Record Reviews

WOJCIECH JACHNA / JACEK BUHL ~ PANJABU MONOTYPE ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2009 Released: 2009 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz duo consisting of trumpeter Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist (Contemporary Noise SextetFind albums by this artist, Sing Sing PenelopeFind albums by this artist) and drummer Jacek BuhlFind albums by this artist (SyfonFind albums by this artist, GlabulatorFind albums by this artist). It presents eleven original compositions, all co-composed by the duo members. The music is beautifully innovative and embodies a new sub-genre of the thriving Polish Jazz scene, which combines the tradition of trumpet / drums duos combined and expanded here with electronic and ambient sound vistas. A somewhat similar approach to music was also adopted a few years later by the An On BastFind albums by this artist / Maciej FortunaFind albums by this artist duo, which shares many sonic similarities with this duo. This music consists of expanded melodic themes developed by the trumpet and accompanied harmonically and rhythmically by the ambient electronic background and the drum parts. This approach seems to offer a wide plane of new possibilities, with are just being discovered lately. Such recordings like this one emphasize the vitality and the constant drive of the young Polish Jazz musicians to innovate and discover new possibilities, rather than stay on the beaten track of mainstream Jazz, which is probably the most important characteristic of the entire scene. Of course Jachna and Buhl already demonstrated their creativity and pioneering spirit as members of other ensembles they played with, but their work in this duo is the most impressive in that respect. Their next album as a duo ("Niedokonczone KsiazkiFind albums with this title"), recoded a year later, brought this wonderful concept to perfection. Sadly this album is relatively quite anonymous and known mostly to a small number of Polish Jazz Avant Garde fans, which is a pity. It is definitely worth searching for and deserves an honorable place in any serious Polish Jazz collection, especially for people following new trends and bold pioneering progress.

Updated: 17/12/2018Posted:

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PATER / WOJTCZAK / UROWSKI / GORZYCKI ~ A-KINETON OWOC 001 (Barcode: 5903292101378) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2011 Released: 2012 This wonderful album, recorded by the Polish quartet comprising of guitarist Kamil PaterFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Irek WojtczakFind albums by this artist, bassist Pawel UrowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Rafal GorzyckiFind albums by this artist, with guest trumpeter Maurycy WojcinskiFind albums by this artist, is an excellent example of contemporary Jazz, played by young musicians who slowly establish a new school of Polish Jazz, continuing the splendid tradition of the country´s achievements in that area. For people following the scene these names won´t be completely new, as they have been active in many different ensembles during the last decade, like Sing Sing PenelopeFind albums by this artist, Ecstasy ProjectFind albums by this artist, Contemporary Noise SextetFind albums by this artist and others. Pater, Urowski and Gorzycki, with saxophonist Aleksander KaminskiFind albums by this artist, recorded the splendid "Dziki JazzFind albums with this title" (Wild Jazz) album earlier on. Pater wrote five of the eight compositions on this album, with Urowski and Gorzycki contributing one composition each and one being a group composition. The music is excellent modern Jazz, with some basic melodic content, but mostly improvised with a lot of both individual and collective freedom extended towards the participants. The performances are all inspired and highly professional, and overall the album is a great piece of music, which flows elegantly from one composition to another, constantly keeping the listener on the edge. By and large the atmosphere is somewhat similar to the music played by the groundbreaking Polish ensemble Sing Sing Penelope, which of course is not entirely surprising and should be seen as a compliment. Hopefully this quartet has a lot more to offer in the future, and I´m looking forward to hear their next album. Wholeheartedly recommended!

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