Record Reviews

CUKUNFT ~ WILDE BLUMEN LADO ABC C/18 (Barcode: 5907709922457) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2011 Released: 2013 This is the third album by Polish ensemble CukunftFind albums by this artist, led by guitarist Raphael RoginskiFind albums by this artist with clarinetists Pawel SzamburskiFind albums by this artist and Michal GorczynskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel SzpuraFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight compositions, six of which are originals by Roginski, one is an ensemble composition and one is by the great Polish / Jewish poet / songwriter Mordechai GebirtigFind albums by this artist. The usage of the Yiddish language to name the ensemble and its songs does not leave any doubts as to the cultural affinity of this music. Cukunft is one of several Polish ensembles, which create the so called "new Jewish music" in Poland during the last decade or so, contributing to the overall renaissance of the Jewish culture in Poland, a phenomenon which is completely unique and difficult to explain in any logical way due to the fact that there are almost no more Jews living currently in Poland and the tiny Jewish community certainly does not have a critical mass to produce any significant cultural output. And yet against all odds the Jewish culture is thriving in Poland, both in a reconstructed version, i.e. performing cultural output created during the period between the two World Wars as well as in a completely innovative version, which creates new, vibrant and ambitious works of Jewish culture, like Cukunft does. The musicians who form the ensemble belong to the new generation of Polish Jazz / Avant-Garde players, who are the most active and creative force in contemporary Polish Jazz. The music of Cukunft is an amalgam of Jewishness and contemporary music genres, based on Improvisation and cross genre explorations. The music is mostly composed, with distinctive melody lines, which clearly adopt the melancholic feel of traditional Jewish music, but differ in the way the music is expressed and performed. The dialog between the electric guitar, which can hardly be associated with Jewish tradition, and the clarinets, which are the epitome of Jewishness, builds up a completely new musical form. The entire album is a wonderful experience to every music lover, regardless of their proximity to the Jewish culture. These wonderful melodies and the superb way the music is performed should be able to melt any cultural / religious barriers. This music goes directly to the listener´s heart and transcends the intellectual need to analyze and classify. All one need in order to enjoy this music is "a bisele glik" to put one´s hand on a copy of this album, and the rest is simply a no brainer. This is definitely one of the best examples of the new Jewish music made in Poland. Enjoy!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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PIOTR DAMASIEWICZ / INTO THE ROOTS ~ SPIWLE L.A.S. 002 ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is an album by Polish Jazz trumpeter / composer Piotr DamasiewiczFind albums by this artist recorded in a trio format with bassist Zbigniew KozeraFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel SzpuraFind albums by this artist. Bagpipe player Jan RytFind albums by this artist guests on one track. The album presents six original compositions, all by Damasiewicz. The music was recorded live in a remote village in Polish Beskid Mountains, but the sound is wonderfully clear and authentic. There is some confusion between the running order of the tunes on the album’s artwork, but this is a minor issue. Damasiewicz managed to establish a position for himself on the local scene as one of the leading Improvised Music / Free Jazz activists and recorded several important albums over time, which for me personally are quite a mixed bag. However, this album immediately proved to be my favorite Damasiewicz album so far. Perhaps the immediacy and intimacy of this recording are more appealing to me than his large ensemble works and other recordings, where he probably tried to say too much. The album’s title is definitely very appropriate as far as this music is concerned, as it really goes back to the roots. The question which roots is not really relevant, as this music goes back to perhaps the very deepest roots of music itself, with primitive, repetitive and enthralling rhythmic patterns, which were best preserved in African music and from there arrived into Jazz. Perhaps there are also Polish roots here, inspired by the mountains and Folklore traditions surrounding this recording. Damasiewicz manages to incorporate all these elements into highly effective and mesmerizing, hypnotizing music. His trumpet improvisations on top of the steady rhythmic patterns sound more honest, revealing and moving than ever before, at least for me. The music is somewhat reminiscent to the early attempts to create Jazz-World Fusion by the great pioneers of Jazz, obviously sound-wise closest to the recordings by Don CherryFind albums by this artist. By following that path Damasiewicz finds the best of himself in the minimalist trio setting, with his trumpet playing being the clear focus of the entire journey. Strangely, or perhaps not, this is also the most coherent and melodic album he recorded so far, perhaps unintentionally, but undoubtedly highly effective. Overall this is a wonderful album from start to finish, accessible to a much wider audience than earlier albums by Damasiewicz, and despite its seeming simplicity, his most effective contact with his listeners ever. Beautiful and challenging don’t have to be a contrasting, as this album clearly shows. This music makes you want to dance! Well done!

Updated: 15/12/2021Posted: 19/03/2021

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PIOTR DAMASIEWICZ / INTO THE ROOTS ~ SWITANIE L.A.S. 009 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2023 Released: 2024 This is the 3rd album by Polish trumpeter / composer Piotr DamasiewiczFind albums by this artist and his Into The RootsFind albums by this artist ensemble, which was expanded from the usual trio format with bassist Zbigniew KozeraFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel SzpuraFind albums by this artist into a tentet, which includes bagpipes player Marek RytFind albums by this artist, woodwinds player Michal ZakFind albums by this artist, violist Krzysztof RytFind albums by this artist, koto player Katarzyna KarpowiczFind albums by this artist, vocalist / violinist Karolina KazmierczakFind albums by this artist and two vocalists Alicja KrzeszowiakFind albums by this artist and Kamila KrzeszowiakFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven tracks, five co-credited to Damasiewicz, Kozera and Szpura and two also add credit to Karpowicz. Damasiewicz and his cohorts stick to the formula of the previous two albums, which creates a magical amalgam between the Folklore of the Polish Beskid Mountains and the Carpathians, expanded by other World Music elements on this album, and Jazz improvisation. The result is always enthralling and keeps the listener on edge for the entire duration. Damasiewicz trumpet virtuosity is present herein, albeit less prominently, adding the proverbial cherry on the cake, but personally I can never get enough of it, hoping he will record more Jazz oriented material again in the future. I understand the tendency to stay close to one’s familiar roots and fully enjoy this music as well of course. The album’s duration, slightly under forty minutes, seems somewhat short, but considering the amount of spiritual tension and condensed musical delivery, there is plenty of highly enjoyable content here, for everybody to cherish. Overall, this is another excellent production by Damasiewicz and his cohorts, which offers convincing, heartfelt musical journey through World Music influenced aura adorned by Jazz improvisations of the finest quality. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 30/12/2024Posted: 30/12/2024

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PIOTR DAMASIEWICZ / INTO THE ROOTS ~ WATRA L.A.S. 004 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is the second album by Polish Jazz trumpeter / composer / bandleader Piotr DamasiewiczFind albums by this artist and his Into The RootsFind albums by this artist trio, which also includes bassist Zbigniew KozeraFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel SzpuraFind albums by this artist. The album, which was recorded live, includes also Folklore musicians from the Krzeszowiak and Ryt families, who live in the Beskid Mountains. The album presents eight tracks with the music mostly co-composed by the trio members, but also incorporating local Folklore songs. The atmosphere and the music are absolutely magical, almost meditational, with the slow tempo and gradual development, traversing between the original compositions and the Folkloristic motifs completely naturally and harmoniously. The strong bass pulsations, which are the unique trademark of this music, seem to be absolutely perfect for this environment, although they have more roots in North African Atlas Mountains than in the Carpathian Mountains, proving once again that music is universal. Damasiewicz is playing trumpet relatively sparingly on this album, improvising freely even less frequently, using harmonium and his voice, as well as the role of the spiritual shaman of these proceedings, which seem to be no less effective. It seems that after many years of trying to find himself in Improvised Music, he finally found himself one with Nature and Folklore and Spirituality on local soil. Overall, this music is way too Spiritual to be describe in words, and listening is the only way to enter its realm, which I of course wholeheartedly recommend. Seeing Damasiewicz being transformed form an Angry Giant into a Gentle Giant gives me a lot of pleasure. Personally I find this to be one of the most rewarding, unusual and aesthetically pleasing releases of 2021, even if it has only marginal ties to Jazz per se. I hope Piotr that you are as happy as you sound playing this music ;)

Updated: 15/12/2021Posted: 15/12/2021

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HERA ~ WHERE MY COMPLETE BELOVED IS MULTIKULTI 016 (Barcode: 5907529223161) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2011 Released: 2011 This is the second album by Polish Avant-Garde ensemble HeraFind albums by this artist, led by multi-instrumentalist / composer Waclaw ZimpelFind albums by this artist, one of the most important representatives of the European Improvised Music scene in the last decade. The album comprises of four extended pieces (three of which have a duration of about 20 minutes), as appropriate for this kind of music, where space and freedom are of the essence, which were recorded live. The first piece was composed by Zimpel, the following two are credited as group compositions and the last is a Russian folk song. Zimpel plays bass clarinet and harmonium and the ensemble includes also saxophonist Pawel PostaremczakFind albums by this artist, bassist Ksawery WojcinskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel SzpuraFind albums by this artist. Guest musicians include Sara KaluznaFind albums by this artist, who plays tampura on one track and Maniucha BikontFind albums by this artist, who sings the vocals and plays harmonium on the last track. The music of Hera completely escapes any attempt of classification and is so incredibly rich and amalgamated that expanding on the subject would be pretty futile. After all music is intended to be listened to, not written about, and great music has a tendency to slip through words trying to encapsulate it. There is no doubt that the atmosphere and modus operandi of the ensemble is influenced by Indian and other Far East Cultures, where extended improvisation and contemplative treatment of musical pieces is a way of life, with time playing little or no role at all. The music starts and continues and comes to an end when it naturally concludes its intrinsic message. Naming the pieces after titles of poems written by the Indian mystic poet Kabir are ample evidence as to the intended aesthetic prevailing herein. The meditative / contemplative nature of the music does not mean it lacks excitement, quite on the contrary, it is full of passionate improvisations, which appear on a separate plane, as if floating above the firm recurring basis, complementing the overall result. This is truly a music of the "higher spheres", which requires total attention and acquiescence from the listener joining the musicians in the process of aural communication. Absolutely brilliant stuff wholeheartedly recommended to bold souls with refined taste!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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HERA / HAMID DRAKE ~ SEVEN LINES MULTIKULTI 030 (Barcode: 5907796319512) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2012 Released: 2013 This is the third album by Polish Ethno-Jazz ensemble HeraFind albums by this artist, led by saxophonist / composer Waclaw ZimpelFind albums by this artist. The album contains a live concert recording by the ensemble, with featured as special guest the American drummer Hamid DrakeFind albums by this artist. The participating ensemble members are: saxophonist Pawel PostaremczakFind albums by this artist, hurdy-gurdy player Maciek CierlinskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Raphael RoginskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Ksawery WojcinskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel SzpuraFind albums by this artist. The music consists of five pieces, four of which are over fifteen minutes in duration, all of which are based on World Music ethnic riffs and melodies, partly composed or arranged by Zimpel and in one case including a melody contributed by Drake. Except for Drake´s chanting his own melody, the rest of the music is instrumental and mostly improvised. It is much easier to say what this music isn´t than to say what it actually is, but that is hardly relevant as music is basically created in order to be listened to and not to be written about. Nevertheless one can try one´s best. So this is definitely not Jazz as most people conceive it, not even Jazz-World Fusion, as it goes well beyond the usual boundaries of that sub genre. Yes it is mostly improvised, but so is much of Ethnic music, which after all begot Jazz in the first place. The closest definition that I can come up with is Spiritual Music, a kind of collective trance induced by repeated rhythmic patterns and a feeling of sharing and togetherness, which inspires the musicians involved. However, the problem with such music is that is works absolutely divinely live, but translates less efficiently into albums. Of course in this case the actual music is strong enough to carry on a potent impression, but probably much is also lost in the process. This music is also definitely not for everybody. Conventional Jazz listeners will find it not Jazzy enough; others might find the strong Ethnic influences outlandish and unfamiliar. Only listeners with a highly developed open-mindedness and readiness to accept what is different will discover the true delight of this music. The individual performances are of course blissful as always in Hera´s case. Zimpel and Postaremczak weave some beautiful snaky improvisations; Roginski rocks things up with a great guitar solo and the expanded rhythm section transports the music into a different universe. Overall it is quite a musical experience, which should not be missed. People familiar with the two earlier albums by Hera are of course already hooked for good. I always wonder where Zimpel will take the ensemble next. I guess we´ll all have to wait until the next album appears before us. Until then, may the spirits of music be with you all.

