Record Reviews

JAN BOKSZCZANIN ~ KOMEDA INSPIRATIONS ARMS 09 (Barcode: 5900238791082) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2010 Released: 2010 This magnificent album is an astonishing tribute to the music of the great Polish composer Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, the Godfather of Polish Jazz and one of the most important figures of the European Jazz scene. Organist Jan BokszczaninFind albums by this artist, born in Russia and living in Poland, famous for his Church Organ performances and recordings of Classical Music, undertakes here an unprecedented project of presenting the music of Komeda in a completely new light, transposing it into contemporary Chamber-Jazz, quite afar from it´s Jazz origins. Of course Komeda´s music is often played by Jazz musicians (sadly mostly only in his native country), but such ambitious undertaking, as presented here, has never been attempted so far. In retrospect, this project proves the true greatness and depth of Komeda´s music, which transpires as being beyond and above any genre classification. The album includes thirteen pieces of music, eight of which are original Komeda´s compositions and the rest are new pieces composed by contemporary composers, who were inspired by him and his music. Bokszczanin carefully assembled a group of instrumentalists, mostly Jazz players, which consists of trumpeter Robert MajewskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Pawel GusnarFind albums by this artist and Tomasz SzukalskiFind albums by this artist and flautist Ryszard BorowskiFind albums by this artist. Four of the tracks include vocals, performed by the excellent Grazyna AuguscikFind albums by this artist, who not only sings the song´s lyrics (written by Polish poetess Agnieszka OsieckaFind albums by this artist) but also adds some vocalese a la early Urszula DudziakFind albums by this artist. The album was recorded at the Reformed Evangelical Church in Warsaw, with the majestic sound of the organ serving as the base element of all the music, with the other instruments playing on top of this basic sound layer. The sensitive and intelligent arrangements were written partly by the participating musicians and partly by other contemporary Polish composers / arrangers. Overall this is obviously a work of love, admiration and respect, a tribute in the true meaning of the idiom. For people familiar with Komeda´s music, this is a revelation, for those unfamiliar with it; this is a heavenly gate which marks a great entry point towards it. It is a rare occasion indeed that an album gave me so much pleasure upon first listening and I´m sure to return to it repeatedly in the future. It goes without saying that I recommend this music to anyone with a pair of ears and some gray matter between them. If anything is essential, this is it!

CD 1 Gold Essential Recommend To A Friend

STAN BORYS ~ IKONA POMATON 825646281428 (Barcode: 825646281428) ~ POLAND ~ Sung Poetry Recorded: 2014 Released: 2014 This is an album by veteran Polish vocalist / songwriter / poet Stan BorysFind albums by this artist, which presents eleven beautiful songs, performed by Borys, who in spite of his age seems to be completely untouched by time and displays his usual extraordinary charisma and artistic ability. Borys wrote the music of two songs present here and the lyrics of four others. On the other songs Borys uses mostly poems written by Polish poets such as Adam MickiewiczFind albums by this artist, Agnieszka OsieckaFind albums by this artist, Bogdan LoeblFind albums by this artist and others. The album was recorded in different studios in Poland and US and features different musicians, but presents a very consistent and tight contemporary sound and features excellent musicianship and polished production. Some of the songs are new arrangements of older songs by Borys and others make their debut on this album. As usual with Borys, he manages to achieve the best possible balance between excellent melodic themes and intelligent, moving lyrics, consistent with the uniquely Polish "Sung Poetry" idiom. Therefore the album stands above almost everything else recorded today on the Polish market in the Pop / Rock category, which sadly, as everywhere else in the world, is characterized by trivial music and moronic lyrics. Sadly for Borys and fans of quality music, such albums are completely ignored by the media, which seems to concentrate on turning the young generation into cultural zombies. Although this album presents, as already mentioned, a contemporary sound and production characteristics, musically it belongs to the Rock music, which ruled the world in the 1960s and 1970s, i.e. the "Golden Decade", when writing a song meant that the songwriter has something to say, both musically and ideologically. Therefore this music might have been written five decades ago, or from a different perspective preserves the quality of songwriting established then and now sadly forgotten. Each of the songs on this album has a solid melody, a memorable riff and tells a story with a moral. If we didn´t know better, Borys sounds five decades younger that his chronological age, which can be said about only a handful of other vocalist from that period who still perform today. How he does it is a miracle. Although the Polish lyrics limit the exposure of this album mostly to the Polish scene, many international listeners should be able to enjoy it, even those who are not Polish speakers. Great music is able to transcend language barriers, and this album is one of those rare universal creations. This album also proves that veteran artists should not by a priori dismissed and some of them definitely preserve the ability to stay contemporary and often shoe the young artists how great music is made. Albums like this one keep the faith that not everything is lost in Pop / Rock, and excellent contemporary music is possible, even if it has to be made by Masters, who already served the Art for many generations. A true gem!

