Record Reviews

RADEK BABORAK / ORQUESTRINA ~ CUATROCIENTAS ESTACIONES DE ASTOR PIAZZOLLA ANIMAL MUSIC 092 (Barcode: 8594155998807) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Classical Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is an album by Czech French horn player / arranger / bandleader Radek BaborakFind albums by this artist and his OrquestrinaFind albums by this artist ensemble, which consists of French horn, bass clarinet, a string section and a rhythm section (piano, bass, drums) on all tracks (except the fifth), and additionally vibraphone on the first four tracks, and harp, bassoon and French horn quartet on the last remaining three tracks. The fifth track features a quintet of French horn, viola, cello, bass and piano. The album presents eight compositions by the Argentinean composer Astor PiazzollaFind albums by this artist, four of which are collectively known as “Cuatro Estaciones Portenas” (Eng. The Four Seasons of Buenos Aires), composed between 1965 and 1970, and additional four unconnected pieces composed between 1959 and 1982. The music was beautifully recorded at the Sono Records studio and engineered by Milan CimfeFind albums by this artist. Piazzolla remains to me as one of the most misunderstood and misinterpreted 20th Century composers. His commonly known association with the Tango, which was hardly considered as an Art Form by Classically oriented music critics, pushed his musical vision and enormous talent into a “comfort niche” of curiosity, rather than serious musical achievement. But anybody familiar enough with Piazzolla’s music knows, that Tango was his inspiration, but it never limited his compositional skills and soaring imagination and he was able to create not only some of the most expressive and passionate, but also most sophisticated music ever. This beautiful album is a wonderfully aesthetic attempt to transpose Piazzolla’s music into the European territory, taking it closer to “conventional” Classical approach, without losing any of its beauty, passion and uniqueness. Baborak boldly and very cleverly changes the instrumentation, taking completely away the bandoneon and replacing it by the French horn, two instruments so different and yet apparently bridgeable by an open-minded arranger. Piazzolla’s close relationship with Jazz can be also clearly heard here, although more subtly than the Classical flavor. Baborak’s French horn performances and the brilliant idea of using a French horn quartet in the last three pieces are tremendously rewarding, adding a brass presence that is rarely heard in the Tango idiom. But of course all the musicians involved are superb instrumentalist and highly sensitive musicians. This album is another striking example of the brilliant work done by the Czech record label Animal MusicFind albums on this label, under the imaginative direction of its owner Petr OstrouchovFind albums by this artist, who is obviously one of the most open-minded and dedicated music producers in Europe these days. For Tango lovers this is obviously an absolute must have, offering one of the most original interpretations of Piazzolla’s music ever attempted, but every sensitive music lover should find this album highly fulfilling. The superb sound quality turns it into a euphoric listening experience. Hats off!

Updated: 23/04/2021Posted: 23/04/2021

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

ORQUESTRA DE JAZZ DE GALICIA ~ FAME NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 8430125110018) ~ SPAIN ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is a beautiful album originating in the Spanish province of Galicia, recorded by the Orquestra De Jazz De GaliciaFind albums by this artist, which presents ten orchestral arrangements of Galician music transformed into the Jazz idiom. Lavishly packaged and an obvious labor of love this album is an absolutely stunning example of orchestral Jazz-World Fusion. The wonderful Galician melodies / songs are delicately arranged for a Jazz orchestra and exquisitely performed, often including also vocal parts, maintaining a perfect balance between the original folkloristic content and the Jazzy ornamentation. There is little soloing and the main concept is to treat the orchestra as one complex instrument. There are several guest musicians participating on the various pieces, both from the Jazz and Folk backgrounds. Overall this is a fascinating and aesthetically perfect album, which keeps the listener on his toes for the entire duration. The music swings between the more Jazzy and the more Folkloristic frame of mind gracefully and intelligently, and one simply can´t stop wishing for more to come. It takes several listening sessions to discover all the intricacies of the orchestral arrangements and which each listening session one is able to discover more magic. One can really feel the hunger (which is what "fame" means), which was involved in making of this album. This is an incredibly graceful example of amalgamating musical genres on one hand and preserving folklore in contemporary adaptation, which loses nothing of its originality and its intrinsic beauty. This is truly commendable and I wish more such projects would be initiated all over the world. Big thanks to everybody involved making of this gem and thanks for finding me and sending me this gift of music. It is highly appreciated and wholeheartedly loved!

Updated: 27/02/2017Posted: 27/02/2017

CD 1 Digibook Recommend To A Friend

QUEST ~ REDEMPTION – QUEST LIVE IN EUROPE HATOLOGY 642 (Barcode: 752156064220) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2005 Released: 2007 The meeting between saxophonist Dave LiebmanFind albums by this artist and pianist Richie BeirachFind albums by this artist in early 1970s established not only an excellent musical cooperation, as documented by the albums they recorded together, but also a deep personal friendship. Later the pair joined forces with two Jazz giants, bassist George MrazFind albums by this artist and drummer Al FosterFind albums by this artist, forming a quartet, which was named QuestFind albums by this artist, and which recorded the debut album under that name in 1981. When Mraz and Foster left the quartet to pursue other avenues, they were replaced by bassist Ron McClureFind albums by this artist and drummer Billy HartFind albums by this artist and the quartet played on for a few years, but never recorded, eventually falling apart. But good fortune had it to reunite the quartet in 2005 for en European tour, with some gigs being recorded, as heard here. Considering the fact that these are all veteran monster musicians, I suppose it takes no effort to convince anybody that this music is exceptionally good from start to end. This is no nostalgic get together, but a serious blow out of contemporary Jazz by the best players around, so don´t think twice!

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QUESTION MARK ~ EXSESSIONS RG 105 (Barcode: 002018111112) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is an album by Polish Progressive Rock / Jazz-Rock Fusion group Question MarkFind albums by this artist, led by guitarist / composer Boguslaw RaatzFind albums by this artist, which also includes violinist Robert BielakFind albums by this artist, bassist Jacek DolegaFind albums by this artist and drummer Marek MatuszewskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents thirteen compositions, six of which are main extended pieces and the other seven are shorter connecting pieces, which are intertwined around the main pieces and together they all present a musical continuum. The music was co-composed by the group members (five of the main pieces), or co-composed by Raatz and Bielak (six of the connecting pieces) and the remaining two pieces were composed by Raatz. The album is beautifully packaged in an elegant metal case. The music is different from the earlier material recorded by the group and has a distinct industrial / minimalist / ambient sound and feel, where the extended improvisations are developing over a steady drone like rhythmic pattern and the guitar and violin sound more like a synthesizers. The metamorphosis is quite dramatic and if not for the name on the packaging, the connection to the earlier recordings would have been difficult to recognize. Regardless of the change of direction, the music is again very impressive and fascinating. The improvisations are well structured and enable the listener to enter a trance like state of intensive listening. It is rare to see a group to undertake such a bold direction change and keep the level of musicianship unchanged, achieving such a thrilling result. With this new direction the music might find a new audience, perhaps a bit younger, than the traditional Prog / Fusion fans, which are sadly mostly quite advanced in their years. But all open-minded music connoisseurs should be able to develop an affinity to this music, as it as much challenging as it is rewarding. Warmly recommended!

Updated: 17/02/2019Posted: 17/02/2019

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

QUESTION MARK ~ LA TERRA ROSA QM 003 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock-World Fusion Recorded: 2012 Released: 2013 This is an album by Polish Progressive Rock / Jazz-Rock Fusion group Question MarkFind albums by this artist, led by guitarist / composer Boguslaw RaatzFind albums by this artist, which also includes violinist Robert BielakFind albums by this artist, Russian keyboardist Michael OgorodovFind albums by this artist, bassist Jacek DolegaFind albums by this artist and drummer Marek MatuszewskiFind albums by this artist. Flautist Timothy SanfordFind albums by this artist guests on a couple of tracks and vocalist Jaroslaw PijarowskiFind albums by this artist guests on one track. The album presents a fourteen-part suite, composed by the participating musicians. The music is beautifully put together, combining superb melodic themes with Funk, Groove and World Music, which overwhelms the listener with its passionate execution. The consecutive parts of the suite are intertwined by solo violin parts called "impressions", creating a wonderful flow of the entire piece, which has no dull moments whatsoever. The group uses a rich palette of sounds and instruments to create an ever-changing tapestry of sound, which is coherent and perfectly balanced. All the musicians involved are first rate instrumentalist of superb technical skills, but Raatz manages to create a barrage of guitar virtuosity which should leave the listeners completely stunned. His proficiency and technique are truly extraordinary and his musicality is profound. He manages to shun all gimmickry and show off, simply playing his heart out. The rhythm section kicks ass and has a great feel of pulse. The violinist pulls some virtuosic stunts of his own. Together they simply fly! Overall this is an amazing album, which was sadly overlooked at the time of its release. With contemporary Prog and Fusion being almost completely lifeless, this album shows that not everything is lost yet. Both Prog and Fusion connoisseurs should be able to enjoy this album to the max and hopefully it will be discovered worldwide, as the group honestly deserves to be heard. Guitar freaks – prepare to weep!

Updated: 17/02/2019Posted: 17/02/2019

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QUESTION MARK ~ LABORATORY QM 002 (Barcode: 5901448276925) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2010 Released: 2010 This is an album by Polish Progressive Rock / Jazz-Rock Fusion trio Question MarkFind albums by this artist, led by guitarist Boguslaw RaatzFind albums by this artist and including also bassist Jacek DolegaFind albums by this artist and drummer Marek MatuszewskiFind albums by this artist. Violinist / guitarist Robert BielakFind albums by this artist guests on most of the tracks and the legendary trumpeter Andrzej PrzybielskiFind albums by this artist guests on one track. The album presents twelve original instrumental compositions by the trio members, three of which are three-part mini suites. The music introduces some basic themes, which are then used as basis for extended instrumental improvisations, mostly by guitar and violin. The violin improvisations are more Jazz / Fusion oriented and the guitar improvisations are more Prog oriented, so the album is overall quite diverse and multifaceted. The rhythm section is very Rock oriented, which sets the rhythmic patters somewhat towards Heavy Rock, but not overwhelmingly so, which still leaves the instrumental improvisation to be the center of this music. The track with Przybielski is of course outstanding and one can only regret that the entire album was not recorder with him, which would have turned it into a remarkable album. But at least we can hear the amazing trumpet work on one track, which of course is good enough reason to have this album. Przybielski had the chameleonic ability to feel completely at ease in any musical environment, from extreme Avant-Garde to commercial Pop, and Fusion / Rock suited him as well as anything else, which is evident here. The violin work is also quite impressive and people interested in Fusion violin sound should find this album fascinating as well. This album is pretty obscure even on the Polish scene, so perhaps people reading these lines will make an effort to look it up now, as it is definitely worth investigating!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 07/11/2016

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend