Record Reviews

TOMASZ DABROWSKI ~ TOMASZ DABROWSKI & THE INDIVIDUAL BEINGS APRIL 093 (Barcode: 5709498109329) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2021 Released: 2022 This is the debut album by Polish (resident in Denmark) trumpeter / composer Tomasz DabrowskiFind albums by this artist and his new septet called Individual BeingsFind albums by this artist, which also includes Danish saxophonist Fredrik LundinFind albums by this artist and Norwegian drummer Knut FinsrudFind albums by this artist and Polish saxophonist Irek WojtczakFind albums by this artist, pianist Grzegorz TarwidFind albums by this artist, bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and drummer Jan MlynarskiFind albums by this artist. Several members of the septet utilize also electronic. The album presents eight tracks, all by the leader. The music is a brilliant example of modern European Jazz, which borders on Avant-Garde, and witch beautifully combines tradition with modernism, melody with freedom and diverse rhythmic approaches, creating a hypnotic journey through the listener’s mind. Dabrowski plays homage to the iconic Polish trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist on several layers, playing on an instrument that belonged to him, coining the name of the ensemble from a Stanko quote from his biography, but most importantly by being inspired by Stanko’s approach to Jazz composition in his most interesting period between 1970s and 1990s. The septet members are all highly experienced musicians with impressive individual careers under their belts, which of course enables a high density of imagination and expression, which the septet is able to use while creating this music. The constantly changing dialogues and individual soloing are all superbly weaved and the music engulfs the listener completely. The double drums provide the possibility of polyrhythmic time scales and multifocal pulsations, which are highly unusual and fascinating. Although everything Dabrowski recorded in the last ten years or so since he arrived on the scene – an astounding number of forty albums as a leader / co-leader and sideman – he still manages to innovate and reinvent himself time after time, constantly pushing the boundaries. He always seems to be able to inspire his fellow musicians to follow him in his quests. Overall, this is a stunning, highly unusual album full of wonderful music, atmospheric tension and beautiful aesthetics, which hold the listener mesmerized for the duration. It also serves as a great example of contemporary international musical collaboration which borderless Europe can offer to its young generation. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 16/02/2022Posted: 16/02/2022

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JAZZ BAND MLYNARSKI - MASECKI ~ NOC W WIELKIM MIESCIE LADO ABC C/26 (Barcode: 9788326826047) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is a phenomenal album by the Polish ensemble called Jazz Band Mlynarski - MaseckiFind albums by this artist, co-led by vocalist / banjola player Jan MlynarskiFind albums by this artist and pianist Marcin MaseckiFind albums by this artist, which also includes three saxophonists / clarinetists: Tomasz DudaFind albums by this artist, Michal FetlerFind albums by this artist and Jaroslaw BothurFind albums by this artist, sousaphone player Piotr WrobelFind albums by this artist and drummer Jerzy RogiewiczFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine Polish songs, popular in the 1930s, predominantly composed and written by Polish Jews who were the core of popular music / cabaret / vaudeville in the swinging Warsaw, which had a large Jewish population at the time. All the songs were masterly arranged for the ensemble by Masecki. The music is a loving tribute to a period and a Culture that was wiped out off the face of the earth by the Holocaust, and later on by forgetfulness and ignorance, and as such it is an extremely important undertaking as far as preservation of the Polish / Jewish Culture is concerned. But of course the album is also a masterpiece of rejuvenation of musical tradition, bringing back to life the essence of early Swing, but also transforming the spirit of the music to contemporary idioms. Masecki´s arrangements, which are all far from being simplistic or trivial, brilliantly combine the tradition with modernism, and experienced Jazz connoisseurs will find plenty of unexpected hooks of his brilliance within the music. Mlynarski brilliantly revives the tradition of the crooners of the time, and his vocal theatrics are a delight, especially in view of the sense of humor his performances display. The rest of the musicians in the band all play brilliantly, bravely overcoming the seemingly simple music made devilishly difficult by the sophisticated arrangements. The use of the sousaphone in place of the bass is another bright idea, which contributes to the "vintage" sound aura. Since this album was released, the ensemble performs it live all over Poland with great success. I had the pleasure to hear one of the concerts and it was simply breathtaking and the reaction of the public was overwhelming. Evidently Culture is not dead yet, and people are still able to recognize it when they see / hear it face to face. Overall this is a superb album in every respect, taking the listener ninety years back into the past, using a musical time machine, into times long gone, but now not longer forgotten. This is a multilayered intellectual and emotional experience of rare quality and dedication. The album comes with extensive liner notes explaining the historical background of this music and a story about each of the nine songs. One can only wish that many such well prepared and devoted releases like this album could be made more often. Radiant stuff!

Updated: 31/03/2018Posted: 31/03/2018

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IREK WOJTCZAK ~ ROM TOM DADA FSR 2021/17 (Barcode: 5904441617016) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2021 Released: 2021 This is an album by veteran Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Irek WojtczakFind albums by this artist recorded with a quartet, which also includes trumpeter Tomasz DabrowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and drummer Jan MlynarskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine tracks, all of which are Polish Folk tunes from the Leczyca region, collected by the Polish ethnographer Oskar KolbergFind albums by this artist, arranged by Wojtczak. Wojtczak continues here his fascination with Polish Folk music, transforming it into contemporary Jazz / Avant-Garde setting, creating a truly fascinating amalgam, as already documented on his earlier recordings: “Folk FiveFind albums with this title” and “Play It AgainFind albums with this title”. This new quartet setting is much more focused and moves brilliantly between the original tunes and the improvisations. The saxophone and trumpet create beautiful duet dynamics and the rhythm section, with its dense / quirky intensity, drives the music strongly atop the odd rhythms and tempi changes. All the personal performances are absolutely top notch and Mlynarski surprises with his highly unusual drumming, feeling obviously at ease alongside these top Jazz instrumentalists, despite the fact that he usually operates in completely different musical environments. It is great to discover his alter ego here. Overall, this is an excellent album, which continues a highly interesting path of cross-genre creativity, as well as obvious love of Polish musical tradition, which obviously deserves to be cherished and remembered. Although clicking at only slightly over half hour in duration, this music is so intense and fulfilling that the timing has little significance. Brilliantly done, as always!

Updated: 31/01/2022Posted: 31/01/2022

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