Updated: 25/06/2016Posted: 25/06/2016

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ANDRZEJ DABROWSKI / ALL STARS ~ LIVE FOR TUNE 0154 (Barcode: 5906395808700) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2018 - 2021 Released: 2022 This is a live album by veteran / iconic Polish Jazz vocalist / drummer Andrzej DabrowskiFind albums by this artist, recorded during a concert celebrating his 80th Birthday. He is accompanied by a formidable sexted comprising of top Polish Jazz musicians: trumpeter Robert MajewskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Henryk MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist, trombonist Michal TomaszczykFind albums by this artist, pianist Andrzej JagodzinskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Slawomir KurkiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Marcin JahrFind albums by this artist. Dabrowski sings nine songs, seven of which are American standards and two are Polish ones, written by Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist and Agnieszka OsieckaFind albums by this artist. A bonus track, the symbolic “My Way” (sung in Polish), recorded at the Polish Radio three years later with different musicians, is added to complete the set. Dabrowski has been a part of the Polish Jazz scene since its inception and this album is a loving tribute to his lifetime contribution to the Polish Jazz scene and its achievements. Considering the age of the protagonist of this recording, any attempt to say anything about his performances are completely irrelevant, and would simply miss the point by a mile. The musicians gathered here all pay tribute to their colleague, with obvious respect and adoration, and that is all that matters. Overall, the For TuneFind albums on this label label should be congratulated for releasing this loving tribute, which is a wonderful document of the Polish Jazz scene history. The respect paid to Culture is always highly appreciated. Side Note: This For Tune release initiates the new graphic layout of the label’s releases, which combines the decade-long tradition of consistent elegance and class. The move to digipak from the traditional jewel case is a sign of commitment to the collectors, many of which own the entire output of this excellent label, now numbering 155 releases – a true treasure of Polish Jazz.

Updated: 09/06/2022Posted: 09/06/2022

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INGA LEWANDOWSKA / KUBA STANKIEWICZ ~ ULICE WIELKICH MIAST – BALLADY AGNIESZKI OSIECKIEJ INTRO 003 (Barcode: 5907592167027) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1999 Released: 1999 This is an absolutely brilliant album in the Jazz & Poetry vein, for which the Polish Jazz scene is so famous and in which it excels since its early days. Vocalist Inga LewandowskaFind albums by this artist performs eleven songs, all of which share the author of their lyrics, the Polish poetess Agnieszka OsieckaFind albums by this artist, an iconic figure of the post-WWII Polish Culture and author of over 2000 song lyrics. Lewandowska and pianist / composer Kuba StankiewiczFind albums by this artist, who also beautifully arranged all the songs on this album, chose mostly Jazz-related material, which features Osiecka´s lyrics and was written by some of the most prominent figures on the Polish Jazz scene, like Wlodzimierz NahornyFind albums by this artist, Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist, Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and others. Stankiewicz composed two of the songs presented here. The vocalist is accompanied by a quintet of excellent musicians, which include in addition to Stankiewicz also trumpeter Piotr WojtasikFind albums by this artist, trombonist Grzegorz NagorskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Darek OleszkiewiczFind albums by this artist and Austrian drummer Mario GonziFind albums by this artist. The quintet provides superb support to the vocalist but also plays extended instrumental passages, which are simply exquisite examples of European Jazz lyricism. Especially notable is the delicate and sympathetic work by the piano and the "singing" bass solos, for which Oleszkiewicz is world famous. One of the songs presents a vocals / bass duet, which is a true classic! Lewandowska does a splendid job, utilizing more of the Polish Jazz vocal tradition firmly established by legendary performers like Ewa Demarczyk and Wanda Warska, rather than trying to be more up to date, which altogether works in her favor. That time of expressive, melancholic singing, in which every breath matters and every syllable is clearly pronounced and is perfectly audible is a rarity and I wish the new generation of Polish Jazz vocalists would pay more respect to that "lost" Art form. The songs are mostly low key, as the title suggests and Lewandowska cleverly avoids any flashy exhibitionism, staying well within the established milieu, which is chick and elegant. In many respects listening to this album feels like an "end of an era". It was, after all, recorded at the very closing of the 20th Century and seems, in retrospect, to be the last of its kind, a tribute to the days when Polish Jazz experienced its first golden era, associated with intellectual, artistic and often revolutionary spring, which was soon over. I am glad I discovered this wonderful gem, although late, but nevertheless most enthusiastically. It is little known, as it managed to hide from me for so long, but should be studied, as already mentioned, by all upcoming vocalist, as it is a classic point of reference. It is also an absolute must for every Polish Jazz connoisseur, anywhere on this planet.

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KATARZYNA LOPATA ~ OSIECKA SZESCIAN 025 (Barcode: 5902249020199) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is the 2nd album by Polish vocalist / composer Katarzyna LopataFind albums by this artist, recorded with guitarist Krzysztof KawalkoFind albums by this artist, bassist Wojciech KlonFind albums by this artist, drummer Wojciech KurekFind albums by this artist and saxophonist Michael LyczekFind albums by this artist (on selected tracks). The album presents nine original songs by Lopata, all featuring lyrics by Polish poetess / lyricist Agnieszka OsieckaFind albums by this artist. The music is different to categorize and offers a cross-genre amalgam of ambitious Pop / Rock and Jazz, with some ambient and even Avant-Garde insinuations. The result is surprisingly effective and combined with Lopata’s idiosyncratic vocal delivery offers a truly surprising and fascinating piece of music. Lopata’s interpretations of the brilliant lyrics by Osiecka is completely unique and although many Polish songwriters / composers tackled her lyrics over the years, this album is definitely one of the most striking examples of combining her poetry with music. The theatrical vocals, highly stylized and even slightly mannered vocal technique is absolutely fascinating. I have been completely unaware of the existence of this album, released almost a decade ago, and now, thanks to the kindness of one of my friends, who gave me a copy of this album, I finally discovered it. In retrospect it is one of the most interesting and unusual Polish Jazz & Poetry projects in the last decade. It remains pretty anonymous on the local scene, which is a true shame, as albums like this are very rare phenomena. Overall, this is a wonderful lost treasure of Polish Jazz & Poetry, which deserves a much wider recognition that it managed to achieve so far. Hopefully some of my readers will reach out and grab a copy, as it is truly worthwhile to give it a listen. Hopefully we will hear from this Artist again soon!

Updated: 04/01/2024Posted: 04/01/2024

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ANNA SERAFINSKA ~ GADU GADU (SPECIAL EDITION) POMATON 5099944044626 (Barcode: 5099944044626) ~ POLAND ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 2005 - 2012 Released: 2012 This is the fourth album by Polish Jazz / Pop singer Anna SerafinskaFind albums by this artist. It includes fourteen songs, all of which feature the lyrics by the great Polish poetess and lyricist Agnieszka OsieckaFind albums by this artist. The music was composed mainly by Seweryn KrajewskiFind albums by this artist (ex-Czerwone GitaryFind albums by this artist), one of Poland´s most remarkable songwriters. The other composers include several leading Polish Jazz figures like Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, Wlodzimierz NahornyFind albums by this artist, Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist and others. The music was arranged by Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, who also plays piano and other musicians include bassist Adam KowalewskiFind albums by this artist (who plays some mean fretless bass parts), drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist and many others, as well as a string quartet. The original album was released in 2006 and this special edition, released in 2012, adds two songs newly recorded with Anna´s new group called Groove MachineFind albums by this artist. The album has a great potential and seemingly all the right ingredients: first-class songs, wonderful lyrics, skilful arrangements and excellent musicianship, and yet although it is pleasant and overall enjoyable, it is also quite forgettable. Stylistically it sort of "sits on the fence" between Pop and Jazz, being both too close to Pop to be considered Jazz and too Jazzy to be a straightforward Pop. Herdzin´s arrangements push it consistently towards Latin grooves and mainstream Jazz settings, but the result is all over the place and feels somehow uneasy. I understand that Serafinska has quite a following in Poland, but this is the second album of hers that I listened to and she leaves me stone cold. Fortunately she sticks to Polish lyrics on this album, avoiding the problems of struggling with a foreign language, but her vocals simply don´t do it for me, which of course is completely my fault. In my ears her vocal range is somewhat limited and the emotional expressiveness just doesn´t cut it for me (again), although she does have a good feel for groove, which explains what she does with her new band. Of course there are some superb moments here and the album is a nice listening experience, which can be enjoyed by many listeners across the genre borders. I sort of hoped it would be more than that.

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SKALDOWIE ~ LISTY SPIEWAJACE KAMELEON 15 ~ POLAND ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 1967 - 1972 Released: 2012 This album by the legendary Polish group SkaldowieFind albums by this artist, founded by brothers: Andrzej ZielinskiFind albums by this artist (vocalist, keyboardist, composer, arranger and leader) and Jacek ZielinskiFind albums by this artist (vocalist, multi-instrumentalist) collects their recordings for the Polish Radio and TV, which were featured in two episodes of the TV series called "Listy Spiewajace (Singing Letters)". They span the early days of the group between 1967 and 1969 and were performed by the early lineups. All these songs feature lyrics by poetess Agnieszka OsieckaFind albums by this artist and the songs in the first episode of the series were composed by Adam SlawinskiFind albums by this artist, and are a rare example of songs performed by Skaldowie, which were not written by the group members. The songs in the second episode were all composed by Andrzej Zielinski. The bonus tracks present additional Polish Radio and TV recordings (and one West German Radio recording), which feature a couple of songs in different versions and arrangements from those appearing in the original TV episodes and other songs. The original music presents the group as great performers of sophistical Pop material and their leader as superb craftsman of such songs. Although not their most popular or strongest material, this album includes many fabulous moments, which deserve to be remembered. The beautiful lyrics by Osiecka also add a poetic dimension to these songs. The fans of the group will find this album as an integral part of their legacy, but otherwise it has only a marginal importance as far as Polish popular music is concerned. Nevertheless that fabulous late 1960s / early 1970s sound is simply irresistible. Worth investigation!

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

SKALDOWIE ~ TY (EXPANDED EDITION) KAMELEON 05 ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1970 Released: 2011 This is the fifth album by the legendary Polish group SkaldowieFind albums by this artist, one of the most influential groups during the Golden Decade east of the Iron Curtain. Founded by brothers: Andrzej ZielinskiFind albums by this artist (vocalist, keyboardist, composer, arranger and leader) and Jacek ZielinskiFind albums by this artist (vocalist, trumpeter, guitarist, percussionist), Skaldowie epitomized everything that was great about the Polish scene in the late 1960s / early 1970s, which struggled against all odds with economic hardships, political censorship and relative isolation from the Western centers of musical progress at the time. Considering those objective adversities, their achievements were simply phenomenal and the music they created remains a symbol of human genius and creativity overcoming all limitations. The album was recorded in early 1970 just three months after the group recorded their previous album "Od Wschodu Do Zachodu SloncaFind albums with this title". It features the Hammond organ extensively, which the group managed to bring over from the US and its sound was about to become the group´s trademark in years to come. The other group members are: guitarist Jerzy TarsinskiFind albums by this artist, bassist / vocalist Konrad RatynskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Jan BudziaszekFind albums by this artist. Musically the album combines their earlier work in the realms of sophisticated Pop, Psychedelia and Baroque Rock and the new territory of Progressive Rock, which was exploding with creativity at the time. The tracks are longer than before and feature extensive instrumental passages, complicated arrangement involving orchestra and choir and the entire album is soaked in the Hammond sound. Zielinski´s incredible talent to compose breathtakingly beautiful melodies and his arrangement skills, which involved vocal harmonies, unexpected tempo changes and multi-themed songs, as well as catchy riffs, which made this music, in spite of its complexity and sophistication, accessible to a wide range of audiences. Skaldowie also used excellent lyrics, which were written by the great lyricists like Leszek Aleksander MoczulskiFind albums by this artist, who cooperated with the group for many years, Wojciech MlynarskiFind albums by this artist or the poetess Agnieszka OsieckaFind albums by this artist. Luckily they were never tempted to sing in English and stuck with their native tongue. Of course the Polish lyrics are lost to listeners not speaking the language, but the music is definitely strong enough to stand on its own and Skaldowie achieved a worldwide following despite the language barrier. This expanded edition includes ten bonus tracks (doubling the original album´s length), partly radio recordings and partly other studio material. The bonus tracks all have excellent quality and are a valuable addition to the original album. This is a perfect piece of Rock music, if there ever was one. Of course the destiny placed the group at the right time at the wrong place. Had they been active in UK or US they would have been a Rock icon, no doubt, but alas it was not to be. Nevertheless they made a tremendous contribution to East European music and many of their albums are absolute gems, this one included. Essential!

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend

SKALDOWIE ~ WSZYSTKIM ZAKOCHANYM (EXPANDED EDITION) KAMELEON 06 ~ POLAND ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 1972 Released: 2013 This is the sixth album by the legendary Polish group SkaldowieFind albums by this artist, one of the most influential groups during the Golden Decade east of the Iron Curtain. Founded by brothers: Andrzej ZielinskiFind albums by this artist (vocalist, keyboardist, composer, arranger and leader) and Jacek ZielinskiFind albums by this artist (vocalist, multi-instrumentalist), Skaldowie epitomized everything that was great about the Polish scene in the late 1960s / early 1970s, which struggled against all odds with economic hardships, political censorship and relative isolation from the Western centers of musical development at the time. Considering those objective adversities, their achievements were simply phenomenal and the music they created remains a symbol of human genius and creativity overcoming all limitations. This album was recorded in May 1972 just a week before the group recorded their Progressive Rock Magnum Opus "Krywan, KrywanFind albums with this title". It includes more song oriented material Andrzej Zielinski composed since the recording of their previous album two years earlier. It features the Hammond organ extensively, which the group managed to bring over from the US and its sound was about to become the group´s trademark in years to come, but also some quiet songs with almost acoustic accompaniment. The other group members are: guitarist Jerzy TarsinskiFind albums by this artist, bassist / vocalist Konrad RatynskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Jan BudziaszekFind albums by this artist. The group was about to repeat in the future the same practice of releasing two albums almost simultaneously, one with song oriented material (like this one) and the other with Progressive Rock material. Musically the album combines their earlier work in the realms of sophisticated Pop, Psychedelia and Baroque Rock and the new territory of Progressive Rock, which was exploding with creativity at the time. Zielinski´s incredible talent to compose breathtakingly beautiful melodies and his arrangement skills, which involved vocal harmonies, unexpected tempo changes and multi-themed songs, as well as catchy riffs, which made this music, in spite of its complexity and sophistication, accessible to a wide range of audiences. Skaldowie also used excellent lyrics, which were written by the great lyricists like Leszek Aleksander MoczulskiFind albums by this artist, who cooperated with the group for many years or the poetesses Agnieszka OsieckaFind albums by this artist and Wislawa SzymborskaFind albums by this artist (the future Nobel Prize Laureate). This expanded edition includes ten bonus tracks (doubling the original album´s length), partly radio recordings and partly alternate studio material. The bonus tracks all have excellent quality and are a valuable addition to the original album. This is a perfect piece of Rock music, if there ever was one. Of course the destiny placed the group at the right time at the wrong place. Had they been active in UK or US they would have been a Rock icon, no doubt, but alas it was not to be. Nevertheless they made a tremendous contribution to East European music and many of their albums are absolute gems, this one included.

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

SKALDOWIE ~ WSZYSTKO MI MOWI ZE MNIE KTOS POKOCHAL (EXPANDED EDITION) KAMELEON 02 ~ POLAND ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 1967 - 1968 Released: 2013 This is the second album by the legendary Polish group SkaldowieFind albums by this artist, one of the most influential groups during the Golden Decade east of the Iron Curtain. Founded by brothers: Andrzej ZielinskiFind albums by this artist (vocalist, keyboardist, composer, arranger and leader) and Jacek ZielinskiFind albums by this artist (vocalist, trumpeter, percussionist), Skaldowie epitomized everything that was great about the Polish scene in the late 1960s / early 1970s, which struggled against all odds with economic hardships, political censorship and relative isolation from the Western centers of musical progress at the time. Considering those objective adversities, their achievements were simply phenomenal and the music they created remains a symbol of human genius and creativity overcoming all limitations. The album was recorded in partly in 1967 and than completed in 1968, while the personnel of the group was still unsteady and included: guitarists Jerzy TarsinskiFind albums by this artist, Marek JamrozyFind albums by this artist and Feliks NaglickiFind albums by this artist, bassists Konrad RatynskiFind albums by this artist and Tadeusz GogoszFind albums by this artist, and drummer Jan BudziaszekFind albums by this artist. The female vocal group AlibabkiFind albums by this artist accompanies the group on several tracks. Musically the album clearly shows the group´s stylistic development from the debut album, full of sophisticated Pop, Psychedelia and Baroque Rock. The beautiful arrangements involving orchestra and choir by Andrzej Zielinski, who also composed all but one of the album´s songs, are outstanding. He presents incredible talent to compose breathtakingly beautiful melodies and his arrangement skills, which involved vocal harmonies, unexpected tempo changes and multi-themed songs, as well as catchy riffs, which made this music, in spite of its complexity and sophistication, accessible to a wide range of audiences. Skaldowie used excellent lyrics, which were written by the best Polish lyricists at the time, like Leszek Aleksander MoczulskiFind albums by this artist, Agnieszka OsieckaFind albums by this artist, and Wojciech MlynarskiFind albums by this artist, Luckily they were never tempted to sing in English and stuck with their native tongue. Of course the Polish lyrics are lost to listeners not speaking the language, but the music is definitely strong enough to stand on its own and Skaldowie achieved a worldwide following despite the language barrier. This expanded edition includes thirteen bonus tracks (more than doubling the original album´s length), all of which are radio recordings. The bonus tracks all have excellent quality and are a valuable addition to the original album. This is almost a perfect piece of Pop / Rock music, a status they were about to reach in their next albums. Of course the destiny placed the group at the right time at the wrong place. Had they been active in UK or US they would have been a Rock icon, no doubt, but alas it was not to be. Nevertheless they made a tremendous contribution to East European music and many of their albums are absolute gems, this one included.

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

KRZYSZTOF ZESLAWSKI / NATALIA LUBRANO ~ OSIECKA JAZZOWO MTJ 11735 (Barcode: 5906409117354) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is a Jazzy tribute to the iconic Polish poetess / lyricist Agnieszka OsieckaFind albums by this artist, who authored texts to countless Polish songs over many years, many of them ageless evergreens. A collection of thirteen songs which feature Osiecka´s lyrics is performed here by a quartet led by guitarist Krzysztof ZeslawskiFind albums by this artist which also includes keyboardist Lukasz PerekFind albums by this artist, bassist Wojciech BerganderFind albums by this artist and drummers Michal LasotaFind albums by this artist or Jaroslaw KorzonekFind albums by this artist. The vocals are performed by Natalia Lubrano. The songs were composed by some of the top Polish songwriters. The arrangements are all within very narrow swinging mainstream, only marginally Jazz related. The instrumental work is very solid, but not extraordinary, which is understandable in these limiting circumstances. There are a few guitar and keyboards solo spots, but nothing extraordinary. The vocal performances, which are supposed to be the focus of this album, are adequate, but not really exciting, which is a great pity. These are all brilliant songs and on this album they lose most of their luster and elegance, becoming sort of trivial. Overall this is a missed opportunity with good intentions but not so great end result. Of course this music can be enjoyed by many Polish fans of popular music, but Jazz fans will find this album lacking spark and purpose.

Updated: 06/02/2017Posted: 06/02/2017

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