Record Reviews

KRYSTYNA STANKO ~ POCIAG DO PIOSENKI NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Pop Fusion Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is an "informal" album by Polish vocalist / songwriter Krystyna StankoFind albums by this artist, her overall tenth release, which was recorded live in Radio Gdansk. The album celebrates the third Anniversary of the Metropolitan train system connecting the Baltic Tricity with the Kaszubia region. Stanko is accompanied by a quintet of excellent young musicians, which include: keyboardist Arek KrawielFind albums by this artist, guitarist Boris MogilevskiFind albums by this artist, violinist Jan GalachFind albums by this artist, bassist Paul RutschkaFind albums by this artist and drummer Mikolaj StankoFind albums by this artist. The album presents twelve songs, all written (music and lyrics) by Stanko, which originate from her early recordings: the album "KobietyFind albums with this title" released under the For DeeFind albums by this artist moniker in 1995 and her fourth album (first album as a leader) "Uslysz MnieFind albums with this title" released in 2008. The informal, relaxed atmosphere of this live concert suits this material ideally, which is only marginally Jazz oriented, but is absolutely delightful from start to finish. These invigorated versions of the early songs by Stanko sound in many respects way better than the original versions, missing perhaps the naivety and youthfulness, but are enhanced by the maturity and experience gained over the years. The music is mostly kept in a Jazz-Rock Fusion mood, but without excessive instrumental soloing, concentrating on the melodies and the vocal parts. Stanko´s delivery is absolutely delightful, as expected, which makes listening to this album an absolute unadulterated pleasure. The decision to revisit the old songs was a very smart move, as they all prove to stand the test of time admirably, and are definitely worth being remembered. Overall this is a very enjoyable piece of Pop / Jazz music, excellently performed and full of great music, which should make the many fans of Stanko´s talents very happy indeed!

Updated: 04/04/2019Posted: 04/04/2019

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MARCIN STEFANIAK / ARKADIUSZ KRAWIEL ~ ANTICIPATION SOLITON 1422 (Barcode: 5903684234226) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2017 Released: 2024 This is the debut album by a Polish Jazz duo comprising of saxophonist Marcin StefaniakFind albums by this artist and dulcimer player Arkadiusz KrawielFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Arek KrawielFind albums by this artist). The album presents eight tracks, six of which are original compositions by Krawiel and two are standards. The music was recorded in a church and offers a wonderful ambience and sound quality. The highly unusual sound of the dulcimer, rarely heard within the Jazz idiom, and the intimate duo setting create very impressive sound vistas, which take the listener on a voyage of discovery of new sounds. The music combines World Music influences, Jazz improvisations and some Classical Music inspirations, which are very effective and manage to craft an inspirational engagement with the listener. The dulcimer is mostly present on the second plane, accompanying the saxophone’s leading voice and supporting the harmonic and rhythmic backing. It is (probably on purpose) much lower in the sound mix. Considering the fact that Krawiel composed most of the music and is usually a keyboardist, his decision to play the “second fiddle” on this album is somewhat surprising, but the effect certainly works wonders. Overall, this is a very unusual and strikingly beautiful piece of music, which deserves to be heard, not only by Jazz listeners, but all music lovers regardless of their favorite genre. The music is lyrical, reflective and somewhat contemplative, which is commendable in this noise-saturated world we live in.

Updated: 10/10/2025Posted: 10/10/2025

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