Record Reviews

STEPANKA BALCAROVA ~ STESTI RADIOSERVIS 1171 (Barcode: 8590236117129) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2022 Released: 2022 This is the second ‘remake” project, that lands on my desk this week – statistically this is a miracle… In 2017 the Czech trumpeter / composer / arranger / bandleader Stepanka BalcarovaFind albums by this artist released her wonderful Jazz & Poetry album, entitled “Life And Happiness Of Julian TuwimFind albums with this title”, recorded with her Czech / Polish septet, which featured nine of her compositions to the poems by my favorite Polish poet Julian TuwimFind albums by this artist. Now, five years later, she presents six of those compositions, expanded and accompanied by orchestral arrangements, performed by the same septet and the Prague Radio Symphony OrchestraFind albums by this artist, conducted by Marko IvanovicFind albums by this artist. There is no point in repeating what I said about the previous recording, which you can read by clicking on the album’s title, and my comments concentrate on the new recording. My only reservation about the previous album were the vocal parts, which I am happy to say are well balanced with the rest of the music this time, taking a stone off my chest. The orchestral arrangements influence to aural outcome of the music, which is somewhat more distant from the Jazz & Poetry idiom, but not eliminating that delicate relationship entirely, which is a happy outcome. On the other hand, if the orchestral parts were not given a significant weight on this album, the entire concept of the remake might have been questionable. So, all things considered, this second approach is all for the best every way one looks at it (or rather listens to it). The vocalist still uses her idiosyncratic voice with a theatrical emphasis, which of course is a subjective assessment, but balanced by the orchestra the vocal parts work splendidly this time. Her vocalese soloing is absolutely stunning. Obviously, the septet instrumentalists have way less space to solo and display their Jazz chops, but the piano parts are still omnipresent and the wonderful bass playing is the heartbeat of the music. The music is so wonderful, that one can assume it would have sounded great in any variation. Balcarova’s arrangements deserve nothing but praise and my only worry is that we might lose her Jazz oriented work in favor of other explorations, but I am sure she has still so much to say in her future accomplishments; that we won’t be able to resist her charm and sophistication. Overall, this is a fascinating piece of music and more, a superb Jazz & Poetry project, a great example of cross-genre exploration, in short a gem of an album. The level of creativity and musical Artistry present herein is absolutely astounding. If you love music and even if you don’t speak Polish, this is still a dynamite piece of music, which is completely universal. If you, however, do speak Polish, and even perhaps also love Tuwim, this is Heaven on Earth.

Updated: 05/02/2023Posted: 05/02/2023

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

JAROMIR HONZAK ~ THE BLUES OF A STRING HANGING IN THE WIND ANIMAL MUSIC 127 (Barcode: 8594211850452) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2023 Released: 2024 This is the 12th album by Czech Jazz bassist / composer / bandleader Jaromir HonzakFind albums by this artist, recorded with his regular quintet, with includes saxophonist Lubos SoukupFind albums by this artist, guitarist David DoruzkaFind albums by this artist, pianist Vit KristanFind albums by this artist and drummer Martin NovakFind albums by this artist, and the Prague Radio Symphony OrchestraFind albums by this artist, conducted by Bastien StilFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight tracks, which are in fact parts of a suite for Jazz quintet and Symphonic Orchestra, all composed by Honzak. The music was recorded live and offers an exceptional sound quality, as all Animal MusicFind albums on this label releases. Life is full of surprises, sometimes very pleasant ones, and writing about this album is one of them, as only a couple of days ago I wrote about another album, which is not only of very similar nature but also features almost identical lineup, both originating from the Czech Republic (see the “Scandinavian ImpressionsFind albums with this title” album by Soukup). Despite the obvious similarities, these two albums are also very different musically, which is even more wonderful. It is not a secret that Honzak is one of my favorite European bass players, but even more so composers. His music is always absolutely breathtaking, and despite its complexity, it manages to be superbly coherent and melodic. Here, with the additional layer of orchestral arrangements (by Tomas SykoraFind albums by this artist) on top of the Jazz quintet performances, the music is even more dense and intricate than usual, and yet, as usual, it is almost clairvoyant in its intellectual verity and emotional strength. The two layers, Jazz and orchestral, complement one another perfectly, but rather oddly, whereas Honzak uses the orchestra to expand the rhythmic and even improvisational nature of the music, rather than only support the harmonic / melodic elements, which is the usual modus operandi applied in most Jazz-Classical Fusion ventures, and as such this album stands out in its originality. It goes without saying that the quintet’s performances are nothing short of stellar, as expected. Soukup is in charge of the melody lines, leading the proceedings like the pied piper of Hamelin, Doruzka spices the mixture with his tasteful chords and strings of notes, Kristan sets the harmonic base and Novak tastefully sets the paste of things. And Honzak, like always, stands firmly, like the ship’s mast, in the epicenter of the music at all times, making sure everything works, as it is supposed to. Overall, Honzak delivers again a sublime piece of music, which offers a fascinating emotional journey, and which swipes the listener off his feet the minute the music starts, and never lets go. I can’t imagine anybody who loves music not to like this album, even if it sounds somewhat strange at the first moment. This is some of the finest music one can come across these days, and it should not be missed by whatever excuse. And yes, if you listen carefully, the Blues is there…

Updated: 12/08/2024Posted: 12/08/2024

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

TOMAS LISKA / INVISIBLE WORLD ~ SYNERGY INVISIBLE 002 (Barcode: 745604682862) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2022 Released: 2023 This is the second album by Czech bassist / composer Tomas LiskaFind albums by this artist and his Invisible WorldFind albums by this artist quartet, which also includes Serbian accordionist Nikola ZaricFind albums by this artist, Turkish (resident in Vienna) violinist Efe TurumtayFind albums by this artist and Czech drummer / percussionist Kamil SlezakFind albums by this artist. The quartet is accompanied by the Prague Radio Symphony OrchestraFind albums by this artist, conducted by Bastien StilFind albums by this artist. The album, which was recorded live, presents four tracks, all original compositions by Liska. The music is a wonderful amalgam of Jazz and diverse World Music elements, which include Balkan, Gypsy, Mediterranean and East European influences. Combined with the Orchestral arrangements present herein, the music offers an incredibly rich range of melodies, soundscapes and emotions, which takes the listeners on a musical carpet ride all over the European continent. The members of the quartet are skillful instrumentalists, displaying their individual talents while soloing, but also offer a tight musical unit together, which elegantly moves from one theme to another and has no difficulty with the often tricky rhythmic patterns. The orchestral arrangements fit the music perfectly and add another dimension, but do not undermine the main course of the music. Overall, this is a highly entertaining and elegant display of the composing abilities of the leader and the performing skills of the musicians, which should delight all Jazz-World Fusion connoisseurs, anywhere on this planet. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 31/10/2023Posted: 31/10/2023

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

LUBOS SOUKUP ~ SCANDINAVIAN IMPRESSIONS CESKY ROZHLAS 1216 (Barcode: 8590236121621) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2023 Released: 2024 This is an album by Czech Jazz saxophonist / composer / bandleader Lubos SoukupFind albums by this artist, recorded with a Jazz quartet comprising of guitarist David DoruzkaFind albums by this artist, pianist Vit KristanFind albums by this artist, Danish bassist Thommy AnderssonFind albums by this artist and drummer Kamil SlezakFind albums by this artist, the Prague Radio Symphony OrchestraFind albums by this artist conducted by Bastein StilFind albums by this artist and the brass section of the Concept Art OrchestraFind albums by this artist (which includes my Friend trumpeter Stepanka BalcarovaFind albums by this artist). The album presents six tracks, which are in fact parts of a suite for Jazz ensemble and Symphonic orchestra, based on Soukup’s experiences during his stay in Scandinavia. The album was recorded live and offers an excellent sound quality. The music is absolutely delightful, a perfect amalgam of Jazz and the Classical vocabulary, tastefully and cleverly put together and brilliantly performed by all the musicians involved in this complex project. The music is a marriage of Slavic / East European melodic melancholy and Scandinavian ambience, which flows gently throughout the duration, constantly switching between the Jazz and the Classical facets, producing a superb example of European elegance and aesthetics. Individually, these are some of the finest Czech Jazz musicians, which in many respects are a class of their own judging by the incredible influx of Czech Jazz recordings released during the last decade or so, which often are surprisingly imaginative, innovative and original, despite the fact that they are all well within the “conventional” Jazz idiom, without moving into extreme Avant Garde in order to show something original. Although, as already stated, all the musicians involved in making of this album are highly professional and talented, the soling by Doruzka is the out-and-out highlight of the album, again emphasizing his undisputed position as one of the best guitar players in the world at present. Of course Soukup has to be congratulated for his brilliant composing / arranging work on this album, which is truly exceptional, making this album one of the most “natural” and coherent amalgamations between Jazz and Classical music, which I had the pleasure to enjoy and experience in a very long time. Overall, this is a superb Jazz-Classical Fusion album in every respect, full of exciting, moving and conceptually brilliant music, which should satisfy even the most capricious music connoisseurs. It is a gem in every respect, and it goes without saying that it deserves an honorable place in every serious Jazz records collection. Well done, my Friend!

Updated: 12/08/2024Posted: 10/08/2024

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

TOMAS SYKORA ~ SONGS FOR ORCHESTRA ANIMAL MUSIC 093 (Barcode: 8594155997213) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Pop-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is an album by Czech pianist / composer Tomas SykoraFind albums by this artist, a member of The Prague SixFind albums by this artist composers group. It presents a live concert recording of a Jazz quartet with Sykora, saxophonist David FranekFind albums by this artist, bassist Tomas LiskaFind albums by this artist and drummer Roman VichaFind albums by this artist with the Prague Radio Symphony OrchestraFind albums by this artist conducted by Stepanka BalcarovaFind albums by this artist. The music includes Jazz-Classical Fusion arrangements of three pieces: a composition by veteran Czech Jazz pianist / composer Karel RuzickaFind albums by this artist, a five-part suite composed by Sykora and a suite composed by saxophonist / composer Karel Ruzicka Jr.Find albums by this artist, the son of Ruzicka Senior, based on his compositions for the album “Grace & GratitudeFind albums with this title”, compiled and arranged by Sykora. The music is beautifully melodic and full of Eastern European melancholy, which of course is hardly surprising. Although composed by three very different composers, the amalgam with the orchestral arrangements and the spirit driving the music manages to create a coherent, well-structured musical experience, which is aesthetically pleasing. Despite the fact that many symphonic Jazz projects end up as complete failures, this project is perfectly able to defend the very idea that such joint ventures can be both viable and rewarding. Sykora manages to create a very delicate balance between the quartet parts and the orchestral parts, which is very tricky. The transitions between the Jazz quartet performances and the Classical orchestra ones are smooth and logical and offer a natural development. Personally I admire Balcarova, who manages to make the symphonic orchestra to sound at times much closer to a Jazz Big Band than a Classical orchestra, which is very rarely achieved – beautifully done indeed. Even the “Grace & Gratitude” material sounds way more attractive than the original album version, which sadly lacked any originality. With the new arrangements the music feels alive and comes back to its Cultural home, where it belongs. Overall this is a wonderful album, which manages to create a consistent bridge between Jazz and Classical Music, avoiding all the kitschy traps that often imperil such efforts. It offers beautiful music, superbly arranged and splendidly executed, which should keep all lovers of such cross-genre explorations totally satisfied. Despite the fact that the music was recorded live, it offers wonderful sound quality and separation, as usual with Animal MusicFind albums on this label releases, which are an epitome of European elegance and grace, made the Czech way – hats off!

Updated: 05/08/2021Posted: 05/08/2021

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend