Record Reviews

STEPANKA BALCAROVA ~ EMOTIONS ANIMAL MUSIC 117 (Barcode: 8594211850247) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Jazz Recorded: 2023 Released: 2023 This is an album by Czech Jazz trumpeter / composer / bandleader Stepanka BalcarovaFind albums by this artist, recorded in a classic quartet setting with Czech bassist Jaromir HonzakFind albums by this artist and Polish pianist Nikola KolodziejczykFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz MaslowskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight tracks, all of which are original compositions by Balcarova. This is only the third album by Balcarova as a leader, but she has quite a remarkable recording legacy already, which includes albums by the Concept Art OrchestraFind albums by this artist (4 albums), which she leads, as well as the Czech / Polish Inner SpacesFind albums by this artist quintet (3 albums), all recorded since 2010 and all quite noteworthy, which makes her a busy bee of the local scene. This album offers a double focus: Balcarova’s trumpet playing, which is more prominent here than on any of her previous recordings, as well as her superb compositional talent, which is of course already her trademark. This is also her most relaxed, intimate and perhaps also mature statement to date, after reaching a point in her career, where she does not need to prove anything anymore, and is free just to express her innermost self. The music is mostly very introvert and lyrical, almost romantic at times, with gentle melodic themes floating in the air, waiting for ears willing to get enchanted. The minimalist format of the quartet is ideal for the music and the wonderful team supports the leader superbly, with Kolodziejczyk delicate harmonic support and brief and well-structured soli balancing the melodic layer and of course Honzak on bass, the anchor able to hold any musical ship steady, is there at all times with his round, solid notes, with Maslowski delicate rhythmic support always there when needed and silent, when not essential, a rare quality among drummers. As all Animal Music releases, this album offers a wonderfully warm and perfect sound quality, achieved by the masterful Milan CimfeFind albums by this artist, which makes listening to the music a true pleasure. Overall, this is another beautiful album in Balcarova’s treasure chest, which is a sublime sonic experience and uplifting aesthetic adventure for every true Jazz lover on this planet. It might take more than just a brief listening exposure to discover the depth and gorgeousness of this music, but patience is a virtue and the reward is absolutely worth the effort. Thank you Milady, as usual, for this gift of music!

Updated: 12/08/2023Posted: 12/08/2023

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STEPANKA BALCAROVA ~ LIFE AND HAPPINESS OF JULIAN TUWIM ANIMAL MUSIC 065 (Barcode: 8594155991709) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is the debut album as a leader by Czech trumpeter / composer Stepanka BalcarovaFind albums by this artist, recorded with a septet comprising of Czech and Polish Jazz musicians: vocalist Malgorzata HutekFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Marcel BartaFind albums by this artist, flautist Robert FischmannFind albums by this artist, pianist Nikola KolodziejczykFind albums by this artist, bassist Jaromir HonzakFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz MaslowskiFind albums by this artist. As the title suggests, the album presents nine poems by Polish / Jewish poet Julian TuwimFind albums by this artist, which were made into songs with original music composed by Balcarova. The album is a typical Jazz & Poetry project, which apparently is a specialty of the Eastern European region (Poland especially), and which keeps the wondrous and much neglected elsewhere idiom alive and kicking. Of course tackling Tuwim´s poems, who after all was the most important 20th Century Polish poet, is an extremely risky undertaking, especially in view of the fact that his poems were already made into songs countless times before by some of the best composers out there. Balcarova decided to compose music to Tuwim´s early poetry, published (with one exception) between 1918 and 1923, which are more rarely used as sources of songs, and therefore she brings forward to the public eye a lesser known facet of his poetry. I am happy to say that Balcarova managed to create a consistent song cycle, with her music being very appropriate to the poetic contents. The music is full of melancholy, perhaps even a bit too somber at times, since these poems are considered as optimistic and vital in comparison to Tuwim´s later work, which was full of cynicism and resentment. Nevertheless the music, as already mentioned, is more than appropriate in this context and its melodic qualities, which incorporate strong Eastern European folkloristic motifs, is definitely impressive. The polyrhythmic compositions are the most successful and interesting musically, but they are a minority. The instrumental work is also very solid from start to finish, with excellent solo parts by the players and supportive rhythm section. Kolodziejczyk is definitely the key player, who keeps the harmonic structures in place and accompanies the vocals amicably, adding some splendid solo parts on the fly. The vocals suffer from some problems: they are way too theatrical and loud; there is way too much vibrato and almost no reference between the actual lyrics (poems) and the way they are expressed. Hutek sings forcefully even in the most intimate moments, which at its extreme manifestations is pretty annoying. I´d rather have these texts whispered rather than sung the way they are. But to be fair these texts are extremely difficult and combined with the music, which also is often challenging, Hutek does the best she can to make it work and overall, with a bit of acquired taste, does fine. But this album is all about the music, first and foremost, and as such it is a splendid piece of work, that deserves to be heard and enjoyed. Beautifully packaged and with a booklet that includes the original poems in Polish and Czech and English translations, this is a piece of Culture that true connoisseurs of the Jazz & Poetry idiom would absolutely love to have in their collections. Wholeheartedly recommended!

