Record Reviews

DOMINIK BUKOWSKI ~ TIMES GET CHANGED ECNALUMBA (Barcode: 5907476693314) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2007 Released: 2008 This is the second album as a leader by Polish Jazz vibraphonist / composer Dominik BukowskiFind albums by this artist, one of the most prominent representatives of Poland´s Baltic seashore scene. Bukowski´s output over the years is quite prolific and impressive, but stylistically it is mostly associated with lyrical and melodic Jazz, whereas on this album he presents a brass oriented Hard Bop setting with a distinct "retro" sound and brass dominated arrangements. The album consists of eight original compositions, all by Bukowski (assumedly as credits are not mentioned on the album´s cover). The music is performed by a sextet, which besides Bukowski includes also trumpeter Piotr WojtasikFind albums by this artist, trombonist Jacek NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Lukasz PoprawskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej SzczycinskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Sebastian FrankiewiczFind albums by this artist. It was recorded at the excellent Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist with excellent results, as usual. The music is dominated by the brass section and Bukowski plays solo sparingly, which altogether reflects his position as a leader of this session in the composer´s and arranger´s seats rather than upfront as an instrumentalists. That unselfish decision is of course praiseworthy and also creates a superb ensemble sound, which is after all one of the centerpieces of the Jazz experience. Needless to say the individual performances by all the participants are above reproach. The brass players perform numerous excellent solos, the vibraphone lays out the harmonic parts and the excellent rhythm section moves the music forward with considerable drive but without being overbearing. In retrospect this is a remarkable album, well worth discovering and re-visiting. It is sadly rarely mentioned among the important Polish Jazz recordings, although it definitely deserves an honorable mention, as it is quite different from most other albums recorded in Poland in the first decade of the 21st Century. It is definitely worthy a place in any Jazz connoisseur´s collection and a proud item in Bukowski´s already remarkable legacy.

Updated: 12/06/2018Posted:

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AGA KIEPUSZEWSKA ~ SILENCE POLSKIE RADIO 1519 (Barcode: 5907812245191) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2011 Released: 2012 This is the debut solo album by Polish Jazz vocalist / songwriter Aga KiepuszewskaFind albums by this artist, who also took part in the phenomenal album she recorded with the Polish Jazz ensemble SoundcheckFind albums by this artist, called "Marysia – Wiersze Z KazachstanuFind albums with this title". On this album Aga presents ten original songs, five of which were composed by Soundcheck´s leader, saxophonist Maciej KocinskiFind albums by this artist, two by keyboardist Nikola KolodziejczykFind albums by this artist, who accompanies Aga on this album, another two by keyboardist Kamil UrbanskiFind albums by this artist and the remaining one by Aga herself. Aga wrote the lyrics to eight of the songs (two in English and the rest in Polish) and the remaining two are poems by the great Polish poet and Nobel Prize laureate Czeslaw MiloszFind albums by this artist. One of the songs appears twice on the album, the second time as a bonus track in the form of a radio edit. The two other musicians supporting Aga on this album are bassist Maciej SzczycinskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Robert RaszFind albums by this artist. This is definitely a very ambitious project, which reflects Aga´s many talents at their best. The fact that the album made little impact on the local scene is truly criminal, and the only logical explanation could be the astonishing plentitude of wonderful Jazz being produced in Poland these days, but nevertheless this is an album, which deserves much more attention. As a vocalist, Aga emerges full of self confidence and wonderful sensibility, which is evident from the moment she opens her mouth. She is in full control of her voice, both on the acoustic as well as the emotional scales. Her timbre and mannerisms are remarkably close to those of the "other" Aga of Polish Jazz, Aga ZaryanFind albums by this artist of course. Perhaps the fact that Aga Kiepuszewska chose to sing deeply lyrical and poetic material and her innermost feelings are reflected in her vocals are the cause of the proximity. However, there is no attempt here of consciously copying Zaryan´s style, and the young Kiepuszewska will surely reach her completely unique and personal manner of expression in the not too distant feature. The amazing lyrics Aga wrote for her songs are another big surprise, which in the age when completely moronic songs rule the airwaves, are truly exceptional. Deeply personal, these little pearls are remarkably poetic and meaningful, fitting the music perfectly. Good lyrics are so difficult to find these days and this album is full of them; how wonderful! Aga gets a superb support from the trio, which accompanies her with obvious empathy and elegance. Kolodziejczyk is a great player with virtuosic qualities and remarkable sensitivity, and is one of the upcoming stars of the Polish Jazz scene. Szczycinski, who plays solidly and supportively, also uses arco passages and even utilizes the Middle Eastern oud to make the outmost effort to make this music as perfect as possible. Rasz also makes the best of it all, playing with varying intensity always in sync with the music and utilizing additional percussion instruments to enhance the overall result. All in all this is a remarkable debut effort, which hopefully is a forerunner to other great achievements, just please Aga don´t keep us in suspense for too long. This is wholeheartedly recommended to all lovers of vocal Jazz, Polish Jazz and good music in all forms and shapes. Kudos!

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MALGORZATA MARKIEWICZ ~ BRING THE LIGHT REQUIEM / LYDIAN 2020/07 ~ POLAND ~ Smooth Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 Although her career goes back over two decades, this is finally the debut album by Polish vocalist Malgorzata MarkiewiczFind albums by this artist. It was recorded with the vocals supported by a basic trio consisting of keyboardist Nikola KolodziejczykFind albums by this artist, bass guitarist Maciej SzczycinskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal BryndalFind albums by this artist. In addition a string quartet, which is 3/4 of the Atom String QuartetFind albums by this artist (violinist Dawid LubowiczFind albums by this artist, violist Michal ZaborskiFind albums by this artist (Malgorzata´s husband) and cellist Krzysztof LenczowskiFind albums by this artist) and violinist Marta ZalewskaFind albums by this artist takes part in the recording as well as eight other musicians playing / singing on selected tracks. The album presents twelve original songs, nine of which were composed by Markiewicz (two co-composed with others) and three were composed by Gabriela KapczukFind albums by this artist. She also wrote three of the lyrics and co-wrote one with the rest being by different authors. Six of the songs feature lyrics in Polish language and the other six feature lyrics in English. The album is elegantly packaged and offers the lyrics, arty photographs and stylish design. The songs are all typical contemporary Polish Pop, very melodic and solidly written but slightly samey. The album offers a modern production and sound, which I personally don´t appreciate very much. But the instrumental arrangements, with just a tinge of Jazz here and there, and the playing / singing are absolutely perfect and professional. If not for the Polish lyrics, this album might have been mistaken for an American album, which proves that the Poles can beat the Americans at their own Smooth Jazz production game, but as such does not offer much originality. With that said, Markiewicz proves she can write great tunes and sing them with true feeling, even in English, which most of her local vocal colleagues fail at badly. It is obvious that a lot of thought and work was invested into creating this album and the result is highly entertaining and offers a great listening experience, which Pop and Smooth Jazz listeners should enjoy immensely. Overall this is an excellently produced and beautifully performed album, full of great tunes and typical Smooth Jazz feel, which should make aficionados of that genre perfectly happy.

Updated: 09/01/2021Posted: 25/03/2020

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MARCIN OLAK ~ BESSARABIAN JOURNEY FSR 2016/02 (Barcode: 5905279364073) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is a live recording by a quartet led by guitarist Marcin OlakFind albums by this artist, which also includes violist Patryk ZakrockiFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej SzczycinskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. They perform nine pieces, seven of which are traditional Jewish tunes originating from the region of Bessarabia (Moldova today) and arranged by Olak, one is co-composed by Zakrocki and Olak and the final one is composed by Olak. The project was initiated by Miron ZajfertFind albums by this artist, the creator / director of the wonderful New Jewish Music Festival in Warsaw. Bessarabia, which existed as a Governorate for over a hundred years, was home to many Jews, who amalgamated their ancient traditions with Ottoman / Turkish, Romanian / Balkan and Russian / Slavic cultural influences, creating a unique East European Jewish sub-culture, which had its musical facets also combining a wide range of musical influences. This attempt to mix the music originating in Bessarabia with Jazz sadly does not grab me at all. The resulting music loses most of its original spontaneity and the guitar, which simply does not belong organically to that music at all, treats it completely wrong. Bessarabia is definitely not Spain! With the element of improvisation and a lack of steady meters applied here the original music is simply completely lost. But most importantly Bessarabian music is characterized by very specific rhythmic approach, which is mostly based on odd meters, something most musicians not born into those specific realms have a great difficulty to handle. As a result applying simplistic Rock or Jazz rhythms to that music simply does not work well. As much as I appreciate any attempt to create ambitious projects, cross-cultural meetings and new discoveries, this project, as far as I am concerned, simply does not cut it. At some moments listening to the CD was simply unbearable and I even considered stopping it, which happens to me very rarely. Even the hidden track did not manage to save the day. Of course it´s only me and if anybody enjoys this music, my opinion is completely immaterial.

Updated: 27/10/2016Posted: 13/06/2016

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BARTOSZ PIESZKA ~ SLOW MOTION SJ 008 (Barcode: 5912596066078) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2007 - 2009 Released: 2013 This is the debut album by the young Polish Jazz vibraphonist Bartosz PieszkaFind albums by this artist and his quartet, which also includes pianist Nikola KolodziejczykFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej SzczycinskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Sebastian KuchczynskiFind albums by this artist. Guest musicians: oboe player Katarzyna RudaFind albums by this artist and bass clarinetist Piotr TorunskiFind albums by this artist are featured ne one track each. The album presents ten pieces, of which four are standards and six are originals, four by Pieszka, one by Szczycinski and one co-composed by Pieszka and Kolodziejczyk. The album was recorded over a period of two years several years back but only now sees the light of day. The vibraphone, one of the noblest instruments, which has a wonderful tradition in Jazz music, is sadly almost forgotten in recent years. The Polish Jazz scene is perhaps the last bastion where the vibraphone plays a significant role in Jazz music and new players of the instrument still join the ranks of legendary veterans. It is therefore with great joy and special attention that every new discovery in that area is welcomed by me and other Polish Jazz enthusiasts. This album presents a balanced mixture of original music and standards, ballads and up-tempo numbers, all kept within mainstream Jazz tradition. There is nothing groundbreaking about this music and the no risks are taken, but the overall result is definitely enjoyable and well done, especially in view of the young age of the players involved. Mainstream Jazz connoisseurs will definitely enjoy this ride from start to finish. As far as individual contributions are concerned, Pieszka emerges somewhat subdued and is seldom in the lead. To be perfectly hones this album is absolutely "stolen" by the incredible performances by Kolodziejczyk, who plays most of the solos and is by far the most gifted player on this album. The rhythm section is also interesting, which the drummer being a bit too busy for my taste, buy playing with feel and imagination. The bassist is very musical and supportive. The album often makes the impression of a piano trio album rather than a quartet recording. As debuts go, this is fresh and promising, hopefully providing a glimpse of future to come for these youngsters. Definitely a nice listening experience!

Updated: 02/10/2022Posted:

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STRYJO ~ A VISTA SOCIAL CLUB NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 5904730933025) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz trio StryjoFind albums by this artist, which consists of pianist Nikola KolodziejczykFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej SzczycinskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal BryndalFind albums by this artist. Apparently the trio exists already for ten years, but only now releases its music in recorded form. The double CD includes seventeen original compositions, implicitly co-credited to all three members of the trio, as all the music is declared as spontaneously composed while being played. The recording dates and locations are not specified but this is a studio recording and the sound quality is excellent. The music is very melodic and well within the Jazz mainstream idiom, and therefore the fact that it is all spontaneously composed is very hard to believe, at least as far as pre-arranged themes and motifs are concerned, but of course I have no reason to disbelieve whatever the musicians claim to be true. The level of spontaneity and unexpectedness one would expect in case of such music is also almost completely absent herein, and the music sounds extremely well tamed and agreeable. The performances are all top-notch: Kolodziejczyk gently strokes the keyboard and streams one sweet melody after another, Szczycinski plays along admirably, with clear and amicable bass lines, and adds a few admirable mini-solos to the proceedings, and Bryndal adds groove and zest to the whole enterprise. The overall result is pleasing and enjoyable, easy on the ear and generally satisfying, but… The real question here is what is the purpose of this music? The melodies, as nice as they are, are not really very memorable and as far as piano trios, the Polish Jazz scene is blessed by a plentitude of those, most of them more stimulating, ambitious and artistically inclined. I am not denying the above mentioned virtues of this album, but a double CD? Oh well...that´s entertainment! I invite everybody to judge by themselves.

Updated: 03/10/2016Posted: 03/10/2016

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SZTUROMSKI / MAZZOLL / WOSKO / CHAMOUN / SZCZYCINSKI ~ PTAKI POLSKI REQUIEM 256 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Ambient Fusion Recorded: 2024 Released: 2025 This is an album by a quintet of Polish musicians, led by producer / electronics manipulator Michal SzturomskiFind albums by this artist, with clarinetist Jerzy MazzollFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Milosz WoskoFind albums by this artist, percussionist Adeb ChamounFind albums by this artist and bassist Maciej SzczycinskiFind albums by this artist. They perform music inspired by the calls and songs uttered by bird species common in Poland, which are described by texts written by Alexandra Kornelia MajFind albums by this artist and recited by Filip KosiorFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten tracks, each dedicated to a different bird. The music is mostly improvised, with Mazzoll being the leading voice in most cases, beautifully accompanied by the rest of the quintet, with plenty of space for individual contributions. Although improvised, the music is wonderfully melodic, with strong influences of Mediterranean accents, flowing gently and dreamy, almost contemplatively. The three elements, i.e. the birds’ calls, the music and the recitation are balanced delicately and offer a coherent whole, which is moving and highly enjoyable. Obviously, as a Mazzoll admirer, I enjoy immensely his contributions, which prove again how comprehensive his talent is, always fitting perfectly to whatever musical environment he finds himself in. He is a modern Pied Piper of Hamelin, at least for me, always taking me wherever he is going with his music, where I can only follow blindly and submissively. Of course this particular assembly of musicians is truly amicable and talented, which makes everything even more perfect aesthetically. Chamoun is especially fitting and I always admire his special sense of rhythm, which we share instinctively. Overall, this is a remarkable piece of musical Art, carefully put together, as always in the case of RequiemFind albums on this label Records, beautifully packaged and bearing a sublime musical gift. My sincere thanks to all participants and contributors.

Updated: 01/04/2025Posted: 01/04/2025

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T/ABORET ~ CYJANOTYPIA NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz quartet T/AboretFind albums by this artist comprising of pianist / vocalist Natalia CzekalaFind albums by this artist, string instruments player / vocalist Karolina MatuszkiewiczFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej SzczycinskiFind albums by this artist and percussionist Krzysztof GuzewiczFind albums by this artist. A couple of guest players appear on two tracks. The album presents nine tracks, which are a mixture of arrangements of folk songs and original compositions. The music was recorded at the fabulous Monochrom Studio and engineered by Ignacy GruszeckiFind albums by this artist, offering the usual excellent sound quality. The music is heavily soaked in Polish Folklore, especially that of the Kurpie region, which already was featured as the central theme of two excellent Polish Jazz albums: “BukolikiFind albums with this title” and “Kurpian Songs & MeditationsFind albums with this title”. In fact, the quartet’s music manages to incorporate the Folklore so closely into their musical fabric, that it is impossible to distinguish which of the tracks are arrangements of Folk melodies and which are original compositions. The group members play on a plethora of instruments, especially Matuszkiewicz, most of which are associated with folk music. The overall acoustic sound is serene, deeply melancholic and beautifully melodic, with the Jazz elements appearing as an undercurrent accent, rather than the main facet of the music. This album is one of several recent Polish Jazz releases, which emphasize the popularity of the trend of returning to the musical roots, in which young musicians find a remedy for the constant pressure of the global noise and emptiness of uniform non-culture. Overall this is a highly aesthetic, delicate and beautifully designed piece of embracing music, which offers an immediate, embraceable aural experience, respectful of tradition and Culture in general. Definitely a breath of fresh air and a most promising debut effort!

Updated: 17/04/2021Posted: 17/04/2021

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RYSZARD WOJCIUL UNITED ORCHESTRA ~ ZORZA PRZESLICZNA WYNIKA FILMOTEKA NARODOWA (Barcode: 5908259554495) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2022 Released: 2023 This is an album by Polish Jazz saxophonist / clarinetist / keyboardist / bandleader / producer Ryszard WojciulFind albums by this artist, recorded by a large ensemble of some of the best Polish musicians from various stylistic associations. The list is way too long to be included here, but includes vocalists Grazyna AuguscikFind albums by this artist and Dorota MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist, multi-instrumentalist Maria PomianowskaFind albums by this artist, hurdy-gurdy player Joachim MencelFind albums by this artist, guitarist Marcin OlakFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej SzczycinskiFind albums by this artist, drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist and many others. The album presents twenty-three tracks, twelve of which are short solo vocal cantos providing the continuity to the entire musical concept of this album, and eleven are Polish Folklore Easter songs, which served as inspiration to the new, much extended songs Wojciul and his team create, preserving the traditional lyrics but taking quite a lot of liberty with the instrumental and vocal arrangements. In his liner notes Wojciul explains that despite the beautiful and extremely rich Polish Folklore Easter songs tradition it remains mostly unknown, which prompted him to produce this wonderful album, and which I of course second wholeheartedly. Wojciul manages to transform the highly sacral / religious character of the original material into completely universal / modern musical environment, which is accessible to a much wider audience and succeeds to open up the little know beauty of these songs to general audience. His arrangements, general concept, choice of material and the participating musicians is absolutely perfect, creating an uplifting, highly spiritual and moving musical experience, which is breathtakingly beautiful. Overall, this is a very unique and highly sophisticated musical undertaking, creating a bridge across styles, cultures, genres and emotional frames, producing a superb piece of music, which has a universal aesthetic value, beyond its original source. This is a truly inspired piece of music and the producer and the entire team can be proud of their achievement, which is absolutely heartfelt and artistically inspired. Hats off!

Updated: 05/04/2023Posted: 04/04/2023

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MICHAL ZABORSKI ~ FEELING EARTH HEVHETIA 0189 (Barcode: 8588005258623) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2017 Released: 2019 This is the debut album as a leader by the Polish violist Michal ZaborskiFind albums by this artist, mostly recognized as a member of the Atom String QuartetFind albums by this artist, recorded with a quartet, which also includes pianist Nikola KolodziejczykFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej SzczycinskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal BryndalFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, all by Zaborski and the music was recorded at the excellent Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist. With the viola in the lead, the quartet produces a noticeably "different" sound than one expects from a Jazz recording, and indeed this music, although Jazz oriented, includes also strongly noticeable additional influences, such as Classical and Folklore music, which are immediately apparent from the onset. The compositions are all deeply melancholic and mostly low key, emphasizing a strong melodic presence, with the themes stated by the viola at the beginning of each piece and than gently carried on by the fragile piano and viola improvised parts. The piano is a tad too busy at times, but not extravagantly so. The rhythm section keeps things to bare minimum, with the bass pulsating in the background and playing a few beautifully melodic soli and the drums steady and barely audible at times. And yet the music has an irresistible charm to it, a magical flow that keeps the listener mesmerized for the duration of the album, taking him from one piece to the next as if hypnotized. In spite of the minimalist outcome produced by the musicians, the music does not seem to be missing anything and is perfectly rounded and whole. The music is kept mostly on a relaxed level with little dynamics displayed along the way, which could be considered a bit indistinguishable, but easily forgiven. Personally I really enjoyed the music, although I suspect some listeners will find it a bit "too pretty" and altogether lacking the "kick" Jazz enthusiasts expect to hear in the music. There is no doubt Zaborski is a virtuoso and his performances here as every bit as strong as on his numerous earlier recording. His compositions are heavily influenced by Polish Folklore music and his Classical Music background, which he openly admits in his music, not trying to make it sound more Jazzy than it rally is. Overall this is a very unique album, different from most of the output arriving on the Polish Jazz scene, and also different from the material Zaborski records with the Atoms, showing another facet of his musical personality. A Gentle Giant by all means, who can weave beautiful melodies and share them with his listeners with obvious love and modesty.

Updated: 07/10/2019Posted: 07/10/2019

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