Record Reviews

GORDON BECK ~ JAZZ TRIO ART OF LIFE 1017 (Barcode: 804640101727) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1972 Released: 2005 Pianist / composer Gordon BeckFind albums by this artist is one of the key figures in the history of British Jazz and this album is a great document of his vital input as one of the pioneers of modern European Jazz. Recorded quite spontaneously during an Italian tour of the last version of the European Rhythm MachineFind albums by this artist, of which Beck and the other two musicians present here: British bassist Ron MathewsonFind albums by this artist and Swiss drummer Daniel HumairFind albums by this artist, were members together with US saxophonist Phil WoodsFind albums by this artist, who was living in France at the time. The entire recording session took just a few short hours and captures Beck and his colleagues performing two extended compositions, each of which occupied an entire side of the original LP. The first, written by Beck, is a Jazz suite in three parts with the opening and closing sections being relatively “straightforward” and the middle section open up to free group improvisation. The second was a completely improvised piece of Free Jazz, co-composed by the trio. The music is simply breathtaking, full if incredible interplay and magic moments, with virtuosi performances. This is Beck’s most advanced venture into Free Jazz (although only partially so), previously attempted only on the fabulous “GyroscopeFind albums with this title” album, and therefore of immense historical importance. Although Beck usually stayed inside a more “conventional” Jazz framework throughout his career, his improvisational power is beyond reproach and his ability to operate in the Free Jazz realm is well proven by this album. Unfortunately this recording was know only to a very limited group of listeners, even the most dedicated Beck’s followers, so the CD reissue is most welcome. I’ve had this album for 36 years now and always regarded it as one of my favorite European Jazz releases, now others can also enjoy it. Brilliant stuff! Side Note: The original LP was released on a small Italian Jazz label called DireFind albums on this label Records, owned by Tito FontanaFind albums by this artist. Fontana owned a recording studio in Milan, called Studio 7 (or studio Fontana), which was famous for producing soundtracks for the burgeoning Italian film industry. Tito was a dedicated Jazz buff and had a great taste and vision in Jazz. His produced and released some of the most incredible European Jazz albums in the early 1970s, which (as far as I know) were not reissued on CD so far (except this album), which is a great pity and a true tragedy. Italian Jazz fans should note that the legendary pianist Guido ManusardiFind albums by this artist recorded for the label, as did Claudio FasoliFind albums by this artist and other great Italian Jazz musicians. Polish Jazz fans should note that both Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist also made albums for the label. I remember visiting Tito in Milan in 1974 and spending a few lovely days with him, talking Jazz day and night, drinking Italian wines and coffee and eating some incredible food. He was a gentle, highly intelligent person with a rare and boundless love for the music, which we both shared.

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MAREK BLIZINSKI ~ WAVE POLJAZZ / ANEX 327 (Barcode: 5907513047827) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1979 - 1980 Released: 2009 This is the only album as a leader recorded by Polish Jazz guitarist Marek BlizinskiFind albums by this artist, who was one of the first Jazz guitar players on the local scene. He was a very in-demand session player and participated in many recordings as well as recording with several groups of which he was a formal member, led by such Polish Jazz luminaries like Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist, Wojciech KarolakFind albums by this artist, Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist. He was a brilliant improviser and had a wonderful tone, which ornamented many important Polish Jazz recordings. His solo career, however, never really took off and this was the only album he managed to release as a leader, before his untimely and tragic death at the age of 42. The album consists of two radio sessions, with Blizinski playing on both in a trio format, first with bassist Pawel JarzebskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Janusz StefanskiFind albums by this artist and then with bassist Zbigniew WegehauptFind albums by this artist and drummer Czeslaw BartkowskiFind albums by this artist. Both these rhythm sections are considered to be among the best ones ever active on the local scene. The album includes seven compositions, all of which are standards. Although well played, both by Blizinski and the rhythm sections, this album does not present his true abilities and sensitivities and in retrospect is unfortunately much less impressive than it could have been. Playing these standards, which present no true intellectual challenge for these experienced musicians, was a poor decision. His numerous recordings with other artists are much more impressive. Guitar enthusiasts will obviously find here many beautiful moments of mainstream Jazz, with are every bit as good as those recorded across the pond. Definitely worth remembering! 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.

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MARIUSZ BOGDANOWICZ ~ CONFITEOR SONG CONFITEOR 002 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2000 Released: 2001 This is the debut album as a leader on his own record label by Polish bassist / composer Mariusz BogdanowiczFind albums by this artist, recorded with a formidable team of Polish Jazz musicians, which includes saxophonists Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and Adam WendtFind albums by this artist, US born guitarist Brandon FurmanFind albums by this artist, accordionist Andrzej JagodzinskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist and drummer Piotr BiskupskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions by Bogdanowicz and one arrangement of a folk tune. Considering the level of the musicians involved there are no surprises here; the performances by all the participants are spotless, professional and truly excellent. The young Herdzin, who was a member of the ensemble led by Namyslowski at the time, plays some great piano lines. It is very interesting to hear Namyslowski play music he did not compose; his performances here are truly inspired. Furman plays beautiful guitar lines, full of lyricism and technically brilliant guitar tricks. Jagodzinski, who normally plays piano of course, adds some nice accordion touches. Wendt adds also some fiery saxophone solos and finally Biskupski on drums plays solidly and respectfully alongside Bogdanowicz, who plays several beautiful bass solos, creating together a perfect mainstream Jazz rhythm section. But the focus of this album is of course on the superb tunes composed by the leader. Melodic and gorgeously lyrical, these compositions are all sensual and intelligent, serving as perfect vehicles for the musicians to spread their wings. These tunes are all as good as any Jazz standard and deserve to be listened to repeatedly. Overall this is a perfect mainstream Jazz album, which combines great music with perfect and inspired execution, a model for all excellent Jazz album ever created, becoming an instant classic Polish Jazz album in all respects.

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CUP OF TIME ~ PLAYS NAMYSLOWSKI DUX 1101 (Barcode: 5902547011011) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2013 Released: 2014 This album by Polish ensemble Cup Of TimeFind albums by this artist, which comprises of four classically trained musicians: flautist Ryszard BorowskiFind albums by this artist, violinist Agnieszka CyprykFind albums by this artist, accordionist Rafal GrzakaFind albums by this artist and cellist Krzysztof LenczowskiFind albums by this artist (of the Atom String QuartetFind albums by this artist fame), is a tribute to one of the Godfathers of Polish Jazz, saxophonist / composer Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist. The ensemble, founded in 2008, is associated with the Jazz-Classical Fusion, or what they describe (incorrectly of course) as "third stream", which tries to incorporate classical music approach with Jazz compositions, but is involved with other types of music as well. This album presents thirteen compositions, eight of which are by Namyslowski, including some of his iconic tunes, representing his career over time. Of the five additional compositions, two are folk tunes, one is composed by Polish composer Grazyna BacewiczFind albums by this artist and the remaining are one each by Lenczowski and Borowski. Namyslowski himself plays saxophone on those five tunes, which are not his compositions, transforming the quartet into a quintet. Although personally I´m quite fond of Jazz-Classical projects, this one sadly falls into the category of good ideas that eventually simply fail to deliver. It is difficult to pinpoint exactly why, but the beautiful music of Namyslowski, which is magical in the Jazz environment, loses most of its magic and charm when transformed into seemingly elegant and polished classical setting. This newly created version of the music simply lacks the essential qualities which characterize Jazz, even when combined with other musical genres, the most important of which is of course swing. This music simply does not swing at all, and if it ain´t got that swing… Of course the quartet members are all first rate musicians and the album is well recorded, but even Namyslowski´s saxophone parts, which are wonderfully played as usual, don´t manage to break the spell of estrangement and certain sterility that dominates these proceedings. Even a glass of red wine did not help – this music, as far as I am concerned, if not fun to listen to nor is it intellectually challenging enough to be enjoyable. But of course other listeners might think differently.

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GENERATION NEXT ~ LIVE AT JAZZ NAD ODRA SJ 007 (Barcode: 5902596066062) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2013 This is the debut album by the Polish Jazz sextet, which as the name suggests, presents the Father-to Son continuity on the local scene; four of the sextet´s members are second generation of Polish Jazz personalities. Trumpeter Piotr SchmidtFind albums by this artist is a son of Andrzej SchmidtFind albums by this artist, a renowned educator and author of Jazz history books, trombonist Jacek NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist is a son of the legendary saxophonist / composer Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, Gabriel NiedzielaFind albums by this artist is a son of the celebrated bassist / composer Jacek NiedzielaFind albums by this artist and finally saxophonist Tomasz WendtFind albums by this artist is a son of saxophonist Adam WendtFind albums by this artist. The remaining two members of the sextet are Italian bassist Francesco AngiuliFind albums by this artist and veteran drummer Arek SkolikFind albums by this artist. The sextet performs seven original compositions, two each by Schmidt, Namyslowski and Wendt and one by Niedziela. The material was recorded live at the Jazz Nad Odra Festival and at the Polish Radio´s Warsaw studio. The idea of forming a musical ensemble based on the fact that the members have something in common, other than the music they play, is always a perilous affair. Just imagine a group of left-handed players, or red-haired players or musicians who like strawberry ice cream? This is perhaps not the case at hand, but on the other hand it is difficult to guess what the purpose of this sextet really is. The music they play is straight-forward mainstream, which is completely déjà-vu and contributes no thrill and no challenge. Yes, they are all excellent players individually, but does their presence together on this album create any special interaction, which would have not happened in different circumstances? Not really. So here we have it, an unremarkable Jazz recording, which is listenable enough but simply fades away as soon as the music is over. Considering the fact that there are hordes of fabulous young Jazz musicians on the Polish scene, who make outstanding music, this is sadly an example of what should be avoided.

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HERDZIN / BOGDANOWICZ / BISKUPSKI ~ SERIALE SERIALE CONFITEOR 001 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1997 Released: 1998 This is the third album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, this time co-leading a piano trio with bassist Mariusz BogdanowiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Piotr BiskupskiFind albums by this artist, accompanied by a string sextet. It presents the musical themes of eight Polish TV serials arranged by Herdzin and composed by various Polish composers, among then two with very strong Jazz ties: Andrzej KurylewiczFind albums by this artist and Jerzy MatuszkiewiczFind albums by this artist, who contribute two compositions each. The music is all very solid and is also a wonderful example of the fact that music for TV productions can be intelligent and wonderfully crafted, as this album demonstrates and emphasizes. The overall atmosphere of the piano trio accompanied by strings obviously tends to sound somewhat corny and commercial, but careful listening reveals that the level of performances is highly professional and the result is anything but trivial. Herdzin, who was a member of the ensemble led by Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist at the time of the recording of this album, was already recognized as one of the brightest upcoming Polish Jazz musicians and his talent and ability are obvious. The string arrangements reveal Herdzin´s respect and love of Classical music, which will, in later stages of his career, come to the forefront of his activities. The rhythm section, which already at that time had a long tradition of playing together, is a perfectly oiled and masterfully synchronized team, which in the years to come will prove to be one of the best of its kind on the Polish Jazz scene. Although very accessible, this is still a great mainstream piano trio album, which sounds as good today as it did at the time of its recording and can be enjoyed both by Jazz enthusiast and listeners who do not listen to Jazz on a regular basis. Definitely worth looking for and being discovered now, almost twenty years later.

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KRZYSZTOF HERDZIN ~ ALMOST AFTER JAZZ FORUM 020 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1999 Released: 2000 This is the fourth album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist recorded in a classic piano trio format with bassist Adam CegielskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist. It presents eight original compositions, all by Herdzin. At the time this album was recorded Herdzin was a regular member of the ensemble led by Polish Jazz veteran Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and his reputation as a rising piano prodigy was already pretty much established, but this recording also presents his talent as a composer. This is a classic piano trio album, in the tradition established decades earlier and polished to perfection by generation of legendary pianists and their respective rhythm sections. Therefore it´s extremely difficult to be original or groundbreaking in that specific niche, perhaps even more so than in any other Jazz endeavor. Herdzin doesn´t break any particular new ground here, but his passionate playing, accompanied by obvious virtuosity and brilliant technique, manages to create a most impressive piece of Jazz music and a remarkable debut effort. From the very early recorded projects Herdzin exposes a tendency for perfection, well reflected here. His control of timbre, tempo and tone are all excellent and the result sounds accordingly. Of course even the best pianist is only as good as his rhythm section allows and in this case his partners stand with him shoulder to shoulder, complimenting his efforts with superb companionship and affinity. Overall the trio effort is accomplished here to the fullest, and again, since this is a debut effort, the result is above the level of expectations in such cases. As a composer, Herdzin emerges here most dominantly as a weaver of great melodies, which fall nicely on the listener´s ears, but are in fact quite complicated and very well crafted. Most of his compositions on this album lack the typical Polish Jazz melancholy, which characterizes most of its output, but includes one heartbreaking ballad, which Herdzin uses skillfully to show his arpeggio skills. These pieces are mostly mid-tempo and transmit a happy, cheerful state of mind, which is a nice and refreshing change for once. In retrospect this is still a very nice album, which can be enjoyed both by Jazz novices and refined connoisseurs, each of them on a different level. Herdzin´s numerous talents as composer / arranger and a formidably multi-talented / ferociously busy Artist were yet to come at that stage. The album was released as an add-on to the European Jazz magazine Jazz Forum and was never released commercially. A reissue should definitely be considered, bringing this music to a much wider audience. A splendid piece of work by all means!

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IN-FORMATION ~ IN-FORMATION TRIO POLSKIE RADIO 1248 (Barcode: 5907812242480) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1981 Released: 2013 This is the second installment in a series of releases documenting the recorded legacy of the great Polish Jazz pianist / composer Slawomir KulpowiczFind albums by this artist, most of which is released for the first time. Kulpowicz, who died prematurely in 2008 at the age of 56, was a victim of cancer. He was a member of groups led by the top Polish Jazz players like Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist and led / co-led his own ensembles like The QuartetFind albums by this artist, In-FormationFind albums by this artist and also cooperated with many other musicians over the years. He was an avid follower of John ColtraneFind albums by this artist´s music and kept in touch with Coltrane´s wife Alice ColtraneFind albums by this artist. Following his visit to India, Kulpowicz discovered Indian music and the spiritual aura of India, which became his own. Following the demise of The Quartet, Kulpowicz founded a new ensemble, which he called In-Formation. Over time several different versions of In-Formation existed, including a duo, the basic piano trio, presented here, quartet and even sextet. In retrospect the trio proved to be the most successful incarnation of the group. It included bassist Witold SzczurekFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Vitold RekFind albums by this artist) and legendary drummer Czeslaw BartkowskiFind albums by this artist. The same trio also served as the rhythm section of the Tomasz Stanko quartet in the early 1980s, recording with him two most impressive albums: "Music 81Find albums with this title" and "A I JFind albums with this title" (both recorded at the same session). In-Formation recorded two albums for the PoljazzFind albums on this label label, the second of which is partly (three tracks) also included here. The rest of the album (five more tracks) originates in two radio sessions recorded earlier in the same year. All the music was composed by Kulpowicz and is a direct continuation of his John Coltrane / McCoy TynerFind albums by this artist influenced style presented earlier by The Quartet. Of course the trio´s music is much less intense sonically than the quartet´s massive sound, but not less complex or spiritually evolved. Kulpowicz carries, as expected, most of the load, producing his usual vamped chords and dense cadenzas of amazing fluency and virtuosity. The rhythm section supports him splendidly, with Rek emphasizing the melody riffs and Bartkowski providing the swinging drive carrying the music in fast forward most of the album´s duration. The piano trio, which is the ultimate Jazz showcase, was quite a neglected Art form at the time this music was recorded. Therefore these recordings are even more special, as there was no other parallel outfit on the Polish Jazz scene at the time. Of course the piano trio would triumphantly return and re-appear on the Jazz scene later on, including of course the local Polish scene, but at that particular time In-Formation trio was completely unique. This album is not only a great example of the Jazz piano trio Art, but also a very important document of the development of the Polish Jazz scene. Of course it´s an absolute must have for all Polish Jazz connoisseurs and collectors, but every piano trio buff around the globe should find this quite a treat. Great stuff!

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SLAWOMIR JASKULKE ~ LIVE GDYNIA SUMMER JAZZ DAYS 2001 ALLEGRO 003 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2001 Released: 2002 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Slawomir JaskulkeFind albums by this artist, recorded live in a classic trio / quartet setting with saxophonist Maciej SikalaFind albums by this artist, bassist Piotr LemanczykFind albums by this artist and drummer Tomasz SowinskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents five original compositions; three of which are by the leader and two are by Sikala. The first two numbers are performed by the trio and the other three by the quartet. Jaskulke is considered as one of the most brilliant representatives of the young generation of Polish Jazz pianists and his achievements during the first decade of the 21st Century are indeed remarkable and include performances around the globe and numerous recordings as leader and sidemen (including those with the veteran Polish Jazz icon Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist). He has also composed music for theatre and cinema. Anybody listening to this album at the time of its release should have expected great things from Jaskulke, as it is a truly outstanding debut. The trio numbers present Jaskulke as an amazing piano virtuoso, playing in a unique style, which is incredibly percussive and powerful, whereas the quartet numbers present his gentler side as a balladeer, playing beautifully restrained melodic phrases or as an ensemble player of great sensitivity. Such incredible versatility is very rare indeed and when executed with a magic touch like the one he presents here, it is simply marvelous. Considering the fact that Jaskulke was only twenty two years old at the time of the recording one must admit that this is a discovery of an extraordinary talent. Musically the trio and the quartet are also quite different, with the material written by the leader being much more open and often freely structured, whereas the numbers written by the saxophonist are pretty standard mainstream Jazz compositions, both very good, but not special in any way. In a sense it seems as if these two different settings belong on two separate albums, but what was done can not be undone, so one should enjoy the fact that this marvelous music was captured for posterity and we can listen to it again and again. The rhythm section performs exactly as expected, changing the volume and presence according to the specific requirements of the moment, always there when one expects them to be, keeping perfect time (which is not always easy here) and modestly displaying another level of virtuosity. Together the ensemble sounds like an unstoppable locomotive, which runs amok, especially in the last tune. This is definitely an album every Jazz piano lover should listen to, sooner or later, an experience he´ll never regret nor forget. Wholeheartedly recommended!

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SLAWOMIR JASKULKE ~ SUGARFREE BCD 03 (Barcode: 5906881885024) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2003 Released: 2003 This is the second album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Slawomir JaskulkeFind albums by this artist, which was recorded in the classic piano trio format with bassist Krzysztof PacanFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof DziedzicFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, all by Jaskulke. By the time this album was recorded, Jaskulke was already a member of the quartet led by the Polish Jazz legend Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, which is the most desirable position for any Polish Jazz musician and which means that his talent was recognized as extraordinary on the local scene. Anybody listening to this album must admit that Jaskulke is indeed one of the most extraordinary musicians to arrive on the Polish Jazz scene in the 21st Century. This album confirms not only his superb qualities as a player, but even more interestingly and dramatically his talent as a composer. Jaskulke has an easily recognizably personal style, which is quite extraordinary for such a young musician. His approach to the piano is percussive, almost "aggressive" at times, and at the same time he can stroke the keys delicately as a summer breeze. His compositions are also quite distinct and remarkable and regardless of their tempi, they convey a punctuated, but clearly stated melody, irregular meters and ultra-modern rhythmic devices, which can be found in contemporary electronic music. All these, combined with the obvious Jazz legacy create an amalgam, which is highly innovative and surprising. This music is perhaps one of the most contemporary approaches to Jazz, taking the music from the 20th Century, where it was born and raised, into the 21st Century, where it now develop into a plethora of new directions. It proves that Jazz does not need to be stagnant and can be innovated in many ways, not only in the Avant-Garde / Free / Improvised Music idiom, but also in new and unexpected directions. The performances on this album are truly stellar, not only those by the leader but also those by the rhythm section. Pacan, who was also a member of the Namyslowski quartet at the time, is a brilliant bassist, capable of a wide range of styles, from classic Jazz to modern, almost Pop / Rock pulsations. Dziedzic is an ideal drummer in this setting, perfectly in sync with Jaskulke in the percussive beat parts and his by and large more Rock than Jazz sound. Overall this is a brilliant album in every aspect, sadly largely overlooked at the time of its release but certainly deserving an honorable position among the great Polish Jazz piano trio recordings. This is highly recommended to all Polish Jazz fans and Jazz aficionados in general. It´s never too late to discover this priceless gem!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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KAZIMIERZ JONKISZ ~ TIRITAKA (POLISH JAZZ VOL.62) MUZA 1062 (Barcode: 5907783420627) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1980 Released: 2007 This is an excellent album by a Polish Jazz quintet, led by veteran drummer Kazimierz JonkiszFind albums by this artist (ex-Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist quintet). The quintet´s two soloists are: the young brilliant violinist Krzesimir DebskiFind albums by this artist (shortly before he formed his own group String ConnectionFind albums by this artist, which would dominate the Polish scene in the first half of the 1980s) and saxophonist Andrzej OlejniczakFind albums by this artist, who fronted the most important Polish groups in the 1970s like Extra BallFind albums by this artist and Sun ShipFind albums by this artist. They are joined by pianist Janusz SkowronFind albums by this artist (also future member of String Connection and later for many years with Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist) and a young bassist Andrzej LukasikFind albums by this artist. Of the six tracks on the album, five were composed by Debski, who already at that time was a most promising composer in addition to his virtuoso violin performances. Packed with talent and great music, this is a superb example of modern Polish Jazz at its best and one of the strongest albums in the legendary Polish Jazz series. The harmonizing between the violin and soprano saxophone creates an unbelievable sound, which has very few parallels on record. This is a must to all Polish Jazz lovers and anybody interested in European Jazz in general.

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WOJCIECH KAROLAK ~ EASY! (POLISH JAZZ VOL.81 DELUXE) MUZA 1081 (Barcode: 5907783420818) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1974 Released: 2005 This relatively little known but excellent album presents Polish Jazz keyboardist / composer / arranger / bandleader Wojciech KarolakFind albums by this artist in a relaxed atmosphere and in company of the crème de la crème of the Polish Jazz musicians of the period that he cooperated with on many occasions before. The idea was to present a less complex / sophisticated music performed by top Jazz players, but in retrospect the result surely surpassed all the intensions and expectations and this is definitely some of the best of his work. Recorded at a time when the Jazz-Rock Fusion in Poland was rapidly developing and achieving the peak of its creativity, spearheaded by Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist and his group, of which Karolak was a member. It is hardly surprising therefore that this album includes many of the characteristics of the early 1970s Polish Fusion, which of course in term was strongly influenced by the pioneering and groundbreaking work done by Miles DavisFind albums by this artist at the time, which served as a model to the entire worldwide music community. Although perhaps more melodic than the Urbaniak´s recordings, this album has plenty of innovative moves, like the usage of early synthesizers, electric piano and of course his organ, excellent brass arrangements on some tunes and superb soloing by the musicians involved, which include trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, Janusz MuniakFind albums by this artist and Tomasz SzukalskiFind albums by this artist, drummer Czeslaw BartkowskiFind albums by this artist and many others. Karolak composed seven of the eight tracks on this album with one track being contributed by the great Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist. Lovers of Polish Jazz should be rejoiced by the fact that this album was reissued as part of the extended legendary Polish Jazz series. A must!

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KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA ~ ASTIGMATIC (POLISH JAZZ VOL.05) POWER BROS 00163 (Barcode: 5906295856030) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1965 Released: 1998 This music, encapsulated for eternity in a piece of plastic, is one of the great milestones of human Culture, an ultra-rare eruption of human genius. Recorded by a quintet led by Polish pianist / composer Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, the legendary Godfather of Polish Jazz, this is definitely the most important piece of music recorded in Eastern Europe, which changed the face of Culture far beyond what most people realize. Universally accepted as a model and artistic / aesthetic climax by generations of Jazz musicians in Komeda´s native Poland and far beyond the country borders, this modern Jazz recording influenced innumerable minds and prompted endless artistic processes. The album includes just three pieces of music: the title track; "Kattorna", which was a theme in the soundtrack of a movie by the Danish director Henning CarlsenFind albums by this artist; and "Svantetic", a tune dedicated to the Swedish poet Svante ForsterFind albums by this artist, Komeda´s friend. The quintet included trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, German bassist Gunter LenzFind albums by this artist and Swedish drummer Rune CarlssonFind albums by this artist. Playing in every possible grouping, from solo to a full quintet, these brilliant and inspired musicians manage to achieve a whole, which is so much more than a sum of its parts. The result goes way beyond soloing, improvising, interplaying and exchanging ideas; it is a sort of group creation, which builds upon the basic structures, which are the mesmerizing Komeda´s melodies and soaring infinitely towards a musical heaven. There is everything here: melody, harmony, freedom and structure, rhythm and space, all simultaneously represented without conflicting and fighting for supremacy. Such harmonious music-making is indeed very rare and therefore priceless. One might wonder how this wonderful music happened in Poland of all places. Well the reasons for this are numerous and complex, but of course genius knows no geographical limitations and catalyzed by the fertile intellectual background of the 1960s Poland, struggling with Socialist regime and longing for Freedom, Jazz became an escape route, which in this case found its true vocation. Of course the fact that Stanko and Namyslowski were (and thank God still are) exceptionally gifted musicians helped to materialize the potential of Komeda´s music. One might as well look into Komeda´s fascination (and adoration) of the music and life of John ColtraneFind albums by this artist, who served as a beacon and a model in the composer´s path to inner enlightenment. And yet Komeda did not succumb to Coltrane´s (or indeed the entire American Free Jazz movement) ideas blindly and unconditionally, as did many of his peers. He decided to incorporate the struggle for Freedom, which was a central scheme in Coltrane´s philosophy (both musical and personal) with his deep European cultural roots and heritage, building his very personal bridge between Cultures. This is why his music works so well, regardless if it´s a concert played in a Jazz club or a movie soundtrack. It is simply transcending stylistic or circumstantial limitations, as any higher level of Art is able to do. The fact that this music was created almost fifty years ago is a sad reminder of how little progress (if any) we managed to achieve since. In face of this fact we should cherish the great achievements of our Culture and keep them close to our hearts. This is definitely one of those great achievements, so let´s treat it accordingly. Absolutely essential! Enhanced CD with CD-ROM contents!

