Record Reviews

LESZEK KULAKOWSKI ~ BEAUTIFUL JAZZY OPERA SOLITON 1338 (Barcode: 5903684233380) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2022 Released: 2023 This is a live album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer / educator Leszek KulakowskiFind albums by this artist, recorded with a classic piano trio with bassist Adam ZuchowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Tomasz SowinskiFind albums by this artist, a large orchestra Sinfonia Baltica PhilharmonicFind albums by this artist conducted by Tadeusz WicherekFind albums by this artist, and two opera singers: soprano Anna FabrelloFind albums by this artist and tenor Lukasz ZaleskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten tracks, which are Jazzy arrangements by Kulakowski of operatic pieces by Polish composer Stanislaw MoniuszkoFind albums by this artist, Italian composer Giacomo PucciniFind albums by this artist, French composer Georges BizetFind albums by this artist and a couple of other pieces. Obviously the music is a Jazz-Classical Fusion attempt to combine the two genres, which is rather unusual, as such projects rarely tackle operatic music. The contrast between the two genres is not easy to achieve, since the arias do not allow much space for improvisation, and as a result the music offers something of a “two for the price one” show, which do not always go hand in hand. Kulakowski is without a doubt one of the best Polish Jazz pianists, and his improvisations in the piano trio format, or with the orchestral accompaniment, are all perfectly executed, but when the vocal parts take over the central stage, the Jazz element is almost completely lost. This does not mean of course that the album is not a great fun to listen to, but the listener has to be prepared to accept this dichotomy. Personally, I had no problem whatsoever with this format, being a music lover of all shapes and shades, but I can imagine some people objecting. Overall, this is a bold effort to place Jazz and Opera together on one stage, but without integrating them to closely. It offers an opportunity to hear some great Jazz piano playing by Kulakowski, interesting orchestral arrangements and a few operatic arias beautifully sung by the soloists. A musical feast by all means, but probably not for everybody.

Updated: 04/04/2024Posted: 04/04/2024

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

LOVE SCULPTURE ~ FORMS AND FEELINGS ESOTERIC 2016 (Barcode: 5013929711624) ~ UK ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1969 Released: 2008 2nd and last album by Welsh power trio Love SculptureFind albums by this artist led by the immensely talented guitarist Dave EdmundsFind albums by this artist, who also sings and plays piano, with bassist John WilliamsFind albums by this artist and drummer Bob JonesFind albums by this artist. On this album the band moves away from the Blues-Rock direction, which dominated the debut, moving into the Psychedelic and Progressive genres. Dominated by the immense success of their single, which presented an instrumental version of Aram KhachaturianFind albums by this artist´s "Sabre Dance" and was a worldwide hit, the band recorded two more arrangements of classical pieces: Gustav HolstFind albums by this artist´s "Mars" and Georges BizetFind albums by this artist´s "Farandole", all exceptional showcases for Edmunds´ spectacular guitar playing. The album turned out to be a classic and in retrospective still serves as a great document of the era. Guitar freaks rejoice!

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend