Record Reviews

KRZYSZTOF FETRAS PROJECT / TOMASZ KROL ~ DIFFERENT GUITAR GM 001 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2011 Released: 2012 Polish guitarist / composer Krzysztof FetrasFind albums by this artist and his trio, which consists of bassist Mikolaj NowickiFind albums by this artist and drummer Jaroslaw GasFind albums by this artist, are joined on this album by the young guitarist Tomasz KrolFind albums by this artist, creating together an unusual double-guitar quartet, which plays quite differently from what listeners usually associate with guitar led Jazz music. The album includes eight tracks and the music is almost entirely original, with the exception of one tune by Ornette ColemanFind albums by this artist, and was composed by Fetras or co-composed by him and his wife Iwona FetrasFind albums by this artist, with one tune credited solely to Iwona and another credited to Krol, Fetras and Nowicki. Although the guitarists use both electric and acoustic guitars, the sound of the guitars is not that much different from each other, as the session has largely an acoustic ambience. The melodies are stated usually quite overtly at the start of each track, to be followed by extended improvisations by both guitarists, some straightforward and other quite free. The guitarists play mostly together, accompanying each other on their respective solos, with the acoustic and electric guitars blending together harmonically and textually and there is plenty of inspired interplay. Both guitarists offer quite excellent phrasing, playing around the melody lines and sometimes flirting with time, wrapping things up nicely by the end of each tune. The rhythm section provides a solid and mostly delicate background, which is essential for the soloists to be able to soar above it. Their playing is elegant and imaginative, without being obtrusive on one hand and over-ornamental on the other. It is a relief to find people who treat the guitar differently from what the fashion dictates, i.e. flashy Fusion oriented doodling, which makes little sense and provides no challenge whatsoever. The music you´ll find here keeps the listener on his toes at all times, either in order to follow the complex improvisations or the multilayered ambient atmosphere the music evolves into at times. Overall this is an album guitar lovers everywhere should listen to attentively, as it presents a unique and quite unusual guitar playing, which offers a pleasant listening experience without being trivial or simplistic. Warmly recommended!

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SLINA ~ 42’00” GUSSTAFF 2107 ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is the second album by Polish Improvised Music quartet SlinaFind albums by this artist, which comprises of saxophonist Matylda GerberFind albums by this artist, guitarist Filip ZakrzewskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Mikolaj NowickiFind albums by this artist and drummer Stanislaw OlekFind albums by this artist. Synthesizer player Michal SkrzypczynskiFind albums by this artist appears as guest. This time the album presents three tracks, which remain uncredited and therefore assumed to be co-composed by the participating musicians. The music continues the concept introduced on the quartet’s debut from 2019, which offers a slowly developing musical continuity, building up towards a climax, which sounds like meditation music and requires complete submission and concentration in order to listen to all the detailed performances or alternatively simply ignoring the details and flowing passively on the sonic waves. Since the musical concept and overall aesthetics of the music are no longer surprising, it does not stir the same sensation the debut managed to create, but on the other hand the conceptual consistency and the attempt to expand it should be appreciated. The Rock undercurrents, created by the electric guitar, are now even more potent with the addition of the synthesizers, and the music brings fond memories of the British Prog ensembles of the late 60s / early 70s like Third Ear BandFind albums by this artist, early Soft MachineFind albums by this artist, ComusFind albums by this artist, Incredible String BandFind albums by this artist and others, which of course emphasizes the “nihil novi sub sole” principle, for those who know their music in depth. Nevertheless, this is still very exciting (despite its intrinsic sluggishness) music, different from most other stuff within the Polish Avant-Garde scene. Although the slogan of GusstaffFind albums on this label Records, the label that released this album, is “unnecessary music” (no pun intended), this music certainly is quite necessary in every sense and definitely worth being heard,

Updated: 22/05/2021Posted: 22/05/2021

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SLINA ~ SLINA KILOGRAM 038 ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 This is the debut album by Polish Improvised Music quartet SlinaFind albums by this artist, which comprises of saxophonist Matylda GerberFind albums by this artist, guitarist Filip ZakrzewskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Mikolaj NowickiFind albums by this artist and drummer Stanislaw OlekFind albums by this artist. The album presents just one extensive improvised piece lasting about thirty six minutes, which was recorded in a cabin in the woods, assumed to be co-composed by the quartet members. The music is a continuous, meditative, trans-like piece, which starts in a very quiet, intimate level and very slowly increases in intensity, tempo and volume, reaching an emotional climax after about half and hour and then again get less intense until reaching silence. Electric guitar and energetic drums during the powerful mid section turn this music away from the Jazz oriented initial quiet section, reaching Rock intensity at its apex. This music is stylistically and spiritually quite similar to the experimentations created during the late 1960s by Psychedelic Rock ensembles, which showed parallel impact of Indian and other Far Eastern influences. The music is undoubtedly very original – at least in today´s standards – and offers a fascinating listening experience. For listeners able to embrace the trans-like submission to the sounds the complete effect of the music becomes even more intensive. Overall this is a very unusual and powerful piece of music that stands in a category of its own on the Polish scene, especially in view of the fact that this music is mostly acoustic as opposed to electronic music excursions of this kind. This album is definitely worth investigating and adding to the music library by open-minded connoisseurs, who are open to discovery of new sonic territories. Well done, and a very impressive debut effort!

Updated: 19/01/2020Posted: 19/01/2020

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