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  | PIOTR RACHON QUARTET ~ AMAZONIA
V 020 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz
Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021
This is the debut album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Piotr RachonFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet setting with guitarist and electronics manipulator Vojto MonteurFind albums by this artist (of EABSFind albums by this artist fame), bassist Jakub OlejnikFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel NienadowskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents six lengthy tracks, all about ten minutes in duration, all composed by the leader, one based on a classical piece and two based on traditional Mongolian melodies.
The music floats somewhere between modern Jazz and Fusion, depending how much guitar and electronics are involved at a given moment. The piano parts are definitely more Jazz associated, whereas the guitar has a distinct Fusion sound and feel. But the collective result is quite interesting and lively, although the entire album somewhat lacks a clear musical focus, perhaps searching for a direction, hopefully to be better nailed on the next recording.
Another problem (at least for me) is the strange muffled sound of the recording with a bizarre balance, which places the bass right up in the mix. Olejnik’s bass playing is absolutely fine on the album, but he is dominating the entire proceeding, simply being up front at all time. I suppose the mix is intentional and a matter of taste, but it is certainly disturbing for me.
But with all these minor glitches aside, this is still a very interesting piece of music, which can be enjoyable to a wide audience and certainly holds the attention of the listener for the entire duration. Both Rachon and Monteur play excellent solo parts and the rhythm section is up to par with the challenges, with Olejnik’s superb bass pulsations pushing the music steadily forward.
Overall, this is an interesting debut effort for the leader and the quartet as a whole, with interesting compositions, excellent performances and an unusual sound, which is certainly a matter of acquired taste. Well done!
| | Updated: 21/04/2024Posted: 19/04/2024 | CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend |
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