Record Reviews

OLGA BOCZAR ~ TESKNO MI, TESKNO FOR TUNE 0137 (Barcode: 5906395808496) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Pop Fusion Recorded: 2016 Released: 2018 This is the second album by Polish vocalist / flautist / songwriter Olga BoczarFind albums by this artist, recorded with the same quartet of Polish Jazz musicians who accompanied her on her debut album: pianist Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Andrzej GondekFind albums by this artist, bassist Wojciech PulcynFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel DobrowolskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight songs, four of which are Polish Folk songs and the other four are original compositions by Boczar, three of which feature her lyrics (one of them in English) and one is based on a poem by Polish poet Boleslaw LesmianFind albums by this artist. Both the Folk songs and the original compositions get a Jazzy arrangement (which remains uncredited), but are not really transformed into the Jazz idiom, remaining mostly somewhere between Pop and Folk music after all. Boczar sings both lyrics and vocalese, holding her ground skillfully and even gracefully at times, but her vocal parts are somewhat low in the mix being often overshadowed by the instrumental accompaniment. Her flute parts are only marginally featured here. All four Jazz musicians that participate in the recording are of course highly professional, but the music leaves little ground for them to show their skills except for occasional solos. Overall this is a pleasant album, easy on the ear and well put together, mostly for listeners who prefer to be entertained rather than challenged, but one that can be enjoyed by a wide spectrum of music lovers.

Updated: 19/02/2019Posted: 19/02/2019

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OLGA BOCZAR MUSIC ESSENCE ~ LITTLE INSPIRATIONS NOT ON LABEL 001 (Barcode: 5905279086005) ~ POLAND ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 2013 - 2014 Released: 2014 This is the debut album as a leader by Polish vocalist / flautist / songwriter Olga BoczarFind albums by this artist, recorded with her ensemble called Music EssenceFind albums by this artist, with core members: keyboardist Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Andrzej GondekFind albums by this artist, bassist Wojciech PulcynFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel DobrowolskiFind albums by this artist. In addition several other musicians also participate on selected tracks, including bassist Krzysztof PacanFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Radek NowickiFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Dominik GawronskiFind albums by this artist, trombonist Michal TomaszczykFind albums by this artist and several background vocalists; altogether quite a formidable team. The album presents ten original songs all composed by Boczar and with lyrics mostly written by her as well. Only two of the songs feature lyrics in Polish and eight have English lyrics. The music was recorded in three different studios, including the Studio Tokarnia where Smoczynski also served as the sound engineer recording the rhythms section tracks. In spite of the fact that the album features some very prominent Polish Jazz musicians, it is by no means a Jazz album. Except for a few piano solos, the album presents a singer / songwriter Pop / Rock effort with slight Jazzy accents mostly present in some of the arrangements. There is of course nothing wrong with that, but promoting and marketing this album under a Jazz moniker is a conceptual mistake. The music is a collection of mostly low key melancholic melodies, which all sound a bit similar and leave no lasting impression. Everything is "nice" and "smooth", but there is no excitement, zest or attempt hit the listener between his eyes. Boczar´s voice and delivery don´t help much either, as she has a limited range and sings in the same narrow spectrum using repeatedly the same mannerisms, regardless of the text she is singing. Except for a few vocalese attempts, the rest is rather unexciting. And on top of this all these there is the problem with lyrics in English, which sound pretty inappropriate. In contrast, plainly audible, the two songs sung in Polish sound infinitely better. The instrumental work is all quite all right, but again lacks any spark. The arrangements are all rather trivial, and the potential of such mighty team of musicians seems completely wasted. Except for the already mentioned piano solos, there is no attempt to put some excitement into this music. Overall this is all professionally done, but sadly completely uninspired. This album has a potential on the Polish Pop market, if promoted properly. It might even win a Fryderyk award next year, as anything can happen there, but hopefully not in the Jazz category. And before an outcry of angry responses accusing me of ruining young people´s careers erupts again, let me emphasize that this is just my private, subjective opinion, which has absolutely no bearing on anybody´s fate.

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CZAR ~ CZAR SUNBEAM 5040 (Barcode: 5051125504015) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1969 - 1970 Released: 2007 Only album by British group CzarFind albums by this artist, which consisted of Bob HodgesFind albums by this artist (keyboards & vocals), Mick WareFind albums by this artist (guitar & vocals), Paul KendrickFind albums by this artist (bass & vocals and the band’s main composer) and Derrick GoughFind albums by this artist (drums). They played great proto-Prog material, based on the extensive use of Hammond organ and mellotron and heavy lead guitar, as did many of their contemporaries. The lengthy tracks leave plenty of space for solos by the lead instruments and their 3-way vocal harmonies are pretty unique. Stylistically the group’ material is similar to early Deep PurpleFind albums by this artist, Atomic RoosterFind albums by this artist and especially NiceFind albums by this artist, due to their use of adaptations of Classical Music themes, which served as a basis for long instrumental tours de force. Unfortunately their rearrangement of Manuel de FallaFind albums by this artist’s “Ritual Fire Dance”, which was their most ambitious piece, was omitted form the original LP release, only to be corrected with it being included as one of the bonus tracks on this reissue. The original LP earned a legendary status over the years and became a rare collector’s item, now back in circulation. Lovers of the late 1960s early British Prog will have a field day with this album, which lost none of its charm over the years.

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

KATARZYNA GARTNER / CZERWONO-CZARNI ~ PAN PRZYJACIELEM MOIM: MSZA BEATOWA GAD 086 (Barcode: 5903068120183) ~ POLAND ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1968 Released: 2018 This is a reissue of an album by Polish composer Katarzyna GartnerFind albums by this artist and the Rock group Czerwono-CzarniFind albums by this artist which was the first of its kind attempt in Poland to create a Christmas Mass within the Rock rather than traditional sacred music environment. The album comprises of an eight-part Mass and three additional Carols, performed by the group and an instrumental ensemble conducted by the composer. The album was recorded and released in 1968, a time when Poland was under a Socialist regime, which was naturally opposed to the deeply religious inclinations of the Polish People, and the fact that such an innovative project like this one was allowed at all was a miracle of sorts. Gartner was inspired by her visit to the US, where she witnessed church music performed in a colorful and unconventional way by the Afro-American community. After several attempts to reconstruct the same approach in Poland, she finally managed to convince the group to take part in the project and record the material against all odds. The album is to this very day one of the most unique achievements in the history of Polish Classic Rock and remains in the collective memory of the generation that witnessed its original release as a historic event. Regardless of the political and social aspects of this album, the music it offers is remarkable in every way, as are the vocal and instrumental performances. Considering (again) the fact that this music was recorded behind the Iron Curtain, it is surprisingly advanced for its time and is definitely up to par with what Classic Rock artists in the West were recording at the time. As usual GADFind albums on this label Records made an excellent decision to reissue this album, which truly deserves to be revisited and remembered, being both an important piece of Polish Classic Rock history and a delightful piece of music. Warmly recommended!

Updated: 07/02/2019Posted: 07/02/2019

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

JANCZARSKI & MCCRAVEN QUINTET ~ LIBERATOR FOR TUNE 0132 (Barcode: 5906395808427) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2018 This is the second album by the Polish / American quintet co-led by Polish saxophonist Borys JanczarskiFind albums by this artist and American drummer Stephen McCravenFind albums by this artist, with Polish pianist Joanna GajdaFind albums by this artist and bassist Adam KowalewskiFind albums by this artist and American trumpeter Rasul SiddikFind albums by this artist. Together they perform seven tunes, five of which are originals (three by Gajda and one each by Janczarski and McCraven) and two standards, one each by Woody ShawFind albums by this artist and Billy EckstineFind albums by this artist. The music was recorded live at Warsaw´s 12 on 14 Jazz Club and another venue and has a superb sound quality. The music is a continuation of the direction established on the quintet´s debut album, i.e. straightforward mainstream American Jazz, very well played and presenting solid composition, but hardly innovative or challenging. It seems that although the majority of the quintet members are Polish musicians, the spirit of the music is completely enthralled within the American traditionalism, which changed very little since the heyday of Bebop half a Century ago. But innovation aside, this is still a perfectly enjoyable Jazz album, with highly professional playing, which is much more relaxed and less constrained that on the debut album, and full of joy and energy. Considering the fact that mainstream Jazz has a large following the world over, this album should be appealing to many Jazz lovers. It also proves that European musicians are able to play Jazz as well as any American musician, even within the mainstream idiom, and the "White Man Can´t Jump" is a lot of bull. It is good to see that the quintet gives more exposure to the compositions by Gajda, who is undoubtedly a very skillful and talented composer. Her piano solos are also amongst the most interesting moments on the album. Overall this is a nice mainstream effort, which should be very enjoyable to a wide range of mainstream Jazz audiences, which presents well woven tunes and heartfelt performance as well as superb sound quality.

Updated: 08/05/2018Posted: 08/05/2018

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JANCZARSKI & MCCRAVEN QUINTET ~ TRAVELLING EAST WEST FOR TUNE 0081 (Barcode: 5902768701876) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is an album by the Polish / American quintet co-led by Polish saxophonist Borys JanczarskiFind albums by this artist and American drummer Stephen McCravenFind albums by this artist, with Polish pianist Joanna GajdaFind albums by this artist and bassist Adam KowalewskiFind albums by this artist and American trumpeter Rasul SiddikFind albums by this artist. Together they perform eight tunes, seven of which are originals (three by Janczarski, two by Gajda and one each by McCraven and Siddik) and one is a standard by Woody ShawFind albums by this artist. The music is standard mainstream Jazz, with nice compositions and eloquent execution, but sadly not remarkable in any way. Except for the singular Siddik´s tune, which has an interesting World Music motif, the rest of the material is well within the Bebop or even Swing tradition, which has been already exploited to death decades ago. The musicians are all professionals, but one can find hardly anything out of ordinary by any of them on this album. Siddik´s presence in these proceedings seems completely accidental, considering his past musical path. Of course many Jazz enthusiasts still like this kind of music, especially in America, where it still rules, but honestly it contributes nothing to the development of Jazz nowadays and recording such music, especially in Poland, as good as it might be, does not make much sense. Overall it is a pleasant, well played mainstream album, which surely will please many mainstream listeners, but is definitely not something I´d play again after enjoying it once.

Updated: 22/02/2016Posted: 22/02/2016

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

JANCZARSKI & SIDDIK 4TET ~ CONTEMPLATIONS FOR TUNE 0147 (Barcode: 5906395808625) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2020 Released: 2020 This is a live recording at the Warsaw 12 on 14 Jazz Club by the quartet co-led by Polish Jazz saxophonist Borys JanczarskiFind albums by this artist and veteran American trumpeter Rasul SiddikFind albums by this artist, with Polish bassist Michal JarosFind albums by this artist and veteran drummer Kazimierz JonkiszFind albums by this artist. Together they perform seven pieces, six of which are Jazz standards and one is an original composition by Siddik. The album offers a warm and authentic club atmosphere but the music is all strictly within American mainstream boundaries and is completely predictable. This is a third recorded collaboration between Janczarski and Siddik released on the For Tune label, all of which follow the same well established pattern of Bebop oriented music making, which has hardly changed in the last 70 years or so. As for the performances, despite the fact that Siddik has a well earned reputation of playing with some very important American Jazz names in the past, his playing here (and on the two other a.m. albums) is very shaky and unimpressive, Janczarski is much more vigorous but not really notable and only the excellent rhythm section is up for the job, especially Jaros whose bass parts are the absolute highlights of this album. Overall this music might have been nice to listen to at the club while enjoying a drink, but has no lasting value beyond that. At least the music is well recorded by Tomasz PierchalaFind albums by this artist, the club owner and persistent Warsaw Jazz scene activist.

Updated: 18/11/2020Posted: 18/11/2020

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MICHAL MILCZAREK TRIO ~ AMBIENT WORKS NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Electronic & Ambient Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the second album by a Polish trio led by guitarist / composer Michal MilczarekFind albums by this artist, which also includes bassist Bartek LuczkiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Mateusz ModrzejewskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eleven original compositions, which are co-credited as improvisations by all the trio members. The music is exactly what the album´s title suggests, i.e. a series of improvised ambient pieces, mostly concerned with sounds rather than conventional melodic themes or tonal progressions. Although improvised, the music has little, if any, connection to Jazz and is firmly within the ambient idiom. This kind of music makes it very difficult to recognize the individual contributions by the trio members, since those are limited by the restricted nature of the music. The guitar mostly plays long series of chords, over a painfully slow background created by the rhythm section, which soon blend into ambiguity, similarity and repetition, which at least in my case bordered on lack of interest. When the music is over, forty three minutes later, there is a feeling of confusion and depravation as to what just happened. There are a few passages when the music is slightly more energized and has a Fusion tendency, but those are brief and rare, with little impact on the overall result. Obviously fans of the ambient genre might find this music interesting or enjoyable, but as far as I am concerned it leaves me completely cold.

Updated: 23/12/2016Posted: 23/12/2016

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

MICHAL MILCZAREK TRIO ~ SQUIRRELS AND BUTTERFLIES NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 5903420641967) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Funk Fusion Recorded: 2014 Released: 2014 This is the debut album by the Polish Jazz-Rock Fusion trio led by guitarist / composer Michal MilczarekFind albums by this artist, with bassist Bartek LuczkiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Mateusz ModrzejewskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original compositions, nine by Milczarek and one by Luczkiewicz. The music is typical contemporary Jazz-Rock Fusion, with catchy riffs and somewhat unusual sound, which uses ambient effects in addition to the guitar power-trio format. The compositions are pretty basic, but serve the purpose as vehicles for the lengthy improvisations. The performances are solid, and within the Fusion idiom suit the music well. The overall sound of the album and the flow of the music are a bit repetitive, but there are enough interesting moments here to keep the listener attentive. Overall this is a promising debut album, which offers some fresh approach to guitar based Fusion, but does not manage to deliver anything truly innovative. However, Fusion fans should find this album very interesting, especially due to the ambient associations and excellent guitar and bass parts. Recommended! The trio´s second album entitled "Ambient Works", which left the Fusion direction and concentrated on Ambient Music, turned out to be a disappointment for me.

Updated: 22/09/2017Posted: 22/09/2017

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend