Record Reviews

KOPINSKI / KONIKIEWICZ ~ ZONE K SLAM 252 (Barcode: 5028386025221) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 2002 Released: 2002 This is the only album by the trio co-led by British (of Polish origin) saxophonist / composer Jan KopinskiFind albums by this artist and Polish keyboardist / composer Wojciech KonikiewiczFind albums by this artist and also including the British drummer Steve HarrisFind albums by this artist. The album, which was recorded live, comprises of six original compositions, three of which are credited to all trio members, two are composed by Konikiewicz and the remaining one is composed by Kopinski. Kopinski and Harris (who unfortunately died in 2008), were of course members of the legendary British band Pinski Zoo, one of the leading ensembles on the British scene since the 1980s. Konikiewicz cooperated with the band and its members on several occasions and this recording is a document of one of such projects. The music is dominated by Kopinski´s highly expressive saxophone playing, which is mostly free-form oriented. Konikiewicz, on the other hand, plays cautiously and mostly quite melodically, co-existing in a perfect balance with Kopinski´s explorations. Harris keeps the music moving forward, switching between straight forward rhythmic patterns and free-time passages. Overall the trio creates a fascinating amalgam of highly energetic contemporary Jazz, which keeps the listener on his toes for the entire duration. There is also a much gentler, intimate side to the music, like for example the second track of the album, which is a beautiful ballad, full of typical Polish lyricism and melancholy. Konikiewicz switches between acoustic piano, which he uses to play the melodic intro and the wonderful solo, and the keyboards, which he uses to play the chord sequences and rhythmic layers behind the saxophone solo. Another of such pieces is the solo piano track, which is one of the highlights of the album. There is an atmosphere of mutual respect and openness, which can be easily felt thorough the entire duration of the album, which makes an ensemble like this trio to become so convincing and effective. Although parts of the performances on this album are somewhat similar to the free-form funk, which is the weapon of choice of Pinski Zoo, the album is overall quite different and original in its own way. In retrospect this album is definitely worthy to be revisited from time to time, as the fine music and superb playing on this album don´t get any less relevant in time, on the contrary they are still very much a most interesting listening experience today.

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

JAN KOPINSKI / REFLEKTOR ~ MIRRORS JAZZ SEVICES 005 (Barcode: 5020883990057) ~ UK ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2009 Released: 2011 This is a wonderful album by British (of Polish origin) saxophonist / composer Jan KopinskiFind albums by this artist, primarily know as a leader of the legendary Pinski ZooFind albums by this artist ensemble. The music on this album was commissioned by the Opera North in Leeds and serves as a basis of a multi-media show, which combines music and videos taken during Kopinski´s many travels in Poland. It also serves as his reexamination and mostly rediscovery of his Polish cultural ancestry. The ReflektorFind albums by this artist ensemble, which was assembled to bring this project into fruition, consists of pianist Steve IliffeFind albums by this artist, drummer Patrick IllingworthFind albums by this artist, his son Stefan KopinskiFind albums by this artist on bass, his daughter Janina KopinskiFind albums by this artist on viola and finally the opera singer Melanie PappenheimFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten pieces, nine of which are originals composed by Kopinski and one is a traditional song arranged by his daughter and performed as a solo viola epilogue. The resulting music is a fascinating amalgam of Jazz, contemporary Classical music, folklore influences and Funky rhythms, which when combined achieve a stunning strength of expression. Jan´s free Jazz improvisations are beautifully balanced by the operatic vocals and serene viola passages. The piano and rhythm section change their allegiances in a chameleonic way, supporting the saxophone improvisation and the melodic themes interchangeably. The Polish folklore sources are clearly present throughout the entire musical journey, obviously well absorbed during Kopinski´s travels in Poland with his Polish friend and musical collaborator pianist / composer Wojciech KonikiewiczFind albums by this artist. Although many Polish Jazz musicians often use Polish folklore as a source of their influence, Kopinski´s approach to this subject is amongst the most interesting and eventually successful of these efforts. This is definitely one of the most successful, both aesthetically and intellectually, multicultural musical projects that I happened to come across in the last few years. It combines the best of many worlds, in a balanced, cultural, respectful way, which is a very rare phenomenon. I therefore recommend this album to all open-minded listeners, who are interested to cross over into the terra incognita only to surface enriched and fulfilled spiritually.

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

PINSKI ZOO ~ AFTER IMAGE SLAM 266 (Barcode: 5028386026624) ~ UK ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2002 - 2005 Released: 2006 This album presents a collection of live material recorded over a span of four years (2002 to 2005) by the seminal British ensemble Pinski ZooFind albums by this artist, led by saxophonist / composer Jan KopinskiFind albums by this artist. This quintet lineup of the ensemble also includes keyboardist Steve IliffeFind albums by this artist, bassists Karl BinghamFind albums by this artist and Stefan KopinskiFind albums by this artist (Jan´s son) and drummer Steve HarrisFind albums by this artist (who sadly departed in 2008). The double CD presents fifteen original compositions by the band members, with total playing time of almost two hours and twenty minutes. These rough, uncensored and unedited live recordings are a perfect vehicle to present the thrilling live experience of Pinski Zoo on stage. Mixing Funk, Groove, Fusion, Electronics and Free into a completely unique amalgam, the band is certainly on fire at the time this music was recorded, well into the third decade of their activity. With the distinct double bass guitar lineup they are a force of Nature, driving the music hard using a polyrhythmic Funk groove as the basis with the keyboards supplying layers of electronic ambient and the sax floating on top of this complex structure, improvising with a passionate intensity. The two bass guitars are of course the most dominating aspect of this music, in full contrast to what is typically expected to be the role of the bass as part of the rhythm section. Both bassists supply the groove of course, but they constantly improvise and interplay with each other with infernal intensity, producing a mesmerizing effect. Another unusual aspect of this music is the fact that the melodic content, which often is subtly hidden beneath the surface, can be expressed not by the typical instruments to do so (saxophone or keyboards), but in this case also by the bass guitars. Of course Jan Kopinski is one of the most interesting and original British saxophone players and his work here is also absolutely brilliant. Iliffe and Harris are also an essential part of the overall effect the group produces on stage, which has very few competitors as far as the drive and vitality are concerned. It takes a while to "get into" this music, but once there it is completely absorbing and fascinating. I have no idea why it took me ten years to put my hands on this beauty, but better late than never is definitely very much true in this case. Something else, definitely!

Updated: 29/01/2016Posted: 29/01/2016

CD 2 Recommend To A Friend