Record Reviews

URSZULA DUDZIAK ~ SUPERBAND AT JAZZ CAFE LIVE POMATON 5099945712722 (Barcode: 5099945712722) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Funk Fusion Recorded: 2008 Released: 2009 This is a live 2CD album by Polish Jazz vocalist Urszula DudziakFind albums by this artist, recorded during a two-days residence at a Jazz club in a small town near Warsaw. She is accompanied by a quintet of young Polish Jazz musicians, which includes saxophonist Lukasz PoprawskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Tomasz KrawczykFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Daniel BielFind albums by this artist and drummer Artur LipinskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eleven tracks, two of which are bonus radio edits of the full live tracks. The music includes five compositions by Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist, one each by Smoczynski and Larry CoryellFind albums by this artist and two arrangements of Classical pieces by Frederic ChopinFind albums by this artist. Most of the music was arranged by Smoczynski, who also was in charge of the recording with his brother Mateusz SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist. Dudziak performs using exclusively her famous vocalese, which of course is phenomenal as always, and the quintet accompanies her amicably with vigor and high energy. The music is strongly influenced by Funk, Groove and of course Fusion, which is ideal for Dudziak’s vocal improvisations and showcases her virtuosity in full. Despite the fact that this music was recorded over thirty years after Dudziak first exploded on the Jazz scene with her revolutionary vocal extravaganza, it seems that she is completely untouchable by time and still capable of stunning her audiences. I had of course the pleasure of hearing her perform more recently (2025) and she is still a ball of lightning. Overall, this is a great opportunity to hear Dudziak perform live, as there are very few live recordings by her out there. Also this album seems to be somewhat lost and quite a rarity, which is completely outlandish, as she has no equals on the world Jazz scene and truly deserves to be celebrated. If you can grab a copy, don’t dare to think twice!

Updated: 18/01/2026Posted: 18/01/2026

CD 2 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

URSZULA DUDZIAK ~ WSZYSTKO GRA KAYAX 061 (Barcode: 5907678818225) ~ POLAND ~ Vocal Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2013 This is an album by Polish Jazz Diva, vocalist Urszula DudziakFind albums by this artist, recorded with a group of local musicians, which includes saxophonist Lukasz PoprawskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Robert CichyFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, bass guitarist Krzysztof PacanFind albums by this artist and drummer Artur LipinskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine tracks, all of which (except one track, which is a drums solo) were composed and arranger by Smoczynski. Seven of the tracks feature Dudziak’s vocalese and two feature lyrics, written by her daughters. Smoczynski also recorded the music at his fabulous Studio Tokarnia. The music is a wonderful mixture of Jazz-Funk Fusion, World Music influences and Polish melancholy, all serving as a basis for Dudziak’s incredible vocal abilities, which despite her age (seventy at the time of the recording) seems to be in perfect form, both vocally and energetically. Although not necessarily innovative and obviously with a wink towards a wider audience, the music is excellent all the way through. Strangely, the album received very little attention at the time and disappeared almost completely from the scene, despite its commercial potential. Overall, this is a lesser known release by Dudziak, who was one of the most important European Vocal Jazz figures since the 1970s, and whose vitality and talent last firmly to this very day. For Vocal Jazz enthusiast this is definitely a worthy item in their record collection!

Updated: 08/10/2026Posted: 08/10/2026

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend