Record Reviews
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  | S.P.P.T. CHALTURNIK / POLISH RADIO JAZZ STUDIO ORCHESTRA ~ S.P.P.T. CHALTURNIK / POLISH RADIO JAZZ STUDIO ORCHESTRA
POLJAZZ / ANEX 312 (Barcode: 5907513047674) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1973 - 1975 Released: 2009
The material presented on this album originates from two separate LPs released by the PoljazzFind albums on this label label, each contributing one side of the original LP. The logic behind it is that the original Poljazz releases often included two sides of completely unrelated material, artificially combined for a variety of reasons, mostly economic. These two sides of two separate LPs are connected by the central personality behind the music, the Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer / arranger / bandleader Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist.
Wroblewski was the founder and leader of the band S.P.P.T. ChalturnikFind albums by this artist, which was formed in order to present Jazz with a humorous and tongue in cheek attitude, featuring well known standards as well as original material by the leader. The band included the absolute crème de la crème of the Polish Jazz scene: saxophonists Janusz MuniakFind albums by this artist, Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and Tomasz SzukalskiFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Wojciech KarolakFind albums by this artist, bassist Bronislaw SuchanekFind albums by this artist and drummer Czeslaw BartkowskiFind albums by this artist. The wonderful arrangements and whimsy performances are all brilliant, especially in view of the fact that they show that Jazz doesn´t have to be treated always so seriously.
Wroblewski was also the director of the Polish Radio Jazz Studio OrchestraFind albums by this artist during the years 1968-1978, which was one of the most important incubators and places of refuge for the young Polish Jazz musicians under the Socialist regime, providing them with a steady income. The orchestra performs a very ambitious piece of music composed by the young pianist Jan JarczykFind albums by this artist called "A Double Concerto For Five Soloists And Orchestra", which features as soloists top Polish Jazz players of the time: violinist Zbigniew SeifertFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Tomasz Szukalski and Janusz Muniak and trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist. Legendary American drummer Stu MartinFind albums by this artist also participates in the recording. The music is a very interesting example of early Orchestral Jazz works, which combine contemporary Classical techniques with Free Jazz improvisation.
Side Note: The PoljazzFind albums on this label label, which originally released this album, was active for 20 years (between 1972 and 1991) and was owned by the Polish Jazz Society. Considering the fact that the music industry in the Socialist State was centralized and totally controlled, with just one State owned music company producing all the albums, the possibilities to record and release Jazz albums were extremely limited. Poljazz was conceived and founded in order to allow for many more Jazz (and other) albums to be released independently from the State owned Polskie NagraniaFind albums on this label / MuzaFind albums on this label and as such revolutionized the music industry at the time, being the only such enterprise in Eastern Europe. The Polish label AnexFind albums on this label reissued many of the original Poljazz albums on CD, bringing this fabulous music back to life.
| | | CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | STUDIO 5 ENSEMBLE ~ MODERN JAZZ
INDIES HAPPY TRAILS 728 (Barcode: 8595026672826) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1958 - 1963 Released: 2016
This is the first of a series of eight reissue / archival albums presenting the recorded legacy of one of the Godfathers of Czechoslovak modern Jazz, vibraphonist / saxophonist / composer / bandleader Karel VelebnyFind albums by this artist and his SHQFind albums by this artist ensemble. All the music is beautifully remastered and the album comes with extensive liner notes, extremely well researched and full of discographical information, sadly only in Czech language (which works fine for me, but probably less so for other enthusiasts who also might be interested).
This album presents early recordings involving Velebny, before SHQ was formed in 1961, performed mostly by the Studio 5Find albums by this artist ensemble, formed in 1958, which included alongside Velebny many of the Czechoslovak Jazz pioneers, such as baritone saxophonist / flautist Jan KonopasekFind albums by this artist, trombonist Artur HolitzerFind albums by this artist, guitarist Vladimir TomekFind albums by this artist, bassist Ludek HulanFind albums by this artist and drummer Ivan DominakFind albums by this artist.
The first twelve tracks on the album, recorded by Studio 5 (in various lineups from quintet to octet) between 1958 and 1961, are an expanded version of the original 10" LP by Studio 5 released in 1961 and called "Modern JazzFind albums with this title". The album also includes five bonus tracks, recorded between 1961 and 1963, which originate from the same session as other tracks recorded by Studio 5 but do not involve Velebny, or from a later session which involves Velebny and Konopasek, the founders of SHQ.
The music, although clearly influenced by American Jazz from that era, is by far not an attempt to copy American Jazz but to use it as an influence and inspiration. As early as by the end of the 1950s Czech Jazz already had its own sound and character. Thirteen of the seventeen compositions on this album are originals and only four are American standards, which again exemplifies the extremely high Jazz awareness and deep knowledge of the idiom, which of course was characteristic not only of Czechoslovak Jazz, but also of Jazz being created behind the Iron Curtain in countries like Poland, and DDR (East Germany), and to lesser extent Hungary, Rumania, Bulgaria and others.
