Record Reviews

KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA ~ PRAWO I PIESC – SOUNDTRACKS FROM JERZY HOFFMAN / EDWARD SKORZEWSKI MOVIES POWER BROS 00203 (Barcode: 5906295856443) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1964 - 1965 Released: 2009 Although primarily identified as the soundtrack composer of the movies directed by Roman PolanskiFind albums by this artist, Polish pianist / composer Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist cooperated with the entire Polish film industry during the revolutionary days of the 1960s New Wave of Polish Cinema, producing a long list of incredible cinematic scores. The post-WWII Polish cinema, struggling with the destruction of the country´s intellectual fabric, the Socialist regime and the economic hardships, managed to produce some of the most outstanding works of modern cinematography, equal in their power of expression and revolutionary approach to cinema as a modern cultural media to the achievement of the great British, Scandinavian, French and Italian film makers at the same time. Komeda´s soundtracks to the Polish (and Scandinavian) films in the mid-1960s and later Hollywood movies by the end of the 1960s are all absolute masterpieces of style, expression and sheer genius in creating a story-telling, often nerve-wrecking melody lines and wonderful themes, which expanded the visual content of the films and added another emotional dimension. The music is of course strongly influenced by the Jazz idioms, often even being pure Jazz. It is performed mostly by Komeda himself, accompanied by the members of his Jazz combos at the time, like trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist and others. Sometimes larger instrumentation is also used, especially in the later scores. What is especially surprising and magical about this music is the fact that is stands alone as well as it functions as a part of the cinematic experience. All the albums with Komeda´s soundtracks are simply superb pieces of music and in retrospect constitute an incredible body of work of rarely equaled magnitude and importance. Komeda´s tragic and painfully premature death ended a career, which in many respects was at its early stage. This album includes the soundtrack of the movie "Prawo I Piesc (The Law And The Fist)" by directors Jerzy HoffmanFind albums by this artist / Edward SkorzewskiFind albums by this artist, two soundtracks to animated movies "Sztandar (Standard)" / "Rondo (Roundabout)" by director Miroslaw KijowiczFind albums by this artist and the soundtrack to the movie "Pingwin (The Penguin)" by director Jerzy Stefan StawinskiFind albums by this artist. Brilliant stuff!

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PIOTR SCHMIDT ~ KOMEDA`S SONGS WITHOUT WORDS SJ 090 (Barcode: 5905489721482) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2024 Released: 2026 This is a live album by Polish Jazz trumpeter / bandleader Piotr SchmidtFind albums by this artist, recorded with his sextet, which included saxophonist Grzech PiotrowskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Pawel TomaszewskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Michal BaranskiFind albums by this artist, drummer Sebastian KuchczynskiFind albums by this artist and French percussionist Mino CineluFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven tracks, all composed by the Godfather of Polish Jazz, Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, and arranged by Schmidt. The music was recorded during the Love Polish Jazz Festival, which and is organized and directed by Krzysztof BalkiewiczFind albums by this artist, a highly regarded Komeda archivist and one of my dear Polish Friends, who suggested the idea behind this album to Schmidt. As the title suggests, the music presents instrumental versions of songs composed by Komeda, which appeared in the soundtracks of films produced during the Golden Era of the Polish cinema in the 1960s / 1970s, directed by such brilliant film makers like Jerzy SkolimowskiFind albums by this artist (“Bariera” 1966), Jerzy HoffmanFind albums by this artist and Edward SkorzewskiFind albums by this artist (“Prawo I Piesc” 1964) or theater and cabaret performances. Considering the fact that Komeda’s music has been often senselessly abused / misused / butchered for decades by generation after generation of Polish Jazz musicians, every new project involving the Giant composer has to be treated with extreme caution. Schmidt not only dares to confront Komeda’s legacy, but does it for the second time, following his album “Komeda Unknown 1967Find albums with this title”, which was also suggested by Balkiewicz, and for the second time he manages to pull the hare out of the hat and reach the goal unscattered. The resulting music, performed by some of the best Polish Jazz musicians active today, pays a wonderful tribute to Komeda’s legacy, touching the source with respect and obvious admiration, concentrating on the beauty of the themes, the harmony and the deep melancholy. With the missing layer of the lyrics, these songs now emphasize Komeda’s wealth of musical ideas, beyond the Jazz milieu that he is mostly associated with. Overall, this is another great tribute to the lesser known niche of Komeda’s legacy, which of course deserves to be exposed in a new light, exactly as intended by the creators of this album. Gently, respectfully and in its full glory, the music remains timeless and fulfills its purpose to touch out hearts. Hats off!

Updated: 13/10/2026Posted: 13/10/2026

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