Record Reviews

TADEUSZ BORCZYK ~ NO NAME FLOWER 030 (Barcode: 5904259357913) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2007 - 2010 Released: 2011 This is the second album by Polish Jazz bassist / composer Tadeusz BorczykFind albums by this artist recorded over a period of several years in different studios (including the excellent Studio Tokarnia) with a changing lineup, which includes pianist Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Tomasz KalwakFind albums by this artist, guitarist Damian KuraszFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Marek PodkowaFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Jaroslaw SpalekFind albums by this artist and drummers Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist and Michal DabrowkaFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Borczyk. The music belongs to the melodic easier side of Jazz and Fusion, is well played and solidly composed, which means that although it is not very ambitious, it is altogether quite a pleasant listen. The problem with such recordings is of course their dangerous proximity to Smooth Jazz, which although in this case does not cross the line, is very close to it. All these compositions sound very similar to each other and are eventually quite unremarkable, which means that once the album is over one remembers almost nothing of the actual music. Borczyk plays a few nice bass solos, which are amongst the highlights of this album, and Smoczynski saves the day with his piano playing, which is the most constructive contribution on this album. A few other solo spots are also worth notice. The album has a very good sound quality, which basically means that fans of easy Jazz music, which is almost danceable, should have a field day with it. It is also ideal for driving. Altogether this is quite a nice album for people who treat Jazz as entertainment.

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

KRZYSZTOF HERDZIN ~ DANCING FLOWERS FUSION 001 (Barcode: 5907564258012) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2001 Released: 2005 This album by Polish keyboardist / composer / arranger Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist presents yet another aspect of his seemingly universal musical personality. It is basically a Funk album, which consists of seven instrumentals and three songs, all composed by Herdzin. The arrangements, especially those involving the horn section, have some proximity to Jazz, but overall it is a Pop album with some Jazz-Rock Fusion elements. The music is performed by an excellent team, which includes guitarist Marek NapiorkowskiFind albums by this artist, bassists Zbigniew WegehauptFind albums by this artist (in a rare appearance on bass guitar), Filip SojkaFind albums by this artist and Miroslaw WisniewskiFind albums by this artist and drummers Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist, Grzegorz GrzybFind albums by this artist and Michal DabrowkaFind albums by this artist and horn players like saxophonists Michal KulentyFind albums by this artist, Marek PodkowaFind albums by this artist and Mariusz MelczarekFind albums by this artist and several others. The vocals are handled by three young Pop vocalists, two female and one male, all of them quite unimpressive The music is based on the American Funk model, which was developed in the 1970s / 1980s by a plentitude of mostly African American musicians, especially the archetypical Earth, Wind & FireFind albums by this artist, but also by many partly Jazz oriented artists like George DukeFind albums by this artist, Stanley ClarkeFind albums by this artist, Grover Washington, Jr.Find albums by this artist and even Miles DavisFind albums by this artist and Herbie HancockFind albums by this artist during some periods of their extensive careers. Herdzin presents his version of Funk, which is based more on the melodic content than the rhythmic progression and is therefore somewhat softened, or simply more European. Herdzin often states that anything he does is by no means inferior to whatever the Americans are doing, and to tell the truth he is often correct when saying so, but on the other hand as it was once so adequately put: "White Man Can´t Jump" and Funk is after all about "jumping" more than anything else. When asked if he ever played Funk, Herdzin can most certainly answer positively, following this recording. Overall this is a well done, pleasant album (except for the vocal tracks), which is ideal for driving on sunny days (pretty rare in Poland) with the volume up and a pretty blonde beside you. Enjoy!

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

VARIOUS ARTISTS ~ TRIBUTE TO ZBIGNIEW JAKUBEK AFRO VIBE 006 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2013 - 2023 Released: 2023 This is a 2CD album paying tribute to Polish Jazz keyboardist / composer / arranger Zbigniew JakubekFind albums by this artist, a prominent figure on the Polish Jazz scene for many decades and member of such ensembles like Walk AwayFind albums by this artist, Young PowerFind albums by this artist and others. Jakubek recorded many albums with the groups he was a member of, as well as a sideman in numerous projects with other top Polish Jazz musicians, but sadly never managed to record a solo album as a leader. Following his death in May 2023, guitarist / composer Marek RaduliFind albums by this artist, who was a close friend of Jakubek, undertook this splendid project to record an album with original music by Jakubek, with the help of many of the musicians Jakubek played with, such as bassists Michal GrottFind albums by this artist, Tomasz GrabowyFind albums by this artist, Robert KubiszynFind albums by this artist and Krzysztof ScieranskiFind albums by this artist, drummers Michal DabrowkaFind albums by this artist, Wojciech FedkowiczFind albums by this artist and Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist, vibraphonist Bernard MaseliFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Adam WendtFind albums by this artist, guitarist Damian KuraszFind albums by this artist and others. The album presents ten tracks (five on each CD), nine of which are original compositions of Jakubek and one is composed by Raduli, with lyrics by Bartlomiej SkubiszFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. EskaubeiFind albums by this artist). Seven of the tracks are based on tracks left by Jakubek, recorded as sketches / preparations for his solo album and other sources, two are taken from Walk Away albums and the last one, was written (see above) especially for this album. The music is all brilliantly melodic, with typical Polish melancholy and lyricism, excellently performed by all the participants and offers an excellent sound quality. Raduli’s guitar playing is absolutely sensational and his emotional involvement with this project is evident and his dedication to carry it out is exceptional. Overall, this is a brilliant tribute album to a great musician / composer, warmly remembered by his peers and friends, and the music offers some of the finest guitar oriented Jazz / Fusion music recorded in Poland. For the lovers of the genre, this album is an absolute must, but all Jazz lovers around the world should be able to appreciate the superb compositions by Jakubek and enjoy the music wholeheartedly. Hats off to those who contributed to make this project a reality!

Updated: 09/04/2024Posted: 09/04/2024

CD 2 Slipcase Recommend To A Friend