CD 1 Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend

KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA ~ ASTIGMATIC (POLISH JAZZ VOL.05) MUZA 905 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1965 Released: 2004 This music, encapsulated for eternity in a piece of plastic, is one of the great milestones of human Culture, an ultra-rare eruption of human genius. Recorded by a quintet led by Polish pianist / composer Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, the legendary Godfather of Polish Jazz, this is definitely the most important piece of music recorded in Eastern Europe, which changed the face of Culture far beyond what most people realize. Universally accepted as a model and artistic / aesthetic climax by generations of Jazz musicians in Komeda´s native Poland and far beyond the country borders, this modern Jazz recording influenced innumerable minds and prompted endless artistic processes. The album includes just three pieces of music: the title track; "Kattorna", which was a theme in the soundtrack of a movie by the Danish director Henning CarlsenFind albums by this artist; and "Svantetic", a tune dedicated to the Swedish poet Svante ForsterFind albums by this artist, Komeda´s friend. The quintet included trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, German bassist Gunter LenzFind albums by this artist and Swedish drummer Rune CarlssonFind albums by this artist. Playing in every possible grouping, from solo to a full quintet, these brilliant and inspired musicians manage to achieve a whole, which is so much more than a sum of its parts. The result goes way beyond soloing, improvising, interplaying and exchanging ideas; it is a sort of group creation, which builds upon the basic structures, which are the mesmerizing Komeda´s melodies and soaring infinitely towards a musical heaven. There is everything here: melody, harmony, freedom and structure, rhythm and space, all simultaneously represented without conflicting and fighting for supremacy. Such harmonious music-making is indeed very rare and therefore priceless. One might wonder how this wonderful music happened in Poland of all places. Well the reasons for this are numerous and complex, but of course genius knows no geographical limitations and catalyzed by the fertile intellectual background of the 1960s Poland, struggling with Socialist regime and longing for Freedom, Jazz became an escape route, which in this case found its true vocation. Of course the fact that Stanko and Namyslowski were (and thank God still are) exceptionally gifted musicians helped to materialize the potential of Komeda´s music. One might as well look into Komeda´s fascination (and adoration) of the music and life of John ColtraneFind albums by this artist, who served as a beacon and a model in the composer´s path to inner enlightenment. And yet Komeda did not succumb to Coltrane´s (or indeed the entire American Free Jazz movement) ideas blindly and unconditionally, as did many of his peers. He decided to incorporate the struggle for Freedom, which was a central scheme in Coltrane´s philosophy (both musical and personal) with his deep European cultural roots and heritage, building his very personal bridge between Cultures. This is why his music works so well, regardless if it´s a concert played in a Jazz club or a movie soundtrack. It is simply transcending stylistic or circumstantial limitations, as any higher level of Art is able to do. The fact that this music was created almost fifty years ago is a sad reminder of how little progress (if any) we managed to achieve since. In face of this fact we should cherish the great achievements of our Culture and keep them close to our hearts. This is definitely one of those great achievements, so let´s treat it accordingly. Absolutely essential!

CD 1 Digipak Oversampling Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend

KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA ~ BALLET ETUDES / BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY`S POWER BROS 00155 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1962 - 1963 These 1962-1963 recordings present Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist´s compositions for theatre. Same as with his fantastic film music, these expressive and wonderfully lyrical works are extreamly beautiful and intelligent at the same time. Performed by the cream of Polish jazz players, including Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist, Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist a.m.o. Enhanced CD with CD-ROM contents!

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KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA ~ BARIERA – SOUNDTRACKS FROM JERZY SKOLIMOWSKI / JANUSZ NASFETER MOVIES POWER BROS 00199 (Barcode: 5906295856429) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1965 - 1966 Released: 2009 Although primarily identified as the soundtrack composer of the movies directed by Roman PolanskiFind albums by this artist, Polish pianist / composer Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist cooperated with the entire Polish film industry during the revolutionary days of the 1960s New Wave of Polish Cinema, producing a long list of incredible cinematic scores. The post-WWII Polish cinema, struggling with the destruction of the country´s intellectual fabric, the Socialist regime and the economic hardships, managed to produce some of the most outstanding works of modern cinematography, equal in their power of expression and revolutionary approach to cinema as a modern cultural media to the achievement of the great British, Scandinavian, French and Italian film makers at the same time. Komeda´s soundtracks to the Polish (and Scandinavian) films in the mid-1960s and later Hollywood movies by the end of the 1960s are all absolute masterpieces of style, expression and sheer genius in creating a story-telling, often nerve-wrecking melody lines and wonderful themes, which expanded the visual content of the films and added another emotional dimension. The music is of course strongly influenced by the Jazz idioms, often even being pure Jazz. It is performed mostly by Komeda himself, accompanied by the members of his Jazz combos at the time, like trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist and others. Sometimes larger instrumentation is also used, especially in the later scores. What is especially surprising and magical about this music is the fact that is stands alone as well as it functions as a part of the cinematic experience. All the albums with Komeda´s soundtracks are simply superb pieces of music and in retrospect constitute an incredible body of work of rarely equaled magnitude and importance. Komeda´s tragic and painfully premature death ended a career, which in many respects was at its early stage. This album includes the soundtrack of the movie "Bariera (Barrier)" by the director Jerzy SkolimowskiFind albums by this artist and the soundtrack of the movie "Niekochana (Unloved)Find albums by this artist" by director Janusz Nasfeter. Brilliant stuff!

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KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA ~ JUTRO PREMIERA – SOUNDTRACKS FROM JANUSZ MORGENSTERN / EDWARD ETLER MOVIES POWER BROS 00201 (Barcode: 5906295856436) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1962 - 1964 Released: 2009 Although primarily identified as the soundtrack composer of the movies directed by Roman PolanskiFind albums by this artist, Polish pianist / composer Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist cooperated with the entire Polish film industry during the revolutionary days of the 1960s New Wave of Polish Cinema, producing a long list of incredible cinematic scores. The post-WWII Polish cinema, struggling with the destruction of the country´s intellectual fabric, the Socialist regime and the economic hardships, managed to produce some of the most outstanding works of modern cinematography, equal in their power of expression and revolutionary approach to cinema as a modern cultural media to the achievement of the great British, Scandinavian, French and Italian film makers at the same time. Komeda´s soundtracks to the Polish (and Scandinavian) films in the mid-1960s and later Hollywood movies by the end of the 1960s are all absolute masterpieces of style, expression and sheer genius in creating a story-telling, often nerve-wrecking melody lines and wonderful themes, which expanded the visual content of the films and added another emotional dimension. The music is of course strongly influenced by the Jazz idioms, often even being pure Jazz. It is performed mostly by Komeda himself, accompanied by the members of his Jazz combos at the time, like trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist and others. Sometimes larger instrumentation is also used, especially in the later scores. What is especially surprising and magical about this music is the fact that is stands alone as well as it functions as a part of the cinematic experience. All the albums with Komeda´s soundtracks are simply superb pieces of music and in retrospect constitute an incredible body of work of rarely equaled magnitude and importance. Komeda´s tragic and painfully premature death ended a career, which in many respects was at its early stage. This album includes the soundtrack of the movie "Jutro Premiera (Opening Tomorrow)" by director Janusz MorgensternFind albums by this artist and two soundtracks to documentaries "Kraksa (Crash)" / "Okolice Peronow (Near The Station)" by director Edward EtlerFind albums by this artist. Brilliant stuff!

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KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA ~ KATTORNA – SOUNDTRACKS FROM HENNING CARLSEN MOVIES POWER BROS 00189 (Barcode: 5906295856375) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1964 - 1967 Released: 2009 Although primarily identified as the soundtrack composer of the movies directed by Roman PolanskiFind albums by this artist, Polish pianist / composer Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist cooperated with the entire Polish film industry during the revolutionary days of the 1960s New Wave of Polish Cinema, producing a long list of incredible cinematic scores. The post-WWII Polish cinema, struggling with the destruction of the country´s intellectual fabric, the Socialist regime and the economic hardships, managed to produce some of the most outstanding works of modern cinematography, equal in their power of expression and revolutionary approach to cinema as a modern cultural media to the achievement of the great British, Scandinavian, French and Italian film makers at the same time. Komeda´s soundtracks to the Polish (and Scandinavian) films in the mid-1960s and later Hollywood movies by the end of the 1960s are all absolute masterpieces of style, expression and sheer genius in creating a story-telling, often nerve-wrecking melody lines and wonderful themes, which expanded the visual content of the films and added another emotional dimension. The music is of course strongly influenced by the Jazz idioms, often even being pure Jazz. It is performed mostly by Komeda himself, accompanied by the members of his Jazz combos at the time, like trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist and others. Sometimes larger instrumentation is also used, especially in the later scores. What is especially surprising and magical about this music is the fact that is stands alone as well as it functions as a part of the cinematic experience. All the albums with Komeda´s soundtracks are simply superb pieces of music and in retrospect constitute an incredible body of work of rarely equaled magnitude and importance. Komeda´s tragic and painfully premature death ended a career, which in many respects was at its early stage. This album includes the soundtracks of three movies: "Kattorna (Kittens)", "Sult (Hunger)" and "People Meet And Sweet Music Fills The Heart" by Danish director Henning CarlsenFind albums by this artist. Komeda´s incredible talent as a film composer was discovered by the Scandinavian film makers and other intellectuals and Komeda spent considerable periods of time in Scandinavia in the mid-1960s, which was unprecedented for any Polish musician. Unfortunately the music for the first film directed by Carlsen, which Komeda composed the music for: "Hvad Med Os (What About Us)" is not included on this album and was not released to date. Komeda was also supposed to compose the music for a fifth film by Carlson, but his tragic death prevented this from happening. The music from "Kattorna", in a different version, can be also found on the legendary "AstigmaticFind albums with this title" album by Komeda. Brilliant stuff!

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KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA ~ KRAKSA GAD 301 (Barcode: 5903068125607) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1956 - 1965 Released: 2024 This is an archival album by the Godfather of Polish Jazz, pianist / composer / bandleader Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, which presents soundtracks that he composed to three films by Polish Jewish director of documentary movies Edward EtlerFind albums by this artist: “Kraksa” (1963), “Okolice Peronow” (1964) and “Twarz Wroga” (1965) and finally music to a nature documentary from 1956, performed by his sextet. The first two of these were previously released on the Power BrosFind albums on this label label in 2009. The names of the musicians, who recorded the music, are unknown, but obviously they were members of his ensembles active at the time and include trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist and saxophonists Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist. The music offers fragments of themes and their variations, as usual in cinematic albums, but the genius of Komeda is immediately obvious, and like everything he ever composed, it is pure magic. Of course the full power of this music can only be experienced by watching the movies accompanied by the music, but it is strong enough to stand on its own, as this album proves. Overall, this is an important document of Komeda’s work and although adds only a relatively little portion of previously unreleased material, for Komeda enthusiasts and completists it is a must have item.

Updated: 27/01/2025Posted: 27/01/2025

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KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA ~ KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA W POLSKIM RADIU VOL.02 – MUZYKA BALETOWA I FILMOWA – CZESC PIERWSZA POLSKIE RADIO 1862 (Barcode: 5907812248628) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1959 - 1963 Released: 2014 This is the second installment in a new series of albums launched by the Polish Radio, which presents radio recordings by the Godfather of Polish Jazz, pianist / composer / bandleader Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist. Komeda is of course the most familiar name associated with Polish Jazz and his legacy is of crucial importance to Polish and European Jazz. Considering the fact that Komeda´s studio recordings are relatively scarce, the radio recordings are in fact the main source of his recorded legacy, as they include among others the Jazz Jamboree festival appearances by Komeda and his various ensembles over the years. Recorded between 1959 and 1963 this volume collects only original music that Komeda composed for ballet and cinema and performed with his groups during the 1961 edition of the Jazz Jamboree festival in Warsaw (one track), the 1962 edition (four tracks) and 1963 edition (one track). The remaining two tracks are radio studio recordings. The music includes the following compositions: "Ballet Etudes", written by Komeda to be performed by a Jazz ensemble accompanying ballet dancers, which had its premiere during the 1962 Jazz Jamboree with dancers from the Warsaw Opera, theme from the film "Innocent Sorcerers" directed by Andrzej WajdaFind albums by this artist and the monumental music from the debut full length film "Knife In The Water" directed by Roman PolanskiFind albums by this artist. As any Polish Jazz enthusiast knows, this is the cradle of modern Polish Jazz and includes some of its most defining moments, as well as the essence of Komeda, the composer. The list of the musicians participating in these recordings reads like the who´s who of early modern Polish Jazz: vocalist Wanda WarskaFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, bassists Roman DylagFind albums by this artist, Adam SkorupkaFind albums by this artist, Jan ByrczekFind albums by this artist and Maciej SuzinFind albums by this artist, drummers Leszek DudziakFind albums by this artist, Czeslaw BartkowskiFind albums by this artist and Tadeusz FederowskiFind albums by this artist and percussionist Jozef GawrychFind albums by this artist. Three Swedish musicians also participate: saxophonist Bernt RosengrenFind albums by this artist, trombonist Eje ThelinFind albums by this artist and drummer Rune CarlssonFind albums by this artist. Overall this is a collection of brilliant music, superbly performed, which is an absolute revelation to anybody who loves Jazz. It is a fundamental piece of every decent Jazz record collection. The recordings are splendidly restored and remastered and nicely packaged in an elegant digipak / slipcase. Dates, places and lineups are faithfully included and even personal liner notes by young Polish Jazz critics are present, but there is no in-depth background material about Komeda and his music, however considering the plentitude of published material and several excellent books on the subject, an intelligent listener can easily bridge the knowledge gap. The only small reservation one might have is the fact that these recordings have been already released many times, more or less legally on the somewhat untamed Polish music market, which means they is already owned by the serious Polish Jazz collectors, probably more than once.

CD 1 Digipak Slipcase Remastered Recommend To A Friend

KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA ~ KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA W POLSKIM RADIU VOL.06 – MUZYKA FILMOWA ORAZ JAZZ I POEZJA POLSKIE RADIO 1938 (Barcode: 5907812249380) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1965 - 1967 Released: 2016 This is the sixth installment in a new series of albums launched by the Polish Radio, which presents radio recordings by the Godfather of Polish Jazz, pianist / composer / bandleader Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist. Komeda is of course the most familiar name associated with Polish Jazz and his legacy is of crucial importance to Polish and European Jazz. Considering the fact that Komeda´s studio recordings are relatively scarce, the radio recordings are in fact the main source of his recorded legacy, as they include among others the Jazz Jamboree festival appearances by Komeda and his various ensembles over the years. The first part of the music included here originates in the Polish Radio recording session from 1967, which presents the Komeda Quintet with trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Roman DylagFind albums by this artist and Swedish drummer Rune CarlssonFind albums by this artist. The quintet performs four original Komeda compositions. The second part was recorded live during the 1965 Jazz Jamboree Festival and features the Komeda Quartet with Stanko, bassist Janusz KozlowskiFind albums by this artist and Carlsson. The quartet performs two original Komeda compositions. Three of the quintet tracks can be associated with the Polish Jazz & Poetry movement, the last quintet track and the first quartet track are both examples of cinematic music Komeda created for movie soundtracks and the last bonus track is a live performance of Komeda´s most famous tune "Astigmatic", which gave the title to his groundbreaking debut album. The Komeda Quintet present on this album recorded an entire album in the Jazz & Poetry idiom, which was produced by the legendary Joachim Berendt. That album called "Meine Susse Europaische HeimatFind albums with this title" was released in West Germany and became in time one of the most iconic Jazz & Poetry recordings in Polish and European Jazz. All of the music on this album is of course some of the most prophetic and revolutionary European Jazz ever recorded, and as such deserves to be a part of every decent music library on this planet. The recordings are splendidly restored and remastered and nicely packaged in an elegant digipak / slipcase. Dates, places and lineups are faithfully included and even personal liner notes by Polish Jazz critic Roch SicinskiFind albums by this artist are present, but there is no in-depth background material about Komeda and his music, however considering the plentitude of published material and several excellent books on the subject, an intelligent listener can easily bridge the knowledge gap. The only small reservation one might have is the fact that these recordings have been already released many times, more or less legally on the somewhat untamed Polish music market, which means they is already owned by the serious Polish Jazz collectors, probably more than once.

Updated: 05/07/2016Posted: 05/07/2016

CD 1 Digipak Slipcase Remastered Recommend To A Friend

KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA ~ KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA W POLSKIM RADIU VOL.07 – LITANIA POLSKIE RADIO 1939 (Barcode: 5907812249397) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1967 Released: 2016 This is the seventh installment in a new series of albums launched by the Polish Radio, which presents radio recordings by the Godfather of Polish Jazz, pianist / composer / bandleader Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist. Komeda is of course the most familiar name associated with Polish Jazz and his legacy is of crucial importance to Polish and European Jazz. Considering the fact that Komeda´s studio recordings are relatively scarce, the radio recordings are in fact the main source of his recorded legacy, as they include among others the Jazz Jamboree festival appearances by Komeda and his various ensembles over the years. The music presented here is part of the very last recordings made by Komeda before his death, all done in October 1967, which was a very busy time for him just before he left Poland for the US on December 17, 1967 and returned already in a comatose state following his tragic accident in October 1968. Between October 7 and October 10, 1967 the Komeda Quintet with trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Roman DylagFind albums by this artist and Swedish drummer Rune CarlssonFind albums by this artist recorded in Baden Baden, Germany the seminal album "Meine Susse Europaische Heimat: Dichtung Und Jazz Aus PolenFind albums with this title", which was produced by my Friend and Mentor Joachim BerendtFind albums by this artist. The album was originally planned to be recorded in May 1967, and most sources state this as the recording date, but due to Komeda´s illness the recording was in fact postponed and took place as stated above. This album created a great stir behind the Iron Curtain and presented openly Polish Jazz and Polish Poetry to the Western public for the first time. Dylag, who was living in Sweden at the time, and Carlsson arrived in Germany from Sweden invited especially for this recording and continued together with the rest of the Quintet (riding two cars) to Warsaw, where the Komeda Quartet (Quintet less Namyslowski) played a concert on October 14, 1967 during the Jazz Jamboree Festival. The concert included Komeda´s extended composition "Night Time, Day Time Requiem" dedicated to the memory of John ColtraneFind albums by this artist, composed shortly after Coltrane´s death in July 1967, which is included here. Immediately following the Jazz Jamboree appearance, most probably on October 16 or 17, 1967, the Quintet recorded a session at the Polish Radio studio, which included six tunes, including "Litania" and another version of "Night Time, Day Time Requiem", both of which are included here. The other four tunes were already included on the previous album of this series The Quartet also recorded a concert for the Polish Television, which also presents "Night Time, Day Time Requiem" and a mega rare interview with Komeda conducted by Polish Jazz critic and broadcaster Roman WaschkoFind albums by this artist. Considering the fact that Dylag and Carlsson had visas to stay in Poland for just one week, and left Poland immediately before the visas expired, it is certain that all the music recorded in Poland was recorded within that particular week. The music reflects beautifully the development of Komeda as a pianist / composer / bandleader in the last period of his activity. Coltrane´s death had an immense influence on Komeda, who was a great admirer of the American Giant and followed his path of discovery closely. The piece dedicated to Coltrane is spiritually the closest piece of Polish Jazz music to the music of Coltrane during his latest period. It is fascinating to compare the two versions of "Night Time, Day Time Requiem"; the earlier live version, played by the Quartet, is masterly performed but still not fully emotionally developed, while the emotional elements erupt on the second version, recorded just days later by the Quintet. Therefore this album is certainly one of the most important Komeda albums, catching Komeda at his absolute peak as a composer with the magnificent "Litania" and performer with the music dedicated to Coltrane. The recordings are splendidly restored and remastered and nicely packaged in an elegant digipak / slipcase, but there is no in-depth background material about Komeda and his music; however considering the plentitude of published material and several excellent books on the subject, an intelligent listener can easily bridge the knowledge gap. The only small reservation one might have is the fact that these recordings have been already released many times, more or less legally on the somewhat untamed Polish music market, which means they is already owned by the serious Polish Jazz collectors, probably more than once. Side Note: On the album´s liner notes the two versions of "Night Time, Day Time Requiem" are listed in reverse order to the order they actually appear on the CD. Also the recording date of the studio version of "Night Time, Day Time Requiem" is listed as 1968, which is not possible as stated above.

Updated: 05/04/2024Posted: 02/10/2016

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KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA ~ MEINE SUSSE EUROPAISCHE HEIMAT: DICHTUNG UND JAZZ AUS POLEN ANEX 401 (Barcode: 5907513047957) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 1967 Released: 2012 This is not just an album; for people who love Polish Jazz and Polish Culture, this is a monumental piece of Art and History… And for Polish Jazz this is probably the most important recording ever made, surely as far as international exposure of Polish Jazz is concerned. This album was devised, planned and eventually completed thanks to the efforts of Joachim BerendtFind albums by this artist, a German writer, critic, producer (and my dear personal Friend and Mentor), one of the most important figures on the European Jazz scene during its formative years. Berendt, a devoted intellectual, was an enthusiastic supporter of early multi-media collaborations involving Jazz, especially in the Jazz & Poetry realm, fell in love with Polish Jazz from the moment he heard it during the groundbreaking second Sopot Jazz Festival in 1957, which he attended accompanying a delegation of German Jazz players. The plans to make this album were planted in his mind then and there, but unfortunately the Iron Curtain, the invisible great divide splitting Europe in two during the Cold War era, was stronger than the goodwill of the people who wanted to make it happen. It took a whole decade until Berendt was able to invite pianist / composer Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist and his group, which included trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Roman DylagFind albums by this artist and Swedish drummer Rune CarlssonFind albums by this artist, to his SWF radio studio in Baden-Baden to finally record the music. In parallel Berendt invited the German translator Karl DedeciusFind albums by this artist, who was the most important and pioneering translator of Polish and Russian literature and poetry into the German language, to select and translate the poems, which were to be combined with Komeda´s music and recited by actor Helmut LohnerFind albums by this artist. Dedecius made a brilliant job, obviously a labor of lave for him, both as a translator and editor, selecting twenty four poems by Polish poets, many of which were at the time relatively obscure and politically "problematic" for the Socialistic regime. In retrospect two of these poets: Wislawa SzymborskaFind albums by this artist and Czeslaw MiloszFind albums by this artist were eventually to be awarded the Nobel Prize in literature – not a bad guess indeed. By the time this album was recorded Komeda was of course already the undisputed Godfather of modern Polish Jazz, as well as a world-famous composer of film music, most notably those directed by Roman PolanskiFind albums by this artist, but also many others. His quintet was one of the best European Jazz ensembles at the time, which of course is clearly evident on this recording. Komeda´s themes are perfect companions to the poems, full of lyricism and deep emotions, expressive and often quite free form, enabling the soloists to expand the basic structure into improvised passages. The album was originally released in West Germany by EMI / ColumbiaFind albums on this label in 1967 and the original vinyl is a super-rare collectors´ item. This new edition adds as bonus tracks three of the themes used on the original album, recorded in extended instrumental versions by the same quintet, which are of course sensational. The album is beautifully packaged in a book-like digipak, which includes the original liner notes by Berendt and many splendid photographs. The texts (both Polish and the German translations) of the poems are unfortunately not included (except one), which is a pity, but obtaining all the copyrights was probably too much of a nightmare. An extended essay about this album should have also been appropriately written. The fact that this album was not available (at least in a proper form) for forty five years is a shame and this new edition falls under "better late than never" category. Polish Jazz connoisseurs should of course be delighted, finally being able to savor this timeless piece of Art. I can´t imagine any serious Polish Jazz enthusiast not having this album in their collection. I think I can see the late Joachim Berendt smiling, somewhere in the "higher sphere", seeing his brain-child resurrected…

Updated: 29/12/2023Posted:

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Bonus Tracks Essential Recommend To A Friend

KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA ~ NIGHTIME, DAYTIME REQUIEM POWER BROS 00159 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz This recordings from 1967 present the Komdeda sextet at its prime with Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist and Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist - probably the best Polish jazz ensemble of all times. The title track is Komeda´s homage to John ColtraneFind albums by this artist after his tragic death and the rest are from the legendary recording which presented Polish jazz to the world for the first time. Enhanced CD with CD-ROM contents!

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA ~ PRAWO I PIESC – SOUNDTRACKS FROM JERZY HOFFMAN / EDWARD SKORZEWSKI MOVIES POWER BROS 00203 (Barcode: 5906295856443) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1964 - 1965 Released: 2009 Although primarily identified as the soundtrack composer of the movies directed by Roman PolanskiFind albums by this artist, Polish pianist / composer Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist cooperated with the entire Polish film industry during the revolutionary days of the 1960s New Wave of Polish Cinema, producing a long list of incredible cinematic scores. The post-WWII Polish cinema, struggling with the destruction of the country´s intellectual fabric, the Socialist regime and the economic hardships, managed to produce some of the most outstanding works of modern cinematography, equal in their power of expression and revolutionary approach to cinema as a modern cultural media to the achievement of the great British, Scandinavian, French and Italian film makers at the same time. Komeda´s soundtracks to the Polish (and Scandinavian) films in the mid-1960s and later Hollywood movies by the end of the 1960s are all absolute masterpieces of style, expression and sheer genius in creating a story-telling, often nerve-wrecking melody lines and wonderful themes, which expanded the visual content of the films and added another emotional dimension. The music is of course strongly influenced by the Jazz idioms, often even being pure Jazz. It is performed mostly by Komeda himself, accompanied by the members of his Jazz combos at the time, like trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist and others. Sometimes larger instrumentation is also used, especially in the later scores. What is especially surprising and magical about this music is the fact that is stands alone as well as it functions as a part of the cinematic experience. All the albums with Komeda´s soundtracks are simply superb pieces of music and in retrospect constitute an incredible body of work of rarely equaled magnitude and importance. Komeda´s tragic and painfully premature death ended a career, which in many respects was at its early stage. This album includes the soundtrack of the movie "Prawo I Piesc (The Law And The Fist)" by directors Jerzy HoffmanFind albums by this artist / Edward SkorzewskiFind albums by this artist, two soundtracks to animated movies "Sztandar (Standard)" / "Rondo (Roundabout)" by director Miroslaw KijowiczFind albums by this artist and the soundtrack to the movie "Pingwin (The Penguin)" by director Jerzy Stefan StawinskiFind albums by this artist. Brilliant stuff!

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KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA ~ PRZERWANY LOT – SOUNDTRACKS FROM LEONARD BUCZKOWSKI MOVIES POWER BROS 00205 (Barcode: 5906295856450) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1963 - 1964 Released: 2009 Although primarily identified as the soundtrack composer of the movies directed by Roman PolanskiFind albums by this artist, Polish pianist / composer Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist cooperated with the entire Polish film industry during the revolutionary days of the 1960s New Wave of Polish Cinema, producing a long list of incredible cinematic scores. The post-WWII Polish cinema, struggling with the destruction of the country´s intellectual fabric, the Socialist regime and the economic hardships, managed to produce some of the most outstanding works of modern cinematography, equal in their power of expression and revolutionary approach to cinema as a modern cultural media to the achievement of the great British, Scandinavian, French and Italian film makers at the same time. Komeda´s soundtracks to the Polish (and Scandinavian) films in the mid-1960s and later Hollywood movies by the end of the 1960s are all absolute masterpieces of style, expression and sheer genius in creating a story-telling, often nerve-wrecking melody lines and wonderful themes, which expanded the visual content of the films and added another emotional dimension. The music is of course strongly influenced by the Jazz idioms, often even being pure Jazz. It is performed mostly by Komeda himself, accompanied by the members of his Jazz combos at the time, like trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist and others. Sometimes larger instrumentation is also used, especially in the later scores. What is especially surprising and magical about this music is the fact that is stands alone as well as it functions as a part of the cinematic experience. All the albums with Komeda´s soundtracks are simply superb pieces of music and in retrospect constitute an incredible body of work of rarely equaled magnitude and importance. Komeda´s tragic and painfully premature death ended a career, which in many respects was at its early stage. This album includes the soundtracks of two movies "Smarkula (Chit Of A Girl)" and "Przerwany Lot (The Broken Flight)" by director Leonard BuczkowskiFind albums by this artist. Brilliant stuff!

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KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA ~ WYROK – SOUNDTRACK FROM JERZY PASSENDORFER MOVIE POWER BROS 00197 (Barcode: 5906295856412) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1962 Released: 2009 Although primarily identified as the soundtrack composer of the movies directed by Roman PolanskiFind albums by this artist, Polish pianist / composer Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist cooperated with the entire Polish film industry during the revolutionary days of the 1960s New Wave of Polish Cinema, producing a long list of incredible cinematic scores. The post-WWII Polish cinema, struggling with the destruction of the country´s intellectual fabric, the Socialist regime and the economic hardships, managed to produce some of the most outstanding works of modern cinematography, equal in their power of expression and revolutionary approach to cinema as a modern cultural media to the achievement of the great British, Scandinavian, French and Italian film makers at the same time. Komeda´s soundtracks to the Polish (and Scandinavian) films in the mid-1960s and later Hollywood movies by the end of the 1960s are all absolute masterpieces of style, expression and sheer genius in creating a story-telling, often nerve-wrecking melody lines and wonderful themes, which expanded the visual content of the films and added another emotional dimension. The music is of course strongly influenced by the Jazz idioms, often even being pure Jazz. It is performed mostly by Komeda himself, accompanied by the members of his Jazz combos at the time, like trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist and others. Sometimes larger instrumentation is also used, especially in the later scores. What is especially surprising and magical about this music is the fact that is stands alone as well as it functions as a part of the cinematic experience. All the albums with Komeda´s soundtracks are simply superb pieces of music and in retrospect constitute an incredible body of work of rarely equaled magnitude and importance. Komeda´s tragic and painfully premature death ended a career, which in many respects was at its early stage. This album includes the soundtrack of the movie "Wyrok (The Sentence)" by the director Jerzy PassendorferFind albums by this artist. Brilliant stuff!

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KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA ~ LIVE IN BLED 1965 GAD 279 (Barcode: 5903068125096) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1965 Released: 2023 The archival material presented on this album is a highly important document of the Eastern European Jazz scene, which thrived behind the Iron Curtain in the 1960s. It sheds light not only on the pioneering work of pianist / composer / bandleader Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, the Godfather of Polish Jazz, but also on the entire Jazz scene that managed to exist against all odds under the Socialist Regime, including the presence of Jazz clubs, festivals, concerts and even recordings released by the State owned record labels. The music, which is all previously unreleased, was recorded in June 1965 at the 6th edition of the International Jazz Festival in former Yugoslavia, one of the Eastern Bloc countries that boasted a booming music scene and was considered as the most liberal and Western oriented country behind the Iron Curtain. The festival, which was inaugurated in 1960, was held at the picturesque Slovenian town of Bled, and was one of the biggest such festivals, hosting both local and international Jazz musicians. Polish Jazz musicians were a permanent feature of the festival, including the Polish quartet led by pianist Andrzej KurylewiczFind albums by this artist with singer Wanda WarskaFind albums by this artist in 1962, the quintet / trio led by pianist Andrzej TrzaskowskiFind albums by this artist in 1963 and the Polish Jazz QuartetFind albums by this artist in 1964, before the concert by Komeda and his quintet in 1965. The lineup of the quintet included, alongside Komeda, trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Janusz MuniakFind albums by this artist, bassist Roman DylagFind albums by this artist and drummer Andrzej DabrowskiFind albums by this artist and the performance consists of just two extended pieces: “Kattorna” (17:20) and “Svantetic” (21:32), both composed by Komeda and both appearing on his Polish debut album “AstigmaticFind albums with this title”, recorded some six months later and released as part of the legendary “Polish Jazz” series, an album which is often considered as the most iconic Polish Jazz recording of all time. For every Komeda follower, the comparison between this recording and the “Astigmatic” album is absolutely called for and unavoidable. The obvious differences are as follows: the three different musicians present on the studio recording: saxophonist Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Gunter LentzFind albums by this artist and drummer Rune CarlssonFind albums by this artist, the much shorter versions of the compositions (7:20 and 15:50 respectively) and last but not least the spontaneity and sense of Freedom prevailing on this recording, as opposed to the tension and rigidity present on the studio recording. This, combined with the much better sound quality this recording offers, results simply in a much more striking version of “Astigmatic”, which of course is a sensational discovery, considering the fact that this music was hidden in the vaults for almost sixty years. The individual performances by the musicians are also quite different. Stanko is way fierier, Komeda soloes more extensively, and the Polish rhythm section of Dylag / Dabrowski is absolutely more inventive and interesting than the German / Swedish one, in short, again, this recording is simply a superior version of “Astigmatic”. Listeners less familiar with Komeda and his musical world, will find here a musician / composer fascinated with the revolutionary Jazz developments, which happened across the Atlantic, mostly those involving the prophetic work of John ColtraneFind albums by this artist. Komeda, perhaps like no other East European Jazz musician, managed to amalgamate the African spirituality, which obsessed Coltrane in the last feverish period of his life, with the European spirituality of lyricism and romanticism, creating a new form of expression, which although existed for a relatively brief period of time, managed to upturn and revolutionize Polish Jazz forever and overflow the borders of his country across the whole of Europe. Every new piece of recorded material by Komeda, which reveals a previously unknown window into his creativity and Art, is a true Holy Grail of European Jazz. But when it is as significant as the music presented here, it becomes an instant classic and a true treasure of Jazz history, important not only to Polish Jazz but to the entire Jazz universe, being a guiding light, which no true Jazz enthusiast can afford to miss. Side Note The above are my liner notes included on this album's artwork. I am honored when asked by the Artists to write liner notes for their albums, always hoping that my words reflect the true spirit of the music. This is also a symbol of our mutual respect and friendship developed over the years. The same is also true when Record Labels ask me to write liner notes for their releases, mostly in the case of reissues of archival albums, which is a symbol of their appreciation of my knowledge and historical perspective and my recognition of their dedication to the preservation of the history of recorded music and the effort to keep human Culture and Aesthetics alive.

Updated: 21/02/2024Posted: 21/02/2024

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MAREK KONARSKI ~ KONARSKI & FOLKS NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 5904067067905) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is the debut album as a leader by Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Marek KonarskiFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet setting with pianist Artur TuznikFind albums by this artist, bassist Damian KostkaFind albums by this artist and drummer Kuba GudzFind albums by this artist. Vocalist Ania RybackaFind albums by this artist guests on one track. The album presents nine tracks, seven of which are original compositions by Konarski and two are his arrangements of Polish Folk songs. Konarski spent several years studying and playing in Denmark and Finland and upon his return to Poland he formed this quartet with musicians he met over the years, all of which are by now experienced representatives of the young Polish Jazz scene. The music is all well within the strict Jazz mainstream idiom, with some Folkloristic influences. As expected, it is highly melodic and offers beautiful themes, which ideally suit Konarski’s saxophone performances, which feature a wonderful sweet, soulful tone. The rhythm section supports the leader superbly, with Tuznik excellent piano playing supplying the continuity and flow that keeps the music tightly together. I find Konarski’s treatment of the Polish Folklore motives rather dated, to be honest, somewhat similar to what Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist already perfected over five decades earlier, and many other Polish Jazz musicians handled way more successfully and innovatively over the, but of course it still has a lot of charm. Overall this is a very pleasant and wonderfully performed Jazz album, with excellent playing by all the participants and a wide appeal to Jazz listeners across the entire range of the genre. It firmly proves the strength of the local scene and is definitely worth to be explored.

Updated: 14/05/2021Posted: 14/05/2021

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LUKASZ KORYBALSKI ~ CMM ALLEGRO 034 (Barcode: 5901157049346) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2017 This is the debut album as a leader by Polish Jazz trumpeter / composer Lukasz KorybalskiFind albums by this artist, known primarily for his work as composer of cinematic music. This album presents the music Korybalski wrote for the film "Cale Mnostwo Milosci" (hence CMM), performed by a quintet which features the leader on trumpet and also includes saxophonist Borys JanczarskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Michal TokajFind albums by this artist, bassist Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and drummer Lukasz ZytaFind albums by this artist; a most formidable team. Saxophone icon Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and percussionist Bogusz WekkaFind albums by this artist guest on one tune each. The album presents six original compositions, all by Korybalski. The music is absolutely stunning from start to finish, typical melancholic Polish Jazz very closely reminiscent of early cinematic music by Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, with the same melodic hooks one just can´t stop humming after the music is over. The similarity is so close, that if I didn´t know what album is playing, I´d suspect that a newly discovered Komeda album is on. This is not only reflected by the music, the melodic approach and the harmonic progressions, but also by the way the quintet performs the music, which has a tinge of wonderful "out fashioned" nostalgia to it. Even the one relatively "free" composition on the album is spiritually almost identical to Komeda´s famous composition "Astigmatic". The instrumental performances are all top notch. Korybalski displays some Miles Davis modal influences, all being in the most elegant form, Janczarski has a warm and smooth tone and Tokaj, one of Poland´s best pianists, sadly relatively rarely heard on albums, is a dream. The superb rhythm section cements the lineup with amicable support for the soloists and wonderful drive. Albums like this one are a persuasive proof that contemporary melodic mainstream can be intelligent, creative, fascinating and aesthetically fulfilling. It simply has something that sets it apart from thousands of other mainstream albums, firmly standing in a class of its own. It also shows why European Jazz left the American Jazz in a fifty years slumber. Overall this is one of the best Polish Jazz albums that I have had the pleasure to listen to in many years. It is perfect in every way, it bridges the tradition with contemporary ideas, it pays tribute to its cultural background and sources; in short it is it! Absolutely not to be missed!

Updated: 09/04/2017Posted: 09/04/2017

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JOACHIM KUHN NEW TRIO ~ BEAUTY & TRUTH ACT 9816 (Barcode: 614427981622) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the debut album by German pianist / composer Joachim KuhnFind albums by this artist and his new trio with Canadian (resident in Paris) bassist Chris JenningsFind albums by this artist (born 1978) and German drummer Eric SchaeferFind albums by this artist (born 1976), which continues the classic Jazz trio setting Kuhn shared for over three decades with French bassist Jean-Francois Jenny-ClarkFind albums by this artist and drummer Daniel HumairFind albums by this artist. The album presents twelve relatively short pieces, four of which are original compositions by Kuhn, five are Jazz standards (two by Polish Jazz composer Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, see below), two are Rock standards (by The DoorsFind albums by this artist) and one is a contemporary Pop song (by Stand High PatrolFind albums by this artist). The trio featuring musicians separated from the leader (born 1944) by a whole generation and more results in a much invigorated approach to the idiom, which seems to present to him no great challenge at all. During his entire career Kuhn had no problem with cross-style / country / age differences, being one of the most diverse and adaptive European musician of all times. For Jazz piano trio lovers this album is, as expected, an absolute must, since Kuhn´s playing remains one of the most illustrious examples of this High Art, and supported respectfully and amicably by excellent younger, but already highly experienced players, Kuhn is ably to stretch his wings and soar to celestial spheres. As to the "Polish angle", the fact that Kuhn decided to include two compositions by Komeda is not accidental. While still living in East Germany and before moving to West Germany, Kuhn spent several months in 1964 living in Prague and in 1965 living in Warsaw, where he met the top Polish Jazz musicians active at the time. He was present as the studio session that produced Komeda´s iconic "AstigmaticFind albums with this title" album and met Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, which resulted in the recording of the legendary "Live At Kosmos, BerlinFind albums with this title" album. Kuhn took part in Warsaw´s Jazz Jamboree Festivals in 1964 and 1965. Overall this is a classic Jazz piano trio album, and another superb addition to the wonderful recording legacy of the Great European Jazz Master. Highly recommended!

Updated: 18/07/2020Posted: 18/07/2020

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ROLF KUHN ~ SOLARIUS EDEL CONTENT 4029759080473 (Barcode: 4029759080473) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz Recorded: 1964 Released: 2012 This is a reissue (first time on CD) of the seminal album by legendary German clarinetist / composer Rolf KuhnFind albums by this artist (born 1929), recorded with a quintet, which also included his younger brother pianist / composer Joachim KuhnFind albums by this artist (born 1944) and bassist Klaus KochFind albums by this artist and two Polish Jazz legends: saxophonist Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist and drummer Czeslaw BartkowskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents six pieces: three original compositions by Rolf Kuhn, two original compositions by Joachim Kuhn and one arrangement of a folk tune. Over the years this album achieved a legendary status and became a highly sought after collector´s item, because of its political implications, as well as being one of the earliest East European Jazz recordings and an important cornerstone of European Jazz in general. The album was recorded three years after the Berlin Wall, which divided the city until 1989, was constructed and served during that period not only as a symbol of division of Germany into two separate States living in a constant state of political tension, but in fact also as a symbol of the imaginary Iron Curtain, which divided the European Continent into two opposing political camps, engaged in the Cold War, which periodically threatened to become "hot". Rolf Kuhn left East Germany (or DDR as it was called at the time) in 1950, shortly after Germany was split into two separate states, and moved to West Germany. For several years he lived and performed in the USA, establishing his position as one of the top clarinet players in the world. Upon his return to West Germany he continued his prolific career. Meanwhile his younger brother Joachim Kuhn lived in DDR and led his own trio, which was a pioneering Free Jazz outfit at the time. The fact that the meeting of the Kuhn brothers captured on this album happened is one of those "against all odds" situations that often happened in East Europe. This was by all means a meeting of the Giants of East European modern Jazz, with Urbaniak arriving from the legendary Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist quintet, Bartkowski from the no less legendary Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist quartet, Koch who played in the Joachim Kuhn trio and finally the two brothers, who despite the age difference are true musical twins. Together the quintet plays some of the best modern European Jazz ever captured on record, with great melodies expanded into lengthy solos played perfectly by all the musicians involved. Listeners familiar with the Polish Jazz scene will find this music quite similar to the Komeda and Namyslowski albums receded around that time, which present the same formula and even sound very similar to this album. Rolf Kuhn plays some of the best Jazz clarinet ever and no true Jazz connoisseur can honestly afford not to have this album in his collection. The rapport and incredible telepathic communication between these musicians, as well as the incredibly tight musical environment that pushed the players to their limits resulted in one of the all time best Jazz albums recorded in East Europe, which lost absolutely nothing of its beauty and incredible power in the five decades that passed since. They don´t make music like that any more, which means this is an absolute must and an essential piece of music history! Side Note: As all the East European countries under the Socialist regime, East Germany, or DDR as it was known at the time, had only one state owned and controlled Music Company, which released most of its productions on the AmigaFind albums on this label label. Among the many Amiga releases the legendary "orange J" series was dedicated to Jazz recordings, many of which were licenses from the West, but others were original productions, mostly of Jazz made in DDR. Some of these releases, like the one described above, were absolute gems. Following the unification of Germany, the Amiga albums disappeared from the face of the earth and only in 2012 a German label reissued 15 Amiga Jazz albums on CD. They are all worth checking out!

Updated: 11/05/2016Posted: 22/03/2016

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SLAWOMIR KULPOWICZ ~ PRIVATE BALET MUSIC POLSKIE RADIO 1249 (Barcode: 5907812242497) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2003 Released: 2013 This is the third installment in a series of releases documenting the recorded legacy of the great Polish Jazz pianist / composer Slawomir KulpowiczFind albums by this artist, most of which is released for the first time. Kulpowicz, who died prematurely in 2008 at the age of 56, was a victim of cancer. He was a member of groups led by the top Polish Jazz players like Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist and led / co-led his own ensembles like The QuartetFind albums by this artist, In-FormationFind albums by this artist and also cooperated with many other musicians over the years. He was an avid follower of John ColtraneFind albums by this artist´s music and kept in touch with Coltrane´s wife Alice ColtraneFind albums by this artist. Following his visit to India, Kulpowicz discovered Indian music and the spiritual aura of India, which became his own. The turn of the Millennium found Kulpowicz as a refined Artist, with years of experience and success already credited to his impressive list of achievements. He was moving away from the traditional Jazz milieu and getting closer to contemporary Classical forms as well as experimenting with World Music influences. This solo piano recital, recorded live, which presents fourteen of his original compositions, is a portrait of a mature performer and composer, who has a complete control over his instrument as well as the ability to create moods and paint musical vistas with an astonishing ease and elegance. Kulpowicz was interested in contemporary Classical music from an early age and although the first phase of his career concentrated on Jazz, the next one was quite different. He composed several pieces, which served as music for ballet and turned out to be a remarkable successful. The music on this album bridges these two phases, as the music clearly shows deep love and respect of the Jazz tradition, but the form is much closer to Classical style, in which these beautiful pieces could be considered as fragments of a suite (in this case an imaginary ballet suite) or other short forms like impressions, variations, etc. Regardless how this music is categorized, the level of amalgamation between Jazz and Classical music achieved here is simply exceptional. Of course solo piano music is often quite difficult and demanding. Less experienced listeners may lack the concentration and dedication required in order to truly appreciate this music in full. This kind of music usually demands repeated listening sessions in order to discover its beauty, elegance and sophistication. On the other hand such investment is usually very well rewarded, as one might expect also in this case. Therefore this music should be taken seriously and relatively gradually, but eventually it will certainly hit the right cords. Wholeheartedly recommended!

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SLAWOMIR KULPOWICZ / SHUJAAT KHAN ~ LIVE POLSKIE RADIO 1250 (Barcode: 5907812242503) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2006 Released: 2013 This is the fourth installment in a series of releases documenting the recorded legacy of the great Polish Jazz pianist / composer Slawomir KulpowiczFind albums by this artist, most of which is released for the first time. Kulpowicz, who died prematurely in 2008 at the age of 56, was a victim of cancer. He was a member of groups led by the top Polish Jazz players like Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist and led / co-led his own ensembles like The QuartetFind albums by this artist, In-FormationFind albums by this artist and also cooperated with many other musicians over the years. He was an avid follower of John ColtraneFind albums by this artist´s music and kept in touch with Coltrane´s wife Alice ColtraneFind albums by this artist. Following his visit to India, Kulpowicz discovered Indian music and the spiritual aura of India, which became his own. Kulpowicz visited India for the first time in 1978, when he was a member of the Zbigniew Namyslowski quartet, which played at the Jazz Yatra in Bombay. At the time he met and befriended a young sitar player Shujaat KhanFind albums by this artist, a descendant of the legendary Khan dynasty of sitar players since hundreds of years. That friendship lasted for almost thirty years as long as Kulpowicz was alive. They played together many times in Poland and abroad. In 1984 Khan visited Poland and recorded a live album with Kulpowicz for the PoljazzFind albums on this label label. The last time they played together was in 2006, when Khan visited Poland again, bringing with him the tabla player Arunangshu ChaudhuryFind albums by this artist. Kulpowicz invited the legendary Polish electric bassist Krzysztof ScieranskiFind albums by this artist and the four played together the music presented on this album, which was recorded live at Warsaw Philharmonic Hall. Considering the fact that European (including Jazz) and Indian music exist on almost completely separate planes, the amalgamation of the two is extremely difficult to achieve. Except for a very few earlier attempts, most importantly the John MayerFind albums by this artist / Joe HarriottFind albums by this artist Indo-Jazz FusionsFind albums by this artist from the late 1960s / early 1970 and the John McLaughlinFind albums by this artist´s ShaktiFind albums by this artist a decade later, which were groundbreaking and musically just right, most of the other attempts resulted in failures. The music included on this album proves again, that the power of music transcends not only cultural borders but also thousands of years of musical tradition, enabling conversations between musicians originating seemingly from worlds apart. The album comprises of just three extended pieces, two of which are about half an hour long and the third a quarter of an hour in duration. Named simply "songs", they are improvisations on melodic themes composed by Kulpowicz, performed wonderfully and in perfect harmony by all four musicians. Khan voices the melody at the onset of each piece and then the musicians take extensive solos in turn, with the full quartet returning to the melodic theme several times between the solos. Kulpowicz plays superbly and his solos are simply outstanding statements in the John Coltrane tradition, emphasizing the close relationship between Coltrane´s music and the Indian influences, which are often difficult to be discovered in his music, but come to wonderful realization when performed by Kulpowicz. There is so much passion in his playing that one suspect that his premonition as to his fate was already hunting him. Khan, who since the early meeting with Kulpowicz achieved a Masterly status in Indian music, is an obvious sitar virtuoso and his solos are also breathtaking. Chaudhury and Scieranski, although a priori destined to fulfill a less dominant role in this music, perform both splendidly and their contributions are invaluable. Scieranski especially is to be prized, as his elegant and delicate bass tones manage to keep a perfect balance with his partners and the music which usually exist without the bass foundation so typical in European music. The music is beautifully recorded and has an outstanding sound quality, especially in view of the fact that it is a live recording. Musically it is one of the finest examples I have ever come across of cross-cultural amalgam that work naturally as "God intended". An absolute must to World-Music enthusiasts and all connoisseurs of great music, regardless of genre, geography or cultural affiliation. Respect!

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

INGA LEWANDOWSKA / KUBA STANKIEWICZ ~ ULICE WIELKICH MIAST – BALLADY AGNIESZKI OSIECKIEJ INTRO 003 (Barcode: 5907592167027) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1999 Released: 1999 This is an absolutely brilliant album in the Jazz & Poetry vein, for which the Polish Jazz scene is so famous and in which it excels since its early days. Vocalist Inga LewandowskaFind albums by this artist performs eleven songs, all of which share the author of their lyrics, the Polish poetess Agnieszka OsieckaFind albums by this artist, an iconic figure of the post-WWII Polish Culture and author of over 2000 song lyrics. Lewandowska and pianist / composer Kuba StankiewiczFind albums by this artist, who also beautifully arranged all the songs on this album, chose mostly Jazz-related material, which features Osiecka´s lyrics and was written by some of the most prominent figures on the Polish Jazz scene, like Wlodzimierz NahornyFind albums by this artist, Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist, Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and others. Stankiewicz composed two of the songs presented here. The vocalist is accompanied by a quintet of excellent musicians, which include in addition to Stankiewicz also trumpeter Piotr WojtasikFind albums by this artist, trombonist Grzegorz NagorskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Darek OleszkiewiczFind albums by this artist and Austrian drummer Mario GonziFind albums by this artist. The quintet provides superb support to the vocalist but also plays extended instrumental passages, which are simply exquisite examples of European Jazz lyricism. Especially notable is the delicate and sympathetic work by the piano and the "singing" bass solos, for which Oleszkiewicz is world famous. One of the songs presents a vocals / bass duet, which is a true classic! Lewandowska does a splendid job, utilizing more of the Polish Jazz vocal tradition firmly established by legendary performers like Ewa Demarczyk and Wanda Warska, rather than trying to be more up to date, which altogether works in her favor. That time of expressive, melancholic singing, in which every breath matters and every syllable is clearly pronounced and is perfectly audible is a rarity and I wish the new generation of Polish Jazz vocalists would pay more respect to that "lost" Art form. The songs are mostly low key, as the title suggests and Lewandowska cleverly avoids any flashy exhibitionism, staying well within the established milieu, which is chick and elegant. In many respects listening to this album feels like an "end of an era". It was, after all, recorded at the very closing of the 20th Century and seems, in retrospect, to be the last of its kind, a tribute to the days when Polish Jazz experienced its first golden era, associated with intellectual, artistic and often revolutionary spring, which was soon over. I am glad I discovered this wonderful gem, although late, but nevertheless most enthusiastically. It is little known, as it managed to hide from me for so long, but should be studied, as already mentioned, by all upcoming vocalist, as it is a classic point of reference. It is also an absolute must for every Polish Jazz connoisseur, anywhere on this planet.

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LESZEK MOZDZER ~ PIANO ARMS 01 (Barcode: 5907445298007) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1997 Released: 2004 This is a solo piano album by Polish pianist / composer Leszek MozdzerFind albums by this artist, one of the most famous Polish Jazz musicians worldwide with a distinguished legacy of playing with top Polish (Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist) and international (Pat MethenyFind albums by this artist) Jazz musicians. On this album Mozdzer presents twelve solo piano pieces, seven of which are his original compositions, two are standards and the rest are his interpretations of Classical or folk music. With his classical training and seemingly impressive technique, his performances are way to flashy to be considered seriously. No wander this album was the best selling Jazz album in Poland.

Updated: 01/12/2021Posted:

CD 1 Gold Recommend To A Friend

JANUSZ MUNIAK ~ QUESTION MARK (POLISH JAZZ VOL.54) MUZA 1054 (Barcode: 5907783420542) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1978 Released: 2007 This is the debut album as a leader by the great Polish saxophonist / composer Janusz MuniakFind albums by this artist, one of the forefathers of modern Polish Jazz. His legacy includes the membership in such legendary Polish ensembles as those led by Andrzej TrzaskowskiFind albums by this artist, Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist and Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist as well as leading his own groups. He is accompanied here by his quintet, which includes pianist Pawel PerlinskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Marek BlizinskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Andrzej DechnikFind albums by this artist and drummer Jerzy BezuchaFind albums by this artist, all excellent players themselves. Muniak has a completely unique, natural style of improvisation, which is passionate and highly expressive, putting him somewhat aside in a class of his own besides the other distinguished Polish saxophonists, like Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist for example. His compositions incorporate beautifully Polish folklore and the Jazz tradition, often unintentionally, but always brilliantly. This is on of the strongest albums in the legendary Polish Jazz series, which is a very high distinction by any standard. This is a must to lovers of Polish and Eastern-European Jazz and a timeless masterpiece.

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

JACEK NAMYSLOWSKI ~ MODERATE HASTE BKQ 004 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2015 This is the debut album as a leader by Polish Jazz trombonist / composer Jacek NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, which comes rather late in his career as he has been active on the local scene for quite a while. He is a son of the legendary Polish Jazz figure saxophonist / composer Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, and since several years has been a member of his father´s ensemble, as well as several other projects. The album was recorded in a classic quintet lineup with saxophonist Lukasz PoprawskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Lukasz OjdanaFind albums by this artist, bassist Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel DobrowolskiFind albums by this artist. It presents seven original compositions, all by the leader (although the album´s packaging says nothing about this, I assume it is so). The album was recorded at the excellent Studio Tokarnia, engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, with spectacular sonic quality. The music is kept well within the mainstream Jazz milieu, which means solid melodic themes expanded to make room for solos by the ensemble members, with relatively steady rhythmic approach and no great surprises. The compositions are all well rounded and based on fine melodic themes, mostly lyrical and somewhat melancholic. This is definitely well crafted music, intelligent and subtle, which does not try to create flashy impressions but asks for attentive listening. In some respects it is somewhat similar to the music which Zbigniew Namyslowski wrote in the early days of his career, but does not venture into folkloristic influences, staying firmly within the well threaded Jazz path. The individual performances are all quite excellent, as these are first-class experienced and gifted musicians. Namyslowski plays beautifully and demonstrates a personal voice, which is not easy to achieve for such a difficult instrument as the trombone. Poprawski plays several fiery solos; the young Ojdana demonstrates his exceptional ability once again, turning every little solo of his into an instant gem. The rhythm section does a perfect job driving the music forward steadily and smoothly with flair and obvious sensitivity. Overall this is pleasant, well rounded mainstream Jazz album, with good music and excellent performances, which should make every Jazz fan happy. People looking for more adventurous outings might find this music somewhat "outdated", but honestly every candid and well played Jazz album has its place and its audience. Definitely worth investigating!

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

ZBIGNIEW NAMYSLOWSKI ~ AIR CONDITION POLJAZZ / ANEX 317 (Barcode: 5907513047728) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1980 Released: 2009 One of the Godfathers of Polish Jazz, saxophonist Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, remained firmly in the position of the leading Jazz figure in his country for several generations. Starting in the early 1960s as member of the legendary Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist quintet and later leading his own groups, Namyslowski kept his ears open constantly to follow the developments on the ever changing worldwide Jazz scene and his groups always included young talented players, who became his disciples. The group Air ConditionFind albums by this artist included the immensely talented keyboardist Wladyslaw SendeckiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Dariusz KozakiewiczFind albums by this artist, bassist Krzysztof ScieranskiFind albums by this artist and an extended percussion section, and played a kind of Jazz-Funk, which could move an elephant´s ass, not falling behind any of the US groups playing in the same vein. This album was intended for the US market, where it was released (along with several other Polish Jazz albums) by the Inner CityFind albums on this label label, admittedly without much commercial success. As usual, Americans were simply not ready to recognize any kind of Jazz happening outside of their home turf. In retrospect, this album is still a lot of fun and as Funky as they get. Sendecki´s keyboard wizardry is stunning, as always, and the leader plays plenty of nasty sax chops. Recommended!

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

ZBIGNIEW NAMYSLOWSKI ~ ASSYMETRY NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2006 Released: 2006 This is a brilliant album by veteran Polish saxophonist / composer Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, one of the Founding Fathers of modern Polish Jazz active on the scene since the late 1950s. First as a member of the legendary Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist ensemble and later as a leader, Namyslowski was always a superb musician and an intriguing composer. His early work was often characterized by incorporating Polish folklore motifs into his compositions, which was highly unusual at the time in US or Western Europe, but relatively common behind the Iron Curtain. This amazing album, as the (slightly twisted) title suggests, is all about odd meters, you know all those 7/4, 5/4, 7/8 and other crazy rhythmic patterns that only highly skilled musicians are able to play correctly. As much as they are a nightmare to play, they are surely a wonder to listen to and enjoy and this albums offers nine lengthy tunes, one better that the other. Performed by a brilliant quintet: trombonist Jacek NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist (yes the next generation), pianist Slawomir JaskulkeFind albums by this artist, bassist Michal BaranskiFind albums by this artist and drummers Grzegorz GrzybFind albums by this artist and Pawel DobrowolskiFind albums by this artist (on two tracks only), the music is simply divine, clever and enjoyable, all at the same time, which of course id pretty rare. It certainly seems that Namyslowski is getting younger with age, a rare quality indeed. Brilliant!

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ZBIGNIEW NAMYSLOWSKI ~ DANCES POLONIA 133 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 1997 Released: 1997 This album by veteran Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist summarizes many years of his career by concentrating on one of the most important characteristics of his music: the symbiosis of Jazz and World Music, or more precisely Jazz and folklore, as represented by dances from different regions. The album comprises of fourteen original compositions by Namyslowski, all of which are based on specific dance rhythms, like tango, waltz and samba or Polish folk dances like mazurka, kujawiak and oberek. Several of the compositions included on this album are new arrangements of compositions recorded and released previously over time. The music is performed by a quartet, which besides Namyslowski, who plays saxophone, flute and trombone (his original instrument) includes also pianist Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, bassists Olgierd WalickiFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz GrzybFind albums by this artist. Three additional players expand the lineup to a septet: accordionist Cezary PaciorekFind albums by this artist, violinist Maciej StrzelczykFind albums by this artist and percussionist Jose TorresFind albums by this artist. A Cuban percussion group guests on one tune (obviously the samba). Namyslowski´s ability to compose melodies, which fit the various rhythms and meters, including some very odd meters indeed, is absolutely phenomenal. This album is full of such clever tunes, which happen also to be delightful and sound completely "easy" in spite of their complex and capricious nature. The actual performance is of course first-rate, as always with ensembles led by Namyslowski, who is very strict and meticulous as far as playing is concerned. In many respects this is the most unconventional album ever recorded by Namyslowski in which Jazz plays still a central role, but is intertwined with the folkloristic elements so tightly, that is sounds often like a soundtrack to a documentary produced by National Geographic. Jazz connoisseurs will find this album absolutely charming in every respect, even though it covers musical ground not habitually associated with Jazz. It might be very difficult to find, but I urge every Polish Jazz enthusiast to lay their hand on a copy of this gem. Listening to this music is such a great fun!

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ZBIGNIEW NAMYSLOWSKI ~ FOLLOW YOU KITE WARNER MUSIC POLAND 190296307577 (Barcode: 190296307577) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1980 Released: 2022 This is a reissue / remaster of an album by the Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer / bandleader and a Godfather figure on the local scene, Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, recorded with his sextet called Air ConditionFind albums by this artist, which also included keyboardist Wladyslaw SendeckiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Dariusz KozakiewiczFind albums by this artist, bass guitarist Krzysztof ScieranskiFind albums by this artist, drummer Wojciech KowalewskiFind albums by this artist and percussionist Jerzy TanskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents six original compositions, all by the leader. The album was one of the very few Polish Jazz recordings released at the time, which were not included in the legendary “Polish Jazz” series, and was now released in the new “Polish Jazz Masters” series. The music is all on the lighter side of the Jazz spectrum, supposedly part of the flourishing Fusion movement, that arrived in Poland a bit later than in Europe and even in other countries behind the Iron Curtain. Namyslowski, deeply rooted in the modern Jazz and Jazz-World Fusion genres, embraced Fusion following his short stint in the US, but that love affair was short lived. The same lineup recorded the same year another album, with included different material, called simply “Air ConditionFind albums with this title”, which was released by the PoljazzFind albums on this label label and also by Inner City in the US. But as always with Namyslowski, he was able to weave immensely beautiful tunes, with strong melodic lines, which were ideal vehicles for his sidemen to show their chops. The absolute star of this album is the very young and insanely talented keyboardist Wladyslaw Sendecki, who was to become one of top polish Jazz pianists in the years to come. His keyboards parts, especially those played on the acoustic piano, are still absolutely stunning. Although Namyslowski was not a Fusion player, Scieranski was the epitome of Funk, and his bass playing is what gives this album the Fusiony tinge. Kozakiewicz, who is a brilliant Blues / Blues-Rock guitarist, is sadly lost here as this musical environment is not really his cup of tea. Overall, this is a very nice historic Polish Jazz album, with great tunes and excellent performances by these splendid musicians, which is always great to return to, when in a nostalgic mood. The music lost nothing of its slick musicality and the reissue is a great tribute to Namyslowski, who sadly died in 2022.

Updated: 11/04/2023Posted: 11/04/2023

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

ZBIGNIEW NAMYSLOWSKI ~ LIVE AT KOSMOS, BERLIN ITM 920007 (Barcode: 4250079750061) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1965 Released: 2008 This is an iconic recording by the Polish Jazz quartet led by saxophonist Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, with German pianist Joachim KuhnFind albums by this artist, bassist Janusz KozlowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Czeslaw BartkowskiFind albums by this artist. Recorded live on November 30, 1965 at the East Berlin Kosmos cinema, this is a quintessential piece of Polish and European modern Jazz history. Of the eight compositions present on this album, seven are by Namyslowski and one is by Kuhn. In order to fully comprehend the meaning of the music captured here, one must in fact look at (and hear) three separate recordings by the Zbigniew Namyslowski quartet spanning a mere one and a half year period, which fully present the history of the Polish Jazz in the making. Starting with the album "LolaFind albums with this title", recorded in August 1964 in London, which was the first Jazz album recorded and released beyond the Iron Curtain by an East European artists, followed by this album from late 1965 and finally by the album "Zbigniew Namyslowski QuartetFind albums with this title" recorded in January 1966, which was Namyslowski´s first recording released as part of the legendary "Polish Jazz" Series. In the liner notes accompanying this album German critic / historian Bert NoglikFind albums by this artist describes the historic background and the enormous significance of the modern Polish Jazz, which developed independently, almost isolated from the sources of information and influences, reliant only on sporadic radio broadcasts, few LPs trickling illegally and played till they were flat and ever rarer visits abroad. The fact that the Polish Jazz scene was so incredibly vibrant, inventive and beyond all revolutionary is one of the greatest miracles, which escape any attempt of logical or sociological explanation. But the fact remains that Namyslowski and many other Polish Jazz musicians spontaneously re-invented modern Jazz by daring to go where nobody ventured before. The presence of the German pianist / composer Joachim Kuhn is another fabulous bonus. Kuhn would of course become one of the great leaders of the German Jazz scene in the years to come, but first he drifted where the great East European Jazz revolution was happening, living in 1964 in Czechoslovakia and playing with the legendary SHQFind albums by this artist led by Karel VelebnyFind albums by this artist and then moved to Poland, where he lived in 1965 and met Namyslowski, only to be invited to sit in the piano chair of his quartet. The following year Kuhn, like many other fellow East German musicians, would move over to the West and develop a fabulous musical career of his own. The music is, of course, absolutely brilliant and the live setting allows for a considerably less constrained treatment of the themes, allowing for truly expanded improvisations, one of which goes beyond the half hour mark, something which was completely unthinkable earlier on. Again, when examining the three a.m. albums, it is interesting to see how the same compositions developed, which of them survived and which were dropped and most interestingly noting Namyslowski´s fascination with odd meters, which would become his trademark. Drummer Bartkowski, who is the only musician present on all the three a.m. recordings alongside Namyslowski, is an outstanding example of how these young musicians developed rapidly, almost overnight. His contribution is an integral part of the music. Bassist Kozlowski, who plays on this album, was also present on the studio album recorded a few months later. His performance is also absolutely top notch. Surprisingly enough, the sound quality is very decent compared to other archival recordings of that period, which enhances the overall experience of listening to these fabulous recordings. In all honesty there have been very few other archival Polish Jazz discoveries, if any at all, which are comparable to this monumental document. The fact that this music was buried for over forty years is a crime, but now that it finally sees the light of day, all serious music connoisseurs should be absolutely delighted. Such gems are as rare as the Koh-i-Noor and should be treated accordingly. Absolutely essential!

Updated: 18/07/2020Posted:

CD 2 Slipcase Essential Recommend To A Friend

ZBIGNIEW NAMYSLOWSKI ~ LOLA GOWI 30 (Barcode: 786497164622) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1964 Released: 1996 This sensational album was the first Jazz recording made behind the Iron Curtain ever to be released in Western Europe. Considering all this happened in 1964 (with the Cold War raging between the West and the East) it was a truly momentous occasion. Saxophonist Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, aged 25 at the time, as well as the other members of his quartet: pianist Wlodek GulgowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Tadeusz WojcikFind albums by this artist and drummer Czeslaw BartkowskiFind albums by this artist (all three aged 21) were representatives of the first generation of post-WWII Polish Jazz, which was developing with at a feverish paste in spite of the serious limitations of personal and artistic freedom prevailing in their country. Against all adds Polish Jazz was rapidly becoming a force, which could not be ignored, creating some of the most interesting and revolutionary music ever. Led by the great pianist / composer Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, the Godfather of modern Polish Jazz, the scene exploded with talent and extraordinary inventiveness, which is splendidly documented by this album, among others. Just a year after this album was recorded Namyslowski would record with Komeda, his Mentor, as a member of his quintet the album "AstigmaticFind albums with this title", probably the most important Eastern European Jazz album ever made. But back to this wonderful recording; Namyslowski composed five of the eight pieces on this album, Gulgowski composed two others and one is a standard. His compositions are brilliant in every respect, superbly melodic and often incorporating folkloristic motifs, which was quite prophetic at the time. The level of musicianship is simply stunning and highly inspired, with the overall atmosphere reminiscent of John Coltrane albums, which is hardly surprising considering he was of course Namyslowski´s biggest influence. Listening to this album it´s almost impossible to believe that it was made almost 50 years ago – this music is completely resistant to time. I still remember listening to it, being just 13 years of age, and I´m still deeply moved every time I hear it again. A masterpiece in every respect and an essential piece of music, forever! Side Note: This album was originally released in UK on the Decca label and went quickly out of print. Over the years it became an extremely rare and sought after collectors´ item, especially in Poland. This CD edition is therefore a blessing!

CD 1 Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend

ZBIGNIEW NAMYSLOWSKI ~ MOZART GOES JAZZ JAZZ FORUM 019 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 1998 Released: 1999 This is probably the least known as well as most unusual album by veteran Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer / band leader Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, who is associated with the local scene continuously since the late 1950s. The album consists of a live recording captured by the Polish Radio, which presents a Jazz arrangement of Wolfgang Amadeus MozartFind albums by this artist´s Clarinet Concerto in A major, K 622, performed by Namyslowski´s quartet, clarinetist Wojciech MrozekFind albums by this artist and the CamerataFind albums by this artist string quartet. The Zbigniew Namyslowski quartet at the time of the recording included also pianist Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, bassist Olgierd WalickiFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz GrzybFind albums by this artist. Mozart´s masterpiece, which was his last completed work before his untimely death, consists of three movements, but this extended interpretation adds five more "variations". All the pieces were arranged by Namyslowski, except the middle movement of the original concerto, which was arranged by Herdzin. Of course this is by far not the first attempt of creating Classical-Jazz Fusion, which has been attempted countless times before. The matching of these often distant musical idioms is probably the most perilous area, and this album is a "classic" (pun intended) example why. The idea behind such attempts is of course to fuse the two idioms and create an amalgam, which somehow manages to preserve the best of both ingredients and create a new flavor, previously unknown. Sadly the music presented here fails completely in that sense, as far as I am concerned. The resulting music mixes Mozart´s melodic themes with Jazz rhythms and improvisations, but the resulting music simply sounds unsavory. Sort of "pickles with marmalade", which makes sense to pregnant women only. Of course Namyslowski and his crew are all wonderful musicians and perform spotlessly all the way through, as do their Classical counterparts. There are many showcases of splendid musicianship and inspired soloing. However the overall atmosphere simply doesn´t let one enjoy this music. Mozart dancing calypso is simply not my cup of rum… But considering Namyslowski´s remarkably long and otherwise spotless career and tremendous contribution to Polish Jazz, this excursion is easily forgiven, as it is forgotten.

Updated: 08/09/2021Posted:

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

ZBIGNIEW NAMYSLOWSKI ~ NAMYSLOVSKI INNER CITY 1048 (Barcode: 077712710480) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Funk Fusion Recorded: 1977 Released: 2010 This is a reissue of the first of the two albums by the Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer / bandleader Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist released by the American Inner CityFind albums on this label label. He is accompanied by Polish Jazz musicians: pianist Slawomir KulpowiczFind albums by this artist, bassist Pawel JarzebskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Janusz StefanskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Namyslowski. Namyslowski, who was one of the Godfathers of the modern Polish Jazz scene and remained one of its prominent leaders for decades, was a musical pioneer, who introduced into Polish Jazz innovations such as Jazz-World Fusion and other attempts to fuse Jazz with different musical genres. He was a prolific composer and an educator, and his groups were one of the most important “stables’, producing generation after generation of young Polish Jazz musicians. The music on this album presents some of his cross-genre explorations, and of course the incredibly high level of the Polish Jazz musicians, which was a complete surprise for American Jazz listeners, who mostly completely dismissed Jazz originating from outside of the US. Namyslowski was brought to the attention of the Inner City label by Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist, who recorded an album for the label a short time before this album was released. Overall, this is a brilliant album, which withstands the test of time without any problem. It documents the attempt of Polish Jazz musicians to develop a career in the USA, which in retrospect achieved a very limited success, and led to almost all of them returning to Poland, leaving no impact whatsoever on the American Jazz scene, which of course is hardly surprising. However, it produced some memorable recordings, this being one of them. For Polish Jazz fans this is a gem worth visiting!

Updated: 23/05/2022Posted: 23/05/2022

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

ZBIGNIEW NAMYSLOWSKI ~ NICE & EASY ITM 14125 (Barcode: 4250079711253) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2008 Released: 2009 This superb album by Polish saxophonist / composer Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist was recorded with a quintet comprising of young musicians including his son trombonist Jacek NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Slawomir JaskulkeFind albums by this artist, bassist Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz GrzybFind albums by this artist. It presents ten new original compositions by Namyslowski. It was recorded at the excellent Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist – a guarantee of sonic fidelity. At the time of the recording Namyslowski was almost seventy years old, being one of the few remaining last Mohicans of the first post-WWII Polish Jazz generation still active on the local scene. There is absolutely no evidence on this recording of Namyslowski´s age, surely not in the negative sense. He seems to be completely confident both as a composer and a performer and stands hip to hip with the "youngsters" not giving up an inch. It is hard to believe that the same person took part in the legendary 2nd Sopot Jazz Festival in 1957 and was a member of the Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist quintet that recorded "AstigmaticFind albums with this title" in 1965, and yet these are just a few of Namyslowski´s amazing career milestones. Namyslowski´s compositions were always his forte, as he manages consistently to present a completely unique musical signature, which includes many different characteristics, like the odd meters he so often uses or the unexpected tempo changes, all those on top of beautifully structured melodies, which are simply magnificent. Therefore the musicians playing with him are supplied with a perfect vehicle for their respective solos. Although the music conceptually belongs to mainstream Jazz, it always comes with a twist which makes it anything but predictable or simplistic. On the contrary these tunes take a while to get used to and have a wonderful quality of growing on the listener with every listening session. The quintet performs like a dream, obviously inspired and directed by the Master. These young and extremely talented musicians keep the splendid tradition of the Polish Jazz alive and kicking, this time also learning from the best. Namyslowski continues his tradition to lead groups comprising of young musicians, which keep him invigorated and at the same time serve as a hothouse growing generation after generation of new players. The album was released on the German ITM label and the album´s booklet includes liner notes by the excellent Jazz critic Bert Noglik, who is familiar with Namyslowski´s music since many years. All in all this is a superb modern Jazz album, which should keep happy even the sternest Jazz connoisseurs, and of course deserves a honorable place in any serious Jazz collection alongside the earlier albums by this great Artists. A must!

CD 1 Slipcase Recommend To A Friend

ZBIGNIEW NAMYSLOWSKI ~ OPEN (POLISH JAZZ VOL.74) POLSKIE RADIO 0540 (Barcode: 5901448115408) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1987 Released: 2005 This is a superb album by Polish Jazz veteran, saxophonist / composer Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, recorded with a great quintet which includes pianist Kuba StankiewiczFind albums by this artist, bassist Darek OleszkiewiczFind albums by this artist, drummer Jerzy GlodFind albums by this artist and percussionist Jose TorresFind albums by this artist. All the music, except for one standard, was composed by Namyslowski, who seems to be completely untouched by time, full of creative and performing powers and always at the edge of latest Jazz developments. It is his music, which is the true magic here, and although his performances as well as those of the other players are all excellent, the music is immediately recognizable as Polish Jazz, which is hardly surprising when coming from one of the Godfathers of the genre. It was always Namyslowski´s ability to create a perfect link between the Jazz tradition and Polish folklore, which is deeply embedded in his cultural background, which made him a model for a new breed of European Jazz players, those who would stand proudly and say that they can contribute something new and fresh to the already established tradition of American Jazz and make it their own. In retrospect this is another milestone recording in the long and glorious recorded legacy that Namyslowski managed to bestow upon us, and hopefully will be also enjoyed by future generations. A must!

CD 1 Digipak Oversampling Remastered Recommend To A Friend

ZBIGNIEW NAMYSLOWSKI ~ POLISH RADIO JAZZ ARCHIVES VOL.28 POLSKIE RADIO 2060 (Barcode: 5907812245849) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1983 Released: 2017 This is the twenty-eighths installment in the series of releases initiated by the Polish Radio, which presents archive Jazz recordings from the radio vaults. Radio recordings are always a fabulous source of remarkable material, and as far as Polish Jazz history is concerned, the Polish Radio, which was a state monopoly for 45 years, recorded over time a plethora of invaluable material, which apart from the albums released by the Polskie Nagrania record company (also a state monopoly), is the only available additional source of Polish Jazz recordings. For many years Polish Radio recorded concerts presented during Poland´s most important Jazz venues, including the annual Jazz Jamboree Festival and many other festivals as well. The tracks presented here were recorded live in October 1983 during the twenty-fifth edition of Jazz Jamboree Festival in Warsaw and present the quintet led by one of the Godfathers of Polish Jazz, saxophonist Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, called Air ConditionFind albums by this artist, which also included pianist Wojciech GogolewskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Marek BlizinskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Jan CichyFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam LewandowskiFind albums by this artist. The quintet performs seven original compositions, all composed by Namyslowski. Namyslowski is one of the very few Polish Jazz musicians who have appeared consistently on the local scene since the 1950s and kept their music up to date over time, pioneering trends and new developments. Over the years his many groups featured the ever young talents of the heart and soul of the Polish Jazz community. This recording is a great document of that phenomenon, showing Namyslowski´s Air Condition group, which was active in the early 1980s, recorded several excellent albums and toured worldwide. Although the group changed its lineup quite often, it was always excellent. This particular lineup recorded only one studio album, which was only released in Greece, which makes this recording especially valuable. For Namyslowski´s many fans around the world and Polish Jazz enthusiasts this is an absolute must! The beautifully restored sound quality is excellent and the warm ambience of the analog recording is a true joy. As usual with this series, which is very reasonably priced, I miss the presence of "in depth" liner notes / booklet, which should convey the circumstances at which this music was recorded and its importance to the development of Jazz in Poland. Nevertheless this is an absolutely essential piece of Jazz history which every Jazz fan will surely consider an absolute must.

Updated: 05/05/2017Posted: 05/05/2017

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

ZBIGNIEW NAMYSLOWSKI ~ POLISH RADIO JAZZ ARCHIVES VOL.36 POLSKIE RADIO 2422-2423 (Barcode: 5907812247720) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1974 - 1995 Released: 2023 This is the thirty-sixth installment in the series of releases initiated by the Polish Radio, which presents archive Jazz recordings from the radio vaults. Radio recordings are always a fabulous source of remarkable material, and as far as Polish Jazz history is concerned, the Polish Radio, which was a state monopoly for 45 years, recorded over time a plethora of invaluable material, which apart from the albums released by the Polskie Nagrania record company (also a state monopoly), is the only available additional source of Polish Jazz recordings of that period. For many years Polish Radio recorded concerts presented during Poland´s most important Jazz venues, including the annual Jazz Jamboree Festival and many other festivals as well. The music on this album presents radio recordings of live performances by one of Godfathers of Polish Jazz, saxophonist / composer / bandleader Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, who sadly departed recently (February 2022), paying tribute to his artistry. Namyslowski was active on the scene since the late 1950s and his music embraced diverse environments, playing Jazz in all its forms and idioms, between Traditional Jazz and Jazz-Rock Fusion. The 2CD album presents nineteen tracks recorded between 1974 and 1995 which are a wonderful collection spanning his various activities. Namyslowski composed all but one of these tracks. The first four tracks on CD1, recorded in 1974, feature a quintet with saxophonist / flautist Janusz MuniakFind albums by this artist, pianist Wojciech KarolakFind albums by this artist, bassist Pawel JarzebskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Czeslaw BartkowskiFind albums by this artist. The next four tracks on CD1, recorded in 1975, feature a sextet with saxophonist Tomasz SzukalskiFind albums by this artist, Karolak, Jarzebski, drummer Kazimierz JonkiszFind albums by this artist and percussionist Jerzy BartzFind albums by this artist. The first four tracks on CD2, recorded in 1992, feature a quartet with pianist Leszek MozdzerFind albums by this artist, bassist Zbigniew WegehauptFind albums by this artist and drummer Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist. The last seven tracks on CD2, recorded in 1995, feature a quintet with the same lineup as the quartet above, with the addition of trumpeter Piotr WojtasikFind albums by this artist. The fact that five of the musicians playing on this album (Namyslowski, Muniak, Karolak, Szukalski and Wegehaupt) are no longer with us is a sad reminder of the phenomenon of the first generation of the Polish Jazz scene disappearing. The series, which was brought back to life after three years of absence, offers an upgraded packaging, which finally offers bi-lingual liner notes, fitting the importance of this music. The beautifully restored sound quality is excellent and the warm ambience of the analog recording is a true joy. Overall this is an absolutely essential piece of Jazz history which every Jazz fan should consider as a must.

Updated: 25/03/2023Posted: 25/03/2023

CD 2 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

ZBIGNIEW NAMYSLOWSKI ~ STANDARDS NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2003 Released: 2003 This is a very unusual album by veteran Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, which finds him performing standards, whereas he usually performs only his own compositions. Of the eleven tracks present on this album, ten are standards and one is a composition by Namyslowski, based on the harmonic structure of a well known standard, with a different meter. All the ten standards have been elaborately arranged by Namyslowski, taking them in some cases quite far away from the origin. The music is performed by a superb quartet, which finds the leader in the company of pianist Slawomir JaskulkeFind albums by this artist, bassist Krzysztof PacanFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz GrzybFind albums by this artist. Namyslowski´s son Jacek NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist guests on three tracks and trumpeter Piotr WojtasikFind albums by this artist guests on one. The album is an absolute masterpiece from start to finish: the arrangements are innovative and intelligent, the performances are perfect and the overall level of artistry is simply overwhelming. Namyslowski again proves that time means absolutely nothing as far as he´s concerned and he is still the Grand Master of Polish Jazz, at least as far as modern mainstream Jazz is concerned. The album shows yet again his role as a Godfather, with his group over and over again featuring young and upcoming musicians, who play with him for a period of time before going their own way and becoming leaders on their own right. Namyslowski´s playing never ceases to amaze me; for the last half a century (and more) he sounds confident, stable and beautifully creative. I only wish he´ll continue to be this way forever. The pianist Slawomir Jaskulke is the great surprise of this album, as his very modernist and forceful style, which he displayed on his early recordings, has been "tamed" by the leader and his ability to change styles from early Jazz to modern compositions and perform all of them equally fluently with virtuosic ability is very impressive. Overall this is a wonderful album, which should put a smile on the face of every Jazz connoisseur in this planet. There is no way one could not enjoy this music, both intellectually and emotionally. These standards never sounded better that here, dressed up, invigorated and revitalized, thank to the genius of Namyslowski, which rejects the tides of time and keeps alive and kicking. This is an absolute delight. Respect!

CD 1 Slipcase Recommend To A Friend

ZBIGNIEW NAMYSLOWSKI ~ THE LAST CONCERT POLONIA 002 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1991 Released: 1992 This is a brilliant album by veteran Polish saxophonist / composer Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, one of the pillars of modern Jazz in his country. A superb player and a gifted composer, Namyslowski first as a member of the Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist´s group and later as a leader of his numerous ensembles created excellent music and served as a model to generations of Jazz players in his country. This album, one of very few live recordings by Namyslowski, was captured at Warsaw´s Jazz Jamboree festival and features one of the strongest quartets Namyslowski ever led, with pianist Janusz SkowronFind albums by this artist, bassist Zbigniew WegehauptFind albums by this artist and drummer Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist. Violinist Maciej StrzelczykFind albums by this artist joins the quartet on a couple of tunes. All seven compositions performed are by Namyslowski and portray his wonderful sense of melody, polyrhythmic approach and tendency to incorporate World Music elements in his music. Two of the tracks are over 10 minutes long, which allows plenty of space for extensive improvisations. I have no idea why this album is entitled "The Last ConcertFind albums with this title" (perhaps this was the last concert with this particular quartet?), as this certainly wasn´t Namyslowski´s last live performance and he´s still playing brilliantly twenty years later, to the delight to his many admirers and fans, as well as writing great music. For lovers of Polish Jazz, this is an absolute classic, which should be a part of any decent Jazz collection. Highly recommended!

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

ZBIGNIEW NAMYSLOWSKI ~ WINOBRANIE (POLISH JAZZ VOL.33) MUZA 933 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1973 Released: 2004 This album by Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist is considered by many as a great peak in his long career. His abilities as an improviser and his skills as a composer come together in order to create a perfect modern jazz recording. The 3 brass instruments (2 saxes and trombone) and the pianoless rhythm section all work in perfect unison with amazing interplay and scary solos chasing one after another. One can find of course influences by John ColtraneFind albums by this artist and Ornette ColemanFind albums by this artist, but this is truly original in every sense. A masterpiece!

CD 1 Digipak Oversampling Remastered Recommend To A Friend

ZBIGNIEW NAMYSLOWSKI ~ ZBIGNIEW NAMYSLOWSKI QUARTET (POLISH JAZZ VOL.06) MUZA 306 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1966 Polish saxophone giant Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist was an original member of the Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist Quintet and his international status as a jazz virtuoso is well established. Namyslowski plays in an astounding variety of styles, from melodic to free, always with dexterity, passion and superb timing. He is also a most gifted composer and his ability to incorporate Polish folk tunes into his modern jazz compositions is truly astounding. This album from 1966 is his first Polish recording, after a debut album recorded in UK a year earlier. All the compositions are originals and the performances brilliant. This was a true giant step in the development of the Polish Jazz scene.

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

ZBIGNIEW NAMYSLOWSKI / REMY FILIPOVITCH ~ GO! ALBUM 66919 (Barcode: 4022685201226) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2003 Released: 2003 This is a recording by Polish Jazz veteran Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and his quartet: pianist Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, bassist Olgierd WalickiFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz GrzybFind albums by this artist, with the Lithuanian saxophonist Remy FilipovitchFind albums by this artist as a co-leader. They perform nine original compositions, six of which are by Namyslowski and the remaining three by Filipovitch. Although excellently played by all the musicians involved, the album brings little adventure to the listeners. Namyslowski´s compositions are brilliant, but they are not new and were recorded previously on other albums. The two saxophonists cooperate very little except for a few unisono statements of the themes, soloing separately and not playing against each other or soloing together or even exchanging licks. Therefore the whole idea of a double-sax front line seems to be missed completely here. Nevertheless this is still Namyslowski and a bunch of first-class players so the music sounds great and is a classic example of European modern mainstream Jazz at its best. With two saxophones up front the rhythm section gets naturally a bit less opportunity to shine, but Herdzin manages to squeeze in a few very nice piano solos. Walicki and Grzyb support the soloists steadfastly, as always. Perhaps not the strongest album in Namyslowski´s lifelong and legendary legacy, but then again nothing he should regret or be ashamed of. Polish Jazz fans will find this a pleasant addition to their collection.

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

ZBIGNIEW NAMYSLOWSKI ~ 3 NIGHTS POLONIA 174/176 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1998 Released: 1999 This album by Polish Jazz Colossus saxophonist Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist documents a live recording captured during three consecutive nights at the legendary Warsaw Jazz Club "Akwarium". Accompanied by his regular (at the time) quartet, with pianist Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, bassist Olgierd WalickiFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz GrzybFind albums by this artist, as well as guest musicians: trumpeter Piotr WojtasikFind albums by this artist, trombonist Grzegorz NagorskiFind albums by this artist, accordionist Cezary PaciorekFind albums by this artist and percussionist Jose TorresFind albums by this artist, Namyslowski played a different program each night, which comprised entirely of his original compositions, twenty three of them in total. Although not intended as such, this recording is a sort of retrospective, both for Namyslowski the composer and Namyslowski the player. Approaching the age of sixty Namyslowski celebrated four decades of activity on the local and international scenes: recording some of the Polish Jazz milestone albums, grooming generations of Jazz musicians and playing countless concerts, an impressive record, which only very few other musicians share with him. Among the compositions performed one can find a few of his early tunes, going over thirty years back before the date of this recording, as well as some recently composed ones. The three nights seem to have quite a different character, although it´s difficult to guess if that was intended. The first night is all up-tempo tunes, performed by a septet with strong presence of the percussion, which spices the music with a Cuban feel. The second night is more modern mainstream, performed by a sextet and the last night is the most adventurous, with odd meters and World Music influenced compositions, which are often Namyslowski´s trademark. Overall the quality of the compositions and the performances are of course excellent. Namyslowski always knew how to pick up his group members, almost always from the ranks of one young generation after another. Walicki and Grzyb represent the youngest (at the time) generation and both prove to be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the veterans. Herdzin, who played for several years with Namyslowski in the late 1990s, was still relatively unknown at the time (in the years to come his career was about to literally explode) and is the most interesting soloist on this album except the Boss of course. The guest players are all well known and their contributions are professional, but not very inspiring, except perhaps for Paciorek, who is so original that his playing is always fascinating. In the long discography by Namyslowski, this is perhaps not one of his milestone recordings, but in retrospect it definitely reflects his exceptional abilities as a player, composer and bandleader. The sound quality of these live recordings is spotless and has a warm aura and superb presence. This is a must have for the many Namyslowski fans and Polish Jazz buffs in general!

CD 3 Slipcase Recommend To A Friend

NIEMEN ~ ENIGMATIC MUZA 356 ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock 4th album from 1969. After 3 enormously successful albums with his group (Akwarele), Niemen decided to disband the group and start a new venture. He turned to his buddies in the Polish Jazz circles and soon recruited a stellar cast including the cream of the Polish Jazz players, such as Czeslaw BartkowskiFind albums by this artist (drums), Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist (sax) and even Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist (sax & flute). Strangely enough the resulting album is not a fusion album but a fully developed Prog album of rare beauty, complexity and awe-inspiring power. This time Niemen uses only poetry as his texts and each of the 4 long suites is designed to complement the lyrics perfectly. For non-Polish speaking public the lyrical part is sadly lost, but even so this is some of the most powerful Prog music ever recorded.

Updated: 19/09/2018Posted:

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

NIEMEN ~ ON STAGE 1970 / 1972 GREEN TREE 170 (Barcode: 4015689001701) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1970 - 1972 Released: 2018 This is an archival album, which presents live recordings by the greatest Polish Rock / Fusion musician of all times, vocalist / keyboardist / songwriter Czeslaw NiemenFind albums by this artist. Two of the tracks were recorded during the 1970 Jazz Jamboree Festival in Warsaw and three other at the 1972 National Festival of Polish Song in Opole. Niemen was at the time at the absolute peak of his artistic creativity as well as at the top of his immense popularity. Four of the tracks time at about ten minutes and one at almost twenty minutes, and all offer extended instrumental improvisations by some of the best Polish Rock and Jazz musicians active at the time. The 1970 tracks feature organist Jacek MikulaFind albums by this artist, guitarist Tomasz JaskiewiczFind albums by this artist, bassist Janusz ZielinskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Czeslaw BartkowskiFind albums by this artist as well as a vocal trio and an ensemble comprising of top Polish Jazz musicians: saxophonists Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, Janusz MuniakFind albums by this artist and Tomasz SzukalskiFind albums by this artist, violinists Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist and Zbigniew SeifertFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, bassist Bronislaw SuchanekFind albums by this artist and drummer Janusz StefanskiFind albums by this artist. The 1972 tracks feature the core of what was to become the most famous Polish Fusion band SBBFind albums by this artist: bassist / keyboardist Jozef SkrzekFind albums by this artist, guitarists Apostolis AnthimosFind albums by this artist and drummer Jerzy PiotrowskiFind albums by this artist and two great Polish Avant-Garde Jazz musicians: bassist Helmut NadolskiFind albums by this artist and trumpeter Andrzej PrzybielskiFind albums by this artist. The music is absolutely stunning, as expected, and even the dubious sound quality of these recordings is not able to spoil the unadulterated pleasure this music is still able to generate almost fifty years after it was initially performed. Niemen was always light years ahead of his contemporaries on both sides of the Iron Curtain, and the fact that he remains still relatively anonymous beyond Eastern Europe, despite his revolutionary contributions and pioneering spirit, is a crying shame. It is a great pity that the entire legacy of Niemen´s recordings made outside of Poland and many of his live recordings remain unreleased and are available only unofficially, like all the Green TreeFind albums on this label titles. His third Box Set, which was to include all these treasures, remains sadly an unfulfilled dream. For all Polish Rock / Fusion enthusiasts as well as for the numerous Niemen fans this is an essential piece of his discography, which is definitely worth having, despite its technical flaws.

Updated: 07/09/2019Posted: 07/09/2019

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

NOVI ~ NOVI IN WONDERLAND MPS (JAPAN) 4988005209900 (Barcode: 4988005209900) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1968 Released: 1998 This is a Japanese reissue of the legendary album by the no less legendary Polish Jazz vocal quartet NOVIFind albums by this artist, led by vocalist / composer Bernard KawkaFind albums by this artist, which also included Ewa WanatFind albums by this artist, Waldemar ParzynskiFind albums by this artist and Janusz MychFind albums by this artist. On this album they are accompanied by a rhythm section, which comprises of Polish pianist Adam MatyszkowiczFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Adam MakowiczFind albums by this artist) and bassist Roman DylagFind albums by this artist and American (resident in Europe since 1964) drummer Billy BrooksFind albums by this artist. American trumpeter Idrees SuleimanFind albums by this artist and Polish saxophonist Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist participate on selected tracks. The album presents five original compositions, three by Kawka and two by Parzynski, and four standards, three arranged by Parzynski and one by Kawka. The album was produced by my Friend and Mentor, Joachim BerendtFind albums by this artist, and was recorded at the celebrated SABA studio in Villingen, Black Forest, where so many of the great European Jazz albums were recorded between mid-1960s and late 1970s. It was one of the first recordings of a Polish Jazz ensemble made outside is their country and across the Iron Curtain, which was a sensational occurrence at the time. Berendt, who was an avid Polish Jazz lover and supporter, helped the Polish Jazz scene tremendously during its hard times. Sadly he is rarely remembered today, which is of course a crying shame. Musically as well and sonically this is definitely one of the best recordings by NOVI, recorded at their creative peak. Chronologically this was their second album, but since it was not released in Poland (and still is not available there) it is not usually counted as part of their Polish discography. Both the vocal and the instrumental parts are absolutely perfect and are part on the vocal Jazz canon, created earlier on by the French vocal Jazz ensembles Les Double SixFind albums by this artist and The Swingle SingersFind albums by this artist. The original vinyl copy of this album is a mega-rare collectors´ item and is priced accordingly. This Japanese reissue is also pretty rare these days. For Polish Jazz collectors and faithful fans, this is an absolute must of course. Side Note The legendary German MPSFind albums on this label (Musik Produktion Schwarzwald) label, founded by Hans Georg Brunner-SchwerFind albums by this artist (HGBS) in 1963, first as SABAFind albums on this label Records and later on from 1968 as MPS Records, was the most important independent European record label, which had an enormous contribution to the development of European Jazz. For many years MPS cooperated with the legendary German producer / author Joachim BerendtFind albums by this artist, my Friend and Mentor, whose visionary approach and open-mindedness brought the crème de la crème of the Jazz (in the broadest meaning of the word) musicians from all over the world to the label. Between 1963 and 1983 MPS produced about five hundred albums, many of which are among the most important Jazz recordings on this planet. In 1983 the MPS catalog was sold to UniversalFind albums on this label, which sadly resulted in all those artistic treasures to almost disappear from the face of the earth – a situation not only tragic but culturally criminal. Universal reissued a part of the MPS albums (probably 128 titles) on CD between 1999 and 2011 under the "Most Perfect Sound Edition" moniker. Since 2008 the German Promising MusicFind albums on this label label released some of the MPS recordings, but at a very slow pace. In 2014 the German company Edel AG bought the MPS catalogue from Universal and released a series of 25 MPS albums on CD with a new slipcase graphic design, which brought all those excellent albums back to life. In 2015 Edel AG started to record and release new albums under the MPS moniker. In 2016 Edel AG released a series of 10 classic MPS albums on CD, which were beautifully remastered and re-packaged, presenting the original artwork and liner notes, as well as new liner notes and photographs. An obvious labor of love, these reissues are what the MPS catalogue truly deserves. This project was continued in 2017 with another series of 10 classic MPS albums released on CD. In later years some new reissues were released sporadically. Over the years many SABA / MPS albums were reissued in Japan, which is often the only available source for these albums today, but that is a story in itself.

Updated: 28/05/2025Posted: 14/07/2017

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

NOVI ~ POLISH RADIO JAZZ ARCHIVES VOL.24 POLSKIE RADIO 1670 (Barcode: 5907812246709) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1968 - 1971 Released: 2016 This is the twenty-fourth installment in the series of releases initiated by the Polish Radio, which presents archive Jazz recordings from the radio vaults. Radio recordings are always a fabulous source of remarkable material, and as far as Polish Jazz history is concerned, the Polish Radio, which was a state monopoly for 45 years, recorded over time a plethora of invaluable material, which apart from the albums released by the Polskie Nagrania record company (also a state monopoly), is the only available additional source of Polish Jazz recordings. For many years Polish Radio recorded concerts presented during Poland´s most important Jazz venues, including the annual Jazz Jamboree Festival and many other festivals as well. The thirteen tracks collected here were recorded during three separate occasions by the sensational Polish Jazz vocal quartet NOVIFind albums by this artist Singers: a Polish Radio Studio session from 1968 (four tracks), a live performance at the 1969 Jazz Jamboree Festival (five tracks) and finally a live performance at the 1971 Jazz Jamboree Festival (four tracks). NOVI, formed in 1964 by Bernard KawkaFind albums by this artist, included also Ewa WanatFind albums by this artist, Janusz MychFind albums by this artist and Waldemar ParzynskiFind albums by this artist. During the studio session they were accompanied by an orchestra of unknown lineup, during the 1969 concert they were accompanied by a trio comprising of organist Krzysztof SadowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Janusz KozlowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Andrzej DabrowskiFind albums by this artist and finally during the 1971 concert they were accompanied by a Big Band which included trumpeters Stanislaw MizeradzkiFind albums by this artist and Bogdan SkawinaFind albums by this artist, trombonist Stanislaw CieslakFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Tomasz SzukalskiFind albums by this artist, Janusz MuniakFind albums by this artist and Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Marek BlizinskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Jan JarczykFind albums by this artist, bassist Tadeusz GogoszFind albums by this artist and drummer Kazimierz JonkiszFind albums by this artist. The material is mostly original with five compositions by Kawka, two by Parzynski and one by Mych. Three tracks are standards, one was composed by Namyslowski and one is an arrangement of a Classical piece by Frederic ChopinFind albums by this artist, which the quartet performs a cappella. Inspired by such vocal groups like the French Les Double SixFind albums by this artist and The Swingle SingersFind albums by this artist, also originally formed in France, NOVI took the vocal group artistry a notch further, presenting a wide and ambitious repertoire ranging from arrangements of Classical Music via complex Jazz compositions, mostly original, featuring advanced vocal shenanigans and finally arrangements of Pop material. They used lyrics in some of their material but were absolutely at their best when singing wordless vocalese, which they brought to perfection. This particular album had the potential of being one of the most interesting releases in this series, since live material by NOVI is almost completely absent from their recorded legacy, but sadly it suffers from some problems, which make it much less attractive that it should have been. Firstly the tracks recorded during the three separate sessions have been sequenced here quite randomly, rather than being presented grouped together by session. Secondly the recording quality is sadly very problematic on most of these tracks and even the careful restoring and remastering was not able to make them sound better. Of course the human voice is the most difficult recording challenge and considering the limitations present at the time the quality should be judged leniently, but in this case the sound quality seriously hinders the listening experience. Thirdly, as usual for this series, there is no background information about the artists, historic background, etc. which recordings of such importance truly deserve. Nevertheless all things considered, this is still a very important document of the Polish Jazz legacy and considering the importance of this material this album immediately becomes another must have for all Polish Jazz fans and collectors of Polish Jazz recordings.

Updated: 17/07/2016Posted: 17/07/2016

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

NOVI ~ RIEN NE VA PLUS (POLISH JAZZ VOL.82 DELUXE) MUZA 1082 (Barcode: 5907783420825) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1973 Released: 2005 This is a reissue of the fourth album by the sensational vocal quartet NOVIFind albums by this artist, which was one of the greatest Polish Jazz acts in the 1970s. Continuing the tradition of Jazz vocal groups like the French Les Double SixFind albums by this artist and The Swingle SingersFind albums by this artist, NOVI expanded the borders further on into more experimental areas and used more instrumental backing, provided the best Polish Jazz musicians at the time. The quartet was led by singer / arranger / composer Bernard KawkaFind albums by this artist and included also the incredible female vocalist Ewa WanatFind albums by this artist and two additional male vocalists Janusz MychFind albums by this artist and Waldemar ParzynskiFind albums by this artist. Together they created beautiful vocal harmonies of exceptional sophistication and unique style, unparalleled to this day. The performed a mixture of original material, mostly composed by Kawka, and standards or contemporary Pop material, but the incredible arrangements turned everything into a distinctive NOVI vocal signature. On this specific album they are accompanied by an all-star band, led by saxophonist Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist, which includes such luminaries as saxophonists Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, Janusz MuniakFind albums by this artist and Tomasz SzukalskiFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, guitarist Marek BlizinskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Wlodzimierz NahornyFind albums by this artist, drummer Janusz StefanskiFind albums by this artist and many others. This is definitely one of the climax moments of the Polish Jazz in the 1970s and an absolute must for every vocal jazz connoisseur! Side Note: This is one of those Polish Jazz albums, released by the Polskie Nagrania / MuzaFind albums on this label label, which should have been released as part of the legendary "Polish Jazz" series at the time, but somehow never made it. From the historic perspective it definitely deserved to be a part of that series and this was partially corrected by this edition, as it is one of the items in the expanded "Polish Jazz Deluxe" series of reissues.

Updated: 13/10/2016Posted:

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

POLISH RADIO JAZZ ORCHESTRA / ANDRZEJ KURYLEWICZ ~ POLISH RADIO JAZZ ARCHIVES VOL.23 POLSKIE RADIO 1875 (Barcode: 5907812248758) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1964 Released: 2015 This is the twenty-third installment in the series of releases initiated by the Polish Radio, which presents archive Jazz recordings from the radio vaults. Radio recordings are always a fabulous source of remarkable material, and as far as Polish Jazz history is concerned, the Polish Radio, which was a state monopoly for 45 years, recorded over time a plethora of invaluable material, which apart from the albums released by the Polskie Nagrania record company (also a state monopoly), is the only available additional source of Polish Jazz recordings. For many years Polish Radio recorded concerts presented during Poland´s most important Jazz venues, including the annual Jazz Jamboree Festival and many other festivals as well. The nineteen tracks collected here were recorded in 1964 by the Polish Radio Jazz OrchestraFind albums by this artist conducted by pianist / trumpeter / trombonist / composer Andrzej KurylewiczFind albums by this artist. Sixteen tracks were recorded by the Polish Radio Studio during various sessions and three were recorded live during the seventh Jazz Jamboree Festival. The orchestra included at the time several well known musicians, like saxophonists Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist and Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, vibraphonist Jerzy MilianFind albums by this artist and others. The material is a mixture of Jazz standards (five tracks) and original compositions by Polish Jazz composers: Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist (six tracks), Jerzy Milian (three tracks), Andrzej Trzaskowski (two tracks), Edward DylagFind albums by this artist (two tracks) and Michal Urbaniak (one track). The arrangements and orchestrations are firmly based in the American Big Band tradition, but the overall sound of the orchestra already shows the European approach and the majority of original compositions reflects the tendency to find a new path, which will take big format Jazz another step forward in the years to follow. Of course the individual performances, soloing and orchestral harmonization are all top-notch. In the historic perspective this is a superb document of the transition between the American influenced Jazz and the emancipated European Jazz that is about to erupt, including the big format Jazz environment. Trzaskowski, of course, was definitely one of the pioneers of this new movement, and his influence was crucial as far as the Polish Jazz is concerned, prompting and leading it to make the shift. The beautifully restored sound quality is excellent and the warm ambience of the analog recording is a true joy. As usual with this series, which is very reasonably priced, I miss the presence of "in depth" liner notes / booklet, which should convey the circumstances at which this music was recorded and its importance to the development of Jazz in Poland. Nevertheless this is an absolutely essential piece of Jazz history which every Jazz fan will surely consider an absolute must.

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QUARTET ~ THE QUARTET POLSKIE RADIO 1246-1247 (Barcode: 5907812242466) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1977 - 1979 Released: 2013 This is the first installment in a series of releases documenting the recorded legacy of the great Polish Jazz pianist / composer Slawomir KulpowiczFind albums by this artist, most of which is released for the first time. Kulpowicz, who died prematurely in 2008 at the age of 56, was a victim of cancer. He was a member of groups led by the top Polish Jazz players like Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist and led / co-led his own ensembles like The QuartetFind albums by this artist, In-FormationFind albums by this artist and also cooperated with many other musicians over the years. He was an avid follower of John ColtraneFind albums by this artist´s music and kept in touch with Coltrane´s wife Alice ColtraneFind albums by this artist. Following his visit to India, Kulpowicz discovered Indian music and the spiritual aura of India, which became his own. The Quartet was formed by the rhythm section of Zbigniew Namyslowski´s so called "third quartet", i.e. pianist Slawomir Kulpowicz, bassist Pawel JarzebskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Janusz StefanskiFind albums by this artist, with the addition of saxophonist Tomasz SzukalskiFind albums by this artist, one of Poland´s all-time greatest Jazz musicians and a spectacular player of rare quality. Although Szukalski naturally dominated the sound of the ensemble, it was Kulpowicz who was the spiritual leader and the sole composer of all the original material they performed. Spiritually the music was soaked in the John Coltrane legacy, with Szukalski playing lengthy "wall of sound" solos, supported passionately by the rhythm section, with Kulpowicz vamping a la McCoy TynerFind albums by this artist, Jarzebski delivering virtuosic bass parts and Stefanski raising all hell behind it all, which engulfed the overall effect with incredible power and overwhelming strength of expression, similar in character to the Coltrane late period recordings. In spite of the fact that The Quartet was undoubtedly the most important Polish Jazz ensemble in the late 1970s, their recorded legacy is truly pitiful and includes one live album recorded in 1978 and released by the PoljazzFind albums on this label label (reissued by the AnexFind albums on this label label) and their sole studio album, recorded in Finland in 1979 and released by the tiny independent Finnish label LeoFind albums on this label Records (which released also two albums by Tomasz Stanko from the same period). Therefore this double CD full of superb radio and concert recordings by The Quartet is an absolute marvel and a must have for every Polish / European Jazz connoisseur. Following the ensemble´s breakdown in mid-1980, the Polish Jazz scene will never again experience this kind of music, so close in spirit, sound and emotion to the epicenter of Modern Jazz created by Coltrane. The Quartet´s brief three and a half years period was the closest ever moment in which Polish Jazz would become very close to American Jazz of a decade earlier, both in spirit and in practice. The Quartet somehow managed to put aside the omnipresent Polish melancholy and lyricism, which dictates most of the unique music created under the Polish Jazz banner. Usually, when Polish Jazz musicians try to imitate their idols from across the pond, they fail rather miserably, with The Quartet being the only exception, which proves the rule. Young Polish Jazz musicians should study this music note by note – this is universally sublime document of human expression, freedom and power of creation, which happens rarely. Inspired by Coltrane´s music, this creation sparks a life of its own, which stands shoulder to shoulder with the original, without any inferiority complexes whatsoever. It is not a copy of the source; it is a thankful gratitude for the inspiration itself. Bringing this music out of the vaults is commendable, although keeping it in the vaults for so long was simply criminal. Such treasures of the Polish Cultural heritage should be exposed in all their glory. Hopefully the people in charge of the Polish Radio archives realize that.

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QUARTET ~ THE QUARTET POLJAZZ / ANEX 302 (Barcode: 5907513047575) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1978 Released: 2009 The QuartetFind albums by this artist was formed by the rhythm section of Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist´s so called "third quartet", i.e. pianist Slawomir KulpowiczFind albums by this artist, bassist Pawel JarzebskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Janusz StefanskiFind albums by this artist, with the addition of saxophonist Tomasz SzukalskiFind albums by this artist, one of Poland´s all-time greatest Jazz musicians and a spectacular player of rare quality. Although Szukalski naturally dominated the sound of the ensemble, it was Kulpowicz who was the spiritual leader and the sole composer of all the original material they performed. Spiritually the music was soaked in the John ColtraneFind albums by this artist legacy, with Szukalski playing lengthy "wall of sound" solos, supported passionately by the rhythm section, with Kulpowicz vamping a la McCoy TynerFind albums by this artist, Jarzebski delivering virtuosic bass parts and Stefanski raising all hell behind it all, which engulfed the overall effect with incredible power and overwhelming strength of expression, similar in character to the Coltrane late period recordings. In spite of the fact that The Quartet was undoubtedly the most important Polish Jazz ensemble in the late 1970s, their recorded legacy is truly pitiful and includes this live album recorded in 1978 and their sole studio album, recorded in Finland in 1979 and released by the tiny independent Finnish label LeoFind albums on this label Records (which released also two albums by Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist from the same period). Therefore the double CD full of superb archival radio and concert recordings by this ensemble, also entitled simply "The QuartetFind albums with this title", released in 2013 by Polskie RadioFind albums on this label is an absolute marvel and a must have for every Polish / European Jazz connoisseur. Following the ensemble´s breakdown in mid-1980, the Polish Jazz scene will never again experience this kind of music, so close in spirit, sound and emotion to the epicenter of Modern Jazz created by Coltrane. The Quartet´s brief three and a half years period was the closest ever moment in which Polish Jazz would become very close to American Jazz of a decade earlier, both in spirit and in practice. The Quartet somehow managed to put aside the omnipresent Polish melancholy and lyricism, which dictates most of the unique music created under the Polish Jazz banner. Usually, when Polish Jazz musicians try to imitate their idols from across the pond, they fail rather miserably, with The Quartet being the only exception, which proves the rule. Young Polish Jazz musicians should study this music note by note – this is universally sublime document of human expression, freedom and power of creation, which happens rarely. Inspired by Coltrane´s music, this creation sparks a life of its own, which stands shoulder to shoulder with the original, without any inferiority complexes whatsoever. It is not a copy of the source; it is a thankful gratitude for the inspiration itself. 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.

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QUINDEPENDENCE ~ CIRCUMSTANCES NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 5908254159688) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz ensemble QuindependenceFind albums by this artist which comprises of saxophonist / flautist Krzysztof MatejskiFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Dominik BorekFind albums by this artist, pianist Michal SalamonFind albums by this artist, bassist Milosz SkwirutFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel NowakFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven tracks, four of which are original compositions (two each by Skwirut and Salamon), another two are arrangements of the first two of the fascinating seven piano pieces by Erik SatieFind albums by this artist called Gnossiennes and the last is a Polish Jazz standard by Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist. The music is modern melodic mainstream Jazz, with excellent original compositions and quite unusual complexity, which offers an excellent listening adventure. Although still full of the typical Polish lyricism and melancholy, the music goes beyond the typical conventions and boldly steps into new territory, which even much more established ensembles of this king rarely visit. The instrumental proficiency of these young players is also quite astounding, both on the individual level and as an ensemble. The complex music flows naturally and coherently, allowing for plenty of soloing opportunities and even some free form ensemble improvisation. Salamon, who is both a gifted composer and beautifully lyrical pianist (well remembered from the albums by F.O.U.R.S. CollectiveFind albums by this artist or MonosiesFind albums by this artist ensemble), sets the harmonic anchor for the proceedings and the horns deliver plenty of fiery moments. Skwirut not only keeps the music on track by his bass pulsations but also offers his two superb compositions, which are the most challenging pieces herein. Overall this is a wonderful debut album, which was sadly lost somewhere amongst the multitude of the excellent Polish Jazz releases at the time. Since the album was not followed by other releases, I assume it is not active any more, which is a pity. I have no idea how it arrived on my desk four years after it was released, but better late than never is absolutely true in this case as well.

Updated: 04/04/2020Posted: 04/04/2020

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S.P.P.T. CHALTURNIK ~ CHALTURNIK (POLISH JAZZ VOL.95 DELUXE) MUZA 1095 (Barcode: 5907783420955) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1974 Released: 2007 This wonderful album is the debut recording by the S.P.P.T. ChalturnikFind albums by this artist ensemble, invented, founded and led by saxophonist / composer / bandleader Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist. As the title suggest, the idea behind this ensemble is all about humor in Jazz, a relatively rare attitude in modern Jazz but something quite common in traditional Jazz. The ensemble consisted of the crème de la crème of the Polish Jazz scene: saxophonists Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, Janusz MuniakFind albums by this artist and Tomasz SzukalskiFind albums by this artist, tuba player Zdzislaw PiernikFind albums by this artist, pianist Jan JarczykFind albums by this artist (replaced by Tomasz OchalskiFind albums by this artist on two tracks), bassist Bronislaw SuchanekFind albums by this artist and drummer Jerzy BezuchaFind albums by this artist, with the leader playing saxophone and a "mouth synthesizer" (i.e. a comb) and contributing four of his original compositions. The rest of the music comes from various sources, including even one theme by Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist (obviously a tongue in cheek towards modern Jazz). Although the humorous approach to the music is easily detected, the perfect performances and the wonderful arrangements turn this album a true gem. These great musicians prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that sometimes it pays to take a slightly relaxed approach to music. Great stuff!

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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.

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PIOTR SCHMIDT ~ SAXESFUL SJ 032 (Barcode: 5912596066658) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 What is this thing called Jazz? This question seems to reverberate for over a Century now among Jazz musicians, connoisseurs of the genre and scholars of the idiom, with the answer intractably remaining as elusive and mysterious, as the very nature of the music itself. Perhaps the splendor of Jazz is characterized by the inability to define or even properly describe it? Jazz keeps evolving and growing as an Art Form, combining its tradition with new discoveries and innovation, which soon after become part of the essence of the same Jazz idiom, in a perpetuum mobile like fashion. Polish Jazz, one of the most vital and ingenious local scenes on the world scale, which started while the country was still isolated from the rest of the world by the Iron Curtain, managed to flourish and explode artistically over the years, against all odds. Today Poland is a Jazz Super Power, leading the European Jazz scene in every aspect, all thanks to the seemingly inexhaustible influx of young and talented musicians, who treat their Jazz as seriously as their life. Piotr SchmidtFind albums by this artist (born 1985) is certainly one of those Polish Jazz mavericks. Not only is he well educated, talented and ambitious, but he is also a restless entrepreneur, record label owner, bandleader and educator who keeps constantly coming up with new ideas, maintaining his Jazz alive and kicking. This album is only one of such ideas, but the scale and audacity required to put such a project into life can be understood only by the cognoscenti of the Jazz scene. This album is a multilayered tribute to the Jazz tradition. It presents seven classic Jazz standards, each performed by the core quartet and featuring a different saxophonist. The list of the saxophonists reads like the who´s who of Polish Jazz and is also an obvious tribute to Polish Jazz itself. With their ages ranging from Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist (born 1936), Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist (born 1939), Henryk MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist (born 1951), Maciej SikalaFind albums by this artist (born 1961), Piotr BaronFind albums by this artist (born 1961), Adam WendtFind albums by this artist (born 1962) and finally Grzech PiotrowskiFind albums by this artist (born 1974), i.e. four generations of Polish Jazz players, they represent the incredible power and stylistic versatility of the scene. The core quartet is by no means less impressive, featuring Schmidt on trumpet, pianist Wojciech NiedzielaFind albums by this artist and Poland´s top rhythm section comprised of bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist, all of which have a most impressive list of achievements under their arms. But tributes and history aside, this album is also a wonderful collection of great tunes, beautifully performed and entertaining, in the most positive meaning of the word. Jazz is, after all, also a source of unadulterated pleasure to those, who love it, and this album is certainly a concentrated dose of such pleasure. Enjoy! Adam Baruch, August 2018 Side Note The above are my liner notes included on this album's artwork. I am honored when asked by the Artists to write liner notes for their albums, always hoping that my words reflect the true spirit of the music. This is also a symbol of our mutual respect and friendship developed over the years. The same is also true when Record Labels ask me to write liner notes for their releases, mostly in the case of reissues of archival albums, which is a symbol of their appreciation of my knowledge and historical perspective and my recognition of their dedication to the preservation of the history of recorded music and the effort to keep human Culture and Aesthetics alive.

Updated: 19/09/2018Posted: 19/09/2018

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PIOTR SCHMIDT ~ SAXESFUL VOL II SJ 056 (Barcode: 5902596066703) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2021 It’s not a secret that when recording an album, the producer often “thinks ahead” and takes the opportunity of the studio sessions already in place to record much more material than actually needed to complete one album. This is exactly the case with the recording sessions for the album “SaxesfulFind albums with this title”, which took place in 2018, recorded by Polish Jazz trumpeter, composer, bandleader, record label owner and producer Piotr SchmidtFind albums by this artist. Following the hiatus of the COVID-19 pandemic and the recent passing of Piotr’s Father, Prof. Andrzej SchmidtFind albums by this artist, an iconic figure on the Polish Jazz scene, whom I had a great pleasure to meet many a time, Piotr decided to return to the unreleased material from the “Saxesful” sessions and release a follow up album with that material, among other things to commemorate his Father’s memory. The concept of “Saxesful” was to present a series of Polish Jazz saxophonists, each playing on a different track. This second volume does exactly the same, presenting six classic Jazz standards, each performed by the core quartet and featuring a different saxophonist. The list of the saxophonists reads like the who´s who of Polish Jazz and is also an obvious tribute to Polish Jazz itself. With their ages ranging from Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist (born 1936), Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist (born 1939), Henryk MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist (born 1951), Maciej SikalaFind albums by this artist (born 1961), Adam WendtFind albums by this artist (born 1962) and finally Grzech PiotrowskiFind albums by this artist (born 1974), i.e. four generations of Polish Jazz players, they represent the incredible power and stylistic versatility of the scene. The core quartet is by no means less impressive, featuring Schmidt on trumpet, pianist Wojciech NiedzielaFind albums by this artist and Poland´s top rhythm section comprised of bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist, all of which have a most impressive list of achievements under their arms. My Grandmother loved to quote the Polish proverb, which says: ”Those, who eat the leftovers are smooth and beautiful” (In Polish: “Kto zjada ostatki, ten jest piękny i gładki”). The meaning of this proverb is, that leftovers are as good, if not better, than the original food and should not be discarded, which applies exactly to the music on this album in every sense, and it would have been a shame to leave this music unreleased. Once again we have here a feast great classic Jazz music and first rate performances, which is a tribute to the genre itself, Polish Jazz history and tradition and a great listening experience. Enjoy! Side Note The above are my liner notes included on this album's artwork. I am honored when asked by the Artists to write liner notes for their albums, always hoping that my words reflect the true spirit of the music. This is also a symbol of our mutual respect and friendship developed over the years. The same is also true when Record Labels ask me to write liner notes for their releases, mostly in the case of reissues of archival albums, which is a symbol of their appreciation of my knowledge and historical perspective and my recognition of their dedication to the preservation of the history of recorded music and the effort to keep human Culture and Aesthetics alive.

Updated: 30/08/2021Posted: 30/08/2021

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ANNA SERAFINSKA ~ GADU GADU (SPECIAL EDITION) POMATON 5099944044626 (Barcode: 5099944044626) ~ POLAND ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 2005 - 2012 Released: 2012 This is the fourth album by Polish Jazz / Pop singer Anna SerafinskaFind albums by this artist. It includes fourteen songs, all of which feature the lyrics by the great Polish poetess and lyricist Agnieszka OsieckaFind albums by this artist. The music was composed mainly by Seweryn KrajewskiFind albums by this artist (ex-Czerwone GitaryFind albums by this artist), one of Poland´s most remarkable songwriters. The other composers include several leading Polish Jazz figures like Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, Wlodzimierz NahornyFind albums by this artist, Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist and others. The music was arranged by Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, who also plays piano and other musicians include bassist Adam KowalewskiFind albums by this artist (who plays some mean fretless bass parts), drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist and many others, as well as a string quartet. The original album was released in 2006 and this special edition, released in 2012, adds two songs newly recorded with Anna´s new group called Groove MachineFind albums by this artist. The album has a great potential and seemingly all the right ingredients: first-class songs, wonderful lyrics, skilful arrangements and excellent musicianship, and yet although it is pleasant and overall enjoyable, it is also quite forgettable. Stylistically it sort of "sits on the fence" between Pop and Jazz, being both too close to Pop to be considered Jazz and too Jazzy to be a straightforward Pop. Herdzin´s arrangements push it consistently towards Latin grooves and mainstream Jazz settings, but the result is all over the place and feels somehow uneasy. I understand that Serafinska has quite a following in Poland, but this is the second album of hers that I listened to and she leaves me stone cold. Fortunately she sticks to Polish lyrics on this album, avoiding the problems of struggling with a foreign language, but her vocals simply don´t do it for me, which of course is completely my fault. In my ears her vocal range is somewhat limited and the emotional expressiveness just doesn´t cut it for me (again), although she does have a good feel for groove, which explains what she does with her new band. Of course there are some superb moments here and the album is a nice listening experience, which can be enjoyed by many listeners across the genre borders. I sort of hoped it would be more than that.

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SHOW BAND ~ PUNKT STYKU GAD 013 (Barcode: 5901549197143) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1974 Released: 2014 The Show BandFind albums by this artist trio was one of many Polish ensembles, which never managed to record an album during their lifespan as a band, although performed extensively in Poland and abroad. Formed by bassist Anatol WojdynaFind albums by this artist it also included Hammond organ player Maciej GluszkiewiczFind albums by this artist (ex-KlanFind albums by this artist) and drummer Jan MazurekFind albums by this artist (ex-BreakoutFind albums by this artist), the trio played music that stylistically floated between Jazz-Rock Fusion and Funk, and managed to work out a specific sound and feel, which sounded more like American instrumental Funk bands (Booker T. & The MG`sFind albums by this artist immediately come to mind) than Eastern European ensembles at the time. Luckily for us, the band was approached by the Warsaw Documentary Filmmakers Group (WDF) to records a series of tracks, which would be later used as background music for the Polish Film Chronicle documentary series. The trio eagerly accepted the offer and recorded in early 1974 ten tracks, eight of which were original compositions by Wojdyna and two were compositions by Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist. For the recording the trio was expanded by two guest musicians: pianist Jan JarczykFind albums by this artist and percussionist Aleksander BemFind albums by this artist. The recorded music survived the tides of time and sounds superbly after being remastered to modern standards. Forty years later this music lost nothing of its charm and zest and is definitely worth being remembered and listened to. Although pretty straightforward it offers quality melodic contents and great performances. It is also a great opportunity to pay tribute to the sadly departed Jarczyk, who plays some truly excellent stuff here. For lovers of Polish Funk this is an absolute must! Again thanks to GADFind albums on this label Records for finding this lost gem and bringing it back to life as part of the label´s modus operandi, which consistently preserves Polish musical heritage.

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JANUSZ SKOWRON ~ POLISH RADIO JAZZ ARCHIVES VOL.35 POLSKIE RADIO 2322 (Barcode: 5907812243319) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1981 - 1998 Released: 2022 This is the thirty-fifth installment in the series of releases initiated by the Polish Radio, which presents archive Jazz recordings from the radio vaults. Radio recordings are always a fabulous source of remarkable material, and as far as Polish Jazz history is concerned, the Polish Radio, which was a state monopoly for 45 years, recorded over time a plethora of invaluable material, which apart from the albums released by the Polskie Nagrania record company (also a state monopoly), is the only available additional source of Polish Jazz recordings of that period. For many years Polish Radio recorded concerts presented during Poland´s most important Jazz venues, including the annual Jazz Jamboree Festival and many other festivals as well. The music on this album presents radio recordings of live performances by one of the most prominent Polish Jazz musicians, keyboardist / composer Janusz SkowronFind albums by this artist, who sadly departed recently (February 2019), paying tribute to his artistry. Skowron was active on the scene since the early 1980s and his music embraced diverse environments, playing Jazz and Fusion. The album presents eleven tracks recorded between 1981 and 1998 and are a rather incidental collection spanning his various activities. Skowron composed three of these tracks. The first track, recorded in 1981, features the quartet led by drummer Kazimierz JonkiszFind albums by this artist, where Skowron played piano, which also included violinist Krzesimir DebskiFind albums by this artist and bassist Andrzej LukasikFind albums by this artist. Next track, recorded in 1982, features one of Poland’s most important Fusion groups String ConnectionFind albums by this artist, which also included Debski. Next track, recorded in 1985, features Skowron’s own band, which includes bassist Zbigniew WegehauptFind albums by this artist (departed 2012). Next track, recorded in 1985, features the quartet led by trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist (departed 2018), which includes drummer Tadeusz FederowskiFind albums by this artist (departed 2018). Next track, recorded in 1987, features the FreelectronicFind albums by this artist band also led by Stanko, which includes synthesizer player Tadeusz SudnikFind albums by this artist. Next track, recorded in 1990, features the quartet led by saxophonist Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist (departed in 2022). Next track, recorded in 1991, features also the Zbigniew Namyslowski quartet. Next two tracks, recorded in 1992, feature the quartet led by trumpeter Piotr WojtasikFind albums by this artist, which includes saxophonist Tomasz SzukalskiFind albums by this artist (departed 2012). Next track, recorded in 1995, features the reunited String Connection group. The last track, recorded in 1998, features a duo of Skowron and Tomasz Stanko. The fact that six of the musicians playing on this album are no longer with us is a sad reminder of the phenomenon of the first generation of the Polish Jazz scene disappearing. The series, which was brought back to life after three years of absence, offers an upgraded packaging, which finally offers bi-lingual liner notes, fitting the importance of this music. The beautifully restored sound quality is excellent and the warm ambience of the analog recording is a true joy. Overall this is an absolutely essential piece of Jazz history which every Jazz fan should consider as a must.

Updated: 25/02/2023Posted: 25/02/2023

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JOZEF SKRZEK / TOMASZ SZUKALSKI ~ AMBITUS EXTENDED METAL MIND 0540 (Barcode: 5907785030459) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1981 Released: 2008 This is a reissue of the album recorded by the duo that brought together two legendary musicians: founder and leader of SBBFind albums by this artist, bassist / keyboardist Jozef SkrzekFind albums by this artist and one of the Giants of Polish Jazz, saxophonist Tomasz SzukalskiFind albums by this artist, who came to fame as member of ensembles led by Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist and Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist. Skrzek and Szukalski played together on and off since the mid 1970s but in the tense pre-Martial Law period (1980-1981) the duo recorded this album and several other projects together and performed live quite often. This remastered edition of the album was expanded by six previously unreleased live tracks, recorded shortly before the recording of the original album material. The music was co-composed by Skrzek and Szukalski and mostly improvised on pre-conceived melodic motifs, and features extensive soloing by Szukalski and wonderful keyboards work by Skrzek. Stylistically it moves between Blues, Fusion, Progressive Rock and Jazz, always beautifully harmonic and deeply moving. Szukalski was the absolute Master of melodic improvisation, like his idol Ben WebsterFind albums by this artist, and had no equals on the Polish scene at that time (or even to this very day). His untimely death was a great loss for Polish / European Jazz. In spite of its minimalistic scope and approach, the album is full of absolutely thrilling musical ideas and virtuosic performances, and remains to this very day a milestone achievement of Polish Jazz / Fusion / Blues-Rock history. This reissue brings back to life a piece of Polish music history and is of course a must have for Polish music fans / collectors.

Updated: 07/05/2018Posted: 07/05/2018

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MICHAEL J. SMITH ~ GEOMUSIC III-PL POLJAZZ / APEX 313 (Barcode: 5907513047681) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1976 Released: 2009 This is one of the most unusual (at the time) albums recorded in Poland and one of the first Free Jazz / Improvised Music recordings. It was recorded during a tour in Poland by American born (resident also partly in Europe) Jazz / Contemporary Music composer Michael J. SmithFind albums by this artist, who was accompanied by Poland´s top Jazz personality, saxophonist Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and bassist Jacek BednarekFind albums by this artist. Namyslowski unexpectedly plays not only saxophone but also cello and flute, which of course is quite surprising. The album consists of seven original compositions, all by Smith. At the time of the recording Smith was in the early stages of developing his musical ideology, which he called "Geomusic" and several of his recordings were entitled using this idiom. Later on he would become a well known music scholar, composer and innovator, mostly in the fields of electronic music. He is still active today. The music included here is a wonderful example of early Improvised Music, involving minimal melodic notation and based on careful interaction between the musicians, mutual respect and virtuosity of the participants. Namyslowski, who usually played much more conventional music as far as form and structure were concerned, is the focal personality here and his cello playing is simply outstanding and outrageously original. The music lost absolutely nothing of its originality and pioneering spirit over the years. Although Free Jazz and Improvised Music are today a substantial part of the Polish Jazz scene, almost four decades earlier it was quite rare and the fact that this music was released at all at the time is a miracle. The new generation of Polish improvisers should dig this album out and give it a proper listen, as it certainly is worth studying, as much as listening today. 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.

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KUBA STANKIEWICZ ~ NORTHERN SONG INTRO 004 (Barcode: 5907592167034) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1993 Released: 1993 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Kuba StankiewiczFind albums by this artist recorded in a quartet setting with saxophonist Henryk MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist, bassist Adam CegielskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist. It presents nine tracks, seven of which are original compositions by Stankiewicz and two are standards. Stankiewicz started his career in the mid 1980s as a member of Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist´s group at the time, recording with him two albums. In the late 1980s he studied at the Berklee Collage of Music in Boston and upon his return to Poland formed the quartet which recorded this album. Over time he established for himself a leading position on the local Jazz scene as composer, arranger, performer and educator. This album presents melodic mainstream Jazz, executed with flair and perfection by a quartet of highly talented and experienced players, who continue the tradition of Polish Jazz established three decades earlier with a mixture of American Jazz tradition at its best and European lyricism and elegance combined into an irresistible swinging and sparkling Jazz presentation. The individual performances by all quartet members are truly outstanding. Miskiewicz plays with his usual fluency and melodic smoothness, which makes him one of the best players on the scene. The rhythm section is also right where it belongs, with the bass supporting the melody lines on one hand and stating the rhythmic pulse on the other and the drums keep perfect time without being obtrusive. But it is Stankiewicz, who is at the center of the listener´s attention, both as a player and a composer. His beautiful tunes sound remarkably "familiar" even at the first encounter, which of course is a sign of perfect harmonic balance and melodic excellence that characterizes all great Jazz pieces. His piano playing is another proof of his sublime sensitivity and feel for Jazz, which is immediately apparent. It is hardly surprising that this album won the "Album of the Year" title at the time of its release, over twenty years before these notes are being written. In retrospect it is quite clear that great music ages well, and this album sounds as relevant and exciting today as it did at the time it was recorded. Although it is rooted in the mainstream tradition, it presents the best side of the tradition, which is simply eternal. Listening to this album should be pleasurable to every true Jazz connoisseur, anywhere on this planet, as it is simply one of those gems that are always worth revisiting.

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TOMASZ STANKO ~ TWET (POLISH JAZZ VOL.39) POWER BROS 33860 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1974 Released: 1986 This monumental album by Polish Jazz trumpeter / composer Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist in one of the most important releases on the legendary Polish Jazz series, which means it´s a truly stellar performance. It captures perfectly the soul of Stanko´s 1970s Free Jazz period, which culminated just a year later with the recording of the legendary "BalladynaFind albums with this title" album for ECMFind albums on this label, in almost identical lineup. Similarly to his Mentor, Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, Stanko always tried to work with musicians from other countries, even when the bureaucracy of the Socialist regime made it quite difficult. Like Komeda before him, he worked with musicians from the neighbor Scandinavian countries, finding a close friend and partner in the free-spirited Finnish legendary drummer Edward VesalaFind albums by this artist. Young Polish saxophonist Tomasz SzukalskiFind albums by this artist was given the position previously held by such giant musicians as Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist, which testifies to Stanko´s high confidence in him. The quartet was completed by the great American bassist Peter WarrenFind albums by this artist, who lived at the time in Europe and participated actively in the incredible European Jazz scene of that period. The album includes five pieces, credited to all four musicians and obviously largely improvised, with some limited preconceived melody lines barely audible under the surface. The unedited, "live in the studio" recording perfectly reflects the atmosphere of the session, with Free blowing and intense interplays, enthusiastically encouraged by Vesala´s howls and cries in the background. This is definitely a magic moment, captured for posterity on this recording, which has very few parallels, and therefore is so incredibly important. Stanko´s fans will of course find plenty of his superb trumpet performances here, which are second to none. Any European Jazz connoisseur, Polish Jazz enthusiast or Stanko aficionado must absolutely have this album!

CD 1 Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend

TOMASZ STANKO ~ TWET (POLISH JAZZ VOL.39) MUZA 0939 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1974 Released: 2004 This monumental album by Polish Jazz trumpeter / composer Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist in one of the most important releases on the legendary Polish Jazz series, which means it´s a truly stellar performance. It captures perfectly the soul of Stanko´s 1970s Free Jazz period, which culminated just a year later with the recording of the legendary "BalladynaFind albums with this title" album for ECMFind albums on this label, in almost identical lineup. Similarly to his Mentor, Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, Stanko always tried to work with musicians from other countries, even when the bureaucracy of the Socialist regime made it quite difficult. Like Komeda before him, he worked with musicians from the neighbor Scandinavian countries, finding a close friend and partner in the free-spirited Finnish legendary drummer Edward VesalaFind albums by this artist. Young Polish saxophonist Tomasz SzukalskiFind albums by this artist was given the position previously held by such giant musicians as Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist, which testifies to Stanko´s high confidence in him. The quartet was completed by the great American bassist Peter WarrenFind albums by this artist, who lived at the time in Europe and participated actively in the incredible European Jazz scene of that period. The album includes five pieces, credited to all four musicians and obviously largely improvised, with some limited preconceived melody lines barely audible under the surface. The unedited, "live in the studio" recording perfectly reflects the atmosphere of the session, with Free blowing and intense interplays, enthusiastically encouraged by Vesala´s howls and cries in the background. This is definitely a magic moment, captured for posterity on this recording, which has very few parallels, and therefore is so incredibly important. Stanko´s fans will of course find plenty of his superb trumpet performances here, which are second to none. Any European Jazz connoisseur, Polish Jazz enthusiast or Stanko aficionado must absolutely have this album!

CD 1 Digipak Oversampling Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend

SUN SHIP ~ AQUARIUM LIVE NO.5 POLJAZZ / ANEX 303 (Barcode: 5907513047582) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1978 Released: 2009 Excellent live recording in the legendary Warsaw Jazz club "Aquarium" by the Polish Jazz quartet Sun ShipFind albums by this artist, formed by keyboardist Wladyslaw SendeckiFind albums by this artist following his departure from the great Fusion band Extra BallFind albums by this artist, which he also co-founded some years earlier. Sendecki, as well as his three companions: saxophonist Zbigniew JaremkoFind albums by this artist, bassist Witold SzczurekFind albums by this artist and drummer Marek StachFind albums by this artist are all representatives of the second generation of the Polish Jazz scene, well educated and experienced musicians, who grew up in the shadow of their mentors like Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and others, carrying the great tradition of Polish Jazz further into the future. Somewhat tired of playing Fusion, which was the predominant style of the early 1970s, Sun Ship returns to modern Jazz based on solid melodic compositions and improvisational skill of the band members. The use of synthesizers in addition to the acoustic piano is the only "leftover" from the Fusion days, and most of the music is acoustic. Sendecki´s keyboard wizardry is plainly obvious and his fluid technique and great sense of melody are truly exquisite. Brilliant stuff!

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RYSZARD SYGITOWICZ ~ BEZ GRAWITACJI GAD 029 (Barcode: 5901549197372) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1983 - 1984 Released: 2015 This is a reissue of an instrumental album by Polish guitarist / composer Ryszard SygitowiczFind albums by this artist, which was recorded during several sessions for the Polish Radio and released on a small independent label WifonFind albums on this label in 1985, achieving quite unexpectedly a big success on the local market at the time. This album includes, in addition to the nine tracks that were included on the original album, four bonus tracks originating from the same sessions. The music was recorded mostly in a trio format with bassist Arkadiusz ZakFind albums by this artist and drummers Dariusz SygitowiczFind albums by this artist or Wojciech MorawskiFind albums by this artist. Renowned Polish Jazz saxophonist Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist guests on two tracks and percussionist Adam LewandowskiFind albums by this artist on one track. The music is a refined instrumental guitar oriented Jazz-Rock Fusion, which is comparable to similar efforts by Jeff BeckFind albums by this artist, Carlos SantanaFind albums by this artist and many others and by all means not inferior to any of them. Sygitowicz has a great talent to weave wonderfully melodic themes and play them on his guitar with great feel, tone and skill. As a result these tracks sound as great today as they did at the time they were recorded, losing nothing of their validity over time. Over the years Sygitowicz was a member of several Polish Rock ensembles and a busy session musician, which resulted in his leaving a mark on dozens of releases by numerous Polish recording artists. He is still very active on the local scene after spending some time in the USA in the late 1980s. In retrospect this album is still a highlight of his career and thanks to the splendid work of GADFind albums on this label Records we are able to enjoy this fabulous music again. Guitar connoisseurs and classic Jazz-Rock Fusion fans should have a field day with this gem!

Updated: 20/02/2016Posted: 20/02/2016

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ANDRZEJ TRZASKOWSKI ~ POLISH RADIO JAZZ ARCHIVES VOL.05 POLSKIE RADIO 1609 (Barcode: 5907812246099) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1962 Released: 2013 This is the fifth installment in the new series of releases initiated by the Polish Radio, which presents archive Jazz recordings. Radio recordings are always a fabulous source of remarkable material, and as far as Polish Jazz history is concerned, the Polish Radio, which was a state monopoly for 45 years, recorded over time a plethora of invaluable material, which apart from the albums released by the Polskie Nagrania record company (also a state monopoly), is the only additional source of Polish Jazz recordings. For many years Polish Radio recorded concerts presented during Poland´s most important Jazz venue, the annual Jazz Jamboree Festival and many other festivals as well. The material presented here presents the iconic figure of the post WWII Polish Jazz pioneer, pianist / composer Andrzej TrzaskowskiFind albums by this artist. Of the twelve tracks on this album, first five are live recordings from the 1962 Jazz Jamboree Festival and the remaining seven are studio radio recordings from the same year. The material was recorded by three different lineups: The WreckersFind albums by this artist quintet (which alternated bass players), which included saxophonists Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist, bassists Roman DylagFind albums by this artist or Juliusz SandeckiFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam JedrzejowskiFind albums by this artist, the Andrzej Trzaskowski Quintet, which had the same lineup as The Wreckers, except for drummer Andrzej DabrowskiFind albums by this artist and the Andrzej Trzaskowski Trio, which included bassist Roman Dylag and drummer Adam Jedrzejowski. The material includes both original compositions by Trzaskowski (four of the five live tracks) and modern Jazz standards. Listeners familiar with the Polish Jazz history will of course notice immediately that the core of Trzaskowski´s group (Namyslowski and Urbaniak) was also the core of the soon to be formed revolutionary ensemble led by Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, and Dylag already played with Komeda as a member of his trio at the very same Jazz Jamboree 1962 Festival. This brings on the issue of the buried controversy as to who was in fact the pivotal Godfather figure of the Polish Jazz, Andrzej Trzaskowski or Krzysztof Komeda. Komeda (born 1931), who was a couple of years older from Trzaskowski (born 1933) but they both definitely belonged to the same generation, both dominated the scene in the late 1950s and early to mid 1960s and both were breaking new ground with their music, as performers and composers. Of course Komeda will go down in history as the overall winner of this little debated contest, due to his enormous international success as composer of film music, which Trzaskowski also dealt with but with a much lesser success. Considering the fact that Trzaskowski´s recorded legacy is lamentably limited, this album is a superb addition to his heritage, especially in view of the top-form performances and fantastic remastering work, which makes the music herein sound fresh, clear and vibrant. Namyslowski and Urbaniak fans will also have a field day with this music, which documents the early days of their illustrious careers. This album is therefore a "must have" for any Polish Jazz fan, old and young alike, as this music is ageless and its historic significance is priceless.

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MICHAL URBANIAK ~ FUSION III WOUNDED BIRD 3542 (Barcode: 664140354227) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock-World Fusion Recorded: 1975 Released: 2012 This is a reissue of the third (and last) US album by Polish Jazz violinist / composer Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist, released originally on the ColumbiaFind albums on this label label in 1975. In retrospect it is also one of the best Fusion albums ever recorded on this planet. Urbaniak, a veteran of the Polish Jazz scene, first came to prominence as the member of the legendary groups led by the Godfather of Polish Jazz, pianist / composer Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist. While with Komeda, Urbaniak played the saxophone and switched to violin only after founding his own group in the late 1960s, when he also changed his musical direction from Modern / Free Jazz to Fusion, inspired by the groundbreaking innovations created at the time by Miles DavisFind albums by this artist. In his group he included his wife, the extraordinary singer Urszula DudziakFind albums by this artist and together they quickly developed a completely unique type of Fusion, which was light years ahead of anything else happening in that genre at the time anywhere in the world. Mixing Jazz, Rock, Folklore and Avant-Garde vocals, they established a completely new approach to composition and multilayered complexity, as documented on the two albums the group recorded as part of the legendary "Polish Jazz" series of albums, which was simply brilliant. Frustrated by the state of affairs in his country, which suffered under a Socialist Regime and harsh economic conditions, Urbaniak, like most of his colleagues, constantly looked for an opportunity to leave Poland and establish a career behind the Iron Curtain. He managed initially to record a couple of albums in West Germany for the SpiegeleiFind albums on this label label, but the real break came when Columbia offered him a recording deal. He and his wife left Poland and settled in the USA, as did several other Polish Jazz musicians at the time, like his ex group member pianist / composer Adam MakowiczFind albums by this artist for example. The three albums Urbaniak recorded for Columbia (and several more for other US labels, especially the dazzling "Funk FactoryFind albums with this title" album recorded shortly after this one and also reissued on Wounded BirdFind albums on this label) were outstanding and simply much better than anything the local scene could muster, but unfortunately Urbaniak´s US career never really took off, same as the careers of all other Polish Jazz musicians who tried to make it there, in spite of their immense talents. The reason was simply the narrow-mindedness of the US Jazz community (listeners and critics alike), which considered Jazz to be exclusively an American Art Form and failed to recognize anything originating outside of the US as artistically valid and meaningful, even if it hit them in the face. On this album Urbaniak is accompanied by top US Fusion players like guitarist John AbercrombieFind albums by this artist, bassist Anthony JacksonFind albums by this artist and drummer Steve GaddFind albums by this artist, as well as Polish compatriot keyboardist Wlodek GulgowskiFind albums by this artist. Guitarist Larry CoryellFind albums by this artist guests on one track, guitarist Joe CaroFind albums by this artist guests on another and Polish vocalist Bernard KafkaFind albums by this artist guests on yet another track. Drummer Gerald BrownFind albums by this artist replaces Gadd on two tracks. Dudziak´s vocals are simply out of this world and alone are worth listening to this album repeatedly. Urbaniak wrote almost all the dazzling music except for three tracks: a Dudziak improvisation, a superb composition by Polish saxophonist Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, which fits this album´s mood like a glove and one tune by Gulgowski. As already said, this is timeless, heavenly, unparalleled music, which I´ve been listening to in the last almost 40 years without any trace of getting tired by it any time soon. This is an absolutely essential Fusion music, and anybody who has not heard this music does not know the true meaning of Fusion. God bless Wounded Bird for finally releasing this divine album on CD!

Updated: 11/09/2019Posted:

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MICHAL URBANIAK ~ URBANIAK INNER CITY 1036 (Barcode: 077712710367) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Funk Fusion Recorded: 1977 Released: 2008 This is a reissue of the only album recorded by the Polish Jazz violinist / saxophonist / composer / bandleader Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist for the American Inner CityFind albums on this label label, which followed his stint with ColumbiaFind albums on this label. He is accompanied by his wife at the time, vocalist Urszula DudziakFind albums by this artist and Polish saxophonist / composer Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist. The rest of the band comprised of American musicians: keyboardist Kenny KirklandFind albums by this artist, bassist Tony BunnFind albums by this artist and drummer Lurenda FeatherstoneFind albums by this artist. Both Dudziak and Namyslowski also released albums on Inner City. The album presents seven original compositions, three by Urbaniak and four by Namyslowski. The music is a direct continuation of the innovative music Urbaniak recorded at the time, which combined Jazz, Funk and Polish Folklore. All the compositions are absolutely brilliant, since Namyslowski was also an excellent / prolific composer and followed a similar musical path at that time. The performances are also excellent, blending superb violin, vocalese and saxophone parts with the rest of the instrumental work. The rhythm section adds a Funky beat and both Urbaniak and Namyslowski play excellent solo parts throughout. Overall, this is a brilliant album, which withstands the test of time without any problem. It documents the attempt of Polish Jazz musicians to develop a career in the USA, which in retrospect achieved a very limited success, and led to almost all of them returning to Poland, leaving no impact whatsoever on the American Jazz scene, which of course is hardly surprising. However, it produced some memorable recordings, this being one of them. For Polish Jazz fans this is a gem worth visiting!

Updated: 02/06/2022Posted: 21/05/2022

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VARIOUS ARTISTS ~ POLISH RADIO JAZZ ARCHIVES VOL.08 POLSKIE RADIO 1627 (Barcode: 5907812246273) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1961 - 1962 Released: 2013 This is the eighth installment in the new series of releases initiated by the Polish Radio, which presents archive Jazz recordings. Radio recordings are always a fabulous source of remarkable material, and as far as Polish Jazz history is concerned, the Polish Radio, which was a state monopoly for 45 years, recorded over time a plethora of invaluable material, which apart from the albums released by the Polskie Nagrania record company (also a state monopoly), is the only additional source of Polish Jazz recordings. For many years Polish Radio recorded concerts presented during Poland´s most important Jazz venue, the annual Jazz Jamboree Festival and many other festivals as well. The material collected here presents recordings made during 1961 and 1962 by the top Polish Jazz musicians active at the time, exhibiting a wonderful panorama of the local scene at the time. All the thirteen tracks are Jazz standards performed by Jazz musicians all over the world and therefore the album is a superb opportunity to compare the level of musicianship of the first post WWII generation of Polish Jazz to their American and European counterparts. Listening to the album immediately shows that technically these players were as gifted and skilled as any other Jazz performers at the time, despite the disadvantage of living and playing behind the Iron Curtain and being almost completely isolated from the current developments. Stylistically Polish Jazz at the time was still very much under the American mainstream influence, and although Free Jazz was already making a rapid progress and breaking all the established boundaries in the US, it would take a few years until it bloomed in Poland as well. The material was recorded by four iconic figures of the early Polish Jazz and their respective ensembles: pianist / composer Andrzej TrzaskowskiFind albums by this artist and his quintet, saxophonist / composer Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and his quintet called Jazz RockersFind albums by this artist, vibraphonist / composer Jerzy MilianFind albums by this artist and his quintet and trumpeter / composer Andrzej KurylewiczFind albums by this artist and his group. The most renowned sidemen include saxophonist Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist, pianist Wojciech KarolakFind albums by this artist, bassist Roman DylagFind albums by this artist and many others. The performances are all excellent and their invaluable historical significance is beyond reproach. Beautifully restored sound quality and a warm ambience of the analog recording is a true joy. As usual with this series, which is very reasonably priced, I miss the presence of "in depth" liner notes / booklet, which should convey the circumstances at which this music was recorded and its importance to the development of Polish Jazz. Nevertheless this is an essential piece of history which every European Jazz fan will surely consider an absolute must.

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VARIOUS ARTISTS ~ POLISH RADIO JAZZ ARCHIVES VOL.13 POLSKIE RADIO 1663 (Barcode: 5907812246631) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1963 Released: 2014 This is the thirteenth installment in the new series of releases initiated by the Polish Radio, which presents archive Jazz recordings. Radio recordings are always a fabulous source of remarkable material, and as far as Polish Jazz history is concerned, the Polish Radio, which was a state monopoly for 45 years, recorded over time a plethora of invaluable material, which apart from the albums released by the Polskie Nagrania record company (also a state monopoly), is the only available additional source of Polish Jazz recordings. For many years Polish Radio recorded concerts presented during Poland´s most important Jazz venues, including the annual Jazz Jamboree Festival and many other festivals as well. The material collected here presents a second volume of recordings made in 1963 during the sixth Jazz Jamboree festival in Warsaw. It starts with two lengthy tracks, both treatments of classic Jazz standards, by the legendary American saxophonist Johnny GriffinFind albums by this artist and his quartet. Prior to this recordings Griffin, like many of his Afro-American colleagues, moved to Europe, where Jazz was experiencing an explosive development and was considered an Art Form and racial discrimination was almost completely absent. The quartet includes fellow American pianist Kenny DrewFind albums by this artist, who settled in Europe a couple of years earlier, Dutch guitarist Wim OvergaauwFind albums by this artist and Dutch bassist Ruud JacobsFind albums by this artist. Followers of this series are of course aware of the fact that the eleventh volume already presents a double CD with material recorded by Griffin at the same festival with the same musicians. Personally I´d have preferred to have that release expanded into a triple CD set and have all the Griffin sessions together, but I´m not the series´ editor. Next come three tracks by the Danish trumpeter Allan BotschinskyFind albums by this artist and his quintet with American born saxophonist Ray PittsFind albums by this artist, who moved to Denmark in 1962, pianist Atti BjoernFind albums by this artist (name most probably miss spelt), bassist Benny NielsenFind albums by this artist and American drummer Robert Joseph (real name Robert Joseph Durham or Bobby DurhamFind albums by this artist as he was known to all – Polskie Radio should have known this, especially since I already made this comment / correction on the a.m. Griffin album – please read people! The music is all original and includes two compositions by Pitts and one by Botschinsky. It is typical bee bop, well played, especially by the leader who was a first rate trumpeter, but not extraordinary in any sense. The two tracks closing the album are the most interesting for the Polish Jazz fans and they present the Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist quartet with pianist Wlodek GulgowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Tadeusz WojcikFind albums by this artist and drummer Czeslaw BartkowskiFind albums by this artist, the same quartet that would record several months later in Britain the legendary album "LolaFind albums with this title", the first significant exposure of Polish Jazz behind the Iron Curtain. Both are original compositions by Namyslowski, the first would be the title track of the British LP and the second seems to be the only appearance of this composition on record. These are the initial steps of the first golden decade of Polish Jazz, and as such their documentation is priceless, as is the music. The beautifully restored sound quality is excellent and the warm ambience of the analog recording is a true joy. As usual with this series, which is very reasonably priced, I miss the presence of "in depth" liner notes / booklet, which should convey the circumstances at which this music was recorded and its importance to the development of Jazz in Poland. Nevertheless this is an absolutely essential piece of Jazz history which every Jazz fan will surely consider an absolute must.

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

VARIOUS ARTISTS ~ POLISH RADIO JAZZ ARCHIVES VOL.14 POLSKIE RADIO 1664 (Barcode: 5907812246648) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1963 Released: 2014 This is the fourteenth installment in the new series of releases initiated by the Polish Radio, which presents archive Jazz recordings. Radio recordings are always a fabulous source of remarkable material, and as far as Polish Jazz history is concerned, the Polish Radio, which was a state monopoly for 45 years, recorded over time a plethora of invaluable material, which apart from the albums released by the Polskie Nagrania record company (also a state monopoly), is the only available additional source of Polish Jazz recordings. For many years Polish Radio recorded concerts presented during Poland´s most important Jazz venues, including the annual Jazz Jamboree Festival and many other festivals as well. The material collected here presents the third volume of recordings made in 1963 during the sixth Jazz Jamboree festival in Warsaw. In contrast to the two earlier volumes, this one presents only Polish Jazz musicians, and therefore is by far the most interesting and enlightening of the three. In many respects this album is a comprehensive review of the Polish Jazz scene at the time and presents the early days of the modern Polish Jazz at its pivotal stage of forming its own identity, as far as sound, atmosphere, character and unique stylistic aesthetics are concerned. The album includes just six tracks, by four different ensembles, playing expanded compositions, three of which cross the fifteen minutes duration time, a clear signal of creativity and improvisational freedom typical of modern Jazz. The ensembles are: Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist (saxophone) quartet with pianist Wlodek GulgowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Tadeusz WojcikFind albums by this artist and drummer Czeslaw BartkowskiFind albums by this artist (one track), Andrzej TrzaskowskiFind albums by this artist (piano) quintet with saxophonists Zbigniew Namyslowski and Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist, bassist Juliusz SandeckiFind albums by this artist (here misspelled as Julian) and drummer Adam JedrzejowskiFind albums by this artist (two tracks), Alek MusialFind albums by this artist (trumpet) quintet with vibraphonist Ryszard KruzaFind albums by this artist, pianist Wlodzimierz NahornyFind albums by this artist, bassist Wieslaw DamieckiFind albums by this artist and drummer Bogdan JopekFind albums by this artist (one track) and finally Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist (piano) quintet with trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Michal Urbaniak, bassist Maciej SuzinFind albums by this artist and drummer Czeslaw Bartkowski (two tracks). Of the six compositions three are standards and three are originals, one by Trzaskowski and two by Komeda. Stylistically the music is quite similar, ranging from more traditionally based modern Jazz in case of the Namyslowski and Musial tracks to more advanced characteristic Polish Jazz material in case in of the music by Trzaskowski and finally most dramatically in the music by Komeda, which is already eons ahead of its time. The two Komeda tracks are the epitome of modern Polish / European Jazz, which clearly show a mature approach free of the restrictions imposed by the American Jazz tradition. These tracks are alone worth the price of the entire album, but of course the rest of the material is also quite excellent. The beautifully restored sound quality is excellent and the warm ambience of the analog recording is a true joy. As usual with this series, which is very reasonably priced, I miss the presence of "in depth" liner notes / booklet, which should convey the circumstances at which this music was recorded and its importance to the development of Jazz in Poland. Nevertheless this is an absolutely essential piece of Jazz history which every Jazz fan will surely consider an absolute must.

Updated: 02/12/2016Posted:

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

VARIOUS ARTISTS ~ POLISH RADIO JAZZ ARCHIVES VOL.15 POSKIE RADIO 1665 (Barcode: 5907812246655) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1961 - 1962 Released: 2014 This is the fifteenth installment in the new series of releases initiated by the Polish Radio, which presents archive Jazz recordings. Radio recordings are always a fabulous source of remarkable material, and as far as Polish Jazz history is concerned, the Polish Radio, which was a state monopoly for 45 years, recorded over time a plethora of invaluable material, which apart from the albums released by the Polskie Nagrania record company (also a state monopoly), is the only available additional source of Polish Jazz recordings. For many years Polish Radio recorded concerts presented during Poland´s most important Jazz venues, including the annual Jazz Jamboree Festival and many other festivals as well. The material collected here presents the second volume of recordings made in 1961 and 1962 by Polish Radio in several Polish cities, presenting Polish Jazz ensembles performing American Jazz standards. Although played well, this music presents very few challenges as far as Jazz development is concerned, but from a historical perspective that stage of development was an important step towards a the creation of a new voice in modern Polish Jazz, which was just around the corner. Playing standards prepared these musicians for the challenges that were in store for them when the music made a decisive leap forward towards the new Polish / European Jazz. The album includes sixteen tracks, by two ensembles, playing as mentioned earlier standards, in a manner still very similar to their American models. The ensembles are: Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist (saxophone) Jazz RockersFind albums by this artist with saxophonist Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist, pianist Krzysztof SadowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Adam SkorupkaFind albums by this artist and drummer Andrzej ZielinskiFind albums by this artist (thirteen tracks) and Andrzej KurylewiczFind albums by this artist (piano / trumpet) quintet with saxophonists Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Wojciech KarolakFind albums by this artist, bassist Roman DylagFind albums by this artist (bassist Jan ByrczekFind albums by this artist plays on one track) and drummer Andrzej DabrowskiFind albums by this artist (three tracks). Stylistically the music is based on mostly Bee Bop and Hard Bop standards, played with obvious talent and affinity, but lacking any originality. Of course this is still an important document of the era and fans of mainstream Jazz and Polish Jazz history should be happy with it. The beautifully restored sound quality is excellent and the warm ambience of the analog recording is a true joy. As usual with this series, which is very reasonably priced, I miss the presence of "in depth" liner notes / booklet, which should convey the circumstances at which this music was recorded and its importance to the development of Jazz in Poland. Nevertheless this is an absolutely essential piece of Jazz history which every Jazz fan will surely consider an absolute must.

Updated: 12/06/2018Posted:

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VARIOUS ARTISTS ~ POLISH RADIO JAZZ ARCHIVES VOL.22 POLSKIE RADIO 1874 (Barcode: 5907812248741) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1964 Released: 2015 This is the twenty-second installment in the series of releases initiated by the Polish Radio, which presents archive Jazz recordings from the radio vaults. Radio recordings are always a fabulous source of remarkable material, and as far as Polish Jazz history is concerned, the Polish Radio, which was a state monopoly for 45 years, recorded over time a plethora of invaluable material, which apart from the albums released by the Polskie Nagrania record company (also a state monopoly), is the only available additional source of Polish Jazz recordings. For many years Polish Radio recorded concerts presented during Poland´s most important Jazz venues, including the annual Jazz Jamboree Festival and many other festivals as well. The ten tracks collected here were recorded during the seventh Jazz Jamboree Festival, which took place between October 24 and 26 1964 in Warsaw. This is the third part of the Jazz Jamboree 1964 recordings. The music was performed by four different ensembles, which are: the Italian Flavio Ambrosetti All StarsFind albums by this artist (five tracks), led by saxophonist Flavio AmbrosettiFind albums by this artist with trumpeter Franco AmbrosettiFind albums by this artist, Swiss pianist George GruntzFind albums by this artist, Polish bassist Tadeusz WojcikFind albums by this artist and Swiss drummer Pierre FavreFind albums by this artist and three Polish Jazz ensembles, Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist Quintet (one track) with trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist, bassist Janusz KozlowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Czeslaw BartkowskiFind albums by this artist, Polish Jazz QuartetFind albums by this artist (two tracks) led by saxophonist Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist with pianist Wojciech KarolakFind albums by this artist, bassist Juliusz SandeckiFind albums by this artist and drummer Andrzej DabrowskiFind albums by this artist and Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist Quartet (two tracks) with pianist Wlodek GulgowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Tadeusz Wojcik and drummer Czeslaw Bartkowski. This is by far the most interesting of the three volumes of the Jazz Jamboree 1964 recordings, as it presents the modern Polish Jazz about to explode into modernism, which will shape its destiny for generations to come. Stanko, Urbaniak, Wroblewski, Bartkowski are still active on the Polish scene, fifty years latter, carrying the fire which was first sparkled around the time these recordings were made. The Ambrosetti set is also interesting, as it allows a glance at two legendary Jazz figures: Gruntz and Favre, at their early days. Most of the music performed on this album is original. The beautifully restored sound quality is excellent and the warm ambience of the analog recording is a true joy. As usual with this series, which is very reasonably priced, I miss the presence of "in depth" liner notes / booklet, which should convey the circumstances at which this music was recorded and its importance to the development of Jazz in Poland. Nevertheless this is an absolutely essential piece of Jazz history which every Jazz fan will surely consider an absolute must.

Updated: 08/07/2020Posted:

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

VARIOUS ARTISTS ~ POLISH RADIO JAZZ ARCHIVES VOL.27 POLSKIE RADIO 2059 (Barcode: 5907812247126) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1965 Released: 2016 This is the twenty-seventh installment in the series of releases initiated by the Polish Radio, which presents archive Jazz recordings from the radio vaults. Radio recordings are always a fabulous source of remarkable material, and as far as Polish Jazz history is concerned, the Polish Radio, which was a state monopoly for 45 years, recorded over time a plethora of invaluable material, which apart from the albums released by the Polskie Nagrania record company (also a state monopoly), is the only available additional source of Polish Jazz recordings. For many years Polish Radio recorded concerts presented during Poland´s most important Jazz venues, including the annual Jazz Jamboree Festival and many other festivals as well. The tracks presented here were recorded live in December 1965 during the eighth Jazz Jamboree Festival in Warsaw and are the second volume of a collection of tracks from that event. The first two tracks present a trio led by one of the Godfathers of modern European Jazz, the German pianist / composer Joachim KuhnFind albums by this artist with bassist Klaus KochFind albums by this artist and drummer Reinhard SchwartzFind albums by this artist. They perform two original compositions by Kuhn and the performance is one of the earliest examples of European Free Jazz. Kuhn´s performance here is absolutely stunning as everything he played at the time, before he moved from East German to West Germany. The fact that his Free Jazz playing was tolerated by the GDR regime is a fascinating story by itself. More details about his activity around the time this music was recorded ban be found in the review of the Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist´s album "Live At Kosmos, BerlinFind albums with this title", which was recorded just a month earlier. The next four tracks present a quintet led by another Godfather of modern European Jazz, the German trombonist / composer Albert MangelsdorffFind albums by this artist with saxophonists Gunter KronbergFind albums by this artist and Heinz SauerFind albums by this artist, bassist Gunter LentzFind albums by this artist and drummer Ralf HubnerFind albums by this artist. They perform three original compositions by Mangelsdorff and one composition by the British trumpeter / composer Ian CarrFind albums by this artist, a great pioneer of modern British Jazz. Although the music performed by the Albert Mangelsdorff quintet is not as Free Jazz oriented as that by Joachim Kuhn, it is a superb of early modern European Jazz, which was already emancipated from the American Jazz influence and clearly showed the new direction being created in Europe. Both these performances show the importance of German musicians as co-creators of early European Jazz. The last track present a sextet led by yet another Godfather of modern European Jazz, the Polish Jazz pianist / composer Andrzej TrzaskowskiFind albums by this artist with American trumpeter Ted CursonFind albums by this artist (who was living in Europe at the time), saxophonists Janusz MuniakFind albums by this artist and Wlodzimierz NahornyFind albums by this artist, bassist Jacek OstaszewskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam JedrzejowskiFind albums by this artist. They perform one extended original composition by Trzaskowski. The music is again a stunning example of early modern European Jazz and a great precursor of the explosion of the Polish Jazz scene, which was happening at the time. The beautifully restored sound quality is excellent and the warm ambience of the analog recording is a true joy. As usual with this series, which is very reasonably priced, I miss the presence of "in depth" liner notes / booklet, which should convey the circumstances at which this music was recorded and its importance to the development of Jazz in Poland. Nevertheless this is an absolutely essential piece of Jazz history which every Jazz fan will surely consider an absolute must.

Updated: 03/12/2016Posted: 03/12/2016

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

VARIOUS ARTISTS ~ POLISH RADIO JAZZ ARCHIVES VOL.30 POLSKIE RADIO 2063 (Barcode: 5907812244026) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1966 Released: 2017 This is the thirtieth installment in the series of releases initiated by the Polish Radio, which presents archive Jazz recordings from the radio vaults. Radio recordings are always a fabulous source of remarkable material, and as far as Polish Jazz history is concerned, the Polish Radio, which was a state monopoly for 45 years, recorded over time a plethora of invaluable material, which apart from the albums released by the Polskie Nagrania record company (also a state monopoly), is the only available additional source of Polish Jazz recordings. For many years Polish Radio recorded concerts presented during Poland´s most important Jazz venues, including the annual Jazz Jamboree Festival and many other festivals as well. The tracks presented here were recorded live in October 1966 during the ninth Jazz Jamboree Festival in Warsaw and are the second volume of a collection of tracks from that event. The first ten tracks present the legendary French vocal group The Swingle SingersFind albums by this artist, led by Ward SwingleFind albums by this artist (an American in Paris) and including seven more vocalists. The vocal octet is accompanied by bassist Guy PedersenFind albums by this artist and drummer Daniel HumairFind albums by this artist. In contrast to the earlier iconic French vocal ensemble Les Double SixFind albums by this artist (which included several of the Swingle Singers members earlier on), which sung vocal versions of Jazz standards, The Swingle Singers performed mostly vocal Jazz arrangements of Classical Music pieces, by Johann Sebastian BachFind albums by this artist, Wolfgang Amadeus MozartFind albums by this artist and others. The tracks present here are all in this particular idiom. The next two tracks present a trio led by American organist Lou BennettFind albums by this artist, who moved to Paris in 1960. The other members of the trio are: Belgian guitarist Philip CatherineFind albums by this artist and Italian drummer Franco ManzecchiFind albums by this artist. These tracks are of interest as early examples of Catherine´s playing before he started his illustrious solo career. The last track presents a Polish Jazz quartet led by saxophonist Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, which also includes pianist Adam MatyszkowiczFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Adam MakowiczFind albums by this artist), bassist Janusz KozlowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Czeslaw BartkowskiFind albums by this artist. They perform an original composition by Namyslowski, recorded on his debut Polish album by the same lineup. The beautifully restored sound quality is excellent and the warm ambience of the analog recording is a true joy. As usual with this series, which is very reasonably priced, I miss the presence of "in depth" liner notes / booklet, which should convey the circumstances at which this music was recorded and its importance to the development of Jazz in Poland. Nevertheless this is an absolutely essential piece of Jazz history which every Jazz fan will surely consider an absolute must.

Updated: 07/07/2017Posted: 07/07/2017

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

WARSAW STOMPERS ~ WARSAW STOMPERS (POLISH JAZZ VOL.01) MUZA 1001 (Barcode: 5907783420016) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1959 - 1964 Released: 2008 This album presents a series of recordings made by the polish traditional Jazz ensemble Warsaw StompersFind albums by this artist (earlier called New Orleans StompersFind albums by this artist), which was one of the first and certainly the best of its kind. Led by the excellent trumpeter Henryk MajewskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Mieczyslaw WadeckiFind albums by this artist the ensemble changed the membership over the years and included in its ranks some of the best future Polish Jazz musicians like saxophonist Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and keyboardist Wlodek GulgowskiFind albums by this artist. The traditionalists vs. modernist Jazz War raged in Poland in the 1950s similarly to what happened all over Europe at the time with the New Orleans revival emerging as a counterforce of the new Bebop and beyond. However, beyond the heated discussions running into the wee hours of the night between the opponents, Jazz as music coexisted peacefully, resulting in outstanding results in both fields. The Warsaw Stompers played an all original programme, which is quite remarkable for the time, again emphasizing the deep involvement of the Polish scene with the Jazz tradition, which started even before the WWII. The level of the compositions as well as the performance is truly stellar and anybody who loves traditional Jazz should be able to enjoy this music to the fullest. Highly recommended! Side Note: Although some Polish Jazz albums were recorded and released in Poland before this album, it marks the very beginning of the legendary Polish Jazz series, which over the years documented the development of the Polish scene and resulted in total 76 releases, which in retrospect include some of the best European Jazz recorded beyond the Iron Curtain. The Polish Jazz LPs and CDs are highly collectable and many fans all over the world try to complete the collection, which is not an easy task these days. The CD reissues (called Polish Jazz Deluxe) expanded the original series with some 20 additional titles, which somehow missed the original series at the time but belong to be a part of it in retrospect.

Updated: 08/07/2020Posted:

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ZBIGNIEW WEGEHAUPT ~ ZBIGNIEW WEGEHAUPT QUARTET NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2004 Released: 2005 Polish composer / bass player Zbigniew WegehauptFind albums by this artist (or Wege to his friends – born in the same Polish town like myself!) is one of the most distinguished jazz musicians in the country. In the last 20 years he’s been one of the most intelligent and reliable bassists in the country and a member of bands led by top Polish players like Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, Janusz MuniakFind albums by this artist and many others. His flawless intonation and incredible swing served as a basis for countless recordings and concert performances. Unfortunately his recordings as a leader have been rather sparse and therefore this new album is a most welcome addition to his discography. For this album Wege formed a new quartet with 3 young and incredibly talented Polish Jazz players: Marcin MaseckiFind albums by this artist on piano, Jerzy MalekFind albums by this artist on trumpet and Sebastian FrankiewiczFind albums by this artist on drums. The music is a collection of Wege’s Jazz compositions from the past, which remained previously unrecorded. With the quartet as a vehicle the music is presented in full glory, flowing and swinging straight to the heart. This is modern Jazz at its best, full of beautiful melodies, superb expression and dramatic crescendos. The level of musicianship is truly astounding and it’s very hard to believe that such young musicians are capable of such mature statements. This is a great joy to see that the new generation of Polish Jazz musicians is living up to the expectations left by the glorious Polish Jazz tradition. Absolutely not to be missed!

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

IREK WOJTCZAK / NYCONNECTION ~ FOLK FIVE FOR TUNE 0050 (Barcode: 5902768701494) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2014 Released: 2014 This is a superb and highly original album by Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Irek WojtczakFind albums by this artist, one of my favorite heroes of the Polish scene, recorded with an American quartet, which comprises of pianist Michael StevensFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Herb RobertsonFind albums by this artist, bassist Joe FondaFind albums by this artist and drummer Harvey SorgenFind albums by this artist. The album presents an adventurous Jazz-World Music Fusion project, based on eight folk tunes originating from the region of Wojtczak´s birthplace, arranged and transformed by him into the Jazz idiom. People familiar with the history of Polish Jazz are of course aware of a long tradition of amalgamating Polish Folklore with Jazz, which goes back to the early days of post-WWII modern Polish Jazz. The most notable and successful examples of such Fusion can be found in the recordings of Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, but the phenomenon was quite omnipresent, mostly in the 1960s and into 1970s. It is a much lesser known fact that the Socialist Regime, which ruled the country at the time, did not know how to deal with the explosion of Jazz popularity, especially in view of the fact that Jazz was highly criticized by the watchful Soviet overseers. The solution to this conundrum was to present Jazz as a form of folklore, originating from the African-American "oppressed society" and domesticated in Socialist Poland by incorporating Polish Folklore. This ingenious and of course bizarrely ridiculous, and yet highly effective deceit kept Polish Jazz alive and eventually highly successful during the times of strict political censorship of all artistic activities, and in retrospect is largely responsible for the remarkable continuous development of the genre in Poland, which did not happen on the same scale in other countries behind the Iron Curtain. Of course this album presents a true amalgam of Jazz and Folklore, which results not form a compulsory mandate, but from deep soul searching and a conscious decision taken by Wojtczak to reexamine the roots of his cultural heritage, which he absorbed during his childhood but suppressed for many years while developing his Jazz skills and vocabulary. Such retrospective journeys are never easy and the fact that he managed to emerge triumphant from this one is truly marvelous. But the greatest surprise of this album is the ability of the American quartet to assimilate those Polish Folklore idiosyncrasies, such as odd meters and bizarre chord changes, and incorporate them into their Jazz legacy as if this was the most natural thing in the world, where in fact it is anything but natural or expected. Most American Jazz musicians hardly ever consider anything happening outside of the US as valuable in the Jazz context, with blind conservatism and acute bigotry being often at the helm. Their brotherly embrace of a Polish Jazz musician and his bizarre music, which results in creating a common statement, is absolutely heartwarming. The music on this album is not only a superb example of cross genre integration, but most importantly an exquisite piece of modern Jazz, which encompasses its many sub-genres, from melodic Bebop, via Free Jazz and into Improvised Music stretches. Marvelously performed and showing an incredible sensitivity, elegance and grace, this is contemporary Jazz of the highest caliber. But individual statements and virtuosity of the participants would mean nothing if not supported by the intense level of interplay and telepathic conversation, which this music is completely soaked in. Mutual respect, support, understanding and most importantly pure love of music turn this music into one of the most passionate and poignant musical statements I had the pleasure to enjoy lately. I always believed that Wojtczak will become at some point one of the most important Polish Jazz Masters. On the liner notes of his previous album, which I was honored to write, I stated the following: "Constantly developing, probing and expanding his milieu, which over time covered such diverse areas as mainstream Jazz, Jazz-World Fusion, Jazz-Rock Fusion and experimental Free Jazz, Wojtczak with his chameleonic ability to fit in any environment and to do it splendidly, is a superb example of a modern Jazz musician." With this album under his arm Wojtczak certainly achieved already more than many of his contemporaries, and he as after all just starting… Kudos are due to the For TuneFind albums on this label label and the people behind it for supporting and releasing this amazing piece of Art, which is one of the crown jewels in their entire catalog. My deepest respects!

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JAN PTASZYN WROBLEWSKI ~ SPRZEDAWCY GLONOW (POLISH JAZZ VOL.90 DELUXE) MUZA 1090 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1971 - 1973 Released: 2006 This relatively little known brilliant album presents Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer / arranger / bandleader Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist mainly in the capacity as the director of the Polish Radio Jazz OrchestraFind albums by this artist, a superb collection of top musicians, which functioned as a catalyst and incubator to generations of Polish Jazz musicians as well as a first rate workshop and recording platform. Wroblewski, one of Polish Jazz veterans and Godfathers, led the orchestra for many years with great success and these recordings prove how great it really was. He also composed three of the six extended compositions included here with the other three composed by Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and Andrzej TrzaskowskiFind albums by this artist each contributing one composition. The arrangements are absolutely brilliant as are the performances, with the orchestra fronted as such first rate soloists like Stanko, Namyslowski, Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist (playing sax on one track and violin on another), Tomasz SzukalskiFind albums by this artist, Adam MakowiczFind albums by this artist, Marek BlizinskiFind albums by this artist, Wojciech KarolakFind albums by this artist, Zbigniew SeifertFind albums by this artist and of course Wroblewski himself, in short the crème de la crème of the Polish Jazz scene at the time. The music is very modern and even borders on Free at times, presenting very rare examples of Jazz orchestra accompanying a freely improvising soloist. This album is an absolute must to all Polish Jazz lovers and in retrospect is of the best Polish Jazz albums ever recorded. Grab it!

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JAN PTASZYN WROBLEWSKI ~ STUDIO JAZZOWE POLSKIEGO RADIA 1969-78 POLSKIE RADIO 2327-2331 (Barcode: 5907812248222) ~ POLAND ~ Big Band Jazz Recorded: 1969 - 2017 Released: 2020 This is an iconic archival album documenting the recorded legacy of one of the Godfathers of Polish Jazz, saxophonist / composer / arranger / bandleader Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist. The first four CDs in this 5CD set present recordings by the Polish Radio Jazz Studio OrchestraFind albums by this artist led and conducted by Wroblewski between late 1968 and early 1978, and the last CD presents recordings by his quartet and sextet, recorded between 1979 and 2017. The entire crème de la crème of the Polish Jazz scene in the crucial decade of its development (late 1960s to late 1970s) can be heard on these recordings, including such celebrated names like Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, Andrzej TrzaskowskiFind albums by this artist, Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, Wlodzimierz NahornyFind albums by this artist, Bronislaw SuchanekFind albums by this artist, Janusz StefanskiFind albums by this artist, Jerzy MilianFind albums by this artist, Zbigniew SeifertFind albums by this artist, NOVIFind albums by this artist Singers and many others. Almost all the music on these CDs was composed and arranged by Wroblewski and the members of the orchestra. Wroblewski (born 1936), who is nearing his eighty fifth birthday, is still active today and he wrote the liner notes accompanying this release, reminiscing about the decade during which he fronted the orchestra. The artistry of the Big Band idiom and the sophistication of the arrangements are of course the focal points of the music and although the American Big Bands are an obvious inspiration, the result reaches way beyond the basic model, creating the European Big Band approach, which looks for inspiration in way more complex compositions (like the music of Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist in this case) and experimental soloing, bordering on Free Jazz, which can be heard extensively here. The fact that the members of Komeda’s ensembles play on these recordings speaks for itself and the contributing composers are all pioneers of modern Polish Jazz. The music is, as expected, absolutely brilliant from start to finish, and in retrospect glorifies the level of the Polish Jazz musicianship and talent at the time. It is “criminal” that this music was locked down in the vaults of the Polish Radio for so long, and hopefully the rest of it (at least twice as much as was released now) will be released in the future. The damages made by limitations of the Polish music industry at the time and the monopoly of State owned music enterprises, which controlled and censored the output of recorded music for decades, should be all made right in time, preserving the Cultural treasures hidden from public access. Polish Jazz enthusiasts all over the world should find this album an absolute must have in their collection. The list of participating musicians and the quality of the compositions is certain to satisfy the most demanding listeners and the historical importance is unprecedented. Essential listening!

Updated: 11/02/2021Posted: 11/02/2021

CD 5 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend