Record Reviews

PROFESJONALIZM ~ CHOPIN CHOPIN CHOPIN LADO ABC C/11 (Barcode: 5907709922334) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2011 Released: 2011 Profesjonalizm is the name of the new sextet created and led by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Marcin MaseckiFind albums by this artist, one of the greatest talents on the local scene in the recent years and the enfant terrible / eccentric artiste spearheading the Jazz anti-establishment, a role that fits him like a glove. During my recent visit in Poland I was lucky to be invited to the concert the band performed in a dinky Warsaw restaurant called Mozaika, which remarkably managed to sustain the atmosphere (and look, not to mention the service) of the 1970s Socrealizm, completely oblivious to the changes around. The concert celebrated the release of this album, so the music was simply a live version of what is included here, in its entirety. I must say that I was completely unaware of what was about to happen musically and therefore the experience was a total culture shock, even though I am a difficult man to surprise in view of the heavy burden of my age upon me. Masecki and his cohorts: trumpeter Kamil SzuszkiewiczFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Michal GorczynskiFind albums by this artist and Tomasz DudaFind albums by this artist, bassist Piotr DomagalskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Jerzy RogiewiczFind albums by this artist played a stunning set of outlandish music (all composed by Masecki), which is so original, unique and devilishly clever that one´s mind is completely boggled. How the hell did they manage to do it at all (live!) is beyond comprehension, but nevertheless they did it with a spectacular result. Listen to the studio version herein and imagine this being played live to get the scope of the task ahead. As to the music itself, I´m not even trying to start describing it, as it is well beyond the scope of words (as most great music is). Suffice to say that it is a suite of sorts, in seven parts, which tells the story of Jazz from its earliest days (Ragtime) to now, flowing like a soundtrack to an imaginary movie, constantly (and unexpectedly) changing rhythms and scales, themes and patterns, but remarkably and completely coherently keeping a brilliant sense of unity. The rhythm section is absolutely dazzling, managing the impossible task of gluing this passionate and untamed music together. Masecki´s piano work is a chapter in itself, which is worth studying separately, but it serves the role of the thematic / melodic beacon pointing the way ahead for of this music. During a short chat before the concert I asked Masecki about his musical influences; he mentioned some usual suspects but emphasized Thelonious MonkFind albums by this artist and Conlon NancarrowFind albums by this artist, two superb examples of total non-conformism, suiting Masecki´s image perfectly. The problem with non-conformism is often that eccentric artists become often self-centered and completely uncommunicative, which luckily enough does not apply to Masecki. In spite of all the lunacy herein, this is (amazingly) quite an easy album to listen to, against all odds. When I asked Masecki as to the nature of his music, he replied: "We are playing entertaining music" – well, he was after all right, in his own crazy way. Now if anybody is wandering about the album´s title, I must assure you that the album has absolutely nothing to do with the great Polish National composer Frederic ChopinFind albums by this artist. This is one more of Masecki´s clever stunts, expressing his disgust and ridicule of the Polish Jazz scene´s exploitation of Chopin´s music in the recent years. Using this tongue in cheek / sarcastic reference Masecki protests against the "One can´t go wrong by playing Chopin" attitude, where in fact one can go wrong and as the plentitude of available recorded evidence proves one does in most cases. So what do we have here: a work of a mad genius, a wizard, a prophet? Who am I to judge? Suffice to say I love this music, every note of it and most of all the chutzpah and complete disregard of convention – exactly the qualities I admire in Artists. Bless you, Marcin Masecki!

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BARTOSZ SMORAGIEWICZ ~ HUSTLE & BUSTLE ARTISTS RECORDS ~ POLAND ~ Gypsy Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by the Polish ensemble led by clarinetist / saxophonist / composer Bartosz SmoragiewiczFind albums by this artist, which also includes violinist Marcin SkabaFind albums by this artist, guitarist Sebastian IwanowiczFind albums by this artist and bassist Piotr DomagalskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, all by the leader. The music is an updated version of early Gypsy Jazz ensembles going back to the legacy of Django ReinhardtFind albums by this artist, with uses the tango and the waltz as departure points into improvisation, all kept within the melodic and harmonic conventions set up eighty years ago. The acoustic quartet lineup is also faithful to the tradition, although clarinet and violin are not the first association fans of Gypsy Jazz would come up with. Nevertheless the music is all coherent and well weaved, with plenty of excellent melodies and vitality, which are the core of this idiom. Some other musical traditions can be also found within this music, like Hassidic and Spanish motifs Smoragiewicz, who studied with my friend Leszek ZadloFind albums by this artist in Germany, is obviously a very proficient and talented player and his clarinet work is excellent. Skaba plays very nice violin parts and Iwanowicz, although slightly less present as a soloist, plays excellent accompaniment. Domagalski stands solidly in the background serving as the backbone of the quartet´s performances. Although on the lighter side of the Jazz spectrum, this is overall a very enjoyable album, which at the same shows a high quality of composition and performance and keeps the Gypsy Jazz tradition alive. Definitely worth investigation!

Updated: 03/04/2018Posted: 03/04/2018

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