Record Reviews

BIG BAND UMFC WARSAW ~ CLASSIC ON JAZZ MTJ 11458 (Barcode: 5906409114582) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2014 During my recent visit to Warsaw my dear friend Pawel BrodowskiFind albums by this artist took me to hear a concert by the Big Band UMFC WarsawFind albums by this artist, which simply stands for Big Band of the Frederic Chopin Music University in Warsaw, Poland´s most prestigious music education institution. Although the program of that concert was different from the material recorded on this album (it was a tribute to Frank SinatraFind albums by this artist´s Christmas repertoire - more or less), hearing the Big Band live (and the two vocalists) was great fun and certainly an aesthetic pleasure. It was during the intermission that I met the Big Band leader / conductor Piotr KostrzewaFind albums by this artist, who explained that the members of the Big Band are UMFC students, which of course was not a surprise, and that they are all Classical Music students, which of course was completely surprising. Classical musicians that can swing the way this Big Band swings, is a major surprise indeed. Even more surprising was the discovery that the UMFC does not have a Jazz department, in spite of the immense popularity of Jazz in Poland since many decades and the fact that most other regional Polish towns (Katowice, Wroclaw, Gdansk, Lodz, Bydgoszcz and others) have Jazz departments at their Music Academies, some of which are truly excellent. It´s a high time for Warsaw to catch up! It seems that Kostrzewa singlehandedly managed to turn the classicist into swingers and at least the UMFC acknowledges the need of such activity within its walls. This album presents eleven popular Classical Music compositions arranged for a Jazz Big Band by some of the most famous Big Band arrangers and in three cases by drummer / arranger Wojtek KostrzewaFind albums by this artist, Piotr Kostrzewa´s son. In many cases attempts to treat Classical Music in a Jazzy way end up being a trivialization of the original compositions and sadly also kitschy pastiches of Jazz. However, in the case of this album, the Classical pieces serve only as a harmonic background and melodic hints and they are wholly transformed into the Jazz Big Band idiom, with many solo spots enabling the young musicians and invited special guests to show off their chops and overall swing happily and vigorously from start to finish. Considering that Big Bands are a rare commodity these days, Kostrzewa´s dedication and initiative are truly praiseworthy by itself and as a tool to expand they young generation´s musical horizons. Overall this is a very entertaining and well done Big Band album which can certainly satisfy many Jazz fans, especially those with a special relation to Big Bands. Hopefully the band will continue to produce more albums in the not too distant future.

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PIOTR KOSTRZEWA BIG BAND ~ I GOT RHYTHM AND DANCE MTJ 11750 (Barcode: 5906409117507) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is the fourth album by the Polish Big Band led by Piotr KostrzewaFind albums by this artist. Established in 2006 the band consists of students of the Frederic Chopin University of Music in Warsaw and Kostrzewa is its artistic manager since 2012. Since the University does not have a Jazz Department, a membership in the Big Band is the only exposure to Jazz the students get during their studies. The Big Band performs eleven pieces, mostly Jazz standards, a few Cuban and Brazilian standards and one Classical piece, all arranged for the Big Band. Since Big Bands are almost extinct in today´s artistic and economic reality, the very fact that this Big Band exists and even more so in view of its concert and recording activity it is a great pleasure to see its success. The members of the band are all highly talented musicians and under Kostrzewa´s direction the Big Band sounds professional in every respect. Although the repertoire is quite conventional and straightforward, the main purpose of this Big Band is the popularization of the Jazz idiom to a wide audience, which it does highly professionally and skillfully. For fans of the Big Band sound and Jazz from the Swing period, this album is a great fun to listen to. Of course nothing beats the sound of a Big Band heard live, but listening to this album is definitely a second best.

Updated: 02/03/2017Posted: 02/03/2017

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HENRYK MISKIEWICZ ~ COME BACK… POLSKIE RADIO 2454 (Barcode: 5905610873110) ~ POLAND ~ Big Band Jazz Recorded: 2024 Released: 2024 This is an album by Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Henryk MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist, recorded with the Chopin University Big BandFind albums by this artist led and conducted by Piotr KostrzewaFind albums by this artist. The album presents eleven tracks, ten of which are original compositions by Miskiewicz and one is a standard, all arranged by Miskiewicz. Miskiewicz solos extensively and several of the young band members also get solo spots along the way: keyboardist Tymoteusz HartmanFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Ignacy WendtFind albums by this artist, pianist Stanislaw PantaFind albums by this artist and others. The music was splendidly recorded at the Polish Radio S-4 studio and offers a worm, delightful sound quality and perfect balance and separation. The music is all well within the mainstream Jazz idiom, based on the excellent compositions by Miskiewicz, which combine great melodic themes and interesting rhythmic flow, all splendidly arranged for the traditional Big Band environment, which offers plenty of soloing space for Miskiewicz and the band members. This music is meant to pleasant and uplifting, without compromising any aesthetic values, and is performed with taste and precision by the university students under the watchful eye of Kostrzewa, who has been leading the Big Band for many years, fully dedicated to his vision. Overall, this is a rare opportunity to hear a Big Band album recording by Polish Jazz musicians, as Big Bands are sadly almost impossible to sustain in the harsh economic conditions of today’s music scene. Miskiewicz shows where his well-earned respect and admiration among his peers and the young generation originate from and Kostrzewa can be proud of the band’s performances. Definitely this album is highly recommended to all Jazz Big Band lovers anywhere in the world, as the music is as universal as can be.

Updated: 31/07/2024Posted: 31/07/2024

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