Record Reviews

NSI QUARTET ~ INTRODUCING FONOGRAFICA 5903292106045 (Barcode: 5903292106045) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2013 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz NSI QuartetFind albums by this artist, which comprises of trumpeter Cyprian BaszynskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Bartlomiej PrucnalFind albums by this artist, American bassist Mike ParkerFind albums by this artist and drummer Dawid FortunaFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions; four by Prucnal, two by Baszynski and one co-composed by them both. As usual with those debut albums appearing on the Polish Jazz scene the first impression is always that of astonishment and awe, considering the age of the contributors and their relatively limited experience. But apparently one has to get used to expect the unexpected, when listening to those releases time after time. Obviously this quartet leaves a strong impression and introduces new faces, which are about to become a part of the local scene for years to come, and considering their abilities as of now, no one can predict how far they will go eventually. Musically however, NSI Quartet are quite different from other emerging young Polish Jazz ensembles, arriving on the scene in the last couple of years, primarily for the reason that they sound completely "non Polish" or even "non European", if such stylistic concept makes sense at all. If I had listened to the album blindfolded, I´d have never expected it originates in Poland or in Europe, as it sounds completely American in every respect; it is a semi-free kind of post Bebop, very popular on the USA scene, mostly among the Chicago-based AACM ensembles, in the late 1960s and 1970s. NSI Quartet´s music has the same kind of urgency, edge and even aggressiveness in it. But compared to the other Polish ensembles, it suffers on the melody front, emphasized even more strongly by the lack of a pianist in the group. Sure enough all this is intentional and of course completely acceptable, but the question "where is the melody?" did pop up in my mind from time to time while listening to this album. Of course these young lions can play and play they do – with vigor and seemingly endless energy. Technically everything is top notch and all the ensemble members display their effortless powers of Swing. Baszynski dominates the overall sound and his frequent solos are all on fire. Personally I find his playing a bit too busy, but it must be the youthful eagerness to show what he can do. Prucnal on the other hand simply makes his statements elegantly, without further ado. The rhythm section is also rather on the busy-side, but this type of music justifies this kind of relentless drive, even it is somewhat heavy on the ear to the average listener. Overall it´s still a damn good album, even if the music is a bit stuck in the past and the playing becomes somewhat over the top at times. These talented musicians will learn and keep surprising us in the future, that is for sure. Kudos for kicking off your career with a blast!

Updated: 01/06/2018Posted:

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

MIKE PARKER / TRIO THEORY ~ ALIVE OUT THERE NOT ON LABEL ~ USA ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the third album by American bassist / composer Mike ParkerFind albums by this artist, who spends much of his time in Eastern Europe playing and recording with Polish Jazz musicians, as documented on his previous album. This album, recorded live in Czech Republic and Serbia, documents a tour by Parker´s trio, which also includes Polish Jazz saxophonist Slawomir PezdaFind albums by this artist and American (resident in Poland) drummer Frank ParkerFind albums by this artist. Together they perform six compositions, four by Mike ParkerFind albums by this artist, one co-composed by him and Bartlomiej PrucnalFind albums by this artist and one composed by Bryson BarnesFind albums by this artist. The music is mostly improvised, except for short melodic intros which immediately develop into a frantic Free Form extended blowing sessions. Pezda, who is definitely one of the most impressive young Lions among the Polish Jazz saxophone players, performs incredibly on this album; even more remarkably than on several earlier recordings he participated in. The intimate setting and the live atmosphere, as well as the excellent work of the rhythm section, allow him to soar and shine, which he does from start to finish. But of course this is a trio effort and the overall result is successful thanks to the interplay and mutual respect these three players share among them. Saxophone trios are an extremely difficult environment to create impressive music, but this trio is definitely blessed with the ability to make it work. If course Parker´s music also adds to the success of this music. Although seemingly aggressive and certainly very intensive, this music displays a lot of elegance and intrinsic beauty. The "beast" is definitely tamed and the improvisations and far out excursions are apparently well planed ahead. The wonderful tension between the intensity of this music and its underlying structure is one of the strongest assets. This is definitely one of the strongest statements I have had the pleasure to listen to in the last months and it truly deserves to be discovered by as many Jazz lovers as possible. A strange thought passed through my head; since this great album was created by two American practically living in Poland and a Pole, playing in Eastern Europe, perhaps the only way to save American Jazz before it disintegrates completely is to move it to Eastern Europe?

Updated: 30/05/2016Posted: 27/05/2016

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

MIKE PARKER / TRIO THEORY ~ SHINY OBJECTS, DARK PLACES NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is the fourth album by American (partly resident in Poland) bassist Mike ParkerFind albums by this artist and his second album with the Trio TheoryFind albums by this artist, which also includes Polish saxophonist Slawomir PezdaFind albums by this artist and American (also partly resident in Poland) drummer Frank ParkerFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, all by Mike Parker. The music is melody based modern Jazz, which in contrast to the preceding album with the trio, which was recorded live and presented mostly Free Jazz approach, is much more organized and structured. Of course there is still plenty of improvisation herein, which dominates Pezda´s superb performances, but the overall approach is much more relaxed and "disciplined". The album develops on two separate planes: the energetic and highly complex improvised saxophone parts and the hypnotic rhythmic background created by bass and drums. When combined, these two planes overlap splendidly and the resulting music amalgamates rhythm and melody into one cohesive unity, which is highly emotional and moving. All three players demonstrate highly developed technical skills and understanding of the Jazz idiom. The rhythm section is mostly very powerful and carries the strong beat in a manner closely related to rhythms originating in African Cultures. Pezda is naturally more related to the European approach but his saxophone playing is also strongly related to early Free Jazz Masters like Albert AylerFind albums by this artist and Eric DolphyFind albums by this artist. He certainly emerges on this recording as one of the leading Polish Jazz saxophonists of the young generation. The music on this album is quite different from most other Polish Jazz recordings, which mostly follow a much mellower, melancholic and lyrical trends, whereas here the main tendency is more raw and penetrating, facing the listener right in his face rather than appealing to his intellectual antennae. Mike Parker deserves praise for the wonderful compositions he created for the trio. Overall this is a splendid outing, which is definitely worth being discovered and admired and an important step in the career of the musicians involved. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 14/12/2018Posted: 14/12/2018

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

MIKE PARKER / UNIFIED THEORY ~ EMBRACE THE WILD NOT ON LABEL ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2015 American bassist / composer Mike ParkerFind albums by this artist spent a period of a year and a half living in Krakow and playing with local young Polish Jazz musicians. He was a member of the NSI QuartetFind albums by this artist, together with trumpeter Cyprian BaszynskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Bartlomiej PrucnalFind albums by this artist and drummer Dawid FortunaFind albums by this artist, recording with them their excellent eponymous debut album. In parallel and with the addition of the saxophonist Slawomir PezdaFind albums by this artist they also recorded this album, Parker´s second recording as a leader so far, which is released only now. It presents eight original compositions, all by Parker (except one co-composed with Prucnal), three of which are parts of a suite. As already mentioned in my review of the NSI Quartet album, Parker had a huge influence on his Polish cohorts, taking them away from the European Jazz idiom into more traditional American approach. On this album this is even more perceptible, as the band is playing Parker´s compositions and not those by the Polish players, like on the a.m. album. Parker´s music is a great example of modern American Jazz, which keeps up with the changes happening in the music and manages to get itself free from the stagnation that characterizes most American mainstream. His compositions are all well structured and include melodic statements, which then are improvised on, but the freedom and breathing space present in the music allow the musicians to take off and express their individuality, before returning to the compositional structure. All of his pieces are a pleasure to listen to, and the three-part suite that concludes the album is a profound and very moving composition that proves his great talent as a composer. Of course Parker also plays some tasteful bass parts and his Polish colleagues, all of them superb musicians as well, make this music to come alive in its full splendor. These are after all some of the young lions that will represent the European Jazz scene in a few years. Overall an excellent effort, in every respect, definitely worth listening to, so get it ASAP and help Parker to move on and create some more great music for all of us to enjoy!

CD-R 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend