Record Reviews

CARRIER / LAMBERT / MAZUR ~ UNKNOWABLE NOT TWO 928 (Barcode: 5901549185904) ~ CANADA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is a live recording by the Improvised Music trio consisting of Canadian saxophonist Francois CarrierFind albums by this artist and drummer Michel LambertFind albums by this artist and Polish acoustic bass guitarist Rafal MazurFind albums by this artist. The trio performs six spontaneously improvised pieces, credited to all three trio members. The music was recorded at the Alchemia Jazz Club in Krakow. Although improvised, the music is characterized by a high degree of melodic content as a result of Carrier´s contributions, which are mostly long lines of melodic themes. Mazur´s bass guitar is always very melodic and here it harmonizes perfectly with Carrier´s leading lines. Lambert is a very delicate and sympathetic drummer, supporting his cohorts with his dense, precise rhythmic patterns, but keeping the volume well in control in order not to dominate the proceedings. There is a wonderful interplay and exchange of ideas between the trio members, who are listening attentively to each other, weaving together a multi-colored tapestry of sound. The music is remarkably relaxed and serene, even in its most intensive moments, completely avoiding any signs of aggression and competitiveness, which so often completely dominates Improvised Music. As a result this is one of the few cases when an Improvised Music recording actually makes sense to be released on record and manages to recreate the actual experience. The excellent recording quality of this album is also very helpful. Overall this is a very impressive piece of music captured for eternity on record and deserves to be heard by all Improvised Music connoisseurs. Perhaps not particularly groundbreaking, nevertheless is offers many magic moments which happen only in that particular musical idiom. Wholeheartedly recommended!

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GREGORIO / MAZUR / LOPEZ ~ WANDERING THE SOUNDS FSR 2018/09 (Barcode: 5905279364325) ~ ARGENTINA ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is an album by international Improvised Music trio comprising of Argentinean (resident in NY) clarinetist Guillermo GregorioFind albums by this artist, Polish acoustic bass guitarist Rafal MazurFind albums by this artist and Spanish (resident in France) drummer Ramon LopezFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine improvised tracks recorded in studio, all co-credited to the three musicians. The music is a wonderfully introvert trialogue between Master musicians, calm and relaxed and yet full of energy and expression. All three musicians perform with great respect towards each other, displaying virtuosity but eschewing unnecessary showing off of their individual abilities and creating a coherent trio statement. Although fully Improvised, the music is unusually (for the idiom) embraceable and accessible to a relatively wide range of listeners, not necessarily form the strict Avant-Garde circles, but also "straightforward" Jazz enthusiasts with a tolerance towards complex improvised explorations. Gregorio is a superb clarinetist, with a simple, natural sound and fabulous technique, which makes his playing instantly lovable. His playing immediately brings a wave of heartache in view of the death of the legendary Israeli clarinetist Harold RubinFind albums by this artist, who left us just a few days ago, and with whom I worked closely for decades producing many albums together. Mazur is a unique phenomenon with hardly any competition, both because of his unusual instrument and the way he plays it. The sound and the pulsations he manages to create is a trademark of the Improvised Music idiom and his level of understanding and telepathic communication with his partners is nothing short of miraculous. He has already an impressive recorded legacy behind him, which of course is a must to follow by every Improvised Music connoisseur. Lopez is another trademark name on the Improvised Music scene and his playing here fully justifies the reputation he earned over the years. His ability to play the drums as delicately and yet with full power, as this trio´s music demands is absolutely brilliant. Overall this is a superb Improvising Music album which proves that this kind of music can be communicative, coherent and lasting, even to people from outside of the genre. I had a wonderful time listening to it and it is one of rather few albums of this kind I could listen to repeatedly. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 07/04/2020Posted: 07/04/2020

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KALUZA / MAJEWSKI / MAZUR / SUCHAR ~ TONE HUNTING CLEAN FEED 285 (Barcode: 5609063002850) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2013 This is the debut album by the Improvising Music quartet, which consists of German saxophonist Anna KaluzaFind albums by this artist and three Polish musicians: trumpeter Artur MajewskiFind albums by this artist, acoustic bass guitarist Rafal MazurFind albums by this artist and drummer Kuba SucharFind albums by this artist. Majewski and Suchar are or course known as the excellent duo MikrokolektywFind albums by this artist and Mazur is a member of the TRC TrioFind albums by this artist. The album presents five extended improvisations, credited to all quartet members and was released by the excellent Portuguese Clean FeedFind albums on this label label. The music is a great example of the vitality of the Polish / European Improvising Music scene, which is enjoying a tremendous Renaissance and involves a new generation of players and enthusiasts. These four musicians are among the most innovative and interesting representatives of the genre and have been already recognized internationally as important creative forces. Listening to this album clearly shows why they deserve such recognition. Although improvised, the music presents a diverse stylistic collage of sound vistas, from minimalistic and delicate breathing tones to expressive collective forceful statements. Most of the sounds and tones heard on this album are quite remote from what one would expect from the conventional usage of the instruments involved, and yet they somehow make all perfect sense and create a wonderful amalgam, which is obviously unlike almost anything heard before. In most cases the quartet members produce a series of rapid staccato sounds, which then are all intermixed into one sonic whole. In contrast to most "conventional" music, which once stated becomes unwavering in consequent listening encounters, this music is constantly alive and chameleonic, changing each time one listens to it. That elusiveness and constant ability to be transformed is of course what makes this music so fascinating. Obviously this is definitely not something for a casual listener and its overall accessibility is limited to connoisseurs of the genre, but as such, it is unquestionably one of its finest exhibits.

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LIQUID QUINTET ~ FLUX FSR 2019/17 (Barcode: 5905279364561) ~ SPAIN ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2017 Released: 2019 This is a live recording, captured during the 12th Ad Libitum Festival in Warsaw, by the Liquid QuintetFind albums by this artist, one of several Improvising Music ensembles under the "Liquid" moniker, led by Spanish pianist Agusti FernandezFind albums by this artist. The other members of the quintet are Spanish saxophonist Albert CireraFind albums by this artist and drummer Ramon PratsFind albums by this artist, who together with Fernandez constitute the Liquid TrioFind albums by this artist, and Polish trumpeter Artur MajewskiFind albums by this artist and bassist Rafal MazurFind albums by this artist. The album presents five tracks, all co-credited to the five musicians taking part in the music-making process, as appropriate for the idiom. Fernandez, who is undoubtedly the most internationally recognized representative of the Spanish musical Avant-Garde, is a most prolific artist with a huge number (around 100) of recordings as a leader and sideman, probably more than any other European Improvised Music activist. There is nothing wrong with this fact per se, but it does create certain "cautiousness" upon approaching his recordings. The connection between him and the Polish Avant-Garde is quite natural and produced several earlier fruitful meetings, including the participation of Mazur on several occasions. The music is exactly what one would expect from such spontaneous performance; a continuous barrage of notes exchanged between the quintet members, which vary in intensity from hardly audible to overwhelming, creating, as the title suggests, a prolonged flux of energy and sound. There us an obvious affinity and musical conversation between the quintet members, but with a complete lack of melody, harmony and structure, this music can be considered as "digestible" only by the very innate circle of hardcore Improvised Music / Avant-Garde connoisseurs, which of course is perfectly fine. All five musicians are excellent instrumentalist, which can be heard by a trained-ear listener. Although the concept of soloing is nonexistent in a group improvisation idiom as such, there are many moments where just one musician is left "up front" by his cohorts and is able to articulate his statement more recognizably on top of the quiet background improvisations. But of course the telepathic communication between the musicians is the essence. Improvised music is very similar to nonfigurative visual arts; the combination of colors and shapes either convinces the person looking at it or doesn´t, which is often mood dependent. This music is offered to the listener on the exact same principle: take it or leave it. Count me in :)

Updated: 02/09/2020Posted: 02/09/2020

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MAZUR NEURINGER DUO ~ DIACHRONIC PATHS RELATIVE PITCH 1046 (Barcode: 616892379843) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2013 Released: 2015 This is the fifth album by the Avant-Garde / Improvising Music duo comprising of Polish acoustic bass guitarist Rafal MazurFind albums by this artist and American saxophonist Keir NeuringerFind albums by this artist. Together they perform six spontaneously improvised pieces, co-composed by the duo members. As usual with Improvised Music it is not about the virtuosic abilities of the players, which of course are also present herein, but about the ability to communicate, cooperate and create together something that is more than the simple sum of the components. Mazur and Neuringer have already successfully proved that they are among the best of the kind and this album firmly verifies again, that this is the case. The six lengthy pieces present a plethora of moods and emotional states, beautifully illustrated by the music, which often sounds strangely melodic and coherent in spite of its improvised nature. An attentive listener simply gets completely lost within the music, engulfed within the emotional fabric of the sounds. This album is a wonderful example of truly creative Improvised Music that stays relevant beyond the actual moment of creation and is able to reproduce the magic also in recorded form. Sadly such music constitutes a minority within the genre, which many artists involved in it have serious problems understanding. Of course the individual performances by those two brilliant musicians also deserve a high praise. Mazur managed to create a completely individual bass sound and his incredible technique is also completely unique. Neuringer displays unlimited fluency and improvisational depth, which are both unprecedented. As usual, a great piece of intriguing, wonderfully performed music, which sets the path (pun intended) for others to follow, both as listeners and musicians. Thanks for sharing!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 08/10/2016

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MAZUR NEURINGER DUO ~ THE KRAKOW LETTERS FOR TUNE 0032 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2014 This is the fourth release that documents the music of the duo comprising of Polish Avant-Garde / Jazz acoustic bass guitarist Rafal MazurFind albums by this artist and American saxophonist and interdisciplinary Artist Keir NeuringerFind albums by this artist. The duo has been active since 1999 after meeting in Krakow. The album presents four lengthy improvised pieces, recorded live, all credited to both partners. There is no doubt that these two musicians communicate on a telepathic level and their virtuosity is simply stunning. However, listening to this music might prove to be way beyond even most adventurous listener because of its incredible intensity and total dedication. The music is completely devoid of melodic element and the staccato lines lasting for quarter of an hour are a challenge. But on purely artistic level and for diehard Free / Improvised fans this music is simply phenomenal. The sheer "impossibility" to actually play it already makes it fascinating and considering the rapport and dialogue present herein at every moment simply nail it completely. There is an intrinsic intellectual beauty to this music, even if the totally emotional form might exclude intellectualism by definition. Nevertheless this fascinating contrast keeps the listener on his toes for the entire duration of the album. Since I´m not familiar with their previous adventures, I´ll definitely have to investigate those now, after listening to this album. The other enigma is of course the ability of Neuringer to play in an uninterruptable stream lasting for many minutes. Is he using circular breathing? Perhaps this music is primarily meant to be heard live, and a recording transfers the listening experience with some, if not a significant loss of the overall effect. If this album is a "muffled" experience, the real deal must have been totally scary. Ye brave hearted free spirits unite!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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SPLATTER / RAFAL MAZUR ~ CLOUDSEED CITYSTREAM 00106 (Barcode: 888174287706) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2013 This is an excellent album by British Improvising Music quartet SplatterFind albums by this artist, recorded in an expanded lineup which also includes the Polish bassist Rafal MazurFind albums by this artist. Splatter consists of clarinetist Noel TaylorFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Anna KaluzaFind albums by this artist, guitarist Pedro VelascoFind albums by this artist and drummer Tom GreenhalghFind albums by this artist. On the album they perform thirteen relatively short improvised pieces, and since no composing credits are given one can assume all the music was simply spontaneously created by all the musicians involved. For a freely improvised music the content of this album is remarkably melodic and beautifully serene. Surely this music was at least rehearsed to some extent before the recording, as most of it has a clearly defined melodic sequence and harmonic structure. As such it is also easily accessible to a wide range of listeners, including those who normally wouldn´t make the effort to listen to Improvised Music. Quite honestly this is definitely one of the most beautiful Improvised Music efforts I have been exposed to in the last few years, especially due to its complete lack of aggressiveness and belligerence that often overwhelms similar efforts. In contrast this music projects a kind of calmness and piece of mind, which perhaps reflects to some extent the need of regeneration and relaxation through Art, which becomes more popular recently. But regardless of the inner motives behind the music, the overall result is simply soothing. The individual performances are all excellent, as expected. Personally the clarinet, which is on the short list of my favorite instruments, is the most impressive here with a superb tone and melodic consistency. But again, all the other players contribute equally well. The addition of the bass solidifies the sound of the ensemble and its pulsations are another dimension which goes perfectly well with the rest. Of course the work of the ensemble as a coherent unit, and in this case almost telepathically coherent, is the most important factor contributing to their success to make brilliant music. This is definitely an album every true ambitious music connoisseur should listen to; satisfaction guaranteed!

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DOMINIK STRYCHARSKI & RAFAL MAZUR ~ MYRIAD DUO FSR 2015/02 (Barcode: 5905279364011) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2015 This is a live recording of spontaneously composed Improvised Music performed by two prominent Polish representatives of the genre: flautist Dominik StrycharskiFind albums by this artist and bass guitarist Rafal MazurFind albums by this artist. The performance is edited into five separate tracks, but of course such division exists only for convenience sake and does not disrupt the natural flow of the music. I have often stated that Improvised Music finds itself at the disadvantage of being mostly a live / real time experience and very rarely transforms itself into a lasting experience, when recorded and later released on record, with rare exceptions of course. This, fortunately, is one of those rare exceptions, where the music, or whatever one might want to call this encounter between two artists, remains completely relevant on record and deserves repeated listening. For people familiar with the Polish Improvised Music scene with both these innovative musicians since years. Born four years apart in the 1970s, they are both active since the 1990s with increasing frenzy, producing over time dozens of recordings and leading numerous projects, both in Poland and abroad. This is their first encounter as a duo, and luckily that live concert was also captured for posterity and released on this album. The flute / recorder, one of the ancient human instruments, is sadly neglected in Jazz and Improvised Music and therefore Strycharski´s virtuosity as a flautist is especially appreciated, especially in these circumstances. His beautiful tone poems and quirky improvisations are a delightful trip in space / time and a rare example of concentrated minimalism as an Art form. The melodic stream and the myriad of tiny notes merge into a wonderful soundscape. Mazur, who is a virtuoso bassist, is also a musician with a truly chameleonic ability to adjust his playing to any environment, as already documented on his various recordings. His playing here is therefore accordingly more delicate and low key without of course cutting down anything from its subtlety, sophistication or creativity. As a duo these two musicians function as if their minds amalgamated for the duration of the concert, way beyond just attentive listening and much closer to telepathic communication. In short if anything deserves the title "Art of the Duo", this is it, here and now!

Updated: 27/10/2016Posted:

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TRC TRIO ~ NOW NEW NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2013 This is a live recording by the Polish Free Jazz / Improvised Music TRC TrioFind albums by this artist, which comprises of saxophonist Tomasz GadeckiFind albums by this artist, bassist Rafal MazurFind albums by this artist and drummer Connor MurrayFind albums by this artist. Gadecki is also a member of the excellent Olbrzym I KurdupelFind albums by this artist duo, which released a couple of albums earlier. The music is completely improvised and therefore not specifically credited to any individual musician but considered a common spontaneous creation. Technically the music is sub-divided into four tracks on the album, but those remain nameless and unlisted. This kind of music is a wonderful example of the spur of the moment creation which Improvised Music offers its listeners, for good and for bad. It is all about "now" and if the "now" happens to be able to create musical magic, as it does in this case, all is fine, but of course this in not always the case. There is no formula, which can foretell such result, things just happen. But when talented and completely dedicated musicians, such as these three herein, meet and create music, anything can happen. There are many wonderful moments of highly inspired performances here, with Gadecki performing some amazing saxophone magic repeatedly, with virtuosity and flair. He is certainly worth following as one of the strongest players emerging on the Polish scene. His companions stand up shoulder to shoulder with his demanding leads, proving worthy of the challenge. Of course there is the barrier separating these musicians and their audience, which in order to be able to let in this music into their consciousness has to let go of all pre-conceptions, limitations and traditional musical experience and simply flow with the sonic experience these musicians offer. The effort such music requires is definitely worth making, as this music can be deeply moving and wonderfully entertaining intellectually. The album itself is another document of the incredible Polish Free Jazz / Improvised Music scene, which keeps producing some truly exceptional music in the last decade or so, surely being one of the most prolific and most advanced scenes on which these genres flourish. With new generations of players boldly stepping in and joining the ranks as well as visiting musicians from all over the world participating and collaboration with the locals, the resulting scene is simply marvelously alive and productive. Improvised Music fans will find this most interesting and although this kind of music caters only to a tiny minority, it compensates emotionally and intellectually those dedicated enough to give it their ears.

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TRZASKA / MAZUR / PANDI ~ TAR & FEATHERS GUSSTAFF 1402 (Barcode: 5050580617261) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2014 This is a live recording of an exciting meeting between two Polish Improvised Music players: saxophonist Mikolaj TrzaskaFind albums by this artist and bassist Rafal MazurFind albums by this artist with Hungarian drummer Balazs PandiFind albums by this artist associated with European Avant-Garde / alternative / improvised Rock. The concert was captured at the A38 Club in Budapest, which is in fact a ship anchored to a pier on the Danube River. The album includes six original improvised pieces, all credited to the three performers. In many respects the music captured here is more "conventional" that most of other projects, which Trzaska is usually associated with. Probably the solid rhythmic drumming by Pandi and fairly melodic bass lines by Mazur influenced Trzaska´s performance, moderating his untamed instincts. As a result the overall flow of the mostly up-tempo material is quite accessible to open-minded Jazz listeners, who usually don´t plunge into Improvised Music. As usual in such situations, the level of cooperation between the musicians is what makes the resulting music cohesive and focused. Trzaska is usually directed by a fine taste when choosing his partners and this encounter is no different. The dynamic and powerful rhythm section certainly pushes his playing into areas, which go back to his days with the legendary ensemble MiloscFind albums by this artist. Another aspect of this recording is the contact between the burgeoning Improvised Music scene in Poland and the relatively smaller but very interesting scene developing lately in Hungary, which deserves to be discovered. Hopefully this album could serve as a trigger to more such collaborations.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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