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

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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

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DOROTA BAROVA ~ DOTYK ANIMAL MUSIC 100 (Barcode: 8594155997312) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2021 Released: 2021 This is the second album by Czech vocalist / cellist / songwriter Dorota BarovaFind albums by this artist, recorded with guitarist Miroslav ChyskaFind albums by this artist, bassist Milos KlapsteFind albums by this artist and vocalist Jan JakubecFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original songs, all composed by Barova, five of which have also lyrics written her and one each features lyrics by Polish poetess Teresa DrozdaFind albums by this artist and poet Krzysztof Kamil BaczynskiFind albums by this artist. All the lyrics are in Polish language, a language Barova inherited from her Mother. The album continues the unique aesthetic climate of the beautiful Barova’s debut album, presenting minimalist approach which puts the vocals and their lyrics in the center of attention, with the instrumental accompaniment being somewhat subordinate, but absolutely not of lesser importance. Although the music is not Jazz oriented per se, it has a strong Jazz undercurrent and therefore it does belong, as far as I am concerned, to the Jazz & Poetry idiom. The music is very melodic, albeit the melody lines are often quite complex and quirky, which of course requires dedicated, attentive listening in order to follow the twists and turns, those being further complicated by the instrumental accompaniment. However, despite all that complexity, the result is able to flow smoothly and often gently, letting the listener to absorb the lyrics as well. Barova clearly manages to create a consistent sonic environment, which suits her ideally. Preferring the “less is more” modus operandi, she is able to create music, which speaks strongly, even penetratingly, despite the low volume and subdued expressionist, which is masterly achieved by her and her companions. Overall, this is a beautiful album, which is a coherent follow up to her debut and establishes her as a musical figure worth being followed closely. As most Jazz & Poetry albums, this one can be enjoyed perfectly by audiences beyond the language barrier, with the lyrics serving as a bonus to native speakers of Slavic languages. This is an absolutely delightful piece of music, which seams as an island of sanity in this crazy world we live in. Thank you, Milady, for your talent and dedication!

Updated: 10/10/2022Posted: 10/10/2022

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DOROTA BAROVA ~ ILUZJA ANIMAL MUSIC 073 (Barcode: 8594155991365) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is the debut album as a leader by Czech vocalist / cellist / songwriter Dorota BarovaFind albums by this artist, recorded with guitarist Jakub VejnarFind albums by this artist and bassist Miroslav ChyskaFind albums by this artist, who play on six of the album’s ten tracks. The album presents ten original songs, all composed by Barova except one composed by pianist Beata HlavenkovaFind albums by this artist, who also sings and plays on that track. The remaining three tracks are performed by Barova, using multitracked vocals and cello. Barova wrote the lyrics to four of the tracks, four other were written by Polish journalist and lyricist Teresa DrozdaFind albums by this artist and the last two by Polish poet Krzysztof Kamil BaczynskiFind albums by this artist. All the lyrics are in the Polish language and Barova sings them in Polish, crediting her love of that language to her Mother, who is Polish (although Polish and Czech languages have many similarities and both belong to the Slavic languages group, they are also quite distinct). The music is an obvious example of my beloved Jazz & Poetry idiom, and is definitely one of the finest examples of this Artistic genre that landed on my desk lately. Thy music is uniquely beautiful, full of intrinsic lyricism, but also quite complex, multilayered and intricate, despite the fact that it utilizes a limited instrumental range. The excellent sound recording (Milan CimfeFind albums by this artist again) enables listening to each and every little nuance, which this album is absolutely packed with. The album is full of ingenious trickery, using unconventional instrumentation and a complex multilayered combination of vocal and instrumental tracks, which turn the seemingly limited, almost minimalist range into a brilliant kaleidoscope of sounds, all fitting together brilliantly. Barova utilizes her vocal and instrumental abilities to the max, achieving an unprecedented harmoniously coherent result. Combined with the excellent lyrics, the overall result is simply irresistible. Overall this album is a wonderful example of intelligent, sensitive, inventive and highly aesthetic music making, which offers a distinctive statement, breaks new ground and challenges the listener both emotionally and cerebrally. Thank you, my Lady, for sharing your talent with us and Godspeed in future endeavors!

Updated: 06/03/2021Posted: 06/03/2021

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DAVE DOUGLAS ~ THE COMPLETE REMASTERED RECORDINGS ON BLACK SAINT & SOUL NOTE CAM JAZZ 1020 (Barcode: 8052405140630) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1993 - 1998 Released: 2012 This superb Box Set collects all the albums recorded by the legendary American trumpeter / composer Dave DouglasFind albums by this artist on the twin Italian independent labels: Black SaintFind albums on this label and Soul NoteFind albums on this label. The set includes three albums he recorded as a leader, a live recording with the expanded version of the RovaFind albums by this artist quartet dedicated to John ColtraneFind albums by this artist´s album "AscensionFind albums with this title", and two albums as a sideman: one with John LindbergFind albums by this artist and another with Mark DresserFind albums by this artist. Douglas is well known as a member of John ZornFind albums by this artist´s MassadaFind albums by this artist group, but he is also a most prolific recording artist on his own, with an impressive list of albums to his credit. These recordings present his output in the 1990s, and they are all excellent examples of his work, which combines Free Jazz, ethnic influences and Improvised Music, all based on a strong tradition of Modern Jazz. Douglas is perfectly comfortable playing melody and completely improvised passages, always preserving his perfect timing and absolutely beautiful tone. The list of the players present on these recordings reads like the Who´s Who of the American Avant-Garde scene and includes violinist Mark FeldmanFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Larry OchsFind albums by this artist, bassists Mark Dresser and John Lindberg, drummers Michael SarinFind albums by this artist and Ed ThigpenFind albums by this artist and many others. The music spans a wide range of different musical environments and approaches, all executed with flare and obvious talent. Most of this music should be accessible even to listeners with limited Avant-Garde experience of affiliation, but those who have already the appropriate background with enjoy this music to the max. Brilliant stuff! Remastered, mini-sleeved, and with a great bargain price – this Box Set an absolute must for any serious Jazz collector. Side Note The Italian independent record label Black SaintFind albums on this label was founded by the music critic / author / producer Giacomo PellicciottiFind albums by this artist in 1975. It was taken over by the producer Giovanni BonandriniFind albums by this artist in 1978 and a year later (1979) a sister label, called Soul NoteFind albums on this label, was established. The twin labels were run by Giovanni and later his son Flavio BonandriniFind albums by this artist, until they were sold in 2008 to the Italian KEPACH Music Group, which already owned the CAM JazzFind albums on this label label, and which also bought another Italian independent record label Dischi Della QuerciaFind albums on this label. The mission of the Black Saint / Soul Note labels was to record and document the Free Jazz / Improvised Music / Avant-Garde scene, mostly from the US but also from Europe, which continued between mid 1970s and late 1990s and produced a staggering collection of almost 550 albums recorded by world's most important Jazz innovators active at the time, providing an opportunity to American (mostly Afro-American) musicians, who would have never managed to make these recordings at home, ridden by racism, alienation and closed-mindedness. Without these two labels most of this fantastic human creativity would have been never documented. However, the Black Saint / Soul Note Box Sets produced under the CAM JazzFind albums on this label moniker are an archetypal example of how good intentions turn sour. Although these new editions often bring back to life some of the best music ever made on this planet, which in many cases has been lost in the tides of time and was unavailable on the market for ages, they suffer from an unforgivable disregard to the essence of cultural values and general sloppiness, contrary to human decency, which requires us to treat our cultural legacy with respect and loyalty. These Box Sets have no booklet which presents researched historical background and exact discographical information of the albums included, and most importantly an overview of the music and its meaning and contribution to the Jazz Art form. Although the original LP sleeves are reproduced, the information is in most cases too small to be readable at all. In short the fact that these Box Sets are meant to be inexpensive, does not mean that they have to be cheap!

Updated: 12/04/2020Posted:

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ANETA MAJEROVA ~ MIECZYSLAW WEINBERG: CHILDREN`S NOTEBOOKS ANIMAL MUSIC 096 (Barcode: 8594155997299) ~ SLOVAKIA ~ Classical Recorded: 2021 Released: 2021 This is a solo piano album by Slovak pianist Aneta MajerovaFind albums by this artist, who performs three cycles of short piano pieces, called “Children’s Notebooks”, by Polish / Jewish composer Mieczyslaw WeinbergFind albums by this artist (well he was never really Mieczyslaw, but Moses or Mojsze). Weinberg, who was born in Poland in 1919, graduated from the Warsaw Conservatory in 1939 and escaped the Nazi invasion fleeing to Russia soon after, while his entire family perished in concentration camps. When WWII was over, Weinberg decided to stay in Russia, and continued his illustrious career as a composer there. He was a close friend of Dmitri ShostakovichFind albums by this artist and the two were in daily contact. Weinberg died in 1996 and left a sublime legacy of modern Classical Music, which is still waiting to be discovered by the world. His life story could be a subject of an epic movie, and his music in a bottomless treasure chest of marvels. The three cycles included on this album are his relatively early works (opus 16, 19 and 23 from 1944-45), but are astonishingly mature and diverse, expressing his early influences, including some of Frederic ChopinFind albums by this artist’s lyricism and Polish Folklore nuances, but already showing his modernist compositional approach. Majerova recorded already Weinberg’s Piano Quintet on her earlier release for Animal MusicFind albums on this label, but recordings of his music are criminally few and far between. Overall, this is a wonderful opportunity to get acquainted with the music of one of the greatest 20th Century Classical Music composers, hopefully opening a window for future explorations of his music. The music is brilliantly performed and recorded and every true music lover should be absolutely delighted by listening to it. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 21/12/2024Posted: 17/10/2022

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TAMARA OBROVAC ~ CANTO AMOROSO ALESSA 1045 (Barcode: 9004501010453) ~ CROATIA ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the tenth album by the superb Croatian vocalist / songwriter Tamara ObrovacFind albums by this artist. Recorded with her Transhistria EnsembleFind albums by this artist, which includes Slovenian guitarist Uros RakovecFind albums by this artist, Italian accordionist Fausto BeccalossiFind albums by this artist, Slovenian bassist Ziga GolobFind albums by this artist and Croatian drummer Krunoslav LevacicFind albums by this artist, the album presents ten songs composed by Obrovac, who also wrote the lyrics to seven of the songs. She sings in Croatian, except for one of the songs which features lyrics in Armenian. The album was brilliantly recorded at the Artesuono Studio in Udine (Italy) and engineered by Stefano AmerioFind albums by this artist. The music is a completely unique amalgam of Ethnic and Jazz influences, mostly from the Mediterranean region, stretching from Spain in the West to Turkey in the East. These heartbreaking love songs are all very intimate, with a superbly arranged accompaniment, which gently emphasizes the dramatic music and emotional vocals. The purely acoustic, delicate and fragile sound, is absolutely ideal, and in spite of its seemingly limited power manages to express and convey the messages with remarkable strength and clarity. Obrovac is in full command of her vocal abilities, using her voice wisely and expressively, with many theatrical tricks of the trade. She is confident and highly professional, able to use the lyrics and vocalese parts effectively and convincingly. On some of the songs she sounds like a Flamenco singer, on others like a Gypsy, yet on others like a French or Italian chansonniere; always at her best, always sensuous and most importantly always superbly musical. This album takes some serious listening in order to penetrate its multilayered complexity, its instrumental virtuosity and its magic atmosphere. For people living in the Mediterranean Cultures this music simply flows within their bloodstream, but others might have to make an effort and open up to grasp it in full. In any case this is an absolutely delightful Jazz-World Fusion recording, which should be able to make many listeners around the world extremely happy. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 23/05/2017Posted: 23/05/2017

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TAMARA OBROVAC ~ ULIKA REVIVAL UNIT 4529 (Barcode: 7640114795299) ~ CROATIA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2014 This is the ninth album by the Croatian vocalist / songwriter Tamara ObrovacFind albums by this artist. Recorded with her quartet, which includes Croatian pianist Matija DedicFind albums by this artist, Slovenian bassist Ziga GolobFind albums by this artist and Croatian drummer Krunoslav LevacicFind albums by this artist, the album presents twelve songs composed by Obrovac, who also wrote the lyrics to most of the songs. Two of the songs are wordless vocalese. As the title suggests, the album presents re-visited versions of songs Obrovac recorded on her second album "UlikaFind albums with this title" from 1998. The album was beautifully recorded at the Artesuono Studio in Udine (Italy) and engineered by Stefano AmerioFind albums by this artist. This album is obviously more Jazz oriented than many of the other albums by Obrovac, which are much more Jazz-World Fusion oriented. Nevertheless her Istrian roots, both musically and as reflected by the local Istrian dialects she uses, are very strongly present here as well. The piano trio accompaniment tips the balance towards Jazz, and yet there is a plentitude of ethnic elements present. The resulting album is a great adventure featuring an orgy of rhythms and emotions elegantly wrapped up and arranged to fit into a Jazz oriented idiom, with brilliant performances by the vocalist and the instrumentalists all the way through. Obrovac fells completely at ease singing lyrics and wordless vocalese and in both cases her sensuous voice is able to express a wide range of emotions. The instrumental work by all three players is first class, with the piano obviously supplying most of the melodic and harmonic support, but which also features superb contributions by the rhythm section. In today´s world, which produces mostly repetitive derivative music, such originality, as the one displayed here, is even more outstanding. The album is fascinating from start to finish and the often minimalistic accompaniments are masterpieces of subdued excellence. Overall this is an excellent and very original vocal Jazz album, which should make connoisseurs of vocal Jazz very happy, especially in view of the fact that bold statements in that area are extremely rare, even on the European scene. People searching for challenging and highly aesthetic music are invited to take a plunge into the world of Tamara Obrovac, which should be not only very enjoyable but also very educational. Well done!

Updated: 23/05/2017Posted: 23/05/2017

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