Record Reviews

ADAM BALDYCH QUINTET ~ PORTRAITS IMAGINARY MUSIC 003 (Barcode: 5905817210039) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2023 Released: 2024 This is the 2nd album by Polish Jazz violinist / composer / bandleader Adam BaldychFind albums by this artist, released on his Imaginary MusicFind albums on this label label. The album was recorded in a quintet setting with pianist Sebastian ZawadzkiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Marek KonarskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and drummer Dawid FortunaFind albums by this artist. Vocalists Kari SalFind albums by this artist and Piotr OdoszewskiFind albums by this artist guest on one track, which uses the lyrics written by poet Krzysztof Kamil BaczynskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents sixteen tracks, all but one composed by Baldych and one composed by Zawadzki. The album’s extended booklet features a liner note by Jacek SolkiewiczFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. MirrormanFind albums by this artist). In his liner note Baldych states his reflections about the meaning of music in human life, especially in face of brutal reality. He refers to the fate of the Polish Jewish violinist / composer / author Szymon LaksFind albums by this artist, who is known for his role as the head of the inmate’s orchestra in the Auschwitz concentration camp, which Laks described in his memoirs. The absurdity and inhuman cruelty of the orchestra performing twice a day in the midst of the Auschwitz inferno is definitely something to ponder about, especially as the Holocaust Remembrance Day is just four days away. The music is full of deep melancholy and reflection, gently intertwining Jazz and Classical (mostly Medieval) as well as World Music influences, with profoundly lyrical and even at times gloomy themes. Baldych’s renaissance violin fits perfectly to the tonal structures and his virtuosity of expression is able to project the entire aesthetic atmosphere clearly and vividly. I have followed the work of Baldych since his early steps on the music scene and I am happy so he that he matured extremely well, as his recent work, and this album in particular, takes him to the pedestal of exemplary musical personalities, well beyond just the Jazz scene. All the music on this album sounds like one coherent continuity, and the division into tracks is simply a technical matter, as I can’t imagine listening to any part of this music separately. Baldych’s team comprises of some of the best Polish Jazz musicians, so the ensemble performances are, not surprisingly, sublime. There is limited soloing herein, not because of lack of ability, but obviously since this music is an ensemble effort, not a showcase of individual abilities, other than those by the leader of course. But when solos do appear, they are truly brilliant, albeit being relatively short. Overall, this is a true Masterpiece of an album in every possible sense: the compositions, the performances, the team effort of the ensemble, the interplay, the dynamics, in short everything just fits perfectly in place. It is Baldych’s most mature work so far, which will be extremely hard to follow, but he has proven time and again that he can be full of surprises. Congratulations are in order!

Updated: 23/01/2025Posted: 23/01/2025

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ASIA CZAJKOWSKA ~ PIANISSIMA NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 - 2023 Released: 2024 This is the 2nd album by Polish vocalist / songwriter Asia CzajkowskaFind albums by this artist. Ten years in the making, the album presents a very unique project of recording songs with nine different pianists, all hailing from the beautiful Polish medieval town of Torun, the city of Nicolaus Copernicus, but also of music. Finally, the result is in, nine songs by nine pianists / composers: Sebastian ZawadzkiFind albums by this artist, Bartosz StaszkiewiczFind albums by this artist, Mateusz SobiechowskiFind albums by this artist, Bogdan HolowniaFind albums by this artist, Michal MaciudzinskiFind albums by this artist, Tomasz LewandowskiFind albums by this artist, Andrzej FrolowFind albums by this artist, Igor NowickiFind albums by this artist and Jacek CichockiFind albums by this artist. Czajkowska wrote the lyrics to five of the songs and co-composed one of them. On all the songs Czajkowska is accompanied by the respective composer playing acoustic piano. Although not Jazz per se, the overall musical setting of the album combines many genres with strong Jazzy undertones and the vocals use techniques familiar within the Jazz idiom. But it is entirely up to the listener to decide what king of aesthetics this music sets out for him. What is most important of course is the fact that the quality of the music and the performances are all absolutely brilliant from start to finish and the dedication, energy and determination involved in creating this album are all impeccable. One has to admit that the days when a singer appears on stage supported just by a skilled pianist are long time over, and today singing without a wall of synthesizers and a loud band behind is almost unthinkable. Therefore, Czajkowska shows a lot of courage doing it here without any hesitation, proving she has all the skills necessary to pull it off, as well as the talent to do it with class. Of course the fact that all nine songs are wonderfully composed and the lyrics are intelligent, helps to make the entire project such a success. Overall, this is a truly delightful album, full of great songs, performed with heartfelt dedication, good taste and obvious talent. Czajkowska manages to confront the difficulty of singing accompanied just by a piano, doing it elegantly and confidently. The dedication needed to complete such a long-term project is admirable and the result is a wonderful example of calmness, good taste and grace in a world of havoc we live in. You did well my Lady, hats off!

Updated: 23/03/2024Posted: 23/03/2024

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JAZZPOCALYPSE ~ SISYPHONIC SAINT LOUIS JAZZ COLLECTION 017.1 (Barcode: 8032880740327) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is the second album by the quartet JazzpocalypseFind albums by this artist, which comprises of Polish saxophonist Jakub SkowronskiFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Sebastian ZawadzkiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Wojciech SwiecaFind albums by this artist and German drummer Janosch PangritzFind albums by this artist, expanded to a quintet with the addition of Italian bassist Caterina PalazziFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original compositions, two by Skowronski, three by Zawadzki, two by Swieca and three by Pangritz. The music is typical contemporary European mainstream Jazz, with solid compositions and excellent improvisations by the ensemble members. The tunes are melody based and present diverse approaches used by the four young composers, each creating a slightly different sonic world, but with all the compositions adding up to a coherent musical kaleidoscope. Some of the tunes are pretty straightforward, some are close to Jazz-Rock Fusion, mostly due to the strong presence of the electric guitar and yet others are relatively open and feature less restrained improvisations. The performances are all top notch, with the soloing evenly distributed between the front line players and a steady solid background provided by the rhythm section. All Jazz and Fusion connoisseurs should be able to find a lot to their liking here, and overall the album is a great fun to listen to, but also full of European Jazz aesthetics, superb compositions and depth rarely found across the pond. The album definitely fulfills the expectations that the group´s semi-official debut released some years ago managed to create. Hopefully we won´t have to wait so long for their next release!

Updated: 26/03/2018Posted: 26/03/2018

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TONE RAW ~ TONE RAW SOS 12012 (Barcode: 5901694110127) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2012 This is a phenomenal debut album by a young (very young) Polish Jazz quartet Tone RawFind albums by this artist, which consists of saxophonist Marek KonarskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Sebastian ZawadzkiFind albums by this artist, bassist Thomas KolarczykFind albums by this artist and drummer Kuba GudzFind albums by this artist. All four are music students, two of them in Berlin and two others in Odense, Denmark (where many Polish young musicians set out to study Jazz at the local Academy of Music). The album consists of nine tracks, five of which were composed by the pianist, one each by the saxophonist and the drummer, one by a fellow Danish student and one by the godfather of Polish Jazz Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, which is performed solo by the pianist. The album was recorded at the Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, with the usual spectacular sonic result. It is truly impossible to guess the age of these musicians just from listening to the album, as they project incredible maturity both as performers and composers. The music, which although is based on solid melodic themes, is full of space and freedom, allowing the players and the listener to float willingly somewhere in the vicinity without being constrained in any way. The melodies have a subtle, but recognizable ethnic influence, which encompasses such diverse (culturally) areas as Eastern Europe, Middle East or Scandinavia. But in spite the different influences, the music presents quite a recognizable stylistic unity, which is extremely rare among young ensembles. Zawadzki, who is the most prominent composer on this album, and who also plays the solo piano piece, is perhaps at the focal point herein, but it seems that the teamwork and mutual respect shift the focal point towards the cooperative effort rather than individual statements. The overall effect of the album is typical European Jazz aesthetics, which not only refuses to be forgotten, but keeps pushing the envelope of the genre further and further away from its 20th Century sources, traditions and limitations. These youngsters understand subconsciously that Jazz, Classical Music and Folklore are simply different manifestations of the same Cultural asset, a resource, which one can explore at will, guided only by one´s intrinsic sense of beauty, intelligence and above all talent. And there is certainly a lot of talent on this album. These players and their music deserve the attention of Polish Jazz enthusiasts, as they certainly have a lot of potential, which they have just started to explore. If this is their starting point, one might only wonder what they are capable of creating in the not too distant future. Definitely a striking debut effort!

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PAWEL WSZOLEK ~ CHOICE FRESH SOUND 478 (Barcode: 8427328424783) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz bassist Pawel WszolekFind albums by this artist recorded with his quartet with also includes guitarist Lukasz KokoszkoFind albums by this artist, pianist Sebastian ZawadzkiFind albums by this artist and drummer Szymon MadejFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, all by Wszolek and was released on the Spanish Fresh SoundFind albums on this label label as part of the prestigious New Talent series. The music is all within the melodic modern mainstream boundaries, solid and well crafted, but not particularly ambitious. It is, however, excellently executed, especially due to the superb piano parts by Zawadzki and sensitive drumming my Madej, who have both already appeared with great success on other Polish Jazz recordings in the last few years. Wszolek also plays well, handling the bass solos with self confidence and playing alongside his cohorts amicably. Of course, although he is the quartet´s leader, playing a bass solo on every track of the album is a bit excessive. The guitar, however, I find a bit overbearing, as it is loud in the mix and its sound is slightly harsh (too much echo?), not fitting ideally to the acoustic piano trio setting of the rest of the band. Stylistically the round guitar sounds are definitely way too related to Pat MethenyFind albums by this artist for my taste. Nevertheless this is still a very strong debut effort, which should satisfy most mainstream Jazz fans and serve as a sold proof of the talents of these young musicians, who are after all at the very early stages of their career. I look forward to hear more of Wszolek´s music in the future, after he matures a bit and gains the experience so much needed when playing Jazz.

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PAWEL WSZOLEK ~ FAITH FOR TUNE 0106 (Barcode: 5906395808083) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is a second album by young Polish Jazz bassist / composer Pawel WszolekFind albums by this artist, which follows his debut album, released just a year earlier. This time the music is recorded by a quintet, which includes all the players present alongside the leader on the debut effort, i.e. guitarist Lukasz KokoszkoFind albums by this artist, pianist Sebastian ZawadzkiFind albums by this artist and drummer Szymon MadejFind albums by this artist, and adds saxophonist Mateusz SliwaFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Wszolek. Musically the album marks a significant step forward towards compositional maturity, and continues the excellent level of execution present on the debut. The tunes are significantly less straightforward than those on the predecessor, with more complex harmonic structure and melodic diversity, which results in an overall aesthetic aura, which projects seriousness and depth. Wszolek is lucky to have these talented players as members of his quintet, as their individual contributions lift the music to a connoisseur level, which of course serves the compositions very well. The album is full of great solo statements by the participants, but manages to maintain a calm, relaxed atmosphere of melancholy, typical of Polish Jazz recordings. Wszolek plays the bass parts with confidence and determination, obviously leading the quintet all the way through. His beautifully melodic and round sound is an excellent anchor that keeps the music in check. Zawadzki´s statements are, again, the most impressive as far as soloing is concerned, and in spite of his young age he is slowly emerging as a significant pianist on the very crowded Polish Jazz scene, still waiting for his definitive album to be released. Overall this is a very solid release, full of great tunes and excellent performances, which proudly represents the state of contemporary Polish Jazz and compares favorably to anything in the similar vein recorded anywhere in the world. All these musicians are part of the next generation of Polish Jazz, slowly taking over the center stage from the aging (albeit hopefully slowly) current residents. Well done!

Updated: 31/12/2016Posted: 31/12/2016

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ZAWADZKI / PRASNIEWSKI / WOSKO ~ TAGE MULTIKULTI MPJ 009 (Barcode: 5907529223383) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2011 Released: 2013 This is the debut album by a young Polish Jazz trio comprising of pianist Sebastian ZawadzkiFind albums by this artist, bassist Mariusz PrasniewskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Radek WoskoFind albums by this artist. The album was recorded in Odense (Denmark) where the trio members studied music at the time of the recording at the local Academy, where many other Polish musicians also study music in the last decade. The album presents eight original compositions, five by Zawadzki, one by Wosko and two collective compositions by all three members of the trio. Although recorded at the early stages of their career, this album shows the musicians searching and exploring the Jazz idiom with a youthful carefree approach, not yet bounded by convention and "proper" norms. The music is melodic and falls within the mainstream classic piano trio setting, but it is also pretty adventurous and at times even unconventional. Technically both the pianist and the rhythm section are proficient and sound professional. Zawadzki shows early signs of his brilliant technique, which will blossom a bit later, as evident on his subsequent albums. Prasniewski plays beautifully, with great feel and intrinsic melodious elegance, always exactly when his support is needed, and so does Wosko, who manages to keep the volume of his drums at a suitable level, not being obstructive with his solo spots being truly inspired. The two collective compositions are much more open and improvised than the strictly composed pieces, and are the highlights of this album, showing the trio´s experimentation and more ambitious approach. Zawadzki´s tunes are a bit too sweet at times, but definitely not crossing over into the sugary muzak. Overall a very impressive debut, which is just a glimpse at these talented young musicians, a sonic document caught for posterity. It is definitely nothing to be ashamed of and can be proudly mentioned in their respective CVs as a jumpstart success.

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SEBASTIAN ZAWADZKI TRIO & STRINGS ~ EUPHONY FOR TUNE 0077 (Barcode: 5902768701814) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is the second album released on For TuneFind albums on this label Records by the Polish Jazz pianist / composer Sebastian ZawadzkiFind albums by this artist, who in spite of his young age has already quite an impressive portfolio of achievements to his credit, which includes several albums and notable soundtracks of Polish movies. Zawadzki, who currently resides in Copenhagen, like numerous other young Polish Jazz musicians, who studied there and decided to settle in Denmark, recorded this album at the Danish Royal Academy of Music with an international team of musicians. It features his piano trio with Swedish bassist Johannes VahtFind albums by this artist and Danish drummer Morten LundFind albums by this artist and a string quartet comprising of musicians from different countries. The album presents twelve original compositions, all by Zawadzki, which encompass solo piano, trio, string quartet and septet (trio & strings) lineups. The music is beautifully melodic, romantic and lyrical, smoothly amalgamating Jazz and Classical elements with taste and elegance. Although this kind of music often borders on muzak or schmaltz, Zawadzki manages to avoid crossing the line and keeps the music ambitious and accessible at the same time. The idea of using different instrumental lineups saves this album from sounding somewhat monotonous, which is always a danger. Of course some listeners might find it too "pretty", but honestly serene, harmonious, well composed and beautifully played music is always a blissful aesthetic experience. It is interesting to compare this album with his previous For Tune release ("LuminescenceFind albums with this title"), which was a solo piano outing recorded over two years earlier. Zawadzki made quite a leap forward with his music, as evident on this new album, and learned to avoid many of the tribulations present on the earlier recording, which is commendable. This album is of course a complete anomaly in the For Tune catalog, a proof of the label´s continuous search for new areas where good music thrives, which is greatly appreciated.

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