Record Reviews

VARIOUS ARTISTS ~ POLISH RADIO JAZZ ARCHIVES VOL.09 POLSKIE RADIO 1628 (Barcode: 5907812246280) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1957 - 1962 Released: 2013 This is the ninth 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 recordings made between 1957 and 1962, all of which represent Traditional Jazz (Ragtime, Dixieland, New Orleans and Swing genres called collectively Trad Jazz for short). The artists include visiting musicians like the American clarinetist Albert NicholasFind albums by this artist and the German clarinetist Emil MangelsdorffFind albums by this artist, both of which were guests of the second Jazz Jamboree Festival in 1957. Other performers are Polish and include pianist Zygmunt WicharyFind albums by this artist and his orchestra, clarinetist Janusz ZabieglinskiFind albums by this artist and his quintet, saxophonist Jerzy MatuskiewiczFind albums by this artist and his octet, trombonist Jan TomaszewskiFind albums by this artist and his Big Band and the New Orleans StompersFind albums by this artist. The various ensembles perform mostly Trad standards, with just a couple of tunes being originals among the total nineteen tracks present. The performances are all very good and show that the Polish scene also enjoyed the Trad revival, which was very popular in Western Europe at the time. The legendary division between the traditionalists and the modernists on the Polish scene was not as radical as beyond the Iron Curtain, with musicians often playing both Jazz camps simultaneously (in different ensembles of course). Overall this music is very good and the invaluable historical significance of these recordings is beyond reproach. Beautifully restored sound quality is not perfect, but considering the problematic and often faulty source material, it is a remarkable job 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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ZYGMUNT WICHARY ~ TALIZMAN GAD 083 (Barcode: 5903068120138) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1955 - 1962 Released: 2018 This is an archival album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer / bandleader Zygmunt WicharyFind albums by this artist, one of the pioneers of Polish Jazz, who is mostly sadly forgotten due to his untimely death in 1966 at a ridiculous age of 38. Wichary, born in the Silesian town of Chorzow, which happens to be my hometown, was very popular between mid-1950s and until his death and his music was broadcasted often by Polish Radio. The music on this album presents twenty three radio recordings spanning the years 1955 to 1962. The music is stylistically mostly related to early Jazz forms like Dixieland and Swing and features several male and female Jazz vocalists, including the Scottish Elizabeth CharlesFind albums by this artist, Rena HolmFind albums by this artist and Carmen MorenoFind albums by this artist. As these recordings show, the level of musical knowledge and instrumental technique displayed by the musicians and vocalist are astonishingly advanced and are every bit as good as what was played by parallel ensembles active beyond the Iron Curtain. This explains the revolutionary development of the Polish Jazz scene from the mid 1960s onwards, based on the rich tradition of the music that existed in the country in the preceding decades, although at times simmering mostly under the surface. Several of the recordings also show the early days of Rhythm And Blues / Rock And Roll in Poland, before the development of the local "Big Beat" scene, which then developed into Rock. For Jazz enthusiasts interested in the history of Polish Jazz in particular, or in Jazz development beyond the Iron Curtain in general, this is a fascinating opportunity to take a peek at what was happening there at a time. Of course the music is also a great fun to listen to, as it still sounds fresh and honest. As usual GADFind albums on this label Records are able to unearth a piece of forgotten treasure, which is definitely worthy of being remembered and cherished, which is a true labor of love.

Updated: 08/05/2023Posted: 06/02/2019

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