Record Reviews

MAREK KADZIELA ~ JAZZ ENSEMBLE AUDIO CAVE 2021/004 (Barcode: 5908298549254) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2021 As hard as it is to believe, this is only the second album as a leader by Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Marek KadzielaFind albums by this artist, this time recorded in a quintet setting with his brother saxophonist Maciej KadzielaFind albums by this artist, trombonist Jacek NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Pawel PuszczaloFind albums by this artist and drummer Radoslaw BolewskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Marek Kadziela. During the second decade of the 2000s Kadziela participated in numerous recordings and co-led several Polish and international ensembles, as diverse as Hunger PangsFind albums by this artist, JazabuFind albums by this artist, K.R.A.N.Find albums by this artist and KaMaSzFind albums by this artist as well as his own ADHDFind albums by this artist. These recordings present a restless, searching spirit, who is constantly trying to re-invent himself and drive towards uncharted territory, crossing genres with ease and competence. Over the years I have had the pleasure to listen to him live as well, which often exposed other aspects of his wide-ranging musical personality. There is no doubt that during that time he established himself not only as one of the leading Polish guitarists, but also as an important leader and trendsetter. In many respects this album (as Kadziela himself states on the album’s liner notes) is an amalgamation of his experiences up to now, with an emphasis on composition, as much as on his guitar playing skills. The rather unusual sounding ensemble highlights his originality as a sound creator, which enhances the acoustic quintet with skillful use of electronics, creating a modern, somewhat rough and toothed exterior, which hides the melodic contents, without damaging it. The individual performances are all absolutely stunning, with the leader moving between Wes MontgomeryFind albums by this artist and Jimi HendrixFind albums by this artist and back in an instant, always being himself. Namyslowski is a surprise as his playing is more open and daring than usual and the rhythm section does a wonderful job driving the music forward and filling the blanks. Overall this is a wonderful modern Jazz album, full of great music and intricate individual performances, not easy on the ear and demanding attentive listening, but highly rewarding. Although Kadziela made a giant step forward in his career, deep down he is still a Blues / Rock kid who loves to show his guitar licks, which I personally love as much as all the serious stuff he is playing. Having said that, this album is almost completely free of any Fusion accents, announcing the leader’s full commitment to the Jazz idiom. Hats off!

Updated: 10/04/2021Posted: 10/04/2021

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MAREK KADZIELA ADHD ~ IN BLOOM FOR TUNE 0079 (Barcode: 5902768701807) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is the debut album by an international Jazz quartet ADHDFind albums by this artist, led by Polish Guitarist Marek KadzielaFind albums by this artist with German bass clarinetist Rudi MahallFind albums by this artist and a Danish rhythm section: bassist Andreas LangFind albums by this artist and drummer Kasper Tom ChristiansenFind albums by this artist – the latter three being all members of the excellent FUSKFind albums by this artist quartet. Two distinguished Polish Jazz musicians participate as guests: saxophonist Maciej ObaraFind albums by this artist and trumpeter Piotr DamasiewiczFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original compositions (one appears in two versions), all by Kadziela and one standard by Thelonious MonkFind albums by this artist. Although free spirited and unconventional, the music is perfectly well rounded and aesthetically pleasing, flirting with Free Jazz and Improvising Music but also presenting melodic motifs and straight forward progressions. Across the board this music is quite accessible even to listeners who are embedded within modern mainstream Jazz. Kadziela´s guitar playing on this album is quite different from his earlier recordings, and most of the time it is pretty straight forward, almost acoustic, and avoids the usage of electronics and heavy sound effects. He manages to completely keep away from the dreaded Fusionist banalities that most modern guitar players suffer from, which is truly praiseworthy. Therefore it is perhaps the first time the listener can truly appreciate his ability to play melody and complex improvisations, which sound perfectly clear and vivid. The solo guitar piece on this album is definitely one of its absolute highlights. The contributions by the other members of the quartet, as well as those by the guests, are all excellent as well. I have already written much about the FUSK quartet and these are some of my favorite European musicians, so their performances here are hardly surprising. The Lang / Christiansen rhythm section in one of the top of its kind at the moment and Mahall´s legendary status is already well established. Kadziela couldn´t have found better partners for his musical explorations anywhere else to be honest. The two Polish guests are also masters of their trade and the tracks that feature their contributions add generously to the diversity of this album. I admit to having digestion problems with some of Kadziela´s earlier recordings, but I completely love this one, and I am very happy to say so. This music makes perfect sense to me, worms up my brain cells and keeps me smiling. For me it definitely is the best piece of music I have heard, that he produced. But of course the future is ahead of us…

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