Record Reviews

EWA BEM ~ TRIBUTE TO MAREK BLIZINSKI POLSKIE RADIO 1945-1946 (Barcode: 5907812249458) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1980 - 2000 Released: 2015 This is a wonderful archival 2CD album by the Polish vocalist Ewa BemFind albums by this artist, which she dedicates to the memory of the superb and tragically prematurely departed Polish Jazz guitarist Marek BlizinskiFind albums by this artist, who died from cancer just a few days before his forty second birthday. Blizinski was the first modern Polish Jazz guitarist of international class and for many years during the 1970s and 1980s was considered the top guitarist on the Polish Jazz scene. Bem and Blizinski recorded together several times as a duo and these recordings were collected on the album "Dla Ciebie Jestem SobaFind albums with this title", released by the PoljazzFind albums on this label label, which is reissued here as the first CD of this album. The album consists of eleven songs, nine of which were written by Polish composers and lyricists, and two are standards with lyrics translated into the Polish language. In retrospect, although over three decades have passed since this music was recorded, these songs sound remarkably fresh and sparkling, losing none of their original charm. As noted in the liner notes, these duo recordings were inspired by the Ella FitzgeraldFind albums by this artist / Joe PassFind albums by this artist sessions, which produced four superb albums released in the 1970s and 1980s. Blizinski´s virtuosic guitar riffs are beyond reproach, precise and incredibly sensitive, and he proves being not only an exceptional player, but also a most sympathetic musical partner. Bem´s youthful energy and obvious talent come to full fruition on this recording, presenting her as fully mature vocalist in complete control of her vocal abilities. Her interpretations of these songs show that she feels comfortably in a Jazz environment, but easily moves into Cabaret and Pop, with the same seriousness and dedication. The second CD of this album presents a live recording of a concert from 2000, which was a tribute to Blizinski and which presents new versions of the songs originally recorded on the duo album with Bem being accompanied by four Polish guitarists: Jan BorysiewiczFind albums by this artist, Janusz StrobelFind albums by this artist, Jaroslaw SmietanaFind albums by this artist (who sadly also died from cancer in 2013) and Wojciech WaglewskiFind albums by this artist. The vocal / guitar duos are accompanied by percussionist Jose TorresFind albums by this artist. In addition to the songs from the original album the duos perform also songs written by the guitarists. Everybody seems to be in top form and the music flows splendidly from one song to another with Bem being on top of things at all times. Her vocal abilities are in excellent form during the entire concert and she elegantly moves between genres, whether it is Jazz, Pop or Blues. The entire concert is a very heartfelt tribute to the memory of Blizinski, who of course deserves to be remembered for his invaluable contributions over the years. The entire album has excellent sound quality and is carefully produced and packaged, bringing back to life an important segment of the Polish Jazz history, and as such is of course most welcome.

Updated: 01/01/2016Posted: 01/01/2016

CD 2 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

BEMIBEM ~ BEMOWE FRAZY (POLISH JAZZ VOL.96 DELUXE) MUZA 1096 (Barcode: 5907783420962) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1974 Released: 2007 This is the only album by the Polish Jazz-Rock ensemble BemiBemFind albums by this artist, which was formed by the siblings Ewa BemFind albums by this artist and Aleksander BemFind albums by this artist, both vocalists and percussionists. The group was formed after the ensemble BemibekFind albums by this artist fell apart and the Bems remained as leaders of the new one. Aleksander composed nine of the eleven songs included here, which are all very melodic and quite sophisticated. The music is a mixture of Pop, Rock and Jazz, featuring excellent vocal harmonies accompanied by a great band and guest musicians like guitarist Marek BlizinskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Jan JarczykFind albums by this artist and others. The vocal parts are somewhat similar to the style pioneered by the great Polish vocal ensemble NOVIFind albums by this artist. In retrospect this album is an overlooked gem, almost forgotten, but still sounding great after all these years. Although only marginally Jazz as such, it has a lot of Jazzy influences, which are clearly evident in the arrangement, instrumental backing and overall attitude. Ewa Bem would of course carry on becoming the First Lady of the Polish Jazz in the next decade, with this album being a nice reminder of the times when we were all much younger and innocent. It was an immense fun to listen to this album again after all those years and it remains to be a source of great musical fun. A must!

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

MAREK BLIZINSKI ~ WAVE POLJAZZ / ANEX 327 (Barcode: 5907513047827) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1979 - 1980 Released: 2009 This is the only album as a leader recorded by Polish Jazz guitarist Marek BlizinskiFind albums by this artist, who was one of the first Jazz guitar players on the local scene. He was a very in-demand session player and participated in many recordings as well as recording with several groups of which he was a formal member, led by such Polish Jazz luminaries like Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist, Wojciech KarolakFind albums by this artist, Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist. He was a brilliant improviser and had a wonderful tone, which ornamented many important Polish Jazz recordings. His solo career, however, never really took off and this was the only album he managed to release as a leader, before his untimely and tragic death at the age of 42. The album consists of two radio sessions, with Blizinski playing on both in a trio format, first with bassist Pawel JarzebskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Janusz StefanskiFind albums by this artist and then with bassist Zbigniew WegehauptFind albums by this artist and drummer Czeslaw BartkowskiFind albums by this artist. Both these rhythm sections are considered to be among the best ones ever active on the local scene. The album includes seven compositions, all of which are standards. Although well played, both by Blizinski and the rhythm sections, this album does not present his true abilities and sensitivities and in retrospect is unfortunately much less impressive than it could have been. Playing these standards, which present no true intellectual challenge for these experienced musicians, was a poor decision. His numerous recordings with other artists are much more impressive. Guitar enthusiasts will obviously find here many beautiful moments of mainstream Jazz, with are every bit as good as those recorded across the pond. Definitely worth remembering! Side Note: The PoljazzFind albums on this label label, which originally released this album, was active for 20 years (between 1972 and 1991) and was owned by the Polish Jazz Society. Considering the fact that the music industry in the Socialist State was centralized and totally controlled, with just one State owned music company producing all the albums, the possibilities to record and release Jazz albums were extremely limited. Poljazz was conceived and founded in order to allow for many more Jazz (and other) albums to be released independently from the State owned Polskie NagraniaFind albums on this label / MuzaFind albums on this label and as such revolutionized the music industry at the time, being the only such enterprise in Eastern Europe. The Polish label AnexFind albums on this label reissued many of the original Poljazz albums on CD, bringing this fabulous music back to life.

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

WOJCIECH GLUCH ~ ZYCIE KAMILA KURANTA (SOUNDTRACK) GAD 089 (Barcode: 5903068120213) ~ POLAND ~ Soundtracks Recorded: 1982 Released: 2019 This is the first ever release of the soundtrack of the Polish TV series "Zycie Kamila Kuranta" composed by Wojciech GluchFind albums by this artist. The music was recorded by an orchestra conducted by Gluch, who also played piano on some of the tracks, and features top instrumentalist, some known from the Polish Jazz scene: accordionist Adam ZemlaFind albums by this artist, clarinetist Henryk MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist, guitarist Marek BlizinskiFind albums by this artist and pianist Pawel PerlinskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents sixteen tracks, most of which were incorporated into the soundtrack of the episodes of the TV series, but also some that were omitted from the soundtrack and appear here for the first time. The music is absolutely stunning and full of the Polish lyricism and melancholy, stylistically close to contemporary chamber Classical music but also incorporating elements of Jazz and Folkloristic motifs. It is a wonderful example of cinematic / incidental music that has a complete and full "life" by itself and is fascinating without the initially intended role as soundtrack. Gluch is a masterful composer, who wrote many soundtracks for TV and theatre performances over the years as well as Classical music. He left Poland and now lives in Sweden, where he is highly successful. As usual GAD Records bring this music to our attention, saving it from oblivion, which is truly commendable. This album is probably the most beautiful from the many soundtracks released by GAD over the years.

Updated: 22/06/2019Posted: 22/06/2019

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

WOJCIECH KAMINSKI ~ OPEN PIANO (POLISH JAZZ VOL.66) MUZA 1066 (Barcode: 5907783420665) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1981 Released: 2006 This album by veteran pianist / composer Wojciech KaminskiFind albums by this artist presents the versatility of the Polish Jazz scene, which at all times presented the entire scope of Jazz music, from Ragtime to Avant-Grade, all of them on a very high artistic level. Kaminski was active on the local scene mainly in the traditional Jazz circles, co-founding such splendid ensembles as Ragtime Jazz BandFind albums by this artist and Old TimersFind albums by this artist. He felt most comfortable playing Jazz, which ranges from Ragtime, through Dixieland and into Swing and selected some of the absolutely best local players at the time to accompany him on this album: trumpeter Henryk MajewskiFind albums by this artist, trombonist Zbigniew KonopczynskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Zbigniew JaremkoFind albums by this artist, Janusz ZabieglinskiFind albums by this artist and Wladyslaw HalikFind albums by this artist, guitarist Marek BlizinskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Janusz KozlowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Jerzy BartzFind albums by this artist. Kaminski composed five of the ten compositions on this album (the remaining five include four standards and one composition by Zabieglinski). The level of performance is absolutely excellent all the way through and every Jazz fan should be able to enjoy this music for what it stands for: quality and fun! Recommended!

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JANUSZ MUNIAK ~ QUESTION MARK (POLISH JAZZ VOL.54) MUZA 1054 (Barcode: 5907783420542) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1978 Released: 2007 This is the debut album as a leader by the great Polish saxophonist / composer Janusz MuniakFind albums by this artist, one of the forefathers of modern Polish Jazz. His legacy includes the membership in such legendary Polish ensembles as those led by Andrzej TrzaskowskiFind albums by this artist, Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist and Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist as well as leading his own groups. He is accompanied here by his quintet, which includes pianist Pawel PerlinskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Marek BlizinskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Andrzej DechnikFind albums by this artist and drummer Jerzy BezuchaFind albums by this artist, all excellent players themselves. Muniak has a completely unique, natural style of improvisation, which is passionate and highly expressive, putting him somewhat aside in a class of his own besides the other distinguished Polish saxophonists, like Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist for example. His compositions incorporate beautifully Polish folklore and the Jazz tradition, often unintentionally, but always brilliantly. This is on of the strongest albums in the legendary Polish Jazz series, which is a very high distinction by any standard. This is a must to lovers of Polish and Eastern-European Jazz and a timeless masterpiece.

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

WLODZIMIERZ NAHORNY ~ Z TAMTEJ STRONY TECZY (SOUNDTRACK) GAD 286 (Barcode: 5903068125249) ~ POLAND ~ Soundtracks Recorded: 1972 - 1973 Released: 2024 This is the soundtrack of the Polish film entitled “Z Tamtej Strony Teczy” (Eng. “From The Other Side Of The Rainbow”), directed by Andrzej Jerzy PiotrowskiFind albums by this artist. The music was composed by legendary Polish Jazz saxophonist / pianist / bandleader Wlodzimierz NahornyFind albums by this artist and performed by an orchestra conducted by another Polish Jazz icon, recently deceased Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist, and Jazz vocalist Ewa WanatFind albums by this artist. The orchestra included many top Polish Jazz players active at the time. Nahorny takes part in the recording, as does Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist on trumpet, Wroblewski on saxophone, Marek BlizinskiFind albums by this artist on guitar, Wojciech KarolakFind albums by this artist on organ (all these names are my educated guess based on what I can hear in the recording). The album presents nineteen short tracks, which were part of the soundtrack, and one bonus track, which was recorded but omitted from the final soundtrack. The music presents a collection of stylistically diverse pieces, which include mainstream Jazz, brilliant vocal and vocalese pieces by Wanat, electronic effects and even some Free / Avant-Garde Jazz outings, all of which were part of Nahorny’s enormously rich Jazz vocabulary, as evident by his Jazz recordings from that period, as well as other soundtracks he composed. Of course Polish Jazz was an integral part of the Cultural scene at the time and Jazz music was very often used as soundtrack music for Polish cinematic productions, going back to the 1960s, and sadly almost completely abandoned in later years. Overall, this is a brilliant snapshot / chapter of the “Polish Jazz in Polish Cinema” phenomenon, which presents the incredibly advanced and out of the box attitude to Culture, prevalent at the time. Nahorny, who is still actively playing and composing as we speak, is a Great icon of Polish Jazz and one of its great last Mohicans. I hope you say with us for many years to come and thank you for all that music you bestowed on us over time, my Dear Friend!

