Record Reviews

PATRYCJUSZ GRUSZECKI ~ FACES BNB 011 (Barcode: 5903714963270) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2021 Released: 2022 This is the second album by Polish Jazz trumpeter / composer Patrycjusz GruszeckiFind albums by this artist, recorded with the same trio that recorded the debut five years earlier, which includes organist Kajetan GalasFind albums by this artist and drummer Zbigniew LewandowskiFind albums by this artist. Vocalist Janusz SzromFind albums by this artist sings on one track. The album presents nine original compositions, eight by Gruszecki and one by Lewandowski. The album was recorded at the excellent Monochrom Studio and engineered by Ignacy GruszeckiFind albums by this artist, with the usual superb sound quality, close to the classic early Blue NoteFind albums on this label sound. The music continues the path set by the debut, presenting a series of coherent, melody based compositions, excellently performed by the trio, all strictly within mainstream Jazz and often bordering on Smooth Jazz, which is accessible to a wide range of music lovers, including those beyond the strict Jazz circles. The trio has a very unique sound due to the unusual instrumentation, which sets it aside from most other Polish Jazz ensembles. Gruszecki has a beautiful rounded sound and technical skill, Galas is an amazing organ player with a wide range of diverse sound techniques and innovative approach to the instrument and Lewandowski is a Master drummer, driving the music with his dense but not overbearing polyrhythmic virtuosity. Together they are a lean and mean swinging machine, which manages to create music, which keeps the listener both fascinated and entertained for the duration. Overall, this is an excellent album from start to finish, which lets the listener to relax and enjoy the music without too much analyzing or cerebral pseudo-intellectual effort to look beyond what the ears can hear. Despite what the Jazz snobs will probably say, this music is fun, without sacrificing any basic musical qualities. Simply listen and enjoy. It is of course wholeheartedly recommended as far as my taste buds are concerned!

Updated: 19/07/2022Posted: 19/07/2022

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WOJCIECH MAJEWSKI ~ NIE BYLO LATA MTJ 11769 (Barcode: 5906409117699) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2015 - 2017 Released: 2017 This is an album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Wojciech MajewskiFind albums by this artist, dedicated to poetry written by the relatively esoteric Polish poet / playwright Stanislaw GrochowiakFind albums by this artist. This ambitious and complex project involves an ensemble of Polish Jazz instrumentalists, a string quartet, a brass / woodwind section, six vocalists and two persons reciting poems. Some of the well known musicians appearing on this album are: saxophonist Henryk MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist, bassists Slawomir KurkiewiczFind albums by this artist and Pawel PantaFind albums by this artist, drummer Michal MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist, percussionist Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist and vocalists Janusz SzromFind albums by this artist and Stanislaw SoykaFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Stanislaw SojkaFind albums by this artist). The entire list is simply way too long to be listed. The album presents twenty one relatively short pieces, all linked together into a Jazz & Poetry suite. The music is a collection of Jazz songs which use the poems as lyrics and background / incidental music played under the recitation of the poems or between the songs. Mostly deeply melancholic and often outright gloomy, the music does ideally suit the texts, which of course is the essence of this project. As such it is a brilliant collaboration of music and words, which expresses the spirit of Grochowiak´s complex poetry. The songs are superbly performed by the vocalists invited by the composer and are all a continuation of the Polish lyrical Jazz & Poetry tradition. There is no doubt that Polish Jazz musicians create more Jazz & Poetry projects than any other country on earth, which reflects their sensitivity to Art Forms other than music. Music and words are of course both expressions of the innermost human feelings and the combination of the two is probably the most powerful means of human creativity. The love of the Polish language and Polish literary tradition is a strong characteristic of this and other similar projects. Although the language barrier seemingly limits the potential audience to Polish Language speaking listeners, the overall wealth and powerful musical content this album offers should be also of interest to people who do not know the language but can enjoy the music and absorb the Artistic atmosphere. Overall this is a wonderful piece of music artistry, clever, intelligent, sensitive and dazzling in its complexity. It will take a while for the listener to comprehend the multi-layered intricacy of this music and its many hidden treasures, but every effort invested in the listening process will pay back with hefty interest. Definitely most wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 10/02/2018Posted: 10/02/2018

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JANUSZ SZROM ~ JANUSZ SZROM NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is a brilliant album by veteran Polish Jazz vocalist / composer Janusz SzromFind albums by this artist, performed using only multi-tracked vocals and no instrumental backing whatsoever. The album presents twenty-one relatively concise tracks, mostly originals, composed by Szrom (eight tracks) and Pawel BetleyFind albums by this artist (also eight tracks) and a few others. Only two tracks are songs including lyrics, all the rest are pure vocalese. Although the concept of unaccompanied solo vocal albums is not new as such – see the phenomenal and revolutionary "The VoiceFind albums with this title" by Bobby McFerrinFind albums by this artist from 1984 – but those are very rare indeed. It takes not only skill and talent, but first of all also courage and imagination to undertake such a demanding task and it´s great to see Szrom fearlessly and proudly facing the immensely difficult challenge and successfully create a beautiful piece of music. The music offers a diverse collection of musical themes, which mix Jazz with World Music, Pop and other genres. The performances utilize a plethora of vocal techniques, including a cappella, imitation of instruments, rhythmic phrasing, scat, complex harmonies and so on. Szrom´s impressive vocal range manages to produce an imitation of vocal groups, like the legendary Polish NOVIFind albums by this artist vocal ensemble, or other ensembles like Les Double SixFind albums by this artist or Swingle SingersFind albums by this artist, all created in this case by the voice of a single person. It doesn´t really make sense to say much more about this music, as nothing is able to replace the actual experience of listening to it of course. Overall this is a stunning, unique, and completely overwhelming album, which should astonish the connoisseurs of vocal Jazz, or in fact all lovers of the human voice, knocking them out of their socks. I can´t imagine any true music lover not falling in love with this gem immediately and I hope it gets to be heard by as many music lovers around the world as possible. Hats off my Friend! Chapeau bas, etc.!

Updated: 30/03/2020Posted: 30/03/2020

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JANUSZ SZROM / ZBIGNIEW WROMBEL ~ SPIEWNIK NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 9788393067480) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2010 Released: 2012 This is quite an unusual project, which transfers fifteen Pop / Rock songs written in Poland in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s into modern Jazz arrangements. The songs are performed by Jazz vocalist Janusz SzromFind albums by this artist and a piano trio which consists of pianist Piotr WrombelFind albums by this artist, bassist Zbigniew WrombelFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist (see SoundcheckFind albums by this artist). All the songs have been intelligently arranged for the Jazz environment, sounding as if they were taken from the Standards songbook. Of course for listeners, who are familiar with popular music originating in Poland at that period and performed by local superstars like Czeslaw NiemenFind albums by this artist, BreakoutFind albums by this artist, Niebiesko-CzarniFind albums by this artist, Czerwone GitaryFind albums by this artist and other legendary performers, this album has also a strong nostalgic angle, which is not a priori negative. Most people living outside of Poland have very little knowledge about the incredible musical scene that flourished there during the dark days of the Socialist regime, State censorship and bureaucratic dictatorship, which often saw in Pop & Rock music the enemy of the "People" and much as a subversive force that endangered the very fabric of society. And yet, against all odds, Polish musicians and writers managed to produce an incredible amount of wonderful music, which sadly gets often forgotten these days, where instant success is the name of the game. Projects such as this one are a blessing, bringing this music back into life and showing how timeless true Art really is. Of course the Jazzy arrangements and execution change the original environment, in which these songs were born. However, due to the intelligent and careful approach demonstrated by this album´s creators these songs still sound magnificently up to date, losing absolutely nothing of their original power and intrinsic beauty. As far as individual contributions are concerned, this album is full of simply splendid musicianship. Szrom sings with his usual confidence and expressiveness, Piotr Wrombel masterfully states the melodic themes and accompanies the vocals with exceptional sensitivity. Zbigniew Wrombel is a virtuosic bassist and his warm and full sound is the platform upon which the entire music stands. Szmanda, as usual manages to combine freedom of expression and a sixth sense of rhythm. Overall this is a wonderful album in every respect. Superb music, excellent performances, great sound quality and most importantly an obvious love and respect towards the subject matter. One can only salute these musicians for carrying this project out and for adding one more brick to the pedestal of Polish Cultural heritage. Hats off!

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