Record Reviews

KALUZA / MAJEWSKI / MAZUR / SUCHAR ~ TONE HUNTING CLEAN FEED 285 (Barcode: 5609063002850) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2013 This is the debut album by the Improvising Music quartet, which consists of German saxophonist Anna KaluzaFind albums by this artist and three Polish musicians: trumpeter Artur MajewskiFind albums by this artist, acoustic bass guitarist Rafal MazurFind albums by this artist and drummer Kuba SucharFind albums by this artist. Majewski and Suchar are or course known as the excellent duo MikrokolektywFind albums by this artist and Mazur is a member of the TRC TrioFind albums by this artist. The album presents five extended improvisations, credited to all quartet members and was released by the excellent Portuguese Clean FeedFind albums on this label label. The music is a great example of the vitality of the Polish / European Improvising Music scene, which is enjoying a tremendous Renaissance and involves a new generation of players and enthusiasts. These four musicians are among the most innovative and interesting representatives of the genre and have been already recognized internationally as important creative forces. Listening to this album clearly shows why they deserve such recognition. Although improvised, the music presents a diverse stylistic collage of sound vistas, from minimalistic and delicate breathing tones to expressive collective forceful statements. Most of the sounds and tones heard on this album are quite remote from what one would expect from the conventional usage of the instruments involved, and yet they somehow make all perfect sense and create a wonderful amalgam, which is obviously unlike almost anything heard before. In most cases the quartet members produce a series of rapid staccato sounds, which then are all intermixed into one sonic whole. In contrast to most "conventional" music, which once stated becomes unwavering in consequent listening encounters, this music is constantly alive and chameleonic, changing each time one listens to it. That elusiveness and constant ability to be transformed is of course what makes this music so fascinating. Obviously this is definitely not something for a casual listener and its overall accessibility is limited to connoisseurs of the genre, but as such, it is unquestionably one of its finest exhibits.

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OLBRZYM I KURDUPEL ~ WORK KILOGRAM 028 (Barcode: 5907577284275) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2014 This is the third album by Polish Avant-Garde / Improvised Music duo Olbrzym I KurdupelFind albums by this artist, or saxophonist Tomasz GadeckiFind albums by this artist and bassist Marcin BozekFind albums by this artist. It captures a live performance by the duo at the legendary Alchemia club in Krakow, which is edited into six separate parts, but the entire performance can be seen as a musical continuum. Although not specifically attributed as such, the music is obviously co-created by the duo members. Gadecki is a very active and prolific member of the Polish Avant-Garde scene and takes part in several other small experimental ensembles, like 250 KGFind albums by this artist, TRC TrioFind albums by this artist and SambarFind albums by this artist. The duo has been playing together for about six years now, a period of time which was definitely sufficient for them to develop their own specific stylistic mannerisms and approach to collective improvisation, which by now is pretty recognizable. This is quite an achievement, as Improvised Music may sound pretty undistinguishable in most cases. The staccato bass pulsations and dramatic saxophone cries are most effective tools to capture the listener´s attention and create an emotional upheaval. Improvised music is of course above all a team effort, and as a team they are simply "as one man", no pun intended. I have always admired the intimacy of their almost telepathic sharing of ideas and on this album it is more strongly evident than ever before. Additionally their music is completely non-aggressive, almost "romantic" at times, and as absurd as it might sound, it is pleasurable and comforting; definitely not a typical paradigm in Improvised Music. The Polish Avant-Garde scene is obviously quite en extensive field of activity, still growing against all odds. Dominated mostly by relatively young musicians, it is vital and impressively creative. I find Olbrzym I Kurdupel to be a perfect personification of that wonderful phenomenon, always looking forward to their new work. I can only wish that their music will be discovered by as many open-minded music listeners as possible, as it certainly deserves it.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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TRC TRIO ~ NOW NEW NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2013 This is a live recording by the Polish Free Jazz / Improvised Music TRC TrioFind albums by this artist, which comprises of saxophonist Tomasz GadeckiFind albums by this artist, bassist Rafal MazurFind albums by this artist and drummer Connor MurrayFind albums by this artist. Gadecki is also a member of the excellent Olbrzym I KurdupelFind albums by this artist duo, which released a couple of albums earlier. The music is completely improvised and therefore not specifically credited to any individual musician but considered a common spontaneous creation. Technically the music is sub-divided into four tracks on the album, but those remain nameless and unlisted. This kind of music is a wonderful example of the spur of the moment creation which Improvised Music offers its listeners, for good and for bad. It is all about "now" and if the "now" happens to be able to create musical magic, as it does in this case, all is fine, but of course this in not always the case. There is no formula, which can foretell such result, things just happen. But when talented and completely dedicated musicians, such as these three herein, meet and create music, anything can happen. There are many wonderful moments of highly inspired performances here, with Gadecki performing some amazing saxophone magic repeatedly, with virtuosity and flair. He is certainly worth following as one of the strongest players emerging on the Polish scene. His companions stand up shoulder to shoulder with his demanding leads, proving worthy of the challenge. Of course there is the barrier separating these musicians and their audience, which in order to be able to let in this music into their consciousness has to let go of all pre-conceptions, limitations and traditional musical experience and simply flow with the sonic experience these musicians offer. The effort such music requires is definitely worth making, as this music can be deeply moving and wonderfully entertaining intellectually. The album itself is another document of the incredible Polish Free Jazz / Improvised Music scene, which keeps producing some truly exceptional music in the last decade or so, surely being one of the most prolific and most advanced scenes on which these genres flourish. With new generations of players boldly stepping in and joining the ranks as well as visiting musicians from all over the world participating and collaboration with the locals, the resulting scene is simply marvelously alive and productive. Improvised Music fans will find this most interesting and although this kind of music caters only to a tiny minority, it compensates emotionally and intellectually those dedicated enough to give it their ears.

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