Record Reviews

HUNGER PANGS ~ II AUDIO CAVE 2020/004 (Barcode: 5905669566940) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2020 This is the second album by the Hunger PangsFind albums by this artist trio, which comprises of Polish guitarist Marek KadzielaFind albums by this artist, Polish (resident in Denmark) trumpeter Tomasz DabrowskiFind albums by this artist and Danish drummer Kasper Tom ChristiansenFind albums by this artist. The album presents six original compositions, three by Kadziela, two by Christiansen and one by Dabrowski. For reasons unknown to me, the album recorded four years earlier, is being released only now. The music continues the direction set by the trio´s debut, which mixes composed themes with free (collective) improvisation on one hand and Rock versus Free Jazz interactions on the other. The music is often rather minimalist, with three distinct instrumental voices merged together into one fabric. The individual parts are perfectly audible at all times and the amalgam happens more in the listener´s brain than actually within the music. All three musicians are strong individual voices, each of them with impressive recorded legacy under the belt in spite of their relative young age. Their work together is a typical example of being more than just a sum of their individual contributions, and certainly manages to be a fascinating listening experience throughout. As a big fan Dabrowski, his contributions usually draw my attention immediately and as usual he does not disappoint here. His virtuosic trumpet parts are simply outstanding; both technically and emotionally, and firmly assert his position as one of the leading European Jazz trumpeters of the last decade. It took me a while to appreciate the talents of Kadziela, but hearing him perform live several times in the last years broke the ice and convinced me as to his great talent as well. He is a very unique and forward thinking player and composer, firmly stuck in the proud legacy of the Rock idiom, but always taking his music beyond the ordinary. He is certainly one of the most interesting guitar players in the Polish scene at the moment. Christiansen has also an impressive recorded legacy, which proves his outstanding position as a drummer, bandleader and for me especially as a composer. All his albums are superb examples of contemporary European Jazz and his contributions here are all in par with his usual excellence. Overall this album is every bit as good as the debut and connoisseurs of contemporary Improvised Music / Avant-Garde Jazz should be perfectly happy with every note this album has to offer.

Updated: 22/05/2020Posted: 22/05/2020

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HUNGER PANGS ~ MEET MEAT FOR TUNE 0008 (Barcode: 5902768701081) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2010 - 2011 Released: 2013 This is the debut album by the Hunger PangsFind albums by this artist trio, which was formed in 2006 by students of the Music Academy in Odense, Denmark. It comprises of two Polish musicians: guitarist Marek KadzielaFind albums by this artist, who is also the trio´s main composer, and the upcoming excellent trumpeter Tomasz DabrowskiFind albums by this artist, together with Danish drummer Kasper Tom ChristiansenFind albums by this artist. The album includes nine compositions, which were recorded over a period of two years in Germany and Denmark, six of which were composed by Kadziela, one each by Dabrowski and Christiansen and the remaining one being credited to the trio. The album´s liner notes, entitled "A Vacation From Bebop", seem to point out the musical direction undertaken by the trio, which proves once again that the development of Jazz did not stop with Bebop and continues to this very day way beyond the established ground rules. The essence of this music is all about freedom of expression limited only by the artists´ abilities and talents. Stylistically the trio moves between diametrically different environments like Jazz-Rock Fusion and Improvised Music, but the music remains coherent and beautifully expressive at all points. The absence of bass, which usually glues the music together and adds tremendously to the overall atmosphere of most Jazz recordings, is not a major hindrance here and is hardly even felt. As usual is such circumstances, the musical cooperation of the trio members is more important than the individual contributions, notwithstanding the fact that all trio members present plenty of talent and professionalism. Personally the focus of my attention converges on the absolutely stunning performances by the trumpeter Tomasz Dabrowski, who is firmly emerging as one of the most promising trumpet players of the young Polish Jazz scene, which can be easily verified by listening to a series of recordings he made recently, including his excellent debut album released a year earlier. Both the guitarist and the drummer play very well but have not reached a point of clear-cut personal identity, which usually comes in time. The years spent in Denmark by the two Poles as well as the presence of a Danish drummer contribute to the specific Scandinavian sound / spirit present on this album, perhaps more subconsciously than intended. This recording is one of the multiple steps taken by the young generation of Polish (in particular) and European (in general) young Jazz musicians on the way to establish a new Renaissance of the Jazz artistry, which seems to overflow the continent with a Tsunami like wave of new talent. Considering the level of maturity and power of expression present here, usually associated with musicians at the peak of their artistic powers, it´s truly scary to realize that these are players at the early stage of their career. Released by the excellent new Polish For TuneFind albums on this label label, this album deserves to be heard by all European Jazz fans, as it heralds the shape of things to come.

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MAREK KADZIELA ~ JAZZ ENSEMBLE AUDIO CAVE 2021/004 (Barcode: 5908298549254) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2021 As hard as it is to believe, this is only the second album as a leader by Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Marek KadzielaFind albums by this artist, this time recorded in a quintet setting with his brother saxophonist Maciej KadzielaFind albums by this artist, trombonist Jacek NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Pawel PuszczaloFind albums by this artist and drummer Radoslaw BolewskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Marek Kadziela. During the second decade of the 2000s Kadziela participated in numerous recordings and co-led several Polish and international ensembles, as diverse as Hunger PangsFind albums by this artist, JazabuFind albums by this artist, K.R.A.N.Find albums by this artist and KaMaSzFind albums by this artist as well as his own ADHDFind albums by this artist. These recordings present a restless, searching spirit, who is constantly trying to re-invent himself and drive towards uncharted territory, crossing genres with ease and competence. Over the years I have had the pleasure to listen to him live as well, which often exposed other aspects of his wide-ranging musical personality. There is no doubt that during that time he established himself not only as one of the leading Polish guitarists, but also as an important leader and trendsetter. In many respects this album (as Kadziela himself states on the album’s liner notes) is an amalgamation of his experiences up to now, with an emphasis on composition, as much as on his guitar playing skills. The rather unusual sounding ensemble highlights his originality as a sound creator, which enhances the acoustic quintet with skillful use of electronics, creating a modern, somewhat rough and toothed exterior, which hides the melodic contents, without damaging it. The individual performances are all absolutely stunning, with the leader moving between Wes MontgomeryFind albums by this artist and Jimi HendrixFind albums by this artist and back in an instant, always being himself. Namyslowski is a surprise as his playing is more open and daring than usual and the rhythm section does a wonderful job driving the music forward and filling the blanks. Overall this is a wonderful modern Jazz album, full of great music and intricate individual performances, not easy on the ear and demanding attentive listening, but highly rewarding. Although Kadziela made a giant step forward in his career, deep down he is still a Blues / Rock kid who loves to show his guitar licks, which I personally love as much as all the serious stuff he is playing. Having said that, this album is almost completely free of any Fusion accents, announcing the leader’s full commitment to the Jazz idiom. Hats off!

Updated: 10/04/2021Posted: 10/04/2021

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KASPER TOM 5 ~ OST BINGO SKRUER BAREFOOT 031 (Barcode: 5707471031551) ~ DENMARK ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2013 This is the debut album by the European Jazz quintet Kasper Tom 5Find albums by this artist, led by Danish drummer / composer Kasper Tom ChristiansenFind albums by this artist, with German clarinetist Rudi MahallFind albums by this artist, Polish trumpeter Tomasz DabrowskiFind albums by this artist, Swedish trombonist Petter HangselFind albums by this artist and Danish bassist Jens Mikkel MadsenFind albums by this artist. Christiansen and Dabrowski are also members of the excellent Hunger PangsFind albums by this artist trio. The album presents ten original compositions, six of which were composed by the leader and the remaining four are credited to the entire quintet. The quintet is constantly walking on a tight rope between "usual" and "unusual", which is of course great fun. Seemingly a standard quintet and yet the brass section features a completely nonstandard bass clarinet / trumpet / trombone front line, which has a completely different sonority from a regular saxophone dominated ensemble. Seemingly playing melodies, yet there is actually more freedom and free improvisation than one might expect or even be able to hear upon the initial encounter. This stuff requires some serious listening in order to be properly digested, which is usually the case with unusual music. With all the freedom and group improvisation involved, this music is surprisingly "easy" on the ear, mainly because it is completely non aggressive, even in the most passionate moments. The flow of the music is all natural, following a melodic theme or a harmonic sequence, often even introducing several complex intertwined leads, but always executed with grace and obvious mutual respect and understanding between the quintet members. The whole proceedings are a rare example of group members that actually complete each other rather than compete between each other. There is no obvious leader; nobody gets more solo space than anybody else, in short a wonderful unity is achieved herein. Of course the album is also a superb display of individual skills and talents, but those can be truly appreciated only with repeated listening sessions, allowing the listener to concentrate on a specific instrumentalist rather than listen to the entire ensemble. One way or another, this album is full of wonderful moments, which are simply waiting there to be discovered. With young European Jazz musicians like these one can look forward to the future with at least some optimism. The renaissance of ambitious music in Europe is truly heartwarming, against all odds and like an oasis in the desert of mediocrity that modern life pushes down our throats. Well done indeed!

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