Record Reviews

STANISLAW SLOWINSKI ~ VISIONS – VIOLIN CONCERTO NO.1 NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2018 Released: 2020 This is the third album as a leader by young Polish Jazz violinist / composer Stanislaw SlowinskiFind albums by this artist, recorded with a Jazz septet comprising of musicians that took part in the recording of the two earlier albums: trumpeter Zbigniew SzwajdychFind albums by this artist, saxophonist / flautist Marta WajdzikFind albums by this artist, guitarist Szymon MikaFind albums by this artist, pianist Kuba PluzekFind albums by this artist, bassist Justyn MalodobryFind albums by this artist and drummer Dawid FortunaFind albums by this artist, as well as the AUKSO Chamber OrchestraFind albums by this artist conducted by Marek MosFind albums by this artist. The music, recorded live, presents a violin concerto in three movements, and includes both the audio (CD) and video (DVD) version of the premiere performance of the concerto. The music is a typical romantic Classical concerto, incorporating melodic themes strongly based on Polish folkloristic influences, full of melancholy and beautiful lyricism. The Jazz and Classical elements are loosely integrated, which causes the music to move between the Classical and Jazz worlds rather than present a unified / amalgamated approach, with the solo violin parts serving as a bridge between the two worlds. As expected, the performances, both by the septet members and the string orchestra, are excellent from start to finish, as are the violin solo parts by Slowinski. He joins the ranks of the young Polish violin stars, which are constantly growing, building the new generation of the Polish Jazz Violin School. This ambitious undertaking is perhaps a tad too tamed overall, with Slowinski taking no risks and following 19th Century Classical Music conventions and mainstream Jazz patterns, whereas contemporary listeners probably expect a little more experimentation these days. Having said that, this album is a solid, well structured and beautifully performed piece of music, which can be enjoyed by a wide range of listeners, both from the Jazz and Classical Music circles. Definitely worth investigating!

Updated: 11/01/2023Posted: 20/02/2020

CD+DVD 2 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

MARTA WAJDZIK ~ MY PLANET NOT ON LABEL 001 (Barcode: 5907785040588) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the debut album by young (eighteen years old) Polish saxophonist / flautist / composer Marta WajdzikFind albums by this artist recorded in a quartet setting with veteran Jazz musicians: keyboardist Pawel TomaszewskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Robert KubiszynFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel DobrowolskiFind albums by this artist. Zuzanna WajdzikFind albums by this artist (Marta´s sister) adds vocalese on a couple of tracks. The album presents seven original compositions, all by Wajdzik. The music is all melody based mainstream Jazz, bordering on Fusion due to electric keyboards and bass ambience and dynamic drumming. Some ethnic influences are also present in the music, which offers a nice variety. The compositions are solid and coherent, serving as ideal basis for the extended improvisations and the up-tempo rhythmic character of most of the tunes makes the music flow briskly from one tune to another, offering a pleasant listening experience. Most of the solo work on the album is performed by the myriad of keyboard instruments, and Tomaszewski´s limitless imagination finds plenty of opportunities to skyrocket. Wajdzik solos sparingly, which is understandable considering her limited experience and technical skills, and she mostly states the melodic themes, leaving the expressive improvisations in the hands of Tomaszewski. The rhythm section is superb all the way, playing respectively in the background with an occasional bass solo, but offering interesting bottom harmony and rhythmic intensity. One might wonder if the album was not recorded a bit too early as far as Wajdzik is concerned. With all due respect to wunderkinds, their stories usually end in a rather grim manner in the long range. Hopefully this is not the case here and I am anxiously awaiting her real debut sometime in the future. Overall this is an impressive debut, but not entirely earned by Wajdzik herself and with another team of players might have sounded quite different. Good luck and may the Force be with you young Lady!

Updated: 08/08/2020Posted: 08/08/2020

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend