Record Reviews

INTUITION ORCHESTRA ~ SUMMA INTUITIVA AUDIO CAVE 2021/010 (Barcode: 5908298549438) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is the fifth album by Polish Improvised Music ensemble called Intuition OrchestraFind albums by this artist, which comprises of a core trio: saxophonist Ryszard WojciulFind albums by this artist, keyboardist / cellist Boleslaw BlaszczykFind albums by this artist and drummer Jacek AlkaFind albums by this artist. They are joined by no less than seven distinguished guest musicians from different musical idioms, including legendary bassist Krzysztof MajchrzakFind albums by this artist, World Music tsarina Maria PomianowskaFind albums by this artist, guitarist Wojciech BlazejczykFind albums by this artist, electronics wizard Krzysztof KnittelFind albums by this artist, drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist and others. The album presents nine tracks, which as usual in such circumstances, are rather arbitrary parts of the continuum, all being collective improvisations. The music offers a distinctly “younger” (unrelated to the musicians’ age) feel and groove, with Fusiony touches created by Majchrzak and Blazejczyk and contemporary electronics, in addition to the traditional acoustic instruments. As a result, the music is also a touch more approachable to wider audiences this time, perhaps not intentionally, but definitely de facto. All the instrumental and vocal performances, especially those by Wojciul, are exceptional. As I have already stated previously, Intuition Orchestra is able to create genuinely Improvised Music, without sounding completely senseless, self-indulgent and artistically empty. This music has a wonderful natural flow, a feel of continuity and coherent direction, which makes listening to it an uplifting experience. Overall, it is great to witness a continuous growth and development of this ensemble, which is able to rejuvenate its sound and retain its creative powers for many years, without giving up an iota of their conceptual freedom of expression. As far as Improvised Music is concerned, this is one of the relatively few examples where it is able to create a lasting aesthetic experience, which continues to satisfy beyond the moment of its creation. Hats off my friends!

Updated: 17/12/2021Posted: 17/12/2021

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ANNA MARIA JOPEK / BRANFORD MARSALIS ~ ULOTNE AMJ 001 (Barcode: 5906395769315) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 - 2017 Released: 2018 Every new release by the Polish Diva Anna Maria JopekFind albums by this artist is a celebration of Culture and a major musical event on an international scale, especially so when it involves a revered Jazz superstar like saxophonist Branford MarsalisFind albums by this artist. Jopek, famous for her consistent independent Artistic vision, managed to create her own universe, where she does not need to compare or compete with the rest of the world, which enables her complete freedom of expression and self-determination, which only very few Artists worldwide were able to achieve over time. Recording an album with Marsalis was a dream, which Jopek held on to since the time she heard him playing with StingFind albums by this artist, which of course was a huge influence on every true music lover at the time. The incredible chemistry that Sting and Marsalis demonstrated was an extremely tall order to follow, but Jopek never eschewed a challenge and this album proves that the realization of that dream was indeed worthwhile waiting for. The album was recorded during two separate recording sessions, twenty one months apart, which considering the busy schedule that Jopek and Marsalis are both entangled in, is not as surprising as it might sound. The somewhat esoteric group of musicians includes percussionist Mino CineluFind albums by this artist, pianists Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist (who was also in charge of arrangements and conducting) and Marcin WasilewskiFind albums by this artist, multi-instrumentalist Piotr NazarukFind albums by this artist, bassist Robert KubiszynFind albums by this artist and Atom String QuartetFind albums by this artist (violinists Mateusz SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist and Dawid LubowiczFind albums by this artist, violist Michal ZaborskiFind albums by this artist and cellist Krzysztof LenczowskiFind albums by this artist). Polish Folklore Guru Maria PomianowskaFind albums by this artist guests on one track. The album presents ten tracks on the "formal" first CD and four additional tracks (one of which is an alternate version of a track on the album) on the "bonus" second CD. The songs are mostly originals, written by Jopek or co-written with her spouse Marcin KydrynskiFind albums by this artist, one song is by Herdzin, one by Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist (see below), one by Andrzej ZielinskiFind albums by this artist (SkaldowieFind albums by this artist) and one by Harry KandelFind albums by this artist with the rest being originally traditional Polish Folklore songs. Musically the album marks a return to Jopek´s established modus operandi, which combines Polish Folklore and original songwriting, spiced with Jazzy arrangements and of course dominated by her highly original expressionism. The music is deeply soaked in Polish lyricism and melancholy and her decision to sing in the Polish language emphasizes these elements even further. Marsalis plunges into this Slavic environment with vigor and determination, as if Eastern European sensitivities were his second nature, which is quite remarkable. It proves not only his openness and ability to embrace diverse Cultures, but also his incredible musicality, which enables him to feel completely at home in this Slavic musical setting. It also proves, perhaps more importantly, that music is universal, as is human soul, and ethnic boundaries can be crossed and amalgamated on the collective plane. Jopek, Marsalis and all the musicians involved in the recording of this album are of course veteran professionals in addition to their individual Artistic abilities, which results in the music being perfectly and incredibly sensitively executed. This music requires total dedication and every single note played by every musician at every given moment must be precisely articulated to achieve the desired effect. Luckily this team rises to the challenge admirably. The delicate and wonderfully written string arrangements performed by the Atoms add a superbly "angelic" aura to the overall sound and the folkloristic elements by Nazaruk spice the proceedings splendidly. Marsalis plays a series of breathtaking solos throughout the album, exactly as expected of course and Jopek, as always, manages to create goose bumps all over the listener´s body regardless if she sings lyrics or awe-inspiring vocalese. When selecting the material for this album, Jopek requested the permission of Tomasz Stanko to use his beautiful ballad "A Farewell To MariaFind albums with this title", originally used in the soundtrack of a movie of the same name, as she was sure Marsalis would be able to embrace the lyricism of this incredible melody and create a marvelous solo while performing it. She was right of course and this track is definitely one of the highlights of this album, and at the same time it constitutes a mournful tribute to Stanko, who passed away before the album was released. Another interesting piece is the excellent arrangement of the classic Harry Kandel (born in Lwow) Klezmer tune "A Night In The Garden Of Eden", which features Jopek´s hair-raising vocalese. Of course Klezmer music has always been an integral part of the Polish Folklore tapestry, in which the Jewish contribution was invaluable. Overall this album is a Masterpiece from start to finish, which is no news to the numerous Jopek´s fans. There is not one moment on this album, which is not inspirational and eloquent, heartwarming and heartfelt. Both deeply Polish and at the same time universally appealing this music knows no stylistic or Cultural boundaries. It is beautiful and sensitive and at the same time deeply emotional, soul-searching and introspective. In short, this album delivers everything one expects to hear when Great Artists are involved. Thank you, as always, my Dear!

Updated: 08/12/2018Posted: 08/12/2018

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KWARTET PALUCKI ~ NA SKRZYZOWANIU RZEK FOR TUNE 0073 (Barcode: 5902768701777) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is a live recording by the Polish ensemble Kwartet PaluckiFind albums by this artist, a quartet dedicated to playing music that originates in the Paluki region, combined with Jazz improvisations. It comprises of zither and harmonica player Grzegorz TomaszewskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist / flautist Michal KulentyFind albums by this artist, vibraphonist Karol SzymanowskiFind albums by this artist and bassist Krzysztof SamelaFind albums by this artist. They are joined by four guest musicians: vocalist Zbigniew ZaranekFind albums by this artist, knee fiddle player Maria PomianowskaFind albums by this artist, accordionist Lukasz MirekFind albums by this artist and percussionist Julia RauhutFind albums by this artist. Together they perform six traditional tunes / songs arranged in a Jazz-World Fusion fashion. The music is a well rounded, melodic, straightforward mainstream Jazz combined (gently) with the folkloristic themes. Everything is well performed and there are plenty of nice solos by the participants. The vocal parts are also quite excellent. Generally this is a very pleasant listen and although the song´s lyrics are in Polish, the album should be accessible to most Jazz-World Fusion fans. On the other hand this album is not really very ambitious or innovating, and therefore does not belong to the list of groundbreaking Polish Jazz albums amalgamating Polish Folklore, which have been recorded on the local scene since the 1960s and are still being created today, some of which were released by For TuneFind albums on this label Records. Overall this album is worth checking out for people who appreciate the diversity of the Polish Jazz scene.

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MARIA POMIANOWSKA ~ MONIUSZKO Z 1000 I JEDNEJ NOCY NOT ON LABEL 0001 (Barcode: 5907675594610) ~ POLAND ~ World Music & Folklore Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 This is an album by Polish World Music wonder women Maria PomianowskaFind albums by this artist, multi-instrumentalist / composer / arranger and scholar who never stops even for a moment to take a rest between her numerous projects, which often take her around the globe. This ambitious undertaking creates cross-pollination between the music composed by Polish Classical Music composer Stanislaw MoniuszkoFind albums by this artist and World Music originating from the six continents, wonderfully arranged by Pomianowska and performed by a large team of twenty four musicians who play a plethora of exotic folk instruments. Celebrated Polish Jazz vocalist Grazyna AuguscikFind albums by this artist sings vocalese parts. The album presents twelve tracks, eleven of which are compositions by Moniuszko and one is an original composition by Pomianowska. Usually I treat projects of this kind with extreme caution, as they often turn out to be terrible kitsch and cacophonic mixtures of unmatched ingredients. It was a pleasant surprise to discover that in skillful hands music becomes truly one and the seemingly impossible correlation between 19th Century Polish Classical Music and the music from distant parts of our World can be so naturally compatible. The secret lays first and foremost in the fact that Moniuszko´s music was deeply immersed in Polish Folklore, which Pomianowska skillfully emphasized in her arrangements. Music is of course completely unaware of geography and National boundaries, and true Folklore easily binds with other Folklores, even if separated by rhythmic patterns, musical scales and of course the use of diverse instruments. Based on the popular "One Thousand And One Nights" concept, each of the twelve tracks on the albums tells a musical tale, which is up to the listener to extrapolate into his own narrative. Each of the tracks is based on a different melody line and incorporates different ethnic ambiance as well as using a different instrumentation. Although instruments from very different parts of the world are used, the predominant Middle Eastern mood rules the proceedings, which would make even Scheherazade smile. Additionally some Indian and other Far East motives are clearly present. Of course people familiar with Moniuszko´s music and the Polish Folklore will recognize these elements as well. Overall this is a splendid musical journey, cleverly and elegantly devised and superbly executed, which should make the many World Music connoisseurs worldwide very happy. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 16/07/2019Posted: 16/07/2019

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MARIA POMIANOWSKA & FRIENDS ~ DANCE OF SUKA FOR TUNE 0169 (Barcode: 5906395808830) ~ POLAND ~ World Music & Folklore Recorded: 2020 Released: 2024 This is an album by Polish World Music / Folklore magician Maria PomianowskaFind albums by this artist, recorded with four of her musical friends: Karolina HulbujFind albums by this artist, who plays the cello and wspak (a viola like instrument, but with reversed symmetry), Sebastian WypychFind albums by this artist, who plays the double bass, Arad EmamgholiFind albums by this artist, a Kurd living in Warsaw, who plays the daf (a Middle Eastern frame drum) and Wojciech LubertowiczFind albums by this artist, who also plays frame drums. This superb quintet recorded in the midst of the Pandemic twelve tracks of completely unique music, two of which are contemporary compositions by Pomianowska and ten are new interpretations / arrangements of dances composed between the 13th and 17th Century. This album is a companion to the album “The Voice Of SukaFind albums with this title”, recorded by Pomianowska in 2016 and also released on the For TuneFind albums on this label Records label. Pomianowska plays on the instrument known as suka, a vertically played fiddle (or knee fiddle), close in sound to violin, which was part of the Polish musical tradition for centuries and almost forgotten in time, and now thanks to her dedication, brought back to “active duty” with great success. On this album she uses two variants the suka, as well as an old fiddle. The music is an exceptional amalgam between Classical Medieval and Baroque compositions and Folkloristic influences, which encompass a wide range of diverse sources, between Eastern European and Middle Eastern Cultures. Somehow Pomianowska manages to amalgamate all those seemingly completely separate elements into a coherent oneness, which is not only beautiful but also very clever, exciting and aesthetically pleasing. Listening to the album seems to be a wide magic carpet ride above countries, on one side, and a time machine trip on the other, constantly moving between one musical environment to another, almost making the listener dizzy at times, but inducing a wide smile at the same time. Of course people familiar with the many sources of the music, will also enjoy the familiarity, but those to whom everything here is previously unheard, the joy of surprise should be even more exciting. Overall, this is a wonderful piece of music, which splendidly combines many stylistically different types of music and different Cultural heritages into a comprehensible and enjoyable musical experience, with the unique signature of Pomianowska, who is taking the world by storm. I envy you your stamina, Maria my Friend, and thank you for your creativity. Godspeed in these crazy times!

Updated: 29/06/2024Posted: 29/06/2024

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MARIA POMIANOWSKA & GROUPE GAINDE ~ WARSZAWA - DAKAR FOR TUNE 0069 (Barcode: 5902768701715) ~ POLAND ~ World Music & Folklore Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is an album by Polish multi-instrumentalist / vocalist / composer Maria PomianowskaFind albums by this artist, who is a leading figure on the local Ethno / Folklore / World Music scene, on which she cooperates with a Senegalese ensemble called Groupe GaindeFind albums by this artist and a couple of Polish World Music multi-instrumentalist: Pawel BetleyFind albums by this artist and Gwidon CybulskiFind albums by this artist. Together the collective ensemble performs eleven pieces, most of which are Polish or Senegalese traditional songs and three are originals by Pomianowska. The idea behind such multiculti projects is of course a process of amalgamation of the separate cultural ingredients into a new entity, which is supposed to be different from the original sources of influence. In this respect this album fails its objective, as the resulting music remains very closely connected with Polish Folklore and the African vocals, instruments and rhythms serve only as ornamentation and are unable to have any profound musical influence. Even the traditional Moroccan or Senegalese tunes sound more Polish than their true place of origin. This happens due to the arrangements by Pomianowska, who is the driving force of this project, and who has a very dominant influence on these proceedings. Nevertheless the music is still a fine example of Folklore / World Music, very well executed both vocally and instrumentally, and a nice listen to all fans of the genre. Polish lyrics might be a hurdle for non-Polish listeners, but these days it is of little significance. The beautiful melancholic Polish Folklore songs are all true gems, with the only problem being that they are all very similar melodically and harmonically, and after a while start to sound a bit tiresome. Overall this album is certainly worth exploring by World Music fans, although it offers a much "localized" perspective of the genre.

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MARIA POMIANOWSKA / MINGJIE YU ~ AMBER & SILK PROJECT: SUKA MEETS ZHENG SOLITON 1323 (Barcode: 5903684233236) ~ POLAND ~ World Music & Folklore Recorded: 2022 Released: 2023 This is an album by two representatives of seemingly remote cultural worlds: Polish multi-instrumentalist / composer / educator / scholar and de facto the Wonder Women of the Polish World Music scene Maria PomianowskaFind albums by this artist and Chinese musician / composer / educator Mingjie YuFind albums by this artist. The album presents eleven tracks, which include traditional Polish and Chinese melodies as well as four original compositions by Pomianowska. Pomianowska plays on the instrument known as Bilgoraj suka, a vertically played fiddle (or knee fiddle), close in sound to violin, which was part of the Polish musical tradition for centuries and almost forgotten in time, and now thanks to her dedication, brought back to “active duty” with great success. Yu plays the guzheng (or zheng), a traditional Chinese plucked zither, which is again a part of Chinese musical tradition since centuries and still played extensively these days in China. The music these two talented Women create together is stunningly beautiful and the minimalism of just two instruments makes the music even more powerful and penetrating. The differences between the two cultures separated by a distance of thousands of kilometers and millennia of history, blend together completely seamlessly, proving yet again that music is the true human universal language, free of the barriers set by languages and communicating directly heart-to-heart. Overall, this is a highly stimulating and aesthetically uplifting musical experience, which goes beyond the meeting of two musical Cultures, but manages to create a new musical identity, which is completely universal. Although I am familiar with many recordings made by Maria Pomianowska, all of which are exemplary, this one strikes me particularly as one of her most far-reaching explorations. My deep thanks to you Dear Ladies, for creating a cross-Cultural bridge of exquisite beauty!

Updated: 11/06/2023Posted: 11/06/2023

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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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