Record Reviews

MARCIN BOZEK ~ AFFAIR WITH ART NASZE NAGRANIA 006 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2014 This is the debut album by the Polish bassist / composer Marcin BozekFind albums by this artist, recorded solo using electric bass. The album includes just three tracks, the longest of which is almost half an hour in duration. The music is all spontaneously improvised Since the day I´ve heard Barre PhillipsFind albums by this artist´ "Journal VioloneFind albums with this title" in 1968 (and later on Dave HollandFind albums by this artist´s "Emerald TearsFind albums with this title" almost a decade later) I have learned not to take anything for granted, especially so solo bass albums, which in some cases emerged as cornerstones of modern music, Jazz or otherwise. However, there is always also a possibility that a solo bass album might simply turn out to be a worthless masturbation. One must always admire the boldness of an artistic statement, such as this album. Regardless if one is able to connect to this music or not, one should at least respect the inner urge of an artist to express his emotions. After all nobody is forcing anybody to listen to a particular album after all. This music suffers from the same problem that other Avant-Garde explorations also often suffer from; it is a total statement completely disregarding the listener, a self-concentrated satisfaction of an urge rather than an attempt to communicate. Therefore it remains mostly uncommunicative, and probably unable to make the listener to enjoy the experience. Notwithstanding however, art is not always meant to be pleasurable, en contraire, some best examples of artistic expression are deliberately non pleasurable, in order to shock and subvert. To put it plainly, this is not music for everybody, or even better put it is music for very few listeners, who are able to take the plunge with the artists into the unknown, regardless of the result. Avant-Garde is here to stay, and this is Avant-Garde at its boldest. If only because of that, I´m all for it.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

GDYNIA IMPROVISERS ORCHESTRA ~ PLASTIKOWY JEDNOROZEC NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2021 This is the debut album by Gdynia Improvisers OrchestraFind albums by this artist, a gathering of seventeen instrumentalists and vocalists, conducted by Marcin BozekFind albums by this artist, recorded live at the orchestra’s debut appearance. The orchestra’s members originate from various musical genres and their meeting enables them to create music together without stylistic / genre limitations. The album presents nine tracks, which remain uncredited and are assumably largely improvised. The music, despite the “improvised” moniker it appears under, is in fact much tamer and organized than expected, often entering into melodic Blues sections or straightforward swinging Jazz, which must have been previously agreed upon and rehearsed. It appears that the orchestra was divided into several sections, each playing on one of the tracks, as nowhere on the album one is able to hear the full power of the seventeen musicians creating an improvising mayhem one might have expected. There are plenty of interesting individual instrumental contributions by the participating musicians, but personally I found the vocals most exciting, as long as no lyrics were used, especially those with a heavy Polish accent singing in English. The vocalese parts and scat exchanges worked much better. Summa summarum the album offers a selectin of unrelated and unconnected pieces, which, at least for me, lack any conceptual coherence, especially in a concert setting, but are individually entertaining, albeit certainly not challenging. I admit to having a great fun listening to the album, but at the same time felt somewhat “cheated”, like someone who was invited for a gourmet meal and got a plate of pierogi (Polish filled dumplings), delicious enough but definitely not made by a chef. Overall, this is a pleasant, but hardly very exciting or innovative album, which delivers an experiment rather than a complete concept, but kudos for the effort and searching, which is often more important than finding. I hope they knock me out of my socks next time!

Updated: 02/12/2021Posted: 02/12/2021

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

OLBRZYM I KURDUPEL ~ FRRRR… (EP) NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2008 Released: 2008 This album is the debut recording by the Polish Avant-Garde Jazz duo Olbrzym I KurdupelFind albums by this artist or saxophonist Tomasz GadeckiFind albums by this artist and bassist Marcin BozekFind albums by this artist. It includes six original pieces, which time in total just under half an hour and therefore counts as an EP, although it also includes a video of a live performance by the duo, which also times at about half an hour hence one could call it an enhanced EP. Recorded a short time after the duo met and started to play together, this album is less adventurous than the material they recorded later on for their next full album, with the pieces based on predetermined themes, but already explores the ideas of spontaneous improvisation and composition. Saxophone and bass (electric bass in this case) are quite an unusual pairing, with few examples that one can draw comparisons to, which is all for the best, as they are quite an unique phenomenon. Gadecki plays very much in the early Free Jazz tradition with long, convoluted lines and progressions, while Bozek adds series of rapid pulsations during the up-tempo numbers or reserved bass chords on the more lyrical pieces. There is still a strong melodic feeling, although melodies are not played per se. There is an obvious empathy and mutual respect, which make this music tick, apparent in the way the two musicians listen to each other all the time with great sensitivity and complement each other musically. It is certainly heartwarming to find such amount of open-mindedness and experimentation these young musicians are blessed with. Olbrzym I Kurdupel is just one of many Avant-Garde Jazz ensembles active in Poland and the fact that such music is thriving there is truly amazing considering that the world at large is steadfastly plunging into moronic anti-music. Definitely worth exploring, although quite difficult to find as it was not commercially released. Free Jazz buffs will have a field day listening to this one!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