The brilliant performances testify to the high level of professionalism, despite the young age (late 20s early 30s) of the musicians involved and their familiarity with the contemporary Jazz conventions, as well as highly developed improvisation skills and compositional quality.
For fans of European Jazz and its history, the entire series is an absolute must, and the fact that most of this music is available on CD for the first time makes it an absolute treasure. Absolutely brilliant!
My personal thanks to Jaromir KratochvilFind albums by this artist, the owner of Indies Happy TrailsFind albums on this label, for his friendship and the incredible job he is doing to keep this music alive!
Side Note
Since the 1950s Czechoslovakia had a highly developed Jazz scene, certainly in proportion to its population, which included many successful ensembles and even Big Bands, as well as Jazz clubs, festivals and publications, all this in spite of state censorship and political limitations. The similar situation existed since the 1960s as far as Rock (including Progressive Rock and Jazz-Rock Fusion) was concerned, resulting in many excellent, interesting and innovative ensembles.
The music was relatively well documented by the three state owned record labels: SupraphonFind albums on this label (founded in 1927), PantonFind albums on this label (founded in 1968) and OpusFind albums on this label (founded in 1971 and based in Bratislava, created on the base of Slovak division of Supraphon). Following the "Velvet Revolution" in 1989, the state owned record labels were privatized, with Supraphon dominating the local market.
However, Supraphon was quite reluctant as far as exploring its vast back catalogue is concerned, and this is where the small independent Indies Happy TrailsFind albums on this label Records, a reissue label dedicated to the preservation of the recorded legacy of Czechoslovak music, owned and run by the devoted enthusiast / historian Jaromir KratochvilFind albums by this artist, founded in 2007, comes in. Over the years the label released a plethora of brilliant music, reissuing long deleted LPs and extensively exploring the archives in search of bonus material.
The quest of Indies Happy Trails is similar to what the GADFind albums on this label Records label, run by Michal WilczynskiFind albums by this artist, is doing for Polish music, with similar consistency and praiseworthy dedication.
| | Updated: 02/03/2020Posted: 24/02/2020 | CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | SEBASTIAN STUDNITZKY ~ MEMENTO
CONTEMPLATE 15001 (Barcode: 4050486924266) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion
Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015
This is an album by German pianist / trumpeter / composer Sebastian StudnitzkyFind albums by this artist recorded in a trio format with bassist Paul KleberFind albums by this artist and drummer Tommy BalduFind albums by this artist. Percussionist Rhani KrijaFind albums by this artist guests on one track. The trio is accompanied by the Pforzheim Chamber OrchestraFind albums by this artist. Together they perform nine original compositions, all by Studnitzky, who also wrote the orchestral arrangements.
The album is a beautiful example of Jazz-Classical Fusion symbiosis which presents an interesting crossover of genres. The melancholic and wonderfully melodic themes are ideal vehicles for gentle improvisations, which Studnitzky performs equally skillfully on the piano and the trumpet. The whole album has a coherent atmosphere and could be seen as a long suite subdivided into nine parts. I had the opportunity to hear this music live with a string quartet (in place of the orchestra), and it worked equally well.
This music is not about flashy Jazz exhibitionism, but rather about the more contemplative, almost Nordic character of the idiom, which of course has many fans. It is accessible to a wide circle of music connoisseurs and proudly represents European aesthetics, which is more relaxed and introvert. Although definitely less complex than hardcore Jazz recording, it is nevertheless full of emotion and intrinsic beauty, without crossing over to kitsch, which many similar attempts often suffer from.
Overall this album is definitely worth investigating for all fans of Jazz-Classical Fusion and melodic Jazz, looking for an hour of serenity among the havoc that usually surrounds us.
| | Updated: 01/11/2016Posted: 01/11/2016 | CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend |
  | TRADITIONAL JAZZ STUDIO ~ ENTOMOLOGUV SEN
INDIES HAPPY TRAILS 773 (Barcode: 8595026677326) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1972 Released: 2018
This is a reissue of the third album by the Czech Jazz ensemble Traditional Jazz StudioFind albums by this artist, a nonet dedicated, as the name suggest, to Traditional Jazz, i.e. music that developed on the early days of the Jazz history (late 19th and early 20th Centuries) and included such genres as Ragtime, Blues, New Orleans, and early Swing. Traditional Jazz (also called Trad Jazz) enjoyed several revivals over time, such as the Dixieland revival in the US in the late 1930s or the New Orleans revival in Britain, which lasted between the mid-1950s to the mid 1960s. A "classic" Trad band, like the one on this album, included trumpet, cornet, trombone, two clarinets, piano, banjo, tuba (instead of bass) and drums. The album presents twelve original compositions, six by Antonin BilyFind albums by this artist (on side A of the LP), the band´s pianist and six by Pavel SmetacekFind albums by this artist (on side B of the LP), the band´s clarinetist.
All the music is beautifully remastered and the album comes with extensive liner notes, extremely well researched and full of discographical information, sadly only in Czech language (which works fine for me, but probably less so for other enthusiasts who also might be interested).
Traditional Jazz was extremely popular behind the Iron Curtain, especially so in Poland and Czechoslovakia, for many reasons, some musical and others political. This subject is way too complex to be explained here, but let´s just say that Trad was "safe", far from Avant-Garde ideas that might bother the State censorship and represent underground / subversive / revolutionary ideology. Therefore it was used by Jazz musicians and the local intelligentsia circles as a cover-up to do exactly what the state was afraid they would do. Also Trad had a spiritual sense of freedom and sensuality, which were of course taboo. Having said all that, one must also state that Trad could serve as a basis for quite complex improvisations and compositional challenge, and it had a genuine following both among the musicians and the enthusiastic listeners.
The music offers a carefully reconstructed sound, style and feel of early Jazz and the original composition sound absolutely authentic to the era. The lineup (see above) and the acoustic sound also add to the authenticity. Overall this album is a great example of East European Traditional Jazz, which still sounds quite charming in historical perspective.
For fans of European Jazz and its history, reissues of this kind are an absolute must, and the fact that this music is available on CD for the first time makes it a wonderful treasure. Brilliant stuff!
My personal thanks to Jaromir KratochvilFind albums by this artist, the owner of Indies Happy TrailsFind albums on this label, for his friendship and the incredible job he is doing to keep this music alive!
Side Note
Since the 1950s Czechoslovakia had a highly developed Jazz scene, certainly in proportion to its population, which included many successful ensembles and even Big Bands, as well as Jazz clubs, festivals and publications, all this in spite of state censorship and political limitations. The similar situation existed since the 1960s as far as Rock (including Progressive Rock and Jazz-Rock Fusion) was concerned, resulting in many excellent, interesting and innovative ensembles.
The music was relatively well documented by the three state owned record labels: SupraphonFind albums on this label (founded in 1927), PantonFind albums on this label (founded in 1968) and OpusFind albums on this label (founded in 1971 and based in Bratislava, created on the base of Slovak division of Supraphon). Following the "Velvet Revolution" in 1989, the state owned record labels were privatized, with Supraphon dominating the local market.
However, Supraphon was quite reluctant as far as exploring its vast back catalogue is concerned, and this is where the small independent Indies Happy TrailsFind albums on this label Records, a reissue label dedicated to the preservation of the recorded legacy of Czechoslovak music, owned and run by the devoted enthusiast / historian Jaromir KratochvilFind albums by this artist, founded in 2007, comes in. Over the years the label released a plethora of brilliant music, reissuing long deleted LPs and extensively exploring the archives in search of bonus material.
The quest of Indies Happy Trails is similar to what the GADFind albums on this label Records label, run by Michal WilczynskiFind albums by this artist, is doing for Polish music, with similar consistency and praiseworthy dedication.
| | Updated: 01/03/2020Posted: 01/03/2020 | CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | YLE EXPERIMENTAL STUDIO ~ ODE TO MARILYN
SVART 130 (Barcode: 6430065584506) ~ FINLAND ~ Avant-Garde Electronic
Recorded: 1973 Released: 2018
This is a reissue of one of the rarest and most important Finnish Jazz / Electronic Music / Avant-Garde albums from the early 1970s. The album was recorded under the auspices of the YLE (Finnish Broadcasting Company) Experimental Studio by a group of Finnish musicians led by trumpeter Jarmo SermilaFind albums by this artist, which also included flautist Mikael HelasvuoFind albums by this artist, bassist Teppo Hauta-AhoFind albums by this artist, drummer Edward VesalaFind albums by this artist and electronic music composer Antero HonkanenFind albums by this artist. Soprano singer Pirkkolisa TikkaFind albums by this artist guests on one track. The album presents eight original compositions, three composed by Honkanen, two each by Sermila and Vesala and one by Hauta-Aho. The album’s title originates from the poem by Marilyn MonroeFind albums by this artist “A Doll’s Cry”, which lyrics sung by Tikka appear on one of the tracks.
The music is a wonderful amalgam of contemporary Avant-Garde, Electronic Music and Jazz improvisation and remains completely original and unique today, almost half a Century later. The fact that such audacious music was recorded in Finland at the time is a testimony to the incredible musical Renaissance of Finnish music in the late 1960s / early 1970s, which produced an immense amount of fresh, inventive and challenging music at the time.
This long overdue reissue (kudos to SvartFind albums on this label Records) is a wonderful opportunity for this music to be discovered by young generations of music lovers, as well as an important document of the era. For lovers of experimental music this album is an absolute classic and should not be missed!
| | Updated: 17/02/2021Posted: 17/02/2021 | CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
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