Record Reviews

KOPINSKI / KONIKIEWICZ ~ ZONE K SLAM 252 (Barcode: 5028386025221) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 2002 Released: 2002 This is the only album by the trio co-led by British (of Polish origin) saxophonist / composer Jan KopinskiFind albums by this artist and Polish keyboardist / composer Wojciech KonikiewiczFind albums by this artist and also including the British drummer Steve HarrisFind albums by this artist. The album, which was recorded live, comprises of six original compositions, three of which are credited to all trio members, two are composed by Konikiewicz and the remaining one is composed by Kopinski. Kopinski and Harris (who unfortunately died in 2008), were of course members of the legendary British band Pinski Zoo, one of the leading ensembles on the British scene since the 1980s. Konikiewicz cooperated with the band and its members on several occasions and this recording is a document of one of such projects. The music is dominated by Kopinski´s highly expressive saxophone playing, which is mostly free-form oriented. Konikiewicz, on the other hand, plays cautiously and mostly quite melodically, co-existing in a perfect balance with Kopinski´s explorations. Harris keeps the music moving forward, switching between straight forward rhythmic patterns and free-time passages. Overall the trio creates a fascinating amalgam of highly energetic contemporary Jazz, which keeps the listener on his toes for the entire duration. There is also a much gentler, intimate side to the music, like for example the second track of the album, which is a beautiful ballad, full of typical Polish lyricism and melancholy. Konikiewicz switches between acoustic piano, which he uses to play the melodic intro and the wonderful solo, and the keyboards, which he uses to play the chord sequences and rhythmic layers behind the saxophone solo. Another of such pieces is the solo piano track, which is one of the highlights of the album. There is an atmosphere of mutual respect and openness, which can be easily felt thorough the entire duration of the album, which makes an ensemble like this trio to become so convincing and effective. Although parts of the performances on this album are somewhat similar to the free-form funk, which is the weapon of choice of Pinski Zoo, the album is overall quite different and original in its own way. In retrospect this album is definitely worthy to be revisited from time to time, as the fine music and superb playing on this album don´t get any less relevant in time, on the contrary they are still very much a most interesting listening experience today.

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PINSKI ZOO ~ AFTER IMAGE SLAM 266 (Barcode: 5028386026624) ~ UK ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2002 - 2005 Released: 2006 This album presents a collection of live material recorded over a span of four years (2002 to 2005) by the seminal British ensemble Pinski ZooFind albums by this artist, led by saxophonist / composer Jan KopinskiFind albums by this artist. This quintet lineup of the ensemble also includes keyboardist Steve IliffeFind albums by this artist, bassists Karl BinghamFind albums by this artist and Stefan KopinskiFind albums by this artist (Jan´s son) and drummer Steve HarrisFind albums by this artist (who sadly departed in 2008). The double CD presents fifteen original compositions by the band members, with total playing time of almost two hours and twenty minutes. These rough, uncensored and unedited live recordings are a perfect vehicle to present the thrilling live experience of Pinski Zoo on stage. Mixing Funk, Groove, Fusion, Electronics and Free into a completely unique amalgam, the band is certainly on fire at the time this music was recorded, well into the third decade of their activity. With the distinct double bass guitar lineup they are a force of Nature, driving the music hard using a polyrhythmic Funk groove as the basis with the keyboards supplying layers of electronic ambient and the sax floating on top of this complex structure, improvising with a passionate intensity. The two bass guitars are of course the most dominating aspect of this music, in full contrast to what is typically expected to be the role of the bass as part of the rhythm section. Both bassists supply the groove of course, but they constantly improvise and interplay with each other with infernal intensity, producing a mesmerizing effect. Another unusual aspect of this music is the fact that the melodic content, which often is subtly hidden beneath the surface, can be expressed not by the typical instruments to do so (saxophone or keyboards), but in this case also by the bass guitars. Of course Jan Kopinski is one of the most interesting and original British saxophone players and his work here is also absolutely brilliant. Iliffe and Harris are also an essential part of the overall effect the group produces on stage, which has very few competitors as far as the drive and vitality are concerned. It takes a while to "get into" this music, but once there it is completely absorbing and fascinating. I have no idea why it took me ten years to put my hands on this beauty, but better late than never is definitely very much true in this case. Something else, definitely!

Updated: 29/01/2016Posted: 29/01/2016

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