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PURUSHA ~ COSMIC FRICTION FOR TUNE 0067 (Barcode: 5902768701685) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz trio PurushaFind albums by this artist, which comprises of saxophonist Pawel PostaremczakFind albums by this artist, bassist Wojciech TraczykFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel SzpuraFind albums by this artist, all three known to Polish Jazz followers as members of the large ensembles led by Waclaw ZimpelFind albums by this artist (HeraFind albums by this artist and others). The album presents six original pieces, four of which were composed by Traczyk and two are co-credited to all three members of the trio. The music of Purusha is a "classic" Free Jazz venture, which is its biggest drawback. Free Jazz exploded in the mid 1960s and this music sounds almost exactly as if recorded at that time, i.e. about 50 years ago. With all due respect to the cradle of Free Jazz, Albert AylerFind albums by this artist and everything else, the clock keeps ticking. This of course might bring on reflections as to the possible path of Free Jazz in general, which may lead to a conclusion that Free Jazz only truly existed for a brief moment in the 1960s and everything done in that idiom since is simply ripples of that Big Bang? But aside from the basic problem of being sort of "outdated", the music of Purusha is quite excellent within the boundaries of the Free Jazz idiom. Dominated by the saxophone, as usual in saxophone trios, it explores the various stages of expression between fury and tranquility, exemplifies the group interplay and allows for personal displays of instrumental ability, which are all top notch. Postaremczak is obviously a highly talented soloist and his approach to the tenor saxophone is very personal and unique. In his hands the saxophone turns into many different instruments, often sounding exotic, weird and wonderful, which of course is very unusual. The rhythm section stands shoulder to shoulder with Postaremczak, both expanding and complimenting his journeys with obvious empathy and spirit of shared goal. Overall this is a very good Free Jazz album for diehard fans of the genre, which although does not innovate, keeps the tradition and legacy alive and kicking. Definitely worth investigation!

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DOMINIK STRYCHARSKI CORE ~ ALERT AUDIO CAVE 2025/002 (Barcode: 5908298549940) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2022 Released: 2025 This is an album by Polish Jazz flautist / composer / bandleader Dominik StrycharskiFind albums by this artist and his CoreFind albums by this artist quintet, which also includes pianist Barbara DrazkovFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Barbara DrazkowskaFind albums by this artist), trumpeter Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist, bassist Zbigniew KozeraFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel SzpuraFind albums by this artist. Strycharski and Jachna employ electronics and Drazkowska plays a prepared piano. The album presents five tracks, all original compositions by the leader. The music is a brilliant amalgam of composed, but highly unusual, modernist music and controlled Improvised interludes, which combine acoustic and electronic sounds, odd pulsations, Avant-Garde contemporary approach and a plethora of other wonderful weirdness, which immediately bring fond memories of Zappaesque complete disregard of conventions, in short everything one might desire in order to hear some exciting, unusual, challenging music, brilliantly performed by these highly talented musicians. As expected, Jachna is the direct link to Jazz within this marvelous madness, and his trumpet soli are like bright stars on a night sky, showing the way to lost mariners. The rhythm section plays some inhumanly difficult rhythmic patterns, the piano is in charge of the almost melodic layers and Strycharski uses his flute / recorder skills sparingly, concentrating on electronic effects, but the little bits here and there are like cherries on top of the cake. The music as a whole completely eschews categorization, and as a result a proper description, so it should be of course heard and not read about, so my humble efforts are a mere attempt to encourage as many people as possible not to miss this album. Mind you, it might take some patience, open-mindedness and a true love of unconventional music to enjoy it in full, but I have faith in my readers to possess these qualities, ergo fully equipped for the voyage. I admit of being sometimes quite critical about Strycharski’s recordings, which simply means I don’t judge the books by their covers but listen carefully. This time I can’t utter anything but deep appreciation and admiration for his efforts as composer and leader, which are amicably and splendidly supported by his cohorts, producing a true work of musical Art. Overall, this is a brilliant piece of modern music, completely cross-genre in nature and masterly designed and executed by the entire quintet. This is Avant-Garde, which breaks barriers and rules, without being rude and careless, which is demanding, but pleasing, and which expands our musical horizons! My deepest thanks to all of you!

Updated: 14/03/2025Posted: 11/03/2025

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DOMINIK STRYCHARSKI CORE / ORKIESTRA DETA URSUS ~ SYMFONIA FABRYKI URSUS (SOUNDTRACK) AUDIO CAVE 2021/005 (Barcode: 5908298549247) ~ POLAND ~ Soundtracks Recorded: 2017 - 2021 Released: 2021 This is an album by Polish Jazz flautist / composer Dominik StrycharskiFind albums by this artist and his ensemble CoreFind albums by this artist, which includes pianist Barbara DrazkowskaFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist, bassist Zbigniew KozeraFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel SzpuraFind albums by this artist. The Ursus Brass OrchestraFind albums by this artist also takes part in this recording. The album presents five original compositions, all by Strycharski. The music was used as a soundtrack to the award winning documentary film about the Ursus factory, which ceased to exists in 2011, and which was famous for producing Polish tractors for more than 100 years. The music, although performed by a Jazz quintet and a Brass Orchestra, includes hardly any Jazz elements per se and offers a dark, ambient, Cinematic Music, which is slow moving and minimal in its scope. It might be very appropriate as a soundtrack (I have not seen the documentary), but as a stand-alone piece of music it is much more difficult to swallow. The industrial character of the music, as well as its lack of development, may emphasize / illustrate the labor done by the ex-workers of Ursus, who are the focus of this documentary, but out of that context it is rather daunting. One of the tracks, which is performed just by the quintet, is the closest that this music gets to Jazz / Improvised Music, and features some great playing by Jachna, but again the twelve minutes long piece is completely static and monotonic, and even Jachna’s trumpet parts are unable to redeem it. Overall, this album proves that Cinematic Music is not always able to stand by itself, unrelated to the visual layer. Despite the fact that it is performed by highly esteemed Polish Jazz musicians, it simply does not work for me. My fault of course.

Updated: 01/07/2021Posted: 01/07/2021

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TRZASKA / MAZURKIEWICZ / SZPURA ~ NORTH MERIDIAN PLANK-TONE 1 ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is an album by a trio of Polish Free Jazz / Improvised Music musicians: veteran saxophonist / clarinetist Mikolaj TrzaskaFind albums by this artist and two younger but already established representatives of the genre, bassist Jacek MazurkiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel SzpuraFind albums by this artist. The album presents six original compositions, all co-composed by the members of the trio. The music is everything the listeners familiar with the Polish Improvised Music scene would expect: an excellent example of a trialogue between highly expressive and imaginative players, which demonstrates a high level of mutual respect and telepathic exchange of ideas, which makes the music sound as if it was carefully researched, in spite of the fact that it is completely spontaneous. There is a wonderful balance of responsibilities and role sharing between the musicians and ability to play together without overshadowing each other´s contributions. The music is excellently recorded, with perfectly isolated sound of each of the instruments, which enables the listener to hear absolutely every delicate nuance, even when Mazurkiewicz employs heavy electronic sounds in addition to the acoustic instruments. The music varies in intensity and atmosphere, moving between delicate and soft passages and "wall of sound" vistas, being perfectly cohesive and focused at all times. In spite of the fact that this music offers no straightforward melody contents as such, it has a melodic streak of sorts, making the music accessible to a relatively wide circle of listeners, not necessarily originating only from within the Improvised Music circle. Trzaska seems to be in a meditative mood on this album and his performances are tamer and more relaxed than usual, which is a real treat. He is apparently still developing his palette and able to surprise even his most devoted followers, like yours truly. But Mazurkiewicz and Szpura both contribute excellently as well, perhaps better than at any earlier recording. Overall this is a beautiful piece of Improvised Music, which manages to be transformed into an experience worth listening to repeatedly, something that happens very rarely within the genre. This album is the first release on the new Plank-ToneFind albums on this label Records label founded by Mazurkiewicz, and of course greetings and salutations are in order!

Updated: 25/12/2019Posted: 25/12/2019

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WACLAW ZIMPEL TO TU ORCHESTRA ~ NATURE MOVES FOR TUNE 0036 (Barcode: 5902768701340) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2013 Released: 2014 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz clarinetist / composer / bandleader Waclaw ZimpelFind albums by this artist and his nonet called To Tu OrchestraFind albums by this artist (the name is probably a wink in the direction of the legendary Warsaw club Pardon, To Tu), which includes saxophonist Pawel PostaremczakFind albums by this artist, flautist Dominik StrycharskiFind albums by this artist, hurdy-gurdy player Maciej CierlinskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Jacek KitaFind albums by this artist, bassists Wojciech TraczykFind albums by this artist and Mike MajkowskiFind albums by this artist and drummers Pawel SzpuraFind albums by this artist and Hubert ZemlerFind albums by this artist. The album includes six original compositions, arranged into three mini suites, of one, three and two parts respectively. The music is in many respects a continuation of Zimpel´s earlier work with the group Hera, which combines elements of Avant-Garde, Jazz and contemporary Classical music with World Music from all over the world. The strongest influence on this album is minimal music pioneered decades earlier by Philip GlassFind albums by this artist, Steve ReichFind albums by this artist, Terry RileyFind albums by this artist and others, which Zimpel embraces, most evidently in the first of the three mini suites but in fact throughout the entire album. The repeated structures returning cyclically, typical in minimal music, which are normally produced by electronic or acoustic orchestral patterns, are created here by World Music patterns, like Balinese gamelan music, slowly changing and intensifying until they reach a massive sound, but do not reach an expected crescendo. Minimalism continues to be present in the rest of the compositions, simply changing the geographic colorization, using Japanese, Middle Eastern and other folkloristic influences. Zimpel is undoubtedly a master of atmosphere and building tension, which accompany his earlier work as well, but come to a fruition and perfection on this album. The large ensemble allows him to "paint" much denser multilayered vistas, which move freely in the World Music universe. The music does not actually get into Jazzy improvisation until the very last piece on the album, so listeners anticipating that facet of Zimpel´s music are in for a disappointment. What emerges here is a new type of minimal music which amalgamates the earlier forms of minimalism with World Music, creating a World Minimal Music. Zimpel evidently had a great fun creating this music and it is also very listenable, but the fundamental question as to what Zimpel wanted to achieve remains open, at least in my case. I have not been overwhelmed neither by the aesthetics nor by the musical result, which after all simply states nihil novi sub sole. But it is very well done for sure!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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