Record Reviews

GARBOWSKI / CRUZ / ORINS ~ LINES OF FLUX IMP 002 (Barcode: 193428143487) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is the debut album by the Improvised Music trio comprising of Polish bassist / composer Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and French guitarist Ivann CruzFind albums by this artist and drummer Peter OrinsFind albums by this artist, but not the first recording which captures these three musicians together as they also recorded the "Rashomon EffectFind albums with this title" album in a quartet setting five years earlier. The music was recorded at the Institute of Music Performance, a wonderfully unique space in Katowice, where Grabowski organizes many events, concerts and recordings; a place where music magic happens. The album presents twelve relatively short spontaneous improvisations, all credited to the three members of the trio. In contrast to the above mentioned earlier album, the music captured here is completely improvised and offers almost none of the conventional points of reference – melody, harmony and rhythm – that most music listeners expect to find when faced by music. But people who extend their musical tolerance to accept unconventional music should find this album highly rewarding. Improvised Music performed by more than one person is all about communication, be it the ability to exchange ideas with the other musicians in the ensemble and even better to engage the listeners in an intellectual dialog of instant questions and answers, when the music oscillates between the performers and the audience. All these three musicians are of course veterans of the European Improvised Music scene and their inspired performances here are not in the least surprising. They all have many impressive recordings in their portfolios and the long lasting partnership between them obviously strengthens the ability to communicate when on stage. Overall this is a delicate, contemplative piece of Improvised Music, which should satisfy the connoisseurs of the genre and shed more light on the musicians involved, as they surely deserve praise for their efforts. Of course this album again emphasizes the vigor of the Polish Improvised Music scene, which has little rivalry elsewhere.

Updated: 09/06/2019Posted: 09/06/2019

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GARBOWSKI-CRUZ QUARTET ~ RASHOMON EFFECT IMP 002 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2012 Released: 2014 This is the debut album by the international Jazz quartet co-led by Polish bassist / composer Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and French guitarist / composer Ivann CruzFind albums by this artist and also including Finnish reedman Kari HeinilaFind albums by this artist and French drummer Peter OrinsFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original compositions, four each composed by Garbowski and Cruz and the remaining two co-composed by them. Musically the album is an attempt to create a modern sound which bridges between Jazz and Rock without referring to the weathered Jazz-Rock Fusion armory, and manages to do so with elegance, flair and a dash of humor. Although the titles of the compositions seem to suggest a musical suite of sorts, the compositions themselves are quite diverse and touch upon a plethora of different sub-genres, with hints of Classical, Baroque, Jazz of course and a distinctive Rocky edge, emphasized by the sound of the guitar and the dynamics of the drums. The saxophone and especially the wonderful flute playing are the improvisational facets of the music and the virtuoso bass performances in the background keep the entire, often quite complex structures, in perfect harmony of the spheres. All four musicians are obviously masters of the trade and each one contributes immensely to achieve the overall effect. There is a superb relationship within this quartet based on mutual respect and common dedication, which produces a result greater than the sum of its parts. These performances, which are by far not straightforward or trivial, sound effortless and natural simply because they are executed by a team rather than just four musicians playing together. There is plenty of open space within the music for all four individuals to show off their particular talents, but their group performances are the absolute highlight of this album. When great music is combined with superb performances the result becomes inspirational, as it is in this particular case. This is fresh, intelligent, stirring and refreshing music that kicks butt and bites, like only very few other albums do at this point of time. Of course Jazz purist will find it too spicy at times and Fusion purist will find it to complex while drinking Budd, but who cares about purists anyway? This music deserves to be heard and enjoyed and appreciated, so grab it if you find it, as life is too short for boring music!

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