Updated: 08/06/2024Posted: 08/06/2024

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

ZBIGNIEW NAMYSLOWSKI ~ POLISH RADIO JAZZ ARCHIVES VOL.28 POLSKIE RADIO 2060 (Barcode: 5907812245849) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1983 Released: 2017 This is the twenty-eighths installment in the series of releases initiated by the Polish Radio, which presents archive Jazz recordings from the radio vaults. Radio recordings are always a fabulous source of remarkable material, and as far as Polish Jazz history is concerned, the Polish Radio, which was a state monopoly for 45 years, recorded over time a plethora of invaluable material, which apart from the albums released by the Polskie Nagrania record company (also a state monopoly), is the only available additional source of Polish Jazz recordings. For many years Polish Radio recorded concerts presented during Poland´s most important Jazz venues, including the annual Jazz Jamboree Festival and many other festivals as well. The tracks presented here were recorded live in October 1983 during the twenty-fifth edition of Jazz Jamboree Festival in Warsaw and present the quintet led by one of the Godfathers of Polish Jazz, saxophonist Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, called Air ConditionFind albums by this artist, which also included pianist Wojciech GogolewskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Marek BlizinskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Jan CichyFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam LewandowskiFind albums by this artist. The quintet performs seven original compositions, all composed by Namyslowski. Namyslowski is one of the very few Polish Jazz musicians who have appeared consistently on the local scene since the 1950s and kept their music up to date over time, pioneering trends and new developments. Over the years his many groups featured the ever young talents of the heart and soul of the Polish Jazz community. This recording is a great document of that phenomenon, showing Namyslowski´s Air Condition group, which was active in the early 1980s, recorded several excellent albums and toured worldwide. Although the group changed its lineup quite often, it was always excellent. This particular lineup recorded only one studio album, which was only released in Greece, which makes this recording especially valuable. For Namyslowski´s many fans around the world and Polish Jazz enthusiasts this is an absolute must! The beautifully restored sound quality is excellent and the warm ambience of the analog recording is a true joy. As usual with this series, which is very reasonably priced, I miss the presence of "in depth" liner notes / booklet, which should convey the circumstances at which this music was recorded and its importance to the development of Jazz in Poland. Nevertheless this is an absolutely essential piece of Jazz history which every Jazz fan will surely consider an absolute must.

Updated: 05/05/2017Posted: 05/05/2017

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

NOVI ~ FIVE, FOUR, THREE GAD 025 (Barcode: 5901549197310) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1974 - 1975 Released: 2015 This is a reissue of the fifth album by the Polish Jazz vocal ensemble NOVIFind albums by this artist, recorded after the ensemble´s founder / leader / primary composer / arranger Bernard KawkaFind albums by this artist left Poland for the greener pastures of the Big Apple, following a whole wave of his compatriots, like Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist, Urszula DudziakFind albums by this artist, Adam MakowiczFind albums by this artist and others. Kawka´s departure seemed to have little impact on the remaining three members of the ensemble: Ewa WanatFind albums by this artist, Janusz MychFind albums by this artist and Waldemar ParzynskiFind albums by this artist. They immediately embarked upon the recording of this album, which as usual included original material, composed by Parzynski (seven of the nine compositions on this album) and Mych (the other two compositions). Three of the compositions included also lyrics (in English). The ensemble was accompanied by an instrumental combo, which featured top Polish Jazz musicians: keyboardist Wojciech KarolakFind albums by this artist, guitarist Marek BlizinskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Pawel JarzebskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Czeslaw BartkowskiFind albums by this artist, and the Polish Radio Jazz Studio OrchestraFind albums by this artist conducted by Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist. In addition to the original album, this remastered edition includes four bonus tracks, two of which feature the vocalist Tomasz OchalskiFind albums by this artist, who expanded the ensemble to the original quartet lineup for a brief period. The original album was released only three years after it was recorded, which was an example of how political bureaucracy dictated the fate of musicians behind the Iron Curtain. Musically this album was a continuation of the fantastic work they did on the previous releases, but the stress of loosing their leader and the confusion that followed is pretty obvious. The selection of material and inclusion of songs is obviously a step towards commercialism, but the album still presents several top-notch numbers, beautifully and skillfully executed, which stand up to par with their earlier work. But overall the glory days of NOVI were over and although they would record a couple of additional albums, they were moving further away from the revolutionary and innovative vocal achievements of their early days. Considering the fact that this music has been unavailable for such a long time this is definitely another project by GADFind albums on this label Records, which deserves to be praised. NOVI fans will find this an indispensable part of their collection and hopefully we will get a complete set of NOVI reissues sometime in the future.

Updated: 13/10/2016Posted:

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

NOVI ~ POLISH RADIO JAZZ ARCHIVES VOL.24 POLSKIE RADIO 1670 (Barcode: 5907812246709) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1968 - 1971 Released: 2016 This is the twenty-fourth installment in the series of releases initiated by the Polish Radio, which presents archive Jazz recordings from the radio vaults. Radio recordings are always a fabulous source of remarkable material, and as far as Polish Jazz history is concerned, the Polish Radio, which was a state monopoly for 45 years, recorded over time a plethora of invaluable material, which apart from the albums released by the Polskie Nagrania record company (also a state monopoly), is the only available additional source of Polish Jazz recordings. For many years Polish Radio recorded concerts presented during Poland´s most important Jazz venues, including the annual Jazz Jamboree Festival and many other festivals as well. The thirteen tracks collected here were recorded during three separate occasions by the sensational Polish Jazz vocal quartet NOVIFind albums by this artist Singers: a Polish Radio Studio session from 1968 (four tracks), a live performance at the 1969 Jazz Jamboree Festival (five tracks) and finally a live performance at the 1971 Jazz Jamboree Festival (four tracks). NOVI, formed in 1964 by Bernard KawkaFind albums by this artist, included also Ewa WanatFind albums by this artist, Janusz MychFind albums by this artist and Waldemar ParzynskiFind albums by this artist. During the studio session they were accompanied by an orchestra of unknown lineup, during the 1969 concert they were accompanied by a trio comprising of organist Krzysztof SadowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Janusz KozlowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Andrzej DabrowskiFind albums by this artist and finally during the 1971 concert they were accompanied by a Big Band which included trumpeters Stanislaw MizeradzkiFind albums by this artist and Bogdan SkawinaFind albums by this artist, trombonist Stanislaw CieslakFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Tomasz SzukalskiFind albums by this artist, Janusz MuniakFind albums by this artist and Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Marek BlizinskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Jan JarczykFind albums by this artist, bassist Tadeusz GogoszFind albums by this artist and drummer Kazimierz JonkiszFind albums by this artist. The material is mostly original with five compositions by Kawka, two by Parzynski and one by Mych. Three tracks are standards, one was composed by Namyslowski and one is an arrangement of a Classical piece by Frederic ChopinFind albums by this artist, which the quartet performs a cappella. Inspired by such vocal groups like the French Les Double SixFind albums by this artist and The Swingle SingersFind albums by this artist, also originally formed in France, NOVI took the vocal group artistry a notch further, presenting a wide and ambitious repertoire ranging from arrangements of Classical Music via complex Jazz compositions, mostly original, featuring advanced vocal shenanigans and finally arrangements of Pop material. They used lyrics in some of their material but were absolutely at their best when singing wordless vocalese, which they brought to perfection. This particular album had the potential of being one of the most interesting releases in this series, since live material by NOVI is almost completely absent from their recorded legacy, but sadly it suffers from some problems, which make it much less attractive that it should have been. Firstly the tracks recorded during the three separate sessions have been sequenced here quite randomly, rather than being presented grouped together by session. Secondly the recording quality is sadly very problematic on most of these tracks and even the careful restoring and remastering was not able to make them sound better. Of course the human voice is the most difficult recording challenge and considering the limitations present at the time the quality should be judged leniently, but in this case the sound quality seriously hinders the listening experience. Thirdly, as usual for this series, there is no background information about the artists, historic background, etc. which recordings of such importance truly deserve. Nevertheless all things considered, this is still a very important document of the Polish Jazz legacy and considering the importance of this material this album immediately becomes another must have for all Polish Jazz fans and collectors of Polish Jazz recordings.

Updated: 17/07/2016Posted: 17/07/2016

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

NOVI ~ RIEN NE VA PLUS (POLISH JAZZ VOL.82 DELUXE) MUZA 1082 (Barcode: 5907783420825) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1973 Released: 2005 This is a reissue of the fourth album by the sensational vocal quartet NOVIFind albums by this artist, which was one of the greatest Polish Jazz acts in the 1970s. Continuing the tradition of Jazz vocal groups like the French Les Double SixFind albums by this artist and The Swingle SingersFind albums by this artist, NOVI expanded the borders further on into more experimental areas and used more instrumental backing, provided the best Polish Jazz musicians at the time. The quartet was led by singer / arranger / composer Bernard KawkaFind albums by this artist and included also the incredible female vocalist Ewa WanatFind albums by this artist and two additional male vocalists Janusz MychFind albums by this artist and Waldemar ParzynskiFind albums by this artist. Together they created beautiful vocal harmonies of exceptional sophistication and unique style, unparalleled to this day. The performed a mixture of original material, mostly composed by Kawka, and standards or contemporary Pop material, but the incredible arrangements turned everything into a distinctive NOVI vocal signature. On this specific album they are accompanied by an all-star band, led by saxophonist Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist, which includes such luminaries as saxophonists Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, Janusz MuniakFind albums by this artist and Tomasz SzukalskiFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, guitarist Marek BlizinskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Wlodzimierz NahornyFind albums by this artist, drummer Janusz StefanskiFind albums by this artist and many others. This is definitely one of the climax moments of the Polish Jazz in the 1970s and an absolute must for every vocal jazz connoisseur! Side Note: This is one of those Polish Jazz albums, released by the Polskie Nagrania / MuzaFind albums on this label label, which should have been released as part of the legendary "Polish Jazz" series at the time, but somehow never made it. From the historic perspective it definitely deserved to be a part of that series and this was partially corrected by this edition, as it is one of the items in the expanded "Polish Jazz Deluxe" series of reissues.

Updated: 13/10/2016Posted:

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

MARCIN WADOLOWSKI ~ STANDARDS SOLITON 517 (Barcode: 5901571095172) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is the fourth album by Polish guitarist Marcin WadolowskiFind albums by this artist, recoded in an intimate trio setting with the superb Polish Jazz bassist Piotr LemanczykFind albums by this artist and Canadian Drummer Tyler HornbyFind albums by this artist. The trio performs ten Jazz standards, three of which are by John ColtraneFind albums by this artist and two by Miles DavisFind albums by this artist. The album is dedicated to the two great Masters of Polish Jazz guitar: Marek BlizinskiFind albums by this artist and Jaroslaw SmietanaFind albums by this artist, both sadly no longer with us. Previous recordings by Wadolowski flirted with Jazz to some extent, but this one presents him for the first time as a bona fide Jazz player. The delicate arrangements, the careful selection of the tunes and their wonderful execution are all kept within the strict Jazz idiom, shearing away all the Blues-Rock or Fusion elements present on his older recordings. The transformation is quite remarkable. Wadolowski´s approach is very minimalistic and remarkably clean. The music is kept low key, almost acoustic, in order to emphasize every single note and chord, which thanks to the excellent recording quality are all perfectly audible. The guitar plays long beautifully structured solos, often introducing the tunes alone before the bass and drums join in. Even when the whole trio plays together, the music is still very unobtrusive and deliberately constrained. A wonderful atmosphere of relaxation and contemplation is present through out the entire duration of the music. As expected, Lemanczyk plays superbly, both as an accompanist and during his solos, which are all pearls of bass perfection. Although rarely in the limelight, he is definitely one of the absolute top Polish Jazz bass players and every album he plays on is enhanced by his fantastic contributions. Hornby keeps his involvement in these proceedings to bare minimum which is exactly what is required in such circumstances. His delicate drum parts stay in the background, keeping the rhythm rolling gently. Drummers who don´t try to dominate a recording session are a rare find and he is to be congratulated for his attitude. Overall this is a wonderful album from start to finish: fascinating guitar licks, breathtaking bass solos, superb selection of tunes and innovative nontrivial arrangements make it a brilliant listening experience. Yes it´s mainstream and yes these are standards – this is exactly what was supposed to happen here and the result speaks for itself. In retrospect I am very glad Wadolowski recorded this album and proved his versatility and his skills as a player to all those who dismissed him in the past. This is definitely one of the finest Polish Jazz guitar albums ever recorded and a solid tribute to the past Masters. Hats off!

