Northbound to Finch
Maria Kaushansky; Paul Gill; Anthony Pinciotti
flat 6th records FS-1001 (mariakaushansky.com)
This is New York City-based jazz pianist Maria Kaushansky’s debut album. She was born in Russia, and her family emigrated to Israel. In the early 1990s they moved to Toronto when she was a young girl, where she grew up and went to university. All compositions are by Kaushansky here with nine main tracks and six alternate takes, each being her musical reflection and tribute to growing up in Toronto. She is joined by New Yorkers Paul Gill on bass, and the late Anthony Pinciotti on drums.
Opening title track Northbound to Finch is inspired by the Toronto Transit Commission’s Finch subway station, which was Kaushansky’s home stop. An opening loud repeated piano melody is supported by bass and drums. Happy ”almost home” jazz flavoured piano lines followed by louder sounds from the rhythm section. Sudden soft and slow tight playing is followed by solo piano to silence, like the station stop. Windchill -30, Kaushansky’s music about Toronto winters is so interesting. The solo “low temperature” bass start, then faster with drums, descending bass line like falling down, and piano “shivering” trills express Toronto’s extreme winter temperatures.
Tight trio performances and beautiful creative playing paint a sonic portrait of Toronto. Each listener will have their own story based on listening to the tracks, whether or not you are from or live in Toronto.
Kaushansky has also released a companion album, Northbound to Finch: Music for Ballet Class which has the compositions here adapted for ballet exercises.
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