Record Reviews

STANISLAW ALEKSANDROWICZ ~ PIESN O BEBNIE NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2022 Released: 2023 This is the second album by Polish Jazz drummer / composer / bandleader Stanislaw AleksandrowiczFind albums by this artist, recorded in a double quartet setting, with trumpeter Patryk RynkiewiczFind albums by this artist, saxophonist / bass clarinetist Wojciech BraszakFind albums by this artist, Italian Bassist Flavio GullottaFind albums by this artist and a string quartet. The album presents ten tracks: an introduction and a nine-part suite inspired by the poetry by Polish poet Zbigniew HerbertFind albums by this artist. Aleksandrowicz describes the music accurately by saying that it amalgamates Classical Music tradition with the strictly composed string quartet parts, Jazz with the expressive improvised parts, often Free Form and finally Electronic Music with layers of synthesizer sounds and sampling from various sources. For people familiar with Herbert’s poetry, and specifically the poem which gives the album its title, the music adds another layer of meaning to the poetry, serving as a soundtrack to his terrifying, apocalyptic view of the world, but the music does stand on its own as well, and certainly inspires and radiates a profoundly doomed atmosphere, which has a dismal aura. The musical concept as well as the execution are absolutely stunning and Aleksandrowicz, despite his young age, emerges as a highly promising representative of the young Polish Jazz generation, reaching widely beyond the strict Jazz idiom. With a second excellent album within a brief period of time, he is certainly someone to watch carefully, especially in view of the intellectual complexity and depth he manages to create herein. This album is so different and unlike anything else from what the Polish Jazz scene produces usually, that it almost creates its own specific “sub-genre”, which I can only describe as Zappaesque, giving it the highest possible compliment in my vocabulary. It is truly uplifting to get exposed to such level of creativity, depth and unique vision. Overall, this is a phenomenal, completely unique piece of music, which is shockingly penetrating, and deserves some highly serious listening effort, in order to embrace its entire scope. Polish speaking listeners might be prompted to read some of Herbert’s magnificent poetry, although he was widely translated into other languages as well. This is some serious emotional eruption, worthy of being exposed to, and hopefully unforgettable.

Updated: 08/03/2023Posted: 08/03/2023

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STANISLAW ALEKSANDROWICZ ~ RELATIVITY THEORY AKADEMIA MUZYCZNA POZNAN 1-04 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2021 Released: 2022 This is the debut album as a leader by young Polish Jazz drummer / composer Stanislaw AleksandrowiczFind albums by this artist, recorded with his quintet which also includes saxophonists Maciej KocinskiFind albums by this artist and Wojciech BraszakFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Patryk RynkiewiczFind albums by this artist and Italian bassist Flavio GullottaFind albums by this artist. Before releasing this album Aleksandrowicz took part in several recordings featuring musicians from the Poznan Jazz scene, by ensembles like Kwasny DeszczFind albums by this artist, AnomaliaFind albums by this artist and Unleashed CooperationFind albums by this artist, all of which are excellent achievements on their own. The album presents a six-part suite composed by the leader. The music is somewhat resembling the modern Jazz movement that characterized the revolutionary Polish Jazz development in the 1960s, spearheaded by the Godfathers of the movement like Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist and Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist. The long tracks, based on sketchy melodic themes and dedicated mostly to both individual and group improvisation, almost but not quite Free, driven by strong pulsations by the rhythm section, all these create a déjà vu sensation of some early Polish Jazz albums of the period. Of course this does not mean that Aleksandrowicz is trying to copy that music, but rather refer to it respectfully, with his own personal flavors. The pianoless quintet, with three horns at the helm and a highly dynamic rhythm section behind them creates a unique sound on the contemporary Polish Jazz scene, managing splendidly to overcome the lack of a harmonic instrument. Much credit goes to Gullotta, who succeeds to create a perfect background on which the horns can weave their improvisations and allows Aleksandrowicz to ornament the music with his percussive inventions, rather than keep time. The music keeps the listener at a constant state of hypnotic attention, moving from one part of the suite to another smoothly and coherently. The concept of the quintet as an ensemble, rather than a collection of individuals, is achieved in full and the result sounds as organic as one might expect from any ensemble performing music together. As it often happens, drummers can be surprisingly interesting composers, way beyond the “bloke with sticks” image, which this album proves beyond any doubt. Overall, this is a splendid debut effort, consolidating the position of Aleksandrowicz as one of the young Polish Jazz musicians, who deserve to be watched and followed. So far everything associated with his name proved to be highly deserving, and one can only wish him many further successes.

Updated: 25/09/2022Posted: 25/09/2022

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KRYSTIAN BALAWENDER ~ BANGLA JAZZ SOLITON 1283 (Barcode: 5903684232833) ~ POLAND ~ Smooth Jazz Recorded: 2022 Released: 2022 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz trumpeter Krystian BalawenderFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quintet setting with guitarist Andrzej GondekFind albums by this artist, pianist Kajetan BorowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Marcin JadachFind albums by this artist and drummer Piotr BudniakFind albums by this artist. Vocalist Wojciech MyrczekFind albums by this artist guests on three tracks, adding his own lyrics to the tunes. Several other musicians guest on selected tracks. The album presents eight tracks, all of which are original compositions by the leader (with one track apparently co-composed by Myrczek. I wonder as to the album’s title, since this album has nothing to do with Bangla (i.e. Indian) Jazz? The music is a super nice, Funky Smooth Jazz, splendidly executed by all the musicians involved, which is a great fun to listen to. Balawender is the main soloist and his scorching trumpet sound is reminiscent of Swing bands of the American Jazz Age era, but with a much Funkier, Groovy, up-to-date feel to it. I suppose most hard-ass Jazz critics will dismiss this music outright, but to be honest this is some an absolutely delightful, entertaining and danceable piece of music that I have heard in a long time. It is absolutely non-pretentious and heartfelt, simply stating “let’s have fun” music, with some beautiful music on top. Myrczek is great, as always, and definitely understood what this album is all about :) Overall, this is a really nice, danceable, Funky and Groovy album, which is a delightful listening experience and could be a real hit at a party, where people still dance. I know you people think I am joking, but no – this is honestly great fun you all forgot how to enjoy in Jazz. Please remember that Smooth Jazz done well is better that pretentious Jazz badly played. Just get a copy and let’s see if you can sit still while listening to this. Great idea – congrats and thanks for keeping an open mind!

Updated: 20/01/2023Posted: 20/01/2023

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JAROSLAW BOTHUR ~ LILLA CHEZQUIZ JAZZ FORUM 050 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2009 - 2010 Released: 2010 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Jaroslaw BothurFind albums by this artist, recorded with his quartet, which also includes pianist Kuba PluzekFind albums by this artist, bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz MaslowskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents six original compositions by the leader and one composition by the American pianist / composer Phil MarkovitzFind albums by this artist. I somehow missed this album at the time it was released, but now, having listened to it, I am again completely blown out of my socks by the audacity of these criminally young musicians to produce such a brilliant debut album, a phenomenon happening on the Polish Jazz scene repeatedly and mercilessly. Nobody in the world, who knows anything about Jazz, would have believed these players are in their twenties and still students in a music academy (at the time this music was recorded). From the first note it´s pretty obvious that this album is something "different", which already is significant, as many Jazz albums have a tendency to sound alike. Both the way the music is performed and the actual compositions as strikingly unique, with a very specific chord changes and tonality. Bothur has a wonderful sound in his tenor saxophone and the quartet sounds overall superbly European, somewhat between Scandinavian spacing and Polish melancholy, even on the fast tempo numbers. Pluzek plays some tasty solos and accompanies intelligently and gracefully. I´d love to hear him leading a piano trio. The rhythm section is there all the time behind the soloists, steady as a rock and flexible like molten lava. The original music (and also the choice of the Markovitz piece, which is relatively little known) proves that the leader has a highly developed pair of ears and excellent taste as far as writing new music is concerned. As already mentioned, the chord changes he uses are intrinsically unlike most others found in other Jazz compositions, which is pretty cool. Overall a superb debut and another set of names to be added to the "watch" list for the future. Well done gentlemen!

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JAROSLAW BOTHUR ~ NIGHT WALKS JAZZ FORUM ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2020 Released: 2020 This is the second album as a leader by Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Jaroslaw BothurFind albums by this artist recorded in a trio setting with bassist Michal JarosFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof DziedzicFind albums by this artist. The album presents six original compositions, all by Bothur. The total playing time for this album is under thirty minutes, so it is an EP rather than a full CD. The entire approach of the album, stylistically, musically and sound wise is greatly surprising and travels back in time some three decades to the heyday of Polish Yass, characterized by a Punkish straightforwardness, "quick and dirty" sound and relative lack of sophistication, but highly emotional expressionism. Having said all this I find this album really fresh and direct, somewhat like a friendly slap in the face, which is extremely effective. Perhaps this is (as Yass was) a sign of rejection of the over-sophistication some of the contemporary Polish Jazz is suffering from. The music is all well put together and excellently executed, as expected, with focus on Bothur´s soloing. The rhythm section supports him amicably, keeping an energetic flow for the entire duration. Overall this is a surprising, highly emotional piece of music, which is a great listening experience, bringing Jazz to the very basic, almost animalistic elements, which have almost completely disappeared over time. Definitely a fresh breath of air!

Updated: 15/04/2020Posted: 15/04/2020

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PRZEMYSLAW CHMIEL ~ WITCHCRAFT FSR 2020/16 (Barcode: 5905279364745) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Przemyslaw ChmielFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet format with pianist Mateusz GramburgFind albums by this artist, bassist Piotr NarajowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal SzeligowskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Chmiel. The music is modern Jazz, very open and yet firmly based on melodic themes, which are clearly stated and returned to throughout each of the tracks. The music is well behaved despite being highly spirited, often pretty minimalist and charmingly hesitant, creating a feeling of anticipation and searching. Each of the tunes offers a process of dynamic development, changing in intensity and volume, sometimes more than once within one tune, which makes things certainly interesting and blissfully different. The most interesting facet of the music is the fact that it certainly does not sound like typical Polish Jazz, successfully avoiding the melancholic / sentimental traps, but also not succumbing to the dreaded American Jazz derivatives, which in itself is a major success. The album is dominated by the performances by the leader, which is hardly surprising under the circumstances, but all the members of the quartet get ample opportunity to show their chops. Chmiel´s youthful energy and courage is immediately obvious and his improvisational skills shine throughout the album´s duration. Perhaps not yet fully achieving a personal / identifiable voice, he is definitely a highly interesting and already unique player, with considerable potential. Gramburg manages also to show some highly unusual approach and his contributions add a massive spicing to the proceedings, which would have probably been much less successful without him. His wonderful sensitivity and ability to play around with the dynamics and intensity of his touches on the keyboards make me immediately want to hear more of his playing, hopefully soon. Narajowski, who is an excellent bassist and a pillar of stability and precision, is in charge of the quartet´s "swinging" stability. Szeligowski plays over zealously at some points, which might have been corrected by lowering the drums in the mix, but overall does a splendid job and shows that drums can be as fascinating as any other instrument. Considering that these are young and relatively little experienced players, the fact that they manage to create such a sophisticated and complex music together is awe inspiring. Kudos to the FSRFind albums on this label label, which usually releases live recordings by much more prominent names, for issuing this debut album, which of course is well deserved. The recording quality of the music could have been better, but all things considered this is surely one of the most interesting Polish Jazz debut albums released in 2020 and a nice whiff of fresh air. Well done!

Updated: 06/11/2020Posted: 06/11/2020

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SLAWEK DUDAR ~ BALLADS & SWING (BEAUTIFUL SONGS OF DUKE ELLINGTON) NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2024 Released: 2024 This is an album by Polish (currently resident in Germany) Jazz saxophonist / composer Slawek DudarFind albums by this artist, recorded in a trio format with a German rhythm section: bassist Johannes GollerFind albums by this artist and drummer Ali BroumandFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight tracks, six of which are compositions by Duke EllingtonFind albums by this artist (as the title suggests) and two are standards. The music is of course as mainstream Jazz oriented as only imaginable, and besides the saxophone trio format, offers no other points of interest as such. Dudar, as his earlier recordings prove, is an accomplished saxophone player, and here he performs all the tunes every Jazz lover knows by heart, so there is little margin of error possible. The intimate format and exaggerated slow tempo make listening to the music a bit of an effort, but enables every little detail and nuance of the music to be perfectly audible, which I assume was intentional. Overall, although the material is absolutely classic, the album is extremely minimalistic, and considering the fact that these tunes were covered by generation after generation of Jazz Masters, presents a sort of a question mark as to its purpose / intention. Having said that, mainstream Jazz lovers might enjoy this somewhat “naked” versions of beloved standards.

Updated: 03/06/2025Posted: 03/06/2025

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SLAWEK DUDAR ~ INSIDE CITY LUNA 337 (Barcode: 5900672923377) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2014 This is the debut album as a leader by Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Slawek DudarFind albums by this artist, recorded by his quartet, which also includes pianist Robert JarmuzekFind albums by this artist, bassist Adam KabacinskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Wojciech BulinskiFind albums by this artist. A couple of guest musicians: vocalist Jacek ZamieckiFind albums by this artist and guitarist Artur LesickiFind albums by this artist participate on selected tracks. The album presents seven original compositions, all by Dudar. Musically the album presents the lighter side of the Jazz spectrum, somewhere between mainstream, Jazz-Rock Fusion (when the guitar is present) and Smooth Jazz, but in contrast to most albums released with such characteristics it is a solid and valuable contribution, especially due to the excellent compositions, which are all surprisingly diverse, melodic and far from being trivial or banal. Actually some of these tunes are truly outstanding to be honest. Dudar has a nice tone and plays with self-confidence and a lot of feeling. He manages to stay within the Jazz framework and not cross over to the Smooth Jazz vocabulary (or lack of it), which is often the case. Jarmuzek plays some splendid piano parts, very supportive and always displaying great taste. His contributions keep the album solidly on the Jazz ground. The rhythm section, especially the drums, although perfectly executed and technically fine, is a bit too Rocky for my taste, but that is a minor point. The album has a very good sound quality, balance and ambience, which in addition to the fine music makes it a most pleasant listening voyage. For me this music is "sunny" and perfect for a ride on a shore in our kind of weather. Sometimes the morose Polish melancholy is simply too much, and this album manages to avoid it almost completely, except for the last tune, which is a beautiful ballad dedicated to the EST trio – not surprisingly. Very well done gentlemen!

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PRZEMYSLAW FLORCZAK ~ IMAGE OF MY PERSONALITY SJ 003 (Barcode: 5902596066024) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2010 Released: 2012 This is the debut album by a young Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Przemyslaw FlorczakFind albums by this artist, recorded with his quartet which includes also organist Pawel TomaszewskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Pawel PuszczaloFind albums by this artist and drummer Sebastian KuchczynskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven tracks, six of which are original compositions, all by Florczak, and one is a Charles MingusFind albums by this artist piece. Florczak is also a member of the excellent group BiotoneFind albums by this artist. The album is very impressive, especially as a debut, and presents a portrait of mature musicianship by the leader both as a performer and a composer. All the quartet members are excellent players, both as individuals and collective contributors. The decision to use the organ, rather than acoustic piano, turns this album into a completely unique experience, as this highly unusual combination opens a whole new world of sonic experience and wonderful unisono passages. The saxophone and the organ simply blend together fabulously and one wonders why they are not used together more often. The compositions are also surprisingly excellent, well within the Jazz mainstream but incorporating many cross-genre elements, like bits of Funk, Bossa and even World-Music influences. Beautifully put together and intelligently arranged, they are a true pleasure to listen to. This music is fun (in the best meaning of the word) from start to finish, being both accessible to a wide range of listeners and sophisticated enough to draw the attention of the connoisseurs. Florczak plays beautifully throughout, being especially impressive on the lyrical pieces, where his wonderful tone and delicate delivery is often breathtaking. Tomaszewski is also "stealing" a large part of the show with his superb organ lines, which bring on memories of times long gone. The rhythm section is simply perfect for the job, providing the vehicle for the two soloists to shine and keeping the wagon on the road. The album has a surprisingly exquisite sound quality, which turns out to be less surprising after reading the bane of sound engineer Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist on the cover, who was in charge "only" of mix and mastering this time, but his signature is well recognized. Overall this is a true gem, sadly somewhat overlooked on the crowded Polish Jazz scene, where albums are being released at an incredible rate, but definitely worth digging out and investigating. Well done indeed!

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STANISLAW JANASZAK ~ DELUSIONS NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2021 Released: 2021 This is the debut album by Polish guitarist / composer Stanislaw JanaszakFind albums by this artist recorded in a classic guitar trio setting with bassist Lukasz GronowskiFind albums by this artist and drummers Marek SkibickiFind albums by this artist or Jakub SzwarcFind albums by this artist. The trio is expanded into a quartet with saxophonist Kacper KrupaFind albums by this artist (on five tracks) or Jaroslaw WisniewskiFind albums by this artist (on one track). The album presents ten tracks, all composed by Janaszak (one inspired by a Classical piece). The music encompasses diverse stylistic references, from Classical, via Jazz, Blues and even Rock influences. Janaszak’s Classical schooling is evident and his guitar playing mannerisms are strongly influenced by his Classical background, which in fact is a whiff of fresh air as far as guitar albums are concerned. The compositions are somewhat hesitant and reflect a searching process, which is not surprising in debut albums. This results in the music shifting gear across genres, without committing to a coherent continuous expression, but again this is probably the effect of trying to find the path of a debut album. Overall, this is quite an unusual guitar album, which shows advanced guitar technique and unconventional compositional approach, with something for every listener to like, obviously especially interesting to guitar aficionados. Definitely worth checking out!

Updated: 26/11/2021Posted: 26/11/2021

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STANISLAW JANASZAK ~ PERPETUAL MOTION NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Blues Fusion Recorded: 2024 Released: 2024 This is the 2nd album by Polish guitarist / composer Stanislaw JanaszakFind albums by this artist, recorded mostly in a trio setting with keyboardist Jakub KrolikowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Maciej BurzynskiFind albums by this artist. A few guest musicians appear on a couple of tracks. The album presents nine tracks, all composed by Janaszak. The music is a pleasant amalgam of Blues, Rock, Funk and a Jazzy Groove, based on solid compositions by the leader, which flow smoothly for the duration and offer a nice sonic experience, constantly changing moods and tempi and creating an interesting ride along. The performances are all excellent and professional, and Janaszak has a very nice guitar touch and sound, which is cross-genre, but not chaotic. The keyboardist provides a rich background of multi-layered sonic vistas and the drummer keeps the music moving along steadily. Overall, this is a very enjoyable album for people who love the electric guitar sound and enjoy music soaked in Blues, which keeps shifting rapidly. I had a blast listening to this music, which is not pretending to be anything beyond what it is – a nice, gratifying sonic voyage, something we all need to experience from time to time.

Updated: 10/08/2024Posted: 10/08/2024

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SLAWOMIR JASKULKE ~ EUROPA 67/21 NARODOWE CENTRUM KULTURY 5905279869219 (Barcode: 5905279869219) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2021 Released: 2021 This is an album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Slawomir JaskulkeFind albums by this artist, recorded in a classic Jazz quintet setting with trumpeter Emil MiszkFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Piotr CheckiFind albums by this artist, bassist Adam ZuchowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Slawomir KoryznoFind albums by this artist. The Neo QuartetFind albums by this artist, a string quartet playing electric string instruments, and actor Tomasz BorkowskiFind albums by this artist, who recites poetry, are also on board. The album presents six tracks, all original compositions by Jaskulke. The concept behind the album is an attempt to “remake” one of the most iconic Polish Jazz albums of all time, Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist’s “Meine Susse Europaische HeimatFind albums with this title” Jazz & Poetry masterpiece, produced by my Friend and Mentor Joachim BerendtFind albums by this artist, which presented Komeda’s compositions accompanying contemporary Polish Poetry (translated into German), recorded in 1967, hence the album’s title. This album utilizes six of the same poems (in original Polish version), which were included on the a.m. album, and the same quintet instrumentation, but all the music is new and composed by Jaskulke and adds the string quartet. This is the second album by Jaskulke, which proposes to “remake” Komeda’s music, following the 2018 album “Komeda RecomposedFind albums with this title”. The sheer boldness of attempting to “remake” an icon might seem suicidal, to say the least. The result should be judged on its own merit, rather than in comparison to the source of inspiration, as such comparison simply does not materialize itself. My opinion about producing new versions of Komeda’s music is widely known, so I won’t repeat it herein. The music is overtly melodic, full of sentimental lyricism and melancholy, which falls easy on the ear but lacks the depth suitable for the accompanying poetry. The performances are spotless, as expected from the participating musicians, but not particularly exciting. I wandered why this album was completely unnoticed at the time of its release, thinking it was all due to the pandemic, but now after hearing the music I see there were other reasons… Overall, this is another Komeda inspired album, which contributes little to his memory, despite the fact that the music is fine and the performances are highly professional. I certainly don’t regret buying a copy, if only to hear my beloved poetry.

Updated: 29/12/2023Posted: 04/12/2023

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SLAWOMIR JASKULKE ~ FILL THE HARMONY PHILHARMONICS BCD 04 (Barcode: 5906881885031) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2004 Released: 2004 This is the third album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Slawomir JaskulkeFind albums by this artist, which presents a five parts suite for piano trio and chamber orchestra of the Jazz-Classical Fusion variety. The additional trio members are bassist Slawomir KurkiewiczFind albums by this artist, one of Polish Jazz most renowned bassists (Simple Acoustic TrioFind albums by this artist, Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist), and drummer Krzysztof DziedzicFind albums by this artist. The orchestral parts are performed by the Hanseatica Chamber OrchestraFind albums by this artist. Vocalist Mika UrbaniakFind albums by this artist is featured on one track. The music was composed by Jaskulke, who was twenty four years old at the time. This ambitious project, undertaken by such a young musician, is quite extraordinary by any standard. Although Jazz and Classical music have been previously combined with various degree of success, this attempt is certainly quite different from all the others, employing musical devices, themes and arrangements often contrasting and seemingly clashing with other, like the vocal Rap part in the midst of a fragment performed by the strings. The Jazz trio interludes move in and out of the orchestral accompaniment, as do the solo piano parts. The overall structure does not seem to follow any of the pre-ordained Classical musical configurations, and Jaskulke appears to be using the orchestra as a tool rather than a point of reference. Although free-structured, the music maintains a melodic backbone, which re-appears both in the orchestral and the trio parts. The listener might find this music quite difficult to absorb, certainly during the initial listening phases, since things seldom continue for a period of time long enough to begin to sound "familiar". There is a sense or urgency and unrest, which is reminiscent of music composed for suspense movies. But listeners willing to listen patiently and repeatedly will eventually embrace the entire piece, finding its intrinsic logic. The Classical parts are obviously influenced by contemporary composers and a well trained might hear traces of George GershwinFind albums by this artist, The French Modernists and of course the Polish avant-gardists (Krzysztof PendereckiFind albums by this artist & Co.). Polish composer / pianist Frederic ChopinFind albums by this artist presides as well, if not bodily then surely spiritually. Stylistically this hodge-podge might need some polishing and sorting out, but give the guy a break; after all he is only twenty four… Regardless if one enjoys this music or not, it surely deserves to be appreciated for its aesthetic merits, its audacity and its innovation. Perhaps it is a bit over the top, but people who don´t dare don´t get there. Personally I quite like it and wholeheartedly recommend it to music aficionados, who are after the less obvious yet more rewarding game.

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SLAWOMIR JASKULKE ~ LIVE GDYNIA SUMMER JAZZ DAYS 2001 ALLEGRO 003 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2001 Released: 2002 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Slawomir JaskulkeFind albums by this artist, recorded live in a classic trio / quartet setting with saxophonist Maciej SikalaFind albums by this artist, bassist Piotr LemanczykFind albums by this artist and drummer Tomasz SowinskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents five original compositions; three of which are by the leader and two are by Sikala. The first two numbers are performed by the trio and the other three by the quartet. Jaskulke is considered as one of the most brilliant representatives of the young generation of Polish Jazz pianists and his achievements during the first decade of the 21st Century are indeed remarkable and include performances around the globe and numerous recordings as leader and sidemen (including those with the veteran Polish Jazz icon Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist). He has also composed music for theatre and cinema. Anybody listening to this album at the time of its release should have expected great things from Jaskulke, as it is a truly outstanding debut. The trio numbers present Jaskulke as an amazing piano virtuoso, playing in a unique style, which is incredibly percussive and powerful, whereas the quartet numbers present his gentler side as a balladeer, playing beautifully restrained melodic phrases or as an ensemble player of great sensitivity. Such incredible versatility is very rare indeed and when executed with a magic touch like the one he presents here, it is simply marvelous. Considering the fact that Jaskulke was only twenty two years old at the time of the recording one must admit that this is a discovery of an extraordinary talent. Musically the trio and the quartet are also quite different, with the material written by the leader being much more open and often freely structured, whereas the numbers written by the saxophonist are pretty standard mainstream Jazz compositions, both very good, but not special in any way. In a sense it seems as if these two different settings belong on two separate albums, but what was done can not be undone, so one should enjoy the fact that this marvelous music was captured for posterity and we can listen to it again and again. The rhythm section performs exactly as expected, changing the volume and presence according to the specific requirements of the moment, always there when one expects them to be, keeping perfect time (which is not always easy here) and modestly displaying another level of virtuosity. Together the ensemble sounds like an unstoppable locomotive, which runs amok, especially in the last tune. This is definitely an album every Jazz piano lover should listen to, sooner or later, an experience he´ll never regret nor forget. Wholeheartedly recommended!

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SLAWOMIR JASKULKE ~ MOMENTS UNIVERSAL 602537345595 (Barcode: 602537345595) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2013 This is the fifth solo album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Slawomir JaskulkeFind albums by this artist and his second solo piano recording. Jaskulke has been a dominant figure on the young Polish Jazz scene since the turn of the Century, participated in numerous projects and recorded over thirty albums, mostly as a sideman. This album presents eight original compositions by Jaskulke the composer, which all receive an extended treatment by Jaskulke the pianist. The immediate impression of the music on this album is quite surprising, especially to people who are familiar with Jaskulke´s earlier recordings. It seems he went through a deep transformation over time, during which the Classical music influence won over his initial focus on Jazz, taking him towards new pastures. One might even quite seriously wonder if this music is Jazz at all; a serious question not about how to label this music, which of course is irrelevant, but how to react to it aesthetically. A sort of question one might also ask about the solo piano works of Keith JarrettFind albums by this artist, where there is no clear answer to that dilemma. The music is melodic, lyrical and melancholic, with few, if any, rhythmic changes. After stating the melodic theme of each composition, Jaskulke enters a hypnotic, dreamlike phase of variations (rather than improvisations), returning intermittently to the melodic theme. Any listener, without prior knowledge of the artist involved, would most probably come to the conclusion that this is contemporary Classical piano music. Gone is Jaskulke´s percussive attack on the keyboard, his long arpeggios and his youthful carefree chutzpah, all to be replaced by poise, introvert soul-searching and almost lethargic delivery. Obviously his excellent technique as a player is still very much there, but it is less dazzling and flamboyant. Are we talking about "growing up" I wonder, a wiz-kid becoming a celebrity? I have no answers only a lot of questions, but it seems a bit early in his career to "take it easy". At least the music is all beautifully recorded, with an incredible sound quality, ambience, balance, separation, etc. A Steinway and a superb recording engineer are always worth their cost in gold. This is (sound wise) as good as any ECM recording! I´m pretty sure this album will win many ecstatic reviews and make numerous listeners very happy. Good for them! It probably even deserves it; and it must be simply me looking for the imperfections of the universe. Talking of which I wonder is the fact that several albums I didn´t fall head over heels in love with lately were all released by UniversalFind albums on this label Music Polska? A coincidence, one wonders?

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SLAWOMIR JASKULKE ~ ON NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 5908254159534) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is the seventh album by Polish pianist / composer Slawomir JaskulkeFind albums by this artist, which finds him returning to the classic piano trio format, following a series of solo piano recordings. The trio includes also bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof DziedzicFind albums by this artist; the latter was a member of Jaskulke´s trio a decade earlier. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Jaskulke. The music was excellently recorded and the album is packaged in a very unique design, being both very original and very impractical. Jaskulke is undoubtedly one the top Polish pianists since the onset of the millennium, but his recording legacy is in retrospect sadly less impressive that what it might have been. His solo piano recordings have taken him into New Age and other atmospheric music idioms, placing him away from the Jazz mainstream, where he feels most comfortably. This album, therefore, is definitely a move in the right direction. The compositions on this album present a reinvigorated, energetic Jaskulke, being mostly up-tempo if not neck-breaking fast. This fresh approach is most welcome, but it might have been a bit more constrained and relaxed. Nevertheless the music is absorbing and certainly impressive. In my opinion it would have been more enjoyable if more ballad material was included, but that is of course a matter of taste. The strongest point of this album is the performance by the rhythm section, which is truly spectacular. Mucha keeps his bass lines shoulder to shoulder with the racing piano, with a feel and technical brilliance rarely experienced. Dziedzic produces a strong barrage on the drum set, which sounds very powerful, but brilliantly manages not to overpower the two other trio members. His drumming is a text book example of powerful "wall of sound" Jazz drumming par excellence. It´s great to see Jaskulke back on track, which of course gives us hope for more great recordings to follow. This album is definitely worth checking out, especially for those Polish Jazz followers, who gave up on Jaskulke. It was definitely worth waiting for.

Updated: 19/02/2016Posted: 19/02/2016

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SLAWOMIR JASKULKE ~ SEA NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Electronic & Ambient Recorded: 2013 Released: 2014 This is the sixth solo album by the Polish Jazz pianist / composer Slawomir JaskulkeFind albums by this artist and his third solo piano recording. The album presents a five-part solo piano suite, composed and performed by Jaskulke, using extensive sound effects, which make the music sound unusually spacey and full of reverb and echo. The album follows the trend of its predecessor, and pursues a clear path away from the Jazz idiom, which was Jaskulke´s initial playground, towards minimal music, characterized by repetitive patterns and ambient drone music. As much as I respect Jaskulke for his past achievements, this music does nothing to me, and in fact is quite difficult for me to listen to. The distorted sound and reverb are physically unpleasant after a few minutes getting progressively worse in time. I admit not being able to listen to the album in its entirety. As usual in such cases, I blame myself entirely for not being able to like and appreciate this music. Jaskulke is an immensely talented musician and I hope that he´ll find his way back to Jazz at some point in his life, wishing him all the best with whatever path he chooses to follow.

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SLAWOMIR JASKULKE ~ SUGARFREE BCD 03 (Barcode: 5906881885024) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2003 Released: 2003 This is the second album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Slawomir JaskulkeFind albums by this artist, which was recorded in the classic piano trio format with bassist Krzysztof PacanFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof DziedzicFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, all by Jaskulke. By the time this album was recorded, Jaskulke was already a member of the quartet led by the Polish Jazz legend Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, which is the most desirable position for any Polish Jazz musician and which means that his talent was recognized as extraordinary on the local scene. Anybody listening to this album must admit that Jaskulke is indeed one of the most extraordinary musicians to arrive on the Polish Jazz scene in the 21st Century. This album confirms not only his superb qualities as a player, but even more interestingly and dramatically his talent as a composer. Jaskulke has an easily recognizably personal style, which is quite extraordinary for such a young musician. His approach to the piano is percussive, almost "aggressive" at times, and at the same time he can stroke the keys delicately as a summer breeze. His compositions are also quite distinct and remarkable and regardless of their tempi, they convey a punctuated, but clearly stated melody, irregular meters and ultra-modern rhythmic devices, which can be found in contemporary electronic music. All these, combined with the obvious Jazz legacy create an amalgam, which is highly innovative and surprising. This music is perhaps one of the most contemporary approaches to Jazz, taking the music from the 20th Century, where it was born and raised, into the 21st Century, where it now develop into a plethora of new directions. It proves that Jazz does not need to be stagnant and can be innovated in many ways, not only in the Avant-Garde / Free / Improvised Music idiom, but also in new and unexpected directions. The performances on this album are truly stellar, not only those by the leader but also those by the rhythm section. Pacan, who was also a member of the Namyslowski quartet at the time, is a brilliant bassist, capable of a wide range of styles, from classic Jazz to modern, almost Pop / Rock pulsations. Dziedzic is an ideal drummer in this setting, perfectly in sync with Jaskulke in the percussive beat parts and his by and large more Rock than Jazz sound. Overall this is a brilliant album in every aspect, sadly largely overlooked at the time of its release but certainly deserving an honorable position among the great Polish Jazz piano trio recordings. This is highly recommended to all Polish Jazz fans and Jazz aficionados in general. It´s never too late to discover this priceless gem!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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WLADYSLAW KOMENDAREK ~ DOTYK CHMUR GAD 041 (Barcode: 5901549197525) ~ POLAND ~ Electronic & Ambient Recorded: 1986 - 1987 Released: 2016 This is a reissue of the second album by Polish keyboardist / composer Wladyslaw KomendarekFind albums by this artist, one of the pioneers of Polish electronic / ambient / synthesizer music. It includes the eight tracks present on the original LP and five bonus tracks, all composed by Komendarek. The music is performed using a plethora of synthesizers and drum machines, all played by the composer. The music is typical 1980s synthesizer drenched electronic / ambient music, which was popular at the time all over the world. It includes quite a lot of melodic contents, but is dominated by the droning rhythm, generated by electronic drum devices. As a result the album is less appealing than Komendarek´s debut effort, which still manages to sound interesting today. Of course synthesizer and ambient music fans should find plenty of interesting moments herein, but for me the album lacks the appeal that would drive me to listen to it on a regular basis. Admittedly synthesizer music never sounded much appealing to me, even music composed and performed by the Masters of the trade. However, the fact this album gets a proper reissue is important as part of the effort that the excellent GADFind albums on this label Records label continuously and consequently makes in order to preserve the treasures of ambitious original Polish music, saving it from being extinct and abandoned, for which it deserves our gratitude.

Updated: 17/03/2017Posted: 17/03/2017

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WLADYSLAW KOMENDAREK ~ FRUWAJACA LALKA GAD 059 (Barcode: 5901549197785) ~ POLAND ~ Electronic & Ambient Recorded: 1991 Released: 2017 This is a reissue of an album by Polish electronic music wizard Wladyslaw KomendarekFind albums by this artist, which was originally his first CD release. The album presents eleven original compositions, all by Komendarek, performed by him using a plethora of synthesizers and other electronic gadgets. This expanded edition adds one bonus track, which is a previously unreleased lengthy suite, over seventeen minutes in duration. Komendarek presents a collection of great electronic / ambient pieces, recorded in his secluded country house, which faithfully represent his matured capabilities as a composer and performer. The forms vary from concise pieces, some even featuring synthesized vocal parts and longer and more complex mini-suites. Stylistically there are echoes of New Wave, Krautrock and other contemporary electronic sub-genres, and of course Progressive Rock affinity, especially on the longer pieces. Komendarek is obviously up to date not only with the latest electronic gadgets and keyboards, but also with the latest music trends of the time, not forgetting his Rock and Prog roots. Listening to this music, which was created almost forty years ago, emphasizes again the fact that good music is timeless and the somewhat antiquated synthesizers / samplers sound still holds some nice surprises, especially when in the hands of a Master like Komendarek. Huge part of the music recorded around that era (the dreaded 1990s) has completely lost its relevance since, but this music still sounds fresh and inspiring, especially in comparison to the garbage that is considered as music today. Kudos, as usual, to GADFind albums on this label Records for consistently documenting and bringing back to life the Komendarek legacy, which is definitely worth being preserved and kept available. A must to all electronic / ambient music connoisseurs and Prog fanatics looking for undiscovered treasures!

Updated: 22/01/2018Posted: 22/01/2018

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WLADYSLAW KOMENDAREK ~ HIBERNACJA NR 1 GAD 058 (Barcode: 5901549197778) ~ POLAND ~ Electronic & Ambient Recorded: 1988 - 1990 Released: 2017 This is a reissue of the fourth album by Polish electronic music wizard Wladyslaw KomendarekFind albums by this artist, which was originally his last vinyl release before entering the digital age. The album presents seven original compositions, all by Komendarek, performed by him using a plethora of synthesizer and other electronic gadgets. This expanded edition adds two bonus tracks, one of which is the full version (over twenty minutes long) of one of the tracks and another which is a live version of the title track. By the time Komendarek recorded this album he was already a highly experienced specialist in electronic / ambient synthesizer based music, which is evident by the rich layers of sound which create this album´s contents. But beyond his obvious technical proficiency, Komendarek also consistently developed his compositional skills and the result is plainly audible here in full bloom. The music is definitely the essence of this album, not the technical wizardry and strange sounds made by electronic devices. It seems that Komendarek finally found his individual voice and vocation on this album, after years of playing with the Rock group ExodusFind albums by this artist. His earlier solo albums were somewhat hesitant and searching while here he seems sure of himself and clearly stating his ideas, which are fully developed and skillfully arranged. The whole aural atmosphere soaked in synthesizers / samplers, which disappeared completely in time, is a wonderful trip down the memory line and brings fond memories of the early days of true electronic music, before it succumbed to trance, bass & drums and other less artistic forms of musical expression. Overall this album is truly a great fun to listen to and a great document of the era. Kudos, as usual, to GADFind albums on this label Records for consistently documenting and bringing back to life the Komendarek legacy, which is definitely worth being preserved and kept available. A must to all electronic / ambient music connoisseurs!

Updated: 20/01/2018Posted: 20/01/2018

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WLADYSLAW KOMENDAREK ~ POWROT Z MATERII MIEDZYGWIAZDOWEJ GAD 078 (Barcode: 5903068120039) ~ POLAND ~ Electronic & Ambient Recorded: 1985 - 1988 Released: 2018 This is a reissue of a cassette only release by the Polish keyboardist / composer and electronic music maverick Wladyslaw KomendarekFind albums by this artist, which presented live recordings from his appearances at the Jarocin Rock Festivals in 1985 and 1986, originally released only in 1992. This remastered and expanded edition adds three bonus tracks, also recorded live at the same festival in 1988, previously unreleased. The music is an advanced form of psychedelic / ambient / electronic synthesizer music at its best, extremely well composed and put together, in a form of complex multilayered and extended (over twenty minutes long) suites. Considering that this music is performed live the effect is even more impressive. The bonus tracks follow more or less the same pattern, but do not attempt to present a continuous theme, standing on their own as separate pieces of music. Komendarek well deserves the title of a legend, considering his extensive musical legacy and consistent pioneering and visionary work. Even if some of this music sounds today a bit "dated" technically, it preserves well its musical concepts and the sound has a wonderful nostalgic tinge to it. Overall this is a superb reminder of what electronic music sounded like in the late 1980s, when Poland was still behind the Iron Curtain, although musically it was, certainly in the case of Komendarek, light years ahead. A must for early electronic music enthusiasts!

Updated: 29/01/2019Posted: 08/08/2018

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WLADYSLAW KOMENDAREK ~ SZAFIROWA CHIMERA GAD 110 (Barcode: 5903068120527) ~ POLAND ~ Electronic & Ambient Recorded: 1995 - 1996 Released: 2019 This is a reissue of an album by Polish electronic music pioneer and prolific composer / recording artists Wladyslaw KomendarekFind albums by this artist. This album represents his work form mid-1990s, which was his most fertile period. This remastered edition adds one bonus track, which was previously unreleased. Although Komendarek never managed to gain such international acclaim and recognition as other Electronic / Ambient composers / performers like VangelisFind albums by this artist or Jean-Michel JarreFind albums by this artist, but he is certainly in the same class of foremost Artists of the genre and his extensive recording legacy easily proves it. Using his impressive array of synthesizers and other electronic devices Komendarek manages to create sonic vistas of epic symphonic scope, with complex multi-layered melodic themes and polyrhythmic tempi, which are fascinating and absorbing. Some of these compositions offer an extended, suite like scope and continuity. The music on this album adds certain elements, which were not part of his earlier offerings, such as certain World Music accents and New Age meditative influences, but in retrospect the music remains typically Komendarek´s own. In retrospect the music remains as fresh and universal as it was at the time of its creation, with its intrinsic beauty and aesthetic values completely intact. For the many fans of Komendarek´s fans and for Electronic / Ambient music, which offers Artistic contents and not only gimmickry, this album is of course highly recommended. Kudos to GADFind albums on this label Records for keeping Komendarek´s work alive and available; this is the sixth reissue of his albums on the label and hopefully more are to follow soon.

Updated: 14/03/2020Posted: 14/03/2020

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WLADYSLAW KOMENDAREK ~ WLADYSLAW KOMENDAREK GAD 021 (Barcode: 5901549197273) ~ POLAND ~ Electronic & Ambient Recorded: 1984 - 1985 Released: 2014 This is a reissue of the eponymous debut solo album by Polish keyboardist / composer Wladyslaw KomendarekFind albums by this artist, which was originally released only on cassette. The newly remastered reissue adds four bonus tracks, which were recorded at the same sessions as the eight tracks which were included on the original album. Komendarek, who was the keyboardist of the legendary Polish Prog group ExodusFind albums by this artist, recorded this music after he left the group, using only an array of synthesizers. The music was composed in a secluded location far away from "civilization" and recorded later at the Polish Radio studio in Warsaw. Komendarek, who is still active today, three decades after this music was recorded, is undoubtedly one of Poland´s most important composers of electronic music of the same status as internationally known figures such as VangelisFind albums by this artist or Jean-Michel JarreFind albums by this artist, as this album clearly shows. His versatility and imagination as a composer are simply staggering and his ability to create multi-layered sound vistas is exceptional. The compositions presented on this album are all well structured and based on solid melodic themes, which are progressively developed in time. Komendarek uses the array of synthesizers to produce a rich orchestral sound and his Jazzy improvisations keep things interesting at all times. He also manages to avoid the bombastic approach, which was often used by his contemporaries, which simply produced a wall of sound that became increasingly intolerable. This music keeps a certain level of intimacy, which allows the listener to relax and let the music slowly draw him into the sounds. Of course due to obvious technological limitations the album suffers from the dreaded 1980s synthesizer sound, which hunts most of the music created in that period. The fact that this music is not only listenable but also quite enjoyable and even challenging proves that Komendarek is definitely blessed with an unusual talent. Bringing this music back to life (who owns a cassette player these days?) is unquestionably a great idea, which produces a fascinating document of the history of Polish electronic music, which should be available to both old fans and new generation of musicians and fans as well. As usual hats off to GADFind albums on this label Records for another great idea!

Updated: 13/04/2017Posted:

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MIECZYSLAW KOSZ ~ DEBUT – JAZZ JAMBOREE `67/`68 POLSKIE RADIO 2464 (Barcode: 5905610874117) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1967 - 1968 Released: 2024 This is an archival live album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Mieczyslaw KoszFind albums by this artist, recorded a year apart during his appearances at Poland’s most prestigious Jazz event at the time, the annual Jazz Jamboree Festival. The album presents eight tracks, four each from the 1967 and 1968 concerts, both recorded in a classic piano trio format with bassist Janusz KozlowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Sergiusz PerkowskiFind albums by this artist. In the first set only one of the tracks is an original composition by Kosz, but in the second set three of the tracks are his compositions. The rest are Jazz standards or an interpretation of a Classical piece by Frederic ChopinFind albums by this artist. The carefully restored sound quality is pristine and considering the fact that these recordings were done almost sixty years ago, behind the Iron Curtain, the sound is absolutely astounding. The life story of Kosz, a blind Genius, who died tragically at the age of twenty-nine, less than six years after the first set on this album was recorded, is probably one of the most fascinating Polish Jazz tales, but the saddest fact is that his recorded legacy to this day is truly miniscule. Therefore, the importance of this album goes far beyond the fact that the music is not surprisingly brilliant, but because it opens a window into the hidden treasures of the Polish Radio vaults, sadly badly neglected for decades, which now opens an opportunity to uncover and release a vast amount of previously unheard music, all thanks to the diligence of the editor Adam DomagalaFind albums by this artist, who promises more music by Kosz and other Polish Jazz treasures to be revealed in the future. The album is accompanied by a modest, but interesting booklet, which sadly is entirely in Polish, leaving the many Polish Jazz enthusiasts abroad in the dark. Hopefully this can be rectified on the future releases with Polish Jazz music, which has a substantial following outside of the country’s borders. Overall, this is a beautiful piece of Polish Jazz history, miraculously saved from oblivion and neglect, for all to enjoy. It fills a gap in the story of one of the most fascinating figures of Polish Jazz and a world-class Artists, which deserves to be told in full, and nothing tells the story better than the music itself. But of course lovers of classic piano trio Jazz anywhere on this planet should find this album delightful. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 21/12/2024Posted: 21/12/2024

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MIECZYSLAW KOSZ ~ MIECZYSLAW KOSZ POLJAZZ / ANEX 311 (Barcode: 5907513047667) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1972 - 1973 Released: 2009 This incredible album presents a series of recordings by the virtuoso Polish Jazz pianist / composer Mieczyslaw KoszFind albums by this artist, one of the greatest hopes of the country´s scene, tragically cut short by his unexpected death at the age of 29. Often compared to Bill EvansFind albums by this artist, Kosz played with wonderful warmth and incredible musicality, combining the best of Jazz with his Classical education, which enabled him fluidity and superb use of harmony. These trio and solo recordings, released posthumously, are the only additional document of his incredible talent, besides the sole album he recorded during his lifetime called "ReminiscenceFind albums with this title", released as part of the Polish Jazz series. He was also a gifted composer, as evident from several of his compositions included on this album, and a great interpreter of Jazz standards, also featured here extensively. The recordings constitute mainly of radio sessions, luckily captured on tape and preserved for eternity, and were originally released as a double LP. This is some of the most exquisite piano trio and solo ever recorded, so don´t hesitate even for a second before grabbing it !

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MIECZYSLAW KOSZ ~ POLISH RADIO JAZZ ARCHIVES VOL.10 POLSKIE RADIO 1629 (Barcode: 5907812246297) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1967 - 1971 Released: 2013 This is the tenth installment in the new series of releases initiated by the Polish Radio, which presents archive Jazz recordings. Radio recordings are always a fabulous source of remarkable material, and as far as Polish Jazz history is concerned, the Polish Radio, which was a state monopoly for 45 years, recorded over time a plethora of invaluable material, which apart from the albums released by the Polskie Nagrania record company (also a state monopoly), is the only available additional source of Polish Jazz recordings. For many years Polish Radio recorded concerts presented during Poland´s most important Jazz venues, including the annual Jazz Jamboree Festival and many other festivals as well. The material collected here presents recordings made between 1967 and 1971 by the legendary Polish Jazz pianist / composer Mieczyslaw KoszFind albums by this artist, all of which ale solo piano pieces. The material covers a mixture of Jazz standards, Jazz arrangements of Classical pieces and original compositions by Kosz (six of the sixteen tracks of the album). Kosz, who was blind since the age of 12, died tragically in 1973, at a ridiculous young age of 29. During the short period he was active on the Polish Jazz scene (1967-1973) he managed to record just one single studio album released as part of the "Polish Jazz" series ("ReminiscenceFind albums with this title" Vol.25) and some radio and concert recordings were released posthumously, but of course his overall legacy is criminally limited. Therefore every bit of music he managed to record is absolutely priceless. Although often compared to Bill EvansFind albums by this artist due the obvious lyrical similarities, Kosz was infinitely more than a Bill Evans impersonator. He had a unique style, which was a mixture of Classical and Polish Folklore roots and Jazz, which was completely distinctive. He also had a very personal sound and technique, which created the impression that he barely touched the keys even during the most powerful passages. And of course he was also a superb composer, spinning superb melody lines, which often included sophisticated hooks and twists. His expression "only sadness is beautiful" reflects perfectly his tormented personality and private life, as well as most of his compositions. Some of his later compositions encompassed strong Free Jazz elements, which would have probably played a more central role in his music, which sadly remains a speculation. But above all Kosz was a virtuosic pianist, which is immediately apparent to anybody listening to any of his recording. His technique and even more importantly his wonderful feel for Jazz was simply phenomenal. His playing is captivating and mercilessly overwhelming, and in retrospect emphasizes the scale of the loss Polish and European Jazz suffered as a result of his death. The beautifully restored sound quality is excellent and the warm ambience of the analog recording is a true joy. As usual with this series, which is very reasonably priced, I miss the presence of "in depth" liner notes / booklet, which should convey the circumstances at which this music was recorded and its importance to the development of Polish Jazz. Nevertheless this is an absolutely essential piece of Jazz history which every European Jazz fan will surely consider an absolute must.

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MIECZYSLAW KOSZ ~ POLISH RADIO JAZZ ARCHIVES VOL.37 POLSKIE RADIO 2429 (Barcode: 5905610870249) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1967 Released: 1971 This is the thirty-seventh installment in the series of releases initiated by the Polish Radio, which presents archive Jazz recordings from the radio vaults. Radio recordings are always a fabulous source of remarkable material, and as far as Polish Jazz history is concerned, the Polish Radio, which was a state monopoly for 45 years, recorded over time a plethora of invaluable material, which apart from the albums released by the Polskie Nagrania record company (also a state monopoly), is the only available additional source of Polish Jazz recordings of that period. For many years Polish Radio recorded concerts presented during Poland´s most important Jazz venues, including the annual Jazz Jamboree Festival and many other festivals as well. The material collected here presents recordings made between 1967 and 1971 by the legendary Polish Jazz pianist / composer Mieczyslaw KoszFind albums by this artist, which are previously unreleased solo, duo and trio piano pieces. It is the second collection of recordings by Kosz in this series. The material covers a mixture of Jazz standards, Jazz arrangements of Classical pieces and original compositions by Kosz (six of the eighteen tracks of the album) and two excerpts from radio interviews. Kosz, who was blind since the age of 12, died tragically in 1973, at a ridiculous young age of 29. During the short period he was active on the Polish Jazz scene (1967-1973) he managed to record just one single studio album released as part of the "Polish Jazz" series ("ReminiscenceFind albums with this title" Vol.25) and some radio and concert recordings were released posthumously, but of course his overall legacy is criminally limited. Therefore, every bit of music he managed to record is absolutely priceless. Although often compared to Bill EvansFind albums by this artist due the obvious lyrical similarities, Kosz was infinitely more than a Bill Evans impersonator. He had a unique style, which was a mixture of Classical and Polish Folklore roots and Jazz, which was completely distinctive. He also had a very personal sound and technique, which created the impression that he barely touched the keys even during the most powerful passages. And of course he was also a superb composer, spinning superb melody lines, which often included sophisticated hooks and twists. His expression "only sadness is beautiful" reflects perfectly his tormented personality and private life, as well as most of his compositions. Some of his later compositions encompassed strong Free Jazz elements, which would have probably played a more central role in his music, which sadly remains a speculation. But above all Kosz was a virtuosic pianist, which is immediately apparent to anybody listening to any of his recording. His technique and even more importantly his wonderful feel for Jazz was simply phenomenal. His playing is captivating and mercilessly overwhelming, and in retrospect emphasizes the scale of the loss Polish and European Jazz suffered as a result of his death. The first track, recorded in 1967, is a solo piano piece The next three tracks, recorded in 1968, feature a trio with bassist Janusz KozlowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Sergiusz PerkowskiFind albums by this artist. The next six tracks, recorded in 1969 and 1970 (three each year), are piano solo pieces The next track, recorded in 1970, is a duo with bassist Bronislaw SuchanekFind albums by this artist. The next five tracks, recorded in 1971, are solo piano pieces. The last two tracks, recorded in 1971, are excerpts from radio interviews. The series, which was brought back to life after three years of absence, offers an upgraded packaging, which finally offers bi-lingual liner notes, fitting the importance of this music. The beautifully restored sound quality is excellent and the warm ambience of the analog recording is a true joy. Overall this is an absolutely essential piece of Jazz history which every Jazz fan should consider as a must.

Updated: 05/07/2023Posted: 05/07/2023

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MIECZYSLAW KOSZ ~ REMINISCENCE (POLISH JAZZ VOL.25) MUZA 925 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1971 Released: 2004 Mieczyslaw KoszFind albums by this artist was one of the greatest hopes of Polish Jazz and his untimely death at a ridiculously young age (29) was a true tragedy. He was a most lyrical and technically perfect pianist ever on the Polish scene and everybody compared his work with that of Bill EvansFind albums by this artist. Unfortunately this album is the only proper recording of his superb playing (some more material does exists but the recording quality is not that great). On this album Kosz plays some of his interesting interpretations of classical music and some of his elegant compositions. For lovers of piano trios this is a true diamond!

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SLAWOMIR KULPOWICZ ~ CALMNESS AND UNISONO GAD 282 (Barcode: 5903068125195) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1982 - 1985 Released: 2024 This is an archival album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer / bandleader Slawomir KulpowiczFind albums by this artist. It presents six previously unreleased solo piano pieces, recorded by the Polish Radio, two from 1982 and four from 1985, all composed by Kulpowicz. It is a most welcome addition to the four archival albums of music by Kulpowicz, released by Polish Radio in 2013, and an important tribute to his remarkable contribution to Polish Jazz. The music is, as always, wonderfully expressive and combining a myriad of influences from within the Jazz idiom and beyond, including contemporary Classical Music and World Music, which Kulpowicz was strongly associated with, especially the music of India. Kulpowicz died prematurely in 2008, leaving behind a sublime legacy of recorded music, which somehow never received the proper appreciation on the local scene, despite the fact that it was always one of the most advanced and creative music ever created by Polish Jazz Artists. Therefore, this album is especially important, both for the fact that in unearths previously unheard music by Kulpowicz, and that it offers an opportunity for new listeners to get exposed to his Genius. Kulpowicz was strongly influenced by the music of John ColtraneFind albums by this artist and his improvisations offer the listener the same kind of trance-like total submission and free-flow consciousness, but in his case the music never leaves its connection to melody. Although widely improvised, the music here could be easily considered completely cross-genre, and listeners of Classical music might enjoy it as much as Jazz buffs. The album offers a remarkable sound quality, which enhances the listening pleasure to the max. Overall, this is a truly magical album, which offers a condensed serving of brilliant improvised music, with deeply melodic message and aesthetic wealth, achieved only once in a blue moon. It is an absolute must for all true lovers of Polish Jazz and a fascinating beacon of how potent improvised music can be. As much as I love and support the remarkable work by the people behind the GADFind albums on this label Records label (Michal WilczynskiFind albums by this artist and Lukasz HernikFind albums by this artist), this is definitely one of the most important releases in their 300 albums’ strong catalogue. An absolute gem!

Updated: 29/05/2024Posted: 29/05/2024

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

SLAWOMIR KULPOWICZ ~ PRIVATE BALET MUSIC POLSKIE RADIO 1249 (Barcode: 5907812242497) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2003 Released: 2013 This is the third installment in a series of releases documenting the recorded legacy of the great Polish Jazz pianist / composer Slawomir KulpowiczFind albums by this artist, most of which is released for the first time. Kulpowicz, who died prematurely in 2008 at the age of 56, was a victim of cancer. He was a member of groups led by the top Polish Jazz players like Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist and led / co-led his own ensembles like The QuartetFind albums by this artist, In-FormationFind albums by this artist and also cooperated with many other musicians over the years. He was an avid follower of John ColtraneFind albums by this artist´s music and kept in touch with Coltrane´s wife Alice ColtraneFind albums by this artist. Following his visit to India, Kulpowicz discovered Indian music and the spiritual aura of India, which became his own. The turn of the Millennium found Kulpowicz as a refined Artist, with years of experience and success already credited to his impressive list of achievements. He was moving away from the traditional Jazz milieu and getting closer to contemporary Classical forms as well as experimenting with World Music influences. This solo piano recital, recorded live, which presents fourteen of his original compositions, is a portrait of a mature performer and composer, who has a complete control over his instrument as well as the ability to create moods and paint musical vistas with an astonishing ease and elegance. Kulpowicz was interested in contemporary Classical music from an early age and although the first phase of his career concentrated on Jazz, the next one was quite different. He composed several pieces, which served as music for ballet and turned out to be a remarkable successful. The music on this album bridges these two phases, as the music clearly shows deep love and respect of the Jazz tradition, but the form is much closer to Classical style, in which these beautiful pieces could be considered as fragments of a suite (in this case an imaginary ballet suite) or other short forms like impressions, variations, etc. Regardless how this music is categorized, the level of amalgamation between Jazz and Classical music achieved here is simply exceptional. Of course solo piano music is often quite difficult and demanding. Less experienced listeners may lack the concentration and dedication required in order to truly appreciate this music in full. This kind of music usually demands repeated listening sessions in order to discover its beauty, elegance and sophistication. On the other hand such investment is usually very well rewarded, as one might expect also in this case. Therefore this music should be taken seriously and relatively gradually, but eventually it will certainly hit the right cords. Wholeheartedly recommended!

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

SLAWOMIR KULPOWICZ ~ THREE ETUDES / PRASAD IN MANGALORE POLJAZZ / ANEX 319 (Barcode: 5907513047742) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1982 Released: 2009 Following the demise of The QuartetFind albums by this artist, Polish Jazz pianist / composer Slawomir KulpowiczFind albums by this artist founded a new ensemble, which he called In-FormationFind albums by this artist. Over time several different versions of In-Formation existed, including a duo, a piano trio, quartet and even sextet. In-Formation recorded two albums and later took part in the recording of this album, which was eventually released as a Kulpowicz solo album. The album consists of three solo piano pieces recorded for the Polish Radio and three pieces recorded live by In-Formation during the Jazz Jamboree Festival with guitarist Jaroslaw SmietanaFind albums by this artist, bassist Witold SzczurekFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Vitold RekFind albums by this artist) and percussionists Krzysztof PrzybylowiczFind albums by this artist, Jerzy BartzFind albums by this artist and Jose TorresFind albums by this artist. All the music was composed by Kulpowicz and is a direct continuation of his John ColtraneFind albums by this artist / McCoy TynerFind albums by this artist influenced style presented earlier by The Quartet. But in time the music becomes more contemplative and also more personal, as evident mostly on the solo piano pieces. In parallel the Indian and other World Music influences are trickling in steadily and can be already clearly heard herein. The In-Formation pieces are truly superb and present the group as a great vehicle for the Kulpowicz compositions. They also expose Smietana as the first rate player he always was, regardless of the setting. In retrospect this is a great document of the Polish Jazz scene in the early 1980s and an important part of the legacy Kulpowicz left behind him, which should serve as an endless source of inspiration to new generations of Polish Jazz players. Definitely worth investigating! Side Note: The PoljazzFind albums by this artist label, which originally released this album, was active for 20 years (between 1972 and 1991) and was owned by the Polish Jazz Society. Considering the fact that the music industry in the Socialist State was centralized and totally controlled, with just one State owned music company producing all the albums, the possibilities to record and release Jazz albums were extremely limited. Poljazz was conceived and founded in order to allow for many more Jazz (and other) albums to be released independently from the State owned Polskie NagraniaFind albums by this artist / MuzaFind albums by this artist and as such revolutionized the music industry at the time, being the only such enterprise in Eastern Europe. The Polish label AnexFind albums by this artist reissued many of the original Poljazz albums on CD, bringing this fabulous music back to life.

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

SLAWOMIR KULPOWICZ / SHUJAAT KHAN ~ LIVE POLSKIE RADIO 1250 (Barcode: 5907812242503) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2006 Released: 2013 This is the fourth installment in a series of releases documenting the recorded legacy of the great Polish Jazz pianist / composer Slawomir KulpowiczFind albums by this artist, most of which is released for the first time. Kulpowicz, who died prematurely in 2008 at the age of 56, was a victim of cancer. He was a member of groups led by the top Polish Jazz players like Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist and led / co-led his own ensembles like The QuartetFind albums by this artist, In-FormationFind albums by this artist and also cooperated with many other musicians over the years. He was an avid follower of John ColtraneFind albums by this artist´s music and kept in touch with Coltrane´s wife Alice ColtraneFind albums by this artist. Following his visit to India, Kulpowicz discovered Indian music and the spiritual aura of India, which became his own. Kulpowicz visited India for the first time in 1978, when he was a member of the Zbigniew Namyslowski quartet, which played at the Jazz Yatra in Bombay. At the time he met and befriended a young sitar player Shujaat KhanFind albums by this artist, a descendant of the legendary Khan dynasty of sitar players since hundreds of years. That friendship lasted for almost thirty years as long as Kulpowicz was alive. They played together many times in Poland and abroad. In 1984 Khan visited Poland and recorded a live album with Kulpowicz for the PoljazzFind albums on this label label. The last time they played together was in 2006, when Khan visited Poland again, bringing with him the tabla player Arunangshu ChaudhuryFind albums by this artist. Kulpowicz invited the legendary Polish electric bassist Krzysztof ScieranskiFind albums by this artist and the four played together the music presented on this album, which was recorded live at Warsaw Philharmonic Hall. Considering the fact that European (including Jazz) and Indian music exist on almost completely separate planes, the amalgamation of the two is extremely difficult to achieve. Except for a very few earlier attempts, most importantly the John MayerFind albums by this artist / Joe HarriottFind albums by this artist Indo-Jazz FusionsFind albums by this artist from the late 1960s / early 1970 and the John McLaughlinFind albums by this artist´s ShaktiFind albums by this artist a decade later, which were groundbreaking and musically just right, most of the other attempts resulted in failures. The music included on this album proves again, that the power of music transcends not only cultural borders but also thousands of years of musical tradition, enabling conversations between musicians originating seemingly from worlds apart. The album comprises of just three extended pieces, two of which are about half an hour long and the third a quarter of an hour in duration. Named simply "songs", they are improvisations on melodic themes composed by Kulpowicz, performed wonderfully and in perfect harmony by all four musicians. Khan voices the melody at the onset of each piece and then the musicians take extensive solos in turn, with the full quartet returning to the melodic theme several times between the solos. Kulpowicz plays superbly and his solos are simply outstanding statements in the John Coltrane tradition, emphasizing the close relationship between Coltrane´s music and the Indian influences, which are often difficult to be discovered in his music, but come to wonderful realization when performed by Kulpowicz. There is so much passion in his playing that one suspect that his premonition as to his fate was already hunting him. Khan, who since the early meeting with Kulpowicz achieved a Masterly status in Indian music, is an obvious sitar virtuoso and his solos are also breathtaking. Chaudhury and Scieranski, although a priori destined to fulfill a less dominant role in this music, perform both splendidly and their contributions are invaluable. Scieranski especially is to be prized, as his elegant and delicate bass tones manage to keep a perfect balance with his partners and the music which usually exist without the bass foundation so typical in European music. The music is beautifully recorded and has an outstanding sound quality, especially in view of the fact that it is a live recording. Musically it is one of the finest examples I have ever come across of cross-cultural amalgam that work naturally as "God intended". An absolute must to World-Music enthusiasts and all connoisseurs of great music, regardless of genre, geography or cultural affiliation. Respect!

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

LAW ~ THE LAW (DELUXE EDITION) FRIDAY MUSIC 1062 (Barcode: 829421106227) ~ UK ~ Classic Rock Recorded: 1991 Released: 2008 This is a reissue of the only album by the short-lived British Rock group The LawFind albums by this artist, co-led by vocalist / songwriter Paul RodgersFind albums by this artist and drummer Kenney JonesFind albums by this artist. The lineup included studio musicians, like guitarists Jim BarberFind albums by this artist and John StaehelyFind albums by this artist, bassists Pino PalladinoFind albums by this artist and George HawkinsFind albums by this artist and keyboardists Steve PigottFind albums by this artist and Jon AstleyFind albums by this artist, as well as many guest musicians like Bryan AdamsFind albums by this artist, David GilmourFind albums by this artist and Chris ReaFind albums by this artist. The original album presents eleven tracks and this edition adds one bonus track. Four of the tracks (including the bonus) are Rogers originals and the rest are by other songwriters. At the time of its release the album received very little attention and the band never really took off, but in retrospect it is a pretty nice collection of great Rock / Blues-Rock songs and Rogers’ vocals are absolutely sensational, as on every album he ever recorded. Overall, this is an almost forgotten chapter in Rogers’ brilliant career, which is worth remembering, although the album is quite difficult to get a hold of these days. I have had an absolute blast listening to it again, which is hardly surprising as I have always considered Rogers to be one of the greatest British Rock vocalists of all time.

Updated: 24/01/2024Posted: 24/01/2024

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

LAWAAI ~ DENSITIES, FORCES, INTENSITIES HOWARD 2 ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 This is the second album by the Copenhagen based trio LawaaiFind albums by this artist, which comprises of Polish Pianist / composer Kamil PiotrowiczFind albums by this artist, Belgian bassist Stan CallewaertFind albums by this artist and Danish drummer Jeppe Hoi JustesenFind albums by this artist. The album presents just three tracks, with the names forming the album´s title and varying in duration from four to almost twenty minutes. Since the compositions are not credited, one can assume they were co-composed / improvised by the trio members. The music is an intense exercise in self-control and patience from the listener´s perspective. The opening track, for example, offers about ten minutes of delicate drum touches followed by ten minutes of single piano notes, both varying in density, i.e. number of singular sounds per minute. The other two tracks are only slightly more conventional, but basically offer the same kind of minimalist approach. I have no idea how many non Avant-Garde listeners would even call this music at all. Me? I like this intellectual game a lot. It is original, challenging, daring and offers an extreme example of "less is more", which in this crazy time we live in, with our ears crowded by intensive constant attack of excessive noise, is quite refreshing. Overall this is definitely suitable for true Avant-Garde connoisseurs, who are able to treat music with respect and open-mindedness, regardless of how difficult or uninviting it might sound at first, patiently waiting for the moment when it all starts to make sense. Piotrowicz is obviously gong places and his astounding stylistic diversity seems to have no limits. What else will he come up with next?

Updated: 25/12/2019Posted: 25/12/2019

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

SLAWOMIR PEZDA ~ TRIBUTE TO TENOR LEGENDS NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 5903819630053) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2022 Released: 2022 This is an album by Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer / bandleader Slawomir PezdaFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet setting with pianist Mateusz GawedaFind albums by this artist, bassist Alan WykpiszFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz PalkaFind albums by this artist – a formidable team indeed. As the album’s title suggests, it is a tribute to leading tenor saxophone Jazz players, seven Americans and one Pole: Joe HendersonFind albums by this artist, Wayne ShorterFind albums by this artist, Sonny RollinsFind albums by this artist, Pharoah SandersFind albums by this artist, John ColtraneFind albums by this artist, Albert AylerFind albums by this artist, David S. WareFind albums by this artist and Janusz MuniakFind albums by this artist, presenting one track each of their compositions. This highly ambitious undertaking of interpreting the entire modern American Jazz, from Bebop to Free / Avant-Garde, focusing on one instrument, might have proved to be a perilous task, a chutzpah of an unprecedented scale. I must confess that I placed the CD into the player with slightly trembling hands and heart, as I deeply respect the four musicians involved and would have hated to hear them ridiculing themselves. To my sheer amazement, this bold attempt not only works splendidly, but offers some of the best Jazz music I have come across in a long time. Obviously, the compositions by the eight Jazz Giants are a good starting point, but trying to impersonate the highly idiosyncratic expressionism of all eight performers, which in all cases continuously changed over time, is a momentous task. I must say that Pezda and his cohorts managed to capture the spirit not only of the compositions, but also of the eight Saxophone Colossi. The more experienced the listeners to this album are, the more they will be able to appreciate the depth of the perception Pezda and the quartet managed to achieve. But most importantly, this album manages to exemplify the process of Europeanization of this music, which is truly astounding. Whereas the American, original form of this music is full of fire and natural, raw, wild power of expression, the music on this album is transformed into elegant, precise, coherent and harmonic beauty, losing absolutely nothing of its strength of expression, depth or penetration. Of course this is not the first time such transformation of American music in the hands of European musicians happens, but this album is a perfect school example of the process, which should be taught in every Jazz institution. Of course it goes without saying that all these musicians are absolute wizards and already in this relatively early stage of their careers, offer a magnificent control of their relative instruments and superb level of knowledge and creativity. Overall, this is absolutely brilliant album from start to finish, a wonderful lesson in Jazz history and the fundamental differences between American and European Jazz idioms. Of course, as already stated above, the level of understanding of this music might relate to the level of knowledge of Jazz history and the musical worlds of the eight heroes, who are being paid a tribute herein. In any case, this extraordinary piece of music deserved an honorable place on the pedestal of the best Polish Jazz albums ever recorded. Respect!

Updated: 05/03/2023Posted: 05/03/2023

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

MATEUSZ PULAWSKI / LUNAR QUARTET ~ CHANGE OF SEASONS NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is the second album by Polish (resident in Amsterdam) guitarist / composer Mateusz PulawskiFind albums by this artist and his Lunar QuartetFind albums by this artist, which also includes Israeli saxophonist Itai WeissmanFind albums by this artist, German bassist Hendrik MuellerFind albums by this artist and Hungarian drummer Aron NyiroFind albums by this artist. Saxophonist Fernando SanchezFind albums by this artist plays on three tracks, vocalist Esther Van HeesFind albums by this artist guests on two and trumpeter Evgenii BondarevFind albums by this artist guests on one track. The album presents nine tracks, seven of which are original compositions by Pulawski, one is a standard and one is by fellow Amsterdam saxophonist Emiel WienholtsFind albums by this artist. The music is mostly well within the modern Jazz mainstream, based on melodic themes, which sometimes get lost within the proceedings when the quartet members and guests start to play their respective solos. The tunes develop slowly and hesitantly and the harmonics are harsh, which makes listening to the music an effort. When the music moves into less constrained environment, everything gets better, but that happens only on a couple of tracks. Technically all the participants play well, with Pulawski displaying an impressive fluency and proficiency as a player, but this is not translated effectively into creating notable music. The rhythm section and the saxophonist play straightforwardly and are obviously happy within that idiom, but offer no challenge or innovation as far as the music is concerned. Perhaps Pulawski is still searching for his direction and personal voice, but at this stage he is not there yet. Nevertheless he seems to be consistently developing his career, and I can only wish him the best of luck.

Updated: 08/10/2016Posted: 07/10/2016

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BOGUSLAW RAATZ ~ EXZYSTENCJE RG 104 ~ POLAND ~ Electronic & Ambient Recorded: 2013 - 2018 Released: 2018 This is an album by Polish guitarist / composer Boguslaw RaatzFind albums by this artist, which presents the music which was part of a multimedia project combining an Art exhibition of paintings by Lukasz WodynskiFind albums by this artist and musical accompaniment by Raatz. The album presents a five part suite lasting under half an hour, performed by Raatz using guitars and synthesizers and percussion instruments played by Daniel MackiewiczFind albums by this artist. The album is beautifully packaged in a metal case and includes a booklet with some reproductions of the paintings by Wodynski. The music is mostly Electronic / Ambient, with limited melodic content, but with strong emotional character. Progressive Rock listeners might also find this music quite interesting, especially the longest (fourth) piece of the suite, which is closest to the Progressive Rock idiom. Although initially intended as illustrative music for the exhibition, it holds its own ground as a piece of Ambient music and is an intriguing listening experience. This album is not just a piece of plastic intended to be a means of distributing music, but a piece of Art in itself, and should be viewed as such and an example of European aesthetics. Definitely worth investigating!

Updated: 26/09/2018Posted: 26/09/2018

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PRZEMYSLAW RAMINIAK ~ LOCOMOTIVE SOLITON 417 (Barcode: 5901571094175) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is the first album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Przemyslaw RaminiakFind albums by this artist, following his departure from the seminal Polish piano trio RGGFind albums by this artist, of which he was a founding member. The album was recorded in a quartet setting and features also saxophonist Jakub SkowronskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Bartosz KuczFind albums by this artist and American drummer Frank ParkerFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, seven composed by Raminiak and one co-composed by him with Skowronski. Musically the album presents a complete about face as far as Raminiak´s role with RGG is concerned. No more long, contemplative, lyrical and almost free form ambient explorations, but straightforward melodic mainstream, almost smooth Jazz, energetic, vigorous, funky, groovy and danceable. Although at the first moment this can be quite shocking to some of Raminiak´s fans, there is basically nothing wrong with changing one´s approach, even dramatically. If Chick CoreaFind albums by this artist and Herbie HancockFind albums by this artist can do it, why can´t Przemyslaw Raminiak do it as well? This is very immediate music and yet it has many virtues: the melodies are all first-class, the arrangements are slick and professional and the performances are brilliant in that particular milieu. Raminiak plays acoustic and electric piano and a few synthesizers, always with flair and spotless technique, which of course is not surprising. Skowronski is a big surprise with his smooth phrasing and superb melodiousness. The rhythm section plays pretty solid background timekeeping stuff, with beautiful fretless bass playing a few nice solos and drums staying respectfully in the background, as appropriate for this setting. In short this whole thing works like a dream, delivering pleasant, nontrivial and highly satisfactory music, which is a lot of fun to listen to. Of course Raminiak will be accused of "selling out" and playing rubbish by Polish "music critics", but honestly most of them secretly enjoy this music very much and are simply embarrassed to admit it. As far as fellow musicians are concerned most of them wish they could come up with an album like this one themselves. So here it comes again people: this is a great album for what it is, straightforward uncomplicated good music. We can´t eat the same food all the time and we can´t listen to the same music all the time – this is definitely a nice alternative, mostly for those who know it all.

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

PAUL RODGERS ~ MIDNIGHT ROSE SUN 8067 (Barcode: 015047806720) ~ UK ~ Blues-Rock Recorded: 2022 - 2023 Released: 2023 This is an album by legendary British Blues / Rock vocalist / songwriter Paul RodgersFind albums by this artist, recorded with guitarist Ray RoperFind albums by this artist, bassist Todd RonningFind albums by this artist and drummer Roy RoperFind albums by this artist. Many guest musicians appear on selected tracks. The album presents eight tracks, all of which are original songs (one co-written) by Rodgers. The album is only a couple of minutes over the half an hour mark, which of course is a pity, especially since we had to wait over five years since his last solo album “Free SpiritFind albums with this title” and almost twenty-five years since his last studio album “ElectricFind albums with this title”. But all things considered, this is a most welcomed return! Rodgers lost nothing of his charisma, incredible vocal abilities and songwriting skills, and despite his advanced age (he is a couple of years older than me and we share the same birthday), he is still the best Blues rooted British vocalist, since his early days with Free and nobody comes near his throaty, convincing expressionism. I have seen him live on stage many times and he never disappoints, and his collective discography is all absolute classic, regardless of the musical environment, when he was flirting with Blues-Rock (Bad CompanyFind albums by this artist), Rock (The FirmFind albums by this artist / The LawFind albums by this artist) or Pop (QueenFind albums by this artist), his vocals were always irresistible. Overall, this is a most welcome releases by one of my favorite vocalists of all time, a master of the Blues domain and a great Artist with an incredible career behind him. It is great to see him in perfect shape, giving us old farts hope for a few more years to enjoy life with music. You simply can’t go wrong with Paul Rodgers!

Updated: 05/12/2023Posted: 05/12/2023

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BOGUSLAW RUDZINSKI ~ ZIMNA KAPIEL GAD 195 (Barcode: 5903068122941) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1962 Released: 2022 This is an archival album by Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Boguslaw RudzinskiFind albums by this artist recorded in a classic quintet setting with trumpeter Wieslaw EjssymontFind albums by this artist, pianist Krzysztof SadowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Janusz RafalskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Wladyslaw JagielloFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, five by Sadowski and three by Rudzinski. The music was recorded at the time as library music, to be used as background for documentary films. The legendary “Polish Jazz” series of LPs did not yet exist at the time and the first bona fide Jazz LP would be recorded only over a year later on. The music is surprisingly advanced for the time, a fully developed Bebop, which was closely resembling the music one could hear at the time in any NY Jazz club. The compositions are coherent and well structured, the performances are passionate and are not inferior to most Jazz music played over the ocean. These musicians listened to American mainstream very carefully and were able to imitate it with vengeance. This deep knowledge of the American Jazz tradition, quite extraordinary considering the Iron Curtain that divided West and East not only politically but also Culturally, was of course the reason for Polish Jazz to make very fast giant steps in the years that followed this recording, and create its own Jazz idiom, which respectfully absorbed the tradition but move forward toward intellectual / stylistic independence and emancipation. Overall, this is an excellent example of early Polish Jazz, superbly recorded and played, which lost nothing of its charm over time and sound today as graceful as and American Jazz album recorded at the time. As usual, GADFind albums on this label Records fill a gap in the history of Polish music, which would have probably remained oblivious if not the tireless efforts of the label to continuously revive it. An absolute must for Polish Jazz fans!

Updated: 14/05/2022Posted: 14/05/2022

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

WLADYSLAW SENDECKI ~ PIANO PROVOCATEUR 1039 (Barcode: 5038491103929) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2007 Released: 2007 Polish pianist / composer Wladyslaw SendeckiFind albums by this artist is one of the finest representatives of European Jazz. As a child prodigy he started his classical studies at the age of 11 and performances at the age of 15. Once he discovered Jazz, his passion for music concentrated in this field and he became involved with the Polish Jazz scene, playing piano in famous Polish groups like Extra BallFind albums by this artist and Sun ShipFind albums by this artist, both of which pioneered the Polish Jazz-Rock Fusion movement. In 1981 Sendecki left Poland (as did many gifted musicians at the time) first to Sweden and later settled in Switzerland. In 1990 he moved to Germany (Hamburg) and took the resident piano chair with the excellent NDR Big BandFind albums by this artist. He played with other Polish expatriates (Leszek ZadloFind albums by this artist, Bronislaw SuchanekFind albums by this artist and Janusz StefanskiFind albums by this artist) in the Polski Jazz EnsembleFind albums by this artist, which also visited Israel by my invitation. This beautiful piano solo album was recorded 20 years after his last recording as a leader and is a most welcome return and a great opportunity for new listeners to get exposed to his great talent. He composed most of the music, including the three parts suite dedicated to painter Marc Chagall and the Art of painting. Three pieces by other composers are also included, reflecting his love of music by other talented composers. The album is an absolutely stunning piece of music, performed with virtuosity and deep musical sensitivity. Sendecki keeps his brilliant technique “in check”, not letting it overshadow his delicate and impressive improvisational exploits. For well-trained listeners, the Polish musical tradition, especially the piano legacy of Frederic ChopinFind albums by this artist, is quite evident (Chopin’s romanticism and soul-searching qualities influence all Polish piano players to this very day). The music flows beautifully from one piece to another and for me it was all over much too soon, which means it will be played again many a time. The sound quality of the album is (not surprisingly) excellent, as all the other recordings on the ProvocateurFind albums on this label label. Piano lovers, Jazz lovers or just plain music enthusiasts should find plenty of content here and even if the Artist’s name is completely unfamiliar to them, it is absolutely worth investigating. I for one am proud to have such a superb musician for a friend. Hopefully we won’t have to wait for 20 years to enjoy another album of his.

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WLADYSLAW SENDECKI ~ SOLO PIANO AT SCHLOSS ELMAU ACT 9485 (Barcode: 614427948526) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2010 Released: 2010 This is a wonderful live recording of a solo piano concert by my friend, the great Polish pianist Wladyslaw SendeckiFind albums by this artist. Sendecki, now living in Germany, is active in various settings in addition to his piano chair with the excellent NDR Big BandFind albums by this artist, probably the best European Big Band at the moment. This solo piano recording follows his previous solo piano album recorded three years earlier and is as beautiful. He plays mostly self-composed material and his incredible virtuosity and sensitivity as a player are truly overwhelming. An absolute must to all piano lovers!

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WLADYSLAW SENDECKI / ATOM STRING QUARTET ~ LE JARDIN OUBLIE / MY POLISH HEART NEU KLANG 4198 (Barcode: 4012116419832) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is an album by the Polish (resident in Germany) pianist / composer Wladyslaw SendeckiFind albums by this artist, who is accompanied by the highly esteemed Polish Atom String QuartetFind albums by this artist (violinists Mateusz SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist and Dawid LubowiczFind albums by this artist, violist Michal ZaborskiFind albums by this artist and cellist Krzysztof LenczowskiFind albums by this artist). The album presents ten compositions, five of which are original composition by Sendecki, two were composed by his brother Stefan SendeckiFind albums by this artist, one was composed by Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, another one by Polish Classical composer Karol SzymanowskiFind albums by this artist and finally one was composed by the German composer Wolf KerschekFind albums by this artist. Three of the compositions were arranged by the great British composer / arranger Michael GibbsFind albums by this artist. The music focuses on relatively little known facet of Sendecki´s activity and is mostly dedicated to contemporary Classical music, with relatively limited Jazz references. The piano / string quartet setting suits this musical direction ideally of course and the chamber atmosphere prevails throughout. The piano concerto "My Polish Heart" was composed especially by Kerschek for Sendecki and was performed by him with the NDR Big Band, of which he is the resident pianist. The intimate version of this wonderful piece present here includes only part of the entire composition, but reflects the spirit of the work perfectly. All the pieces on the album are full of the characteristic Polish melancholy and lyricism, which can be found in all Polish music regardless of the genre: Classical, Jazz, Rock or Folklore. The most Jazz oriented piece on the album is of course the "Komeda Hommage", which is a medley of two Komeda´s compositions, brilliantly combining the Jazz and Classical idioms thanks to the unique arrangement by Sendecki and the Atoms and taking a form of a beautiful suite. This album requires very serious listening with attention to details and patience, as it offers a wealth of musical thrills in every aspect. The compositions, arrangements and performances are all loaded with deeply emotional content and are full of virtuosic performances, which are very difficult to be absorbed all at once. Each listening experience promises new discoveries of course. Overall this is a wonderful album full of great music, which offers a Jazz-Classical Fusion of the highest caliber. Lovers of Polish music, regardless of style and fashion, should be delighted by what this album has to offer.

Updated: 11/11/2018Posted: 11/11/2018

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STANISLAW SLOWINSKI ~ LANDSCAPES TOO EASY TO EXPLAIN HEVHETIA 0139 (Barcode: 8588005257978) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is the debut album by a quintet led by Polish Jazz violinist / composer Stanislaw SlowinskiFind albums by this artist, which also includes trumpeter Zbigniew SzwajdychFind albums by this artist, pianist Katarzyna PietrzkoFind albums by this artist, bassist Justyn MalodobryFind albums by this artist and drummer Maksymilian OlszewskiFind albums by this artist. Together they perform seven original compositions, all by the leader. The music is an excellent example of modern Polish Jazz, which although melody based and well within the mainstream convention, manages to maintain a very high level of compositions and performances. It is soaked with typical Polish melancholy and Slavic melodic motifs, and of course focuses on the violin as the leading instrument, and as a result one can hardly find a more spiritually "Polish Jazz" album than this one. The pairing of the violin and the trumpet as the two lead instruments proves to be extremely effective and harmonically attuned, in spite of its rarity. As usual with the new generation of the Polish Jazz musicians, Slowinski, despite his young age, has already an impressive list of accomplishments to his credit, which includes leading / membership in several projects, including as diverse directions as Improvised Music on one hand and Classical Music on the other. This album, which sits, as already mentioned, comfortably within the mainstream Jazz idiom, presents yet another facet of Slowinski´s versatility and is primarily dedicated to presenting his compositions. But of course his performances on the violin are full of beautiful sensitivity and technical excellence. It is worth mentioning that Slowinski is yet another representative of the Polish Jazz Violin School, which enjoys an incredible renaissance in the last decade, and places Poland in the leading position as far as violin artistry is concerned in the Jazz field. He joins the ranks of many of his colleagues, who proudly continue the traditional role of the violin as one of the most expressive instruments available to mankind. The rest of the quintet members are all of course excellent performers as well. Szwajdych delivers melodic accompaniment and excellent solo parts, Pietrzko lays out the harmonic layer upon which the tunes progress and fills the gaps with her delicate but solid statements, and hopefully will play more solo parts on future recordings. The rhythm sections provides admirable and flawless support to the soloists, and plays always at the right levels to make the music a whole bigger that the sum of its parts. This is definitely a very impressive debut, which comes with a firm recommendation to follow these wonderful young people in their future endeavors. Well done indeed!

Updated: 30/12/2016Posted: 30/12/2016

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STANISLAW SLOWINSKI ~ VISIONS – VIOLIN CONCERTO NO.1 NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2018 Released: 2020 This is the third album as a leader by young Polish Jazz violinist / composer Stanislaw SlowinskiFind albums by this artist, recorded with a Jazz septet comprising of musicians that took part in the recording of the two earlier albums: trumpeter Zbigniew SzwajdychFind albums by this artist, saxophonist / flautist Marta WajdzikFind albums by this artist, guitarist Szymon MikaFind albums by this artist, pianist Kuba PluzekFind albums by this artist, bassist Justyn MalodobryFind albums by this artist and drummer Dawid FortunaFind albums by this artist, as well as the AUKSO Chamber OrchestraFind albums by this artist conducted by Marek MosFind albums by this artist. The music, recorded live, presents a violin concerto in three movements, and includes both the audio (CD) and video (DVD) version of the premiere performance of the concerto. The music is a typical romantic Classical concerto, incorporating melodic themes strongly based on Polish folkloristic influences, full of melancholy and beautiful lyricism. The Jazz and Classical elements are loosely integrated, which causes the music to move between the Classical and Jazz worlds rather than present a unified / amalgamated approach, with the solo violin parts serving as a bridge between the two worlds. As expected, the performances, both by the septet members and the string orchestra, are excellent from start to finish, as are the violin solo parts by Slowinski. He joins the ranks of the young Polish violin stars, which are constantly growing, building the new generation of the Polish Jazz Violin School. This ambitious undertaking is perhaps a tad too tamed overall, with Slowinski taking no risks and following 19th Century Classical Music conventions and mainstream Jazz patterns, whereas contemporary listeners probably expect a little more experimentation these days. Having said that, this album is a solid, well structured and beautifully performed piece of music, which can be enjoyed by a wide range of listeners, both from the Jazz and Classical Music circles. Definitely worth investigating!

Updated: 11/01/2023Posted: 20/02/2020

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STANISLAW SLOWINSKI ~ VISIONS (BETWEEN LOVE AND DEATH) HEVHETIA 0163 (Barcode: 8588005258265) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is the second album by Polish Jazz violinist / composer Stanislaw SlowinskiFind albums by this artist, recorded in a sextet setting with two of the musicians who played on his debut: trumpeter Zbigniew SzwajdychFind albums by this artist and bassist Justyn MalodobryFind albums by this artist and three new players: guitarist Szymon MikaFind albums by this artist, pianist Kuba PluzekFind albums by this artist and drummer Dawid FortunaFind albums by this artist. Vocalist Joanna SlowinskaFind albums by this artist guests on one track. The album presents seven original compositions, six of which were composed by Slowinski and one is a collective improvisation. The music is a continuation of the approach initiated by the debut, with major emphasis on the compositions, which have a suite-like structure, such that the entire album could be considered as one continuous piece of music. Although clearly melody based, the music allows individual freedom of expression and personal interpretation by the sextet members. The melodic themes are again mostly very lyrical and somewhat melancholic, but at the same time dynamic and multi-layered enough to keep the listener at his toes. As expected form the sextet´s lineup, which consists of some of the most prominent representatives of the young Polish Jazz scene, the individual contributions are all fabulous. Szwajdych is the romantic element, Mika the Fusion oriented vigorous voice and the leader takes the role of a charmer, with his violin seductively swirling around the basic melody lines. With these three front-line players sadly there is very little solo space left for Pluzek, who is an excellent player but is limited here mostly (except for one track) to the role of an accompanist, which of course he fulfills perfectly. The dynamic rhythm section is an integral part of the sextet and steers the soloists safely across the sometimes troubled waters of the tricky compositions. Overall this is an excellent sophomore album, which definitely stands up to the expectations aroused by the debut. The Polish Jazz violin school is proudly developing before our very eyes, which is a source of joy, and albums like this one confirm that Polish / European Jazz is doing well and manages to avoid stagnation. Well done indeed!

Updated: 01/02/2018Posted: 01/02/2018

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JAROSLAW SMIETANA ~ A TRIBUTE TO ZBIGNIEW SEIFERT JSR 0011 (Barcode: 5901119902399) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2009 Released: 2009 This is a stunning tribute album to the Polish violin virtuoso / composer Zbigniew SeifertFind albums by this artist by the great Polish guitarist Jaroslaw SmietanaFind albums by this artist and his band: pianist Piotr WylezolFind albums by this artist, bassist Zbigniew WegehauptFind albums by this artist, drummer Adam CzerwinskiFind albums by this artist and percussionist Slawomir BernyFind albums by this artist. Keyboardist Janusz GrzywaczFind albums by this artist guests on two tracks. Smietana invited nine leading Jazz violinists to play along with this fabulous band, performing Seifert´s wonderful compositions. They are: Jerry GoodmanFind albums by this artist (ex-Mahavishnu OrchestraFind albums by this artist, USA), Mateusz SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist (Poland), Didier LockwoodFind albums by this artist (France), Krzesimir DebskiFind albums by this artist (Poland), Christian HowesFind albums by this artist (USA), Mark FeldmanFind albums by this artist (USA), Maciej StrzelczykFind albums by this artist (Poland), Adam BaldychFind albums by this artist (Poland) and Pierre BlanchardFind albums by this artist (France). These nine virtuosi play like there´s no tomorrow and the resulting music is simply a breathtaking trip into Seifert´s world. This is such a conglomerate of talent, that anything said beyond this would be simply superfluous. Simply grab this ASAP, as you are about to take trip of your life – violin heaven indeed!

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JAROSLAW SMIETANA ~ FROM ONE TO FOUR POLJAZZ / ANEX 328 (Barcode: 5907513047834) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1986 Released: 2009 This is the second album as a leader by the fabulous Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Jaroslaw SmietanaFind albums by this artist, who died recently tragically prematurely, succumbing to cruel illness. Smietana was one of the most active players on the local scene and contributed enormously to its development over the years. This album presents him, as the title suggests, in different settings: solo, duo, trio and quartet, playing with some of the best Polish Jazz musicians active at the time: saxophonists Janusz MuniakFind albums by this artist and Piotr BaronFind albums by this artist, bassists Krzysztof ScieranskiFind albums by this artist and Antoni DebskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Jacek PelcFind albums by this artist. They perform eleven compositions, five of which are originals: three by Smietana and one each by Scieranski and Pelc, and the rest of the material is all standards. This is one of the Jazziest albums recorded by Smietana, with fewer Fusion ventures, and his beautiful Jazz sensitivity is especially apparent herein. But all the other players also contribute very fine examples of intelligent, intimate musical conversations with the leader. Scieranski´s bass and Baron´s saxophone are simply delightful. Smietana experiments with the guitar synthesizers and performs on three quite distinctly sounding guitars, with his delicate touch being definitely one of the finest ever. Also the three duets with veteran saxophonist Janusz Muniak are among the album´s most enchanting moments. In retrospect this is a very strong album from start to finish with no weak moments or unnecessary "fillers", and a superb legacy which Smietana left for all of us to enjoy. A must for all Polish Jazz fans! Side Note: The PoljazzFind albums on this label label, which originally released this album, was active for 20 years (between 1972 and 1991) and was owned by the Polish Jazz Society. Considering the fact that the music industry in the Socialist State was centralized and totally controlled, with just one State owned music company producing all the albums, the possibilities to record and release Jazz albums were extremely limited. Poljazz was conceived and founded in order to allow for many more Jazz (and other) albums to be released independently from the State owned Polskie NagraniaFind albums on this label / MuzaFind albums on this label and as such revolutionized the music industry at the time, being the only such enterprise in Eastern Europe. The Polish label AnexFind albums on this label reissued many of the original Poljazz albums on CD, bringing this fabulous music back to life.

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JAROSLAW SMIETANA ~ SOUNDS & COLORS (POLISH JAZZ VOL.73) POLSKIE RADIO 0533 (Barcode: 5901448115330) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1987 Released: 2005 This is an excellent album by Polish guitarist / composer Jaroslaw SmietanaFind albums by this artist, his first recording under his name in the legendary Polish Jazz series, although he already released two albums with his group Extra BallFind albums by this artist a decade earlier. Undoubtedly the best Polish Fusion guitar player, Smietana is also a great tunesmith; this album includes six of his wonderful compositions (and one standard), performed by a superb quartet, which includes side by side with the leader saxophonist Piotr BaronFind albums by this artist (one of future best Polish sax players), bassist Antoni DebskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Jacek PelcFind albums by this artist. The music is very similar to what one might expect from the best Fusion groups around at the time, especially Weather ReportFind albums by this artist, which is a clear model. The guitar (and occasional keyboards) - sax exchanges could be very easily mistaken for another Joe ZawinulFind albums by this artist / Wayne ShorterFind albums by this artist dialog. But there is enough originality here, both in the compositions and the performances, to dismiss any accusations of plagiarism. These excellent musicians are not to be taken for granted and overall this album is as good, if not better, that any other Fusion album recorded anywhere on this planet. Fusion fans will definitely enjoy this album with no reservations, but the general Jazz loving public should be able to have a great time with it as well. It lost nothing of its charm over time!

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JAROSLAW SMIETANA ~ TALKING GUITAR (POLISH JAZZ VOL.93 DELUXE) MUZA 1093 (Barcode: 5907783420931) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1984 Released: 2007 This is an excellent debut album as a leader by Polish guitarist / composer Jaroslaw SmietanaFind albums by this artist, presenting a set of ten original compositions performed by a superb team of musicians, including his ex-cohorts from the Extra BallFind albums by this artist ensemble. The list of names reads like a who’s who of the local scene at the time and includes keyboardist Wojciech GroborzFind albums by this artist, bassist Antoni DebskiFind albums by this artist, drummer Jacek PelcFind albums by this artist, percussionist Jerzy BartzFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Henryk MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist and Zbigniew JaremkoFind albums by this artist, trumpeters Henryk MajewskiFind albums by this artist and Robert MajewskiFind albums by this artist (father and son), trombonist Roman SyrekFind albums by this artist and flautist Jan BaytelFind albums by this artist. The music is all Fusion oriented, with great melody lines. Smietana plays some excellent solos and is well supported by his partners. Overall this is mainstream Fusion, which ruled in the 1980s, so one must not expect complexity and innovation in what is supposed to be “good time” music, which it certainly is. The level of professionalism and talent expected from Polish Jazz are certainly there. Recommended to Fusion fans!

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STANISLAW SOJKA ~ BLUBLULA (POLISH JAZZ VOL.63) MUZA 1063 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1981 Released: 2005 This is the 2nd album by the excellent Polish Jazz vocalist Stanislaw SojkaFind albums by this artist, who dominated the male vocal spot on the local scene since the early 1980s and is still very much active today. Always in the gray area between Jazz, Gospel, Blues, Rhythm And Blues and even Pop, Sojka is a first rate interpreter and lately also composer. His live performances are legendary and his versatility is awe inspiring. This early album finds him in a superb company of top Polish Jazz players: pianist Wojciech KarolakFind albums by this artist, bassist Zbigniew WegehauptFind albums by this artist and veteran drummer Czeslaw BartkowskiFind albums by this artist, a fantastic trio by any standard. He performs eight Jazz standards, but performed with flare and outstanding originality, using scat singing, playing with words and other improvisational techniques. This is a breathtaking performance, from start to finish, which every Jazz fan should be exposed to at some point. An absolute must!

Updated: 08/05/2023Posted:

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STANISLAW SOJKA ~ W HOLDZIE MISTRZOWI - LIVE UNIVERSAL 602537329854 (Barcode: 602537329854) ~ POLAND ~ Blues-Rock Recorded: 2013 Released: 2012 This is a live recording of a concert by veteran Polish Blues / Jazz / Rock vocalist Stanislaw SojkaFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Soyka) and his band, performing songs by Poland´s greatest ever singer / composer Czeslaw NiemenFind albums by this artist. Niemen composed all the nine songs performed here, three of which also have his lyrics and others are by other lyricists or poems written by Polish poets. Sojka also plays piano and the band comprises of seven players, including a brass section, and a guest guitarist Tomasz JaskiewiczFind albums by this artist, original member of the band AkwareleFind albums by this artist, Niemen´s first group, which recorded many of these songs originally. Considering Niemen´s legendary status on the Polish scene, any attempt to tackle his material is a priori a potentially perilous affair. No other Polish vocalist managed, in the decades that followed, to come even close to Niemen´s power of expression and vocal virtuosity. Therefore this album, although a tribute, faces enormous challenges, which unfortunately prove insurmountable even to such an experienced and talented artist as Sojka. Niemen´s songs needed to be rearranged quite radically in order to fit within Sojka´s vocal range. In addition the instrumental accompanied was updated, which distances the songs from their original Rock setting and places them into a comfortable middle-of–the-road relaxed Pop setting with slight Jazzy overtones. Overall the album sounds incredibly nice, which of course is its key problem; Niemen´s music might mean many different things to different people, but "nice" was never among them. The music is played perfectly and beautifully recorded, with a warm, clear sound quality, especially so for a live recording. The audio CD is accompanied by a DVD capturing the same concert, so the listener has a choice of just listen to or also watch the proceedings. Personally, I find little affinity for this project, which simplifies and even to some extent trivializes the original songs in my opinion, but I´m sure many others will find this a most pleasurable listening experience. Luckily I still have the original Niemen recordings to keep the memory alive and the fire burning.

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STANISLAW SOJKA / ANDRZEJ PRZYBIELSKI ~ SZTUKA BLADZENIA POMATON 724352593828 (Barcode: 724352593828) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 1999 Released: 2000 This is an album by the Polish duo which comprises of the vocalist / pianist / violinist Stanislaw SojkaFind albums by this artist and legendary trumpeter Andrzej PrzybielskiFind albums by this artist. Sojka does not perform any vocals on this album and appears only as pianist and violinist. The album, recorded during two sessions held a couple of months apart, presents fifteen relatively short freely improvised pieces, not credited on the album´s artwork and therefore assumed to be co-composed by the duo members. Sojka and Przybielski cooperated on several recording projects over the years. The music is obviously a result of searching for new forms of expression, especially as far as Sojka is concerned, since he is mostly associated with Blues and mainstream vocal Jazz, in complete contrast to Przybielski, who was always associated with the Avant-Garde Polish Jazz movement, although he could play brilliant melodic music as well, when required to do so. Therefore the effort to bridge between the natural environments of the two players is an impossible task and the result fails to create any relevant results. Sojka is completely lost in the Improvising Music idiom and Przybielski is just playing along. Przybielski plays some brilliant trumpet passages, but they are completely detached from the piano and violin parts created by Sojka and sound completely out of place. Although the album´s title promises the listener to discover the art of wandering, in fact he is sadly exposed to the failure of senseless wandering. Although every piece of recorded music by Przybielski is a treasure chest, this album is probably the weakest effort he was ever involved with and as a result it is only marginally interesting.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 03/05/2017

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PRZEMYSLAW STRACZEK ~ CULTURAL CONCEPT VOICE MUSIC 1004 (Barcode: 5906489287220) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2022 Released: 2022 This is an album by Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Przemyslaw StraczekFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quintet setting with Taiwanese erhuist / vocalist Chiao-Hua ChangFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej KitajewskiFind albums by this artist, Columbian (resident in Poland) percussionist Edilson Sanchez-MoyanoFind albums by this artist and drummer Patryk DoboszFind albums by this artist. Kora player / vocalist Kandara DiebateFind albums by this artist and saxophonist Marcin KaletkaFind albums by this artist guest on selected tracks. The album presents eight tracks, seven of which are original compositions by the leader and one is by Diebate. Straczek has been quite prolific over the years and recorded several albums over time, and I am only familiar with some of them. Those that I know are all Fusion oriented and lately they also involve strong ethnic influences, which is also the main theme of this album, which firmly belongs to the Jazz-World Fusion idiom. Although the music is well played, it lacks focus, constantly moving between African, Chinese and other ethnic influences and straightforward Fusion, which is good for diversity but makes it difficult for the listener to find a clear thread to identify with the music. The Polish rhythm section is providing an excellent backbone, but Straczek continues to explore the Pat MethenyFind albums by this artist influenced Fusion and the other musicians follow their ethnic roots, which somehow does not work together all that well. Overall, although created by very able musicians, the album lacks clear aesthetic center and sounds like a random collection of tracks put together. There are some very nice moments here and there, but as a whole I’d rather pass. Of course this is only my personal view and what do I know…?

Updated: 21/01/2023Posted: 21/01/2023

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PRZEMYSLAW STRACZEK ~ WHITE GRAIN OF COFFEE ES ART 1406 (Barcode: 5908285240034) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2013 Released: 2014 This is the fifth album by Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Przemyslaw StraczekFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet setting with pianist Michal WierbaFind albums by this artist and Italian rhythm section: bassist Francesco AngiuliFind albums by this artist and drummer Flavio Li VigniFind albums by this artist. Vocalist Karolina SleziakFind albums by this artist guests on two tracks and saxophonist Radek NowickiFind albums by this artist guests on five. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Straczek. Stylistically the music belongs to a typical lightweight Fusion, which sounds pretty smooth but offers little depth or aesthetic effort, although overall excellently performed by all participants. Sadly the compositions are not able to save the day and they are pretty banal and altogether unremarkable. It is always a pity to hear a recording by excellent instrumentalists, which sadly amounts to what could be described as a blunder. I am not familiar with Straczek´s earlier recordings, but Wierba, who is by all standards is an excellent pianist, seems to fall again and again into these situations where his contribution is simply a wasted opportunity. Hopefully he will find his true calling one day. I suppose some people will enjoy this album, like Smooth Jazz enthusiasts or yuppies wishing to impress their dinner friends, but honestly this does not represent the creative side of Polish Jazz, which can be truly inspiring.

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BRONISLAW SUCHANEK / DOMINIK WANIA ~ SKETCH IN BLUE NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 786851249323) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2008 Released: 2008 This beautiful bass / piano duo album presents a meeting between two generations of great Polish Jazz players. Veteran bassist Bronislaw SuchanekFind albums by this artist was one of the most prominent players on the Polish modern Jazz scene, playing with top names, like Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist (see the groundbreaking legendary “Music For KFind albums with this title” album). He left Poland during the turbulent years of Socialist regime, first to Sweden and later to USA, where he lives now. He played with other Polish expatriates (Leszek ZadloFind albums by this artist, Wladyslaw SendeckiFind albums by this artist and Janusz StefanskiFind albums by this artist) in the Polski Jazz EnsembleFind albums by this artist, which also visited Israel by my invitation. Dominik WaniaFind albums by this artist is a Polish pianist, with an impressive list of musical achievements in spite of his young age. Wania traveled to Boston, to get his Masters degree in music and there he met Suchanek. This album is a result of their musical cooperation. Both players are virtuoso performers on their respective instruments and their cooperation is in perfect sync, creating great exchange of ideas and interplay. Both musicians contribute equally to the compositional content, each of them by writing four compositions and one composition being co-authored. There are some superb melodies here and of course great performances from start to finish, full of sensitivity and intelligence, typical European Jazz at its best. Wholeheartedly recommended!

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WISLAWA SZYMBORSKA / TOMASZ STANKO ~ HERE ZNAK 9788324019250 (Barcode: 9788324019250) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2009 Released: 2012 This phenomenal album presents a live recording of a momentous occasion, which pairs the Polish Nobel Laureate, poetess Wislawa SzymborskaFind albums by this artist and Poland´s most renowned Jazz musician, trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, which took place on the 27th of January, 2009 in Krakow Opera. During the concert Szymborska recited poems from her last book of poetry published while she was still alive (she died almost exactly three years later) entitled "Here" ("Tutaj" in Polish). In between the poems Stanko improvised on solo trumpet a series of themes, inspired by her poems. Of course the seeds of Stanko´s album "WislawaFind albums with this title", dedicated to Szymborska and her poetry, recorded three years later, were planted right there and then during this concert. In 2012 the Polish publishing house Znak published a bilingual edition of "Here", with Polish and English versions of the poems, translated by Clare Cavanagh. That edition includes also this CD with the recording of the concert. This CD is not available separately and is only available with the book. Polish Jazz and Polish Poetry have been closely related since many decades. Polish poets, musicians and other Artists and Intellectuals always constituted the fertile soil of Polish Culture, even during the dark days of the Socialist Regime, or perhaps especially then. The Jazz & Poetry phenomenon has been documented on Polish Jazz records many times over the last decades, and this album is a significant addition to that splendid tradition. As Szymborska teasingly states at the opening of the concert, she was there on the stage entirely by mistake, since she came simply to listen to the trumpet… This is not the place to write extensively about Szymborska´s poetry, which of course is absolutely marvelous and perhaps the most intelligently minimal piece of Polish poetry ever. Her poems, which I adore for so many years, have always been pearls of wisdom, which reveal new layers of perception every time I read them. It takes time for these poems to sink deeply into one´s psyche, and therefore hearing them being recited by the author is a shattering experience. Sadly this experience is only available to listeners who speak the Polish language, although the book which comes with this CD does, as stated above, includes also the English translations of these poems. Stanko´s music does not need any translation of course, and speaks clearly and universally. These solo trumpet improvisations, which are all absolutely brilliant, have a life of their own, regardless of the fact that they were created vis-a-vis the recitation. Stanko is focused, powerful and yet lyrical and mystical, playing brilliantly as only he can, leaving the listeners simply breathless. Of course this is also an extra-rare opportunity to hear Stanko perform on his own, which reveals new facets of his complex artistic persona. This album is something way beyond being just a piece of plastic, which contains a frozen memory of an event. It symbolizes the epitome of Polish Culture and is a National Treasure in every respect. If it was up to me, a copy of this book and the CD would have a place in every Polish household; alas these are just poetic dreams… If you can get a copy of this, don´t dare to think twice!

Updated: 16/02/2016Posted: 02/01/2016

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WIESLAW WILCZKIEWICZ ~ FLY ENSEMBLE GAD 038 (Barcode: 5901549197488) ~ POLAND ~ Smooth Jazz Recorded: 1981 - 1983 Released: 2016 This album presents a collection of radio recordings by the Polish Jazz ensemble called Fly EnsembleFind albums by this artist, led by guitarist Wieslaw WilczkiewiczFind albums by this artist, who was a member in the legendary Alex BandFind albums by this artist. The ensemble also included several other ex-Alex Band members like keyboardist Marek WalarowskiFind albums by this artist and saxophonist Jerzy MuchaFind albums by this artist, and featured guest artists like violinists Krzesimir DebskiFind albums by this artist and Zbigniew WodeckiFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten instrumental pieces, five of which were composed by Wilczkiewicz, two by Walarowski, and one each by Mucha, Wodecki and American pianist Randy WestonFind albums by this artist. The music is a superb blend of Jazz / Groove / Funk, with excellent melodies and interesting arrangements, altogether perfectly executed. Although definitely on the easy side of the genre, it is fascinating and intelligent, and still sounds great over three decades later. The musicians involved in these recordings are all top professionals and manage to make the best of it. Although some people might consider this Smooth Jazz, it stands miles above what passes as Smooth Jazz these days and is infinitely more sophisticated. I had a great time listening to this music, in spite of its easy-going approach and perhaps even because of it. With music getting more and more convoluted over time, the simply stated but elegant phrases on this album are a truly relaxing and entertaining. Thanks to GADFind albums on this label Records for bringing this music back to circulation, as it fully deserves it.

Updated: 02/03/2016Posted: 02/03/2016

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KRZYSZTOF ZESLAWSKI / NATALIA LUBRANO ~ OSIECKA JAZZOWO MTJ 11735 (Barcode: 5906409117354) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is a Jazzy tribute to the iconic Polish poetess / lyricist Agnieszka OsieckaFind albums by this artist, who authored texts to countless Polish songs over many years, many of them ageless evergreens. A collection of thirteen songs which feature Osiecka´s lyrics is performed here by a quartet led by guitarist Krzysztof ZeslawskiFind albums by this artist which also includes keyboardist Lukasz PerekFind albums by this artist, bassist Wojciech BerganderFind albums by this artist and drummers Michal LasotaFind albums by this artist or Jaroslaw KorzonekFind albums by this artist. The vocals are performed by Natalia Lubrano. The songs were composed by some of the top Polish songwriters. The arrangements are all within very narrow swinging mainstream, only marginally Jazz related. The instrumental work is very solid, but not extraordinary, which is understandable in these limiting circumstances. There are a few guitar and keyboards solo spots, but nothing extraordinary. The vocal performances, which are supposed to be the focus of this album, are adequate, but not really exciting, which is a great pity. These are all brilliant songs and on this album they lose most of their luster and elegance, becoming sort of trivial. Overall this is a missed opportunity with good intentions but not so great end result. Of course this music can be enjoyed by many Polish fans of popular music, but Jazz fans will find this album lacking spark and purpose.

Updated: 06/02/2017Posted: 06/02/2017

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WACLAW ZIMPEL ~ LINES INSTANT CLASSIC 042 ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the first solo album by veteran Polish Jazz / Avant-Garde clarinetist / composer Waclaw ZimpelFind albums by this artist. He plays different clarinets and keyboards and performs six pieces, five of which are his original compositions and one is a renaissance cannon. The music is almost entirely written, as opposed to Zimpel´s usual modus operandi, which primarily involves improvisation. The affiliation with minimal music is felt very strongly and familiar patterns appearing in the works of American composers like La Monte YoungFind albums by this artist, Terry RileyFind albums by this artist, Steve ReichFind albums by this artist or Philip GlassFind albums by this artist can be also heard here. This does not imply of course that Zimpel uses ideas created by others, but the resemblance, both aesthetically and sonorically, is very audible. The music is also very contemplative and monotonic, which of course is rather difficult for listeners not familiar with this musical idiom. Zimpel´s usage of several overdubbed instruments to create an almost orchestral effect is the most interesting aspect of this album, which is fully explored in the title track. All of the tracks use the same technique of overdubbing, which is of course possible due to the fact that the music is written and not spontaneously improvised. One has to respect Zimpel for his consistency and desire to create his own unique music, even if this means that his audience will be rather limited. Also the support he gets from small independent labels, like Instant ClassicFind albums on this label which released this album, is very significant to his career and development. Overall this is an album intended to be listened to by connoisseurs of minimal music or people looking for adventurous and unusually sounding recordings. With certain open-mindedness this music can bring many surprisingly pleasing musical moments amid its weirdness.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 02/01/2017

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WACLAW ZIMPEL ~ STONE FOG FOR TUNE 0009 (Barcode: 5902768701098) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2013 This is the debut recording by the quartet led by Polish Jazz clarinetist / composer Waclaw ZimpelFind albums by this artist with his countryman pianist Krzysztof DysFind albums by this artist and two German musicians: bassist Christian RamondFind albums by this artist and drummer Klaus KugelFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight compositions named using lines from poems by the US poetess Laura Winter. Three of the compositions are credited to Zimpel and the remaining five are group compositions. Despite his young age (he was 29 years old when this music was recorded) Zimpel is already considered as one of the most important upcoming Free Jazz / Improvised Music figures on the European scene. In the scope of the last decade he managed to cooperate with many first-class musicians from Poland and abroad, play many concerts and record quite a few albums as a leader and as sideman, most of which were received enthusiastically by the critics. The clarinet, Zimpel´s "weapon of choice", is sadly a much neglected instrument in contemporary music, Avant-Garde and Improvised Music included, and therefore his contributions are especially important, keeping the clarinet tradition alive. Except for the older generation clarinet Giants, like American Perry RobinsonFind albums by this artist, Israeli Harold RubinFind albums by this artist, French Louis SclavisFind albums by this artist, Italian Gianluigi TrovesiFind albums by this artist and a handful of others, Zimpel´s young voice is a fresh breath of air in this particular niche. As to the music on this album, I find it slightly less exciting personally in comparison to his earlier recordings with ensembles like UndividedFind albums by this artist or HeraFind albums by this artist. Not that this album lacks anything in quality and power of expression, but perhaps it is less based on incorporating World Music motifs, which Zimpel excels at. This album firmly belongs to the "traditional" Free Jazz / Improvised Music milieu, if the word "traditional" applies at all in such cases. But regardless of my personal preferences, this is excellent music from start to finish, performed with passion and masterly ability, by all four musicians involved. The rhythm section provides exceptional backing, moving swiftly between almost swing to free form, Dys on piano spreads layers of twisted harmonic structures and Zimpel, as usual, plays the role of the of Hamelin´s Pied Piper, snake charmer and a Hassidic Klezmer, all in one. Most connoisseurs of Free Jazz will find this music very interesting and aesthetically enchanting. The album was released by a new Polish label called For TuneFind albums on this label, which seems to be specializing in "unconventional" musical projects, like this one. All the releases on the label have a distinct graphic design, which appears to be copying the early ECMFind albums on this label, Hat HutFind albums on this label and other Avant-Garde labels following this path. Polish Avant-Garde Jazz fans know that this label is of course not the first of its kind, but the more the merrier. There is always place for good music and I wish the label a lot of success.

Updated: 12/10/2024Posted:

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WACLAW ZIMPEL TO TU ORCHESTRA ~ NATURE MOVES FOR TUNE 0036 (Barcode: 5902768701340) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2013 Released: 2014 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz clarinetist / composer / bandleader Waclaw ZimpelFind albums by this artist and his nonet called To Tu OrchestraFind albums by this artist (the name is probably a wink in the direction of the legendary Warsaw club Pardon, To Tu), which includes saxophonist Pawel PostaremczakFind albums by this artist, flautist Dominik StrycharskiFind albums by this artist, hurdy-gurdy player Maciej CierlinskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Jacek KitaFind albums by this artist, bassists Wojciech TraczykFind albums by this artist and Mike MajkowskiFind albums by this artist and drummers Pawel SzpuraFind albums by this artist and Hubert ZemlerFind albums by this artist. The album includes six original compositions, arranged into three mini suites, of one, three and two parts respectively. The music is in many respects a continuation of Zimpel´s earlier work with the group Hera, which combines elements of Avant-Garde, Jazz and contemporary Classical music with World Music from all over the world. The strongest influence on this album is minimal music pioneered decades earlier by Philip GlassFind albums by this artist, Steve ReichFind albums by this artist, Terry RileyFind albums by this artist and others, which Zimpel embraces, most evidently in the first of the three mini suites but in fact throughout the entire album. The repeated structures returning cyclically, typical in minimal music, which are normally produced by electronic or acoustic orchestral patterns, are created here by World Music patterns, like Balinese gamelan music, slowly changing and intensifying until they reach a massive sound, but do not reach an expected crescendo. Minimalism continues to be present in the rest of the compositions, simply changing the geographic colorization, using Japanese, Middle Eastern and other folkloristic influences. Zimpel is undoubtedly a master of atmosphere and building tension, which accompany his earlier work as well, but come to a fruition and perfection on this album. The large ensemble allows him to "paint" much denser multilayered vistas, which move freely in the World Music universe. The music does not actually get into Jazzy improvisation until the very last piece on the album, so listeners anticipating that facet of Zimpel´s music are in for a disappointment. What emerges here is a new type of minimal music which amalgamates the earlier forms of minimalism with World Music, creating a World Minimal Music. Zimpel evidently had a great fun creating this music and it is also very listenable, but the fundamental question as to what Zimpel wanted to achieve remains open, at least in my case. I have not been overwhelmed neither by the aesthetics nor by the musical result, which after all simply states nihil novi sub sole. But it is very well done for sure!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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SLAWOMIR ZYGMUNT ~ Z WIATREM: SLAWOMIR ZYGMUNT SPIEWA WIERSZE KRZYSZTOFA KAMILA BACZYNSKIEGO POLSKIE RADIO 2012 (Barcode: 5907812241216) ~ POLAND ~ Sung Poetry Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is a phenomenal album and a wonderful example of the typical Polish Sung Poetry idiom, which presents the poetry by Polish poet Krzysztof Kamil BaczynskiFind albums by this artist transformed into songs by singer / songwriter Slawomir ZygmuntFind albums by this artist. The album includes seventeen songs based on the poems by Baczynski, all original compositions by Zygmunt, who sings and plays guitars and harmonica. He is assisted by Krzysztof DomanskiFind albums by this artist, who plays acoustic guitar and Aleksander NowackiFind albums by this artist, who plays keyboards and also served as the sound engineer of the recording sessions, which were recorded in his studio. It is pretty remarkable that the album´s rich instrumental sound was created by just three musicians. Baczynski, who was killed during the Warsaw Uprising in 1944 being just 23 years old at the time, left a remarkable body of revolutionary poetry and prose, some of it very universal and patriotic but also extremely personal and revealing. His Jewish origins and his brief heroic life as member of the Polish Resistance are just one of many tragic stories of the Polish People during WWII. His poetry was sadly kept mostly in hiding during the post WWII years for political reasons, which are too complicated to be explained here, but this album marks a vindication of his remarkable contribution to Polish Culture. The music fits the poems perfectly and the heartfelt and intelligent delivery by Zygmunt emphasizes their lyrical depth. The overall sound and feel of the album is very close to similar albums recorded during the golden decade (1965-1975), but is by no means outdated, only deeply nostalgic. Somewhere between Folk-Rock and cabaret, between acoustic and electric, always full of good taste and elegance this collection of songs is an absolute delight from start to finish. It is impossible to ignore the obvious similarities between this album and the work of the great Polish bard Marek Grechuta. This album has many parallels to Grechuta´s work: the same musical affinities, the sane style of delivery between singing and recitation, the same folksy instrumentation and above all the emphasis on the lyrics and their deepest meaning. Of course I don´t suggest imitation, or anything remotely similar, I simply immensely enjoy these parallels, which probably mean that Sung Poetry has an ideal musical setting, which is somewhere within these parameters. The enormous appeal of this album is obviously mostly limited to the audience who speaks the Polish language. But the quality of the music and the delivery often transcends the language barriers, like for example the work of Grechuta, who is quite popular even in such remote Cultures as Japan. I can only hope that this album will achieve a similar fate. For Polish poetry and Sung Poetry lovers, this is an absolute must!

Updated: 02/07/2016Posted: 02/07/2016

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend