Record Reviews

SZYMON ZAWODNY QUINTET ~ ZERO WASTE SOLITON 1406 (Barcode: 5903684234066) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2024 Released: 2024 This is the debut album as a leader by Polish Jazz saxophonist / flautist / composer Szymon ZawodnyFind albums by this artist, recoded in a quintet setting with saxophonist Szymon KowalikFind albums by this artist, pianist Dominik KisielFind albums by this artist, bassist Konrad ZolnierekFind albums by this artist and drummer Mikolaj StankoFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight tracks, all of which are original compositions by Zawodny. The album was awarded the prestigious Fryderyk Prize as the best Jazz debut in 2024, during a gala, which I had a pleasure to attend. The music offers a dynamic collection of excellent modern Jazz compositions, which show some slight Classical influences, but stay faithful to the East European Jazz aesthetic, filled with melancholy and lyricism. The performances are spotless, as expected, despite the relative young age of the participating musicians. Kisiel, who is the most experienced among the quintet members, excels with his flourishing piano technique and class, and Zolnierek, who also has previous recording experience, supports the music formidably with his steady and imaginative bass pulsations. The double saxophone front line is very successful in creating an eventful leading role, which is amicably supported by the rhythm section, creating together a package, which should keep any true Jazz lover happy. Overall, the album represents the wealth of the contemporary Polish Jazz scene, constantly strengthened by new influx of talent from the students and graduates of the Academic Jazz institutions. The overall level of education and talent seems to be bottomless and as a result, the achievements are in accordance.

Updated: 27/05/2025Posted: 27/05/2025

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FILIP ZOLTOWSKI ~ HUMANITY STM 008 (Barcode: 5903684231812) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2021 Released: 2021 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz trumpeter Filip ZoltowskiFind albums by this artist recorded in a quartet setting with saxophonist Szymon ZawodnyFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Wojciech WojdaFind albums by this artist and drummer Mikolaj StankoFind albums by this artist. Vocalist Natalia Capelik-MuiangaFind albums by this artist guests on one track. The album presents eight original compositions, all by the leader. The music is typical Modern European Jazz, which incorporates various elements of Fusion and Ambient music, but stays mostly on the traditional path of Jazz improvisation on the themes conceived by the leader. The bass-less instrumentation and dominating keyboard sound offer a contemporary, youthful feel to the music, but the synthesized bass sound can be really daunting, especially being way too high in the mix. The music is often more interesting rhythmically, with odd meters and changing tempi, than melodically. The sound quality of the recording is somewhat murky and dark, which to some extent damages the entire ambience and the balance between the instruments. The compositions are often soaked in typical Polish melancholy and at times linger slightly too slowly, trying the listener’s patience. But all four young musicians are obviously well schooled and technically proficient enough to offer a pleasant musical experience. The leader’s trumpet sound is somewhat hesitant, but the saxophonist plays excellently all the way. The keyboards are, as already stated, too dominant and busy. The drummer, being alone in charge of the rhythmic flow of the music, does a remarkable job. Overall, this is an interesting effort, which was perhaps recorded slightly too early and might have benefited from a little more playing experience and conceptual maturity, but as it stands it definitely shows a lot of potential. Definitely worth investigation!

Updated: 07/01/2022Posted: 07/01/2022

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