Record Reviews

LUKASZ BOROWICKI ~ MORBIDEZZA OF DECADENCE MULTIKULTI MPJ 021 (Barcode: 5907529223598) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is the fourth album by Polish (resident in Denmark) Jazz guitarist / composer Lukasz BorowickiFind albums by this artist recorded this time with a sextet, which also features three Danish musicians: trumpeter Mads la CourFind albums by this artist, pianist Soren GemmerFind albums by this artist and drummer Anders MogensenFind albums by this artist and two Polish musicians: saxophonist Bartlomiej WawryniukFind albums by this artist and bassist Mariusz PrasniewskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Borowicki. The music on this album takes a step back towards more structured / composed modern European Jazz, with emphasis on composition and ensemble effort. In contrast to the typical albums produced by young Polish Jazz musicians these days, this album is much closer in spirit to Scandinavian Jazz, not only due to the fact that half of the sextet´s members are Danish, but mainly due to the character of the compositions, which offer typical Nordic open space and "windy" ambiance. The music is relaxed, and offers a lot of breathing space for all the musicians to solo and interplay extensively, with every single note being perfectly clearly audible. Borowicki plays the guitar with wonderful minimalist, almost completely acoustic touch, shunning flashy displays of egocentric show-off. All the rest of the sextet members follow his lead in this respect, and the album is a wonderful example of mutual respect and understanding between the musicians, as well as a display of the elegance, restraint and artistry that characterizes European Jazz. The sextet members are all superb instrumentalists, and they all contribute equally to this album´s success. Wonderfully "cool" trumpet parts by la Cour, beautifully melodic solos by Gemmer and spirited saxophone parts by Wawryniuk are kept in check by the solid and yet creative work by the rhythm section, which is fully up to par with the front line players. Overall this is an excellent album in every respect, clear evidence that the prolific work of Borowicki is consistently excellent and has a lot to offer in a long term. Full of great compositions and excellent playing, this album is an indicator of how young European Jazz is exploding with talent and extraordinary quality, which never ceases to amaze. Well done Gentlemen!

Updated: 27/10/2018Posted: 27/10/2018

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TOMASZ DABROWSKI ~ TOM TRIO ILK 193 (Barcode: 5706274003871) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2011 Released: 2012 This is the debut album as a leader by the young (28) and upcoming Polish Jazz trumpeter Tomasz DabrowskiFind albums by this artist, resident in Denmark since several years. In spite of his young age Dabrowski managed to gain quite a lot of experience and exposure, playing with many Polish and later Danish Jazz musicians and recording an impressive number of albums as co-leader and sideman. This album was recorded in the difficult trumpet trio format, with Danish bassist Nils Bo DavidsenFind albums by this artist and drummer Anders MogensenFind albums by this artist. The music comprises of eleven original compositions, all by the leader. The overall atmosphere of this recording is close to European Free Jazz, although the melodic motifs in most of the compositions are clearer than in most Free from recordings. The resulting music is an interesting amalgam of typical Polish melancholy and lyricism combined with the wonderful Scandinavian virtuosity of stress-free improvisation. The music is interesting, intelligent and provides an ideal vehicle for the trio to express themselves and demonstrate their individual and collective skills. The balance between the melodic content and the freedom, both harmonic and rhythmic, proves that these are both bright and experienced players. The album is very much an ensemble effort, as all three musicians contribute equally to the result as a whole. Dabrowski plays some very tasty trumpet phrases, which are clearly influenced by the Godfather of Polish Jazz trumpet Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, but manage to eschew any attempt of copying the Master, forming an individual voice, which will surely further develop in the future. The bassist is spectacular and provides not only the necessary balance and camaraderie to the other trio members, but actually drives the music forward. The level of his technical proficiency and more importantly incredible Jazz feeling is simply astounding. The drummer completes the trio, playing rather less than more, which is a commendable quality, adding some imaginative icing to the cake, staying away from boring rhythmic patterns and skillfully adding his delicate touches. The album is definitely a first class achievement and an excellent debut effort, which does justice to the leader´s abilities and hopefully will serve as an introduction to a long and successful recording career. It is unquestionably one of the best debut albums I heard this year. Now that Dabrowski got me hooked, I will eagerly await his next effort. In the meantime I can only hope that this album gets to as many listeners worldwide, as it truly deserves. Brilliant stuff!

