Record Reviews

KALUZA / MAJEWSKI / MAZUR / SUCHAR ~ TONE HUNTING CLEAN FEED 285 (Barcode: 5609063002850) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2013 This is the debut album by the Improvising Music quartet, which consists of German saxophonist Anna KaluzaFind albums by this artist and three Polish musicians: trumpeter Artur MajewskiFind albums by this artist, acoustic bass guitarist Rafal MazurFind albums by this artist and drummer Kuba SucharFind albums by this artist. Majewski and Suchar are or course known as the excellent duo MikrokolektywFind albums by this artist and Mazur is a member of the TRC TrioFind albums by this artist. The album presents five extended improvisations, credited to all quartet members and was released by the excellent Portuguese Clean FeedFind albums on this label label. The music is a great example of the vitality of the Polish / European Improvising Music scene, which is enjoying a tremendous Renaissance and involves a new generation of players and enthusiasts. These four musicians are among the most innovative and interesting representatives of the genre and have been already recognized internationally as important creative forces. Listening to this album clearly shows why they deserve such recognition. Although improvised, the music presents a diverse stylistic collage of sound vistas, from minimalistic and delicate breathing tones to expressive collective forceful statements. Most of the sounds and tones heard on this album are quite remote from what one would expect from the conventional usage of the instruments involved, and yet they somehow make all perfect sense and create a wonderful amalgam, which is obviously unlike almost anything heard before. In most cases the quartet members produce a series of rapid staccato sounds, which then are all intermixed into one sonic whole. In contrast to most "conventional" music, which once stated becomes unwavering in consequent listening encounters, this music is constantly alive and chameleonic, changing each time one listens to it. That elusiveness and constant ability to be transformed is of course what makes this music so fascinating. Obviously this is definitely not something for a casual listener and its overall accessibility is limited to connoisseurs of the genre, but as such, it is unquestionably one of its finest exhibits.

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SPLATTER ~ SCRAFFITI CITYSTREAM 00105 (Barcode: 884502984231) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 2011 Released: 2011 This is the second album by the Splatter quartet, co-led by British clarinetist Noel TaylorFind albums by this artist and German saxophonist Anna KaluzaFind albums by this artist, with guitarist Pedro VelascoFind albums by this artist and drummer Michael CarattiFind albums by this artist. Although playing mostly Improvised Music, the quartet included five composed pieces as part of the sixteen tracks present on this album. The composers are, however, left unnamed on the album´s cover so the entire music appears to be credited by default to all the participants. Splatter is a remarkable ensemble because although it deals with improvised music, the result is remarkably "user friendly" and even romantic at times. There is not an iota of aggressiveness or harshness present and the music seams to be floating easily, almost in an ambient way, but completely lacking the triviality of most commercial ambient music. In spite of the relaxed atmosphere quite a lot is happening here, with phrases and notes being exchanged between the players constantly. Somehow this kind of music making always creates an association of four friends sharing a meal and tasting each other´s dishes. The overall mood is simply that of a joyful sharing. This is one of very few Improvised Music albums which could be enjoyed by listeners who would normally run for cover after just a few notes when listening to such music. It also could serve as a soundtrack of an imaginary movie been screened inside the listeners head. Whichever way this music is being "consumed" it simply fits the situation perfectly. It doesn´t really make too much sense to write more about this album, as words seem truly inadequate to describe it – as usual listening is the only option and hopefully this is what will eventually happen. Well done indeed!

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SPLATTER / RAFAL MAZUR ~ CLOUDSEED CITYSTREAM 00106 (Barcode: 888174287706) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2013 This is an excellent album by British Improvising Music quartet SplatterFind albums by this artist, recorded in an expanded lineup which also includes the Polish bassist Rafal MazurFind albums by this artist. Splatter consists of clarinetist Noel TaylorFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Anna KaluzaFind albums by this artist, guitarist Pedro VelascoFind albums by this artist and drummer Tom GreenhalghFind albums by this artist. On the album they perform thirteen relatively short improvised pieces, and since no composing credits are given one can assume all the music was simply spontaneously created by all the musicians involved. For a freely improvised music the content of this album is remarkably melodic and beautifully serene. Surely this music was at least rehearsed to some extent before the recording, as most of it has a clearly defined melodic sequence and harmonic structure. As such it is also easily accessible to a wide range of listeners, including those who normally wouldn´t make the effort to listen to Improvised Music. Quite honestly this is definitely one of the most beautiful Improvised Music efforts I have been exposed to in the last few years, especially due to its complete lack of aggressiveness and belligerence that often overwhelms similar efforts. In contrast this music projects a kind of calmness and piece of mind, which perhaps reflects to some extent the need of regeneration and relaxation through Art, which becomes more popular recently. But regardless of the inner motives behind the music, the overall result is simply soothing. The individual performances are all excellent, as expected. Personally the clarinet, which is on the short list of my favorite instruments, is the most impressive here with a superb tone and melodic consistency. But again, all the other players contribute equally well. The addition of the bass solidifies the sound of the ensemble and its pulsations are another dimension which goes perfectly well with the rest. Of course the work of the ensemble as a coherent unit, and in this case almost telepathically coherent, is the most important factor contributing to their success to make brilliant music. This is definitely an album every true ambitious music connoisseur should listen to; satisfaction guaranteed!

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