Record Reviews

MAREK GRECHUTA ~ DROGA ZA WIDNOKRES POMATON 724352574322 (Barcode: 724352574322) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1972 Released: 2000 This is the third album by Polish singer / songwriter / poet Marek GrechutaFind albums by this artist, one of the most iconic figures on the Polish popular music scene and the most important representative of the Music & Poetry movement in Poland. This is also his first album with the group WIEMFind albums by this artist (an acronym of the Polish phrase "W Innej Epoce Muzycznej"), which Grechuta formed after he left his previous group AnawaFind albums by this artist. The new group comprised initially of guitarist Pawel ScieranskiFind albums by this artist, brilliant bassist Pawel JarzebskiFind albums by this artist and three drummers / percussionists Jozef GawrychFind albums by this artist, Bogdan KulikFind albums by this artist and Tadeusz KalinowskiFind albums by this artist. Later on the group was expanded with some personnel changes and included among others violinist Piotr MicheraFind albums by this artist, guitarist Antoni KrupaFind albums by this artist and drummer Kazimierz JonkiszFind albums by this artist. The album includes eight tracks, all composed by Grechuta, who wrote lyrics to only one of the songs and the remaining lyrics are by some of the Polish poets Grechuta admired: Jan ZychFind albums by this artist, Tadeusz NowakFind albums by this artist, Tadeusz SliwiakFind albums by this artist and others. Musically the album marks a dramatic change in comparison to the acoustic World Music / Psychedelic atmosphere of his previous albums and moves into Jazz-Rock Fusion / Progressive Rock, which is quite understandable considering that all the new band members were previously active in these areas. But the music also amalgamates the lyrical elements dominating Grechuta´s music and the intrinsic melancholy of the poetic lyrics. The instrumental work is rather intimate, with the guitar being the only soloing instrument, playing sweet Bluesy / Jazzy riffs. The absolutely sublime performances on the (acoustic) bass are the album´s backbone, upon which the entire musical contents is completely dependent. The later, expanded version of the group, included much more developed instrumental support to Grechuta´s lyrics, as can be heard on the bonus tracks. Grechuta is a master of his trade and his vocal delivery is simply sublime. Always somewhere in between singing and reciting, his interpretation of the lyrics is exquisitely intelligent and insightful. The band performs also divinely, displaying obvious talents and sensitivity. Such combination of beautiful music performed as perfectly as here is indeed extraordinary. Therefore in retrospect this is one of the best Rock / Prog albums ever recorded in Poland, although less innovative and shocking musically that its predecessor. It stands the test of time beautifully and is an absolute must have for every lover of Polish music. This expanded and remastered edition includes seven bonus tracks recorded by the Polish Radio, all of excellent quality, both sonically and musically. One of the tracks is an extended almost all instrumental version of the epic title track of the previous album, which is truly brilliant. A gem worth having!

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

MAREK GRECHUTA ~ MAREK GRECHUTA & ANAWA POMATON 724352774029 (Barcode: 724352774029) ~ POLAND ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 1970 Released: 2000 This is the debut album by Polish singer / songwriter / poet Marek GrechutaFind albums by this artist, one of the most iconic figures on the Polish popular music scene and the most important representative of the Music & Poetry movement in Poland. This is also his first of the two albums with the group AnawaFind albums by this artist, which he founded during his student years in Krakow together with fellow architecture student, pianist / composer Jan Kanty PawluskiewiczFind albums by this artist. The version of Anawa playing on this album was sextet, which included also cellist Anna WojtowiczFind albums by this artist, viola player Tadeusz KozuchFind albums by this artist, bassist Jacek OstaszewskiFind albums by this artist and guitarist Tadeusz DziedzicFind albums by this artist. Several guest musicians also played on the album, including drummer Janusz StefanskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Marek JackowskiFind albums by this artist, violinist Zbigniew PaletaFind albums by this artist and others. The album includes ten tracks, seven composed by Pawluskiewicz and three composed by Grechuta. Grechuta wrote lyrics to three of the songs and the remaining seven are by some of the Polish poets Grechuta admired: Adam MickiewiczFind albums by this artist, Julian TuwimFind albums by this artist, Leszek Aleksander MoczulskiFind albums by this artist (closely associated with the legendary Polish group SkaldowieFind albums by this artist) and others. Musically the album is light-years ahead of its time and completely different from anything else that was happening on the Pop / Rock scene at the time in Poland or anywhere else for that matter. It amalgamates seemingly conflicting elements like contemporary Classical music, Psychedelia, chanson and cabaret, Jazz and very strong Folklore and World Music influences. In addition there is also the omnipresent Polish melancholy, emphasized by the poignant lyrics and sensitive delivery. Although the Music & Poetry movement existed in Poland earlier, mostly in the intimate cabaret environment, Grechuta took it forward making a milestone step towards perfecting the genre and no less importantly popularizing it by bringing it to huge crowds rather than to the limited Avant-Garde / intellectual audiences of small clubs and student hangouts. Grechuta is a master of his trade and his vocal delivery is simply sublime. Always somewhere in between singing and reciting, his interpretation of the lyrics is exquisitely intelligent and insightful. The entire band performs simply divinely, displaying obvious talents and sensitivity. Such combination of beautiful music performed as perfectly as here is indeed extraordinary. Therefore in retrospect this is simply one of the best Pop / Rock albums ever recorded in Poland and absolutely nothing recorded since comes even close to its perfection, except of course for the next album he recorded with the same group called "Korowod", which is considered even stronger than this one. It is completely untouched by time and constantly gets better in contrast to most music created today. It is an absolute must have for every lover of Polish music and no collection of Polish music will be complete without it. This expanded and remastered edition includes twelve bonus tracks recorded by the Polish Radio or in concert, all of excellent quality, both sonically and musically. Perfection incarnate!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

MAREK GRECHUTA ~ SWIECIE NASZ POMATON 094631164026 (Barcode: 094631164026) ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1967 - 2003 Released: 2005 This wonderful Box Set collects the entire recorded legacy by Polish singer / songwriter / poet / bandleader Marek GrechutaFind albums by this artist, one of the most iconic figures on the Polish musical scene of the 20th Century and one of the great instigators and pioneers of the Music & Poetry (Sung Poetry) movement in Poland. This Box Set includes all fourteen albums recorded by Grechuta, each one remastered and expanded with a plethora of bonus tracks as well as a fifteenth CD with previously unreleased archival material. This 2005 edition of the Box Set expands the previous edition from 2000, which included only thirteen albums. The material covers a career of a great Artist spanning almost forty years between 1967 and his untimely death in 2006. The early albums by Grechuta were light-years ahead of their time and completely different from anything else that was happening on the Pop / Prog scene at the time in Poland or anywhere else for that matter. They amalgamated seemingly conflicting elements like contemporary Classical music, Psychedelia, chanson and cabaret, Jazz-Rock and very strong Folklore and World Music influences. His first group AnawaFind albums by this artist was among the earliest ensembles to be influenced by World Music and some of its members would later create OssianFind albums by this artist, the first full-fledged World Music ensemble in Poland. Grechuta´s music was full of the omnipresent Polish melancholy, emphasized by the poignant lyrics and sensitive delivery. He was a master of his trade and his vocal delivery was simply sublime. Always somewhere in between singing and reciting, his interpretation of the lyrics is exquisitely intelligent and insightful. In addition to his own lyrics Grechuta sung and wrote music to many poems written by Polish poets, bringing them to the attention to the young generation. His bands always consisted of superb instrumentalist and suited perfectly the magic atmosphere he created with his superbly charming personal presentation. Grechuta managed to create exquisite music consistently during his career and was always relevant and up to date, aging exceptionally well musically up to the very end. His ability to remain relevant was one of the many exceptional qualities that characterized him as an Artist. In retrospect this is simply a collection of some of the best music ever recorded in Poland and almost nothing recorded by other artists comes even close to its perfection. It is completely untouched by time and consistently gets better as the time goes by, in contrast to most music created today. It is an absolute must have for every lover of Polish music and no collection of Polish music will be complete without it. Perfection incarnate!

Updated: 26/01/2019Posted:

CD 15 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend

MAREK GRECHUTA / ANAWA ~ KOROWOD POMATON 724352774227 (Barcode: 724352774227) ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1971 Released: 2000 This is the second album by Polish singer / songwriter / poet Marek GrechutaFind albums by this artist, one of the most iconic figures on the Polish popular music scene and the most important representative of the Music & Poetry movement in Poland. This is also his second and last album with the group AnawaFind albums by this artist, which he founded during his student years in Krakow together with fellow architecture student, pianist / composer Jan Kanty PawluskiewiczFind albums by this artist. Anawa was an octet, an unusually large ensemble on the Pop scene, and included also bassist / flautist Jacek OstaszewskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Marek JackowskiFind albums by this artist, drummer Eugeniusz MakowkaFind albums by this artist, cellist Anna WojtowiczFind albums by this artist, viola player Tadeusz KozuchFind albums by this artist and violinist Zbigniew PaletaFind albums by this artist. The album includes nine tracks, five composed by Pawluskiewicz (including one instrumental), three composed by Grechuta and one by Jackowski (the instrumental intro opening the album). Grechuta wrote lyrics to three of the songs and the remaining four are by some of the Polish poets Grechuta admired: Jan ZychFind albums by this artist, Konstanty Ildefons GalczynskiFind albums by this artist, Leszek Aleksander MoczulskiFind albums by this artist (closely associated with the legendary Polish group SkaldowieFind albums by this artist) and Tadeusz SliwiakFind albums by this artist. Musically the albums is light-years ahead of its time and completely different from anything else that was happening on the Pop / Prog scene at the time in Poland or anywhere else for that matter. It amalgamates seemingly conflicting elements like contemporary Classical music, Psychedelia, chanson and cabaret, Jazz and very strong Folklore and World Music influences. Anawa was among the earliest ensembles to be influenced by World Music and it´s not surprising that Ostaszewski and Jackowski would soon after create OssianFind albums by this artist, the first full-fledged World Music ensemble in Poland. In addition there is also the omnipresent Polish melancholy, emphasized by the poignant lyrics and sensitive delivery. The short instrumental suite composed by Pawluskiewicz is an absolute masterpiece and a timeless gem in its own right. Grechuta is a master of his trade and his vocal delivery is simply sublime. Always somewhere in between singing and reciting, his interpretation of the lyrics is exquisitely intelligent and insightful. The entire band performs simply divinely, displaying obvious talents and sensitivity. Such combination of beautiful music performed as perfectly as here is indeed extraordinary. Therefore in retrospect this is simply one of the best Pop / Prog albums ever recorded in Poland and absolutely nothing recorded since comes even close to its perfection. It is completely untouched by time and constantly gets better in contrast to most music created today. It is an absolute must have for every lover of Polish music and no collection of Polish music will be complete without it. This expanded and remastered edition includes eight bonus tracks recorded by the Polish Radio, all of excellent quality, both sonically and musically. Perfection incarnate!

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

EWA LIPSKA / ZBIGNIEW PREISNER ~ 2016 DOKAD? UNIVERSAL MUSIC POLSKA 602557360660 (Barcode: 602557360660) ~ POLAND ~ Sung Poetry Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is a live recording of a concert, which presents a series of compositions by composer Zbigniew PreisnerFind albums by this artist with texts by poetess Ewa LipskaFind albums by this artist. The music is performed by several vocalists, including Lisa GerrardFind albums by this artist, Edyta KrzemienFind albums by this artist and others, a large mixed choir and many instrumentalists, including pianist Dominik WaniaFind albums by this artist, organist Jozef SkrzekFind albums by this artist, percussionist Slawomir BernyFind albums by this artist and others. Both Lipska and Preisner also contribute spoken / sung parts. The 2CD album presents twenty-two tracks, which are also available on the enclosed DVD. The music, which encompasses Classical, Folkloristic and Popular music elements, offers a form of a contemporary oratorio, but the subject matter is completely secular, and touches on deeply philosophical / political / social matters, which trouble the Polish society, as much today as it did through the ages. Lipska’s tongue, sharp as a razor, is completely ruthless and slaughters holly cows by the dozen, often shockingly “in the face”, which often is the only way to jiggle people out of their lethargy. Preisner’s music fits the “wild” and provocative lyrics perfectly, creating an amalgam of somber, deadly serious atmosphere with seemingly lighter interludes of cabaret-like textures. Of course one can always ponder on the effectiveness of “protesting” in Art, and the realization that even the most talented human beings, like Allen GinsbergFind albums by this artist and the entire Beat Generation, or Bob DylanFind albums by this artist and the entire Protest Generation, or Marek GrechutaFind albums by this artist, or Julian TuwimFind albums by this artist managed to change anything in the long run, prevent wars, social injustice or human stupidity. And yet, the Artists simply must do, what they do, since they just wouldn’t be Artists if they wouldn’t do what they do, hoping that someone will hear what they mean. Overall, this is a monumental stage enterprise, which forces the listener to face a mirror, and which uses an entire arsenal of Cultural armament: music, poetry, spoken word, etc. to make one simple, but powerful statement: “wake up! I consider myself extremely happy to be able to count several of the protagonist of this ambitious masterpiece as my friends. Thank you for the words and the sounds!

Updated: 24/05/2024Posted: 24/05/2024

2CD+DVD 3 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

WOJCIECH MAJEWSKI ~ REMEMBRANCE FOR TUNE 0094 (Barcode: 5902768701449) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2004 - 2013 Released: 2016 This is an archival album presenting a live recording by a quintet led by pianist / composer Wojciech MajewskiFind albums by this artist, which also included his brother trumpeter Robert MajewskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Tomasz SzukalskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Jacek NiedzielaFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof DziedzicFind albums by this artist. The concert, which took place at a Polish Radio studio, was part of a promotion effort for the album "ZamyslenieFind albums with this title", recorded by the same quintet and released a few months earlier. For this release the album was enhanced by the inclusion of one original track from that album, which features the vocals of the incredible Grzegorz TurnauFind albums by this artist, a couple of solo piano pieces recorded by Wojciech Majewski a decade later and finally by a fragment of a historic radio broadcast, featuring the Polish Rock legend Czeslaw NiemenFind albums by this artist accompanied by Wojciech Majewski and Szukalski. The music was mostly composed by Wojciech Majewski, but includes also a composition by Niemen, a couple of compositions by the legendary Polish bard Marek GrechutaFind albums by this artist and one composition by the Godfather of modern Polish Jazz Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist. The music is, as expected, top notch from start to finish, and presents the peak of the second generation of the Polish Jazz scene, both on the instrumental and compositional levels. All five players are absolute masters of their respective instruments, but obviously the performances by Szukalski are at the centre of attention, as he is sadly no longer with us and this album emphasizes the incredible loss Polish Jazz suffered with his premature death. As such, this album is a great tribute to his talents. Wojciech Majewski as a composer is in many respects the epitome of the mainstream Polish Jazz, encapsulating the lyricism, melancholy and exquisite melodies, which are its main characteristics. This album also shows how Polish Jazz, often within the Jazz & Poetry idiom, is interconnected with other aspects of the Polish Culture. The inclusion of works by Grechuta and Niemen are by no way incidental and emphasizes these intricate associations. Overall this is a highly important release, not only as far as the beautiful music it presents, but also as a wonderful historic document shedding light on the Polish Jazz scene in particular and Polish Culture in general. The For Tune label deserves to be especially praised for this release, which no doubt is a very significant addition to the label´s catalog. I hope more releases of such character will follow. This is an absolute must to all fans of Polish Jazz, but Jazz connoisseurs the world over should also enjoy this music immensely, as it knows absolutely no borders.

Updated: 19/07/2016Posted: 19/07/2016

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

MICHAL SOLTAN ~ MALOGRANIE ART HORSE 002 (Barcode: 5902659800329) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Pop Fusion Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is the debut solo album by Polish guitarist / vocalist / songwriter Michal SoltanFind albums by this artist, who is known to Polish Jazz / Fusion fans from his work with Imagination QuartetFind albums by this artist and the two albums they released earlier on. On this album Soltan is accompanied by many established Polish Jazz / Fusion musicians, the list of which is way too long to be detailed here, as well as a string quartet and guests from US. I should however give credit to the superb rhythm section, which keeps this music rolling: keyboardist Milosz OlenieckiFind albums by this artist (who also co-arranged the music with Soltan) bassist Lukasz MakowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Marcin JahrFind albums by this artist (who plays on most of the tracks). The album presents ten original songs (one features wordless vocalese), all written and composed by Soltan, and one bonus track which goes back to the IQ days and presents the vocalese song in an instrumental version. The music is a delightful collection of beautiful songs, all carefully weaved and beautifully executed. Bordering somewhere between Jazz, Funk and ambitious Pop, the music is uncompromisingly sophisticated, rich and elegant. Combined with the intelligent texts, vocalese and instrumental solos (especially the unisono vocalese / guitar solos by Soltan himself) the album flows like a dream and seems to be over in a jiffy. The craft of songwriting, which often seems to be completely lost these days, comes alive in these songs like a dream. Soltan is not a spectacular vocalist (neither was Bob DylanFind albums by this artist or Marek GrechutaFind albums by this artist), but he does not has to be, since his songs call for expressive delivery, perfect diction and above all a heartfelt feeling of the music and the texts. Soltan has all the above in abundance and they all obviously work wanders, as this album is a true gem from start to finish. The instrumental arrangements are also perfect, all done sparingly and almost entirely acoustically, with short but superbly focused solos and careful consideration of what is right for each song. Although the instrumental parts are almost entirely Jazzy, they do not take control of the overall sound and feel of the music and remain as elegant ornamentation. The focus remains on the songs and the meaningful lyrics, which is exactly right here. Albums like this one are sadly very rare these days, and almost never manage to catch my attention for a span long enough to fall in love with the songs like in this case. Even if the songs have a tinge of sadness and melancholy, but also a great sense of humor, they are like the proverbial "honey on the heart"; unadulterated intellectual and emotional pleasure! Thank you Michal for the effort to share your world with us! Of course this album is an absolute must for all true music lovers, especially the hopeless romantics ;)

Updated: 02/12/2017Posted: 02/12/2017

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend