DaveWilczewski's Room in the Clouds is a mature and relaxed offering from a musician who is equally gifted as a player and writer. The instrumentation and conception of this group is, at times, reminiscent of the early Vital Information recordings that Dave participated in as a writer/player, but the music on Room in the Clouds unfolds slowly, the musicians clearly allowing the music to lead them from moment to moment without imposing their ”playing ability” onto the music.

Dave and I go back to high school days in the early 1970s when we played together in a big band in the Boston area of the USA. Dave played tenor and soprano saxes in the original lineup of my group Vital Information. Over the course of six years

('83–'88) Dave composed many strong tunes for our first four albums. The first two Vital Information albums have recently been released on CD. As I listened to them for the first time in years, I was taken by how hip and fresh Dave's contributions still sound. His playing and writing has aged well.

Dave's writing, for Vital Information and for his latest project Room in the Clouds, sounds original, current and timeless. He has a unique writing style that is ”now” without being trendy or in danger of sounding outdated in a couple of years. The music is open, challenging, fun to play and thoroughly enjoyable to listen to. In my opinion other player/composers that have been similarly successful in their writing are musicians like Don Grolnick, Mike Mainieri, and Keith Jarrett.

DaveWilczewski continues to evolve as one of today's most imaginative composers and exceptional saxophone soloists. His distinctive recording, Room in the Clouds, will resonate with fans of the contemporary music scene and undoubtedly stand the test of time.

Steve Smith

New York City, November 2005