Record Reviews

EABS ~ REFLECTIONS OF PURPLE SUN ASTIGMATIC 028 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Funk Fusion Recorded: 2023 Released: 2024 This is the 6th album by Polish Jazz ensemble EABSFind albums by this artist, which comprises of saxophonist Olaf WegierFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Jakub KurekFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Marek PedziwiatrFind albums by this artist, bassist Pawel StachowiakFind albums by this artist and drummer Marcin RakFind albums by this artist. The album presents six tracks, five of which are the ensemble’s interpretation of the tracks included on the legendary album “Purple SunFind albums with this title” by Polish Jazz trumpeter / composer / bandleader Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, who died in 2018, and one is a short tribute to Stanko’s drummer Janusz StefanskiFind albums by this artist, who died in 2016, credited to Rak. The album was recorded at Stanko’s flat and includes a booklet with extensive and highly informative liner notes by the ensemble’s manger Sebastian JozwiakFind albums by this artist. The “Purple Sun” album was recorded in Germany in 1973 by the legendary quintet led by Stanko, with included saxophonist / flautist Janusz MuniakFind albums by this artist, who died in 2016, saxophonist / violinist Zbigniew SeifertFind albums by this artist, who died in 1979, bassist Bronislaw SuchanekFind albums by this artist, may he live for many more years, and Stefanski. For various reasons (see the booklet) Suchanek was replaced on this recording by Swiss bassist Hans HartmannFind albums by this artist, who died in 2022. The album presented five compositions (two combined into one track), four composed by Stanko and one by Seifert. Since the album was released only in Germany on an obscure small record label, it remained almost completely unknown to most Polish and international Jazz connoisseurs for many years. The album was never properly reissued / remastered to this very day. Sadly, none of the quintet members, who recorded this album, are with us anymore. The concept of re-recording entire albums is not exactly neither new nor very revolutionary, even when the music is teleported into an entirely different sphere / universe, like in this case. EABS gradually won me over with their consecutive albums, and I learned to accept their Groove and Funky attitude, which, in their case, can result in deeply Artistic music, despite the appearances. I must admit that I had serious doubts in this specific case, as this particular period in Stanko’s musical chronology sets a certain aesthetic peak, as far as my historic perspective of Polish Jazz is concerned, where his highly adventurous searching produced some of the best Improvised Music / Free Jazz on earth at the time. This new interpretation of “Purple Sun” has absolutely nothing of that searching, subversive, groundbreaking charisma that the original album projects. The links between the original album and this offering are left purely to the spiritual / associative levels. I don’t think anybody not informed about the linkage between these two albums would ever guess its existence. So the question is if EABS have jumped the proverbial “one bridge too far” this time? I don’t have a precise answer to be honest. I do love the music, without any reservations: it is well played, it is Groovy and Funky as always, the solos are impressive and everything works just fine, including the urge to get up and dance. They have definitely found their very own style and they are consistent. Only some questions remain: what is the relevance of this music as far as its inspiration is concerned? Does it bring Stanko’s ideas forward by fifty years? Does it play tribute to Stanko’s original music, beyond the conceptual envelope? I honestly don’t know… Overall, this as good EABS album as ever, and people who love their music will enjoy this one as well. They are a talented bunch and it’s always great to hear them play, live or on record. As far as “Purple Sun” is concerned, if this album prompts people to make an effort and listen to the original album, I am more than happy!

Updated: 14/06/2024Posted: 14/06/2024

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FREE ORBIT ~ FREE JAZZ GOES UNDERGROUND MPS 4029759097433 (Barcode: 4029759097433) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1969 Released: 2014 This is a reissue of a little known album by German Jazz-Rock ensemble Free OrbitFind albums by this artist, formed in Hamburg by vocalist / drummer Udo LindenbergFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Fred ChristmannFind albums by this artist and American saxophonist Frank St. PeterFind albums by this artist. The final lineup, which recorded this album, also included vocalist Mike BrooksFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Heinz HabermannFind albums by this artist, trombonist Peter HerbolzheimerFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Emil WursterFind albums by this artist and bassists Hans HartmannFind albums by this artist (who also played the sitar) and Reiner VogeleiFind albums by this artist. There are also guitar parts and female vocals present on the album, but their contributors remain anonymous. The album presents ten original songs, all written or composed or co-composed by Lindenberg and feature lyrics in English. Contrary to the ensemble´s name or the album´s title, the music has absolutely nothing to do with Free Jazz and is all Jazz-Rock Fusion / Brass Rock with a touch of Psychedelics and Funk, quite delightful and nostalgic. The brass arrangements (by St. Peters) are all excellent and a bit a la Blood, Sweat & Tears. In retrospect this is a delightful gem, almost completely forgotten and definitely worth discovering. Apart from some British Brass Rock ensembles, Free Orbit was one of the very few representatives of the genre in Europe. European early Jazz-Rock Fusion and Brass Rock fans should not miss this little gem in their collections. Side Note The legendary German MPSFind albums on this label (Musik Produktion Schwarzwald) label, founded by Hans Georg Brunner-SchwerFind albums by this artist (HGBS) in 1963, first as SABAFind albums on this label Records and later on from 1968 as MPS Records, was the most important independent European record label, which had an enormous contribution to the development of European Jazz. For many years MPS cooperated with the legendary German producer / author Joachim BerendtFind albums by this artist, my Friend and Mentor, whose visionary approach and open-mindedness brought the crème de la crème of the Jazz (in the broadest meaning of the word) musicians from all over the world to the label. Between 1963 and 1983 MPS produced about five hundred albums, many of which are among the most important Jazz recordings on this planet. In 1983 the MPS catalog was sold to UniversalFind albums on this label, which sadly resulted in all those artistic treasures to almost disappear from the face of the earth – a situation not only tragic but culturally criminal. Universal reissued a part of the MPS albums (probably 128 titles) on CD between 1999 and 2011 under the "Most Perfect Sound Edition" moniker. Since 2008 the German Promising MusicFind albums on this label label released some of the MPS recordings, but at a very slow pace. In 2014 the German company Edel AG bought the MPS catalogue from Universal and released a series of 25 MPS albums on CD with a new slipcase graphic design, which brought all those excellent albums back to life. In 2015 Edel AG started to record and release new albums under the MPS moniker. In 2016 Edel AG released a series of 10 classic MPS albums on CD, which were beautifully remastered and re-packaged, presenting the original artwork and liner notes, as well as new liner notes and photographs. An obvious labor of love, these reissues are what the MPS catalogue truly deserves. This project was continued in 2017 with another series of 10 classic MPS albums released on CD. In later years some new reissues were released sporadically. Over the years many SABA / MPS albums were reissued in Japan, which is often the only available source for these albums today, but that is a story in itself.

Updated: 27/05/2018Posted: 14/07/2016

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TOMASZ STANKO ~ JAZZMESSAGE FROM POLAND B.FREE 6098 ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 1972 Released: 2016 This is a reissue of a relatively obscure album by the Polish Jazz icon Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, released originally by a small independent German label JGFind albums on this label Records. The album was recorded by the first quintet Stanko formed as a leader, shortly after the death of the Godfather of Polish Jazz, pianist / composer / bandleader Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, with whom Stanko recorded extensively for years. The quintet included the best Polish Jazz musicians at the time: violin virtuoso Zbigniew SeifertFind albums by this artist, flautist / saxophonist Janusz MuniakFind albums by this artist, bassist Bronislaw SuchanekFind albums by this artist and drummer Janusz StefanskiFind albums by this artist. This album is one of three albums this quintet recorded, following the legendary "Music For KFind albums with this title" (from 1970) and proceeding "Purple SunFind albums with this title" (from 1973, with Hans HartmannFind albums by this artist on bass instead of Suchanek), also originally released on a small German label CaligFind albums on this label Records. The album was recorded live and presents just three extensive pieces, the longest almost half an hour in duration. The pieces are credited to Muniak / Stanko, Seifert and Stanko respectively. The music is a brilliant example of early European Free Jazz / Improvised Music, which illustrates the differences between the American approach to Free Jazz and the European Free Jazz aesthetic, with is much more settled and sophisticated already at this early stage. It also shows the development of Stanko and the members of his quintet and their involvement with Free Jazz, proving to be a major step forward from what they played together on their debut album. All the musicians are prominently featured on the album, which in spite of the fact that it was recorded live, offers a crystal clear sound quality and allows the individual instruments to be perfectly audible. Seifert is spiritually closest to Stanko´s explorations and proves to be also an equally brilliant instrumentalist, being able to transform the John ColtraneFind albums by this artist inspirations into the European sphere of aesthetics, which Stanko is pursuing as well. Muniak also contributes very valuable input and the rhythm section offers an exquisite mixture of free time and discipline, which holds this music brilliantly together. In retrospect this is a milestone recording and an essential piece of Polish / European Jazz history, which is worth its weight in gold and should be a part of every serious European Free Jazz collection!

Updated: 22/04/2018Posted: 22/04/2018

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TOMASZ STANKO ~ PURPLE SUN MILO 003 (Barcode: 5907513047230) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1973 Released: 2006 Brilliant early album by Polish trumpeter / composer Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, one of the founding fathers of modern Polish and European Jazz and one of the most important Jazz pioneers in music today. The album was recorded in Germany and originally released on LP by the tiny private CaligFind albums on this label label, being unavailable for 33 years, so this reissue is a true blessing. The album was recorded by Stanko´s quintet, which comprises of the violin virtuoso Zbigniew SeifertFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Janusz MuniakFind albums by this artist, German bassist Hans HartmannFind albums by this artist and drummer Janusz StefanskiFind albums by this artist, and is a superb example of revolutionary modern European Jazz. The album is full of brilliant solos and telepathic group interplay with endless climaxes which go right down the listener´s spine. This is European Jazz at its best, with intelligent music and virtuosity predominant at every step of the way. I can´t imagine any serious fan of modern Jazz not wanting this album in their collection. Brilliant stuff!

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VARIOSPHERES ~ LIVE IN SOLOTHURN ZBIGNIEW SEIFERT FOUNDATION 2 (Barcode: 5907222048016) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1976 Released: 2017 This is an archival release of a live recording by the European quartet VariospheresFind albums by this artist, led by the legendary late Polish Jazz violinist Zbigniew SeifertFind albums by this artist, which also included Belgian pianist Michel HerrFind albums by this artist, Swiss bassist Hans HartmannFind albums by this artist and Polish drummer Janusz StefanskiFind albums by this artist. They perform six compositions, four of which were composed by Seifert, one by Herr and the remaining one is unidentified. Variospheres, which existed actually in two different lineups, was Seifert vehicle for European touring and of course part of his personal development as a composer and a player. Recorded in January of 1976 this live performance was a beginning of a hyperactive period in Seifert´s life. In that year alone he recorded albums with Joachim KuhnFind albums by this artist ("SpringfeverFind albums with this title" for AtlanticFind albums on this label) and Charlie MarianoFind albums by this artist ("Helen 12 TreesFind albums with this title" for MPSFind albums on this label) and his first album as a leader ("Man Of The LightFind albums with this title" for MPS) as well as his solo violin album ("Solo ViolinFind albums with this title" for EMIFind albums on this label which was released only a couple of years later). Sadly that year also brought the discovery of his illness, which took his life just three years later. The music is typical of the modern European Jazz of that period, which was heavily involved in post-Coltrane Free improvisation and constant search of new forms of expression. The European scene, on both sides of the Iron Curtain, was buzzing with incredible productivity and discovery, and Seifert and his quartet represent the atmosphere of the period perfectly. Although the sound quality of this recording is far from perfect, it manages to bring forward the incredible intensity of the music and the total involvement from the musicians. Seifert and Herr deliver lengthy fiery solos and the rhythm section supports the music and drives it ahead, both during the more swinging parts as well as during the freely improvised parts. Seifert´s incredible compositions are always a delight. The importance of the fact that this music is finally seeing a release, over forty years after it was recorded, is enormous. It adds to Seifert´s relatively limited recorded legacy and sheds light on a very interesting period in European Jazz, which is always more than welcome. For the numerous Polish Jazz and Seifert´s music connoisseurs this is an obvious must, and we should all be grateful to the Zbigniew Seifert FoundationFind albums on this label, run by the incredible Aneta NorekFind albums by this artist, who is also the author of the excellent Seifert´s biography, for faithfully bringing Seifert´s legacy into the limelight!

Updated: 22/06/2018Posted: 03/01/2018

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