OLBRZYM I KURDUPEL ~ SIX PHILOSOPHICAL GAMES ELECTRIC EYE 012 (Barcode: 5903292102115) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2010 Released: 2012 This is the 2nd album by Polish Free Jazz / Improvised Music duo Olbrzym I KurdupelFind albums by this artist ("Giant And Tiny" in Polish, referring to their physical appearance), which comprises of saxophonist Tomasz GadeckiFind albums by this artist and bassist Marcin BozekFind albums by this artist. Their debut, recorded in 2008, was an EP, which was warmly received at the time. The album includes six improvised pieces, co-credited to the duo members. This album presents another glimpse at the Polish Free Jazz / Improvised Music scene, which is thriving in the last decade. Musicians all over Poland perform in clubs and art centers, which are dedicated solely to this kind of music, release many albums and play with top international artists. Such vigorous activity is absent almost completely from the contemporary scene in other countries. The music is intensive and complex, demanding total dedication from the listener in order to achieve the same level of intensity as the musicians. Both musicians converse constantly, exchanging ideas on the fly and try to compliment each other rather than compete with each other. The bassist uses the bass guitar exclusively, which enables him to be much more flexible and versatile that upright bass players. The saxophonist has a wide tonal range and well developed improvisation skills. Together they create music, which is absorbing and rewarding to listeners willing to make the effort this kind of music requires. This album is definitely worth investigation for listeners of Free Jazz / Improvised Music, especially those living in places that these genres are almost nonexistent on the local scene.

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

OLBRZYM I KURDUPEL ~ WORK KILOGRAM 028 (Barcode: 5907577284275) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2014 This is the third album by Polish Avant-Garde / Improvised Music duo Olbrzym I KurdupelFind albums by this artist, or saxophonist Tomasz GadeckiFind albums by this artist and bassist Marcin BozekFind albums by this artist. It captures a live performance by the duo at the legendary Alchemia club in Krakow, which is edited into six separate parts, but the entire performance can be seen as a musical continuum. Although not specifically attributed as such, the music is obviously co-created by the duo members. Gadecki is a very active and prolific member of the Polish Avant-Garde scene and takes part in several other small experimental ensembles, like 250 KGFind albums by this artist, TRC TrioFind albums by this artist and SambarFind albums by this artist. The duo has been playing together for about six years now, a period of time which was definitely sufficient for them to develop their own specific stylistic mannerisms and approach to collective improvisation, which by now is pretty recognizable. This is quite an achievement, as Improvised Music may sound pretty undistinguishable in most cases. The staccato bass pulsations and dramatic saxophone cries are most effective tools to capture the listener´s attention and create an emotional upheaval. Improvised music is of course above all a team effort, and as a team they are simply "as one man", no pun intended. I have always admired the intimacy of their almost telepathic sharing of ideas and on this album it is more strongly evident than ever before. Additionally their music is completely non-aggressive, almost "romantic" at times, and as absurd as it might sound, it is pleasurable and comforting; definitely not a typical paradigm in Improvised Music. The Polish Avant-Garde scene is obviously quite en extensive field of activity, still growing against all odds. Dominated mostly by relatively young musicians, it is vital and impressively creative. I find Olbrzym I Kurdupel to be a perfect personification of that wonderful phenomenon, always looking forward to their new work. I can only wish that their music will be discovered by as many open-minded music listeners as possible, as it certainly deserves it.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

OLBRZYM I KURDUPEL & WILLI HANNE ~ IN SIDE SHOUT REQUIEM 106 ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is the fourth album by Polish Avant-Garde / Improvised Music duo Olbrzym I KurdupelFind albums by this artist, or saxophonist Tomasz GadeckiFind albums by this artist and bassist Marcin BozekFind albums by this artist, this time expanded to a trio with the inclusion of German drummer Willi HanneFind albums by this artist. Together they perform twelve improvised pieces, not credited and therefore assumed to be created spontaneously by the participants. The music on this album is quite different from the earlier recordings by the duo, not because of the presence of the third partner, but because it is significantly more relaxed and stretched than before. Whereas the earlier recordings were characterized by their intensity and ferocious interplays, this time the concept involves a lot of silence incorporated within the music, sporadic bursts of energy followed by delicate and very quiet passages. Of course the duo remains to be one of the most interesting phenomena on the Polish scene, which refuses to stay in one place and constantly searches to break new barriers and expand the idiom of musical expression. The addition of the drummer enables a more diverse arsenal of sounds, but does not change the basic modus operandi, which means in this case that they have found a brotherly spirit in Hanne. This album might prove to be slightly more difficult to enjoy, even for the experienced Improvised Music buffs, as it requires total attention and concentration in order to follow the spirit of the music. Nevertheless it is another superb achievement, which represents the European Avant-Garde with pride. As always highly recommended to adventurous listeners who have no pre-conceptions are willing to accept the unexpected.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 14/03/2016

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend