Record Reviews

KALUZA / MAJEWSKI / MAZUR / SUCHAR ~ TONE HUNTING CLEAN FEED 285 (Barcode: 5609063002850) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2013 This is the debut album by the Improvising Music quartet, which consists of German saxophonist Anna KaluzaFind albums by this artist and three Polish musicians: trumpeter Artur MajewskiFind albums by this artist, acoustic bass guitarist Rafal MazurFind albums by this artist and drummer Kuba SucharFind albums by this artist. Majewski and Suchar are or course known as the excellent duo MikrokolektywFind albums by this artist and Mazur is a member of the TRC TrioFind albums by this artist. The album presents five extended improvisations, credited to all quartet members and was released by the excellent Portuguese Clean FeedFind albums on this label label. The music is a great example of the vitality of the Polish / European Improvising Music scene, which is enjoying a tremendous Renaissance and involves a new generation of players and enthusiasts. These four musicians are among the most innovative and interesting representatives of the genre and have been already recognized internationally as important creative forces. Listening to this album clearly shows why they deserve such recognition. Although improvised, the music presents a diverse stylistic collage of sound vistas, from minimalistic and delicate breathing tones to expressive collective forceful statements. Most of the sounds and tones heard on this album are quite remote from what one would expect from the conventional usage of the instruments involved, and yet they somehow make all perfect sense and create a wonderful amalgam, which is obviously unlike almost anything heard before. In most cases the quartet members produce a series of rapid staccato sounds, which then are all intermixed into one sonic whole. In contrast to most "conventional" music, which once stated becomes unwavering in consequent listening encounters, this music is constantly alive and chameleonic, changing each time one listens to it. That elusiveness and constant ability to be transformed is of course what makes this music so fascinating. Obviously this is definitely not something for a casual listener and its overall accessibility is limited to connoisseurs of the genre, but as such, it is unquestionably one of its finest exhibits.

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MIKROKOLEKTYW ~ REVISIT DELMARK 591 (Barcode: 038153059125) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2009 Released: 2010 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz duo MikrokolektywFind albums by this artist, which includes trumpeter Artur MajewskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Kuba SucharFind albums by this artist. Both musicians play also electronic keyboards. The album includes eleven tracks, all composed by the duo members, either individually or collectively. The album was released on the veteran US (Chicago) DelmarkFind albums on this label label and was the label´s first release by Eastern European Jazz musicians. Mikrokolektyw creates a wonderful musical world of their own, with the trumpet and drums becoming one as if fused together and the electronic effects and sounds provide a background upon with the melodic content is spread. Although very close to Free Jazz, the music is lyrical and surprisingly melodic, not crossing over to the spontaneous Improvised Music territory. It is obvious that the music is carefully planned, before being executed, but during the actual performance a wide range of musical freedom is involved. Although the concept of a trumpet / drums duo is seldom seen in Jazz, the Polish Jazz scene seems to be an exception, with several such duos active on the local scene. The excellent Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist / Jacek BuhlFind albums by this artist album "Niedokonczone KsiazkiFind albums with this title" is in fact quite similar to this album, but there are several others. Of course one can always go back to the roots and seek out the Don CherryFind albums by this artist / Ed BlackwellFind albums by this artist collaboration "MuFind albums with this title". Of course the music of Mikrokolektyw is well based on the Jazz tradition, but tries to innovate on many fronts, including the electro-acoustic sound and the World Music influences. They also display a phenomenal level of communication with each other, which is essential especially in an intimate setting like a duo. Overall this album is a great example of Jazz being alive and kicking, developing and growing, with an interesting future ahead. Hopefully other US and European labels will decide to release more albums originating in Poland, as that country seems to have more to offer than most others these days. Jazz enthusiasts, who like their music with an interesting twist, will have a field day with this album!

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