Record Reviews

AN ON BAST / MACIEJ FORTUNA ~ ELECTROACOUSTIC TRANSFORMATION OF FILM MUSIC BY KRZYSZTOF PENDERECKI FM 013 (Barcode: 888174357317) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2013 This is the third album by the Polish duo, which consists of ambient / electronic music artists An On BastFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Anna SudaFind albums by this artist) and Jazz trumpeter / composer Maciej FortunaFind albums by this artist. The album includes thirteen tracks, which were composed and conceived by the duo, all inspired by music composed by the Polish Classical composer Maestro Krzysztof PendereckiFind albums by this artist, which was either composed as soundtrack music for cinematographic productions or used in such capacity. The album also includes a DVD, which presents six short videos by visual artist Pawel WypychFind albums by this artist, based on six tracks present on the CD, which visualize the music using black & white animations and collages. Penderecki´s involvement with film music is relatively less acknowledged in comparison to his large scale symphonic works, but it has always been some of the most impressive and dramatic of its kind and accompanied some of the best films by some of the most important directors, like David LynchFind albums by this artist, Stanley KubrickFind albums by this artist, Martin ScorseseFind albums by this artist, Andrzej WajdaFind albums by this artist and others. This is by far the most complex and advanced project realized to date by the duo, which shows another perspective as well as another depth of their music. The personal and artistic courage to undertake a project like this one is to be admired and encouraged. After generations of Polish Jazz repeatedly dealing with the music of Frederic ChopinFind albums by this artist, often ad nauseam, the young and bold Polish Jazz lions discover contemporary Polish Classical music as the source of their inspiration. In 2012 the pianist Piotr OrzechowskiFind albums by this artist released a sensational album with his interpretation of music by Maestro Penderecki ("Experiment: PendereckiFind albums with this title") and now this album does it again, no less boldly one may add. Other Jazz albums, for example with music by Wojciech KilarFind albums by this artist, were also released lately. This is definitely a refreshing trend. The music included herein is truly overwhelming. Listeners with little or no experience with electronic music or the usage of electronic effects might find it initially strange and a bit difficult, but a couple of listening sessions should break the ice. An On Bast uses an array of different sound effects to create a rich and diverse background upon which Fortuna adds his incredible trumpet passages. These two elements: the electronic and the acoustic, work perfectly together to create a deeply atmospheric musical creation, floating in the infinite sonoric space. Album after album and step after step Fortuna builds up a body of work that is most impressive and simply can not be ignored. His immense talent and versatility, as demonstrated herein in the collaboration with contemporary musical vocabulary, is awe-inspiring. The level of intellectual and emotional dialogue between these two young artists is a ray of hope in this dark age where most things seem to be simply fading out. Thank you!

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RGG ~ STRAIGHT STORY BCD 07 (Barcode: 5906881885062) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2004 Released: 2006 This is the 2nd album (and first studio recording) by the Polish Jazz ensemble RGGFind albums by this artist, which consists of pianist Przemyslaw RaminiakFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist. The album´s title track was inspired by the classic film of the same name, directed by David LynchFind albums by this artist. Of the eleven tracks on the album ten are credited to the trio and one is a standard. Considering the fact that this album is in many respects the artistic debut by three young musicians, the quality of the music and the performances are absolutely phenomenal. All the qualities, which will be fully developed on the RGG trio´s later recordings, are already there: the incredible interplay, the lyricism and unique perception of melody and above all the freedom of expression. It is almost frightening to see anonymous (at the time) musician create such a sophisticated, advanced and complex music, often years ahead of many Jazz veterans, who made little advance during their entire career. It is pretty obvious that these young musicians knew pretty well where they wanted to go musically. Their self-confidence, as demonstrated by their performances here, is remarkable and was about to become a key element in the development of their future careers, both as an ensemble and as individuals. A certain level of naïveté is apparent, but it is charming and in retrospect only emphasizes how good the trio was even at the outset of their musical path. This is a beautiful and almost perfect piano trio album, which should be part of even the most selective record collections. It is a gem, not only among the Polish Jazz albums, but among anything recorded in first decade of the 21st Century. Satisfaction guaranteed!

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