Haynes on drums responds to the violin's angles with restraint, never filling every pocket. Kenny Barron at the piano stays conversational, and Ted Dunbar's guitar work stays spare and responsive. The rhythm section becomes accompaniment in the truest sense—supporting a voice that classical training never fully abandoned. Urbaniak doesn't swing the way a tenor saxophone would; he negotiates between two languages, sometimes winning on neither side, which is exactly what makes him compelling here.
This isn't a album that announces itself as essential, and it isn't trying to be a masterclass in anything. What it does is explore a narrow idea carefully, with musicians who had the taste to step back and let an instrument most jazz groups wouldn't touch become the conversation. For listeners curious about how jazz expands when you replace the obvious choice with something stranger, it's worth the time.
Who's playing
Where next?
More by Buster Williams
Something More 1989
On the Wings of an Eagle 2006
Hancock Island: The Music of Herbie Hancock 2008
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Acoustic Masters I 1994
The musicians on this record
Their own records, close in time
