Record Reviews

TOMASZ DABROWSKI / TYSHAWN SOREY DUO ~ STEPS FOR TUNE 0005 (Barcode: 5902768701050) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2013 The trumpet / drums duos have been a source of several milestone Jazz collaborations and recordings in the past and this challenging format stimulated the duo members to reach new musical heights and discover previously untraveled paths. This album is another example of this format, this time by two young musicians originating seemingly from two different cultures and born thousands of miles apart: the Polish trumpeter / composer Tomasz DabrowskiFind albums by this artist (age 28) and the American drummer / composer Tyshawn SoreyFind albums by this artist (age 32). The album was recorded in New York and comprises of ten original compositions, all by Dabrowski. The music is all about freedom, but remains beautifully confined within defined structures, both melodically and rhythmically. The themes and improvisations stated by the trumpet go perfectly hand in hand with the rhythmic patterns and polyrhythmic excursions produced by the drum set. The duo format is, a priori, extremely difficult as far as managing a balance between the two participants, especially for the entire duration of an album, but this is one of the most well balanced duo albums ever recorded. Dabrowski and Sorey simply float along each other like a pair of lovers in perfect emotional harmony. It is difficult to estimate how much of this was pre-arranged and rehearsed and how much is spontaneous, but considering that it was all recorded in one session, the unity and cooperation are simply stunning. The individual statements by the two players are also first rate. Dabrowski is steadily climbing to the very top of Polish Jazz trumpet player´s league, being incredibly prolific as a composer and polishing his virtuosity as a player. His versatility is also quite incredible, considering the different settings and stylistic areas he was involved with in the relatively short span of his career. Sorey, who already established his position as one of the most interesting young generation players in the US, displays his masterly technique but above all his wonderful musicality and sense of melody. These two lions are definitely part of the Jazz future, proving again that geography and nationality have absolutely no meaning when artistry prevails. Music connoisseurs around the world should find this album worthy their attention for many reasons: the rarity of the setting, the excellence of the performances and the honesty and elegance that this project radiates to the listener. Hopefully this meeting of souls will take place again sometime in the future with similar results. The album was released by the excellent new Polish For TuneFind albums on this label label, which presents not only specific aesthetics as far as musical choices are concerned, but also a unified graphic design, all in the best tradition of European Jazz labels. This album also features liner notes by my friend and colleague Maciej NowotnyFind albums by this artist, which are informative and well written. A true gem!

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA ~ KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA W POLSKIM RADIU VOL.04 – SOPHIA`S TUNE POLSKIE RADIO 1864 (Barcode: 5907812248642) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1963 - 1964 Released: 2014 This is the fourth installment in a new series of albums launched by the Polish Radio, which presents radio recordings by the Godfather of Polish Jazz, pianist / composer / bandleader Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist. Komeda is of course the most familiar name associated with Polish Jazz and his legacy is of crucial importance to Polish and European Jazz. Considering the fact that Komeda´s studio recordings are relatively scarce, the radio recordings are in fact the main source of his recorded legacy, as they include among others the Jazz Jamboree festival appearances by Komeda and his various ensembles over the years. Recorded in 1963 and 1964 during the sixth and seventh edition of the seminal Jazz Jamboree Festival in Warsaw, this collection showcases the legendary Komeda Quintet, which in many respects was the quintessential vehicle, which presented Komeda´s music at its pinnacle. The quintet included, besides Komeda of course, trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist and drummer Czeslaw BartkowskiFind albums by this artist, who play on both dates, and bassist Maciej SuzinFind albums by this artist who plays on the 1963 date and Janusz KozlowskiFind albums by this artist who plays on the 1964 date. The album includes only five compositions, all originals by Komeda, which get an extended treatment which stretches around seventeen minutes for three of the tunes, twelve minutes for the fourth and six minutes for the tune which gives the album its titles, dedicated to Komeda´s wife Zofia. This is obviously some of the most important Jazz music recorded in Poland during the early days of modern Polish Jazz, but also some of the most important European Jazz, which was shaping out at the time as a new wave of independent thinking, based on American Jazz tradition, but expanding the known realm with new ideas and European legacy, melancholy, folklore and other prominent factors, which eventually were to create a completely new genre altogether. Komeda´s outstanding ability to weave beautiful melodies, combined with the virtuosity of his quintet´s members, reach unprecedented emotional and aesthetic levels, which to this day can hardly be matched. This music is a cradle of modern European Jazz, ultra modern and even Avant-Garde at the time, which almost completely rebels against American mainstream Jazz, simply doing whatever feels right, in complete disregard of conventions and stylistic limitations. The tunes develop almost spontaneously, often from a riff or a chord sequence, which hints of the melodic theme, which is often developed later on and sometimes remains hidden behind the chord changes and is never actually stated in full. The rhythmic patterns change several times during each tune, often without warning. Such dramatically novel approach is amazingly bold even today, almost fifty years later. Overall this is a collection of excellent Jazz music, superbly performed, which is an absolute delight to anybody who loves Jazz. It is a fundamental piece of every decent Polish Jazz record collection, especially in the case of the younger generation of listeners, which is just getting acquainted with the enormous legacy of Polish Jazz. The recordings are splendidly restored and remastered and nicely packaged in an elegant digipak / slipcase. Dates, places and lineups are faithfully included and even personal liner notes by Polish Jazz critic Maciej NowotnyFind albums by this artist are present, but there is no in-depth background material about Komeda and his music, however considering the plentitude of published material and several excellent books on the subject, an intelligent listener can easily bridge the knowledge gap. The only small reservation one might have is the fact that these recordings have been already released many times, more or less legally on the somewhat untamed Polish music market, which means they is already owned by the serious Polish Jazz collectors, probably more than once.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 1 Digipak Slipcase Remastered Recommend To A Friend