Record Reviews

MARCIN PENDOWSKI ~ GUMOLIT JUDASZ 2020/01 ~ POLAND ~ Brass Rock Recorded: 2017 - 2020 Released: 2020 This is the second album by Polish Jazz bassist / composer Marcin PendowskiFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. PendofskyFind albums by this artist), one of Poland’s best kept secrets. Recorded over four years with no less than twenty musicians / friends / guests, the album presents eleven tracks, all original compositions, two of which are bonus tracks. Pendowski is a sensational bass player, who is mostly known for his session work and jamming in Warsaw Jazz clubs. His debut album “PendofskyFind albums with this title” from 2014 arrived and disappeared from the scene almost completely unnoticed, despite the fact that it remains a Funk / Groove classic to this very day. If Pendowski would have appeared on the NYC scene, he could probably reach fame and glory (See Jaco PastoriusFind albums by this artist), as his technically brilliant and imaginative bass playing and Big Balls feeling for Fusion / Groove / Soul / Funk is simply unparalleled and absolutely world class. This album offers a somewhat different approach, as Pendowski added the Brass Rock magic to his instrumentation, expanding the sound beyond imagination. Sounding like the best days of Blood, Sweat & TearsFind albums by this artist, ChicagoFind albums by this artist and Tower Of PowerFind albums by this artist combined, but based all around the virtuosic bass parts, this music is absolutely irresistible. Pendowski also has a great talent to write incredibly catchy riffs, like only very few other can, and if one is able to listen to this album and remain sitting, one is probably deaf or brain-dead. This music Rocks, from the first note to the last! Hopefully this album will be finally discovered, although it might again prove to be simply too good for its own good and remain undiscovered again, which would be a crying shame. Thank you Marcin for this music, you are a genius and I hope we won’t have to wait for another six years for the next album. Next time I am in Warsaw; the drinks are on me of course. Warsaw / Poland / the World / wake up, Pendofsky is in town!

Updated: 21/05/2021Posted: 21/05/2021

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MARCIN PENDOWSKI ~ KURATORIUM JUDASZ 2024 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Funk Fusion Recorded: 2024 Released: 2024 This is the 3rd album by Polish bassist / composer / arranger / bandleader Marcin PendowskiFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. PendofskyFind albums by this artist), released four years after his previous album and following a near fatal motorcycle accident, which put a hold to his prominent career and required a long and difficult convalescence. The album presents ten tracks, all by Pendowski. He plays all the bass parts and some vocals parts and is accompanied by a mighty team of local musicians, which includes guitarist Krzysztof KawalkoFind albums by this artist, organists Marcin CichockiFind albums by this artist and Kamil BaranskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Marcin KajperFind albums by this artist, bass clarinetist Szymon LukowskiFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Rafal DubickiFind albums by this artist, harmonica player Bartosz LeczyckiFind albums by this artist, percussionists Dominik JaskeFind albums by this artist and Tomasz StarzykFind albums by this artist and drummer Tomasz WaldowskiFind albums by this artist. As if all these were not enough, a fifteen-men strong Warsaw Funky Horn EnsembleFind albums by this artist is also employed to add some serious zets to the proceedings. The music is everything one would expect from Pendowski, i.e. a wonderful mix of Jazz, Funk, Groove, Brass-Rock, etc. with great tunes and superb performances by everybody involved, in addition to his remarkable (despite the injury) bass playing, which makes him one the best electric bass players in the country. Over the years he managed to develop his unique style, which is quite different from the mainstream Polish Jazz activity, and for a blind test listener sounds rather as something created in South America or Cuba, than originating from pale-faced Slavs. This music makes your bottom move involuntarily, and if it doesn’t you are probably deaf or dead. Overall, this is a most welcome return of Pendowski and his mighty Groove, which sounds nothing like anything else recorded in Poland and rocks one’s bottom instantly. It shows a remarkable ability by the leader to get the best out of his companions, and proves that entertaining, danceable music can be aesthetically sound and interesting. Happy to see you back my Friend!

Updated: 15/04/2025Posted: 15/04/2025

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