Record Reviews

CYCLISTS ~ ETIUDY MIEJSKIE NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2013 Released: 2013 This is the second album by Polish experimental quartet CyclistsFind albums by this artist, formed by keyboardist Daniel MackiewiczFind albums by this artist (Sing Sing PenelopeFind albums by this artist) with other musicians from the Bydgoszcz scene: bassist Wojciech WozniakFind albums by this artist, drummer Jacek BuhlFind albums by this artist (GlabulatorFind albums by this artist) and DJ G.R.Z.A.N.A.Find albums by this artist Together they play thirteen relatively short pieces, eleven of which were composed / improvised by the entire quartet and two were composed by Krzysztof GruseFind albums by this artist, also a well known Bydgoszcz household name. The music is a mixture between Jazz-Rock Fusion ditties and the ambient ventures produced by the DJ, which together sounds like an updated version of early Soft MachineFind albums by this artist sans the vocals. The compositions, although pretty basic, are all nicely melodic and the Rhodes electric piano brings waves of nostalgia. There is essentially nothing very innovative here, or perhaps the entire proceedings are purposely retrograde; in any case this is a nice and very listenable piece of music, but overall quite déjà vu. Of course these are very talented musicians and they produced some excellent music in the past, so one should accept this project as an attempt to relax and have fun, which is exactly what it is all about.

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GLABULATOR ~ A DAY WITHOUT HOURS NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 5903111550004) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2013 This is the debut album by the experimental Polish Jazz duo GlabulatorFind albums by this artist, founded in 2005 by saxophonist Tomasz GlazikFind albums by this artist (SyfonFind albums by this artist, Sing Sing PenelopeFind albums by this artist) and drummer Jacek BuhlFind albums by this artist (SyfonFind albums by this artist and many others), two of the most respected activists on the Avant-Garde scene in the town of Bydgoszcz and its legendary club "Mozg". Following a long period of inactivity since 2007 the duo combined forces again in 2012 and recorded this album in the studio located in the same club, which includes ten original compositions / improvisations credited to the duo. The music is quite diverse, ranging from completely improvised pieces to almost danceable melodic exercises, which are nostalgic reminiscences of the Yass period. Glazik plays tenor saxophone, bass clarinet and synthesizers and creates a wide range of sounds and effects, creating often the effect of a whole ensemble. Buhl, who is one of my favorite drummers on the Polish scene, presents again his incredible musicality and virtuosic control of his array of percussive instruments. Together they create an ambience of adventure, which keeps the listens in full suspense throughout the entire album. This music beautifully combines the concept of freedom with the elements of melody and rhythm, which are the basic building blocks of music, and therefore is able to be attractive to a relatively wide range of open-minded listeners, which is usually quite difficult to achieve in the Free / Improvised Music environment. This is yet another document of the incredible vitality and versatility of the Polish Jazz scene, which seemingly knows no borders and simply explodes with both established and new talent. Listeners who have been following the careers of the duo members will find this album as another interesting step in their development. For others this is a wonderful opportunity to discover the magical world of Glabulator and take an enchanted voyage with them.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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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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