Updated: 29/06/2016Posted: 29/06/2016

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JAN PTASZYN WROBLEWSKI ~ FLYIN` LADY (POLISH JAZZ VOL.55) POLSKIE RADIO 0534 (Barcode: 5901448115347) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1978 Released: 2005 This is an excellent album by Polish veteran Jazz saxophonist / composer / arranger / bandleader Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist. One of the great pioneers of the Polish Jazz movement since the 1950s, Wroblewski remained very active on the local scene in many capacities, which included leading his own ensembles, directing the Polish Radio Jazz Studio OrchestraFind albums by this artist and teaching generations of Polish Jazz musicians. Wroblewski always firmly stood for the Jazz tradition, keeping the mainstream Jazz in Poland on a very high level. He was rarely associated with the Polish Jazz modernists and avoided Free Jazz excursions, even when these were fashionable. Nevertheless his unique and innovative approach to Jazz composition and virtuosic ability as a player make his very extensive legacy an infinite source of superb Jazz moments. This album presents six original compositions by Wroblewski, superbly performed by a quartet, which includes guitarist Marek BlizinskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Witold SzczurekFind albums by this artist and drummer Andrzej DabrowskiFind albums by this artist. Blizinski should be noted as one of the greatest Polish guitarists and perhaps the Jazziest one, who avoided getting into Fusion at all costs, keeping his sound in the Wes MontgomeryFind albums by this artist / Barney KesselFind albums by this artist tradition. Altogether this is a great example of the versatility of the Polish Jazz scene and its excellence, regardless of the specific sub-genre in question. Highly recommended!

CD 1 Digipak Oversampling Remastered Recommend To A Friend

JAN PTASZYN WROBLEWSKI ~ SPRZEDAWCY GLONOW (POLISH JAZZ VOL.90 DELUXE) MUZA 1090 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1971 - 1973 Released: 2006 This relatively little known brilliant album presents Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer / arranger / bandleader Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist mainly in the capacity as the director of the Polish Radio Jazz OrchestraFind albums by this artist, a superb collection of top musicians, which functioned as a catalyst and incubator to generations of Polish Jazz musicians as well as a first rate workshop and recording platform. Wroblewski, one of Polish Jazz veterans and Godfathers, led the orchestra for many years with great success and these recordings prove how great it really was. He also composed three of the six extended compositions included here with the other three composed by Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and Andrzej TrzaskowskiFind albums by this artist each contributing one composition. The arrangements are absolutely brilliant as are the performances, with the orchestra fronted as such first rate soloists like Stanko, Namyslowski, Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist (playing sax on one track and violin on another), Tomasz SzukalskiFind albums by this artist, Adam MakowiczFind albums by this artist, Marek BlizinskiFind albums by this artist, Wojciech KarolakFind albums by this artist, Zbigniew SeifertFind albums by this artist and of course Wroblewski himself, in short the crème de la crème of the Polish Jazz scene at the time. The music is very modern and even borders on Free at times, presenting very rare examples of Jazz orchestra accompanying a freely improvising soloist. This album is an absolute must to all Polish Jazz lovers and in retrospect is of the best Polish Jazz albums ever recorded. Grab it!

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

JAN PTASZYN WROBLEWSKI / WOJCIECH KAROLAK ~ MAINSTREAM (POLISH JAZZ VOL.40) MUZA 1040 (Barcode: 5907783420405) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1973 Released: 2007 This album presents a meeting between two Polish Jazz veterans: saxophonist / composer Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist and keyboardist Wojciech KarolakFind albums by this artist. The two cooperated in various Jazz ensembles since the late 1950s and until mid 1960s and this album marks their reunion in the studio after several years of not playing together due to Karolak´s residence in Sweden in the late 1960s / early 1970s. The two are joined by another veteran, drummer Czeslaw BartkowskiFind albums by this artist, and excellent guitarist Marek BlizinskiFind albums by this artist and together they play six tunes, five of which are standards and one id a Wroblewski original. Karolak plays the Hammond Organ, a sound that would be associated with him for his entire future career, and his passion fro that instrument is clearly evident here. Wroblewski and Blizinski play fire solos and Bartkowski drives the quartet forward at all times. Although typically mainstream, this is still great Jazz, performed with passion and considerable talent, which should be enjoyable to all Jazz connoisseurs. Recommended!

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend