Record Reviews

PIOTR DAMASIEWICZ ~ MNEMOTAKSJA FOR TUNE 0028 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2009 Released: 2014 This is the debut album by the Polish Jazz quartet led by trumpeter / composer Piotr DamasiewiczFind albums by this artist, which also includes saxophonist Gerard LebikFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Wojciech RomanowskiFind albums by this artist. The music was conceived and created around 2008 / 2009, when the quartet played and rehearsed inside the Baptist Church in the center of Wroclaw, and where it was also eventually recorded live but without audience. It was available as an obscure private edition in a CD-R version and finally got its long overdue formal release, after a careful remix and sonic improvement by the excellent For Tune label. The album consists of ten original compositions, nine of which are by Damasiewicz and one by Garbowski. There is no doubt that Damasiewicz manages to establish a well deserved position as one of the top young Polish Jazz trumpeters on the contemporary scene, which is not by any means self-understandable considering the truly fierce competition and incredible flow of talent in that area. It is worth to compare this album with the trio recording Garbowski and Damasiewicz made at about the same time, called "ElementsFind albums with this title", which to some extent has a similar atmosphere. Stylistically the album sounds quite "retro", resembling the glorious moments when modern Polish Jazz was at the first peak of its aesthetic and artistic development, led by the Godfathers of the genre like Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist and others. The compositions are very much in the same mood as the music played then: romantic, minimalistic, delicate and full of lyricism and intrinsic melancholy. The same elements that made that music created half a Century ago completely eternal and outside of the time scale, are at work here as well. This music might have been made any time between the 1960s and now and would have fitted perfectly, being simply aloof from fads and fashions. The performances are also exceptional in every respect, both individually and collectively. Everything is kept in a relaxed, but disciplined mode, with conversation between the musicians being kept at the epicenter. The solos are inconspicuous, emerging slowly from the melodic heads, gently prompted by the superb rhythm section, which demonstrates an incredible affinity towards the music at all times, being as much creative as the two horns every step of the way. Garbowski has already an established record as one of the leading Polish Jazz bassists, but Romanowski, who also cooperates with another superb Polish Jazz trumpeter, Artur MajewskiFind albums by this artist, is a true discovery herein. Overall this is definitely one of the strongest and most significant statements on the Polish Jazz scene in the last decade, even though Damasiewicz has moved on in the meantime towards more improvised music beyond any stylistic conventions. Even if this album should remain as his only contribution to modern Polish Jazz in the true sense of the Jazz tradition, it will still be a remarkable achievement. This is also one of the most remarkable albums in the fast growing catalogue of the For Tune label, certainly from a historic perspective. Undoubtedly this is an album every true connoisseur of Jazz will cherish in his collection and return to repeatedly.

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ELMA ~ AD REM HEVHETIA 0113 (Barcode: 8588005257657) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2016 This is the second album by Polish Jazz vocalist ElmaFind albums by this artist, but in fact it could be viewed as the second part of Elma´s debut album, as it presents material recorded at the same recording session as the material released on the debut. A conscious decision was made at the time to collect the "song oriented" material on the debut and the improvised material on this second album The album was recorded by a quartet, which features Elma with Finnish trumpeter Verneri PohjolaFind albums by this artist and Polish pianist Dominik WaniaFind albums by this artist and bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and was recorded at the Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist. The music on this album comprises of twelve improvised pieces; a prologue and then an eleven-part suite. Except for the first part of the suite which is credited to Elma and Pohjola, the rest of the music is credited to all four participants. Although the Improvised Music is enjoying a spectacular Renaissance in the last few years, it is almost always completely instrumental and does not involve the human voice. The glorious days of the vocal Improvised Music are sadly completely gone and pioneering vocalists like Jeanne LeeFind albums by this artist, Lauren NewtonFind albums by this artist, Urszula DudziakFind albums by this artist, Jay ClaytonFind albums by this artist, Bobby McFerrinFind albums by this artist and others are either forgotten or changed their field of interest. Therefore Elma can be considered as the torch bearer of this fantastic tradition into the 21st Century. Elma treats her voice as an instrument, which has always been the basic rule of great vocalists. Since the human voice is limited only by the vocalist´s imagination, it is the most versatile and virtually unlimited instrument, a fact which becomes plainly evident to anybody listening to this music. With the incredibly compassionate accompaniment Elma receives from her three partners, the resulting music is one of the most unique musical creations recorded in the last few years. The importance of this music is twofold; firstly it is breathtakingly beautiful, emotionally intense and aesthetically stunning and secondly it is intellectually courageous and fascinating. Elma is not regressing to the 1970s to create more of the same vocal Improvised Music created then, but takes the tradition right up to date, moving forward and updating the concept, adapting it to contemporary Jazz language, sound and vision. Her vocalese and other tricks of the trade, most of which she invented herself or expanded from earlier examples, is a completely new language in itself, which enables her to go where nobody went before; an extremely rare quality these days. The contributions of the three instrumentalists present here is simply outstanding. They all manage to contribute to the music without overshadowing the focus of the vocals and their empathy and ability to communicate with Elma almost telepathically is simply phenomenal. This is indisputably one of the most important albums released on the Polish Jazz scene in the last decade and as far as vocal Jazz is concerned, also on a world scale. There is no other vocal Improvised Music of this intensity and innovative authority anywhere else at the moment, which makes this album simply a one of its kind. To say the truth, this album should be studied by every vocalist in the world, Jazz and otherwise, just to make them aware of what the human voice (and mind) is capable of. This might of course make some of them stop singing, which would be of great benefit of course. Absolutely essential item in every serious record collection!

Updated: 29/02/2016Posted: 29/02/2016

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ELMA ~ HIC ET NUNC IMP 101 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2014 This is the debut album by female Polish Jazz vocalist, who hides behind the pseudonym ElmaFind albums by this artist, recorded with Finnish trumpeter Verneri PohjolaFind albums by this artist (son of the Finnish Jazz legend Pekka PohjolaFind albums by this artist) and two great polish musicians: pianist Dominik WaniaFind albums by this artist and bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eleven original compositions, seven of which are by Elma, three by Garbowski and the remaining one by Pohjola. The album was recorded at the legendary Studio Tokarnia, with Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist presiding, and with spectacular, as usual, sonic results. To put things straight, vocals in this case mean vocalese, i.e. wordless vocal phrases, which basically represent the human voice as just another instrument, placing it on the same level as the rest of the musicians involved. Stylistically the music is much more organized and melodic than one might expect by reading the liner notes, which basically suggest a lot of spontaneous improvisation, which is definitely present here but does not dominate the proceedings. On the contrary the majority of the music consists of clearly defined musical themes, which must have been rehearsed before the actual recording. Of course there is nothing wrong with such approach. Musical birds tell me that large part of the recorded music stays unreleased, so perhaps this album includes the more melodic content and the forthcoming one will present the spontaneously improvised pieces? Elma seems to be more involved in vocalese than any other female Polish Jazz vocalist at the moment, most of which use vocalese sparingly and prefer singing lyrics. Personally I always preferred the instrumental approach to human voice and therefore this album is a breath of fresh air in that department. Elma uses a wide variety of vocal paraphernalia, moving between scat, modulation, syllables or simply singing notes. The actual tone of her voice is perhaps an acquired taste, but the overall result is very unique and enjoyable. The instrumentalists are all quite spectacular, which in their case is not surprising. Wania arises as one of the absolute best Polish Jazz pianists and everything he touches simply turns into the proverbial gold. Garbowski, who is one of my personal favorites since quite a while, also delivers some incredible bass lines, which keep this music afloat, especially in a drumless environment. Pohjola plays some tasty trumpet solos, but his input is a bit too predictable for me personally, although many listeners addicted to the Nordic Jazz sound will surely love it. This is definitely one of the most interesting debuts (so far) in 2014 and deserves a lot of love and attention, simply to show daring musicians that conventions mean very little as far as good Art is concerned. Of course similar attitude towards vocals was already displayed several decades ago, including those of Urszula DudziakFind albums by this artist in Poland, but hearing someone trying to revive such experimentation is truly refreshing. I´d love to hear more from Elma and this quartet, hopefully in a not too distant future. Well done indeed!

Updated: 29/02/2016Posted:

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ANNA GADT ~ BREATHING UNIVERSAL 602537564392 (Barcode: 602537564392) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 - 2013 Released: 2013 This is the third album by Polish Jazz vocalist Anna GadtFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Ania StepniewskaFind albums by this artist) and her first collaboration with the fabulous RGGFind albums by this artist trio: pianist Lukasz OjdanaFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist. The album consists of eleven original songs, ten of which were composed by Gadt and nine of which feature her lyrics, all in English. The tenth song uses a quote by American poet Ralph Waldo EmersonFind albums by this artist, combined with another quote by American opera singer Beverly SillsFind albums by this artist, with the entire quote credited only to Emerson? The remaining song was composed by Garbowski and features lyrics by Polish poet Miron BialoszewskiFind albums by this artist. The album was recorded at Poland´s finest recording facility, Studio Tokarnia, engineered as usual by the man with a pair of best ears in Poland, the studio owner Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist. At the first glance this album had the potential to achieve the status of one of the best Polish Jazz recording in 2013: the finest Polish Jazz piano trio active on the scene, fascinating music, highly sensitive vocal delivery, superb sound quality, in short a dream come true. Sadly this potential proved to be unfulfilled as a result of committing one single mistake, the same unforgivable mistake which hunts the Polish Jazz vocal scene consistently since decades, namely the unexplainable desire to sing in English. Why on earth would anybody, who is not a natural English speaker, want to sing in that langue is a total mystery to me? It is plainly obvious that the articulation, the pronunciation and the accent will be always against you, so why even try? Time after time all Polish Jazz vocalist fall into the same trap and nobody´s learning; what a pity. This album is no different; the vocals sung in English sound odd, unnatural and even bizarre at times. As if to prove the case, the only song with the Polish lyrics is simply heavenly and untouchable, as are the moments when Gadt is utilizing wordless vocalese. On the bright side, the music composed by Gadt is simply excellent from start to finish. Intelligent, atmospheric, versatile, moving, in short she made no mistakes whatsoever in that department and deserves all the praise. Of course there are plenty of wonderful moments left to be enjoyed. The trio plays delightfully from start to finish and stands up to the challenge of accompanying a singer, which is quite different and in many respects more difficult that playing by themselves. Together with their astounding album "SzymanowskiFind albums with this title" released earlier this year, these two recordings firmly reassure their prime and unchallenged standing, which withstood the ground shaking personnel change they went through. They are simply beyond words. The way the trio improvises "around" the songs Gadt composed is simply a genius at work. In spite of the problem created by singing in English, Gadt is obviously a great vocalist, with exquisite sensibility, musicality and musical intelligence. All these qualities come through against all odds in these circumstances. One can only imagine what a brilliant, superb album this would be if she had decided to use Polish lyrics. All things considered this is an amazing album after all, even magnificent at times. A magnificent failure? Well not quite, simply just another step on the long way which has no beaten tracks and leads to a place worth going. You win some, you lose some, c´est la vie…

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ANNA GADT ~ MYSTERIUM LUNAE HEVHETIA 0170 (Barcode: 8588005258326) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2017 - 2018 Released: 2018 This is the fifth album by Polish vocalist / composer Anna GadtFind albums by this artist and her second cooperation with the fabulous Polish piano trio RGGFind albums by this artist, which comprises of pianist Lukasz OjdanaFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist. Cellist Annemie OsborneFind albums by this artist from Luxembourg is the guest artist. The album presents seventeen pieces some of which incorporate four poems written by the Polish / Jewish poet Boleslaw LesmianFind albums by this artist, but most feature only wordless vocalese. Nine of the pieces were composed by Gadt, one each by Ojdana and Garbowski and the remaining six are improvisations. The album was recorded at the excellent Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, with the usual superb sound quality. From the very onset of the album it is obvious that this is her most ambitious effort so far, mostly improvised and full of complex melodic themes, which last sometimes only for a brief moment before being transformed into another improvised passage. With wordless vocalese dominating the proceedings, this is perhaps the boldest step in Polish vocal Jazz since decades, bridging the void stretching over forty years into the past, when Urszula DudziakFind albums by this artist created her revolutionary vocal experiments in the early 1970s. Gadt is exceedingly fortunate to develop the collaboration with RGG, who are one of the most open minded and technically proficient Polish ensembles able to match her vision, which as a result goes way beyond accompaniment and becomes a fully integrated musical creation. The piano trio also moves consistently over time towards more open formats and Improvised Music, and proves to be a most amicable companion to Gadt, which is fully demonstrated herein. It is also very satisfying to see Gadt embarking upon the ambitious and highly aesthetic Jazz & Poetry idiom, especially in view of the fact that a century old poems are able to become a part of today´s Avant Garde, alive and kicking, timeless and penetrating. Words and sounds combined are able to build highly complex and intricate intellectual structures, which can be, when properly executed like in this case, more potent than simply the sum of their ingredients. Overall this is a brilliant piece of contemporary music, fascinating, exciting and challenging, which is a sublime proof of the fact that music knows no limits and there is always a way to step beyond the horizon. My sincere thanks to the musicians involved, not only for the intellectual pleasure their music bestows upon the listener, but primarily for keeping the ray of hope alight in a word full of mediocre darkness. Hats off Milady and Gents!

Updated: 17/12/2018Posted: 20/03/2018

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GARBOWSKI / CRUZ / ORINS ~ LINES OF FLUX IMP 002 (Barcode: 193428143487) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is the debut album by the Improvised Music trio comprising of Polish bassist / composer Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and French guitarist Ivann CruzFind albums by this artist and drummer Peter OrinsFind albums by this artist, but not the first recording which captures these three musicians together as they also recorded the "Rashomon EffectFind albums with this title" album in a quartet setting five years earlier. The music was recorded at the Institute of Music Performance, a wonderfully unique space in Katowice, where Grabowski organizes many events, concerts and recordings; a place where music magic happens. The album presents twelve relatively short spontaneous improvisations, all credited to the three members of the trio. In contrast to the above mentioned earlier album, the music captured here is completely improvised and offers almost none of the conventional points of reference – melody, harmony and rhythm – that most music listeners expect to find when faced by music. But people who extend their musical tolerance to accept unconventional music should find this album highly rewarding. Improvised Music performed by more than one person is all about communication, be it the ability to exchange ideas with the other musicians in the ensemble and even better to engage the listeners in an intellectual dialog of instant questions and answers, when the music oscillates between the performers and the audience. All these three musicians are of course veterans of the European Improvised Music scene and their inspired performances here are not in the least surprising. They all have many impressive recordings in their portfolios and the long lasting partnership between them obviously strengthens the ability to communicate when on stage. Overall this is a delicate, contemplative piece of Improvised Music, which should satisfy the connoisseurs of the genre and shed more light on the musicians involved, as they surely deserve praise for their efforts. Of course this album again emphasizes the vigor of the Polish Improvised Music scene, which has little rivalry elsewhere.

Updated: 09/06/2019Posted: 09/06/2019

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GARBOWSKI / DAMASIEWICZ / SOOVIK ~ SESTO ELEMENTO FSR 2015/04 (Barcode: 5905279364042) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2015 This is a live recording, captured during the Ad Libitum Festival in Warsaw, by an Improvised Music trio comprising of Polish bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist, Polish trumpeter Piotr DamasiewiczFind albums by this artist and Swedish drummer William SoovikFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine tracks of freely improvised music, with the composition rights not credited on the album´s packaging, therefore by default assumed to be co-created by the trio members. The album was mixed and mastered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, owner of the Studio Tokarnia, which guaranties a great sound quality. Garbowski is one of my favorite Polish Jazz bass players, who has a proven record not only in the "conventional" Jazz environment as a member of the fabulous RGGFind albums by this artist trio, but also in much more adventurous experiments, some of them involving also Damasiewicz. This recording is however the most radical environment as far as everything I heard so far by Garbowski. This "total" freedom seems to ill-serve his great talent, mostly because although his playing here is as brilliant as always, it is somewhat detached from his partners, who seem to be exploring their own private avenues. Damasiewicz progressed quite consistently towards freely improvised music in the stretch of the last few years and although I loved his playing a few years ago, when it showed promises of catapulting him to the very top of the Polish Jazz trumpet pedestal, his more recent explorations leave me much less enthusiastic. Soovik plays along agreeably with his Polish cohorts, but his contributions to the trio´s effort are overall almost unnoticed, staying way in the background most of the time. Nothing wrong with that of course, but in a free improvised environment the total input is what counts as the final result. There are many interesting moments on this album, some brief highly inspired flashes of sheer genius, but sadly overall while this music was probably a stimulating listening experience, its weight as recorded document is much less significant. As usual the decision do release a piece of recorded music on record is not an easy one and always a very subjective matter.

Updated: 27/10/2016Posted:

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MACIEJ GARBOWSKI ~ ELEMENTS NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2009 Released: 2010 This is the debut album by the Polish Jazz bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist, known to followers of the Polish Jazz scene as one third of the RBBFind albums by this artist trio. The album is a bold statement in every respect: it is recorded live and by an unconventional (trumpet / bass / drums) trio with young Polish trumpeter Piotr DamasiewiczFind albums by this artist and Swedish drummer Jon FaltFind albums by this artist. The album comprises of a continuous suite of mostly improvised music, which includes some composed motifs by Garbowski and Damasiewicz, sometimes used only in part and sometimes quoted in full. These motifs serve as points of reference in the continual conversation between the musicians, which is obviously spontaneous but seems to have a sense of almost telepathic consistency. Although separated into six tracks on the album, this is definitely one piece of music, mood and celebration of freedom. The technical proficiency of these young musicians is simply astounding and their ability to generate alternative sounds on their respective instruments is awe-inspiring. Damasiewicz and his trumpet, which at times remind us of Don CherryFind albums by this artist and Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, taking the absolutely best lessons from both, is simply phenomenal. Hopefully his future recordings will give us more glimpses of his talent, since judging by this recording he is definitely heading in the right direction. Garbowski and his bass are virtuosic and enormously sensitive in this difficult setting, gluing the music together and supplying the anchor to stability, without restricting it in any sense. Falt and his drums, which are already familiar to Jazz connoisseurs from his work with pianist Bobo StensonFind albums by this artist, is the icing on the cake, ornamenting the music with delicate caressing touches on the cymbals or energetic full-kit explosions, al done with taste and elegance. Overall this is a brilliant piece of Free Jazz, perfectly executed and full of inspired, serious music, which easily compares to the best recordings of this type done anywhere else in the world. If the future fate of Polish Jazz (and European Jazz in general) is in the hands of young musicians like these three, the older generation can rest assured that it is in good hands indeed. Polish Jazz fans should definitely seek out this gem as soon as possible. Brilliant stuff!

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MACIEJ GARBOWSKI / KARI HEINILA ~ LINES OF POETRY IMP 001 (Barcode: 191061889045) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by the impromptu duo comprising of Polish Jazz bassist / composer Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and Finnish Jazz saxophonist / composer Kari HeinilaFind albums by this artist. The album presents twelve completely improvised pieces, all credited to Garbowski and Heinila. This meeting between two mature and experienced musicians / improvisers is a wonderful example of spontaneity and mutual respect. Garbowski, well known as the bassist of the RGGFind albums by this artist trio and participant in many other top Polish Jazz projects, and Heinila famous for his work with Edward VesalaFind albums by this artist, the wonderful UMO Jazz OrchestraFind albums by this artist and his work as a leader, both bring into this meeting years of experience and more importantly unlimited amounts of sensibility and creativity. For freely improvised music, the contents of this album could be considered as most communicative. Although there are no melodic motifs per se, Heinila´s saxophone lines are all extremely melodic, delicate and tender, flowing freely in time. Garbowski, who plays mostly in the background, is at all times in sync, both harmonically and rhythmically, with the saxophonist, listening attentively to his weaving of the notes. Like all classic "Art of the Duo" albums, this music presents a document, which although of limited scope and intrinsic minimalism, is no less expressive than music created by much larger ensembles. It is up to the listener of course to expand the input received while listening to the music into inner emotions and virtual sound structures, but the contents of this album should be wonderfully supportive in such process. This music works for many reasons; apparently the mutual affinity between the two musicians, but also perhaps due to the emotional similarities between the characteristic qualities of both Polish and Finnish music: melancholy, sadness, reflection and introvert perspective. But whatever the reasons, the meeting proved to be very inspiring and productive, as reflected by these recordings. Improvised music has a priori a limited audience, but this album is quite accessible to a relatively wider circle of listeners, regardless of its improvised character. Therefore it is my suggestion to the open-minded listeners to try it out without any preconceptions – the result might prove to be pleasantly surprising. For more experienced improvised music connoisseurs this album is obviously a gem!

Updated: 18/11/2017Posted: 18/11/2017

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GARBOWSKI-CRUZ QUARTET ~ RASHOMON EFFECT IMP 002 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2012 Released: 2014 This is the debut album by the international Jazz quartet co-led by Polish bassist / composer Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and French guitarist / composer Ivann CruzFind albums by this artist and also including Finnish reedman Kari HeinilaFind albums by this artist and French drummer Peter OrinsFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original compositions, four each composed by Garbowski and Cruz and the remaining two co-composed by them. Musically the album is an attempt to create a modern sound which bridges between Jazz and Rock without referring to the weathered Jazz-Rock Fusion armory, and manages to do so with elegance, flair and a dash of humor. Although the titles of the compositions seem to suggest a musical suite of sorts, the compositions themselves are quite diverse and touch upon a plethora of different sub-genres, with hints of Classical, Baroque, Jazz of course and a distinctive Rocky edge, emphasized by the sound of the guitar and the dynamics of the drums. The saxophone and especially the wonderful flute playing are the improvisational facets of the music and the virtuoso bass performances in the background keep the entire, often quite complex structures, in perfect harmony of the spheres. All four musicians are obviously masters of the trade and each one contributes immensely to achieve the overall effect. There is a superb relationship within this quartet based on mutual respect and common dedication, which produces a result greater than the sum of its parts. These performances, which are by far not straightforward or trivial, sound effortless and natural simply because they are executed by a team rather than just four musicians playing together. There is plenty of open space within the music for all four individuals to show off their particular talents, but their group performances are the absolute highlight of this album. When great music is combined with superb performances the result becomes inspirational, as it is in this particular case. This is fresh, intelligent, stirring and refreshing music that kicks butt and bites, like only very few other albums do at this point of time. Of course Jazz purist will find it too spicy at times and Fusion purist will find it to complex while drinking Budd, but who cares about purists anyway? This music deserves to be heard and enjoyed and appreciated, so grab it if you find it, as life is too short for boring music!

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LYYTINEN / GARBOWSKI / GRADZIUK ~ SWORDS FSR 2020/19 (Barcode: 5905279364776) ~ FINLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the debut album by the Improvising Music trio comprising of Finnish saxophonist Pauli LyytinenFind albums by this artist and Polish bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist. The 2CD album was recorded live at one session and presents eleven improvisations (one repeated twice) credited to all three participants. For Garbowski and Gradziuk this is not the first time they cooperate with a Finnish partner, as documented by the recordings they made with Finnish trumpeter Verneri PohjolaFind albums by this artist, which of course could not make happier, since my love of Finnish Jazz is second only to that of Polish Jazz ;) As the music included on this album shows, the cooperation proved to be as fruitful as one might wish for. Lyytinen is a highly experienced improvising musician and a prolific recording Artist, with a most impressive recorded legacy despite his relative young age (born in 1983), which combines his Finnish influences with exposure to World culture and music. Some of his recordings also involve the a.m. Verneri Pohjola, which connects the dots as far as forming of the trio on this album is concerned. Despite the spontaneous improvisation process which produced this music, the result is highly melodic, perhaps not in the traditional meaning of the idiom, but definitely very communicative and inviting, which makes listening to this music a truly pleasurable experience, without compromising the aesthetic depth and artistry involved. The rapport between the musicians is obvious and completely honest, which of course is fully reflected in the music itself, radiating relaxed creative forces rather than tension. For listeners familiar with the work of Garbowski and Gradziuk this album is a natural extension of their earlier recorded legacy and a most welcome addition. Each meeting with brotherly musical souls is a tremendous experience and it is lucky for everybody when such meetings are also documented and available for posterity. It is also worth mentioning the incredible sound quality this album offers, thanks to Grabowski´s recording at the tiny Institute of Music Performance in Katowice, which I know personally of course, and the incredible mix and mastering by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist at Studio Tokarnia – a magnificent aural experience in addition to the spiritual musical experience, i.e. the best of the two worlds!

Updated: 23/12/2020Posted: 23/12/2020

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OBARA INTERNATIONAL ~ LIVE AT MANGGHA FOR TUNE 0022 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2013 This is the second album by the international quartet led by Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Maciej ObaraFind albums by this artist, called Obara InternationalFind albums by this artist, which also includes the superb Polish pianist Dominik WaniaFind albums by this artist and a Norwegian rhythm section: bassist Ole Morten VaganFind albums by this artist and drummer Gard NilssenFind albums by this artist. The album, which was recorded live, comprises of six pieces, five of which are original compositions by Obara and the remaining one is by Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, to whom this group dedicated their debut album, simply called "KomedaFind albums with this title". The music is placed somewhere between Free Form and contemporary Modern Jazz of the European variety. Most of the tunes get an expanded treatment, which includes extensive solo and group improvisations, and last around ten minutes each except one tune which is almost twice as long and the closing track which is a brief farewell. Although the melodic content is clearly recognizable, it is kept somewhat in the background, as if on a separate plane, and the improvisations are the focal point of this music, changing in tempi and intensity, but always out there on the forefront. The level of musicianship involved herein is truly admirable and of the highest standing by any standard. This is by far not easy music and the amount of technique, talent and sophistication required in order to play it is simply astounding, not to mention the emotional tension. The entire concert portrays a wonderful flow of energy between the quartet members and of course the combined creative power of the quartet is even greater than the sum of the individual statements. Personally I enjoy the contributions by the pianist most of all. Wania, whom I´ve been watching carefully for a few years now, is definitely one of the greatest promises of Polish Jazz and is destined to get places. His brilliant work on this album, both as a soloist and as an ensemble member, is simply outstanding. Obara is a great player as well, of course, but his melancholy and mellow tone often seem to push the music somewhat backwards into the mainstream conformity. The Norwegian rhythm section is solid and reliable, when needed, and inventive and spontaneous when the music calls for it, in short they play splendidly, as only the Scandinavian rhythm sections can. Overall this is another musical gem that the Polish For Tune label manages to put out for the world to hear and admire. The sound quality, separation and warmth are incredible considering the fact that this is a live recording. European Jazz connoisseurs are expected to lick their fingers upon exposure to this wonderful music. Well done gentlemen! BTW Obara´s Polish quartet uses the excellent RGGFind albums by this artist rhythm section: bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist, which of course is also a dreamy team, so where is their next album I ask?

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OWL ~ IMPROCODE FSR 2020/21 (Barcode: 5905279364790) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the second album by Polish Jazz trio The OwlFind albums by this artist, comprising of violinist / composer Marcin HalatFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist. On this album they expanded the lineup to a quartet with the addition of German pianist Pablo HeldFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, three of which were composed by Halat and six are group improvisations, credited to all four participants. The music on this album is split between two almost separate environments, the almost "classic" Jazz on the composed pieces and the completely free spirited improvised pieces, which fit together rather well and provide a much more structured listening ambience than most strictly Improvised Music recordings. The addition of Held had a major impact on the overall sound and musical approach of the trio in comparison to their debut album recorded almost three years earlier, all for the good of the music. On the three composed pieces Held is able to weave a wonderful melodic layer and on the freely improvised pieces his contributions become a wonderfully expressive and balancing element, full of self confidence and clear musical vision. Halat made a significant progress since his early days in the Free Jazz realm (i.e. on the debut album) and managed to embrace the freedom of improvisation without clinging to his Classical background as before, which takes this album another step further towards the bona fide Improvised Music idiom. Of course the rhythm section is feeling like a pair of whales in the ocean, which is hardly surprising considering their long-lasting experience in the field. Overall this is a most welcome sophomore outing by the trio and a superb collaboration with the guest pianist, combining the best of what these four wonderful musicians have to offer. Considering the exquisite sound quality of this complex music, which enables every detailed nuance to be perfectly audible, this album is a true feast for the ears and surely one of the best Improvised Music albums released in 2020. One can only hope we won´t have to wait for another three years to hear again from The Owl and hopefully to meeting with Held will lead to further future recordings – a trio by Held and the GG rhythm section sounds salivating. Well done Gentlemen!

Updated: 30/12/2020Posted: 30/12/2020

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OWL ~ ON THE WAY FSR 2017/07 (Barcode: 5905279364219) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by the Polish trio called The OwlFind albums by this artist, which comprises of violinist / composer Marcin HalatFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist (the last two well known as the rhythm section of the famous RGGFind albums by this artist trio). The double CD album presents fourteen original compositions, nine of which were composed by Halat and five were co-composed by all three members of the trio. On the Polish Jazz violin scene, which is pretty crowded these days, Halat arrives as a newcomer, although he has years of experience of playing Classical Music. His sound is quite unusual and unconventional in many respects, surely not typically Jazzy, with obvious Classical phrasing, fingering, and voicing. But when placed opposite one of the mightiest Polish Jazz rhythm sections Halat is pulled into the Jazz idiom, seemingly almost against his will. His improvisation is also atypical and stays relatively close to the core themes, which after a while gets a bit too uniform. The musical themes are generally simple, folkloristic little ditties, not really fully developed melodies, which are fine as starting points for the mostly improvised pieces, but hardly able to stand on their own. Nevertheless the music flows smoothly and is able to sound coherent mostly thanks to the incredible swinging feel of the rhythm section. Time after time the listener is faced with the dilemma if he is listening to a Jazz recording or a contemporary Classical piece, all relative to the measure of involvement of the rhythm section. There is a lot of freedom and space in this music, which characterizes both modern Jazz and Classical idioms. This allows a lot of different forms of dialogue and trialogue conversations within this music, which becomes the most interesting ingredient of the music, especially when it becomes completely improvised as in the five collective pieces. It seems that Halat was extremely lucky in finding these two partners to record his debut Jazz offering, which probably would have not been possible otherwise. Garbowski and Gradziuk, who have consistently moved towards more open / improvised music in the last few years, prove here that they are able to carry on a full album just on their own, and their contribution here is simply invaluable. As to Halat being the next "thing" on the Polish Jazz violin scene, I´d definitely need to hear more and give it some time. This is a very unusual, surprising and even promising album, but it does suffer from some inhibitions which need to be resolved, before Halat earns his honorable place on the pedestal. Overall this is definitely music that should be investigated and even embraced, as it does offer a novel approach and a lot of courage. Highly recommended!

Updated: 19/01/2018Posted: 28/11/2017

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EVAN PARKER / RGG ~ LIVE @ ALCHEMIA FSR 2017/01 (Barcode: 5905279364172) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is a live recording by the legendary British saxophonist Evan ParkerFind albums by this artist performing together with one of the top Polish Jazz trios RGGFind albums by this artist, which comprises of pianist Lukasz OjdanaFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist. Together the ad hoc quartet performs four spontaneously composed pieces, credited to all four members of the quartet. The music was recorded at the celebrated Krakow´s Alchemia club, which since many years is associated with the Polish and international Improvised Music scene. The courageous experiment of combining forces between Parker and RGG seems, at least in theory, quite unexpected to say the least. Based on their recording history one might contemplate how the music of Parker, which always symbolized the extreme Avant-Garde and total freedom of expression, might be combined with the music of RGG, which although featured some elements of freedom, was always strongly melody based and full of typical Polish lyricism and Romanticism. Apparently, music is able to unite most stylistic gaps and in this particular case simply emerges victorious. As a result we have some of the most "melodic" and relaxed Parker performances ever put on record and the most free oriented music ever recorded by RGG, both wholly amalgamated into a new form of expression. In spite of the age difference between Parker and the RGG members, there seems to be a complete and profound understanding and mutual respect between the musicians, which allows the music to flow and flourish uninhibited and overwhelmingly moving. As usual in such musical circumstances, the music requires attentive and open-minded listening, but its quality assures a most wonderful aesthetic experience. The personal performances are all, as expected, exhilarating and the challenge of playing with a legend mobilized the RGG members to give absolutely everything they had to give that night. There is no doubt that this is one of the most challenging and daring Polish Jazz recording lately and a superb way to start 2017, which promises to be as exciting as the incredibly intense 2016. Maciej KarlowskiFind albums by this artist deserves kudos for putting this experiment together and turning his FSRFind albums on this label label into an important player on the Polish record scene. Thanks also to the man with the biggest ears in Poland, Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, for the wonderful mix and mastering, which result in a superb sound quality this album offers to the listener. Well done!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 21/02/2017

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POHJOLA / GARBOWSKI / GRADZIUK ~ GEMSTONES FSR 2018/14 (Barcode: 5905279364370) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 The blessed technology that enables us to capture a piece of music for "posterity" and later repeat the process of music creation as many times as we like is miraculous in every respect. For centuries music existed exclusively in the very moment of its performance and as soon as it was born it was immediately lost forever. Today we can capture the music making process and transform it into physical, tangible element, which can later on be replicated continually and transferred with the speed of light into the infinite space that surrounds us. Glorious times indeed. But technology always comes with a moral and aesthetic price tag. In just over a Century, which is but an infinitesimal fracture of human history in general and more specifically just a minuscule part of history of music, we have produced enormous amounts of recorded music, which mostly tragically hardly deserves to exist for "posterity", almost the same way that we, the human race, produced such enormous quantities of garbage that we physically endanger our very existence on this planet. Improvised Music, Free Jazz and other forms of Avant-Garde musical exploration often suffer from the almost intrinsic malady, that they do not survive well the process of transformation between live performance and recording. Only in very rare cases spontaneous music is able to retain the aesthetic quality, the spiritual force and the artistic value that one expects to be exposed to while listening to recorded music. Without the immediate eye contact with the musicians, the ambience of the venue and the excitement of a "live" interaction the captured sound more often than not loses its charm, meaning and becomes banal or in the worst cases simply unlistenable. It is therefore a great and rare pleasure to encounter music, which was spontaneously created and is highly improvised, and yet manages to withstand the transformation between live performance and recording with flying colors. These extraordinary musicians managed to transfer the metaphysical Gems into real Gemstones, which naturally are as close to "posterity" as only Gemstones can be. Music is as much about music as it is about people and therefore behind every manifestation of music one should always bear in mind the human factor behind it, especially so in the case of recorded music, which distances the listener from the immediate human interaction with the creators of the music itself. Verneri PohjolaFind albums by this artist, Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist are not only extraordinary musicians, but first and foremost beautiful human beings, blessed with talent and armed with consistency and invariable drive to explore and discover. I am proud and grateful to have encountered not only their sublime music, but also their personal charm and friendship. Side Note The above are my liner notes included on this album's artwork. I am honored when asked by the Artists to write liner notes for their albums, always hoping that my words reflect the true spirit of the music. This is also a symbol of our mutual respect and friendship developed over the years. The same is also true when Record Labels ask me to write liner notes for their releases, mostly in the case of reissues of archival albums, which is a symbol of their appreciation of my knowledge and historical perspective and my recognition of their dedication to the preservation of the history of recorded music and the effort to keep human Culture and Aesthetics alive.

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

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RGG ~ AURA OKEH 888750176028 (Barcode: 888750176028) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 It is the seventh album by the fabulous Polish Jazz piano trio RGGFind albums by this artist and their second release following the dramatic replacement of their piano player, when the young pianist Lukasz OjdanaFind albums by this artist joined the ranks of the founding members: bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist. The album presents fourteen pieces, five of which were composed by Ojdana and three by Garbowski. The remaining six pieces are various Jazz, Pop and World Music compositions originating from external sources. The album was recorded again at the excellent Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, with spectacular sonic results. The music of RGG has been, since the very first recording, always in a state of continuous metamorphosis, perhaps more vital and noticeable than similar processes taking place in the works of other Polish Jazz ensembles. This album is no different and marks some giant steps towards creating a new Jazz aesthetic, which combines the tradition with modernism, freedom of expression and above all openness. The crucial factor is the decision to expand the scope of the music beyond the self composed material by the trio members, as well as present a larger number of relatively concise pieces, enabling a much wider scope of musical influences, stylistic variety and diversity. Of course the trio´s ability to perform these pieces in such an exquisite way is their primary achievement. The level of mutual support, respect and common bonding present between these three musicians is almost unprecedented. Reinforced by their individual talents, good taste and aesthetic vision, the overall power of expression demonstrated by the trio is simply overwhelming. With the international release of this album RGG have a chance to demonstrate that they are not only the best Polish Jazz piano trio, but also that they have but a few competitors elsewhere. The most astonishing effect of this music is the fact, that although large parts of it are quite difficult for an average listener, the trio manages to make the music sound inviting and even embracing. This of course means that music does not have to lower its aesthetic or intellectual level and be brutally whored in order to be accessible. This rare ability to remain uncompromisingly aloft musically and yet widely appreciated is precious. There is no doubt that this album immediately deserves the "classic" status, being placed on the pedestal of Polish Jazz recorded achievements. That means that it will sound as good as it does now for decades to come, which just a few albums are able to do, challenged by the passing of time. My wholehearted thanks to you, Gentlemen. Side Note: I am happy to have a tiny personal input in this album´s release. My enthusiastic reviews of the trio´s recorded output were part of the decision making process resulting in signing a contract with a major label and than I helped a bit to untangle some copyright complications, which postponed the release date for a while. All done for a good cause!

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RGG ~ ENDORFINA VOICE MUSIC 1003 ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2019 Released: 2022 This is thirteenth album by the Polish Jazz trio RGGFind albums by this artist, which comprises of pianist Lukasz OjdanaFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist. The album presents just two lengthy tracks (eighteen and thirty-two minutes respectively). The album was released on LP, and the CD was added as a bonus. The wonderful mix and mastering by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist ensures a superb sound quality, as usual in his case. The music is, not surprisingly, a continuation of the direction set by the album “Mysterious Monuments On The MoonFind albums with this title”, which in fact was recorded later than this album, but released earlier. It presents a shift towards Improvised Music, which leaves the classic concept of composition and improvisation on composed themes, which the trio followed brilliantly in the first two decades of their activity, in favor of spontaneous composition and much more abstract attitude and almost complete lack of melody per se. RGG obviously earned their freedom of exploration, after excelling for many years in the “classic” Jazz piano trio format, and their individual development as composers and performers leads them into new paths. They are leaving behind a significant part of their faithful followers, who are not able to make a similar step towards abstract and Avant-Garde explorations, but they are obviously aware of the price they need to pay in order to pursue what their hearts dictate. Of course listeners who delight in Improvised Music, especially “chamber” Improvised Music, as heard herein, will be delighted to explore this fascinating music. The three musicians lot absolutely nothing of their abilities and their technical proficiency is astounding, as always. It might involve several listening sessions to penetrate the depth of this music in full, delight in its minimalism and get caressed by its delicacy, but as usual in their case, all efforts are richly repaid. Personally I still consider this music as an expression of an interim period in RGG’s creative history, before the next period reaches will be revealed in its full glory. Overall, this is another wonderful album by these highly talented Artists, which deserves an honorable position in their splendid discography, even if it presents a much bigger challenge to most listeners and refuses to compromise. I wouldn’t like to miss it for the world!

Updated: 09/12/2024Posted: 03/10/2023

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RGG ~ MEMENTO (POLISH JAZZ VOL.81) WARBER MUSIC POLAND 190295475932 (Barcode: 190295475932) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is the eleventh album by Polish Jazz classic piano trio RGGFind albums by this artist, which consists of pianist Lukasz OjdanaFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist. The album presents twelve relatively short pieces, with Ojdana and Garbowski each contributing four original compositions, one is a standard by Ornette ColemanFind albums by this artist, two are compositions by contemporary Polish Classical Music composer Henryk GoreckiFind albums by this artist and one is by Polish Liturgical Music composer Jacek GaluszkaFind albums by this artist. The album was recorded at the famed Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, with the expected wonderful sound quality. As someone who followed RGG since their inception, listened and reviewed their every album to date, heard them performing numerous times and even enjoyed their company in person, I am probably the least objective person to write about them again, and yet I feel that this somewhat intimate acquaintance with their music gives me a kind of insight that a casual listener might lack. RGG is not only one of the best European piano trios, which by itself is a momentous achievement, but it also is the most dynamic and ever developing musical unit, which is honestly a pretty rare phenomenon. Piano trios in particular have a tendency to keep a certain level of stability, even the best of them, once they reach a certain level of proficiency, which is definitely something RGG eschew. Each and every one of the eleven albums the trio was involved in presents a separate, often radically different musical universe, which is truly amazing. What is the secret behind this behavioral pattern? Well, in my opinion it is the fact that RGG consists of three diametrically different personalities that are miraculously able to combine their individualisms into a new amalgam that changes constantly like a chameleonic microcosm, captured on each of their albums. Ojdana the romantic warrior, Garbowski the intellectual philosopher and lover of harmony and Avant-Garde as one and Gradziuk the rebellious free spirit with Zen ability to focus have together everything needed to produce an infinite number of intricate meshes, which are "deadly" effective. "Memento" is perhaps the most introvert album by RGG ever. It is deeply melodic and lyrical spanning a large rainbow of influences and reflections and full of poetic and emotional, even spiritual moods. Clearly reflecting Jazz and Classical Music influences, the music is always very subtly and carefully balanced and aesthetically coherent. In fact it is also perhaps the most accessible album the trio ever recorded, although the full appreciation of the depth and richness of the music requires a trained and sensitive ear. RGG are the epitome of Polish / European Jazz at its best and their music is the soundtrack of European Culture, which seeks to unite the known and explore the unknown aspects of human tradition, spirituality and ingenuity. This album stands alone perfectly as a symbol of modern Jazz, but it is also a piece of a puzzle, which stands for something much more substantial. Therefore if this is someone´s first glimpse of the RGG miraculous universe, it will hopefully prompt to explore their older recordings and keep the eyes (ears) open for future ones, and this is barely the beginning of a beautiful journey. The fact that this album was released as part of the "Polish Jazz" series (see below) is not a distinction for RGG, but rather a distinction for the series. Side Note The iconic "Polish Jazz" series of recordings, originally released between 1965 and 1989 by the Polish state owned record company Polskie NagraniaFind albums on this label, which used the MuzaFind albums on this label label as its moniker, consists of seventy six LP albums. It presents the history of Polish Jazz recordings during that period, which includes some of the most important Polish / European modern Jazz milestones and reflects the extraordinary development of Jazz music behind the Iron Curtain. It is one of the most important historic documents of Polish Music and of course Polish Culture in general. The series had an eminent logo designed by Roslaw Szaybo and the albums were numbered sequentially from Vol.1 to Vol.76 accordingly. The album's artwork was wonderfully stylish and modernist, featuring the brilliant photographs and characteristic design by the legendary Polish Artist Marek Karewicz. Stylistically the series presented all Jazz genres, from Traditional Jazz to Avant-Garde / Free Jazz, which was extraordinarily liberal considering the cultural censorship imposed by the Socialist Regime. It suffered from some inconsistency, as far as the musical quality and aesthetics were concerned, as well as the internal "politics" of the Polish Jazz scene at the time, but in retrospect it achieved a spectacular overall result, unparalleled as far as consistently documenting a national Jazz scene is concerned. After the Polskie Nagrania catalogue was bought by Warner Music PolandFind albums on this label, the new owner started a reissue process of the Polish Jazz series, carefully remastered, repackaged and including extensive liner notes, which keeps the artwork as close to the original design as possible. So far forty four volumes of the original series were reissued. In 2016 Warner Music Poland decided to continue the original series by releasing new contemporary Polish Jazz recordings under the same format and even to continue the sequential numbering starting with Vol.77 – a decision I personally consider almost sacrilegious. Some things are simply untouchable, and the "Polish Jazz" series is surely one of those things. If Warner Music Poland wants to produce Jazz albums, which is always more than welcome, they could have started a new series, under a new title, rather than exploiting the reputation of the historic series. As a result, some artist whose albums are released as part of the new series might be led to expect instant gratification, fame and stardom, just for being an artificial part of a prestigious past, which of course is as bogus as it is sad.

Updated: 25/04/2019Posted: 25/04/2019

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RGG ~ MYSTERIOUS MONUMENTS ON THE MOON VOICE MUSIC 1002 (Barcode: 5906489287206) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is the twelfth album by Polish Jazz trio RGGFind albums by this artist, which celebrates its 20th Anniversary these days, with a remarkable recording legacy to its credit. Pianist Lukasz OjdanaFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist present this time fifteen mostly short pieces, nine of which are improvisations, eight called “Monuments” (numbered I to VIII). Three pieces are composed by Ojdana, one is by Eric SatieFind albums by this artist, another one by Artie ShawFind albums by this artist and one remains mysteriously uncredited. The music was recorded at the Studio Tokarnia and was engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, offering not surprisingly excellent sound quality. RGG is obviously a very unique music-making setting, a leaderless ensemble of three dominant and very different personalities, which manage to combine their relative talents significantly more efficiently than any of their Polish Jazz colleagues, despite the fact that the Polish scene is blessed with incredible abundance of wonderful musicians. The trio excels in is uncompromised pursue of individuality and eschews commercialism, even if it means to remote itself from the “fame and glory” of the legendary “Polish Jazz” series, where their previous album was released on, an association which ended with a painful divorce. There is no doubt that this album marks a new approach in the trio’s music making, with an emphasis on Free Improvisation. Although their earlier albums included plenty of advanced improvisation, it was never a focus of their recorded statements. The need to search for new forms of expression is not surprising in view of the fact that Polish Jazz scene is experiencing, perhaps to some degree influenced by the Covid-19 pandemic, a period of self-examination. RGG’s path in the last two decades is a reflection of the stellar development of the Polish Jazz during that period, which produced some of the best Jazz music on a world scale, but also seems to experience an identity / aesthetics crisis with the entry into the third decade of the 21st Century. Perhaps playing “more of the same” is simply not enough anymore? Jazz, like most other things, is mostly about balance… How much Free Improvisation is needed to express “freedom” in music is often heatedly discussed. This album does not expel completely melody, harmony and even romanticism from the music, but makes it more difficult for the listener to identify them, which sometimes might prove too difficult for some. Well, too much freedom causes chaos, and too little causes frustration, a question of balance… Personally I see this album as a “transitional experiment” by one of my favorite Jazz ensembles, and love and respect always require slack and acceptance. Their music always makes me want to hear the next album, and this one is no different. Overall, this is a courageous statement by mature Artists, who know what they want to say, obviously much better than anyone can guess. It takes a few listening sessions to get into, but, as usual in RGG’s case, the music becomes irresistible. This was a long and painful birth, well worth waiting for.

Updated: 09/12/2024Posted: 28/10/2021

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RGG ~ OCTOBER SUITE FSR 2022/09 (Barcode: 5904441617108) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2020 Released: 2022 This is a live album by Polish Jazz trio RGGFind albums by this artist, which comprises of pianist Lukasz OjdanaFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist, which was expanded to a sexted for the appearance at the 15th Ad Libitum Festival in Warsaw, recorded on October 17, 2020. The additional musicians are vocalist Marta GrzywaczFind albums by this artist, cornet player Artur MajewskiFind albums by this artist and flautist Dominik StrycharskiFind albums by this artist (the last two also use some electronic effects). The album presents a seven-part suite (on seven tracks), which remains uncredited and is assumed to be co-created by all the participants. The music appears to be completely freely improvised, with no melodic threads as such, but is beautifully coordinated between the participating musicians, who perform a group improvisation with great respect towards each other, exactly what such format demands. The music is sparse and most of the time minimalist, but occasionally intensifies into bursts of energetic exchange of common improvisations. The RGG trio leads the proceedings steadily and dominantly, with the excellent rhythm section firmly dictating the tempi and the piano spreading harmonic splashes, which build the fabric for the rest of the team to place their colorful ornaments on. For me, personally, the music creates strong visual associations, in addition to the obvious aural content. The individual contributions by all the participants are superb, and the excellent recording sound quality adds to the total result. Although Free Jazz / Improvised Music is rarely able to create music, which offers a lasting value, beyond the actual moment of being created, this album certainly offers a piece of music, which can be returned to periodically and enjoyed repeatedly. Overall, this is a wonderful example of Free Jazz / Improvised Music, which has a lasting value. Definitely not for casual listeners, but those who enjoy the convoluted minds of musicians, who eschew triviality and conformism, this is definitely a splendid occasion to enjoy themselves.

Updated: 12/01/2025Posted: 12/01/2025

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RGG ~ ONE NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 5905912559873) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2010 Released: 2011 This is the 5th album by the excellent Polish Jazz piano trio RGGFind albums by this artist, which comprises of pianist Przemyslaw RaminiakFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist. Its release marks the trio´s tenth anniversary and adds a new direction to the remarkable body of music already recorded by the trio. In contrast to its predecessor, that included only spontaneously improvised music, most of the music on this album is composed, either by the trio members or other well known Jazz composers like Carla BleyFind albums by this artist and Richie BeirachFind albums by this artist. Of the thirteen compositions presented here only two are free improvisations, which is unusual for them. All three RGG members are brilliant instrumentalists, but their performances together clearly create an outcome much bigger than the sum of its parts. The level of interplay, cooperation, mutual respect and understanding is truly phenomenal and the resulting music is able to move emotional mountains. To an attentive listener it is quite clear that even when they play relatively close to the original composition, RGG members display a high level of spontaneity, which is present only within the best piano trios in the world, like that of Keith JarrettFind albums by this artist, Gary PeacockFind albums by this artist and Jack DeJohnetteFind albums by this artist. Another rare quality of RGG is the active involvement of the bass player and drummer in the process of music creation. This is definitely not a pianist with a rhythm section, but an organic three-headed body making music together. This album can be a great service to the group as an introduction to their universe; surely anybody listening to it will want to explore their music further. People familiar with the Polish Jazz scene will immediately make the inevitable comparison between RGG and the "other" great Polish piano trio: Simple Acoustic TrioFind albums by this artist (or Marcin WasilewskiFind albums by this artist Trio). Comparisons of this sort are futile and have absolutely no sense, as both these trios play great music, each differently from the other. RGG are definitely closer to the Free / Improvised spirit of the music whereas Wasilewski´s trio is more disciplined and conventional, but both are examples of human talent and ingenuity of the highest ranking, which gives us all the immense pleasure of music. It´s worth to mention that the album was recorded at the Studio Tokarnia, the best sound studio in Poland, and engineered by the studio´s owner (and a gifted musician himself) Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, which explains the incredible sound quality of this album. This is an absolute must to every Jazz piano trio connoisseur and of course anybody with a right pair of ears to appreciate great music. Not to be missed under any circumstances!

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RGG ~ SCANDINAVIA PRK 050 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2003 Released: 2003 This is the debut album by the Polish Jazz ensemble RGGFind albums by this artist, which consists of pianist Przemyslaw RaminiakFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist. The album was recorded live in the Polish Radio Studio in Katowice as a result of the trio winning a competition the preceding year. At the time the trio was not using the RGG moniker and was known simply as Raminiak-Garbowski-Gradziuk Trio. The album includes seven original compositions, four of which are by the pianist and three by the bassist. Although obviously a work of young musicians, this is an incredibly impressive debut recording by any standard. The performances are remarkably mature and the compositions are both beautifully melodic and startlingly complex and excellently crafted. The overall level of this album is a clear indication of the potential this trio would fully develop in the years to come, reaching the status of one of the best Jazz ensembles in Europe today. As usual with RGG, it is all about interplay and cooperation. Although on this recording they perform similarly to the "classic" piano trio, with the piano often in the lead, the amount of solo space given to the rhythm section is higher than normal, expressing the egalitarianism and full sharing of performance duties by all three musicians. The arrangements of the compositions allow for expanded solo improvisations, which results in the individual tracks to be longer (mostly over ten minutes long) than the trio would utilize in future recordings. The drums are slightly too loud and dominant (at times), again something the trio will learn to avoid later on. But in all fairness, all things considered, this is still an astounding debut, way better than many albums recorded by Jazz veterans of international repute. In retrospect one can see that in the span of the decade since RGG got together, their recordings are a wonderful evidence of artistry in the making, getting stronger and above all constantly developing. After all they are still incredibly young and the world is all ahead. I do wish them all the best as they give me so much pleasure in their music. God Bless! This album is only available in a limited edition pressing and I doubt it is available anywhere, so perhaps it´s time to consider a remastered reissue?

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RGG ~ STRAIGHT STORY BCD 07 (Barcode: 5906881885062) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2004 Released: 2006 This is the 2nd album (and first studio recording) by the Polish Jazz ensemble RGGFind albums by this artist, which consists of pianist Przemyslaw RaminiakFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist. The album´s title track was inspired by the classic film of the same name, directed by David LynchFind albums by this artist. Of the eleven tracks on the album ten are credited to the trio and one is a standard. Considering the fact that this album is in many respects the artistic debut by three young musicians, the quality of the music and the performances are absolutely phenomenal. All the qualities, which will be fully developed on the RGG trio´s later recordings, are already there: the incredible interplay, the lyricism and unique perception of melody and above all the freedom of expression. It is almost frightening to see anonymous (at the time) musician create such a sophisticated, advanced and complex music, often years ahead of many Jazz veterans, who made little advance during their entire career. It is pretty obvious that these young musicians knew pretty well where they wanted to go musically. Their self-confidence, as demonstrated by their performances here, is remarkable and was about to become a key element in the development of their future careers, both as an ensemble and as individuals. A certain level of naïveté is apparent, but it is charming and in retrospect only emphasizes how good the trio was even at the outset of their musical path. This is a beautiful and almost perfect piano trio album, which should be part of even the most selective record collections. It is a gem, not only among the Polish Jazz albums, but among anything recorded in first decade of the 21st Century. Satisfaction guaranteed!

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RGG ~ SZYMANOWSKI FONOGRAFIKA (Barcode: 5903292104843) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2013 This is the sixth album by the exquisite Polish Jazz piano trio RGGFind albums by this artist, and their first release following the changeover of their piano player, with Lukasz OjdanaFind albums by this artist replacing the founding member Przemyslaw RaminiakFind albums by this artist. For a piano trio the replacement of the pianist is equivalent more or less to a heart transplant in a human body, which is of course a tremendous upheaval. The fact that such transition not only is possible, but is eventually successful is nothing short of a miracle. Bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist should be congratulated for going through this experience unspoiled and unshaken in their team spirit. The fact that the trio chose to retain its name (rather than changing it to OGG for example) is a most welcome sign of respect towards their departed colleague and the will to continue the splendid tradition they created so far, a fine and very rare example of camaraderie winning over ego. But the drama surrounding this album does not end with the personnel change; for the first time the trio decided to pay homage to a Classical composer, in this case the Polish early-20th Century pianist / composer Karol SzymanowskiFind albums by this artist. Szymanowski, a brilliant early-modernist / impressionist, who combined Polish Folklore and modernist compositional tools, is a rather neglected figure on the Polish scene, which is a great shame. Therefore the fact that RGG decided to make him the center of their new recording fits perfectly their non-conformist approach towards music. Of the thirteen tracks on this album, nine are interpretations of compositions by Szymanowski, three are composed by the bassist and the remaining one is a group composition. The original compositions are of course "in spiritu" inspired by the great composer. Following decades of Polish Jazz musicians obsessively interpreting the music of Frederic ChopinFind albums by this artist, it´s truly refreshing to hear some musicians turning the attention to other great Polish composers, like Szymanowski in this case. What remains unchanged is the trio´s basic approach to music, full of freedom, beautiful silence between the notes, total dedication and amazing intellectual command, which takes the music to lofty peaks. Ideally, the listener of this music should be familiar, at least to some extent, with the original music by Szymanowski, but being realistic, this will be the case only in reference to very few listeners. But this music is so powerful and stunning, that it completely stands on its own as well. RGG managed again to create a sonic universe of its own, which keeps the tradition of the original music at its core alive a Century later, transforming it to contemporary set if aesthetic values and parameters. Perhaps this recording will inspire new listeners to discover Szymanowski, after listening to this gorgeous music: a double winner after all. It makes no sense to compare Ojdana with Raminiak and additionally it means absolutely nothing as far as the music is concerned; the only thing that matters is the fact that he became an organic part of the trio, fitting ideally with his two partners and cooperating with them symbiotically and creatively. And most importantly the level of talent of virtuosity displayed by RGG was not lessened by an iota, which firmly places them at the very top of Jazz piano trios not only in their native Poland, but worldwide, easily! I´ve already written extensively about the talents of Messrs. Garbowski & Gradziuk, suffice to say they are without a doubt closer to Euterpe then most others I happened to have the pleasure to listen to. The trio maintains the tradition of recording their albums at the now legendary Studio Tokarnia, under the auspices of the resident sound wizard Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist. The result is nothing short of spectacular, which stands its ground to any ECMFind albums on this label recording, again with ease. Therefore for all intents and purposes this album is equivalent to a Keith JarrettFind albums by this artist trio album on ECM; it simply does not get any better than this.

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RGG ~ TRUE STORY – IN TWO ACTS NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 5905912555738) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2008 Released: 2009 This is the 4th album by the Polish Jazz ensemble RGGFind albums by this artist, which consists of pianist Przemyslaw RaminiakFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist. A monumental undertaking recorded "live" in the studio in just two days and resulting in two CDs, each presenting sixteen pieces, varying in duration from just over a minute to over six minutes, all of which are on the spot improvisations, except for the first introductory piece on each CD. All the music is accredited to all three RGG members. The album was recorded in the legendary Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, the studio owner, a guarantee of superb sonic quality. The album´s title, consistent with the titles of the two albums which preceded this release, includes the word "story", which clearly points out to the fact that the trio members conceive their music-making as a process of storytelling, metaphysically of course, but nevertheless quite significantly. Music is, after all, a reflection of the musician´s personality and his life experience, not just a detached intellectual creation of his mind. The storytelling influences the character of the music dramatically and is responsible for it being wonderfully communicative, even though it is completely free stylistically. RGG manage to create perhaps the most "talkative" form of Free Jazz ever encountered, which enables every Jazz listener, including those with little or even no Free Jazz experience, to absorb and most importantly enjoy this music. Amazingly, the album creates an overall aura of serenity and composure, although it is in fact full of creative tensions and convolutions. As in all piano trio music, and especially in case the music is highly improvised, the key element is the musical bond developed between the trio members, which in the best of cases involves truly telepathic communication. RGG definitely fall in that category, displaying an amazing level of group consciousness, collective improvisation ability and above all enormous mutual respect. The solo spot moves freely between the instruments, as the trio members clearly share the storytelling duties equally, supporting and complimenting each other rather than competing with each other. This incredible level of cooperation is the trio´s most formidable asset. But of course each of the trio members is a great instrumentalist, regardless if he plays solo or is part of the duo and trio format. Perhaps more so that in any other piano trio setting, RGG eschews the concept of a "leader" and presents a concept of a music unit, which is much greater than a sum of its parts. That is why RGG is able to produce such extraordinary music, which has few equals anywhere in the world. Polish Jazz aficionados will of course try the unavoidable comparison between RGG and the "other" great Polish Jazz piano trio, the Simple Acoustic TrioFind albums by this artist. For a true music lover there is no competition here whatsoever, and these two great ensembles compliment each other rather than compete with each other. Polish Jazz is simply lucky to have two such brilliant piano trios creating music in tandem. This is definitely some of the finest Polish Jazz ever recorded, and some of the most wonderful piano trio music ever created. It would be criminal to miss this album, something a true music connoisseur should avoid at all costs. This stuff is essential for the mental health of those, who are lucky to immerse in its splendor.

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RGG ~ UNFINISHED STORY – REMEMBERING KOSZ ECNALUMBA ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2007 Released: 2007 This is the 3rd album by the Polish Jazz ensemble RGGFind albums by this artist, which consists of pianist Przemyslaw RaminiakFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist. As the title suggests, it is dedicated to the memory of the great Polish Jazz pianist / composer Mieczyslaw KoszFind albums by this artist, who died tragically at the ridiculous age of 29, leaving behind him just a handful of recordings and a memory of a brilliant musician, who was destined for greatness, but missed the opportunity; an unfinished story indeed. The Polish Jazz scene produced a multitude of tribute albums over the years, most of which commemorate the Godfather of Polish Jazz, pianist / composer Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist. Many of these albums are excellent and worth listening to, but the decision made by RGG to follow a less obvious path (which seems to me their favorite modus operandi) and create a tribute to a much lesser known figure is truly courageous and admirable, especially in view of the fact that rather than present their interpretation of the music composed by Kosz, they created an "in spiritu" homage. Of the twelve tracks on the album only two are compositions by Kosz and one is a classical piece, which he used as a basis for improvisation (see "ReminiscenceFind albums with this title", his only album released during his lifetime). The rest of the album is all original and was mostly composed by Raminiak, Garbowski or co-composed by these two. Two tracks are group improvisations and are credited to the trio. The members of RGG concentrate on the less obvious side of the Kosz musical heritage. Although mostly portrayed as a romantic and lyrical player in the Bill EvansFind albums by this artist vein, he also displayed an enormous longing for the free form improvisation, keeping the melodic fluidity intact, an element RGG members explore to the max. Therefore, although the album is seemingly almost romantically melodic, this is just a clever illusion masterfully created by the RGG musicians. In fact an attentive listening will reveal that most of the music is full of free elements, amalgamated in a way that emphasizes an "organized and orderly freedom". As usual, RGG members display a phenomenal interplay, switching the spotlight from one instrument to another, changing tempi and melodic hints, all of that with elegance and flair, which keep them apart from most other piano trios in Jazz today. Although not explicitly specified on the album´s cover, it was recorded in the legendary Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, the studio owner, a guarantee of superb sonic quality. The musical quality is of course beyond reproach, and this album joins the other albums by RGG as some of the most important Polish Jazz recordings and superb gems of piano trio Jazz.

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RGG / LYYTINEN / BLASER ~ CITY OF GARDENS VOL. 2 VOICE MUSIC 1011 (Barcode: 5906489287527) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2021 Released: 2024 This is an album by Polish Jazz trio RGGFind albums by this artist (pianist Lukasz OjdanaFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist), joined by Finnish saxophonist Pauli LyytinenFind albums by this artist and Swiss trombonist Samuel BlaserFind albums by this artist. The “Vol. 2” refers to the album recorded by a similar quintet, but with Finnish trumpeter Verneri PohjolaFind albums by this artist instead of Lyytinen, released in 2018. The album presents seven tracks, five of which are improvised by the quintet and two are composed by Garbowski. The album offers a stunning sound quality. The music reflects the steady shift of RGG towards Improvised Music, which happened gradually during the twenty plus years of their music making together, and is, in retrospect, one of the most fascinating musical journeys on the Polish Jazz scene. All three members of the trio are brilliant instrumentalists, capable of producing a mesmerizing flow of music, which never loses its coherence and melodic footing, even when it journeys into the Free Improvisation sphere, all of which is wonderfully documented on their impressive recorded legacy, carefully assembled over the last two decades. Another aspect of RGG’s musical journey is the openness towards other musicians from all over the world, which also yielded superb recordings, like the a.m. earlier “City Of GardensFind albums with this title” album or their cooperation with British improvisers, like Trevor WattsFind albums by this artist or Evan ParkerFind albums by this artist. The open-mindedness and empathy required in such circumstances is superbly documented on this album as well, which is a beautiful example of spontaneity and telepathic musical bonding at their best. Overall, this is a deeply moving, elegant and truly inspiring example of Improvised Music at its best, full of elegance and eloquence, coherency and aesthetics, which makes listening to music such a pleasure. An absolute gem!

Updated: 09/12/2024Posted: 09/12/2024

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RGG / POHJOLA / BLASER ~ CITY OF GARDENS FSR 2018/08 (Barcode: 5905279364318) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is a live recording by Polish Jazz trio RGGFind albums by this artist (pianist Lukasz OjdanaFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist), expanded to a European quintet with the addition of the Finnish trumpeter Verneri PohjolaFind albums by this artist and Swiss trombonist Samuel BlaserFind albums by this artist. The music was recorded during the quintet´s concert at the XII Silesian Jazz Festival in Katowice, with yours truly present in the audience and therefore also, at least spiritually, a part of this recording. The album presents five original compositions, all by Garbowski. Although the Polish Jazz scene always had an abundance of excellent Jazz piano trios, RGG certainly deserve a special mention in every respect. Their quest for musical perfection and constant searching, their openness and uncompromising aesthetics, their ability to survive the change of the pianist and continue safe and sound in a natural progression and above all their personal charm are all truly unique. I have of course followed the trio´s development from day one, collectively and individually, and consider them to be a quintessential paradigm of the young post-Millennium Polish Jazz scene. The trio´s previous live recording, which placed them alongside the veteran British avant-gardist Evan ParkerFind albums by this artist and their recordings with Polish vocalist Anna GadtFind albums by this artist opened another chapter in their approach to music, namely their hunger to develop collaborations with musicians from outside the trio´s closed habitat. This led also to work first with Pohjola and then also Blaser, which we are able to hear on this album. Although credited to Gradziuk, the music is of course mostly improvised and the lengthy, between ten and fifteen minutes long tracks, are an orgy of controlled spontaneity and free fall, which is completely captivating. The quintet goes through all the possible iterations, with musicians playing solo or in duo, trio, quartet and quintet settings, all impulsively forming on the stage. But with all that openness and freedom, which can be heard throughout, there is also a magic coherency and discipline, which sets boundaries and defines the scope and form of the music at any given point. This miraculous ability to play free and at the same time show a clear direction is the most important ingredient, which makes this music what it is. The individual statements are all phenomenal, which is hardly a surprise. Pohjola is definitely stealing a lot of the attention, as his trumpet pyrotechnics are breathtaking, but at the same time his playing is incredibly melodic, lyrical and often purely romantic. Blaser, already a young veteran of the trombone scene, has an incredible technique and no lesser feel, and the sound he is able to produce with his instrument is a ceaseless box of wanders. RGG – oh well they are the locomotive which carries this music along, a stylish carriage full of chic and aesthetic beauty and a red Lamborghini which adds zest and gusto. This is definitely some of the best Jazz music one can listen to these days, and I wish it gets to as many people as possible, as it is unconditionally superb. I am happy to be friends with these guys and proud of their achievements – they are the kind of people that do not let you down – and that is so rare. Thanks for the music!

Updated: 08/06/2018Posted: 08/06/2018

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RGG / TREVOR WATTS ~ RAFA FSR 2018/13 (Barcode: 5905279364363) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 Following the live album recorded with legendary British Jazz saxophonist Evan ParkerFind albums by this artist in 2016, Polish Jazz trio RGGFind albums by this artist – pianist Lukasz OjdanaFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist – return this time in the company of another British Jazz Colossus, saxophonist Trevor WattsFind albums by this artist, in a similar setting of live recording, performing spontaneously created Improvised Music. The album presents five pieces, obviously credited to all four musicians, lasting on average about fourteen minutes each. The music was superbly recorded and offers an astounding sound quality. The music is an epitome of everything Improvised Music stands for; sublime interplay between the participants, breathtaking individual expressions, virtuosic instrumental displays and mesmerizing coherence, which together engulf the listener from the very first dramatic cry of the saxophone to the very last overtone seventy minutes later; an orgy of sounds and feelings which is every bit as merciless as it is strikingly uplifting. RGG and Watts sound as if they have been playing together since the beginning of Time and rehearsing this material since forever, which of course happens only to the absolute best among musicians. Both parties are known for their openness and absolute disregard of boundaries, which is obvious herein, resulting in total acceptance of each other on one hand and profound mutual respect on the other. The level of togetherness and telepathic conversation is astounding and the resulting music is a group statement every inch of the way. For Improvised Music cognoscenti, the music on this album is a classic example of European approach towards improvisation; based on balance between freedom and discipline, intellect and emotion, harmonic progression and rhythmic fluidity. Watts, one of the iconic figures of the British Jazz emancipation and pioneer of exploration of the Jazz idiom way beyond its mainstream origins, which he faithfully continues since the 1960s, feels completely at ease with his much younger cohorts, who represent the East European Jazz school characterized by its lyricism and intrinsic melancholy, and manages to combine his typical Britishness with the Slavic approach embodied in RGG´s statements. This aesthetic European Unity (Brexit aside) is a phenomenon that is unique to European Jazz, and sets it completely apart from whatever is happening across the pond. I have been blessed and lucky to follow closely the careers of Watts and RGG since their onset and hearing them performing together is nothing short of bliss for me personally, but I am also convinced that every refined and experienced Jazz and Improvised Music connoisseur will find this music absolutely wonderful in every respect. This is definitely one of the best live albums that arrived on my desk in 2018, and I am profoundly grateful to its creators.

Updated: 16/12/2018Posted: 16/12/2018

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PIOTR SCHMIDT ~ DARK FORECAST SJ 052 (Barcode: 5902596066635) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2020 Released: 2020 Polish trumpeter / composer Piotr SchmidtFind albums by this artist returns, undeterred by the pandemic that is changing the face of our globe, to share with us some joyful moments inspired by the music we love so much. Supported by his regular quartet, which includes top Polish Jazz musicians: pianist Wojciech NiedzielaFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist, Schmidt presents a set of nine wonderful original compositions and two arrangements of compositions by the Godfather of Polish Jazz, Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, which offers a highly aesthetic Jazz experience, superbly amalgamating the mainstream Jazz tradition and more open European attitudes. Two North American players, Canadian guitarist Matthew StevensFind albums by this artist and US saxophonist Walter Smith IIIFind albums by this artist, guest on six of the tracks, transforming the quartet into a quintet and spicing the proceedings with an enhanced instrumental variety. Although the majority of the music is firmly based on the beautifully weaved melodic themes, there is also plenty of space for more freely improvised playing, which characterizes contemporary Polish Jazz tendencies, clearly proving that the quartet is able to operate brilliantly in both idioms with the same ease and elegance. Attentive listening will reveal the incredible level of musicality and creativity displayed by these seasoned musicians. The quartet is by far more than just a trumpeter accompanied by a piano trio; it is an organic body performing music as one, which fully shares the responsibility for the final result. Just close your eyes and listen… The album closes with a tune called "A Place Of Hope…" which clearly reflects the universal human sentiment we all share today. Hope for times when the dark forecast will change into brightness and this and every other kind of music can be shared by thousands of people attending live concerts again… Side Note The above are my liner notes included on this album's artwork. I am honored when asked by the Artists to write liner notes for their albums, always hoping that my words reflect the true spirit of the music. This is also a symbol of our mutual respect and friendship developed over the years. The same is also true when Record Labels ask me to write liner notes for their releases, mostly in the case of reissues of archival albums, which is a symbol of their appreciation of my knowledge and historical perspective and my recognition of their dedication to the preservation of the history of recorded music and the effort to keep human Culture and Aesthetics alive.

Updated: 17/01/2021Posted: 17/01/2021

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PIOTR SCHMIDT ~ SAXESFUL SJ 032 (Barcode: 5912596066658) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 What is this thing called Jazz? This question seems to reverberate for over a Century now among Jazz musicians, connoisseurs of the genre and scholars of the idiom, with the answer intractably remaining as elusive and mysterious, as the very nature of the music itself. Perhaps the splendor of Jazz is characterized by the inability to define or even properly describe it? Jazz keeps evolving and growing as an Art Form, combining its tradition with new discoveries and innovation, which soon after become part of the essence of the same Jazz idiom, in a perpetuum mobile like fashion. Polish Jazz, one of the most vital and ingenious local scenes on the world scale, which started while the country was still isolated from the rest of the world by the Iron Curtain, managed to flourish and explode artistically over the years, against all odds. Today Poland is a Jazz Super Power, leading the European Jazz scene in every aspect, all thanks to the seemingly inexhaustible influx of young and talented musicians, who treat their Jazz as seriously as their life. Piotr SchmidtFind albums by this artist (born 1985) is certainly one of those Polish Jazz mavericks. Not only is he well educated, talented and ambitious, but he is also a restless entrepreneur, record label owner, bandleader and educator who keeps constantly coming up with new ideas, maintaining his Jazz alive and kicking. This album is only one of such ideas, but the scale and audacity required to put such a project into life can be understood only by the cognoscenti of the Jazz scene. This album is a multilayered tribute to the Jazz tradition. It presents seven classic Jazz standards, each performed by the core quartet and featuring a different saxophonist. The list of the saxophonists reads like the who´s who of Polish Jazz and is also an obvious tribute to Polish Jazz itself. With their ages ranging from Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist (born 1936), Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist (born 1939), Henryk MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist (born 1951), Maciej SikalaFind albums by this artist (born 1961), Piotr BaronFind albums by this artist (born 1961), Adam WendtFind albums by this artist (born 1962) and finally Grzech PiotrowskiFind albums by this artist (born 1974), i.e. four generations of Polish Jazz players, they represent the incredible power and stylistic versatility of the scene. The core quartet is by no means less impressive, featuring Schmidt on trumpet, pianist Wojciech NiedzielaFind albums by this artist and Poland´s top rhythm section comprised of bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist, all of which have a most impressive list of achievements under their arms. But tributes and history aside, this album is also a wonderful collection of great tunes, beautifully performed and entertaining, in the most positive meaning of the word. Jazz is, after all, also a source of unadulterated pleasure to those, who love it, and this album is certainly a concentrated dose of such pleasure. Enjoy! Adam Baruch, August 2018 Side Note The above are my liner notes included on this album's artwork. I am honored when asked by the Artists to write liner notes for their albums, always hoping that my words reflect the true spirit of the music. This is also a symbol of our mutual respect and friendship developed over the years. The same is also true when Record Labels ask me to write liner notes for their releases, mostly in the case of reissues of archival albums, which is a symbol of their appreciation of my knowledge and historical perspective and my recognition of their dedication to the preservation of the history of recorded music and the effort to keep human Culture and Aesthetics alive.

Updated: 19/09/2018Posted: 19/09/2018

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PIOTR SCHMIDT ~ SAXESFUL VOL II SJ 056 (Barcode: 5902596066703) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2021 It’s not a secret that when recording an album, the producer often “thinks ahead” and takes the opportunity of the studio sessions already in place to record much more material than actually needed to complete one album. This is exactly the case with the recording sessions for the album “SaxesfulFind albums with this title”, which took place in 2018, recorded by Polish Jazz trumpeter, composer, bandleader, record label owner and producer Piotr SchmidtFind albums by this artist. Following the hiatus of the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent passing of Piotr’s Father, Prof. Andrzej SchmidtFind albums by this artist, an iconic figure on the Polish Jazz scene, whom I had a great pleasure to meet many a time, Piotr decided to return to the unreleased material from the “Saxesful” sessions and release a follow up album with that material, among other things to commemorate his Father’s memory. The concept of “Saxesful” was to present a series of Polish Jazz saxophonists, each playing on a different track. This second volume does exactly the same, presenting six classic Jazz standards, each performed by the core quartet and featuring a different saxophonist. The list of the saxophonists reads like the who´s who of Polish Jazz and is also an obvious tribute to Polish Jazz itself. With their ages ranging from Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist (born 1936), Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist (born 1939), Henryk MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist (born 1951), Maciej SikalaFind albums by this artist (born 1961), Adam WendtFind albums by this artist (born 1962) and finally Grzech PiotrowskiFind albums by this artist (born 1974), i.e. four generations of Polish Jazz players, they represent the incredible power and stylistic versatility of the scene. The core quartet is by no means less impressive, featuring Schmidt on trumpet, pianist Wojciech NiedzielaFind albums by this artist and Poland´s top rhythm section comprised of bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist, all of which have a most impressive list of achievements under their arms. My Grandmother loved to quote the Polish proverb, which says: ”Those, who eat the leftovers are smooth and beautiful” (In Polish: “Kto zjada ostatki, ten jest piękny i gładki”). The meaning of this proverb is, that leftovers are as good, if not better, than the original food and should not be discarded, which applies exactly to the music on this album in every sense, and it would have been a shame to leave this music unreleased. Once again we have here a feast great classic Jazz music and first rate performances, which is a tribute to the genre itself, Polish Jazz history and tradition and a great listening experience. Enjoy! Side Note The above are my liner notes included on this album's artwork. I am honored when asked by the Artists to write liner notes for their albums, always hoping that my words reflect the true spirit of the music. This is also a symbol of our mutual respect and friendship developed over the years. The same is also true when Record Labels ask me to write liner notes for their releases, mostly in the case of reissues of archival albums, which is a symbol of their appreciation of my knowledge and historical perspective and my recognition of their dedication to the preservation of the history of recorded music and the effort to keep human Culture and Aesthetics alive.

Updated: 30/08/2021Posted: 30/08/2021

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PIOTR SCHMIDT ~ TRIBUTE TO TOMASZ STANKO SJ 038 (Barcode: 5912596066696) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is an album by Polish Jazz trumpeter / composer / bandleader / entrepreneur Piotr SchmidtFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet setting with pianist Wojciech NiedzielaFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist. The album presents twelve compositions, eight of which are credited to all four members of the quartet, two were composed by Schmidt and one each were composed by Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist and Bartosz PieszkaFind albums by this artist. The death of the Polish / European Jazz icon, trumpeter / composer / bandleader Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, in June of 2018, marked an end of a chapter, or rather an end of an era in European Jazz. Although in recent years many of the most prominent representatives of post WWII European Jazz sadly departed, Stanko was in many respects more than most an epitome of modern European Jazz and his life and career exemplified the most important characteristics of the idiom. His relentless search of uncharted territory, complete disregard of fads and fashions, his open-mindedness and chameleonic, often extremely dramatic changes in his stylistic approach to Jazz and above all his aesthetics, with reminded uncompromising till the very end, were all also often characteristic of many other leading European Jazz Masters, who managed to create an entirely new form of the Jazz essence, completely free of the limitations and shackles enslaving the genre in the past. Tributes are a tricky business, especially so in the case of iconic figures, which were active for decades and managed to produce not only a rich legacy of recorded music, but more importantly were constantly groundbreaking and innovative. How can a "tribute" album express a respectful and artistically coherent picture of an icon? It takes a lot of courage and determination to attempt a tribute recording, which will be meaningful and offer some intrinsic value beyond being just a reflection of the light of a Giant, with the possibility of failure always lurking in the background. Considering the fact that Stanko´s legacy was to a large extent involved with Avant-Garde, Improvised Music and Free Jazz, whereas Schmidt consistently dedicates his career to more mainstream manifestations of the Jazz idiom, always emphasizing melody, harmony, ambience and lyricism, the first reaction to the idea of Schmidt recording a Stanko tribute might be that of disbelief and surprise. But Schmidt already proved to be a mastermind of invention in the past and this time he has surely outdone himself, by finding an ingredient of Stanko´s legacy that fits like a glove to his own modus operandi. As a result Schmidt, rather than creating a "general" tribute to Stanko, decided to put the spotlight on the gentler side of the Stanko´s heritage – Stanko the charmer, the balladeer, the weaver of heartbreakingly beautiful melodies, in short Stanko the Gentle Giant. The resulting concept presents an album full of beautiful, melodic, lyrical Jazz, which strongly resembles that gentle side of Stanko that we all love, but at the same time is completely original as far as the music itself is concerned. The atmosphere and ambience of the album are wonderfully coherent and the music flows serenely penetrating directly the very soul of the listener. The decision of not using and specific tunes composed by Stanko, but creating instead music that "might have been composed" by him is of course brilliant in every respect. The quartet performing the music is ideal for the task. Garbowski and Gradziuk played with Stanko in the recent years and know his music intimately, and their position as one of the leading Polish Jazz rhythm sections is fully justified. They add the ingredients of space and freedom to the quartet´s playing, which is exactly what this music needs to make it completely unwavering and related to Stanko´s musical spirit. Niedziela is beautifully romantic and expressive, with each and every note he plays being exactly what is needed to make the overall sound perfect. Schmidt plays delightfully as well, rather sparingly and delicately, again exactly right for what this music needs. At times, with the eyes closed, his trumpet sounds exactly like Stanko´s, but obviously Schmidt is not trying to imitate Stanko´s playing but, as the entire album does, reproduce the very Stankoish ambience and spirituality. Overall this is a wonderfully executed and cleverly planned piece of music, which achieves the ambitious goal assigned to it in full. It is also a textbook example of what "tribute" albums should sound like, as well as a wonderful example of a bridge over a chasm of the infamous generation gap, which enables a smooth transition of the heritage from one generation to another. Polish Jazz at its best!

Updated: 02/10/2022Posted: 23/11/2018

CD 1 Slipcase Recommend To A Friend

WEI3 ~ KALIKO CIRCUM 009 ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the debut album by the International Jazz trio WEI3Find albums by this artist, which comprises of German (of Indian origin) pianist Jarry SinglaFind albums by this artist, Polish bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and French drummer Peter OrinsFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original compositions, five of which are by Singla, four by Garbowski and one is a sacral piece. Although basically a classic Jazz piano trio, WEI3 takes this format way beyond its typical modus operandi, venturing deeply into modern Jazz with many degrees of freedom and spontaneity. Although melody based, the music allows for exploration of different tonalities and the use of electronics, although moderate, adds yet another dimension to the proceedings. Some World Music influences are also present. The individual performances by these three musicians are spectacular from start to finish and their combined talents create an ensemble sound, which is very challenging, intelligent and deeply aesthetic, reflecting the best European qualities found in contemporary Jazz Overall this is a superb debut effort, which emphasizes the endless possibilities for Jazz to constantly develop and conquer uncharted territory. The greatest asset of this album is the fact that the music is very advanced and challenging and yet seems to be perfectly acceptable by the vast majority of Jazz listeners, making it an excellent tool to develop the understanding and love of non-trivial music. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 21/04/2017Posted: 21/04/2017

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

JAN PTASZYN WROBLEWSKI ~ ON THE ROAD VOL.2 FOR TUNE 0162 (Barcode: 5906395808779) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2003 - 2020 Released: 2023 As the title suggests, this is the second volume of an archival live album by the Polish Jazz Colossus and Godfather of the local Jazz scene, saxophonist / composer / bandleader Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist, born in 1936. The album presents five tracks recorded in a quartet setting with pianist Wojciech NiedzielaFind albums by this artist, bassists Jacek Niedziela-MeiraFind albums by this artist, Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist or Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and drummer Marcin JahrFind albums by this artist. The tracks were recorded between 2003 and 2020. One track is an original composition by Wroblewski and the rest are standards. Everything I wrote about the first volume of this album (“On The Road Vol.1Find albums with this title”) still applies, so I am simply repeating it again below, in case someone reads this first. The music is all mainstream oriented, combining elements of Bebop and typical Polish Jazz lyricism, based on beautiful melodic themes, which Wroblewski has been spinning for decades with great skill and craftsmanship. Despite his age, his saxophone playing remains masterful and unblemished. Although the first and the second recording are separated by seventeen years, there is no noticeable / audible difference in his performing ability. I had ample ability to hear the Master perform live during these years, and was always amazed by his longevity and imperishable gift of handling his instrument. The five musicians accompanying Wroblewski, all much younger than him, reflect the incredible level of the local talent, carrying the torch he and a few others ignited decades earlier. Their performances are all impeccable. This beautifully produced and released album is an obvious tribute to the Man behind the notes, a symbol and a living history of the Polish Jazz movement. Overall, this is a loving tribute to a man, who symbolizes the Polish Jazz scene for decades and who contributed enormously to its development, admired by his peers as much as the by the younger generations of Polish Jazz musicians. Luckily he can enjoy this gift of love and admiration, while still with us.

Updated: 01/06/2023Posted: 01/06/2023

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

ZAKROCKI / GARBOWSKI / GRADZIUK ~ BALLADS & BLUES FSR 2024/05 (Barcode: 5904441617467) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2022 Released: 2024 This is a 2CD album by Polish Improvising Music trio comprising of guitarist Patryk ZakrockiFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer / percussionist Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist (the last two being 2/3 of the RGGFind albums by this artist trio). The album, recorded during a single studio session, presents seventeen improvised pieces, which remain uncredited and as appropriate in these circumstances are assumed to be co-created spontaneously by the three musicians. As the title suggests, ten of the tracks are entitled “Blues” I to X and seven are entitled “Ballad” I to VII, depending of the musical inspiration prevailing at the time of their creation. The music is hyper-minimalist, which means that both the volume and the density are sparse and although seemingly a lot is happening the result is extremely humble, unassuming and intimate. The flow and development of the music is almost painfully slow and challenges the listener’s patience, almost assuming that the listener is willing to enter a state of trance, which would enable to absorb the music more subconsciously than analytically. One might compare this music to the American Minimalists, like Terry Riley and Steve Reich, but the parallelism is only partly applicable here, as this music is not as cyclic as that variation of minimalism, and there is subtle, but definite sense of development herein, which eases the feel of void and stagnation and points towards coherent goal. Obviously, this is not music for a wide range of listeners, surely not contemporary ones, with an attention span measured in seconds. It does require open-mindedness, patience and musical aesthetics, which usually comes with time and effort. There are almost two hours of music here, of highly inspired, unusual and extremely delicate music, which probably will grasp the hearts of few… sadly the destiny of all exceptional and unconventional musical experiments. Overall, this is a deeply engaging musical message, almost impregnable to a casual listener, but mesmerizing to those, who are able and willing to make the effort required in this case in order to absorb and accept this music for what it is: a ladder to a higher musical consciousness. The tougher the rind, the sweeter the fruit, comes to mind.

Updated: 11/12/2024Posted: 11/12/2024

CD 2 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend