Record Reviews

BALDYCH / HERDZIN / PIERONCZYK / SZTABA ~ GREAT ENCOUNTERS ANAKLASIS 075 (Barcode: 5907795210841) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2020 - 2021 Released: 2021 This is an album produced to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the PWM Edition (Polish music publishing house), which also owns the prestigious AnaklasisFind albums on this label record label. The album collects five musical pieces, which represent the cross-genre projects released by the label as part of its “Revisions” series. Those are mostly Jazz-Classical Fusion or Pop-Classical Fusion explorations, which were inspired by Polish Classical Music composers: Frederic ChopinFind albums by this artist, Stanislaw MoniuszkoFind albums by this artist, Ignacy Jan PaderewskiFind albums by this artist, Karol SzymanowskiFind albums by this artist and Henryk WieniawskiFind albums by this artist. Three Polish Jazz instrumentalists / composers: violinist Adam BaldychFind albums by this artist, pianist Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist and saxophonist Adam PieronczykFind albums by this artist, as well as pianist / composer / arranger / conductor Adam SztabaFind albums by this artist, mostly associated with Polish TV and entertainment industry, were selected to create the music for this album. Herdzin is the author of two of these pieces and the others authored one piece each. The music is performed by Baldych, Herdzin, Pieronczyk and additional musicians: vocalist Igor HerbutFind albums by this artist, Moldovan cimbalom (hammered dulcimer) player Marcel ComendantFind albums by this artist, pianist Krzysztof DysFind albums by this artist and the AUKSO Chamber OrchestraFind albums by this artist conducted by Marek MosFind albums by this artist. The music offers quite a diverse stylistic amalgam, dominated by the two pieces by Herdzin, which comprise almost half of the album’s duration, ranging from romantic easy listening Classical music to Jazz Avant-Garde and Avant-Pop. The level of the performances is absolutely superb and the music offers intelligent and highly aesthetic listening experience. Overall, this is another highly successful album in this wonderful series, and certainly something worthy of pursuing by the Jazz-Classical Fusion enthusiasts. Since these pieces do not appear on any of the albums released in this series, it is absolutely worth getting as well. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 31/03/2023Posted: 31/03/2023

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CHASE ~ CHASE / ENNEA / PURE MUSIC BGO 842 (Barcode: 5017261208422) ~ USA ~ Brass Rock Recorded: 1971 - 1973 Released: 2008 The US Jazz-Rock Fusion ensemble ChaseFind albums by this artist is perhaps the least known among its contemporaries like Blood, Sweat & TearsFind albums by this artist, ChicagoFind albums by this artist or even FlockFind albums by this artist, but I personally loved them very much and kept them in my memories all these years. It is therefore a joyful occasion to see their complete recording legacy being reissued and available again. Led by brilliant trumpeter Bill ChaseFind albums by this artist, who came to fame as the lead trumpet in Woody HermanFind albums by this artist´s HerdFind albums by this artist, known to deliver some of the strongest high notes ever played on this instrument, and who also played with other orchestras led by such famous leaders like Maynard FergusonFind albums by this artist and Stan KentonFind albums by this artist. By the late 1960s Bill Chase became somewhat bored by playing Big Band scores and decided to plunge full steam ahead into the invigorating world of Jazz-Rock Fusion. He collected a group of young but highly experienced young players, who shared his vision, creating the nine-piece band Chase. Signed with EpicFind albums on this label, the band recorded 3 brilliant albums, included here, before Bill Chase and three other members of the band tragically perished in a plane crash, putting an end to one of the most promising bands of the time. Chase included a four-trumpet front line, backed by a rocky rhythm section (keyboards, guitar, bass & drums) and a lead singer (Terry RichardsFind albums by this artist, who has a voice quite similar to David Clayton-ThomasFind albums by this artist). This unique lineup brings together the better of the two worlds – Jazz and Rock – creating a superb mixture, which only very few contenders seemed to possess. Most of the material is composed by Bill Chase, with a few classic songs getting a fresh arrangement. All three albums are equally brilliant, with the last one being the most mature and richly orchestrated, with expanded improvised solos and mostly instrumental. Bill Chase delivers several of his high-pitched solos, which leave the listener completely breathless. All in all listening to these albums in a row is an exhilarating experience, hitting right where it counts! This music aged extremely well and today, some 35 years after it was recorded, is still some of the best stuff you can let into your ears – absolutely essential!

Updated: 18/04/2020Posted:

CD 2 Slipcase Essential Recommend To A Friend

PETER FRAMPTON ~ ALL BLUES UNIVERSAL 602577644245 (Barcode: 602577644245) ~ UK ~ Blues-Rock Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 This is the 17th solo album by legendary British guitarist / vocalist / songwriter Peter FramptonFind albums by this artist, recorded with his regular band, which includes keyboardist Rob ArthurFind albums by this artist, guitarist Adam LesterFind albums by this artist, drummer Dan WojciechowskiFind albums by this artist and bassists Glenn WorfFind albums by this artist or David LabruyereFind albums by this artist. Several guest musicians appear on selected tracks. The album presents ten tracks, all Blues classics and obviously Frampton’s favorites. Following almost six decades of music career as member of The HerdFind albums by this artist and Humble PieFind albums by this artist, and a solo artist since 1971, which produced, among others, one of the top live Rock albums of all time, the iconic “Frampton Comes AliveFind albums with this title”, Frampton returns to his youth influences, paying tribute to the Blues. The selection of songs is impeccable and his abilities as a guitarist and vocalist, despite the diagnosed illness, are still absolutely stunning. The Blues was always an essential part of his musical persona, and this album proves why. An interesting choice of including Miles DavisFind albums by this artist’ “All Blues”, as one of the covers and the album’s title, which gests a sensational rendition herein, emphasizes the omnipresence of the Blues in all forms and shapes of music. Overall, this is a wonderful Blues Rock album, with superb guitar work, heartfelt vocals and a tinge of nostalgia, which no Blues fan ignore. Chapeau bas to one of the heroes of my youth, who still kicks ass way more convincingly that anybody half his age, despite the fact that our days are numbered!

Updated: 21/02/2024Posted: 21/02/2024

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HERD ~ PARADISE LOST: THE COMPLETE UK FONTANA RECORDINGS GRAPEFRUIT 018 (Barcode: 5013929181823) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1967 - 1969 Released: 2011 This album compiles all the recordings made by the British Pop / Rock group the HerdFind albums by this artist, fronted by guitarist / vocalist Peter FramptonFind albums by this artist, who was still a teenager at the time. The group managed to record only one album and several singles, all of which were released on the FontanaFind albums on this label label and are all included here. Although the Herd were largely considered a Pop group, they were quite an ambitious team, which is evident from the music within, some of it even very surprising, Jazz influenced, Psychedelic and definitely proto-Prog at some moments. In retrospect this music really sounds great and shows how special this period truly was, with magic touching every note. Worth investigating!

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HERDZIN / BOGDANOWICZ / BISKUPSKI ~ SERIALE SERIALE CONFITEOR 001 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1997 Released: 1998 This is the third album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, this time co-leading a piano trio with bassist Mariusz BogdanowiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Piotr BiskupskiFind albums by this artist, accompanied by a string sextet. It presents the musical themes of eight Polish TV serials arranged by Herdzin and composed by various Polish composers, among then two with very strong Jazz ties: Andrzej KurylewiczFind albums by this artist and Jerzy MatuszkiewiczFind albums by this artist, who contribute two compositions each. The music is all very solid and is also a wonderful example of the fact that music for TV productions can be intelligent and wonderfully crafted, as this album demonstrates and emphasizes. The overall atmosphere of the piano trio accompanied by strings obviously tends to sound somewhat corny and commercial, but careful listening reveals that the level of performances is highly professional and the result is anything but trivial. Herdzin, who was a member of the ensemble led by Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist at the time of the recording of this album, was already recognized as one of the brightest upcoming Polish Jazz musicians and his talent and ability are obvious. The string arrangements reveal Herdzin´s respect and love of Classical music, which will, in later stages of his career, come to the forefront of his activities. The rhythm section, which already at that time had a long tradition of playing together, is a perfectly oiled and masterfully synchronized team, which in the years to come will prove to be one of the best of its kind on the Polish Jazz scene. Although very accessible, this is still a great mainstream piano trio album, which sounds as good today as it did at the time of its recording and can be enjoyed both by Jazz enthusiast and listeners who do not listen to Jazz on a regular basis. Definitely worth looking for and being discovered now, almost twenty years later.

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KRZYSZTOF HERDZIN ~ ALMOST AFTER JAZZ FORUM 020 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1999 Released: 2000 This is the fourth album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist recorded in a classic piano trio format with bassist Adam CegielskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist. It presents eight original compositions, all by Herdzin. At the time this album was recorded Herdzin was a regular member of the ensemble led by Polish Jazz veteran Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and his reputation as a rising piano prodigy was already pretty much established, but this recording also presents his talent as a composer. This is a classic piano trio album, in the tradition established decades earlier and polished to perfection by generation of legendary pianists and their respective rhythm sections. Therefore it´s extremely difficult to be original or groundbreaking in that specific niche, perhaps even more so than in any other Jazz endeavor. Herdzin doesn´t break any particular new ground here, but his passionate playing, accompanied by obvious virtuosity and brilliant technique, manages to create a most impressive piece of Jazz music and a remarkable debut effort. From the very early recorded projects Herdzin exposes a tendency for perfection, well reflected here. His control of timbre, tempo and tone are all excellent and the result sounds accordingly. Of course even the best pianist is only as good as his rhythm section allows and in this case his partners stand with him shoulder to shoulder, complimenting his efforts with superb companionship and affinity. Overall the trio effort is accomplished here to the fullest, and again, since this is a debut effort, the result is above the level of expectations in such cases. As a composer, Herdzin emerges here most dominantly as a weaver of great melodies, which fall nicely on the listener´s ears, but are in fact quite complicated and very well crafted. Most of his compositions on this album lack the typical Polish Jazz melancholy, which characterizes most of its output, but includes one heartbreaking ballad, which Herdzin uses skillfully to show his arpeggio skills. These pieces are mostly mid-tempo and transmit a happy, cheerful state of mind, which is a nice and refreshing change for once. In retrospect this is still a very nice album, which can be enjoyed both by Jazz novices and refined connoisseurs, each of them on a different level. Herdzin´s numerous talents as composer / arranger and a formidably multi-talented / ferociously busy Artist were yet to come at that stage. The album was released as an add-on to the European Jazz magazine Jazz Forum and was never released commercially. A reissue should definitely be considered, bringing this music to a much wider audience. A splendid piece of work by all means!

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

KRZYSZTOF HERDZIN ~ CAPACITY POLSKIE RADIO 1439 (Barcode: 5903034004936) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2011 Released: 2011 Polish pianist / composer / orchestrator / arranger Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist is undoubtedly one of the most revered musicians on the local scene, incredibly prolific and omnipresent across the entire genre spectrum between Pop and Contemporary Classical music, with Jazz as his epicenter. Recent years found him frantically busy with so many non-Jazz projects, that it is heartwarming to see him return to the basic piano trio format, with bassist Robert KubiszynFind albums by this artist and drummer Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist, to confront his listeners directly, without the ornamentation of elaborate orchestral arrangements. Listening to this album definitely re-establishes Herdzin´s position as a piano virtuoso and the five original compositions present here (with one additional standard) again fanfare his compositional skills. Add to this the excellent sound quality and dynamic mastering and here you have a perfect piano trio album… and yet… after listening to it for a couple of times I discovered that I feel somewhat uneasy about it. Everything is simply too good, too perfect, too… everything. Like a cake, which is so sweet it is too sweet? It seems that Herdzin has a tendency to make things just perfect, which sometimes is simply overdoing it. To summarize, this is a beautiful, smooth, professional album, which most people will love to bits and rightly so. I love piano trios and this is a great piano trio! Have I been intellectually challenged? Not really, but the heck with it, good time was had by all.

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KRZYSZTOF HERDZIN ~ COMPOSER`S CONCERT LIVE DUX 0970 (Barcode: 5902547009704) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2012 Released: 2013 Polish pianist / composer / arranger / conductor Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, who is in his early forties at the time these words are being written, managed to create an entire universe of music in the relatively short span of his life so far; a universe so diverse and overwhelmingly rich in forms, idioms and palette that one begins to wonder if the Artist will ever reach his limits and become finally content and contained. Herdzin has been tightrope walking for some time now between Jazz and Classical Music, obviously deeply involved in both genres. Sometimes his works try to amalgamate the genres, creating a Jazz-Classical Fusion, but he also composes "strictly" Classical Music, which is presented on this live recording. Here Herdzin conducts the Polish Radio Symphony OrchestraFind albums by this artist, which performs seven of his compositions. Five of these compositions are orchestral works, with two involving only strings and the other three the entire orchestra, another one involves an improvising saxophonist – in this case the brilliant Piotr BaronFind albums by this artist – and the last one is a piano concertino in three parts, on which the composer also plays the piano. Contrary to what one might expect, Herdzin as a Classical Music composer does not follow the Polish "modernist school", which includes such distinguished composers as Krzysztof PendereckiFind albums by this artist, Witold LutoslawskiFind albums by this artist, Henryk GoreckiFind albums by this artist and Wojciech KilarFind albums by this artist, to mention just the most renowned names. His inspiration is obviously much closer to the French modernists / impressionists like Claude DebussyFind albums by this artist and Maurice RavelFind albums by this artist and the more Avant-Garde "Les Six" group, but of course many other distinguished composers he admires. His works are always full of romanticism and lyricism and are beautifully melodic, which makes them sound "easy" / "pleasant", even if they are in fact quite complex in their structure, harmony and form. The music presented here follows Herdzin´s tendency for creating melodic, romantic and mostly joyful music, which can be enjoyed by a wide spectrum of listeners, which can encompass his Jazz listeners as easily as fans of Classical Music. His Jazz persona is evident in the piece involving the saxophone improvisation, which is stunningly performed and definitely is one of the album´s highlights. The piano concertino also includes quite a few Jazzy hints and undercurrents. Herdzin does not present any groundbreaking discoveries herein, but his music is a very solid statement and pays tribute to his many talents. Overall this is a lovely and aesthetically pleasing piece of music, excellently performed and very well recorded, as much as being a great listening experience. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

KRZYSZTOF HERDZIN ~ DANCING FLOWERS FUSION 001 (Barcode: 5907564258012) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2001 Released: 2005 This album by Polish keyboardist / composer / arranger Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist presents yet another aspect of his seemingly universal musical personality. It is basically a Funk album, which consists of seven instrumentals and three songs, all composed by Herdzin. The arrangements, especially those involving the horn section, have some proximity to Jazz, but overall it is a Pop album with some Jazz-Rock Fusion elements. The music is performed by an excellent team, which includes guitarist Marek NapiorkowskiFind albums by this artist, bassists Zbigniew WegehauptFind albums by this artist (in a rare appearance on bass guitar), Filip SojkaFind albums by this artist and Miroslaw WisniewskiFind albums by this artist and drummers Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist, Grzegorz GrzybFind albums by this artist and Michal DabrowkaFind albums by this artist and horn players like saxophonists Michal KulentyFind albums by this artist, Marek PodkowaFind albums by this artist and Mariusz MelczarekFind albums by this artist and several others. The vocals are handled by three young Pop vocalists, two female and one male, all of them quite unimpressive The music is based on the American Funk model, which was developed in the 1970s / 1980s by a plentitude of mostly African American musicians, especially the archetypical Earth, Wind & FireFind albums by this artist, but also by many partly Jazz oriented artists like George DukeFind albums by this artist, Stanley ClarkeFind albums by this artist, Grover Washington, Jr.Find albums by this artist and even Miles DavisFind albums by this artist and Herbie HancockFind albums by this artist during some periods of their extensive careers. Herdzin presents his version of Funk, which is based more on the melodic content than the rhythmic progression and is therefore somewhat softened, or simply more European. Herdzin often states that anything he does is by no means inferior to whatever the Americans are doing, and to tell the truth he is often correct when saying so, but on the other hand as it was once so adequately put: "White Man Can´t Jump" and Funk is after all about "jumping" more than anything else. When asked if he ever played Funk, Herdzin can most certainly answer positively, following this recording. Overall this is a well done, pleasant album (except for the vocal tracks), which is ideal for driving on sunny days (pretty rare in Poland) with the volume up and a pretty blonde beside you. Enjoy!

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KRZYSZTOF HERDZIN ~ FANTASY ON THEMES FROM IV STRING QUARTET BY GRAZYNA BACEWICZ / FAIRYTALE STORIES POLSKIE RADIO 1269 (Barcode: 5907812242695) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2009 Released: 2009 It seems that some Jazz musicians / composers, especially those with Classical Music education and training, are caught in a duality conflict between these two streams of artistic expression. After all the European musical tradition cultivated Classical music for centuries as a lofty and superior cultural form, leaving other kinds of music, like Folklore, Pop and later also Jazz to the masses. Since the late 20th Century Jazz managed to achieve some recognition from the Classical music elite, but is hardly commonly accepted on equal terms. Polish pianist / composer / arranger Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist belongs to that particular group, which is probably the reason why he tries to bridge his Jazz activities with Classical music, as demonstrated on this album, which presents two Jazz-Classical Fusion pieces composed by him. The first piece is a three parts fantasy based on the themes used in the 4th String Quartet by Polish 20th Century violinist / composer Grazyna BacewiczFind albums by this artist, who was an exceptionally gifted composer concentrating on music involving the violin, but wrote also full orchestral pieces. The fantasy is performed by a Jazz quartet, which includes Herdzin´s regular rhythm section: bassist Robert KubiszynFind albums by this artist and drummer Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist and saxophonist Michal KulentyFind albums by this artist. The Jazz quartet is accompanied by the Royal String QuartetFind albums by this artist. The second piece is an eight part cycle of miniatures performed in a duet setting with saxophonist Pawel GusnarFind albums by this artist. The problem with most such attempts is to combine Classical music with Jazz is usually twofold: to integrate the two into an organic amalgam and to maintain a balance between the conflicting nature of the two. Often those attempts fail on both counts or at least at one of them, becoming either Jazz & Strings or Classical music played by the saxophone. In this case is seems that Herdzin´s Jazz affiliation takes over, leaving the Classical component slightly in the background. Although the integration between the Jazz and string quartets is very smooth, the resulting music demonstrates a Jazzy "swing", which Classical music usually lacks. Whatever the music misses in adventurousness and novelty is well compensated by great melodies and slick arrangements. Nevertheless this is overall a very satisfactory effort, which surely deserves a wider audience than it initially achieved. Personally I prefer the intimate duets, which work better for me, but the whole record should prove interesting to most true music lovers. The performances are, as usual with Herdzin´s albums, spotless and inspired. All the musicians involved are highly talented and professional. Herdzin, as usual, manages to present one more facet of his bottomless box of tricks, which never ceases to amaze.

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KRZYSZTOF HERDZIN ~ IMPRESSIONS ON PADEREWSKI ANAKLASIS 011 (Barcode: 5907795209722) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is an album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, recorded live in a solo piano setting. The album presents five interpretations (impressions) of compositions by the Polish Classical pianist / composer Ignacy Jan PaderewskiFind albums by this artist. The album was released by the prestigious Polish AnaklasisFind albums on this label label as part of its “Revisions” series. Despite Herdzin’s highly successful career as a Jazz musician, he obsessively returns to his Classical Music alter ego, mostly as a composer of his own music, but sometimes, as in this case, as an interpreter of Classical Music composed by others. It seems that some Jazz musicians / composers, especially those with Classical Music education and training, are caught in a duality conflict between these two streams of artistic musical expression. After all, the European musical tradition cultivated Classical music for centuries as a lofty and superior cultural form, leaving other kinds of music, like Folklore, Pop and later also Jazz to the masses. Since the late 20th Century Jazz managed to achieve some recognition from the Classical music elite, but is hardly commonly accepted on equal terms. Herdzin is a classic (pun intended) case of this dichotomy and sadly, as much as I like his Jazz facet, I often find his Classical facet difficult to swallow. To my surprise and delight, this adventure by Herdzin with Classical Music is quite enjoyable. He does show off with his technique, playing as many arpeggios as possible, but his “impressions” are creative and even innovative, which summa summarum turns out to be a very nice piece of music, which is enjoyable and easy on the ear, but avoids being a schmaltzy chaltura. Perhaps the wonderfully melodic music by Paderewski is a more suitable medium for being Jazzed up, but whatever the reason, the end result works out fine (assuming that the composer is not turning in his grave). Overall, this is another highly successful album in this wonderful series, and certainly something worthy of pursuing by the Jazz-Classical Fusion enthusiasts. It is probably the most approachable album in the entire series, as far as wide audiences are concerned, but definitely stands up to the standards of excellence set up by the Anaklasis label. Grab a copy and enjoy!

Updated: 30/03/2023Posted: 30/03/2023

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KRZYSZTOF HERDZIN ~ JAZZ Z MACV WARSZAWSKA OPERA KAMERALNA 001 (Barcode: 5904316586829) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2021 Released: 2021 This is an album by Polish pianist / composer / arranger / conductor Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, recorded with the Musicae Antiquae Collegium VarsovienseFind albums by this artist (MACVFind albums by this artist), an early music orchestra playing original period instruments. The album presents two works: Wolfgang Amadeus MozartFind albums by this artist’s Piano Concerto No. 17 and Herdzin’s piece called “Chopiniana con delizia”, based of Frederic ChopinFind albums by this artist’s themes. Both works are in three parts. For his entire career Herdzin floats between Classical Music and Jazz, trying to excel in both, a process which often borders on musical schizophrenia and works perfectly (well almost) only in extremely rare cases. There is no doubt about Herdzin’s talents and abilities, and he did manage to produce a fine body of recorded legacy over the time, but somehow I have always found his efforts a tad problematic, unfocused and in extreme cases pointless. Sadly, this album belongs to that last category. On the Mozart concerto Herdzin fiddles a little with the original composition, but that’s about it. There are many classical pianists in Poland who can play this concerto much more elegantly, passionately and imaginatively, and Herdzin’s minimal “improvisations” are somehow out of place. The original piece, based on Chopin’s themes, immediately brings on the problem of abusing Chopin’s Genius ad absurdum within the “Jazz” idiom, which somehow never seems to stop. It is somewhat closer to the cross-genre concept, but only slightly, and contributes absolutely nothing to both genres, trivializing them on the way and crossing into the kitsch region. Overall, this is a sad example of an attempted cross-genre Classical-Jazz Fusion, that went astray. Herdzin is perhaps a classic case of “to talented for his own good” musician, which is a great pity. But of course he will surprise us all with his display of pure Genius in the future (hopefully).

Updated: 31/12/2023Posted: 19/02/2023

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KRZYSZTOF HERDZIN ~ JESTES SWIATLEM UNIVERSAL 602537293872 (Barcode: 602537293872) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2012 Released: 2013 The Jazz & Poetry sub-genre is one of the pillars of Polish Jazz in particular, but also Polish Music in general, as it appears on the scene in many variations and crosses genre boundaries between Pop, Rock and Jazz since many decades. The abundance of great poets and poetesses as much as composers and performers, the intrinsic Polish lyricism and melancholy and the intellectual elitism of Polish Art evidently produce a fruitful ground for such meetings between words and music, which happen in the Polish Culture more often then anywhere else in the world. This album by celebrated Polish Jazz pianist / composer / arranger Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist is his contribution to the Jazz & Poetry legacy. It presents eight original compositions and one arrangement of a song by the Polish 19th Century Romantic composer Karol KurpinskiFind albums by this artist to the words of a late 18th / early 19th Century poet Franciszek KarpinskiFind albums by this artist, the father of Polish Sentimentalism. Of the eight compositions by Herdzin, one (the title track closing the album) is an instrumental and the others have lyrics by contemporary Polish poets: Konstanty Ildefons GalczynskiFind albums by this artist (one of my favorite Polish poets) and Kazimierz Przerwa-TetmajerFind albums by this artist. Herdzin assembled a dreamy team to record this music, which features him on keyboards and a plethora of other instruments, bassist Robert KubiszynFind albums by this artist and drummer Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist. Guitarist Marek NapiorkowskiFind albums by this artist guests on five tracks. The vocal tracks are sung by the legendary Anna Maria JopekFind albums by this artist, Dorota MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist and Grzegorz TurnauFind albums by this artist. Herdzin himself sings on one track and adds background vocals on two more. In spite of the truly excellent instrumental accompaniment and no less excellent vocals, the focus of this album is the original music, which spotlights Herdzin´s talent as a composer. Diverse and often even contrasting in the many tempi and cross-genre excursions, from deep lyricism to exotic World Music themes, this music remains constantly beautifully melodic and round. It fits the various poems used as the lyrics perfectly, which is always a great challenge for any composer. Even though Herdzin is still a relatively young musician, his enormous experience and his many talents come to full fruition herein. The instrumental work is pretty exciting as well, with Herdzin changing instruments more often that he changes his socks, playing all of them quite well, Kubiszyn playing some very nasty fretless bass parts that make the hair on your neck curl, Konrad keeps the entire ensemble rolling like only he can, and Napiorkowski adds some superbly tasty ornamentation. All three (or four in fact) vocalists are without reproach, with Jopek being (for me) divine as always, but the others not falling behind by any means. Turnau, who specializes in the Jazz & Poetry niche, sings most of the vocals, always with sensitivity and exquisite diction. So here we have it, another great album by Maestro Herdzin, whose inexhaustible energies know no limits. Jazz & Poetry buffs will of course love this to bits, but for any cultural music connoisseur this is a piece of music worthy admiration and a source of many pleasurable moments.

Updated: 01/01/2016Posted:

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KRZYSZTOF HERDZIN ~ LIVE IN TYGMONT ALLEGRO 011 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2004 Released: 2006 This album presents a live recording captured at the Warsaw´s Tygmont club by pianist / composer Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist and his trio, with bassist Zbigniew WegehauptFind albums by this artist and drummer Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist. The trio performs six compositions, four of which are originals by the leader and two are standards. The recording has a beautiful realistically captured live sound and an overall superb sound quality. People familiar with the Polish Jazz scene are surely aware of the fact that Herdzin is one of the busiest and most versatile musicians in the country, who left his mark on a large scale of different musical projects in Contemporary Classical music, Jazz and Popular music. His work as an arranger / orchestrator marks most of the great Pop albums recorded in the last two decades in Poland. Sometimes it seems as if there is hardly anything happening in Polish music, which does not involve Herdzin one way or another. Of course such omnipresence can be dangerous and lead to spreading the talents thin, but one must admit that everything Herdzin touches turns out well, which simply proves his incredible talent, versatility, stamina, perseverance and above all professionalism. To be fair one must remember that this album presents just one aspect of Herdzin´s activity, i.e. his work as a leader of a classic Jazz piano trio. During his career Herdzin recorded several albums in this format, and I must admit this is the favorite one for me. There are several reasons why I feel that way; firstly the material included herein presents a wide emotional range, from up-tempo numbers presenting Herdzin as a virtuoso pianist performing neck-breaking solos and up to deeply contemplative ballads, where the listener can hear Herdzin the atmospheric painter. Secondly the trio work, which is absolutely stunning, is a superb example of creative cooperation in real time, which after all is what Jazz is all about. The dazzling displays of piano bravura are brilliantly supported at all times by the rhythm section, which at the time of the recording was probably the best in the country. My deeply lamented personal friend Zbigniew Wegehaupt, who left us at a ridiculous young age a year ago, was undoubtedly one of the greatest bassists to emerge on the local scene and drummer Cezary Konrad, with whom Herdzin works often, is probably to top drummer of the second Jazz generation in Poland. This is a classic piano trio album in every respect, which should satisfy even the sternest and most capricious Jazz connoisseurs. Regardless if your champion is Chick CoreaFind albums by this artist, Bill EvansFind albums by this artist or Herbie HancockFind albums by this artist, you will find something here, which is of course first and foremost Herdzin´s statement, but sits firmly in the same state of mind that these great Masters bestowed upon us. A timeless jewel!

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KRZYSZTOF HERDZIN ~ LOOK INWARD UNIVERSAL MUSIC POLSKA 602557947120 (Barcode: 602557947120) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is a solo piano album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer / arranger Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, who is a highly respected musician on the local scene, known for his professionalism and perfectionism. The album, which is Herdzin´s first solo piano venture, presents nine improvised pieces, which as the album´s title and the liner notes describe, are highly personal reflections of his musical life´s experiences, impulsively created on the spur of the moment. In the last few years of his career Herdzin gradually moved away from Jazz towards other musical areas, mostly contemporary Classical Music and stage music. This album follows the same pattern, perhaps subconsciously, but it has very little to do with Jazz per se, and is much closer to Classical forms of expression. Although the melodic content is very fragmented, the overall mood is mostly lyrical and romantic, often quite minimalist. Herdzin uses mostly single notes and chords are being used sparingly, which creates tension and anticipation, but on the other hand makes the music somewhat difficult to follow after a while. Overall this is an interesting experiment, which offers a unique glimpse of Herdzin´s complex musical personality. His customary listeners might find this music a tad too difficult to swallow, surely in the initial attempt, but this album grows on the listener in time. Herdzin is unquestionably a highly talented composer and performer, but he is often more appreciated by his peers than by the general public. It is good to see him let go of his disciplined approach and indulge in improvisation, even if the improvisation is somewhat imprisoned by his subliminal sense of order. I hope this album gets the exposure it deserves, and music connoisseurs will discover another facet of Herdzin´s music. Recommended!

Updated: 28/07/2018Posted: 28/07/2018

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KRZYSZTOF HERDZIN ~ LOOKING FOR BALANCE UNIVERSAL 602527877860 (Barcode: 602527877860) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2010 Released: 2011 Polish pianist / composer / arranger Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist is without a doubt not only the most versatile musician in his country, but also extremely prolific and obviously accordingly talented. He likes to work with as many different musical settings as possible, from a piano trio to large scale orchestral extravaganzas, seemingly with equal ease and success. This is one of such "out there" projects, which features Herdzin´s original music played by a Jazz ensemble and accompanied by a full scale string and woodwinds orchestra. The ensemble comprises of Herdzin´s regular trio, with bassist Robert KubiszynFind albums by this artist and drummer Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist, and three guests: guitarist Marek NapiorkowskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Piotr BaronFind albums by this artist and Swiss harmonica player Gregoire MaretFind albums by this artist (of Pat MethenyFind albums by this artist Group fame), who is the featured soloist. The Sinfonia VivaFind albums by this artist Orchestra is responsible for the orchestral parts. The music belongs broadly to the Jazz & Strings format, which of course was tried many times before. The Jazz ensemble plays a set of very melodic, relaxed and lyrical compositions, taking solos in turn, with Maret being the principle soloist. The harmonica is relatively rarely used as a solo instrument in the Jazz framework and with the exception of a few known cases (most notably the Belgian Toots ThielemansFind albums by this artist) is usually associated with less challenging music. Of course in the hands (and mouth) of a very talented player it can sound quite virtuosic, as is the case here, but it adds another dimension of "sweetness" to the proceedings, which borders with overdoing it. Personally Baron´s contributions on this album are the most interesting, albeit being decisively too limited. The orchestral arrangements are elegant and kept in good taste, playing only the second fiddle (pun intended) in the proceedings. Although excellently played and masterfully arranged, they seem to be merely ornamentation, contributing little to the actual musical content other than setting an atmospheric background. There is definitely a fine balance and cooperation between the ensemble and the orchestra, but full musical integration is not achieved here, perhaps purposely. Herdzin of course proves that he can easily handle the orchestral arrangements any way he pleases. Overall this is a very nice album, which many listeners will find pleasing and enjoyable. For hardcore Jazz fans this might be a bit too sweet to swallow (especially those with diabetes like myself), but nevertheless it is professionally executed classy music, accessible to a wide audience, which definitely has its merits.

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KRZYSZTOF HERDZIN ~ THE BOOK OF SECRETS (POLISH JAZZ VOL.84) WARNER MUSIC POLAND 190295370787 (Barcode: 190295370787) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Pop Fusion Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 This is an album by veteran Polish Jazz keyboardist / composer Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist recorded in a quartet setting with American saxophonist Rick MargitzaFind albums by this artist, and Polish rhythm section: bassist Robert KubiszynFind albums by this artist and drummer Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist and a rather atypical clarinet quintet adding an orchestral dimension to the proceedings. The album presents seven original compositions, all by Herdzin, which according to him: "make up a closed narrative" or "a concept album". Followers of the Polish music scene are certainly familiar with Herdzin´s gigantic legacy amassed during his professional career since the mid-1990s, which includes twenty (this one included) albums as a leader, dozens albums as a sideman, numerous compositions in diverse genres, including Jazz, Pop and Classical Music, arranging, conducting, producing, playing a myriad instruments and a plethora of other accomplishments – for more details just read his biography on his website or his Polish Wiki entry – all this before reaching his 50th Birthday. There is no doubt that Herdzin´s biography is extremely impressive, or rather extreme in every sense, almost superhuman. Herdzin is an unusually talented and gifted musician, but personally I have always found his activities somewhat unfocused, lacking certain depth beneath all that glitter. His music and his playing are always "nice", polished, pleasant and nearly "perfect", but at the same time he seams to tease the listener boasting his aptitudes and most of all taking it (or himself) way to seriously. This album is a perfect example of Herdzin´s music in every sense. It is full of brilliant ideas, beautiful music, melancholy and lyricism, gleaming performances and everything that makes a listener schvitz. And yet once the music is over, the question "what was all that about?" arises almost instantly. And yes, the music is instant gratification incarnate: smooth, easy to swallow and scintillating, like a glass of champagne. With all the confusion these days about what is Jazz and what isn´t, I´d say that this album offers entertaining instrumental music amalgamating Pop with Jazz and Classical Music ornamentations, which is accessible to a wide audience. As to its lasting value, time will tell. I wish Herdzin for his upcoming Birthday another fifty years (and a Jewish 20% bonus) of health and productivity, and even if I don´t always appreciate his music I do appreciate his Sisyphean effort. May the Force be with you! Side Note The iconic "Polish Jazz" series of recordings, originally released between 1965 and 1989 by the Polish state owned record company Polskie NagraniaFind albums on this label, which used the MuzaFind albums on this label label as its moniker, consists of seventy six LP albums. It presents the history of Polish Jazz recordings during that period, which includes some of the most important Polish / European modern Jazz milestones and reflects the extraordinary development of Jazz music behind the Iron Curtain. It is one of the most important historic documents of Polish Music and of course Polish Culture in general. The series had an eminent logo designed by Roslaw Szaybo and the albums were numbered sequentially from Vol.1 to Vol.76 accordingly. The album's artwork was wonderfully stylish and modernist, featuring the brilliant photographs and characteristic design by the legendary Polish Artist Marek Karewicz. Stylistically the series presented all Jazz genres, from Traditional Jazz to Avant-Garde / Free Jazz, which was extraordinarily liberal considering the cultural censorship imposed by the Socialist Regime. It suffered from some inconsistency, as far as the musical quality and aesthetics were concerned, as well as the internal "politics" of the Polish Jazz scene at the time, but in retrospect it achieved a spectacular overall result, unparalleled as far as consistently documenting a national Jazz scene is concerned. After the Polskie Nagrania catalogue was bought by Warner Music PolandFind albums on this label, the new owner started a reissue process of the Polish Jazz series, carefully remastered, repackaged and including extensive liner notes, which keeps the artwork as close to the original design as possible. So far forty four volumes of the original series were reissued. In 2016 Warner Music Poland decided to continue the original series by releasing new contemporary Polish Jazz recordings under the same format and even to continue the sequential numbering starting with Vol.77 – a decision I personally consider almost sacrilegious. Some things are simply untouchable, and the "Polish Jazz" series is surely one of those things. If Warner Music Poland wants to produce Jazz albums, which is always more than welcome, they could have started a new series, under a new title, rather than exploiting the reputation of the historic series. As a result, some artist whose albums are released as part of the new series might be led to expect instant gratification, fame and stardom, just for being an artificial part of a prestigious past, which of course is as bogus as it is sad.

Updated: 23/02/2020Posted: 23/02/2020

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JAREK WIST / KRZYSZTOF HERDZIN BIG BAND ~ SWINGING WITH SINATRA DUX 0090 (Barcode: 5902547000909) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2011 Released: 2013 This is a live recording of a concert dedicated, as the title suggests, to the songs which were part of the classic repertoire of Frank SinatraFind albums by this artist. The songs are performed by young Polish vocalist Jarek WistFind albums by this artist, who is accompanied by a Big Band led and conducted by distinguished veteran pianist / composer / arranger Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist. The album includes fourteen tracks, twelve of which are standards from the Sinatra repertoire and two are original compositions by Herdzin, one used as an intro and the other as a showcase to present the members of the Big Band at mid-time. Sinatra, who was often dismissed by narrow-minded Jazz buffs as a crooner and mere entertainer, was in fact one of the greatest American Jazz singers and had more swing in his toes alone than most others, certainly more than his critics. His very individual and unique treatments of the great American Songbook are the absolute Holy Grail of American Jazz vocals and remain untouched by time, incomparable, undefeated and uncontested. Especially notable are his superb recordings with Big Bands, like the Count BasieFind albums by this artist Orchestra and several others, arranged and conducted by such luminaries as Nelson RiddleFind albums by this artist, Neal HeftiFind albums by this artist or Quincy JonesFind albums by this artist. All these recordings are quintessential, pure and unadulterated Jazz classics. It is simply impossible to listen to this album without comparing it, for example, to the classic "Sinatra At The SandsFind albums with this title", recorded with the Count Basie Orchestra conducted by Quincy Jones. Unfortunately the comparison doesn´t leave much space to remain positive about this album, which is a great pity, since the intentions were probably quite honorable and the participants are all excellent musicians. I can understand Herdzin willing to step into the shoes of the great Big Band arrangers of the past and indeed his part as the arranger is probably the best ingredient of the entire package. However even these arrangements sound rather pale and lack the zest and the kick which characterize the original Sinatra recordings. I have no idea if the Big Band had ample opportunity to rehearse and considering the economic realities of a Big Band, they most probably did not, which is immediately apparent. As already stated, the participating musicians, who include pianist Piotr WrombelFind albums by this artist, guitarist Marek NapiorkowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Robert KubiszynFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel DobrowolskiFind albums by this artist and thirteen additional brass and reed players, are all able and talented musicians, but obviously have limited opportunities to show their skills within the Big Band collective when accompanying a lead singer. Wist is a rather ordinary singer, completely lacking the theatrical and humorous sides of Sinatra´s stage persona. His interpretations of these classic standards are simply dull and often imperfect technically. And of course there is the dreaded Polish accent and pronunciation, which is perhaps acceptable on the local market but completely unbearable to an English speaker. It´s a pity the producers of this album did not consider the additional step of getting the lyrics translated into Polish; this might have saved the day, al least to some extent. Even the audience´s applause present at the hall where this music was recorded sounds hesitant and weary and the sound quality of the recording suffers from uneven volume, poor separation and overall muddy resonance. In retrospect this was a lost case before it even begun. Tackling the enormity of Sinatra´s talent, heritage and status is not a very wise decision and such things are usually best left alone. The old saying: "a smart man knows how to get out of trouble but the wise man knows how to avoid trouble in the first place" is very appropriate here. During the concert Herdzin complains about the difficulty of his multi-talented persona (he not only arranged the songs, composed two pieces and conducted the band, but also plays the piano on one track and sings on another). Perhaps there is a lesson here for him, since after all he is an extremely talented person. On the other hand those who don´t do don´t make mistakes, and he surely does a lot.

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