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TOMASZ DABROWSKI / TOM TRIO ~ RADICAL MOVES FOR TUNE 0045 (Barcode: 5902768701517) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2014 This is the second album by the Tom TrioFind albums by this artist, led by Polish (resident in Denmark) Jazz trumpeter Tomasz DabrowskiFind albums by this artist and including Danish bassist Nils Bo DavidsenFind albums by this artist and drummer Anders MogensenFind albums by this artist. The music consists of ten original compositions, all by Dabrowski, and it was recorded at the fabulous Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, with excellent sonic results. Contrary to the album´s ominous title, this album does not offer any radical developments as such, and is consistent with the path Dabrowski follows since a few years to achieve his personal voice as a trumpeter and composer, which has been quite remarkable. There is no doubt that he is today not only one of the top Polish Jazz trumpeters, but also one of top European trumpeters, a position he earned by numerous recordings in stylistically diverse setups, always delivering a top notch contribution. Musically Dabrowski seems to be most comfortable in the "organized Free" environment, when his statements have a solid melodic / harmonic basis underneath, which allows him to stretch his improvisations with flare and passion. The decision to present his music in the intimate trio setting is probably motivated by the fact that the trio allows the most concise ensemble solution enabling the closest interplay possible between the participants. This music is totally dependent on mutual exchange and support and would fail to achieve anything if such complete synthesis did not happen. Fortunately it does happen, from start to finish, elevating the music to a highly aesthetic plane. In spite of the nakedness of the trio setting, the overall effect of the trio is so eventful and intense, that it creates an illusion of a much larger ensemble at work. The role of the rhythm section in this type of music is radically different from the traditional position, which is to support the leader harmonically and rhythmically without getting involved with his solo parts. The music presented here is fully co-created by all three musicians, on equal footing. Dabrowski is naturally the most distinctive voice, playing the lead instrument, but everything that is happening in parallel to his playing as equally important each and very step of the way. People familiar with Dabrowski´s music are used by now to the incredible high standards he sets for himself, pushing them ever forward. This album is another step in the right direction, displaying signs of maturity and reflection rather than youthful enthusiasm. This is perhaps the most contemplative music he ever attempted, offering new vistas of his inner self as composer and performer. Of course music of such complexity and emotional weight requires attentive and often repetitive listening to be fully absorbed and appreciated. Connoisseurs of modern Free Form, but coherent Jazz will find this music fully and beautifully rewarding.

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RASMUS HENRIKSEN & POLYMETRUM ENSEMBLE ~ EASTERN INFLUENCE NOT ON LABEL 1 (Barcode: 5707471076774) ~ DENMARK ~ Jazz Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is the third album by Danish Jazz trombonist / composer / arranger / conductor Rasmus HenriksenFind albums by this artist recorded with a Danish / Polish septet called Polymetrum EnsembleFind albums by this artist, which also includes saxophonists Kasper WagnerFind albums by this artist and Andreas BottingerFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Mads la CourFind albums by this artist, Polish guitarist Lukasz BorowickiFind albums by this artist, Polish bassist Mariusz PrasniewskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Anders MogensenFind albums by this artist. The album presents a four-part suite (on four tracks) composed by Henriksen, which according to his note on the album’s artwork celebrates the Jazz made behind the Iron Curtain in the 1960s and 1970s, a period marking an incredible development of the Jazz Art Form despite difficult political circumstances of the Socialist Regime. Denmark (but also Sweden and Finland), being geographical Baltic neighbors to Poland, always maintained a close relationship with Polish Jazz, allowing many of them to play and record locally during that period. In the last two decades the artistic proximity repeated itself with many young Polish Jazz musicians either studying or moving to Denmark, mixing with local young scene, often creating some remarkable achievements. As his two earlier recordings clearly show, Henriksen clearly prefers larger ensembles, which allow him to showcase his composing and arranging skills to the max. His music is always melody based, with beautiful lyrical atmosphere, meticulously put together and superbly executed by the excellent ensembles he puts together to record his work, with a relative stable lineup. Despite the fact that the players are all brilliant soloists, the music is more ensemble oriented, following the European Jazz orchestral concept, and features relatively little soloing, which does not mean that the album avoids soloing completely and there are definitely some wonderful examples of solo and ensemble cooperation. The compositions are all superbly crafted and dull of dynamics and versatility, which makes the music flow splendidly, with the listener completely losing the sense of time. Overall, this is a beautiful and deeply moving album, definitely the best work by Henriksen so far, which shows his rapid development as a composer and arranger. The music is brilliant from start to end with never a dull moment in between. Fans of European Orchestral Jazz will be obviously delighted to hear this album, but it should be able to satisfy every Jazz lover on this planet. European Jazz at its best – hats off!

Updated: 05/12/2021Posted: 05/12/2021

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