Record Reviews

MICHAL AFTYKA ~ FRUKSTRAKT MULTIKULTI MPJ 027 (Barcode: 5903068683381) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2023 Released: 2023 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz bassist / composer Michal AftykaFind albums by this artist recorded in a quintet setting with trumpeter Marcin ElszkowskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Marcin KonieczkowiczFind albums by this artist, vibraphonist Tymon KosmaFind albums by this artist and drummer Stefan RaczkowskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eleven tracks, all original compositions by Aftyka. This album is a wonderful verification of my theory that Jazz bassists, despite their seemingly “behind the scenes” role, often are the best composers out there, which has been proven time after time. The brilliant, concise, coherent and non-trivial compositions on this album are a pure delight from start to finish, presenting a wide spectrum of what might be considered as “Chamber Jazz” of the highest class and the album sounds like a progression of musical gems, separate but parts of a greater whole. The instrumentation, with vibraphone / xylophone replacing the traditional role of the piano, is absolutely perfect for this music, adding a unique ambience and taking the harmonic balance into a separate dimension from most common Jazz recordings. The individual performances by the quintet members are all spotless and highly imaginative, although the music is first and foremost an ensemble effort. Unusual meters and “exotic”, but rather vague World Music elements also play an important role in the final result. This music requires a very intensive / attentive listening procedure in order to expose the many layers hidden from a casual exposure, and with each approach displays new hidden treasures. Aftyka’s bass playing is the ultimate frame, which supports all the music, and he masterly leads the structural progression of each tune. The warm, encompassing bass sound holds the complicated melodic / harmonic structures in perfect accord. Overall, this a true Masterpiece of contemporary Polish Jazz and certainly the best debut recording on this year’s long list. It offers a perfect amalgam of highly intelligent compositions and Masterly performances, which refuses to conform and bravely steps into uncharted territory. It makes me extremely happy to see that the young Polish Jazz scene is able to produce such refined, Artistic, aesthetic and mature music as this. A was beginning to wonder…

Updated: 11/12/2023Posted: 11/12/2023

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PAULINA PRZYBYSZ ~ INSIDES CALM COURAGE 5907426982802 (Barcode: 5907426982802) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Pop Fusion Recorded: 2023 Released: 2025 This is an album by Polish vocalist Paulina PrzybyszFind albums by this artist, recorded with keyboardist Marek PedziwiatrFind albums by this artist and saxophonist Olaf WegierFind albums by this artist, both members of the celebrated EABSFind albums by this artist / BlotoFind albums by this artist ensembles, vibraphonist Tymon KosmaFind albums by this artist, bassist Krzysztof BaranowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Wiktoria JakubowskaFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten tracks, all of which are (more or less) Jazz standards. Przybysz added her own lyrics to one of the tunes and supplied “additional lyrics” to two others. The album offers an excellent sound quality. The music is excellently arranged (arrangements are uncredited) and beautifully performed by the instrumentalists, who play with superb elegance and thoughtful aptitude and understanding of the music, which stylistically fluctuates between Folk, Blues, Soul, Swing, Rap and Jazz. I can only suspect that the arrangements were done by Pedziwiatr, as the EABS / Bloto spirit is strongly present. Therefore, without much ado, the music is as good as one could ask for. The vocals, however, are a different story. All the lyrics on this album are sung in English, and Przybysz has a truly strange accent and pronunciation, which simply is difficult to swallow. A matter of taste of course. But more importantly, Przybysz is not a Jazz singer – she simply does not have the Jazz sensibility, understanding of the rhythmic complexities, etc. Therefore, singing a Jazz oriented repertoire, and more so, trying to sound like a Jazz singer, is simply wrong for her. She might have vocal qualities, but those probably work better in different environment, more Pop oriented. But that is only my very personal opinion and many listeners might probably enjoy this album without any reservations. Overall, this is an interesting attempt to present some classic Jazz oriented vocal material, which sadly does not work for me, but what do I know? Congrats to the instrumentalists and the person in charge of the arrangements, who did a truly splendid work here.

Updated: 24/05/2025Posted: 24/05/2025

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