Record Reviews

TATVAMASI ~ DYLIZANS SIEDMIU AUDIO CAVE ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2014 Released: 2016 This is the third album by Polish ensemble TatvamasiFind albums by this artist, led by guitarist / composer Grzegorz LesiakFind albums by this artist. On this album the quintet lineup, which also included trumpeter Jan MichalecFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Tomasz PiatekFind albums by this artist, bassist Lukasz DownarFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof RedasFind albums by this artist, was expended to a septet with the addition of Brazilian saxophonist Yedo GibsonFind albums by this artist and Spanish percussionist Vasco TrillaFind albums by this artist. The album presents just three expanded original compositions (two lasting over twelve minutes and one over sixteen minutes), all composed by Lesiak. The album was recorded shortly after the recording of their previous album a couple of years back and released only now. The music is as unexpected as one might expect from Tatvamasi, presenting a wonderful amalgam of Rock, Funk, Free Jazz, Psychedelia, World, Electronic and Ambient influences. The three tracks are extended jams, which basically provide a platform for all the participants to play extended solos over a steady beat. Most of the solos by brass instruments are pretty Free Jazz oriented, while the guitar playing is more Rocky and Ambient. Several musicians solo simultaneously, conversing between themselves and getting involved into group improvisation. The guitar solos take the music back on track and serve as a buffer between the multilayered Jazzy parts. As usual this music simply shuns classification. To listeners familiar with the work of Miles DavisFind albums by this artist, this music is conceptually similar to the Miles "electric period", which featured electric guitar as a centerpiece of his ensembles. It seems that this album is more of an experimental recording of a pre-planned jam session rather than a full-fledged new studio album by the ensemble, which is hopefully following soon. Nevertheless it is a superb piece of music, which has very few equals in its category in Poland or anywhere else for that matter. The music, being pretty esoteric, might not be easily accessible to a wide audience and is definitely way to open and Jazzy for the average Fusion fans, but on the other hand it offers so much more intellectual stimuli that an effort to listen to it open-headedly is definitely worthwhile. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 31/10/2016Posted: 31/10/2016

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WOJCIECH FEDKOWICZ NOISE TRIO ~ POST-DIGITAL DREAMERS AUDIO CAVE 2013/002 (Barcode: 5902596954376) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Ambient Fusion Recorded: 2012 Released: 2013 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz drummer / composer Wojciech FedkowiczFind albums by this artist and his Noise TrioFind albums by this artist, which includes keyboardist Dominik WaniaFind albums by this artist and bassist Jacek FedkowiczFind albums by this artist. All three players use electronic effects on their respective instruments. Three guest musicians play / sing on selected tracks. The album presents seven original compositions, five by Wojciech Fedkowicz, one by Jacek Fedkowicz and one co-credited to all members of the trio. I was not aware of the existence of this album and only after recently reviewing the trio’s second album “Distant HeroesFind albums with this title”, Wojciech Fedkowicz sent me this one, which goes almost a decade back in time. It is also one of the earliest albums released by the Audio CaveFind albums on this label label, which in the meantime earned a respectable position on the local music market. The music is in fact quite similar to the second album, with just a bit less electronics involved in the process, again based on highly melodic themes, which are given a distinct rhythmic roll-over, taking the music away from the Jazz idiom, and more into Ambient / Drum & Bass direction, but all done very gracefully and with a dash of irony. Not surprisingly, Wania plays marvelously, although being very out of his element here most of the time, which emphasizes his phenomenal diversity and open-mindedness. For Wania’s followers it is worth to mention that this album is one of his earliest recordings, which already at this point of time sets his aside from most of the competition. But the rhythm section plays also beautifully, juggling around polyrhythmic tempi and atmospheric deep bass sounds, which create a highly unusual ambience. Overall it is great to discover this early gem, as it offers some truly unusual music, surely as far as “around Jazz” is concerned, and for an attentive listener is full of surprising moments, all of which are completely time-resistant. Probably not that easy to find today, but highly recommended, surely for Wania completists, but seriously definitely worth being discovered, better late than never.

Updated: 17/06/2021Posted: 17/06/2021

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JACEK KOCHAN ~ THIRD OF THREE AUDIO CAVE 2014/001 (Barcode: 5902596954734) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2014 This is an album by Polish Jazz drummer / composer Jacek KochanFind albums by this artist, one of the most prolific and internationally involved Polish musicians. On the album he presents a trio led by him and also including two pianists: the Italian Mauro SchiavoneFind albums by this artist, who plays acoustic piano and the Polish Dominik WaniaFind albums by this artist, who plays the electric piano, both playing side by side with the leader. The trio presents eight original compositions, all by Kochan. All three instrumentalist need little introduction and anybody familiar with the Polish Jazz scene should be aware of Kochan´s achievements since the 1980s. He released close to twenty albums as a leader, many of which feature top Jazz players from around the world. Schiavone has already a proven record as an excellent player and Wania, who is the youngest trio member, is one of the "hottest" Jazz musicians on the Polish scene in the last decade. A trio consisting of a drummer and two pianists is highly atypical and I can´t recall any other example of such musical configuration prior to this one. Consequently the music sounds quite strange and unusual, and takes a while to get used to. The compositions are also eerie, somewhere between industrial and ambient, with twisted melodic contents and jumpy rhythmical patterns, in short definitely not your average easy listening Jazz experience. After a while this strange brew starts to make sense and exposes an exciting listening adventure, which is definitely different from most other stuff one comes across, all for the best of course. Overall this is quite an ambitious piece of music, requiring attentive and repeated listening in order to be truly appreciated. Kochan is to be congratulated for exploring new areas and not standing still, like many other players of his generation. Definitely worth exploring!

Updated: 17/06/2021Posted:

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PAYOFF ~ GORZKIE ZALE AUDIO CAVE 2016/002 (Barcode: 5905669566087) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is the second album by the Polish Improvised Music trio PayoffFind albums by this artist, which consists of saxophonist Bartlomiej WielgoszFind albums by this artist, guitarist Dawid K. WieczorekFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal DziobonFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine pieces, which are not credited on the album´s cover and therefore are assumed as being co-composed by the trio members. The music is spiritually related to the Polish Catholic Church devotion called Lenten Lamentations, comprising of many hymns, which was developed in the 18th Century and is not celebrated outside of Poland. The music, although improvised, contains strong melodic elements, which make it accessible to a much wider circle of listeners than the strictly Improvised Music albums. Additionally the usage of electric guitar and sound effects places the music somewhere in between Improvised Jazz and Improvised Rock, again expanding the potential audience. The recording uses a lot of echo and delay, creating an effect simulating a live recording made in a wide space, possibly a church, which adds to the spirituality of this music. The overall effect moves between deep contemplation during the quiet passages and eruptions of despair during the more intense moments. The album manages to create a lasting tension and expectation from start to finish, which is one of its best qualities. The level of performance by all three members of the trio is impressive and includes elements of originality and an obvious sense of aesthetic beauty. The level of interplay is also quite remarkable and the trio sounds like an organic amalgam of its members, achieving together a much stronger effect than the individual contributions, all this being another reason to give the album your ears. Although this kind of music is often too complex for the average listener, this album has plenty of merits which make it worth listening to. The music is absorbing, constantly developing and often fascinating, which overall promises a very interesting sonic experience. Definitely worth investigating!

Updated: 17/06/2021Posted: 14/05/2016

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GAWEDA / MIELCAREK / STWORZEWICZ ~ SILBERMAN AND THREE OF A PERFECT PAIR AUDIO CAVE 2016/006 (Barcode: 5905669566131) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the third album recorded under the "Silberman" moniker recorded by a Polish trio comprising of keyboardist Mateusz GawedaFind albums by this artist, bassist Jakub MielcarekFind albums by this artist and drummer Lukasz StworzewiczFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. SilbermanFind albums by this artist), which presents six pieces, five of which are originals: one by Gaweda, two by Stworzewicz and two co-composed by all three members of the trio. The remaining tune was composed by the Italian operatic composer Umberto GiordanoFind albums by this artist. The music incorporates poetry by Polish poetess Krystyna MilobedzkaFind albums by this artist and text by British philosopher Alan Wilson WattsFind albums by this artist, narrated by Jan PeszekFind albums by this artist. The music is a mixture of many different elements, from Classical to Avant Garde, performed by a piano trio, but having very little to do with a classic Jazz piano trio per se. There is a certain Punkish (see post-Yass) attitude, especially in the role of the drums, which obviously is more Rock than Jazz oriented. The three instruments seem to have divided the genre-related responsibilities, with piano playing the Classical parts, the bass the Avant Garde parts and the drums the Rock parts. Overall this music sounds often like Emerson, Lake & PalmerFind albums by this artist on acid. Add the narrated poems and you get a Psychedelic party like we used to have in the good old sixties. But seriously this is brilliant stuff from stat to finish, perhaps somewhat hesitant and searching, but certainly defining new rules as far as cross-genre excursions are concerned. The musicianship is, as expected, simply stunning with the still very young Gaweda does things with the piano that might not be allowed in some parts of the world. Mielcarek swings his bow like the legendary Helmut NadolskiFind albums by this artist, but also keeps a steady pulse when needed. Stworzewicz beats the hell out of the drums like Animal of the Muppets, but always within the proper boundaries, and always swinging. We need more albums like this one, which throw out everything we know about music into the garbage basket and take it from there, doing exactly what the people behind the music are after: fun, adventure, exploration, innovation and above all artistry. This is what being an artist is after all… This is definitely one of the most unique and curious Polish albums I heard in the last few years, and I have heard many of them, as my readers know. I can only recommend it wholeheartedly, hoping that it will find its way to as many open minded listeners as possible. Well done!

Updated: 17/06/2021Posted: 14/06/2016

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MATEUSZ GAWEDA ~ OVERNIGHT TALES AUDIO CAVE 2016/009 (Barcode: 5905669566193) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is the debut album as a leader by young Polish Jazz pianist / composer Mateusz GawedaFind albums by this artist, recorded in a classic piano trio format with bassist Alan WykpiszFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz PalkaFind albums by this artist. The album presents six original compositions, all by Gaweda. Gaweda´s arrival on the Polish Jazz scene created a lot of buzz and genuine interest, not only due to his flamboyant expressionism, but primarily as a result of his obvious talent and fresh, innovative input to the Jazz idiom, easily noticeable even on the dense and competitive local scene, which is bursting with talent. I had several opportunities to watch him performing in the last couple of years and my immediate reaction was always full of genuine appreciation. 2016 proved to be a breakthrough year for Gaweda, with several excellent albums with his participation being released, including this debut wrapping up the proceedings of an extremely busy year. As all great Jazz musicians, Gaweda is first and foremost unique in his approach to composition and the instrument. Surprisingly the music on this album is the most "conventional" performance by Gaweda that I have heard so far, which is a great revelation. There is very little of the Avant-Garde experimentation, which his live performances usually emphasize. That does not mean of course that the music is "conventional" in any sense. In fact it is anything but conventional. Based on beautiful melodic themes, the extended pieces allow the pianist to venture far away from the basic melody and explore uncharted territory. Not Free Jazz per se, the music incorporates a large degree of space and freedom, which allows for tempo changes and intense climaxes within the duration of each of the tunes. There is a wonderful natural flow, which keeps the music moving forward, seemingly effortlessly in spite of its complexity and dramatic mood swings. The rhythm section is perfectly cooperative with the leader, staying respectfully in the background in order not to collide with the delicate piano sound, but filling the spaces, both harmonically and rhythmically, just in the right spots. Wykpisz is steadily earning a position of a leading bass player on the Polish scene in the last few years and the young Palka is still earning his dues. Both of them do a great job here and Gaweda made the right choice to have them on the album. It will take several listening sessions, even for the more experienced listeners, to fully appreciate this album. This music, like good wine, takes time to mature and settle in, best explored at ease and in perfect concentration. Since Gaweda is surely going to emerge as one of the major players on the Polish Jazz scene in the years to come, fans and lovers of Polish Jazz should give this album the time and the respect it truly deserves. This is definitely a very impressive debut, which hints as to the gift Gaweda is blessed with. Perhaps decades from now people will remember it as a classic, which introduced Gaweda to the world? Definitely one of the most important Polish Jazz releases in 2016. Respect!

Updated: 17/06/2021Posted: 20/12/2016

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TADEUSZ SUDNIK ~ TADEUSZ SUDNIK & HIS FRIENDS IN ART AUDIO CAVE 2017/001 (Barcode: 5905669566223) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 1986 - 2005 Released: 2017 This is an archival release by Polish keyboardist / composer / electronic music pioneer Tadeusz SudnikFind albums by this artist, which presents nine tracks recorded between 1986 and 2005 with the participation of some of top Polish Jazz musicians, like trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Adam PieronczykFind albums by this artist and Aleksander KoreckiFind albums by this artist, bassist Zbigniew WegehauptFind albums by this artist and others, including the Polish Avant-Garde legend Andrzej MitanFind albums by this artist. Sudnik is listed as co-composer of all the tracks, except the piece with Stanko. The music presents a wide scope of stylistic influences, but clearly points out the tremendous input Sudnik contributed to the development of electronic music as well as Polish Jazz and other genres. His membership in Stanko´s group FreelectronicFind albums by this artist in the 1980 and his work on such albums as "Peyotl - WitkacyFind albums with this title" or "Live At The Montreux Jazz Festival 1987Find albums with this title" are major contributions to the genre. On the album Sudnik utilizes live computer generated sounds, producing amazing and always perfectly suited music to accompany the friends he plays with. The album is full of great melodies, mystical sound vistas, exciting dialogues and a plethora of highly unusual, but highly aesthetic musical statements. Overall this is a superb career spanning overview, which presents Sudnik as a major electronic pioneer, full of ideas and stylistic diversity, which is rarely present in electronic music, which tends to be more concerned with electronics than with music. For Polish Jazz followers, this is a must have item, which enables a glance at a much lesser known areas of the genre´s activities. Electronic music connoisseurs should also find this fascinating, and much different from the usual output found within the genre. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 05/07/2018

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D.R.A.G. ~ OBEREK AUDIO CAVE 2017/003 (Barcode: 5905669566230) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz quartet D.R.A.G.Find albums by this artist led by violinist Dominika RusinowskaFind albums by this artist, which also includes pianist Mateusz GawedaFind albums by this artist, bassist Jakub MielcarekFind albums by this artist and drummer Jozef RusinowskiFind albums by this artist. As the title suggests, the album presents six Polish Folklore melodies, arranged for the Jazz quartet by Rusinowska, Gaweda and the entire quartet (two pieces each). Although not stated on the album´s liner notes, the music was recorded live (at least partly). The renaissance of the Polish Jazz Violin School in the last decade is a true joy and seeing finally a female violinist joining the pack is encouraging. Especially so in view of this ambitious and interesting effort which crosses genres between Improvised Music and Jazz-World Fusion, which is extremely demanding. The arrangements take the folkloristic themes only as basic musical ideas, which are then expanded by the lengthy improvisations, featuring the violin and piano. The rhythm section supports the soloists by creating a steady pulse, which drives the music forward and allows the soloists to move pretty far away, both harmonically and rhythmically. Most of the solo parts are quite Free oriented, at times even extremely Free, which sometimes slightly exceeds the abilities of the soloists, especially in the case of the leader. Nevertheless the music flows energetically and presents many superb moments of highly interesting intensity. By the nature of things Gaweda steals a lot of the attention with his stellar piano parts, but this of course should have been expected. Overall the album tries to say a bit too much that is really necessary in this case. A more modest and calculated approach might have produced a more refined result, but considering the age and experience of these talented musician, a youthful enthusiasm is understandable. Definitely an impressive debut for the leader, who emerges as one more Polish Jazz musician worth following!

Updated: 24/02/2017Posted: 24/02/2017

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ADAM JARZMIK ~ EUPHORIA AUDIO CAVE 2017/004 (Barcode: 5905669566254) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Adam JarzmikFind albums by this artist, recorded in a classic quintet setting with trumpeter Pawel PalcowskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Jakub LepaFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej KitajewskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Piotr BudniakFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions by Jarzmik and one arrangement of a standard. The music is all within the mainstream Jazz idiom, with solid compositions and sleek execution, not very innovative but definitely worth hearing, especially in view of the age of the musicians involved. It is amazing how young Polish Jazz musicians are able to achieve a level of professionalism at an amazingly young age, which often takes musicians elsewhere twice the time. Jarzmik´s compositions are his true forte and their quality and imaginative themes are the focus of this album. Although they are mostly rather atypical as far as the Polish Jazz scene is concerned, being more inclined towards the American Jazz tradition with the post Bebop dominance, they are still interesting enough to save the day. The lyrical ballads, like the title track, are more characteristic of Polish Jazz, and are the best pieces on the album by far. Overall this is a very presentable debut album, which shows a lot of potential both as far as the leader / composer is concerned and as far as the musicians in the quintet, some of which already have a recording history, especially the drummer, are concerned. For many musicians some decades ago, albums like this one were the pinnacle of their career, and since this is after all a debut, it definitely shows the level of extraordinary musicianship these young people already posses at their early age. These musicians are definitely worth listening to and watching for their future achievements, which are sure to be even more accomplished.

Updated: 25/05/2017Posted: 25/05/2017

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NSI QUARTET ~ THE LOOK OF COBRA AUDIO CAVE 2017/005 (Barcode: 5905669566308) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is the second album by Polish Jazz ensemble NSI QuartetFind albums by this artist, which comprises of trumpeter Cyprian BaszynskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Bartlomiej PrucnalFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej AdamczakFind albums by this artist and drummer Dawid FortunaFind albums by this artist. The quartet is joined by the excellent pianist Dominik WaniaFind albums by this artist on several tracks. The album presents seven original compositions, four by Prucnal, two by Baszynski and one co-composed by them both. The music tries to get away form the stylistic direction initiated on their debut, which used to concentrate on up-tempo post Bebop mainstream Jazz, based on simple melodic themes. This time the music is more open structurally and offers moments of almost Free improvisation and extensive exchanges between the musicians. The unusual sound of the quartet, which lacks a harmonic instrument, is not easy to get used to and therefore the tracks featuring Wania are much more balanced, with his input dramatically influencing the overall result. However, the fact that the ensemble expanded its basic conceptions proved to be problematic, causing the music to lose some of its coherence and sense of direction. The music is more interesting intellectually, but almost completely loses its sense of melody and harmony, creating an emotional void. The best example of this can be found the long trumpet / saxophone duet track, which simply goes nowhere. This album is a classic example of music played by excellent musicians, who are obvious professionals and talented individuals, which somehow fails to make an impact it could potentially reach. It is hard to pinpoint what exactly does not work here, and of curse this is just my very personal opinion. Perhaps the attempt to play less restricted music simply is beyond these particular musicians (excluding Wania of course) and sticking to the well paved roads is less problematic, as evident on the debut album. In short this album left me cold, without being able to make spiritual or emotional contact with the music it offers. Obviously well played, it sort of passed me by without leaving any impact, which is a great pity.

Updated: 26/05/2017Posted: 26/05/2017

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SILBERMAN NEW QUINTET ~ PIESN GESI KANADYJSKICH AUDIO CAVE 2017/006 (Barcode: 5905669566278) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is the fourth album recorded under the "Silberman" moniker, following the third album recorded by a trio, which comprised of pianist Mateusz GawedaFind albums by this artist, bassist Jakub MielcarekFind albums by this artist and drummer Lukasz StworzewiczFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. SilbermanFind albums by this artist). On this album the lineup is expanded to a quintet with the addition of saxophonist Maciej ObaraFind albums by this artist and bass guitarist Artur KudlacikFind albums by this artist. Together they perform five original compositions, two by Gaweda, two by Stworzewicz and one co-credited to the quintet, and their interpretation of a Nino RotaFind albums by this artist piece. The music on this album is much more Jazz oriented, mostly pretty standard modern Jazz, with some Free Jazz elements and unusual rhythmic parts performed by the electric bass and the drums. It is less unique and surprising than the debut album, but probably more acceptable to the Jazz connoisseurs, who found the debut album to be somewhat bizarre. Personally I think that the debut was much more interesting and forward-thinking. The album is also very strangely recorded, with a muddy sound, which creates some serious aural problems which make hearing properly everything that is played by the musicians very difficult. I have no idea if this was done on purpose as part of the album´s overall concept, but it was definitely a mistake. Although Obara and Gaweda play some very impressive solo parts on this album, those are somehow less impressive than their usual output. Overall this album manages to achieve much less than the impressive lineup would promise and especially in view of the superb debut recording by the core trio of this quintet. It is of course still partly very good music, but the album lacks focus and coherence, and sadly does not excite at all. Of course this is just my personal opinion.

Updated: 10/04/2019Posted: 27/05/2017

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OLES BROTHERS ~ SPIRIT OF NADIR AUDIO CAVE 2017/008 (Barcode: 5905669566353) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2013 Released: 2017 This is an album by the Polish Jazz duo consisting of twin brothers: bassist Marcin OlesFind albums by this artist and drummer Bartlomiej OlesFind albums by this artist, collectively known as Oles BrothersFind albums by this artist. It presents an eleven part suite co-composed by both brothers, recorded in 2013, which waited to be released for four years. Since the turn of the Millennium Oles Brothers earned the status of an iconic phenomenon on the Polish Jazz scene, releasing over 25 albums in various configurations, mostly in small formats like solo, duo and trio settings, with music encompassing a wide cross-genre amalgam of Jazz, Improvised Music, Jazz-Classical and Jazz-World Music Fusions. Their consistent excellence and purely artistic conviction puts them at the very top of world level musicians active today. "Spirit Of Nadir" is a journey into the cultures of Near and Far East, with strong Middle Eastern influences of Jewish and Arabic roots, but also reaching as far as India and Indonesia, weaving an exquisite tapestry of sounds and rhythms which emphasizes the universality of music as part of the human nature. Seemingly restricted instrumentally and harmonically by the use of just bass and drums, the duo manages to create a universe of music, which sounds complete and coherent, ignoring completely the inherent limitations and presenting music which lacks nothing and is able to deeply move the listener and deliver an aesthetic experience; a wonderful example of quality being clearly more important than quantity. Undoubtedly this is highly spiritual music, which requires from the listener not only his undivided attention, but also openness towards unusual (to most) harmonic and rhythmic structures. Although World Music has penetrated the rather limited and condescending Western aesthetics, it is still very much a niche scene, and therefore every effort, especially such wonderfully executed as this one, which brings music from diverse spheres together is worthy of praise and admiration. It is very satisfactory to hear this wonderful music, which I have been familiar with almost since its conception and had the pleasure to hear it performed live, finally found its way to be released on CD by the upcoming Polish label Audio CaveFind albums on this label, which makes its presence known with increasing strength. Well done as usual and of course warmly recommended to all connoisseurs of great music everywhere on this planet!

Updated: 26/12/2017Posted: 26/12/2017

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JAZABU ~ LODZ KOSMICZNA AUDIO CAVE 2017/009 (Barcode: 5905669566414) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by Polish Avant-Garde Jazz quartet JazabuFind albums by this artist, which consists of trumpeter Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Tomasz GlazikFind albums by this artist, guitarist Marek KadzielaFind albums by this artist and drummer Jacek BuhlFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original compositions / improvisations, which are not credited on the album´s artwork and therefore assumed to be all co-composed by the four quartet members. The music is quite typical Free Jazz / Improvised music offering, with short melodic lines stated at the beginning of the tracks, which are then developed into group improvisations and feature solos by the individual quartet members. Some of the tracks lack even the basic melodic theme and are completely improvised. The music appears to be working best when it is more contemplative and introvert, and as such delivers a deeply atmospheric musical aura. The more energetic pieces sometimes move into chaotic intensity. The lack of bass, which is only partly compensated by the guitar, creates a fluid, less rigorous rhythmic setting, which suits this music well. Jachna and Glazik were members of the legendary Sing Sing PenelopeFind albums by this artist ensemble, which was active since the turn of the Millennium, and their musical attitude was largely influenced by their formative years. Jachna and Buhl recorded several albums together in duo and trio formats and all three of them come from similar background. Kadziela is a bit of an outsider here, having been mostly associated with young Polish Jazz musicians active on the Danish scene, but since his return to Poland he is certainly more active on the local scene in several quite diverse environments. Together they represent an interesting amalgam of talent and musical experience, which definitely has a lot to offer. Although I was not overwhelmed by the music on this album, probably mostly due to the fact that although beautifully performed it offers little innovation, I believe that their future offers might be much more exciting, considering their potential. Of course the album offers some great moments and impressive soloing and the connoisseurs of the Polish Avant-Garde scene should be quite happy with this music, which more than anything proves that Polish musician are still searching and making an effort to cover uncharted territory, rather than succumb to lethargy.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 29/12/2017

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ANTONI GRALAK ~ GANGA AUDIO CAVE 2017/011 (Barcode: 5905669566377) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock-World Fusion Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is an album by renowned Polish trumpeter / composer / bandleader Antoni GralakFind albums by this artist, one of the most colorful and fascinating figures on the independent / Avant Garde / anti establishment Polish music scene, who participated in many musical projects like Tie BreakFind albums by this artist, Free CooperationFind albums by this artist, Young PowerFind albums by this artist, GraalFind albums by this artist, YesheFind albums by this artist and others. Completely unpredictably, as always, this album finds Gralak, who plays trumpet, bass guitar and keyboards, in the company of three Indian musicians who play tabla, sitar and shehnai (Indian reed instrument) respectively and Polish percussionist Zbigniew BrysiakFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Gralak. The music is heavily influenced by ethnic Indian musical motifs, incorporating Jazz improvisations, Drum & Bass, electronics and other elements, creating a fascinating amalgam of melodies and rhythms, which sounds exotic, vibrant and exciting. The folkloristic, innate to Indian music, improvisations intertwine with Gralak´s Jazzy playing quite naturally and create a cross-cultural dialogue. Parts of this music bring forward a reminiscence of the Miles DavisFind albums by this artist sessions featuring Badal RoyFind albums by this artist, which also showed some Indian influence, albeit much more subtle than here. Of course Indian music is never simplistic and its meditative nature requires attentive listening and submission, which is not easy to a Western ear, even when slightly dressed up in Western ornament. Some listeners might find this music somewhat monotonic in the long range, but hopefully the majority will be able to embrace it and enjoy it in full, as it surely deserves to reach as many listeners as possible. Overall the album shows another facet of the multitude of Gralak´s talents and musical worlds, which always was his personal signature. The restless search for new discoveries and diverse environments is the trademark of progress in Art in general and in music in particular, and Gralak deserves the title of the Great Wanderer probably more than most of his Polish contemporaries. If anybody can sit still while listening to this album, he is either in coma or dead already ;)

Updated: 17/12/2018Posted: 21/03/2018

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LIZARD ~ W GALERII CZASU (21ST ANNIVERSARY EDITION) AUDIO CAVE 2018/003 (Barcode: 5905669566469) ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1996 Released: 2018 This is a reissue of the debut album by the Polish Progressive Rock group LizardFind albums by this artist, newly remastered for this edition. At the time of the recording the lineup of the group included vocalist Damian BydlinskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Miroslaw WorekFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Andrzej JanczaFind albums by this artist, bassist Janusz TanistraFind albums by this artist and drummer Mariusz SzulakowskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents six original compositions, three of which are multi-part mini suites. The music is composed by Bydlinski or co-composed / composed by him and / or other band members and all lyrics (in Polish) are by Bydlinski. This album was already reissued before with added bonus tracks. Since Prog by definition includes a layer of improvisation it is therefore closely related musically to the Jazz / Fusion idioms. However, in contrast to Polish Jazz, which is a flourishing genre and often considered as perhaps the most creative on the international scale in the last two decades, Polish Prog never achieved the same success. The "original" wave of Prog (1960 / 1970s) almost completely missed Poland except for the Fusion oriented SBBFind albums by this artist and Pop / Rock oriented SkaldowieFind albums by this artist making fairly significant statements. The Neo-Prog (starting in 1990s) didn´t do much better overall, and with the exception of QuidamFind albums by this artist (debut album released in 1996), Lizard (debut album released in 1997) and RiversideFind albums by this artist (debut album released in 2004), not much else happened. All the above mentioned bands produced a series of albums, which over time showed a deterioration in their quality, and in time either disbanded or left the Prog idiom completely. Over time there were quite a few other bands out there, none of which made a truly significant statement, on the world scale. To be perfectly honest, the Neo-Prog genre was a bad idea to start with anyway. It was a priori derivative, almost completely unoriginal and often criminally boring. The idea of bringing back to life a musical genre that burnt itself out during its original period of activity is by definition absurd. Having said all that, the early albums by the three abovementioned groups (Quidam, Lizard, Riverside), including this one, have their merits. Musically "W Galerii Czasu" is an archetypal Neo-Prog album, with lengthy multi-part tracks, which offer several melody lines within one track and theatrical vocals. In this case the melodies are solid and interesting enough to make the album quite listenable. The instrumental work is fine, but not exceptional, well balanced and overall coherent. The vocals are somewhat monotonous and the vocal range is limited, but at least the vocalist sticks to singing in Polish, so the listener is not subjected to the bad English accent torture. The album aged well and lost nothing of its initial fine form, but again Neo-Prog did not move an inch since its conception, so this is not surprising. Overall it is still a very good listening experience, especially for the Prog Heads that are still around. For the sake of nostalgia and the great remastered sound, I can wholeheartedly recommend it!

Updated: 21/09/2021Posted: 04/07/2018

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

MATEUSZ GAWEDA ~ FALSTART AUDIO CAVE 2018/004 (Barcode: 5905669566537) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is the second album by young and upcoming Polish Jazz pianist / composer Mateusz GawedaFind albums by this artist, recorded with the same trio that was featured on his debut album with bassist Alan WykpiszFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz PalkaFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, all by the leader. Gaweda managed in a relatively short span of time to establish a respectful position on the local Jazz scene, both as a musician / composer and a colorful personality, which is a magnet of attention. His unique music and performances as well as his flamboyant dress code and glitzy / ritzy looks create a figure, which might have just stepped out form a black & white Hollywood gangster movie, in the best meaning of the idiom of course: elegant, stylish, charismatic and unmistakably himself. Almost the same metaphor applies to his music, which slowly but consistently keeps metamorphosing into a unique personal style and musical approach, unlike anything else currently present on the Polish Jazz scene, which of course is quite phenomenal, considering how vital, diverse and full of talent that scene is in the last couple of decades. Gaweda´s music is further and further moving away of the conventional Jazz idiom, creating a contemporary fusion of Jazz tradition with modern classicism, electronics and ambient music. Although recorded in a classic piano trio format, the powerful and imaginative music manage to overcome the limitation of the trio and with a slight help from electronic devices simply breaks away into new territory. Of course the music is still full of the typical Polish melancholy and lyricism, not only within the melodic themes, but in the entire sonic expression the trio creates. Introvert, reflective and mercilessly serious, the music is completely overwhelming and stunning, but as usual in such cases requires truly attentive listening and repeated listening to get to the true essence of it. The individual performances by the trio members are perfectly suited to the music of course. It is virtually impossible for Gaweda to play any "better" that already demonstrated on his earlier recordings, and therefore the focus on his role here should be on the compositions, rather than on his playing, which is simply stupendous, as always. It is really heartwarming to see the progress of Wykpisz, who is another example of a young lion charging the Polish Jazz scene with amazing consistency and talent, able to play anything between Swing and Avant-Garde with the same strike of brilliance. Palka, of the same generation, plays no less spectacularly, showing what it means to play the drums rather than just keep time. Overall this is a brilliant and highly rewarding piece of complex, but elegant and awe-inspiring music, which truly expands the Jazz idiom and which deserves both praise and attention. It is also another milestone album on the Polish Audio CaveFind albums on this label label, which in the last four years managed to release some of the best Polish Jazz albums, consistently maintaining the highest possible level of artistic achievement. Well done and hats off!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 27/04/2018

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OLES BROTHERS / CHRISTOPHER DELL ~ GORECKI AHEAD AUDIO CAVE 2018/005 (Barcode: 5905669566544) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is an album by twin brothers: bassist Marcin OlesFind albums by this artist and drummer Bartlomiej OlesFind albums by this artist, collectively known as Oles BrothersFind albums by this artist, who are synonymous with the Polish Jazz since the break of the 21st Century, recorded with German vibraphone virtuoso Christopher DellFind albums by this artist, with whom they cooperate since many years. As the title suggests, this album is dedicated to the trio´s interpretations of music by the great Polish contemporary Classical Music composer Henryk GoreckiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eleven of Gorecki´s pieces, performed by the trio, and is appropriately entitled "Gorecki AheadFind albums with this title", following the trio´s previous album "Komeda AheadFind albums with this title" dedicated to the music of Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist. The first public performance of some of the pieces present on this album happened just a day before this music was recorded, during the trio´s concert in the Nozyk Synagogue in Warsaw, which was the opening concert of the 4th Singer Jazz Festival, of which I am the Artistic Director. Towards the end of that concert, which presented the material recorded on "Komeda Ahead", I was suddenly notified that I need to go and open another concert in another venue, which would make it impossible for me to properly close the trio´s concert. In an instantaneous decision I asked the trio to just go on and play until my return, which they graciously, albeit with some surprise, agreed to, and of course since the Gorecki project was to be recorded the next day, they indeed continued the concert playing the music one can now hear on this album. I was then taken by the Chief of Security of the Festival rushing across Warsaw ignoring red lights and travelling against the traffic direction, opened the other concert and safely returned to hear some closing moments of a Gorecki piece and then had the pleasure to formally close the concert with the entire audience participating in a standing ovation, which lasted for many minutes. Of course this album is anything but another typical Jazz-Classical Fusion project. Oles Brothers and Dell are way beyond the usual triviality and shallowness that often characterizes such projects and their attitude towards the music of other composers, both in the case of Komeda and now Gorecki, is to completely absorb and naturally transform their music into a new dimension, which becomes as much theirs as it originally was the composer´s. Even in a case when the listener is familiar with the original music, the trio´s interpretations take him into a completely new universe, where the original music is completely altered harmonically and rhythmically. This album is another masterpiece, which expands the Oles Brothers´ and Christopher Dell´s long list of achievements, which covers the entire rich tapestry of contemporary Jazz, completely ignoring genre borders. The music is demanding and requires attentive listening, but at the same time it is immensely rewarding and aesthetically fulfilling, something that Culture should always strive to do. I feel happy to be able to call these musicians my friends and following their careers has been always an absolutely delightful and educational experience. This album is an absolute must to every sophisticated Jazz, but not only, connoisseur, who looks for deeply emotional and intellectual experience every time music is in the air! Superb stuff!

Updated: 24/04/2018Posted: 24/04/2018

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JACHNA / MAZURKIEWICZ / BUHL ~ GOD`S BODY AUDIO CAVE 2018/006 (Barcode: 5905669566551) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is the second album by the Polish Improvising Music trio comprising of trumpeter Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist, bassist Jacek MazurkiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Jacek BuhlFind albums by this artist. Jachna and Mazurkiewicz employ also various electronic devices to produce sound. The album presents seven original compositions, co-credited to all members of the trio. The music is an organic development of the music on the trio´s debut album, spontaneous yet well organized, undoubtedly influenced by the fact that it was recorded in the studio rather than live, where Improvising Music is usually recorded. This time the music is certainly more relaxed and often even lyrical, and the use of electronics is subtle and more sophisticated. Jachna, with over two dozen albums under his belt as a leader, co-leader and band member, is certainly emerging as one of the leading personalities on the Polish Improvising Music scene, not only as a superb performer but also as a "mover" who constantly seeks for new opportunities to develop and create new musical environments. Jachna´s steady progress over time, which I have been lucky to follow at first hand since several years, is a wonderful chronology of his personal development, as well as a superb illustration of the renaissance of the Polish Jazz scene, which he exemplifies perhaps better than most. The cooperation between Jachna and Buhl also goes back several years, and their phenomenal telepathic bond is clearly present on this album. Buhl takes the notion of "drumming" way beyond the conventional concept, with puts the traditional role of time keeping completely out of the picture. His contributions on this album are as much revolutionary and innovative as the work of Tony OxleyFind albums by this artist in the late 1960s. Mazurkiewicz completes the molecular bond of the trio with his beautifully harmonic work and rhythmic pulsations, which are crucial in absence of traditional drum parts. Overall this is a beautiful and highly rewarding musical experience, which in spite of its Improvised Music labeling, is quite accessible to a large Jazz loving audience. For the many fans these musicians already have, this is a must of course, but at the same time this is a great opportunity to get exposed to some superb music, regardless of stylistic connotations. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 24/07/2018Posted: 24/07/2018

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JACEK KOCHAN ~ AJEE AUDIO CAVE 2018/007 (Barcode: 5905669566599) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is an album by veteran and prolific Polish Jazz drummer / composer / bandleader Jacek KochanFind albums by this artist, recorded in a core trio format with the incredible keyboardist Dominik WaniaFind albums by this artist, who plays synthesizers exclusively on this album, and saxophonist Bartlomiej PrucnalFind albums by this artist. Several guest artists appear, mostly on vocal parts. The album presents thirteen original compositions, nine by Kochan and four by Wania. The music, as usual with Kochan´s albums, is completely original and unexpected. Characterized by odd meters, which are the drummer´s trademark, it is a form of Fusion, but completely different from the typical Fusion approach. There are elements of Groove, Hip-Hop, Rap and Funk, and the sound of the analog synthesizes (which produce also the bass parts) brings back fond retro memories of early Funk albums and the playing of the iconic George DukeFind albums by this artist. The individual performances by the participating musicians are all first rate, as expected. Wania dominates the album with his synthesizer parts, which expose a new facet of his immense talent. He manages to create a dark, a tad reserved atmosphere, but his virtuosic playing and incredible sense of time are simply astounding. Prucnal adds a more melodic, soulful layer, which at times is very intensive and superbly crafted. Kochan manages to steer the music smoothly through the crazy rhythmic patters, with flair and elegance, which only Master drummers are capable of. This album is quite removed from the Jazz mainstream and as such it will be probably sniffed at by the Jazz "critics", but Kochan is way beyond such trivialities and his constant search after new forms of expression is a virtue he does not have to apologize for. This album is full of wonderful music, lyricism and sophistication, which one rarely expects to pop up in the Fusion idiom. Overall this is a superb piece of music, which takes time to get into and get used to, but offers layer over layer of excellent music and fantastic instrumental work by the participants. Hopefully Kochan will continue to explore and expand the horizons of music and I am already anxious to hear his next album, which hopefully will be here soon. Hats off Gentlemen!

Updated: 20/11/2018Posted: 30/07/2018

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TUBIS TRIO ~ FLASHBACK AUDIO CAVE 2018/010 (Barcode: 5905669566612) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is the third album by Polish Jazz piano trio called Tubis TrioFind albums by this artist led by pianist / composer Maciej TubisFind albums by this artist with bassist Pawel PuszczaloFind albums by this artist and drummer Przemyslaw PacanFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, all by the leader. The music is deeply melodic and often melancholic, strongly related to the typical Polish harmonics, soaked in Polish musical heritage, but also touching upon serial music and minimalism. It floats somewhere between popular instrumental music, contemporary Classical Music and Jazz, but escapes clear stylistic or genre classification. However the music does have a coherent compositional language and approach, definitely more precisely defined than on the earlier albums by Tubis, which means that he reached herein his maturity as a composer. This album also marks the position of the trio as a close musical unit, way more prominently than on the earlier recordings, which were dominated by the piano parts. On this album the music features the piano and the rhythm section side by side as equal partners. Although the melodic content is obviously stated by the piano, the bass and the drums are clearly present all along the way, recorded on the same level and being inseparable from the piano parts. Although the music is only somewhat related to Jazz, being intrinsically quite distant from the mainstream Jazz idiom, the Jazz listeners are probably the most immediate audience, to which this music should speak straightforwardly. But of course any open-minded and sensitive music lover should be able to enjoy it to the max. In spite of its seemingly easy nature, this music requires serious and attentive listening and a lot of patience, as it utilizes nontrivial harmonic structures and odd meters, quirky tempo alterations and other compositional tricks of the trade. Overall this is by far the most interesting offering by Tubis to date, a mature, coherent piece of music, which clearly presents him and his cohorts as a slick musical unit and offers his compositional vision in full bloom. Warmly recommended!

Updated: 20/10/2018Posted: 16/10/2018

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GORZYCKI / PAWLICKI / ZIOLEK ~ ENSEMBLE TUNING AUDIO CAVE 2018/011 (Barcode: 5905669566643) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is an album by a Polish Jazz trio led by drummer / composer Rafal GorzyckiFind albums by this artist, who also plays piano, with flautist Tomasz PawlickiFind albums by this artist and guitarist Jakub ZiolekFind albums by this artist, both of which employ also electronics. The album presents ten original compositions, eight of which are credited to all the trio members and two are by Gorzycki. This album is a second part of a triptych of trio recordings by Gorzycki, continuing the "PlayingFind albums with this title" album released a couple of years earlier. The music was excellently recorded at the RecPublica Studios and engineered by Lukasz OlejarczykFind albums by this artist. The music is an esoteric mixture of various elements, acoustic and electronic, combining modern Classical Music vistas with improvisation and Ambient music and creating a magical impressionist aura of anticipation and mysticism. There are also elements of Serialism and Minimalism, all wonderfully weaved into a coherent but hard to pinpoint continuity, which tends to flow as if propelled by its own will. This music is more about form and sound than about melody or harmony, very abstract and almost involuntarily creating images of impressionist paintings before the listener´s eyes. Pawlicki stands in the very epicenter of this music, since his magic flute produces most of the directly audible sound, creating short melodic threads and swirls, all of which are simply irresistibly beautiful. In complete contrast the guitar played by Ziolek sounds nothing like a guitar, producing a plethora of sound layers and ambient noises in the background, which is the foundation upon which the flute parts float, similar to a wind which carries the golden autumn leaves. Gorzycki also hardly ever plays any straightforward rhythms and his pulses are more pointers than actual rhythmic patterns. His piano parts are also quite atypical and serve as accents rather than harmonies. There is no doubt that this album constitutes a new stage in the long and prolific career of Gorzycki, taking him into a new realm unlike anything else he attempted earlier, although definitely being a logical extension of his earlier works. This music is more complex and more abstract than his earlier efforts but also much more concentrated and expressive. It is definitely much closer to cotemporary Classical Chamber Music than to Jazz, and will probably be received as such by the listeners. Absurdly perhaps, it is also more accessible and universal than many of his earlier efforts. Overall this is a stunning piece of music, which offers novel approach to music making, unusual usage of the instruments and explores unchartered territory as far as improvisation and composition are intertwined and is additionally spiced with the sensational flute playing, altogether offering a sensational musical experience. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 20/11/2018Posted: 20/11/2018

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LIZARD ~ HALF-LIFE AUDIO CAVE 2018/012 (Barcode: 5905669566650) ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is the seventh studio album by Polish Progressive Rock group LizardFind albums by this artist, which consists of vocalist / guitarist / composer / lyricist Damian BydlinskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Janusz TanistraFind albums by this artist, guitarist Daniel KurtykaFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Pawel FabrowiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Mariusz SzulakowskiFind albums by this artist. Violinist Dominika RusinowskaFind albums by this artist appears as guest artist. The album presents just one, forty four minutes long track, composed and written (in Polish language) by Bydlinski. The music takes off with a lengthy instrumental intro which makes an attempt to leave the classic symphonic Neo-Prog format behind and partly cross over towards Jazz-Rock / Fusion, but once the vocals enter the stage, the Prog sound and feel are back at the helm. The concept album framework and slowly developing and repeating themes are deeply rooted in Prog and as a result the album offers a slick, melodic continuity, full of typical riffs and hooks, with some Fusion oriented instrumental passages. Overall the album is a pleasant, unchallenging musical journey into nostalgia, which is in complete contrast to the morose apocalyptic lyrics. The performances are all very professional and the production is exactly right for this kind of music and the album emerges as a typical Neo-Prog work, no different than hundreds of similar offerings recorded all over the world since the 1990s. Of course Prog Heads will find this album as good as Prog albums go, and people from outside of Poland might find it interesting to hear what is happing in Prog in Poland and surely won´t be disappointed, as this is after all a solid, well put together piece of music, which delivers exactly what is expected. This is definitely nothing to be ashamed of, but sadly neither something to be really proud of? Sadly Polish Prog is unable to shake off its past and develop a new direction, after spending the last few decades in a zombie vegetative state musically, supported by a shrinking, but fanatic fan base, in complete contrast to Polish Jazz, which is exploding with talent and creativity and serving as a beacon for the rest of the world. I´m just too old for this by now… been there… heard it all…

Updated: 21/09/2021Posted: 16/12/2018

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DOORS NOT SHUT ~ LUTY AUDIO CAVE 2018/013 (Barcode: 5905669566674) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2018 This is the debut album by the sextet Doors Not ShutFind albums by this artist, which comprises of five veteran Polish Jazz musicians: clarinetist Waclaw ZimpelFind albums by this artist, pianist Krzysztof DysFind albums by this artist, bassists Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and Ksawery WojcinskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. They are joined by Australian percussionist Philip SouthFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original compositions by the sextet members, mostly co-composed by several of the musicians. The concept of the sextet is pretty loosely conceived, since only Szmanda and South play on all the ten tracks, Swies plays on nine tracks, Dys plays on just three tracks and finally Zimpel and Wojcinski play on five tracks. As a result the entire sextet does not play together on any of the tracks. The music is an interesting amalgam of Ambient Music and Free Jazz, with strong World Music influences, especially on the rhythmic plane. The overall sound and approach are quite minimalist and the music mostly flows slowly, rarely displaying any strictly melodic contents. The bass pulsations (either electric or acoustic) and the ethnic / polyrhythmic drumming are the constant elements of the music, with the piano and clarinet being the only melodic anchors. The entire concept definitely works well, displaying a lot of originality and fascination with rhythm, being quite unique in that area. The drummers get most of the exposure, followed by the bassists, with Dys and Zimpel adding spice and color to the proceedings, but not dominating the concept. The three quartet tracks with Dys are closest to Jazz, while the five tracks with Zimpel are Ambient Improvised Music which listeners familiar with other recordings by Zimpel should find quite recognizable. The remaining two tracks featuring only drums and percussion (with some vocal and spoken word ornamentation) are perhaps the roots of the music. Overall this is a bold and highly innovative concept album, which offers originality and excellent musicianship, as well as intellectual challenge, which is often missing from less ambitious Jazz oriented recordings. This album is recommended for the more adventurous and open-minded listeners, who are ready to embrace new concepts. Although Zimpel plays only on half of the tracks, this album presents some of this most moving work, which is an absolute must to his followers. Highly recommended!

Updated: 29/12/2018Posted: 29/12/2018

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SZYMON KLEKOWICKI ~ A DAY IN THE BUS AUDIO CAVE 2019/001 (Barcode: 5905669566698) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz trombonist / flugelhornist Szymon KlekowickiFind albums by this artist, recorded in a sextet setting with saxophonist Jakub LepaFind albums by this artist and Marcin DabrowskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Adam JarzmikFind albums by this artist, bassist Tymon TrabczynskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal DziewinskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, five by Klekowicki and two by Jarzmik. The music is conventional melody based contemporary European Jazz, with solid compositions and arrangements, which create ideal opportunities for the members of the sextet to show their chops. The two compositions by Jarzmik are more rounded and mature, similarly to his excellent work presented on his two earlier album releases. Klekowicki´s music is somewhat Bebop oriented, but by no means outdated and full of great ideas. All the compositions are coherent and interesting, creating a wonderful musical flow that seems to be over way too soon, leaving the listener wishing for more. The level of execution is of course nothing short of excellent all the way through and these "youngsters" sound like Jazz veterans, which never ceases to amaze. The saxophone unisono parts are a neat and effective arrangement trick, which produces a "big" sound of the entire sextet and wonderful harmonic "colorization". Klekowicki seems to be proficient both on trombone and flugelhorn, thus adding sonoric diversity to the entire album. Jarzmik is of course also a terrific piano player and his superb melodic phrases ale balsam on the ears. The rhythm section plays exactly what is expected of them, keeping strict time and not being obtrusive, which is what this music needs the most, being already dense enough, but they get an opportunity to shine as well. Overall this is a first class debut effort, which gives Klekowicki a solid head start of his career. He joins the ranks of the young generation of European Jazz musicians, who proudly keep the idiom alive and kicking, making us, the elders, smile with hope that not all is lost. Albums like that one are heartwarming and obviously highly recommended. Already waiting for the next one!

Updated: 21/02/2019Posted: 21/02/2019

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WOJCIECH LICHTANSKI ~ IGA AUDIO CAVE 2019/002 (Barcode: 5905669566681) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is the second album by the young and upcoming Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Wojciech LichtanskiFind albums by this artist, recorded in a classic quartet setting with players of his generation: pianist Mateusz PalkaFind albums by this artist, bassist Jakub DworakFind albums by this artist and drummer Patryk DoboszFind albums by this artist, collectively called the QuestionsFind albums by this artist quartet. The album presents nine compositions, eight of which are originals by Lichtanski and one is a standard. The music was recorded at the excellent Monochrom Studio and offers a remarkable sound quality, as expected. During the five years that separate this album from the debut Lichtanski recorded rather sparingly and as a result this album was highly anticipated. Happily he is able to fulfill the expectations, coming up a long way both as a saxophonist and more importantly as a composer. The music on this album offers a solid and coherent selection of excellent compositions, which are all within the modern mainstream idiom, but offer diversity and sophistication, and most importantly wonderful melodic themes. The treatment of the standard, which usually is a kind of filler on most albums, is absolutely sublime and constitutes one of the strongest statements on the album. From the early days of his career it was obvious that Lichtanski is an exceptional instrumentalist. Having matured and polished his chops, his saxophone playing a true delight, both technically and emotionally. But his most important forte is the wonderful tone he manages to produce both on the alto and soprano saxophones. It is sweat and mellow, but steady and firm at all times and makes him one of the most distinct voices on the young Polish Jazz saxophone scene, amazingly effective both as a romantic "crooner" and a scorching improviser. All three players accompanying Lichtanski are already established talents with respected recording legacy, so their superb performances are hardly surprising. Palka is a great pianist and his unexpected accordion contributions on this album are a nice touch. Dworak is a very supportive and creative bassist and does a superb job here. Dobosz, who also has an impressive record behind him, is a tad too busy on this album (my very personal feeling) and too high in the mix, but obviously a first class player. Overall this is a beautiful album, in many respects the true debut as far as Lichtanski´s career is concerned, which offers excellent modern Jazz of the highest standard, which should satisfy any true Jazz connoisseur on this planet. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 13/04/2019Posted: 13/04/2019

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SILBERMAN QUARTET ~ ASANISIMASA AUDIO CAVE 2019/003 (Barcode: 5905669566728) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is the fifth album released under the "Silberman" moniker, this time recorded by a quartet of Polish Jazz musicians: keyboardists Dorota ZaziabloFind albums by this artist (who played on the debut album) and Mateusz GawedaFind albums by this artist (who played on the third and fourth albums), bassist Jakub MielcarekFind albums by this artist (who also played on the previous two albums) and drummer Lukasz StworzewiczFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. SilbermanFind albums by this artist). Together they perform seven compositions, four by Stworzewicz, one credited to all four members of the quartet, one of unknown origin and finally one based on a Classical piece by the Tatar-Russian composer Sofia GubaidulinaFind albums by this artist, which makes me happy that she is finally being discovered by young musicians. The music is a wild amalgam of stylistic influences, constantly moving between Avant-Garde Jazz, Improvised Music and mainstream Jazz. The double-keyboards lineup opens wide possibilities between the acoustic piano and the synthesizer sounds, which are fascinating and constantly changing. There are some very nice melodic themes scattered between the more open / improvised pieces, which helps to maintain a nice balance and coherent diversity. Both keyboards players manage to produce a kaleidoscope of sound vistas, which is quite innovative and more importantly they support and complement each other successfully. Mielcarek does a splendid job, both as a rhythmic, Jazz oriented player and as an improviser, including some surprising bow work. Stworzewicz is of course one of the most original drummers on the Polish scene and his work on this album emphasizes his maturity and stylistic freshness. The album not only offers some superb music and excellent execution, but also a musical and sound concept as a whole. The dark, often minimalist atmosphere and the atypical lineup, combined with the weird / atypical sound of the drums, offer to the listener a whole new experience, which happens relatively rarely. Although not specifically stated as such (except perhaps by the album´s artwork), this music definitely offers a musical parallel to the film noir, or perhaps an imaginary soundtrack to an imaginary movie created in that genre. The ambience of uncertainty, apprehension and ambivalence is certainly present within the music, although obviously echoes differently with each listener. In retrospect this is certainly the most coherent and mature album recorded under the "Silberman" moniker so far, and a truly unique piece of music, which stands out even on the extremely competitive Polish Jazz scene. It should be listened to not only by Jazz listeners, but by all open-minded music connoisseurs, who are always searching for new thrills. Hats off to the Silberman phenomenon ;)

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 12/04/2019

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NON VIOLENT COMMUNICATION ~ OBSERWACJE AUDIO CAVE 2019/004 (Barcode: 5905669566704) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is the debut album by the Polish Quasi-Jazz quartet Non Violent CommunicationFind albums by this artist, which consists of saxophonist Rafal WawszkiewiczFind albums by this artist, electronics manipulator Michal GlowackiFind albums by this artist, bassist Lukasz LembasFind albums by this artist and drummer Arek LerchFind albums by this artist. The album offers four lengthy sound vistas, not credited on the album´s artwork and assumed to be co-composed by all four quartet members. The music hits the listener right in the stomach from the first moment and keeps pushing relentlessly till the very last notes with an avalanche of sound in the true "wall of sound" tradition, which is extremely potent and effective. There is little melody as such, rather sound riffs that the saxophone develops into continuous improvisation, backed up by a solid bass groove and busy, but coherent drumming, all of which happens over sheets of electronic ambient noise. As strange as all this might sound, all this mayhem makes perfect sense and the music is overwhelmingly successful. Any attempt to categorize this weird but beautiful experiment is futile as it defines a completely, although not entirely innovative, new idiom. Wawszkiewicz is a monster saxophonist, perhaps not by Jazz standards, but he is able to keep the music rolling and not repeat himself for the entire duration. He plays like a Rock star on speed, but never loses control or focus. The rhythm section is there behind the saxophone at all times, with the bass steady like a rock, pulsating like a swinging heartbeat and the drums all over the place but always exactly on time. But it is the electronics that make all the difference here, since the saxophone / rhythm section would have probably run out of steam and sound hollow without the background effects. Without analyzing the music much further, this album is a sound bomb that resonates with such power that it simply can´t be ignored. I can already see the faces of the Jazz "critics" trying to swallow this music, sweating profusely. This is definitely an event, that happens only every now and than and one can only hope that some people will really get it. Personally I love it to bits and hope it gets the attention it deserves, which is not always the case with truly innovative and daring music. Congratulations are in order!

Updated: 13/04/2019Posted: 13/04/2019

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ADAM JARZMIK ~ ON THE WAY HOME AUDIO CAVE 2019/005 (Barcode: 5905669566742) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is the third album by young Polish Jazz pianist / composer Adam JarzmikFind albums by this artist recorded with the same quintet that accompanied him on the two previous albums: saxophonist Jakub LepaFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Pawel PalcowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej KitajewskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Piotr BudniakFind albums by this artist, but expanded to a sextet by the presence of the American guitarist Mike MorenoFind albums by this artist. The album presents six original compositions, all by Jarzmik. The music was recorded at the Monochrome Studio by Ignacy GruszeckiFind albums by this artist, and offers the expected excellent sound quality. The music is again kept strictly within the mainstream Jazz idiom and although the compositions are solid and well developed, they seem to be stuck in the same mold that created the two earlier recordings. Usually by the third album young Polish Jazz composers come up with a more open formula, which allows them to spread their wings and move into new territory, but this does not happen on this album. This does not mean that the music is not valuable, but it does not fulfill the high hopes that were expected. Of course the musicians involved are all highly professional players, with slick licks and polished technique, and the music is definitely very well performed, but remains somewhat mechanical and lackluster. Moreno, albeit his experience and reputation adds very little, if anything at all to the album´s contents, and the music would have sounded about the same without him. Overall this is a relatively less successful effort by Jarzmik and his excellent team, definitely not up to par with his earlier work, but still offering highly professional original mainstream Jazz. Better luck next time I hope ;)

Updated: 14/04/2019Posted: 14/04/2019

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MARK LOTZ TRIO ~ THE WROCLAW SESSIONS AUDIO CAVE 2019/006 (Barcode: 5905669566759) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is the debut album by a trio led by veteran German (resident in Netherlands) flautist / composer Mark Alban LotzFind albums by this artist with Polish bassist Grzegorz PiaseckiFind albums by this artist and drummer Wojciech BulinskiFind albums by this artist. The music was recorded during an impromptu recording session, organized while Lotz gave master classes in Wroclaw. The album presents nine tracks, six of which were recorded by the trio and three by a duo of Lotz and Piasecki due to Bulinski´s illness. Two of the tracks are composed / co-composed by Lotz, two others are co-composed by Lotz and Piasecki and five are Jazz / Pop standards. Although by and large based on composed themes, the music is mostly improvised and offers an informal, free spirited atmosphere, which is quite enjoyable in view of the tendency to take Jazz way too seriously and in a cerebral fashion, forgetting about the intrinsic spontaneity it is supposed to be based on. Despite the obvious age and experience differences between Lotz and the two Polish Jazz youngsters, the trio manages to achieve a coherent and quite inventive cooperation and the result is surprisingly pleasing. The flute is a sadly neglected instrument in Jazz and therefore hearing great flute performances is always a joyful experience for yours truly, especially since it happens to be one of my favorite instruments. The album´s liner notes mention the legendary Dutch flautist Chris HinzeFind albums by this artist, one of the great European Jazz pioneers since the late 1960s and a superb player / composer, which of course bring on fond memories. Lotz has an impressive recorded legacy, which sadly I am not all too well familiar with, but his biography and interest in World Music is certainly reflected in the music present on this album. Overall this is a document of a moment captured in the studio, which is definitely worth investigating, even if it does not offer any grandiose revelations. It is honest, well played and interesting Jazz music, spirited and enjoyable, which obviously deserves to be captured for posterity. An absolute must for Jazz flute connoisseurs, obviously!

Updated: 27/04/2019Posted: 27/04/2019

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MODULAR STRING TRIO ~ CHLOROFIL AUDIO CAVE 2019/007 (Barcode: 5905669566780) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2019 This is the third album by the Polish / Ukrainian Avant-Garde / Improvised Music quartet called Modular String TrioFind albums by this artist, which combines a string trio: violinist Sergiy OkhrimchukFind albums by this artist, cellist Robert JedrzejewskiFind albums by this artist and bassist Jacek MazurkiewiczFind albums by this artist and the modular synthesizer player Lukasz KacperczykFind albums by this artist. As appropriate for the genre, the album was recorded live and presents five spontaneous pieces, attributed to all four members of the quartet. The music of the quartet tries to balance the trialogue within the string trio with a dialogue between the trio and the synthesizer, which often requires quite an effort from the listener, following the twists and turns of the plethora of sounds being created in tandem. The beauty of it is that the acoustic sounds of the string instruments and the electronic sounds of the synthesizer amalgamate together almost effortlessly and even "harmoniously", even when conventional harmony is not part of the happening. It is difficult to talk about beauty in the conventional sense as far as this music is concerned, but personally I found most if it aesthetically pleasing. The individual contributions of all four participants are electrifying and highly dexterous, as is the level of the "telepathic" interplay between them. Personally I appreciate the role of Mazurkiewicz as the anchor of the entire live event and both his arco and plucking technique are what keeps the music together. Before listening to the music I read my review of their previous album, and to my surprise it seems that the quartet found in this music some of the elements that I pointed out as missing then; this music is definitely more structured and intrinsically more coherent, which immediately results in it being more accessible that the two earlier albums. Of course this is by all means still a hard-core Avant-Garde, which eschews almost all conventional musical means of expression, but on the other hand a much wider circle of open-minded listeners should be able to "get into" this music without much ado and perhaps even truly enjoy it. While exploring this album I soberly reflected on the contrast between the emotional and intellectual effort involved in listening to this music and the nihilistic effortlessness involved in listening to thousands of almost identical conventional mainstream Jazz albums out there… thank God for the ability to think outside of the box…

Updated: 31/10/2019Posted: 31/10/2019

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SO SLOW ~ W OTWARTE DLONIE POWIETRZE SYPIE GRUZ PRZEDSWITU AUDIO CAVE 2019/008 (Barcode: 5905669566797) ~ POLAND ~ Electronic & Ambient Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is the fourth album by Polish Alternative Rock group So SlowFind albums by this artist, which includes vocalist Michal GlowackiFind albums by this artist, who is also in charge of electronics, guitarist Daniel KryjFind albums by this artist, bassist Adam StepienFind albums by this artist and drummer Arek LerchFind albums by this artist. The former bassist of the group, Lukasz LembasFind albums by this artist, played on three of the tracks, before he was replaced by Stepien. Jazz trumpeter Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist played a solo on one of the tracks. The album presents five tracks, all collectively credited to the group´s members, with lyrics by Glowacki. The opening track is a short introduction and the remaining four tracks are extended pieces lasting on average about ten minutes each. Glowacki, Lembas and Lerch are also members of the Non Violent CommunicationFind albums by this artist quartet, which released its stunning debut album "ObserwacjeFind albums with this title" earlier this year (2019), and not surprisingly there are some musical parallels between these albums, although So Slow are definitely more Ambient / Electronic oriented and their music is dramatically less contents oriented, intended rather to serve as an imaginary soundtrack to whatever goes through the head of the listener at the time the music is playing. The electronics provide a steady "wall of sound" effect; the rhythm section supplies a steady pulsation, although attentive listening will allow the listener to hear many subtle variations. The guitar is the only source of melodic riffs, usually repeated continuously with subtle variations as well. The "vocals" are heard only well back in the background and serve more as a hint than real source of acoustic information. In total an atmosphere of mystery and tension prevails. One can only wonder how the album would have sounded if Jachna was a permanent member of the group and played for the entire duration of the music, but for the few minutes he does play here the music crosses into an entirely new dimension and becomes absolutely magical. The minimalist / monotonous background that this music is based on offers a possibility to the listener to enter a hypnotic state of total submission, which creates a unifying experience between the musicians and their audience. Personally I found it to be fascinating, but other listeners unable to "follow" might find this music eccentric and uninviting. Overall this is definitely a piece of music worth exploring and offers highly emotional, although seemingly minimalist scenery. Sadly I am not familiar with the group´s earlier recordings, which would have enabled me to offer some comments on the group´s musical path over time, but based just on just this limited glimpse, they are searching and exploring, which is already highly unusual and certainly commendable. Hoping to hear more soon!

Updated: 09/11/2019Posted: 09/11/2019

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TOMASZ DABROWSKI / FREE4ARTS ~ WHEN I COME ACROSS AUDIO CAVE 2019/009 (Barcode: 5905669566810) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2019 This is the second album by Polish Jazz trumpeter / composer Tomasz DabrowskiFind albums by this artist and his Danish quartet Free4ArtsFind albums by this artist, which also includes baritone saxophonist Sven Dam MeinildFind albums by this artist, drummer Kasper Tom ChristiansenFind albums by this artist and this time guitarist Simon KrebsFind albums by this artist, who replaced pianist Jacob AnderskovFind albums by this artist that played on the debut album. The album presents seven original compositions, all by Dabrowski. In many respects this album continues the direction set by the debut, which moves completely into Avant-Garde Jazz, far away from traditional, melody based Jazz, flirting also with contemporary Chamber Music explorations. The music offers some melodic motifs but those often get hidden to a less experienced listener by the group improvisations. Without the presence of bass and now also the piano, there is almost no conventional harmony and rhythmic continuity, which leaves it to the listener to connect the dots. The sharp sound of the guitar is initially somewhat weird and takes time to get used to within the otherwise acoustic environment. The music is mostly very subdued and delicate, low profile and quietly streaming, with long passages that involve solos, duets and trios and rarely the entire quartet. It seems Dabrowski is trying to re-define the known parameters of Jazz and Improvised Music, stretching the existing limits of these idioms. He uses the trumpet to produce a plethora of unusual sound effects that often do not resemble the conventional sound of the instrument. The same can be said about Christiansen, who again proves to be one of the most creative European Jazz drummers, moving on a completely unique acoustic parallax, again re-defining the role of drums in contemporary music. Unexpectedly, it is the guitar which turns out to be the most conventional factor of this music, playing at times long melodic strings of notes. In many respects this is the boldest and most adventurous project Dabrowski headed in the decade-long period of his artistic development. It is completely uncompromising and boldly unconventional, against all odds. Hopefully the music, despite its estranged exterior, will find sympathetic, open-minded audience in time. Avant-Garde was never a rewarding and smooth career choice and Dabrowski and his cohorts deserve our respect for pushing the boundaries time and again.

Updated: 04/10/2019Posted: 04/10/2019

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TATVAMASI ~ HALDUR BILDUR AUDIO CAVE 2019/010 (Barcode: 5905669566827) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 This is the fifth album by Polish quartet TatvamasiFind albums by this artist, led by guitarist / composer Grzegorz LesiakFind albums by this artist, which also includes saxophonist Tomasz PiatekFind albums by this artist, bassist Lukasz DownarFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof RedasFind albums by this artist. On this album the quartet is expanded to a septet with the addition of violinist Anna WitkowskaFind albums by this artist-Piatek, cellist Malgorzata PietronFind albums by this artist and trumpeter Jan MichalecFind albums by this artist (all three participated on earlier albums of the quartet). The album presents just four extended tracks, all composed by Lesiak. As usual with Tatvamasi´s music, it manages to stay beyond conventional categorization, which is obviously its strength and magic. These long expanded sonic vistas are explorations of melodic themes, riffs, groove, beat and World Music influences, completely intertwined within each other. The best strategy is simply to let go of any attempt of analyzing this music intellectually and let it take you wherever it goes by itself, trusting the musicians submissively. The music is considerably less Avant-Garde oriented this time (except for the last piece), with way more melodic contents, which obviously serves the group´s ability to communicate with the listener. Whereas the previous album by Tatvamasi ("Amor FatiFind albums with this title") left me somewhat cold / confused, they returned with vengeance this time producing a condensed, fully focused and better recorded piece of superb music, which takes no prisoners. The strings are this time completely integrated within the fabric of the group´s sound and add another important dimension. Michalec, who already appeared on two earlier albums by the group, seems to be an integral part of the improvising tour de force. Overall this is an excellent album, probably the group´s best offering to date, which finds the group in top form and takes the listener on a hypnotic and unstoppable ride through a kaleidoscope of sounds, rhythms and melodies, which are continuously changing and chasing one development after another and yet manage to stay focused and coherent for the entire duration. Regardless if you are into Rock, Prog, Jazz or Fusion, this album offers plenty of all of those and more. Hats off!

Updated: 26/10/2019Posted: 26/10/2019

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WIECEK & GAWEDA QUINTET ~ BERRY AUDIO CAVE 2019/011 (Barcode: 5905669566841) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2019 This is the debut album by a quintet co-led by two of the most noticeable upcoming Polish Jazz musicians in the last decade: saxophonist / composer Kuba WiecekFind albums by this artist and pianist / composer Mateusz GawedaFind albums by this artist. The quintet also includes veteran American trumpeter Ralph AlessiFind albums by this artist, Polish bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and German drummer Moritz BaumgartnerFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, all co-credited to Wiecek & Gaweda. The music is typical American Post-bop based on sketchy melodic themes and open to extensive improvisations by the quintet members. The outcome of such approach is totally dependent on the musical chemistry that develops between the musicians and their ability to offer group improvisation, which is more important than the individual improvisations each of the participants is capable of. This quintet is a collection of very strong musical personalities, each and every one of which is an accomplished performer, leader and composer on his own right. The question arises of course if this specific grouping of musicians works well in total, which as far as I am concerned remains undetermined. There is certainly a lack of balance as far as soloing is concerned, with Alessi, who in my opinion is definitely not the most interesting soloist herein, playing most of the soli whereas Wiecek is almost completely silent except for the unisono intros, outros and a few brief solos. Gaweda and the rhythm section manage to hold their ground all in all and the piano trio parts are the highlight of this album. There is also the basic stylistic dissonance that hinders the quintet´s unity, with Alessi pushing the music into the Bebop schematics whereas the four young Europeans are trying to break away into the freedom zone, time after time. Having said all that, this is still a very interesting album, which offers some great playing and joyful, spirited music, which is very enjoyable to listen to. The four young Europeans have the whole life ahead of them and this album proves their incredible talents, which surely will bring us all a lot of superb music in the future.

Updated: 15/11/2019Posted: 09/11/2019

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SOUNDCHECK ~ MARTIN LUTHER: SUITE FOR JAZZ QUARTET AUDIO CAVE 2019/012 (Barcode: 5905669566865) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2019 This is the fifth (although by my count the sixth) album by the excellent Polish Jazz quartet SoundcheckFind albums by this artist led by saxophonist / composer Maciej KocinskiFind albums by this artist with pianist Krzysztof DysFind albums by this artist, bassist Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. It presents a six-part suite dedicated to the great reformist Martin LutherFind albums by this artist and one additional bonus tracks, all composed by the leader. The album marks the return to "active duty" by the quartet, which was almost completely absent from the scene in the last seven years of so, with their last recordings dated 2012 (including also Kocinski´s debut solo album recorded and released that same year). Since their formation in 2002 and the release of their debut album on 2005, Soundcheck experienced a meteoric rise to stardom, reaching the status of one of the very best young Polish / European Jazz ensembles, and therefore their disappearance from the scene was as mysterious as it was heartrending. I was glad to see Kocinski´s name popping up on two Polish Jazz albums recorded in 2018, and this album under the quartet´s moniker is a happy occasion, although the music was recorded back in 2015 and was a part of Kocinski´s Ph.D. thesis rather than a planned full fledged release. In the liner notes Kocinski talks about his emotional and intellectual involvement with Luther´s ideas and teachings, both those about the religious and the social ideology behind the reformation. Musically the album is noticeably more reflective and reserved that the quartet´s earlier work, full of lyrical melodic themes, which are slowly developed by the quartet. It is also more constrained and allows less free improvisation, mostly staying on a firm melodic ground. The individual performances by the quartet members, although as brilliant as always, are less extrovert and flashy, displaying mostly concentration and elegance. Make no mistake, these are some of Polish Jazz best players today, but this recording in definitely not intended to show off and speaks strongly to true connoisseurs rather than Jazz adventurers. Personally I love this music, but considering the rapid progress and the incredible level of contemporary Polish Jazz scene, its density, competitiveness and incredible overflow of superb recordings, this album could be endangered by the tendency to be overlooked. Seven years in such circumstances could be significant and Jazz "critics" / listeners unfamiliar with the quartet´s legacy and Artistic scope could probably miss the point, as it happens way too often. Hopefully that will not happen in this case. Glad to see you back, hoping for a real new album to be recorded and released ASAP and wishing you all the best, as always. What a great soundcheck this is ;)

Updated: 07/11/2019Posted: 07/11/2019

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OLES BROTHERS ~ ALONE TOGETHER AUDIO CAVE 2019/013 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 I can hardly think of a more appropriate way to wrap up (well almost) the Polish Jazz releases for the year 2019 than by writing about this album by two of the most prominent Polish Jazz musicians: bassist / composer Marcin OlesFind albums by this artist and his twin brother, drummer / composer Bartlomiej OlesFind albums by this artist (collectively known as Oles BrothersFind albums by this artist), who also happen to be my friends. The album consists in fact of two separate mini-albums (on two separate CDs), each presenting a solo album: "Lapidaria" by Marcin with six original solo bass compositions and "The Drum Tower" by Bartlomiej with a five-parts suite for solo drums composed by him. The album celebrates the twentieth anniversary of their activity on the European Jazz scene and was recorded at the MaQ Records Studio and engineered by Michal RosickiFind albums by this artist with spectacular sonic quality. In the early days of their musical journey Marcin and Bartlomiej already released solo albums ("Ornette On BassFind albums with this title" and "FreeDrum SuiteFind albums with this title" respectively), which makes this album into a symbolic closing of a creative circle. In spite of the extremely difficult naked environment, their solo music is full of intrinsic melody even if not explicitly articulated. They are always able to tell a "story" with their music, which keeps the listener mesmerized for the duration. Anybody listening attentively to these two mini-albums should be easily convinced that the Oles Brothers turned their skills and experience in time into an Art Form. Their essence outgrew the basic rhythm section role they so splendidly demonstrated on the many records they took part in during the last two decades, and eventually produced a couple of visionary musicians, who, whether separately or together, are always able to achieve the highest levels of spiritual and emotional expressionism. The intimate music that this album offers is obviously less spectacular than most other albums released this year, but its depth easily defends its importance and significance. Minimalism is so much more difficult to be understood and appreciated, and yet alone or together Oles Brothers are iconic musicians and their statements, individually and collectively, remain the core of European Jazz aesthetics. It makes me happy to hear a new album by the Oles Brothers after a period of relative inactivity, as it is able to fill my heart with joy and my mind with gratitude for their music and the inspiration it generates. Thank you, as always!

Updated: 28/02/2022Posted: 26/12/2019

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LIZARD ~ MASTER & M (REMASTERED) AUDIO CAVE 2019/014 (Barcode: 5905669566896) ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2012 - 2013 Released: 2019 This is a reissue of the fifth studio album by the Polish Prog group LizardFind albums by this artist, released originally in 2013. The band is led by the charismatic vocalist / guitarist / songwriter Damian BydlinskiFind albums by this artist, who composed all the music and wrote all the lyrics (in Polish), and includes also bassist Janusz TanistraFind albums by this artist, guitarist Daniel KurtykaFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Pawel FabrowiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Aleksander SzalajkoFind albums by this artist. The album presents just one concept suite, divided into five "chapters" loosely based on the influential Mikhail BulgakovFind albums by this artist´s novel "The Master and Margarita". This edition was newly remastered and adds one bonus track recorded live in 2015 during the bands 25th Anniversary celebration concert, which features drummer Mariusz SzulakowskiFind albums by this artist, who replaced Szalajko. The music is everything a Neo-Prog enthusiast dares to expect, including lush melodic themes, strong heavy riffs, lengthy instrumental improvisations and theatrical vocals – in short heaven on Prog earth. Everything works perfectly with no margin for error, with the instrumental parts perfectly stitched together and the vocals leading the proceedings being expressive enough to easily cross any language barriers, meaning that Prog lovers not speaking Polish can still fully enjoy the music as well. Like all Neo-Prog albums the music gets a bit repetitious in time, which is great if one enters the trans like state of mind that many Prog albums require in order to fully enjoy the music, but is luckily dynamic enough to keep the listener awake, in spite of the fact that rhythmically the music is completely uniform. But the instrumental performances and the vocal parts are all as good as one might expect within the genre´s limitations and overall the album is really great fun to listen to. With the vastly improved sound quality and clarity of the remaster, this is definitely worth investigating, especially in view of the fact that Prog sadly is a dying species these days.

Updated: 21/09/2021Posted: 17/01/2020

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TUBIS TRIO ~ SO US AUDIO CAVE 2019/015 (Barcode: 5905669566872) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 This is the fifth album by Polish piano trio called Tubis TrioFind albums by this artist, led by pianist / composer Maciej TubisFind albums by this artist and including bassist Pawel PuszczaloFind albums by this artist and drummer Przemyslaw PacanFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, all by the leader. The music is melody based, with emphasis on long cyclic repetitions of the themes with little variance and subtle dynamic changes. The powerful piano parts are dominating the proceedings almost completely, which leaves very little space for the rhythm section to add anything except rhythmic assistance. As a result the trio functions as a very tight musical unit, producing an intense, almost wall of sound effect. It is difficult to classify this music as strict Jazz, in spite of the fact that it does include improvisations, since its ambience is closer to Classical Music in many respects and its rhythmic elements do not swing in a classic Jazzy way. But regardless of what on tries to classify it as, it can be very appealing to Jazz lovers as well. Tubis piano playing is certainly impressive enough to keep piano lovers happy. The only problem with this album, as far as I am concerned, is the fact that all the albums by the trio (except for the album that precedes this one, which was a special project) are very similar in sound and structure, and do not show a clear path towards new ventures, which naturally slips dangerously into the déjà vu area, so much so that the album´s title is almost ominous. Hopefully this will change with the trio´s next album.

Updated: 13/01/2020Posted: 13/01/2020

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JAZZPOSPOLITA ~ PRZYPLYW AUDIO CAVE 2020/001 (Barcode: 5905669566988) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the seventh album by Polish ensemble JazzpospolitaFind albums by this artist, led by bassist Stefan NowakowskiFind albums by this artist, which also includes keyboardist Michal ZaleskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Lukasz BorowickiFind albums by this artist and drummer Karol DomanskiFind albums by this artist. The album, recorded following a period of hiatus, personnel changes and inactivity, seems to find the ensemble back in full form. It presents eight original compositions, four composed by Nowakowski, three by Borowicki and one by Zaleski, which is a change as on the earlier albums the music was always co-credited to the entire lineup. The album is dominated by the beautiful sound of Borowicki´s guitar, who recorded four splendid albums as a leader before joining Jazzpospolita. Stylistically the music is somewhat more Jazz oriented than the earlier albums by the ensemble, but preserves both the Rock and Ambient subtext, which dominated the early releases and which brought them the popularity they enjoyed for an entire decade. Zaleski provides a rich harmonic background for the guitar front lines and the rhythm section keeps the music flowing steadily. The music is difficult to classify, as it easily belongs to a wide range of sub-styles of Fusion and even Progressive Rock on one hand and at the same time is pretty unique. Beautiful melodic riffs repeated over energetic rhythmic patterns are hypnotic enough to engulf the listener and keep him enchanted as long as the music is playing and leaves him wishing for more. It is great to see Jazzpospolita back on the scene and I hope to catch them live again soon, as their live shows are always a remarkable experience. For their many fans this album is a solid continuation of their earlier efforts, but it is also a great opportunity for new listeners to get exposed to their music, which never fails to satisfy.

Updated: 20/03/2020Posted: 20/03/2020

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DANIEL TOLEDO ~ FLETCH AUDIO CAVE 2020/002 (Barcode: 5908298549018) ~ ECUADOR ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2020 This is the third album by Ecuadorian bassist / composer Daniel ToledoFind albums by this artist, recorded in a classic quartet setting with all Polish team consisting of saxophonist Kuba WiecekFind albums by this artist, pianist Piotr OrzechowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, all composed by Toledo. The music was recorded at the excellent Monochrom Studio and engineered by Ignacy GruszeckiFind albums by this artist. Toledo´s steady output of albums, starting in 2014 and offering a new recording every couple of years (I had the pleasure of writing the liner notes for his second album "AtriumFind albums with this title"), as well as his cooperation with Orzechowski, follow a steady course of development as a composer and player. The music on this album significantly departs from the earlier melody based conventional modern Jazz into a way more spacey, free spirited ventures and complex odd meters based rhythmic background. The metamorphosis is quite dramatic and presents Toledo in a completely new perception. Orzechowski, who plays both acoustic and electric piano, and who is the focal soloist, takes upon himself a major role in voicing this new approach, playing of course as brilliantly as always, but again quite differently from his usual environment, and listeners familiar with his impressive output as instrumentalist will have an opportunity to hear him from a different point of view. Wiecek steps in boldly and this music seems to suit his stylistic preferences ideally. Although his statements are relatively limited they are all right on the money. Miskiewicz, one of Poland´s most versatile and experienced drummers, handles the difficult rhythmic challenges without a hitch, as expected. Toledo´s solid bass parts are of course the spinal chord which connects all the ingredients together. Overall this is a difficult, serious piece of music, which although demanding, can be a source of great musical enjoyment, as long as the listener allows it the required attention and time needed to penetrate the external crust. Full of great ideas and superb performances, this is definitely something worthy of serious investigation.

Updated: 19/03/2020Posted: 19/03/2020

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LUKASZ OJDANA ~ KURPIAN SONGS & MEDITATIONS AUDIO CAVE 2020/003 (Barcode: 5905669566971) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the debut album as a leader by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Lukasz OjdanaFind albums by this artist, recorded in a piano solo setting. The album presents twenty-one short tracks, eleven of which are traditional Kurpian (Kurpie is an ethnic region in Poland) melodies and ten are original compositions by Ojdana, inspired by Kurpian motives. Mariia OjdanaFind albums by this artist adds vocals on one track. The album was beautifully recorded at the Studio Tokarnia, engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, offering a spectacular piano ambience worth the attention of sound quality connoisseurs. Ojdana, best known as a member of the prominent RGGFind albums by this artist piano trio, decided to draw his inspiration for this album form the rich Polish Folklore musical heritage. The idiosyncratic Kurpian music fascinated him not only because of its beauty, but also due to the challenge of performing the music on the piano, which is not designed to articulate the quarter tones this traditional music requires. The challenge of the harmonic adaptation the pianist must perform here is truly fascinating and the final result is deeply moving. Polish Jazz embraces the Fusion of Jazz and traditional Polish Folklore since its early days and some of such projects are true beacons of ingenuity and talent. This album successfully continues this tradition, creating music that naturally amalgamates the seemingly completely different idioms into a new formation, which works out both culturally and aesthetically. The sublime lyricism, melancholy and poetic beauty this music offers is a wonderful example of East European approach to Jazz, which manages to connect with the Cultural roots of the People of the region, transforming the Jazz tradition into an extension of the local Culture, rather than copying its foreign origins. In spite of its complexity this music is wonderfully, almost heartbreakingly melodic, which creates a deception of "easiness", opening this music to a wide range of listeners. Like all great works of Art, this music can be absorbed on many different levels, between the simplistic, melody based attitude and the highly sophisticated harmonic / structural analysis of the entire concept, leaving the entire range of listeners equally satisfied. This album offers a great opportunity to get a new perspective on Ojdana´s musical personality. His work with RGG portrays him in many other areas of Jazz, from elegant and ambitious modern Jazz to Avant-Garde explorations, but this album shows him as contemplative, romantic virtuoso, with a cryptic smile and a charmingly bashful manner. Piano lovers, Polish Jazz followers and all true music enthusiasts should find this alum irresistible; a true gem!

Updated: 16/03/2020Posted: 16/03/2020

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HUNGER PANGS ~ II AUDIO CAVE 2020/004 (Barcode: 5905669566940) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2020 This is the second album by the Hunger PangsFind albums by this artist trio, which comprises of Polish guitarist Marek KadzielaFind albums by this artist, Polish (resident in Denmark) trumpeter Tomasz DabrowskiFind albums by this artist and Danish drummer Kasper Tom ChristiansenFind albums by this artist. The album presents six original compositions, three by Kadziela, two by Christiansen and one by Dabrowski. For reasons unknown to me, the album recorded four years earlier, is being released only now. The music continues the direction set by the trio´s debut, which mixes composed themes with free (collective) improvisation on one hand and Rock versus Free Jazz interactions on the other. The music is often rather minimalist, with three distinct instrumental voices merged together into one fabric. The individual parts are perfectly audible at all times and the amalgam happens more in the listener´s brain than actually within the music. All three musicians are strong individual voices, each of them with impressive recorded legacy under the belt in spite of their relative young age. Their work together is a typical example of being more than just a sum of their individual contributions, and certainly manages to be a fascinating listening experience throughout. As a big fan Dabrowski, his contributions usually draw my attention immediately and as usual he does not disappoint here. His virtuosic trumpet parts are simply outstanding; both technically and emotionally, and firmly assert his position as one of the leading European Jazz trumpeters of the last decade. It took me a while to appreciate the talents of Kadziela, but hearing him perform live several times in the last years broke the ice and convinced me as to his great talent as well. He is a very unique and forward thinking player and composer, firmly stuck in the proud legacy of the Rock idiom, but always taking his music beyond the ordinary. He is certainly one of the most interesting guitar players in the Polish scene at the moment. Christiansen has also an impressive recorded legacy, which proves his outstanding position as a drummer, bandleader and for me especially as a composer. All his albums are superb examples of contemporary European Jazz and his contributions here are all in par with his usual excellence. Overall this album is every bit as good as the debut and connoisseurs of contemporary Improvised Music / Avant-Garde Jazz should be perfectly happy with every note this album has to offer.

Updated: 22/05/2020Posted: 22/05/2020

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WOJCIECH JACHNA SQUAD ~ ELEMENTS AUDIO CAVE 2020/005 (Barcode: 5908298549025) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the debut album by the Polish Jazz ensemble Wojciech Jachna SquadFind albums by this artist led by trumpeter / composer Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist and including also guitarist Marek MalinowskiFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Jacek CichockiFind albums by this artist, bassist Pawel UrowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Mateusz KrawczykFind albums by this artist. Four of these musicians (except for Malinowski) recorded already an album together five years earlier, called "The Right MomentFind albums with this title". The album presents seven original compositions, three composed by Jachna, two co-composed by all five members of the ensemble and one each by Cichocki and Malinowski. During the last decade (2010s) Jachna emerged as one of the leading representatives of the young (but rapidly maturing) Polish Jazz musicians, leading and taking part in many projects, which cover a diverse stylistic range between modern mainstream to advantageous avant-garde, managing to sound equally convincing regardless of the circumstances. The fact that his name appears on about thirty albums released during that period is no less than astonishing. This album seems to fall somewhere in the middle of the range, based on strictly composed and melodic themes on one hand, but being widely open to momentary free improvisation excursions. The addition of the guitar added new colors and influences like Blues and even Fusion, albeit subtle enough to be distinguishable primarily by a trained ear. The overall sound of the ensemble is brighter and spacier than on the a.m. album and noticeably more electric, with the addition of synthesizer and electric guitar sounds. Jachna´s trumpet parts, superb as always, seem to gradually gong more and more mellow and lyrical, loosing the rough edge that characterized his early days, which for me works all for the best. He is an absolute Master of minimalist expression and manages to create a remarkable amount of tension within relative brief solo parts. But the rest of the ensemble players all perform beautifully as well, emerging as ideal partners to the leader and contributing impressive soloing and collective performances and excellent rhythm section backbone support, which is inventive and contributes essentially to the entire musical fabric. It is truly satisfying to see Jachna and his partners evolving and exploring, continuously producing wonderful albums on the way. Overall this is a most impressive and deeply moving album, another great achievement for Jachna and his colleagues and a superb addition to his extensive recorded legacy. For all lovers of Polish / European Jazz this is an absolute must!

Updated: 28/05/2020Posted: 28/05/2020

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ORTALION ~ TRI-TONES AUDIO CAVE 2020/006 (Barcode: 5908298549032) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Rock Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the third album by Polish ensemble OrtalionFind albums by this artist, which comprises of keyboardist Cezary MorawskiFind albums by this artist, drummer Piotr MajkaFind albums by this artist, bassist Jacek BrzeziewiczFind albums by this artist, percussionist Jacek StromskiFind albums by this artist (in charge of samplers), saxophonist Marcin OtlowskiFind albums by this artist and trumpeter Robert JakubiecFind albums by this artist. Graphics / visuals artist Rafal ChomikFind albums by this artist is also listed as an ensemble member. Vocalist Mamadou Goo BaFind albums by this artist guests occasionally. The album presents seven original compositions (one in three parts), six of which are by Morawski and one by Brzeziewicz. The music is an original amalgam of many contemporary Rock / Electronic / Ambient music trends, creating highly atmospheric vistas. In most cases the music is based on heavy hypnotic, repetitive riffs, with electronic keyboards spreading a cascade of eerie sounds on top. The brass instruments are sadly rarely audible, which is a pity since they could have added much more diversity and variety within the music. The few improvised solos by Otlowski and Jakubiec are definitely the highlights of the entire album. The last track on the album offers an interpretation of a piece by the French modern composer Francis PoulencFind albums by this artist, which is completely different from the rest of the material, and which offers a glimpse of creative approach, being highly effective and perhaps most successful herein. Overall this is a very enjoyable Alternative Rock album, which shows a lot of potential but lacks the spark to make it truly outstanding. I enjoyed the music while it lasted, but it left hardly any long lasting impression. But of course this is just my feeling and many listeners surely can find this much more exciting. People interested in Polish Alternative Rock should definitely check this out!

Updated: 24/05/2020Posted: 24/05/2020

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O.N.E. ~ ONE AUDIO CAVE 2020/007 (Barcode: 5908298549063) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz ensemble O.N.E.Find albums by this artist comprising of five female representatives of the young generation of the local scene: saxophonist Monika MucFind albums by this artist, violinist Dominika RusinowskaFind albums by this artist, pianist Paulina AtmanskaFind albums by this artist, bassist Kamila DrabekFind albums by this artist and drummer Patrycja WybranczykFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven pieces, three composed by Muc, two by Atamanska, one traditional tune and one composition by Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist. The music is quite characteristic of the young Polish Jazz scene; full of melancholy and folkloristic influences, strictly melody based but with open space for improvisation and soloing. The rather unusual instrumental lineup (see violin) creates a particular sound, which takes time to get used to. These Ladies have of course perfect schooling and a lot of playing experience behind them, which results in spotless execution, both by the front line and the rhythm section. The original compositions are well structured, albeit a bit hesitant in their nature, which results in a certain lack of focus, as far as the album as a whole is concerned. But considering the fact that this is a debut offering, this is a minor point and can be easily forgiven. This album offers a perfect opportunity to exam the timeless issue of "Women´s Jazz", which always annoys me. I´d rather leave gender out of music the same way we should avoid dealing with race or religion. We should concentrate on giving woman equal opportunity instead. As this album proves, women can be certainly as creative, adventurous and clever as men in every aspect of life. Overall this is an important debut, which hopefully will open a recording continuance for this gathering of Jazz Amazons (daughters of Harmonia), for the years to come. Definitely worth investigating!

Updated: 31/03/2022Posted: 18/05/2020

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DIOMEDE ~ PRZYSPIEWKI AUDIO CAVE 2020/008 (Barcode: 5908298549056) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the second album by Polish Jazz outfit DiomedeFind albums by this artist, which started as a duo of keyboardist Grzegorz TarwidFind albums by this artist and saxophonist Tomasz MarkaniczFind albums by this artist and on this album was expanded to a trio with the addition of drummer Hubert ZemlerFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original compositions, which are not credited on the alum´s artwork and assumed to be co-composed by all three musicians. The music seems to stick to the modus operandi of the debut album, presenting melodic pieces, which are only partly related to the Jazz idiom, but involve the element of improvisation and the adventurous spirit, and which could be easily perceived as Art Rock, cinematic music, World-Jazz Fusion and many other sun-genres. This chameleonic character of the music is truly charming and fascinating, and keeps the listener on his toes for the entire duration. Tarwid emerges as one of the most interesting representatives of the young Polish Jazz scene, and his recorded legacy so far offers an astonishing stylistic diversity and unusual level of excellence, which are certainly worth watching closely. His contributions on this album are a clear indication of his multi-talented musical personality. Markanicz evidently matured since the recording of the debut and his improvising skill and power of expression are certainly more impressive, placing him shoulder to shoulder with the two more experienced colleagues. Joining forces with Zemler, who is another example of the strength and diversity of the Polish scene and a remarkable performer, certainly added a lot of new creativity into the outfit´s presence and strengthened the overall sound significantly, now able to present a full palette of an bona fide ensemble. Overall this is a very impressive album, wonderfully unusual, rich in musical contents and surprising variety, excellently performed and obviously standing out as far as creativity and exploration are concerned. Absolutely well done, Gentlemen, and congratulations are in order for passing the critical sophomore album test.

Updated: 22/06/2020Posted: 22/06/2020

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KASIA OSTERCZY ~ TRAVEL ELEGY AUDIO CAVE 2020/009 (Barcode: 5908298549070) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2020 Released: 2020 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz vocalist / composer Kasia OsterczyFind albums by this artist recorded in a trio setting with saxophonist / clarinetist Kuba MarciniakFind albums by this artist and guitarist Piotr ScholzFind albums by this artist. It is a Jazz & Poetry project, which presents eight original compositions, all by Osterczy, two instrumentals and six songs with lyrics by Polish poetess Wislawa SzymborskaFind albums by this artist translated into English by Stanislaw BaranczakFind albums by this artist and Clare CavanaghFind albums by this artist. The album was recorded at the excellent Monochrom Studio and engineered by Ignacy GruszeckiFind albums by this artist. Form the first moment I took the album in my hands I was taken aback by the concept; why would a Polish singer perform Polish poetry in the English language? Tragically my worst fears turned out to be justified. For the entire duration of the album I was not able to understand a single word pronounced by the singer, that for several reasons: Firstly the usual problem of pronunciation, accent and delivery that all Polish singers have while singing in English, which is a true plague of the Polish vocal Jazz scene in particular and music scene in general. This madness has been going on for decades and sadly is only spreading. Secondly the arrangements, which call for the vocals to be accompanied unisono by the guitar or clarinet, hide the vocal parts making them in many instances hardly even audible. The shrill guitar sound and the high pitch of the vocals have a devastating result when heard together. Thirdly the very idea of singing Polish poetry in English, other than possibly popularizing Polish Culture for non-Polish speaking audiences, is truly absurd. At least a text with the translated poems should have been included in the packaging? It is, after all, not a case where this album will be heard by millions of listeners outside Poland, is it? There are of course some positive aspects to this album: the music is ambitious and interesting, the musicians are certainly able, and even the vocals are fine as long as they are vocalese only. It makes me truly sad to think that this project might have achieved a completely different result if Osterczy had stuck to the beautiful original texts in Polish and the balance / separation between her voice and the accompanying instruments was different… oh well, a great pity.

Updated: 04/09/2020Posted: 04/09/2020

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OLES BROTHERS & PIOTR ORZECHOWSKI ~ WATERFALL AUDIO CAVE 2020/011 (Barcode: 5908298549094) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the debut album by a "dream come true" Polish Jazz piano trio, which combines the forces of the brilliant rhythm section comprising of twin brothers Marcin OlesFind albums by this artist on bass and Bartlomiej OlesFind albums by this artist on drums (collectively known as Oles BrothersFind albums by this artist) with one of Poland´s most idiosyncratic, expressive and open-minded pianists Piotr OrzechowskiFind albums by this artist. It is therefore not surprising that the expectations from the music produced by this trio reach the zenith as far as Polish Jazz scene is concerned. As the subtitle of this album ("Music Of Joe Zawinul") discloses, the subject of the album is the music composed by Austrian composer / keyboardist Josef Joe ZawinulFind albums by this artist, who left Austria in 1959 and moved to where Jazz "was happening", soon to become one of the most prominent musicians on the American scene, playing with Cannonball AdderleyFind albums by this artist and then Miles DavisFind albums by this artist, before forming the revolutionary ensemble Weather ReportFind albums by this artist and later Zawinul SyndicateFind albums by this artist. Despite his success in America, Zawinul was in many respects a tragic figure as his European background and musical tradition never truly allowed him to integrate within American Jazz. Over the years he composed a superb body of music that attested to his European foundations, which was never fully understood by his fellow musicians at the time. Therefore the recognition of the European spirit in the music of Zawinul, which is fully recognized and openly stated by the creators of this album, offers an important historical and intellectual testimonial beyond the musical layer. This approach leads of course to a completely novel and unprecedented interpretation of Zawinul´s music, dominant to such extent that most music listeners familiar with these compositions in their original recorded form will probably not recognize these compositions easily (if at all) on this album. As a result, the listeners are exposed to a completely new depth and beauty of Zawinul´s compositions, a presentation which deserves a highest respect for its ingenuity and boldness, qualities that are not surprising in case of Oles Brothers and Orzechowski. The performances are of course absolutely stellar, with every single note and sound perfectly placed within the musical kaleidoscope. The clarity of the sound and the total involvement of these three musicians is absolutely phenomenal, standing apart from almost everything else one can find on record elsewhere. It seems that the magic touch of Oles Brothers and Orzechowski combined becomes not only a sum of their sublime qualities but rather their product A word of warning for listener´s expecting anything like what Zawinul´s music sounded originally – this album demands a completely different level of involvement, concentration and open-mindedness. Of course this is an immediate favorite as far as I am concerned, and as the year (dreadful 2020) nears its most welcome ending, this album jumps straight into the small heap of top albums of the year. It is a true revelation and I feel proud to be able to call the makers of this magnificent music my Friends. Thank you, as always!

Updated: 19/12/2020Posted: 19/12/2020

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KRZYSZTOF PACAN ~ STORY OF 82 AUDIO CAVE 2020/012 (Barcode: 5908298549124) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the second album as a leader by Polish Jazz bassist / composer Krzysztof PacanFind albums by this artist recorded in a quartet setting with saxophonist Radek NowickiFind albums by this artist, pianist Piotr WylezolFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof DziedzicFind albums by this artist. Violist Marta ZalewskaFind albums by this artist guests on one track. The album presents seven original compositions, all by Pacan, who plays bass guitar exclusively on this album. The album, recorded at the Studio Tokarnia, offers an excellent sound quality, as expected. The music is all melody based mainstream modern Jazz, often typically melancholic and lyrical in accordance with the Polish Jazz characteristics, but offering diverse stylistic variations. Personally the ballads seem to work best for me, but the level of the compositions is excellent throughout. The level of performances is also excellent from start to finish, which is hardly surprising with these highly experienced professionals. Again, personally, Wylezol is the most creative contributor on this album, but Nowicki carries the tunes and solos without a hitch and Dziedzic offers a solid rhythmic support by the book. The leader stays somewhat behind, soloing sparingly and supplying steady bass pulsations that carry the music. Overall this is a pleasant and excellently performed Jazz music, which should keep most Polish Jazz enthusiasts happy, emphasizing the incredibly high level of the local Jazz scene.

Updated: 28/02/2023Posted: 20/12/2020

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TATVAMASI ~ THE THIRD EAR MUSIC AUDIO CAVE 2020/013 (Barcode: 5908298549186) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2018 - 2019 Released: 2020 This is the sixth album by Polish quartet TatvamasiFind albums by this artist, which documents a series of music meetings held under the slogan of the album´s title, recorded over a period of couple of years by the four members of the ensemble: guitarist Grzegorz LesiakFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Tomasz PiatekFind albums by this artist, bassist Lukasz DownarFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof RedasFind albums by this artist and a plethora of guests from Poland and abroad, including Avant-Garde drummers Vasco TrillaFind albums by this artist from Spain and Peter OrinsFind albums by this artist from France. The album presents seven compositions, all uncredited and assumed to be a result of improvisations by the participating musicians. The music, as expected from the underlying concept, is a series of extended improvisations, based on sketchy melodic fragments and rhythm patterns, which characterizes Improvised Music. It preserves to some extent the usual Jazz-Rock Fusion modus operandi of Tatvamasi that was dominating their earlier recordings, but expands the horizons and embraces Free Improvisation, basically letting things happen on the fly as they develop. The three pieces recorded by a quartet, with vocalist Marta GrzywaczFind albums by this artist (and without Piatek) are definitely the high point of the entire album pointing to a direction worth pursuing. To be perfectly honest, as much as I like Tatvamasi, this stuff just doesn´t work for me as well as I expected it would. I admit to being somewhat fed up with the Improvised Music recordings that the Polish scene produces en mass and often without any selective process on one hand, and the fact that throwing a group of unrelated musicians in one room and let them play whatever comes to mind very rarely guarantees a spectacular result on the other hand. I appreciate the will to explore and search, and the courage to try something new, but hope this is a one time extravaganza, and the music will return to more productive exploration in the future. Overall this is an interesting experiment, and as such worthy of appreciation, but the resulting music, stripped of the circumstantial excitement, is rather pale summa summarum, with just occasional interesting moments. Sorry guys, it´s just me.

Updated: 12/01/2021Posted: 12/01/2021

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ANDRZEJ PRZYBIELSKI & OLES BROTHERS ~ SHORT FAREWELL AUDIO CAVE 2021/001 (Barcode: 5908298549209) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2003 Released: 2021 This is an archival album presenting recordings made by the legendary Polish Jazz trumpeter Andrzej PrzybielskiFind albums by this artist, with the superb rhythm section consisting of bassist Marcin OlesFind albums by this artist and his twin brother Bartlomiej OlesFind albums by this artist (collectively known as Oles BrothersFind albums by this artist). These recordings were considered lost for all these years until now, and after being miraculously recovered and restored, are presented here for the first time. The album presents eleven original compositions, one twelve minutes long and the others running from just under half a minute and up to about four minutes. Three of the compositions are credited to Przybielski, six to Oles Brothers, one to the trio and finally one to Bartlomiej Oles. Przybielski and Oles Brothers recorded together several times, going back to the turn of the Millennium. First they recorded two albums with the Custom TrioFind albums by this artist, which featured the Oles Brothers: “Free BopFind albums with this title” and “Andrzej Przybielski & Custom TrioFind albums with this title”. At the time the music included here was recorded (2003), they recorded the album “AbstractFind albums with this title” and some years later (2010) they recorded the album “De ProfundisFind albums with this title”. This album is of course a precious addition to their common recorded legacy and a historic document of the outmost importance. Przybielski, who died in 2011, was one of Polish Jazz most idiosyncratic figures, a fearless Avant-Gardist and a loner, who was rejected by the local Jazz mainstream and its establishment and as a result was offered relatively few opportunities to record and perform, always acting on the artistic fringe. His sublime technique allowed him to play with heartbreaking lyricism and uncompromising honesty, which sadly was recognized by but a few. I was extremely lucky and fortunate to meet and work with Przybielski during the recording of “The Book Of JobFind albums with this title” album, which left an immense impression on me at the time. It is great to see that Przybielski and his music are not forgotten and are preserved by those who knew and worked with him, carrying the legacy to the next generations. Projects, like this one, are beautiful examples of preservation of High Culture, especially in days when the world is being drowned is mindless excrements. For true fans of Polish Jazz and European Avant-Garde, this album, despite its short playing time, is an absolute must, of course, literally worth its weight in gold. It would be sacrilegious to treat this music as accidental “leftovers” and it deserves to be treated with love and respect. A great memorial gesture celebrating the tenth anniversary of Przybielski’s premature departure.

Updated: 11/03/2021Posted: 11/03/2021

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KUBA PLUZEK ~ BOOK OF RESONANCE AUDIO CAVE 2021/002 (Barcode: 5908298549223) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2018 Released: 2021 This is the fifth album as a leader and the second solo piano album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Kuba PluzekFind albums by this artist. On this album Pluzek uses in addition to the acoustic piano also an electronic device called magnetic resonator piano, developed by Canadian musician / scientist Andrew McPhersonFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine pieces, six of which are original compositions by Pluzek, two are by Polish Classical composer Karol SzymanowskiFind albums by this artist and one is an arrangement of a traditional folk song. Pluzek’s extensive recorded legacy in the last decade presents him as a truly chameleonic figure, changing his style and musical approach with every new album and taking part on diverse projects by others. Of course this could be considered as a lack of focus, but in his case it is simply a reflection of his great talent, which is able to encompass many different facets of music. This album seems to be closer to contemporary Classical Music than all of his earlier work, closely resembling some mannerisms of early 20th Century solo piano works, including those by Szymanowski, which Pluzek included here. It is a mixture of Modernism and post-Romanticism, with a dash of contemporary Ambient influences, altogether very effective in creating cinematic vistas and atmospheric aura, all tastefully and intelligently put together. As much as I love innovation and search of new sounds, most electronic devices with mess with the acoustic piano rarely work for me, often creating a distinct nausea associated with music played out of tune. However, the magnetic resonator piano used here, manages to add some new dimensions to the piano sound without creating any associated “damage”. Pluzek uses the device sparingly and delicately, which is why the overall effect works well, in contrast to some musicians so overwhelmed with electronics that they lose the touch with reality. But his best virtues can be heard on the closing track of the album, with his treatment of the beautiful folk song, maintaining its wonderful simplicity and adding his superb ornamentations. Overall this is another splendid addition to Pluzek’s already well attested recorded legacy, definitely deserving an honorable position on the Polish Jazz piano scene. It might take a while to get into this music, but eventually it is a wonderfully rewarding listening experience, offering new horizons. Congratulations!

Updated: 15/03/2021Posted: 15/03/2021

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NOWICKI / SWIES / FRANKIEWICZ ~ OVERTONES AUDIO CAVE 2021/003 (Barcode: 5908298549230) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is the second album by the Polish Jazz trio comprising of saxophonist Radek NowickiFind albums by this artist, bassist Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and drummer Sebastian FrankiewiczFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, five by Nowicki, three by Swies and one by Frankiewicz. Following the debut recorded and released almost a decade ago, this release offers a much more coherent and mature piece of music, based on excellent compositions and outstanding performances by the trio members. The music is mostly contemplative and develops slowly, but is wonderfully expressive and offers a most satisfying listening experience, which is a vast improvement in comparison to the earlier effort. Although the saxophone trio is an extremely difficult vehicle to steer, this trio works just perfectly, offering a perfect balance between the three musicians. It is nothing like a lead instrument supported by a rhythm section, but from the very onset it becomes completely clear that they work in unison and shoulder to shoulder. As a result, the saxophone, bass and drums are fully present for the entire duration, recorded on the same level and offer an organic trio sound, which is very rarely achieved by other similar outfits. It is usually expected from the saxophone to set the tone, but it is impossible to decide who is leading the trio at any given moment, while the music lasts. Swies paves the path with his deep and rounded pulsations and his performances here are absolutely stunning. Frankiewicz does not stay behind, driving the music lice a hurricane during the crescendo moments and pushing it gently during the delicate passages. Nowicki states the melodies gently and improvises with conviction and obvious Masterly touch. Overall this is a great album from start to finish, with no dull moments in between, superbly played by three Masters of the trade, who push their abilities to the max. The music manages to create a unique sonic climate, and the no bullshit playing is convincing and strikes right where it is most effective. This is Polish / European Jazz at its best - Kudos my friends! Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 09/04/2021Posted: 09/04/2021

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MAREK KADZIELA ~ JAZZ ENSEMBLE AUDIO CAVE 2021/004 (Barcode: 5908298549254) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2021 As hard as it is to believe, this is only the second album as a leader by Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Marek KadzielaFind albums by this artist, this time recorded in a quintet setting with his brother saxophonist Maciej KadzielaFind albums by this artist, trombonist Jacek NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Pawel PuszczaloFind albums by this artist and drummer Radoslaw BolewskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Marek Kadziela. During the second decade of the 2000s Kadziela participated in numerous recordings and co-led several Polish and international ensembles, as diverse as Hunger PangsFind albums by this artist, JazabuFind albums by this artist, K.R.A.N.Find albums by this artist and KaMaSzFind albums by this artist as well as his own ADHDFind albums by this artist. These recordings present a restless, searching spirit, who is constantly trying to re-invent himself and drive towards uncharted territory, crossing genres with ease and competence. Over the years I have had the pleasure to listen to him live as well, which often exposed other aspects of his wide-ranging musical personality. There is no doubt that during that time he established himself not only as one of the leading Polish guitarists, but also as an important leader and trendsetter. In many respects this album (as Kadziela himself states on the album’s liner notes) is an amalgamation of his experiences up to now, with an emphasis on composition, as much as on his guitar playing skills. The rather unusual sounding ensemble highlights his originality as a sound creator, which enhances the acoustic quintet with skillful use of electronics, creating a modern, somewhat rough and toothed exterior, which hides the melodic contents, without damaging it. The individual performances are all absolutely stunning, with the leader moving between Wes MontgomeryFind albums by this artist and Jimi HendrixFind albums by this artist and back in an instant, always being himself. Namyslowski is a surprise as his playing is more open and daring than usual and the rhythm section does a wonderful job driving the music forward and filling the blanks. Overall this is a wonderful modern Jazz album, full of great music and intricate individual performances, not easy on the ear and demanding attentive listening, but highly rewarding. Although Kadziela made a giant step forward in his career, deep down he is still a Blues / Rock kid who loves to show his guitar licks, which I personally love as much as all the serious stuff he is playing. Having said that, this album is almost completely free of any Fusion accents, announcing the leader’s full commitment to the Jazz idiom. Hats off!

Updated: 10/04/2021Posted: 10/04/2021

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DOMINIK STRYCHARSKI CORE / ORKIESTRA DETA URSUS ~ SYMFONIA FABRYKI URSUS (SOUNDTRACK) AUDIO CAVE 2021/005 (Barcode: 5908298549247) ~ POLAND ~ Soundtracks Recorded: 2017 - 2021 Released: 2021 This is an album by Polish Jazz flautist / composer Dominik StrycharskiFind albums by this artist and his ensemble CoreFind albums by this artist, which includes pianist Barbara DrazkowskaFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist, bassist Zbigniew KozeraFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel SzpuraFind albums by this artist. The Ursus Brass OrchestraFind albums by this artist also takes part in this recording. The album presents five original compositions, all by Strycharski. The music was used as a soundtrack to the award winning documentary film about the Ursus factory, which ceased to exists in 2011, and which was famous for producing Polish tractors for more than 100 years. The music, although performed by a Jazz quintet and a Brass Orchestra, includes hardly any Jazz elements per se and offers a dark, ambient, Cinematic Music, which is slow moving and minimal in its scope. It might be very appropriate as a soundtrack (I have not seen the documentary), but as a stand-alone piece of music it is much more difficult to swallow. The industrial character of the music, as well as its lack of development, may emphasize / illustrate the labor done by the ex-workers of Ursus, who are the focus of this documentary, but out of that context it is rather daunting. One of the tracks, which is performed just by the quintet, is the closest that this music gets to Jazz / Improvised Music, and features some great playing by Jachna, but again the twelve minutes long piece is completely static and monotonic, and even Jachna’s trumpet parts are unable to redeem it. Overall, this album proves that Cinematic Music is not always able to stand by itself, unrelated to the visual layer. Despite the fact that it is performed by highly esteemed Polish Jazz musicians, it simply does not work for me. My fault of course.

Updated: 01/07/2021Posted: 01/07/2021

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BASTARDA & JOAO DE SOUSA ~ FADO AUDIO CAVE 2021/006 (Barcode: 5908298549292) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2021 Released: 2021 This is the 4th album by the Polish trio BastardaFind albums by this artist, founded by clarinetist / composer Pawel SzamburskiFind albums by this artist with cellist Tomasz PokrzywinskiFind albums by this artist and contrabass clarinetist Michal GorczynskiFind albums by this artist. The trio is joined on this album by Portuguese (living in Poland) vocalist / guitarist Joao de SousaFind albums by this artist. Together they perform eight classic Fado songs arranged in a most unusual setting. Fado, often jokingly called “Portuguese Blues”, is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful distinctive European urban subcultural music genres, like the Greek Rebetiko, which combine deeply melancholic, often heartbreakingly so, themes with lyrics describing harsh personal or social realities. These genres developed in parallel to the massive urbanization of Europe, starting in the 19th Century, and were revived, gradually crossing from urban Folklore to an Art Form, with highly poetic lyrics and more complex musical themes, from the mid-20th Century. At first I was a bit hesitant about this album, since Fado is so deeply “Portuguese”, that it usually stays within the sphere of Portuguese performers, with rather few exceptions. However, I am happy to say that after listening to the album all my fears were proven wrong. The combination of de Sousa’s vocals (in Portuguese language of course) and the surprising and highly unusual instrumental accompaniment by the members of Bastarda works like a charm. The vocals are highly restrained and deeply melancholic, as expected in a Fado idiom, and with the originality of the language preserved (I’d really have a hard time to listen to Fado in Polish!) the proximity of the vocal layer was faithfully preserved. The instrumental arrangements are absolutely charming and stunning, completely abandoning the traditional Fado tradition as far as the instruments are concerned by paying tribute to the role of the usual guitar accompaniment, splendidly using the entire scope of tonal possibilities from the deep lows of the contrabass clarinet to the highs of the clarinet. Bastarda are true magicians as far as creating a kaleidoscope of sound layers, which harmonize perfectly. As such they are definitely one of the most unique musical outfits of the Polish scene in the last few years. Of course the most surprising element is the amalgamation of instrumental improvisation into the Fado idiom, which although subtle and cleverly concealed, adds superbly to the overall effect, taking the album under the wings of Jazz-World Fusion, albeit just marginally. Overall this is a magnificent album, full of wonderful musical melancholy and superb instrumental performances, which should fill the heart of all true music lovers with pure joy. Brilliant stuff!

Updated: 15/05/2024Posted: 31/07/2021

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LIZARD ~ TALES OF THE ARTICHOKE WOOD AUDIO CAVE 2021/007 (Barcode: 5908298549261) ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2004 - 2005 Released: 2021 This is a reissue of the third album by Polish Prog group LizardFind albums by this artist, originally released in 2005. The group comprised at the time of vocalist / guitarist / leader and principal author of music and lyrics Damian BydlinskiFind albums by this artist, violinist / keyboardist Krzysztof MaciejowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Janusz TanistraFind albums by this artist and drummer Mariusz SzulakowskiFind albums by this artist. The album offers ten tracks, which constitute an intro, two three-part suites, one two-part suite and finally an outro, obviously a concept album, this time presenting the idea of “painting by sounds”, with the three suites dedicated to three pivotal painters: Vincent van GoghFind albums by this artist, Salvador DaliFind albums by this artist and Pablo PicassoFind albums by this artist. The album was subtly remastered / remixed and the new edition offers (hidden) bonus tracks that originate from the group’s second album “PsychopulsFind albums with this title”, recorded live during the band’s 25th Anniversary concert, with a different lineup, as well as a new graphic design. As I have already stated several times, Lizard are one of the few Neo-Prog bands that are able to create consistently coherent and meaningful Progressive Rock, which combines great melodies, intelligent lyrics, great riffs and above all manages not to be repetitive and boring ten minutes into the music. Their success is largely due to the strong and very creative personality of the group’s leader; apparently in some situations strong leadership is probably the most effective way to achieve success. Lizard offer lyrics in Polish, but to be honest most Prog lovers should be perfectly able to enjoy their music without the verbal layer, same as they can enjoy Italian Prog or South American Prog. Of course for those listeners who are native Polish language speakers, the lyrics contain messages, which encourage thought and reflection, sadly a non-existent characteristic in other genres of today’s popular music. Overall, this is a classic Neo-Prog album, which is great fun to listen to and which stands well the test of time. For Prog lovers the world over, this is a great opportunity to grab a copy of this, long time out of print album, with some bonus material and excellent sound quality. If you have to listen to Neo-Prog, at least try to listen to some of the best out there!

Updated: 21/09/2021Posted: 21/09/2021

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NVC ~ EMOCJE AUDIO CAVE 2021/008 (Barcode: 5908298549377) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Ambient Fusion Recorded: 2021 Released: 2021 This is the second album by the Polish Jazz-Ambient Fusion quartet NVCFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Non Violent CommunicationFind albums by this artist), which comprises of saxophonist Rafal WawszkiewiczFind albums by this artist, electronic sounds and computers operator Michal GlowackiFind albums by this artist, (new) bassist Grzegorz ChudzikFind albums by this artist and drummer Arek LerchFind albums by this artist. The album presents five original compositions, two of which last well over ten minutes in duration. The composers are not specifically credited and therefore the music is assumed to be collectively composed. Stylistically the music continues faithfully the formula presented on the excellent debut album, which consists of the saxophone performing all the melodic contents on top of a wall of sound electronically created ambient layers and driven by the highly energetic rhythm section. It is as overwhelming and hypnotic as the debut, but naturally less surprising this time. Wawszkiewicz, who is a most unusual and unique saxophonist, obviously draws most of the attention of the listener, and his lyrical expressionism offers a wonderful contrast to the almost alienated and rugged background, creating a delightfully effective aura, as hypnotic as a fakir charming a snake. The steady beat and almost Funky bass add to the feeling of floating in space and NVC excel in their ability to entice the listener into their magical sound, taking no prisoners. The combined talents of the quartet are certainly a phenomenon worthy of attention, especially now, when they passed successfully the “second album test”. However, considering how akin this music is in comparison to the debut, they certainly need to expand their future concept to some extent, in order not to lose the momentum. Overall this is another superb album by NVC, absolutely mesmerizing from start to finish, with the quartet offering a unique approach and sound on the Polish Jazz scene, which considering how competitive that scene is, is almost miraculous. Well done indeed!

Updated: 04/07/2021Posted: 04/07/2021

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MAZZ BOXX ~ MAZZ BOXX AUDIO CAVE 2021/009 (Barcode: 5908298549322) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Ambient Fusion Recorded: 2008 - 2011 Released: 2021 This is an archival album recorded live in 2008 by various ensembles led by Polish Avant-Garde clarinetist / composer Jerzy MazzollFind albums by this artist and including contributions by pianist Joanna DudaFind albums by this artist and Piotr RachonFind albums by this artist, bassist Ju GhanFind albums by this artist, drummers Piotr PodgorskiFind albums by this artist and Filip DanielakFind albums by this artist, percussionist Tomasz AntonowiczFind albums by this artist and others. In 2010 Mazzoll gave the recorded materials to producer Igor BoxxFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Igor PudloFind albums by this artist) to select an album’s worth of material, but Boxx took the job much further and deconstructed / manipulated the material in 2011 into a new shape and form, which resulted in ten tracks based on the original compositions by Mazzoll and which are presented herein. The material waited for ten years to be finally released by the excellent Audio CaveFind albums on this label label. Personally I’d love this album to be a double, with one album including the original recorded material, before it was electronically manipulated, and then the material presented here appearing on the second album, but alas this did not happen. Therefore, I can only imagine how the original material sounded. Mazzoll is a Free Jazz / Improvised Music icon on the Polish scene, and as a result the ambient music present on this album is a bit difficult to be directly associated with his image. Especially since it is much beautified / simplified in its current shape, sounding almost like New Age music at times. Mazzoll’s virtuosic clarinet performances are almost completely hidden and the looping effects and distorted sounds fit electronic Pop and Ambient music much more effectively than doing a service to Mazzoll’s music. Overall, this album is of interest to Ambient / Electronic music fans rather than Jazz / Improvised Music / Avant-Garde listeners, which of course does not mean the music has no merit, it is simply oriented for different audiences than Mazzoll’s output so far.

Updated: 15/09/2021Posted: 15/09/2021

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INTUITION ORCHESTRA ~ SUMMA INTUITIVA AUDIO CAVE 2021/010 (Barcode: 5908298549438) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is the fifth album by Polish Improvised Music ensemble called Intuition OrchestraFind albums by this artist, which comprises of a core trio: saxophonist Ryszard WojciulFind albums by this artist, keyboardist / cellist Boleslaw BlaszczykFind albums by this artist and drummer Jacek AlkaFind albums by this artist. They are joined by no less than seven distinguished guest musicians from different musical idioms, including legendary bassist Krzysztof MajchrzakFind albums by this artist, World Music tsarina Maria PomianowskaFind albums by this artist, guitarist Wojciech BlazejczykFind albums by this artist, electronics wizard Krzysztof KnittelFind albums by this artist, drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist and others. The album presents nine tracks, which as usual in such circumstances, are rather arbitrary parts of the continuum, all being collective improvisations. The music offers a distinctly “younger” (unrelated to the musicians’ age) feel and groove, with Fusiony touches created by Majchrzak and Blazejczyk and contemporary electronics, in addition to the traditional acoustic instruments. As a result, the music is also a touch more approachable to wider audiences this time, perhaps not intentionally, but definitely de facto. All the instrumental and vocal performances, especially those by Wojciul, are exceptional. As I have already stated previously, Intuition Orchestra is able to create genuinely Improvised Music, without sounding completely senseless, self-indulgent and artistically empty. This music has a wonderful natural flow, a feel of continuity and coherent direction, which makes listening to it an uplifting experience. Overall, it is great to witness a continuous growth and development of this ensemble, which is able to rejuvenate its sound and retain its creative powers for many years, without giving up an iota of their conceptual freedom of expression. As far as Improvised Music is concerned, this is one of the relatively few examples where it is able to create a lasting aesthetic experience, which continues to satisfy beyond the moment of its creation. Hats off my friends!

Updated: 17/12/2021Posted: 17/12/2021

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BASTARDA & CHOR UNIWERSYTETU SWPS ~ KOLOWROT AUDIO CAVE 2021/011 (Barcode: 5908298549421) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2021 Released: 2021 This is the 5th (second this year) album by the Polish trio BastardaFind albums by this artist comprising of clarinetist Pawel SzamburskiFind albums by this artist, cellist Tomasz PokrzywinskiFind albums by this artist and contrabass clarinetist Michal GorczynskiFind albums by this artist. This time they cooperate with the SWPS University ChoirFind albums by this artist, conducted by Ewa MackiewiczFind albums by this artist. The album presents just four lengthy compositions, named after the four seasons, composed by the members of the trio and based on Polish Folk songs related to the seasons as well as some medieval musical sources. The music is deeply spiritual, embossed with Folkloristic sources and East European mysticism, Jewish, Christian and Pagan, with only slight touches of Jazzy improvisations. Bastarda managed to develop over time its own musical language, which despite the minimalism dictated by just three instruments, seems to be completely unlimited in its power of expression. This album is more focused and therefore also more striking than their earlier recordings, and with the presence of the choir enables to create much greater dynamics and diversity than ever before. The resulting music offers an explosive emotional statement, which easily competes with symphonic pieces, both in richness and expressionism, which is truly astounding in view of the fact that is created by three acoustic instruments and human voices. The superb recording quality of this album is also an important factor in the entire equation. Bastarda seems to be unstoppable in their path to create one of the most unique musical landscapes in Europe, with constantly changing subject matter on one hand and new ways of squeezing the minimalist instrumental lemon to the max. It often seems that they already reached to peak of their creativity, but every new album proves the audiences wrong. The cooperation with the choir is a wonderful example of putting human resources together in a way where the instruments and the human voices coexist as one, without dominating or disturbing each other, in perfect harmony, both tonally and spiritually. Overall this is an absolutely brilliant album, definitely one of the best Polish albums released in 2021, completely unique and fulfilling. It stays beyond any stylistic classification or genre association and excels in its simplicity, directness and power of expressions like only very few other albums can. Perfect music to be listened to with the snow falling outside and the fireplace ablaze. Marvelous, simply marvelous!

Updated: 15/05/2024Posted: 19/12/2021

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PIOTR SCHOLZ ~ BIRDS FROM ANOTHER PLANET AUDIO CAVE 2021/012 (Barcode: 5908298549315) ~ POLAND ~ Big Band Jazz Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is the second album as a leader by Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Piotr ScholzFind albums by this artist, which returns to the Big Band / Orchestral Jazz format, same as the debut. This time the album presents a seven-part suite (on seven tracks) composed by Scholz and performed by a seventeen musicians strong Big Band, conducted by Scholz, who resigns the guitar post this time to Dawid KostkaFind albums by this artist. The music again attempts to combine the Classical and Jazz idioms, with the compositions based, as Scholz explains in the album’s artwork, on seven symmetrical scales (of limited transposition, also called modes) as defined by the 20th Century French composer Oliven MessiaenFind albums by this artist. One might speculate as to the fact of how many listeners are familiar with these highly technical musicological terms, so the true test of the music must be left to laics, who listen to music emotionally / aesthetically rather than intellectually / academically. The album’s title hints as to Messiaen’s passion for ornithology. There is no doubt that this highly ambitious piece required a lot of work and dedication from the composer, as well as effort from the performing musicians, which are all greatly commendable. The resulting music becomes highly dependent on the listener’s openness to unusual scales and harmonies, patience and perhaps musical experience, but it does present an unusual challenge, especially to Jazz listeners, who might find this music beyond their comprehension / likability. This attempt to combine Jazz with modern Classical music is typically European in nature, taking the rusted Jazz tradition to new vistas, which of course is a positive trend, although sometimes with varying success. Scholz is certainly to be congratulated for his attempt to discover new ground and invest so much work and energy in this project. Overall, this is a very ambitious and interesting cross-genre project, which might require an effort in order to digest it, at least at first, but offers an intellectual depth worth pursuing.

Updated: 19/12/2021Posted: 19/12/2021

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OLES BROTHERS & DOMINIK STRYCHARSKI ~ KOPTYCUS AUDIO CAVE 2022/001 (Barcode: 5908298549384) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2019 Released: 2022 This is the debut album by the Polish Jazz trio comprising of twin brothers: bassist Marcin OlesFind albums by this artist and drummer Bartlomiej OlesFind albums by this artist (collectively known as Oles BrothersFind albums by this artist) and recorder player Dominik StrycharskiFind albums by this artist, who also uses electronics. The album presents seven original compositions inspired by Coptic music. As usual with the projects by Oles Brothers, the music goes way beyond what is considered as Jazz mainstream, and always combines elements of improvised music with a thematic inspiration, which in this case is the music of the early Coptic Christian tradition. Originating in Alexandria, Egypt, the Coptic Christianity spread into the entire North Africa and later also to the Holly Land, with beautiful Coptic churches built in Jerusalem and Nazareth, which of course I know very well. It is only natural that Coptic music is based mostly on early Middle Eastern musical tradition and is very different from the European Christian musical tradition. The recorder is obviously an ideal instrument to be used to re-visit the two millennia old musical tradition, for many reasons. First it is one of the oldest instruments known to man, second it is closely associated with the Middle Eastern musical tradition, thirdly it is one of the most spiritual instruments out there and lastly it is naturally and historically way more suitable for improvisation than for playing a precisely defined melody. The music on this album exemplifies the above points all too well. Strycharski sounds like a time-traveler sitting on the banks of ancient Alexandria port, sending his lament over the waters and desert sands. The Oles Brothers support him with a mixture of Middle Eastern rhythmic patterns and free time improvisation, together creating a magic chant, which is simply fascinating. It is truly astounding to see / hear the Oles Brothers reinventing themselves time after time with each new project. As someone who had the opportunity to hear them perform live many times, they still manage to take me by surprise every time, this being no different. Originally this project was commissioned by the Music Of Faith – Music Of Peace Festival and its artistic director Miron ZajfertFind albums by this artist, and thankfully it was now released on record, to be enjoyed for posterity. Overall, this is a highly unusual and deeply spiritual piece of human ingenuity, which offers a superb listening experience, unlike most other things one can hear on record. Far beyond classification, this is simply Music in the most universal meaning of that Artform, which deserves to be heard, and which perhaps can heal some of the misery we are all exposed to lately. Respect, my Friends, as always!

Updated: 28/02/2022Posted: 28/02/2022

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WOJCIECH JACHNA SQUAD ~ EARTH AUDIO CAVE 2022/002 (Barcode: 5908298549407) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2021 Released: 2022 This is the second album by the Polish Jazz ensemble Wojciech Jachna SquadFind albums by this artist led by trumpeter / composer Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist and including also guitarist Marek MalinowskiFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Jacek CichockiFind albums by this artist, bassist Pawel UrowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Mateusz KrawczykFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, two composed by Urowski, two co-composed by all five members of the ensemble and one each by Jachna, Cichocki and Malinowski. The music seems to follow a somewhat different path than the debut album, being distinctly tamer and well-behaved than the debut. Lyrical melodic themes, gentle melancholic trumpet parts, synthesizer / moog ambient harmonic background layers, Fusiony guitar and steady rhythmic pulse are definitely not what one expects to hear on a Jachna album, but everybody has the freedom to change and evolve, and Jachna definitely does not need to prove anything to anybody anymore, being a master of his own music destiny. Of course here and there the music features some less polite moments and even almost free improvisations, which are a link to the familiar past, especially so on the group co-composed improvisation pieces but also partly in the other pieces. Personally I find this to be the most ambitious aspect of this album, but of course Jachna has already proved himself well beyond any doubt in that specific direction. Overall, this is, as always, an excellent album, probably the most accessible Jachna recording ever, but without any compromises aesthetically, artistically or creatively. The Squad manages to establish a distinctive sound and ambience as an ensemble, which of course is no less important. Despite the fact that this music more caresses than bites, it is still amongst the finest on the Polish Jazz scene. Well done!

Updated: 24/02/2022Posted: 24/02/2022

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O.N.E. ~ ENTOLOMA AUDIO CAVE 2022/003 (Barcode: 5908298549445) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2021 Released: 2022 This is the second album by the Polish all female Jazz ensemble O.N.E.Find albums by this artist reduced to a quartet with pianist Paulina AtmanskaFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Monika MucFind albums by this artist, bassist Kamila DrabekFind albums by this artist and drummer Patrycja WybranczykFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, three by Atmanska and two each by the other members of the ensemble. The music this time moves away from mainstream oriented solid melodic themes and comprises of more open and challenging compositions, which is a huge step forward in comparison to the debut. These young female improvisers definitely don’t intend to play it safe and take their music seriously, with the risks involved. As a result, the album is quite a challenging listening experience, which at times creates a longing for a piece of solid melody here and there, but alas that aspect of the ensemble’s character is gone once the opening track is over. A little more balanced approach might have worked somewhat more effectively, but that of course was obviously a conscious decision by the ensemble members. Perhaps a little less vamping and a bit more solid harmony might have turned this album into an extraordinary achievement, but it definitely is a move in the right direction. Overall, this is an interesting, at times challenging piece of modern European Jazz, which perhaps is a tad too undisciplined, but definitely very well played and showing a development path for this intriguing ensemble. Definitely worth investigating!

Updated: 31/03/2022Posted: 31/03/2022

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NIECHEC ~ UNSUBSCRIBE AUDIO CAVE 2022/004 (Barcode: 5908298549476) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Ambient Fusion Recorded: 2020 Released: 2022 This is the third album by the Polish ensemble NiechecFind albums by this artist, which comprises of saxophonist Maciej ZwierzchowskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Rafal BlaszczakFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Michal ZaleskiFind albums by this artist (who replaced Tomasz WielechowskiFind albums by this artist, who played on the first two albums), bassist Maciej SzczepanskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal KaczorekFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, four by Zwierzchowski and two each by Zaleski and Szczepanski / Zaleski. The music was recorded at the excellent Monochrom Studio and sounds great. It took Niechec again about five years to come up with a new album, which seems like a pattern. However, the music remains pretty much the same as on its predecessors, which lost much of its impact over time. The formula of busy ambient keyboards and electronics repetitive background layers, steady rhythm section support and saxophone solos on top sound like a déjà vu and as much as I love their debut album and somewhat less the sophomore effort, this album sadly offers little excitement. Yes, the melodies are fine and so is the playing, but the music mostly sounds like Neo-Prog, which develops slowly, seemingly leading to a climax, which eventually never arrives? It’s time to “change the diskette” as they used to say when people where still using diskettes. But of course this album has its moments and I suppose many listeners will find it a great listening experience, especially if one wants to lay back and relax, and there is one track that saves the day (“Chmury”), so not all is lost. Overall, this is a well-played instrumental music, mostly ambient, which is a nice listening, but fails to excite, and surely lacks the shocking elements of the debut. I still hope for something better next time!

Updated: 07/04/2022Posted: 07/04/2022

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JACEK KOCHAN / NAKAJEE ~ LIFE, STRESS AND OTHER PLEASURES AUDIO CAVE 2022/005 (Barcode: 5908298549353) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2020 Released: 2022 This is an album by Polish Jazz drummer / composer / bandleader Jacek KochanFind albums by this artist recorded with the NakajeeFind albums by this artist ensemble, which includes Canadian guitarist Jerry De Villiers Jr.Find albums by this artist and Polish keyboardist Dominik WaniaFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Bartlomiej PrucnalFind albums by this artist, bassist Michal KapczukFind albums by this artist and a mysterious bass guitarist Mo BooFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, all by the leader. The music is completely beyond any genre classification, characterized by strong Groove, but entirely uneven rhythm patters, which create a completely unique aural experience. Kochan takes his music “further out” in comparison to his previous album, which also featured Wania and Prucnal, and although it contains clear melody patterns, the rhythm is the leading inspiration at all times, and the melodies remain secondary. As a result of this innovative approach the music is certainly quite difficult for listeners accustomed with “straightforward” rhythmic patterns and takes a while to get accustomed to even by experienced listeners. Kochan confirms his role as drummer / leader / composer, which characterizes his music since the early days, and for me reaches an apogee with this album, with all the elements falling right into place, creating a perfectly coherent sonic landscape. Of course this perfection is largely achieved thanks to the incredible contributions by the ensemble members, with Wania at the helm, who is in charge of the tricky melodic layers. Wania plays both acoustic piano and synthesizers, always with elegance and technical perfection, but more importantly with sublime taste and flexibility. Prucnal and De Villiers add solid improvisations and impressive soloing, and the basses keep the complex net in check, providing depth and anchor. Kochan is fully in charge of the rhythmic / polyrhythmic engine, which drives the ensemble forward. Overall, this is a very impressive, mature, complex and delightful piece of music, which firmly establishes Kochan as one of Polish Jazz great talents, who certainly creates his very own musical universe, quite apart from the mainstream of the local scene. Kochan certainly deserves a much wider recognition, but fame and glory where never his goals – the music and his inner truth are what matters, and this is why I love him and his music. An absolute must to listeners, who think they have already heard everything!

Updated: 10/06/2022Posted: 10/06/2022

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BROAD PEAK ~ DYWIZJE WILKOW AUDIO CAVE 2022/006 (Barcode: 5908298549452) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Rock Recorded: 2022 Released: 2022 This is the second album by Polish Avant-Garde Rock duo Broad PeakFind albums by this artist, which comprises of vocalist Patrycja HefczynskaFind albums by this artist and multi-instrumentalist Michal ZygmuntFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original songs, all co-composed by the duo members, with lyrics (except for one case) by Hefczynska. The music is minimalist to the extreme, with simple melodic themes, mostly acoustic instrumentation and environmental sound-effects emphasizing the concept of the album, which is all about the contact with Nature, and which of course is also expressed in the lyrics. Despite the limited means, the music is able to generate a very powerful and penetrating message, both on the aural and conceptual plane. Attentive listener needs to get involved in the creative process, not only by absorbing the music but also by supplementing the skeletal structures by his own impressions and reactions, which of course if the highest form of coexistence between what the Artists created and their audience. Although the album is only slightly over thirty minutes in duration, i.e. an EP rather than a full album, the contents delivers a satisfactory amount of experiences, like a condensed dosage of intellectual stimulation. Overall, this is a highly unusual, interesting and engrossing piece of music, which is bold and expressive, despite its seemingly modest means of expression. Highly recommended to listeners, who are looking for adventures rather than taking the well-trodden path.

Updated: 03/11/2022Posted: 03/11/2022

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SUDNIK / MAJCHRZAK / CZAJKOWSKA ~ TRIANGLE AUDIO CAVE 2022/007 (Barcode: 5908298549513) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2021 - 2022 Released: 2022 This is the debut album by Polish Avant-Garde trio, which comprises of electronics performer / composer Tadeusz SudnikFind albums by this artist, bass guitarist Krzysztof MajchrzakFind albums by this artist and vocalist / pianist / flautist India CzajkowskaFind albums by this artist. The album presents eleven original compositions / performances co-credited to all three members of the trio. The music, or rather improvised soundscapes, were created live during several recording sessions and finally edited into this album. It combines several quite distinct idioms, such as Electronic / Ambient Music, improvised vocalese, almost Funky bass pulsations, and others, which somehow work together splendidly, creating a magical journey in space / time continuum, which inspires the listener to connect the dots rather than suggests specific directions. All three participants, each in his / her specific field, are consistent innovators and pioneers, with impressive achievements under their respective belts. Sudnik (born 1955) created a plethora of brilliant electronic works in his “Studio of Impossible Sounds” and is well remembered for his work with Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, during Stanko’s most experimental period. Majchrzak (born 1954), who lives in Paris, is one of the Godfathers of Polish / European Jazz-Rock Fusion and one of the best electric bassist on the Polish scene. Czajkowska (we don’t disclose Ladies’ age) has been a pioneer of the Polish Avant-Garde Music scene since the break of the new Millennium (and even slightly earlier), with some truly impressive works to her credit. In short this trio is an immense conglomerate of creative powers. Together, they manage to create a tapestry of sounds, which has a coherent flow and effect, even if it eschews conventional perceptions of melody, harmony and rhythm. Although innovative and pioneering, the sound weaving delivers a clear message, which is not abrasive, cacophonic or alienating, which happens with Avant-Garde music way too often. It is a sort of sonic Zen meditation, atmospheric vibration and intellectual love-making, all in one. Overall, this is obviously not for everybody, or even only for very selected audiences, who will find the patience and openness to submit to this music, but at the same time it certainly is one of the most daring, unique and challenging pieces of music the Polish scene produced this year (2022). Kudo to Audio CaveFind albums on this label Records for releasing this obviously non-commercial piece of musical Art, which is highly appreciated. The brave-hearted listeners are in for a real rewarding treat. Thank you for the music, my Friends!

Updated: 05/11/2022Posted: 05/11/2022

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BASTARDA & SUTARI ~ TAMOJ AUDIO CAVE 2022/008 (Barcode: 5908298549537) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2022 Released: 2022 A short while ago I had the immense pleasure to guest the BastardaFind albums by this artist trio – clarinetist Pawel SzamburskiFind albums by this artist, cellist Tomasz PokrzywinskiFind albums by this artist and contrabass clarinetist Michal GorczynskiFind albums by this artist – as part of my Singer Jazz Festival in Warsaw. Their phenomenal performance at the Norzyk Synagogue was, as expected, immensely successful, followed by a standing ovation, which reflects the incredible talent of these musicians and their unusual ability to reach audiences, despite their music being highly sophisticated and often quite complex. This is already the 7th album by Bastarda, and their sixth release in a rapid succession of just six years. It is also their third subsequent collaboration project, which emphasizes their willingness to constantly expand their horizons into different musical territories. Following an adventure with Fado and Medieval Music, this time they cooperate with the female SutariFind albums by this artist duo – Basia SonginFind albums by this artist and Kasia KapelaFind albums by this artist – both vocalists and instrumentalist, and together explore the traditional music from the eastern Polish regions bordering with Belarus and Lithuania. The resulting music is, as usual, astounding in every respect. It reaches far beyond the folkloristic themes, on which it is based, and the sublime arrangements expand the overall sound into incredible vistas, completely unexpected and as expected (pun intended) breathtakingly penetrating. It seems that the instrumental contributions by Bastarda are somewhat in a background of the vocal parts, but in fact it is the collective effect of the vocals and instrumental improvisations, which create the powerful and effective totality, which benefits from both and is way beyond just the sum of its ingredients. Overall, this is another masterpiece in Bastarda’s recorded output, which puts them in a class of their own, not only on the Polish scene, but far beyond. The incredibly lucky combination of talent and the openness to music, in complete disregard of fads and fashions, marks them as an act worth following closely. God only knows what these guys are capable of on their next projects, and honestly I really don’t care, as it is a sure bet the result will be outstanding. Thank you, my Friends, for the music!

Updated: 15/05/2024Posted: 17/09/2022

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MACIEJ TUBIS ~ KOMEDA: REFLECTIONS AUDIO CAVE 2022/009 (Barcode: 5908298549544) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2022 Released: 2022 Here we go again… another Polish Jazz album dedicated to / based on the music by the Godfather of modern Polish Jazz, pianist / composer Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist. It is truly mindboggling why so many Polish Jazz musicians fall time and again into the same trap, especially in view of some catastrophic fiascos, blunders and bloody murders committed already in that area. I even promised myself that the next time I get another album like that I will simply throw it away immediately, but you know me… I just can’t throw away music… Maciej TubisFind albums by this artist has a solid recording legacy behind him, with five albums by his trio, two in a duet and some other projects under his belt, most of which have been warmly received. This album, although designated as a solo piano effort, finds Tubis adding synthesizer support on three of the seven tracks, all of which are of course interpretations of music composed by Komeda, both his cinematic compositions and his Jazz repertoire. The arrangements vary from relatively close to the original versions to widely distant interpretations. What can I honestly say about the music? Well, Tubis is a highly skilled piano player and knows all the tricks in the book to make everything sound pretty – which is probably the biggest problem of this music. People, who understand Komeda’s music know that his music is anything, but pretty. It is deeply emotional, full of pain and despair, tragically melancholic, but never pretty, even if it sounds like it. But hay, this is just me, and what do I know… To be fair, this is not a bad album at all, Tubis plays fluently and there is enough diversity to keep the listener interested in the music from start to finish. Personally I think he just made a wrong decision this time and surely he will create a lot of great music in the future, which of course I wish him wholeheartedly. Overall, some people will probably love this album, as it is mostly easy on the ear and a very pleasing listening experience. A pity Komeda’s memory was involved, but that’s the price we pay for the freedom of expression. Stick to your own music, my Friend!

Updated: 30/09/2022Posted: 30/09/2022

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ODPOCZNO ~ DRYF AUDIO CAVE 2022/010 (Barcode: 5908298549551) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2022 Released: 2022 This is the second album by Polish ensemble OdpocznoFind albums by this artist, which comprises of vocalist / bassist Joanna SzczesnowiczFind albums by this artist, violinist Marcin LorencFind albums by this artist, guitarist Marek KadzielaFind albums by this artist and drummer Piotr GwaderaFind albums by this artist. Synthesizer player / electronics performer Pawel CieslakFind albums by this artist appears as guest on all tracks and vocalist Joanna GancarczykFind albums by this artist, who was a former member of the ensemble, before she was replaced by Szczesnowicz, appears on one track. The album presents eight tracks and lasts only slightly over half an hour, making it rather an EP than a full album. The music is mostly based on Folkloristic Polish melodies, except for two original motifs by Szczesnowicz, adapted and transformed into a unique new environment, which combines electronic drone music, Jazzy improvisations and ambient vistas. The lyrics are mostly by Szczesnowicz, with some original Folk lyrics and in one case a poem by Japanese poet Basho MatsuoFind albums by this artist. The resulting effect is quite innovative and original, but it requires some time to get used to, and might prove too weird to many listeners, who suffer from the “instant gratification” syndrome. The sound is often intentionally muddy and the music is highly repetitive, all which does not make it easy to swallow the idiosyncratic amalgam. Probably several listening sessions might prove helpful. Overall, this is a fascinating experiment of cross-genre exploration, with strong ties to Polish Folklore and contemporary popular music. The production is excellent and the ideas spark with originality, but the album is way too short and somewhat hesitant, which might prove to be an obstacle. Highly recommended to listeners, who have already heard everything and are looking for something unexpected.

Updated: 07/11/2022Posted: 07/11/2022

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MYSLOWSKA / PEPOL / ZAKROCKI ~ LEGGEREZZA AUDIO CAVE 2023/001 (Barcode: 5908298549520) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2020 - 2022 Released: 2023 This is an album by a trio of Polish Avant Garde musicians, vocalist Olga MyslowskaFind albums by this artist, cellist Michal PepolFind albums by this artist and (usually) violinist, but here guitarist and electronics manipulator Patryk ZakrockiFind albums by this artist, who is feverishly prolific on the local scene. The album presents ten tracks, based on excerpts from a series of lectures by Italian writer / journalist / philosopher Italo CalvinoFind albums by this artist called “Six Memos for the Next Millennium” (Lezioni americane in Italian), the first of which is dedicated to the virtue of lightness (or Leggerezza in Italian). These lectured were in fact never delivered, due to Calvino’s death, but were posthumously published as his last work. This album is a result of a project, which was one commissioned by my lamented friend Miron ZajfertFind albums by this artist, who sadly died a few weeks ago. Although the texts are not poetry per se, the project can be marginally considered as part of the Jazz & Poetry idiom. The music is certainly unusual, solemn and on the border or despair, but captivates the listener with its magical mixture of semi-melodic themes, improvised instrumental background and the dominating, almost operatic vocal parts. It is somewhat similar to contemporary chamber Classical music and certainly requires the same level of attention and patience in order to be absorbed. This is certainly music for connoisseurs of Avant-Garde explorations, and as such it is highly ambitious and in many aspects also beautiful and touching. Sadly, the size of the audience for such challenging escapade will be probably quite limited. My deepest respect goes both to the musicians, who created this music and the Audio CaveFind albums on this label label for releasing it, against all odds. Overall, this is a challenging Avant-Garde musical and literary project, which is highly stimulating and artistically sound, which requires open-mindedness and patience in order to be enjoyed. Hopefully it will also turn the attention to the wonderful writing by Calvino, which is a treasure chest of contemporary literary work. Highly recommended to ye brave hearted!

Updated: 03/05/2023Posted: 03/05/2023

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ORANZADA ~ KARMA TANGO AUDIO CAVE 2023/002 (Barcode: 5908298549599) ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2021 - 2022 Released: 2023 This is the fifth studio album by Polish Prog / Rock group OranzadaFind albums by this artist, which comprises of vocalist / guitarist Michal KrzysztofiakFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Maciej LabudzkiFind albums by this artist, bassist Robert DerlatkaFind albums by this artist and drummer Artur RzempoluchFind albums by this artist. A couple of additional musicians appear on selected tracks. The album presents ten songs, all co-credited collectively to the group members. The group has a twenty years’ history behind them and this album follows a ten years gap in their recording output. The sound and general attitude is a mixture of Neo Prog and Psychedelic Rock, nor really innovative but definitely solid as far these genres are concerned. The compositions are all quite nice, with the lyrical ballads being stronger than the Rockier songs. Some World music influences, Psychedelic vistas and nice flute parts give the album a strong retro feel going back as far as the late 1960s at times, which is fine of course. However, the album lacks any impressive instrumental soloing and the vocal parts (in English and Polish) are the weakest part of the entire affair, so much so, that the album would probably sound better entirely without the vocal parts. A strong lead vocalist (preferably female) would fit the bill perfectly. Overall, this is a nice, sort of Prog album, with good melodic songs and pleasant retro atmosphere, but definitely not something which would knock any Prog fan off their feet. On the other hand, considering how weak contemporary Prog is these days, this album is definitely worth a spin.

Updated: 08/05/2023Posted: 08/05/2023

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BASTARDA ~ NIZOZOT AUDIO CAVE 2023/003 (Barcode: 5908298549612) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2023 Released: 2023 This is the 8th album by Polish Jazz-World Fusion trio BastardaFind albums by this artist, which comprises of clarinetist Pawel SzamburskiFind albums by this artist, cellist Tomasz PokrzywinskiFind albums by this artist and contrabass clarinetist Michal GorczynskiFind albums by this artist. In this album Bastarda returns to the Jewish / Hassidic music, which was always one of the central motifs of the ensemble’s source of inspiration. The 3CD album explores the traditional Nigunim (wordless melodic themes), with each CD presenting the specific tunes associated with one of the many Polish Hassidic houses / clans, in this case Modrzyc, Szapiro and Koznic. The CDs present nine, seven and six tracks respectively. It is quite obvious by now, that Bastarda is the most original interpreter of the Hassidic music tradition in Poland, not only because of its ingenuity and highly aesthetic approach, but first and foremost due to the heartfelt interest in that music, the deep level of understanding of its spiritual and emotional sense and the respectful treatment of that tradition. It is often not enough to be a highly skillful and talented musician in order to interpret musical sources on the proper level of emotional involvement and intellectual depth, as is evident in the music present herein. Despite the fact that Bastarda play just three instruments, their music manages to sound way beyond the capabilities of just those instruments, laden with unconventional usage of their sonic characteristics, harmonies and resonance. Aided by the superb sound recording quality, depth and resolution, the music becomes much more voluminous and resounding, which results in a highly unusual and overwhelming sonic experience. It is truly uplifting to hear that Bastarda not only keeps the Hasidic music tradition alive, but in fact manages to insert a completely new life into it, taking it intro contemporary music environment and expanding it into new spiritual spheres, which is especially felt on the third CD. Overall, this is a magical, thrilling musical experience, which is way beyond any attempt to be described verbally and must be experienced sonically, and then spiritually, in order to be fully appreciated. Bastarda manage again to create a treasure trove of musical beauty, that is unconventional and exquisite, standing highly above most other attempts to interpret Hassidic music, and in fact most other music making as well. Chapeau bas!

Updated: 15/05/2024Posted: 28/04/2023

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SAME SUKI ~ DZIADOSKIE PIOSENKI O MILOSCI AUDIO CAVE 2023/004 (Barcode: 5908298549636) ~ POLAND ~ World Music & Folklore Recorded: 2022 Released: 2023 This is an album by Polish trio Same SukiFind albums by this artist, which comprises of vocalist Magdalena WieczorekFind albums by this artist, vocalist / multi-instrumentalist Helena MatuszewskaFind albums by this artist and vocalist / bassist Karol GodzaloFind albums by this artist. The album presents twelve original songs, all co-credited to the trio members. The concept of the album is to create a series of original songs, which sound, feel and resemble Polish Folklore songs, which might have been written centuries ago. The individual vocals and vocal harmonies are the epicenter of the music, which is supported by some instrumental accompaniment, using folklore instruments, and based on strong, hypnotic bass pulsations, which lead the music steadily and with confidence. Although the vocal performances mimic Folkloristic singing and to some degree old Polish language, the subject matter (love songs of course) is absolutely contemporary, including a serious dash of humor and irony. Of course that part of the album’s message is language dependent, and gets lost to listeners, who are nor native Polish speakers. But even without the text layer, the music is highly original and aesthetically appealing. Overall, this is a very unusual, somewhat challenging Folklore album, which offers some beautifully lyrical songs and deep reflections about contemporary personal relationships, all wrapped in a mysterious “old music” packaging. I had a real blast listening to this little gem and I most warmly recommend it to all heartfelt unusual music lovers, who will be ready to plunge into this micro-universe, which is enchanting and magical.

Updated: 10/05/2023Posted: 10/05/2023

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DARIUSZ PETERA ~ WLADZA ALGORYTMOW AUDIO CAVE 2023/005 (Barcode: 5908298549582) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2022 Released: 2023 This is the second album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Dariusz PeteraFind albums by this artist, recorded with the same sextet lineup that appears on the debut album “FlashoverFind albums with this title”, with trumpeter Emil MiszkFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Maciej KocinskiFind albums by this artist, cellist Krzysztof LenczowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. Brothers Mateusz SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist on violin and Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist on synthesizer appear as guests. The album presents seven tracks, which are said to be mostly improvised during the recording sessions, with three tracks partly based on pre-composed themes by Petera. The album was recorded at the excellent Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan Smoczynski, with the usual splendid sonic result. The music is a powerful display of group improvisation, brilliantly executed by these highly talented musicians. The sound of the sextet (and at times octet) is dense and complex, and despite the fact that the music is improvised, offers a wonderful continuity and coherence. Although large group improvisation is not new in Jazz (what is?), it is relatively quite rare in contemporary Polish Jazz, making this album especially interesting and refreshing. In comparison to Petera’s debut album, recorded four years earlier, this album climbs to a whole different level and is a Milestone in his musical development. The concept of group improvisation is a double-edged sword, in a sense that in some cases the music offers a collection of individual improvised statement by the musicians in a group, not necessarily corresponding to each other, whereas in this case the individual improvisations serve a purpose of creating an ensemble statement, not ignoring individual contributions of course, but rather combining them into a whole new collective amalgam, which this album manages to do remarkably well. Overall, this is an outstanding achievement by Petera and his cohorts, a powerful, beautifully played musical statement, offering unconventional approach and preferring the common musical good over individual statements, not by ignoring them, but by unifying them into a greater whole. This album is quite a surprise, and I love surprises, as we all should. Well done my Friends – respect is due!

Updated: 30/04/2023Posted: 30/04/2023

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SUTARI ~ WIANO AUDIO CAVE 2023/006 (Barcode: 5908298549629) ~ POLAND ~ World Music & Folklore Recorded: 2013 - 2014 Released: 2023 This is a reissue / remaster of the debut album form 2014 by Polish female trio SutariFind albums by this artist, which comprises of vocalists / instrumentalists Basia SonginFind albums by this artist, Kasia KapelaFind albums by this artist and Zosia ZambrzuskaFind albums by this artist. The album presents twelve tracks, all based on traditional Polish Folklore, with some original adaptations / additions by the trio members. Although Sutari was founded in 2012, I admit of being completely unaware of their existence until their appearance on the “TamojFind albums with this title” album by the BastardaFind albums by this artist trio. Their striking originality and unconventional approach to music in general and Polish Folklore in particular is truly astounding. Polish Folklore offers an endless wealth of multi-cultural sources, which developed over the Centuries, bringing many different Cultures together. It seems that many contemporary Polish musicians are discovering the treasures of the diverse Folklore traditions, like the recently reviewed Same SukiFind albums by this artist trio and quite a few others. Although obviously less popular than the dreadful contemporary Polish Pop, it is great to see that this music still finds a place in the heart of Poles, who respect their Cultural traditions. The music, although seemingly simplistic and lacking complex musical challenges, is in fact fascinating, especially when treated with a slight degree of humor and an attempt to show, that human life on the basic level, especially emotionally, did not change radically over time, still sharing the pains of love and other personal relationships, which are the subject of the Folkloristic material adopted by Sutari. The vocal harmonies of the trio members are the focus of this music and the instrumental accompaniment is rather secondary, but definitely unconventional, but that does not diminish the excellent end result. Overall, this is an exceptional example of a contemporary interpretation of Polish Folklore, which is vibrant and fascinating, and having this album back in circulation is definitely a field day. Kudos to Audio CaveFind albums on this label for bringing this music back to circulation, in style, as usual.

Updated: 12/05/2023Posted: 12/05/2023

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JACHNA / MAZURKIEWICZ / BUHL ~ […] AUDIO CAVE 2023/007 (Barcode: 5908298549643) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2022 Released: 2023 This is the third album by Polish Free Jazz / Improvised Music trio comprising of trumpeter Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist, bassist Jacek MazurkiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Jacek BuhlFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven tracks, all co-credited to the trio members. These three musicians are part of the hardcore of the Polish Avant-Garde Jazz since years, with dozens of albums to their collective credit, including four albums by Jachna and Buhl as a duo. As such, they are already established Artists, for good and for bad, since it certainly becomes more difficult in time to produce music, which will surprise the listeners and perhaps show some new direction, if such a development is at all possible in Avant-Garde Jazz music? But of course they are Masters of their trade and the music they produce is always fascinating and exciting, despite the minimalist setting and conceptual restrictions. The music leaves more to the listener´s imagination than it actually states, which is always inspiring and stimulating. But less open-minded or less cooperative listeners might be perhaps left behind this time… Jachna’s tone is, as always, irresistible to the trumpet lovers, who always long for more, but his statements are even more concise and shorter than usual (or perhaps it’s only my personal impression). But when he does play, he captivates as always, no question asked. The rhythm section, if they can be called that at all, is brilliant, and with the delicate usage of electronics and extended percussion, manages to create sound vistas, which flow on their own behalf. Overall, this is a complex piece of music, which requires total involvement from the listener, but offers, as usual in the case of these three magicians (sorry, musicians) unusual stimulation and unexpected experiences. Sublime instrumental performances are obviously there, but this music is more an out of the body experience than something one gets during the usual listener / performer relationship. It certainly takes more than one encounter with this music in order to establish a spiritual contact, but patience is always a virtue.

Updated: 14/05/2023Posted: 14/05/2023

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ASCETIC ~ ASCETIC AUDIO CAVE 2023/008 (Barcode: 5908298549667) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2022 Released: 2023 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz quartet AsceticFind albums by this artist, led by clarinetist / saxophonist Mateusz RybickiFind albums by this artist, and also including pianist Tomasz KaczmarekFind albums by this artist, bassist Ju GhanFind albums by this artist and drummer Jan SlowinskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten tracks, which although based on ideas suggested by the leader, are all co-credited to the four members of the quartet. One of the tracks is based on a 15th Century traditional song. The music was excellently recorded at the Monochrom Studio. The music is an absolutely classic Jazz quartet recording, which offers an atmosphere and tonality of the Polish Jazz sometime in the late 1960s, when modern Polish Jazz was born. The delicate, almost hypnotic melodies, the relaxed, as if intentionally slowed down tempi, the wonderful clarinet / saxophone soli, which avoid unnecessary complexity and showing off, but push the melody to the very edge, the excellent harmonic support by the piano, the solid, stable bass pulsations and supportive but not overbearing drumming – it is all there to make the music just perfect from start to finish. I often complain that the young Polish Jazz musicians are not taking enough risks lately and seem somewhat out of steam, but perhaps reexamining the classics can be every bit as inventive, as breaking new ground, which is exactly what is happening here. The clarinet, which sadly has been pushed aside so often, proves that in the right hands it can be as innovative and daring as all the saxophone family, and with its specific tonality it is surely more heartwrenching. It would be trivial to compare this music to the music of John ColtraneFind albums by this artist or Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist (which I have already noticed in the scribblings by my colleagues), since naturally every Polish Jazz musician is inadvertently influenced by these Giants; it is important to see what these young musicians have to say beyond the tradition, even when they pay “in the tradition”. And they certainly have a very individual and personal statements to offer, all of which are present herein, for those willing to listen. Overall, this is a brilliant debut recording, by any standard, and a surprising attempt to re-construct / de-construct the classic Jazz quartet statement, on an unprecedented scale, even if the musicians are not aware consciously of what emerged as a result of their creative effort. When the dust settles, this album is certainly here to stay as one of the most significant statements on the Polish Jazz scene this year, if not beyond. Time will tell, but in the meantime my warmest thanks to you Gentlemen, for your talents and determination. Hats off!

Updated: 29/07/2023Posted: 28/07/2023

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PATRYK ZAKROCKI ~ TALES FOR SOLO GUITAR AUDIO CAVE 2023/009 (Barcode: 5908298549728) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2022 Released: 2023 This is an album by Polish Jazz violinist / guitarist Patryk ZakrockiFind albums by this artist, which is his first attempt at recording completely solo, for which he chose to use the guitar. The album presents thirteen tracks, three of which were partly pre-composed, and the rest are spontaneous improvisations. Zakrocki has been very prolific during the last decade, recording many albums with the key players on the Polish Improvised Music scene, playing mostly the violin and occasionally also the guitar, all of which were excellent examples of the diversity and depth of the genre. Although mostly improvised, the music on this album offers a melodic continuity, even if that is achieved subconsciously by the Artist. Subdued and delicate, the music is caressing and meditative, completely devoid of the cacophony and confusion often associated with Freely Improvised Music. The fact that the tracks are short in duration manages to keep the listener focused and follow the development, before he gets disenchanted or bored. Despite the fact that the music is kept at the same volume level for the entire duration, which might have been a perilous decision, works all for the best here, creating a continuous aural experience, all set in a similar mood. Zakrocki does not try to impress the listener with his virtuosity as a performer, as the music is all about the atmosphere and a certain groove, which is based on the Blues soaked riffs used repeatedly. But his guitar skills are ideal for whatever he wants to communicate to his listeners here. Overall, this is very engaging, aesthetic piece of music, which should impress many music connoisseurs beyond the Improvised Music genre. In fact, the “improvised music” label on this album should be treated very liberally, not that it is not essentially true, but because it is very different from what most people associate with that genre. It is first and foremost simply a very personal statement by a highly talented Artist, which should be able to help many people relax and unwind, especially in these trying times.

Updated: 19/10/2023Posted: 19/10/2023

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JAZZPOSPOLITA ~ OBIEKT AUDIO CAVE 2023/010 (Barcode: 5908298549704) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Ambient Fusion Recorded: 2022 Released: 2023 This is the 8th album by the Polish ensemble JazzpospolitaFind albums by this artist, led by bassist Stefan NowakowskiFind albums by this artist, with a new lineup including guitarist Michal MilczarekFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Milosz OlenieckiFind albums by this artist and drummer Wojciech SoburaFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight tracks, all original compositions co-credited to the members of the ensemble. The music is an interesting cross-genre amalgam of Jazz, Ambient and other influences, which continues the convoluted path of Jazzpospolita over the last decade and a half, with their chameleonic ability to constantly transform their musical direction. Nowakowski is the only remaining founding member, but the ensemble, despite the constant personnel changes, always managed to offer some exciting and innovative music over time. I followed them since their early days and they never disappointed, despite some turbulent times they went through. This album is quite different, even radically different from the earlier albums, with a much stronger Ambient, meditative and melancholic presence, with a dash of Avant-Garde, obviously influenced by the presence of Milczarek, who showed similar tendencies on his earlier recordings with his trio. Oleniecki confirms his talent as keyboard player, as evident from his previous recordings. I am sadly not privy to any recordings by Sobura. Overall, it is great to see Jazzpospolita rise as a phoenix from the ashes again, offering some new music and searching for new directions. This lineup probably needs to refine their stylistic approach some more, which I am sure they will do before their next recording.

Updated: 21/10/2023Posted: 21/10/2023

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KRZESIMIR DEBSKI / TADEUSZ SUDNIK ~ BORELLO AUDIO CAVE 2023/011 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Ambient Fusion Recorded: 2021 Released: 2023 This is an album by the duo of legendary Polish Jazz musicians: violinist / composer Krzesimir DebskiFind albums by this artist and keyboardist / electronic music pioneer / wizard Tadeusz SudnikFind albums by this artist. The album presents four lengthy tracks, all co-composed by the participants. The first track includes a few phrases by another Polish Jazz legend, trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, recorded during a telephone conversation between him and Sudnik, shortly before his death, and the track is dedicated to his memory. The music floats somewhere between Improvised Music, Ambient, Classical Music and Jazz, and eschews any attempt of categorization. Debski offers his expressive violin virtuosity, while Sudnik frames the atmospheric background, harmonies and rhythms, using a wide array of electronic devices and synthesizers. The outcome is quite beyond verbal description and requires to be listened to attentively and patiently, probably more than once, before the music really sinks in. Although Debski is mostly associated since many years with Classical Music, his improvising abilities prove to be still potent and challenging, fondly reminding the heydays of the legendary String ConnectionFind albums by this artist. Sudnik, although mostly in the shadows, following his appearances in ensembles led by Stanko, remains an innovator and dreamer, always busy with crossing borders. My visit last year in his flat in Warsaw was truly an eye opener and he has a huge collection of unreleased music, which hopefully will be revealed in time. Together, they are able to create music, which transcends genres and is wholly mesmerizing. Overall, this is a demanding, but highly rewarding piece of cross-genre music, by two Masters of their trade, which deserves to be discovered by all true music lovers, who are constantly searching to expand their horizons. Of course it can be easily embraced as a highly original example of the “Art of the Duo”. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 23/10/2023Posted: 23/10/2023

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NINJA EPISKOPAT ~ ALL THOUGHTS ARE BAD THOUGHTS AUDIO CAVE 2023/012 (Barcode: 5908298549742) ~ POLAND ~ Electronic & Ambient Recorded: 2023 Released: 2023 This is the debut (physical) album by Polish trio Ninja EpiskopatFind albums by this artist, which comprises of saxophonist Alex ClovFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Alex Clov BaczkowskiFind albums by this artist), guitarist Mojzesz TworzydloFind albums by this artist and drummer Patrycja WybranczykFind albums by this artist. A couple of guest musicians appear on selected tracks. The album presents seven tracks, which are uncredited (assumed to be co-created by the trio members) and the total playing time is about thirty-five minutes, which makes it an EP rather than a full album, which is often considered a “standard” these sad days, and which often makes me think of selling wine in bottles half empty… The music is a mixture of many influences, soaked in electronics, but including Rock, Trance, Rap and even Jazz improvisation, which creates atmospheric vistas somewhat of cinematic associations. It is ambitious and quite interesting, but somewhat uneven and lacking a clear statement, possibly intentionally. I enjoyed the music, but by the time it was over I had more questions than answers. The drumming parts are certainly the most impressive instrumental contributions herein. Overall, this is an interesting, but probably prematurely released piece of music, which is intended for a much younger generation of listeners that your truly, but certainly offers enough excitement to watch out for their next outing. Kudos to Audio CaveFind albums on this label for giving it a chance to reach a wider audience and thinking out of the box.

Updated: 16/03/2025Posted: 03/03/2024

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ZIEBICKA ORKIESTRA MANDOLINISTOW ~ FRANKENSTEIN AUDIO CAVE 2023/013 (Barcode: 5908298549735) ~ POLAND ~ Soundtracks Recorded: 2022 Released: 2023 This is an album by a Mandolinists Orchestra from the small Lower Silesian town of Ziebice, which includes eighteen mandolin players, vibraphonist, pianist, trumpeter, clarinetist, drummer and bassists Dariusz DzuganFind albums by this artist, who also composed and arranged all the music. The album presents thirteen tracks, which are intended to serve as a soundtrack to the 1910 silent movie “Frankenstein”. To explain the background, Ziebice is very close to the town Zabkowice Slaskie, which was earlier called no other than Frankenstein and gave the name to the sordid legend as a result of the events that happened in that town in the year 1606. Look up the rest ;) Although initially I considered this album as a curiosity stunt, especially due to the unusual 3D packaging, the music turned out to be quite interesting and perfectly suitable as a movie soundtrack. The compositions are all coherent, with melodic themes and a strong feel of suspense and tension perfectly created by orchestra. The mandolins create an effect, which would have been usually achieved by a string orchestra, but sounds much more interesting and rich. I have not matched the music with the actual movie, to see if there is a possible synchronization. The original movie is only 16 minutes long, but the running time of the album is thirty-one minutes and a half, so no match here, but of course music can be faded out. Since the film is now in public domain, it would be nice to see it with this music in the background on DVD perhaps – just a suggestion for a Deluxe Edition? Actually there was an associated cue sheet of fourteen musical background pieces, which came out with the original movie, so there is almost a perfect match here. Overall, this is a very nice piece of cinematic movie, which sounds perfectly on its own. The atmosphere and tension are perfectly achieved and the entire project makes perfect sense. Kudos again to Audio CaveFind albums on this label for releasing such a curious and unusual album regardless of the cost involved with the elaborate 3D packaging, which is one of the most original of its kind. Definitely worth checking out!

Updated: 05/03/2024Posted: 05/03/2024

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BASTARDA / ALEKSIC / PODRUMAC ~ LILITH ABI AUDIO CAVE 2023/014 (Barcode: 5908298549759) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2023 Released: 2023 This is the 9th album by Polish trio BastardaFind albums by this artist, which comprises of clarinetists Pawel SzamburskiFind albums by this artist, cellist Tomasz PokrzywinskiFind albums by this artist and contrabass clarinetist Michal GorczynskiFind albums by this artist, this time recorded with two female Serbian musicians: violinist Katarina AleksicFind albums by this artist and vocalist Branislava PodrumacFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine tracks, all of which are arrangements of traditional lullabies, each originating from a different global location. As usual with Bastarda projects, the music is exquisitely put together, with great care and aesthetic values at the epicenter, and brilliantly performed by the trio members and their guests. The theme of the mythological female figure of Lilith, a night she-demon, marks the common denominator of the lullabies, which originally were intended to protect the children from evil during their sleep. The serenity and tranquility of lullabies are of course their common characteristic, regardless of geographical location, as is plainly evident herein. Bastarda, yet again, prove their extraordinary chameleonic ability to find an ideal application of their instrumental approach to the central theme of the project, and although they are not the composers, the music becomes entirely theirs, ideally suiting their idiosyncratic approach, the individual instrumental contributions and above all the resulting outcome, which is entirely fascinating. The two guests are seamlessly integrated with the trio and add even more depth and beauty to the project as a whole. The violin parts and above all the vocals spice the atmosphere with worldly scents and Folkloristic nuances, all with balance and good taste not to disturb the delicate atmosphere of the entire project. The music is of course complex, multilayered and sophisticated, blending influences form many Cultures, creating an incredible musical / ethnic tapestry of great beauty and depth. It might require several listening sessions to appreciate and comprehend all the elements, but ultimately offers a deeply rewarding listening experience. Overall, this is another Masterpiece by Bastarda and their guests, which is an absolute must for connoisseurs of profound music, which combines a multitude of elements and demands an ability to amalgamate many threads in parallel, in order to create a magnificent fabric of sounds and emotions. It seems that Bastarda are simply unstoppable in their commendable task to keep their listeners astounded time and time again. Thank you my Friends!

Updated: 15/05/2024Posted: 29/02/2024

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JACEK MIELCAREK KWARTET BASMYT ~ CORAZ AUDIO CAVE 2023/015 (Barcode: 5908298549766) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2023 Released: 2023 This is an album by Polish Jazz saxophonist / clarinetists / composer Jacek MielcarekFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet setting with guitarist Marek KadzielaFind albums by this artist, bassist Jakub MielcarekFind albums by this artist (Jacek’s son) and drummer Lukasz StworzewiczFind albums by this artist. Vocalist Emilia HamerlikFind albums by this artist guests on one track. The album presents eight tracks, two composed by Jacek Mielcarek, one each by Jakub Mielcarek, Marzena MielcarekFind albums by this artist (Jacek’s wife) and Kadziela, two co-composed by the quartet and one is a standard. The music floats between Freely Improvised and more conventional Jazz vistas, beautifully played by Jacek Mielcarek and his cohorts, displaying strong spiritual trends, mysticism and contemplative moods, similar to his earlier recordings. Despite the high degree of freedom, the music remains completely cohesive and coherent, which of course is remarkable in itself. The fact that the compositions are contributed by several musicians adds to the diversity and scope of the music. Kadziela’s dense guitar passages and his utilization of electronically generated sounds also expand the range of the sonority and the rhythm section is hardly keeping time in the traditional sense, adding active tempo / rhythmic improvisation on top or perhaps just under everything else. The arrangement of the classic standard is one of the highlights of the album, demonstrating a perfect merger of tradition and innovation, all with sympathy and respect to the past put looking forward for new forms of expression. Overall, this is a wonderful example of Improvised Music, which makes sense, is reasonably easy to listen to, offers a balanced portion of high energy and tranquility, in short being a highly absorbing and fascinating listening experience, which continues previous achievements by Jacek Mielcarek and his favorite team of musical Argonauts. As usual I had a wonderful time listening to this music as should all open-minded listeners the world over.

Updated: 07/03/2024Posted: 07/03/2024

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BARTLOMIEJ OLES ~ CAT`S SONGS - 17 HAIKU FOR PIANO AUDIO CAVE 2023/016 (Barcode: 5908298549780) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2023 Released: 2023 This is a rather surprising album by Polish Jazz drummer / composer Bartlomiej OlesFind albums by this artist, which presents seventeen short pieces for solo piano, composed by Oles and performed by pianist Mira OpalinskaFind albums by this artist, appropriately called Haiku, referring to the Japanese poetry tradition of short poems containing seventeen phonetic units (5-7-5 syllables). The album is the first recording of music composed by Oles, on which he does not take part as a performer. The minimalist music is very melodic and despite its format limitations it is also very expressive. As Oles mentions in the album’s liner notes, there is a certain delicate wink in the direction of Eric SatieFind albums by this artist’s solo piano pieces, although he also mentions Chick CoreaFind albums by this artist’s “Children`s SongsFind albums with this title” album as a source of inspiration. This music is very distant to what Oles and his twin brother, bassist Marcin OlesFind albums by this artist are usually associated with, which of course is Jazz and Improvised Music. The decision to record this album marks a new path in the personal development of his career and is also quite a bold step, which might raise some eyebrows among his usual listeners. Courage and artistic integrity are characteristics I always support wholeheartedly, which of course I do also now. Overall, this is an excellent collection of solo piano pieces, beautifully played and splendidly recorded, which should satisfy every music lover, regardless of stylistic preferences. This music is naked and completely lacking pretentiousness or pose, it simply is…

Updated: 23/02/2024Posted: 23/02/2024

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SUTARI ~ KOLYSANKI SWIATA (LULLABIES FOR THE WORLD) AUDIO CAVE 2024/001 (Barcode: 5908298549841) ~ POLAND ~ World Music & Folklore Recorded: 2022 - 2023 Released: 2024 This is the 4th album by the Polish female trio SutariFind albums by this artist, comprising of vocalists / instrumentalists Kasia KapelaFind albums by this artist, Basia SonginFind albums by this artist and Dobromila ZyczynskaFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine tracks, all of which are, as the titles suggests, original songs based on folklore lullabies from different parts of the world. On one of the tracks the trio invited four female singers from Iran, on another they invited the previous member of the trio Joanna KurzynskaFind albums by this artist and finally on one song they invited a Ukrainian vocal duo to participate on the recording. Sutari are wonderfully unique as far as the Polish modern folklore scene is concerned, offering a non-conformist, approach to music in every aspect. The vocal harmonies and the instrumental accompaniment create a complete aural experience, unlike any other, and although their folkloristic influences and sources are strongly audible, the music breaches the usual stylistic approaches, often sounding almost “Avant-Garde” in some respects. The resulting music is totally captivating and fascinating, creating a new amalgam of familiar elements, which are put together in a completely unprecedented way. It is difficult to analyze if all this is done subconsciously / naturally, or carefully pre-conceived by the trio, but in fact it does not matter as long as the result is as thrilling as what can be heard on this album. Anybody expecting to hear a collection of what is usually considered as lullabies, is in for a huge surprise. Although these pieces might have a soothing, relaxed intention, the result is anything but something that might put the listener into a lethargic state of sleepiness. Au contraire, the intellectual and aesthetic depth of this music and its complexities / intricacies are surely highly stimulating. Overall, this is a beautiful and fascinating piece of music of the highest caliber, which every true music lover the world over should be able to enjoy and savor. It might take a while to be able to penetrate the depth of the music, but once the external “eccentricity” is penetrated, it is but a total bliss…

Updated: 20/09/2024Posted: 20/09/2024

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ZIEMIA / IREK WOJTCZAK ~ WARMING / MELTING AUDIO CAVE 2024/002 (Barcode: 5908298549773) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2023 Released: 2024 This is the 2nd album by the Polish Jazz quartet ZiemiaFind albums by this artist, comprising of guitarist Oskar TomalaFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Mateusz ZydekFind albums by this artist, bassist Jakub WosikFind albums by this artist and drummer Alan KapolkaFind albums by this artist. The quartet is expanded into a quintet with the addition of saxophonist / bass clarinetist Irek WojtczakFind albums by this artist. The album was recorded live and presents eight tracks, all original, but uncredited composition, assumed to be co-created by all the participants. The music is significantly different from that presented on the quartet’s debut album, recorded just one year earlier, and tends to step boldly into the “well behaved” Improvised Music / Free Jazz idiom, rather than stick to established mainstream Jazz formulas. The musicians offer a series of intimate conversations, which move between solo, duo and trio exchanges, which then are joined by the rhythm session to explore the group improvisation modus operandi. Of course there are also pre-composed pieces, but those also morph into Free Form territory, soon after the introduction of the theme, but keep a more “traditional” structure with consecutive soli, rather than group improvisation. The sound and the mood of the music are quite unconventional for the entire duration, but the music stays within coherent boundaries and should be accessible to a relatively wide range of Jazz listeners, which for such complex music is quite a miracle. The level of the individual performances is stunningly excellent, and despite the generation / experience gap between Wojtczak and the four youngsters, musically they seem to have no inferiority complex playing side by side. Personally I seem to develop a high interest in the work of Zydek, whose trumpet parts are nothing short of sensational and I have high hopes for his future explorations on the local scene. Overall, this is a great album, diverse and surprising from start to finish with no dull moments in between. These your musicians are certainly going places and their cooperation with Wojtczak is unblemished by the generation gap, which knowing Irek and his open-mindedness, is not surprising. Although non-trivial in every sense, this music is absolutely worth being investigated by open-minded listeners the world over. Well done indeed!

Updated: 09/05/2024Posted: 09/05/2024

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TERCET KAMILI DRABEK ~ TAK BYM CHCIALA KOCHAC JUZ AUDIO CAVE 2024/003 (Barcode: 5908298549834) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2023 Released: 2024 This is the 2nd album by the Polish Jazz bassist / composer Kamila DrabekFind albums by this artist, recorded in a trio format with saxophonist Marcin KonieczkowiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Kacper KazmierskiFind albums by this artist, same lineup that recorded the debut album “Muzyka NaiwnaFind albums with this title”, released almost five years earlier. The album presents nine tracks, six composed by Drabek, two by Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Jerzy MatuszkiewiczFind albums by this artist and one is a standard by Sonny RollinsFind albums by this artist. The music, except for the two Matuszkiewicz pieces, which are kept close to their origin, i.e. mainstream Jazz, and which are a loving tribute to his music, is wonderful modern Jazz, elegantly minimalist, often romantic and lyrical, and at all times fascinating. The entire album is a great example of the “less is more” idiom, where every note counts and every little nuance is meaningful. The arrangement of the Rollins’ tune is delightful, and I am tempted to send it over to him, to hear what he thinks of it. Although the alto saxophone is naturally at the helm, playing fluently and affluently, this is very much a trio effort, with Drabek vividly present at all times and Kazmierski at her side, with a confident and intelligent rhythmic support. The entire ambience of the trio is very unique and the excellent sound quality of the album adds significantly to its imminent success. The album is a very delicate statement, completely non-aggressive and subdued, and yet striking by its obviously carefully preconceived modesty and aesthetic determination. Everything heard here makes perfect sense musically, and at the same time keeps surprising the listener time after time. Overall, this is an excellent sophomore effort, which was definitely worth the long wait, and establishes Drabek as a musician and composer worth pursuing in the future and a proud representative of the female Polish Jazz scene, which is constantly gaining its repute in the last decade. It is certainly an album many Jazz listeners the world over should enjoy immensely!

Updated: 13/05/2024Posted: 13/05/2024

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HUBERT ZEMLER & AUKSO CHAMBER ORCHESTRA ~ TOXIC POEM AUDIO CAVE 2024/004 (Barcode: 5908298549803) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2022 Released: 2024 This is an album by Polish percussionist / composer Hubert ZemlerFind albums by this artist, recorded with the AUKSO Chamber OrchestraFind albums by this artist, conducted by Marek MosFind albums by this artist. The album presents five tracks, which are parts of the suite, which gives the album its title. The music lasts for just slightly over thirty minutes. The suite is basically an Avant-Garde piece, which floats between contemporary Classical Music and Improvised Music, although most of the music is strictly composed and features only limited improvised elements. The music is minimalist, fragmented and offers a difficult to follow continuity, which appeals probably a limited audience, even among the most adventurous listeners. Zemler plays a wide range of percussion instruments, with the orchestra creating a background layer of Ambient, repetitive themes, stylistically resembling the minimal music by composers like Steve ReichFind albums by this artist, Terry RileyFind albums by this artist and others, highly popular in the 1960s, but almost completely abandoned since. Overall, as much as I admire Zemler’s originality and non-conformism over the years, I find this album somewhat less interesting or innovative than his usual work. Of course, Polish music needs adventurers and pioneers like Zemler, so I thank him for this piece of his creativity.

Updated: 12/07/2024Posted: 09/07/2024

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STRYCHARSKI / TARWID ~ APOGEUM AUDIO CAVE 2024/005 (Barcode: 5908298549858) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2022 Released: 2024 This is the debut album by the Polish Jazz / Improvising Music duo comprising of flautist / electronics manipulator / composer Dominik StrycharskiFind albums by this artist and keyboardist / composer Grzegorz TarwidFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven tracks, all (assumably) co-credited to both musicians. The music is completely improvised, almost entirely devoid of any melodic continuity, which to an inexperienced listener might sound as a collection of randomly produced sounds. Even listeners from the inside circles of the Polish Improvised Music might find this music trying. Although both of the duo members tackled improvising music earlier on, on this album they both take things to the extreme scale of the Avant-Garde mayhem, which of course is perfectly fine with me, albeit I much prefer their more conventional outings. Although I have been listening to Improvised Music for more than six decades, I always face the same dilemma: even if the music manages to create some interest at the first time I listen to it, I find myself never ever returning to listen to it again. As a result, I prefer to listen to IM live than on record, knowing that this is an unrepeatable experience. Of course I respect musicians, who do what they do with conviction and dedication, and both these Artists are extremely talented individuals, with an impressive recorded legacy already, despite their relative young age. I simply favor their past recordings, some of which are truly exceptional, to this particular cooperation. Overall, this is a highly demanding, Avant-Garde Improvised Music experiment, which probably will find some enthusiastic followers, but which I found somewhat estranged to on one hand, and experiencing the famous déjà vu feeling on the other hand. In my experience being innovative in Avant-Garde is way more difficult than on conventional ground, as absurd as this may sound. Kudos for trying and not looking back!

Updated: 12/07/2024Posted: 12/07/2024

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RHYTHMSECT ~ THIS IS DARK FUNK AUDIO CAVE 2024/006 (Barcode: 5908298549865) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Rock Recorded: 2022 Released: 2024 This is the debut album by the Polish duo RhythmsectFind albums by this artist, comprising of drummer Grzegorz PlutaFind albums by this artist and bassist PatyrFind albums by this artist, who are joined by saxophonist Piotr LyszkiewiczFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven tracks, uncredited on the album’s artwork and assumed to be co-composed by the three participants. The album lasts for just over half an hour and is more an EP than a full album. The music is an attempt to define / create a new sub-genre, which the musicians define as “Dark Funk”, which is pretty descriptive of the contents. The notion offers a dense bass-drums rhythmic background, which is quite Funky, with Free-Jazz oriented saxophone improvisations and electronic on top, with strong relations to dub and drum and bass, which have been with us for decades. The cumulative effect of the music is pretty Funky and Groovy, no doubt, and a bit “dark” as well, but it certainly does not offer any substantial innovation, groundbreaking new musical path, yet alone defines a new sub-genre or offers anything not previously heard. In addition, it is not really that interesting and after a few tracks the music becomes repetitive and honestly quite boring, with the eternal “Quo Vadis” hanging overhead? Overall, as much as I am totally in favor of experimentation and exploration of new musical avenues, both in Jazz and other genres, sadly this album represents rather a step backwards into already widely explored territory, than a step forward into uncharted territory, which is conflicting with the Avant-Garde’s ideological propensity.

Updated: 20/07/2024Posted: 20/07/2024

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KOSMOS ~ KOSMOS AUDIO CAVE 2024/007 (Barcode: 5908298549872) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2024 Released: 2024 This is the debut album by the Polish Jazz quintet KosmosFind albums by this artist, comprising of trumpeter / keyboardist Jan OstalskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Iwo TylmanFind albums by this artist, pianist Stanislaw SzmigierFind albums by this artist, bassist Kamil GuzniczakFind albums by this artist and drummer Kacper KutaFind albums by this artist. The album presents eleven tracks, which are uncredited on the album’s artwork and therefore assumed to be co-composed by the quintet members. The music was recorded at the splendid Tokarnia 2.0 studio and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, and offers nothing less than the expected superb sound quality. The album’s liner notes suggest a linkage with space Jazz (see Sun RaFind albums by this artist), referring to the quintet’s moniker (Kosmos in Polish = universe / outer space), but to be honest this is hugely farfetched, as the music is pretty earthly modern Jazz, which other than a bit of electronic effects stays well within the mainstream “universe”. Having said that, the music is quite original and clever, with a perfect balance between composed themes and improvised parts, excellently performed by these young players, who obviously lack the perfection, which comes with years of experience, but are talented enough to compensate with open-mindedness and thinking out of the box. The resulting music keeps the listener right on the edge, unable to anticipate what comes next, which of course is much appreciated. The music is surprisingly diverse and keeps moving into many different avenues, but does not lose coherency and continuity, which makes listening to the entire album quite a journey. More importantly the album offers a substantial amount of music (over fifty minutes), which shows that these people have a lot to say, which they wish to share with their listeners. Many contemporary Jazz releases offer barely about half an hour of music, which often leaves me with a half-baked reaction, and here we get a potent piece of music, which can to be savored and tasted, and later properly digested, as appropriate the occasion. I do have an issue with the sound, not the quality of it of course, only the intentional muddiness of it, which seems to be the latest fashion with young Jazz ensembles. This is Jazz people, not drum and bass! Let us hear the music as it really sounds! Overall, this is a very surprising and promising debut album, which puts a smile on a face of people who can enjoy something new and fresh at last, which does not happen very often these days. The music is a bit rough and lacks the spark of perfection, buy all things considered, it sounds great and more importantly offers so much fresh air. Well done, Gentlemen!

Updated: 23/07/2024Posted: 23/07/2024

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AQUAVOICE ~ FLOW AUDIO CAVE 2024/008 (Barcode: 5908298549889) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Ambient Fusion Recorded: 2023 Released: 2024 This is an album by Polish Ambient composer / arranger Tadeusz LuczejkoFind albums by this artist, who uses the AquavoiceFind albums by this artist moniker. He invited several prominent Polish Jazz / Avant-Garde musicians to participate in this project: vocalist / keyboardist / flautist India CzajkowskaFind albums by this artist, electronics wizard Tadeusz SudnikFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist, bass clarinetist Mikolaj TrzaskaFind albums by this artist and author Andrzej StasiukFind albums by this artist, who recites some of his texts. The album presents sixteen short tracks, all composed by the leader. This album is a second part of the album “WavesFind albums with this title”, recorded by the same participants and sessions and released a year earlier on the Requiem label. The album is a typical Ambient outing, spiced by some Jazz / Avant-Garde improvised soloing, almost completely lacking any distinct melodic continuity, which of course makes it rather specifically oriented to hard-core Ambient listeners. The invited guests are all excellent musicians of course, but their role here is quite limited, so Jazz listeners looking to hear their favorite artists will be disappointed. Although I usually don’t have enough patience for Ambient music, unless it is used as background for film or theatre, I found this album quite interesting, not only thanks to the improvised parts, which are more or less decorative, rather than substantially integrated, but because it makes sense as an aural experience, engaging the listener to fill in the blanks. Perhaps it is a form of escapism in these trying times, but I listened to the album a couple of times in a row and enjoyed it without reservations. Overall, this is an interesting Ambient album, which should make enthusiasts of the genre quite happy. The Jazzy elements are marginal and limited, buy offer some spicing to the proceedings. Definitely worth investigating!

Updated: 25/09/2024Posted: 25/09/2024

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DOMINIK STRYCHARSKI CORE ~ ALERT AUDIO CAVE 2025/002 (Barcode: 5908298549940) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2022 Released: 2025 This is an album by Polish Jazz flautist / composer / bandleader Dominik StrycharskiFind albums by this artist and his CoreFind albums by this artist quintet, which also includes pianist Barbara DrazkovFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Barbara DrazkowskaFind albums by this artist), trumpeter Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist, bassist Zbigniew KozeraFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel SzpuraFind albums by this artist. Strycharski and Jachna employ electronics and Drazkowska plays a prepared piano. The album presents five tracks, all original compositions by the leader. The music is a brilliant amalgam of composed, but highly unusual, modernist music and controlled Improvised interludes, which combine acoustic and electronic sounds, odd pulsations, Avant-Garde contemporary approach and a plethora of other wonderful weirdness, which immediately bring fond memories of Zappaesque complete disregard of conventions, in short everything one might desire in order to hear some exciting, unusual, challenging music, brilliantly performed by these highly talented musicians. As expected, Jachna is the direct link to Jazz within this marvelous madness, and his trumpet soli are like bright stars on a night sky, showing the way to lost mariners. The rhythm section plays some inhumanly difficult rhythmic patterns, the piano is in charge of the almost melodic layers and Strycharski uses his flute / recorder skills sparingly, concentrating on electronic effects, but the little bits here and there are like cherries on top of the cake. The music as a whole completely eschews categorization, and as a result a proper description, so it should be of course heard and not read about, so my humble efforts are a mere attempt to encourage as many people as possible not to miss this album. Mind you, it might take some patience, open-mindedness and a true love of unconventional music to enjoy it in full, but I have faith in my readers to possess these qualities, ergo fully equipped for the voyage. I admit of being sometimes quite critical about Strycharski’s recordings, which simply means I don’t judge the books by their covers but listen carefully. This time I can’t utter anything but deep appreciation and admiration for his efforts as composer and leader, which are amicably and splendidly supported by his cohorts, producing a true work of musical Art. Overall, this is a brilliant piece of modern music, completely cross-genre in nature and masterly designed and executed by the entire quintet. This is Avant-Garde, which breaks barriers and rules, without being rude and careless, which is demanding, but pleasing, and which expands our musical horizons! My deepest thanks to all of you!

Updated: 14/03/2025Posted: 11/03/2025

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NIECHEC ~ RECKLESS THINGS AUDIO CAVE 2025/003 (Barcode: 5908298549971) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Ambient Fusion Recorded: 2023 Released: 2025 This is the 4th album by Polish ensemble NiechecFind albums by this artist, a quintet comprising of saxophonist Alex ClovFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Alex Clov BaczkowskiFind albums by this artist, who replaced the founding member Maciej ZwierzchowskiFind albums by this artist), keyboardist Michal ZaleskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Rafal BlaszczakFind albums by this artist, bass guitarist Maciej SzczepanskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Dominik MokrzewskiFind albums by this artist (who replaced the founding member Michal KaczorekFind albums by this artist), which means than 4/5 of the founding members are no longer members of the ensemble. The album presents nine original compositions, six composed by Clov, two by Zaleski and one by Mokrzewski. The music was recorded at the Monochrom Studio and engineered by Ignacy GruszeckiFind albums by this artist, offering the usual superb sound quality. Despite the dramatic lineup shifts, Niechec manages to continue its stylistic direction pretty consistently, walking on the tightrope between Jazz improvisations and Ambient / electronic instrumental music with a dark / dense sound. It is a very specific musical direction with a pretty much “take it or leave it” attitude, which has it faithful followers, but is definitely not for everyone. After all it has been fourteen years now (and four albums) since they appeared on the scene, and the “statute of limitations” expires eventually. That said, the music is still quite pleasant, inviting and I had again a good time listening to it, despite the omnipresent déjà vu feeling. Overall, it is a pleasant album for the Jazz-Ambient Fusion lovers, which offers basically no innovation or previously uncharted vistas, but is entertaining and even danceable to some extent. As mentioned above, I had a good time and this music is obviously appealing to wide younger audiences.

Updated: 16/03/2025Posted: 16/03/2025

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

WOJCIECH JACHNA SQUAD ~ AD ASTRA AUDIO CAVE 2025/004 (Barcode: 5908298549926) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2024 Released: 2025 This is the 3rd album by Polish Jazz ensemble Wojciech Jachna SquadFind albums by this artist led by trumpeter / composer Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist and including also keyboardist Jacek CichockiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Marek MalinowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Rafal GorzyckiFind albums by this artist. The album presents six tracks, three original compositions by Jachna two by Gorzycki and one is an adaptation of a composition by Polish Classical composer Karol SzymanowskiFind albums by this artist. This new version of the ensemble was reduced to a quartet, leaving out a bass player, and the “new” drummer is an old collaborator of Jachna, since the days of the fabulous Sing Sing PenelopeFind albums by this artist ensemble days, and his presence has a major influence on the sound and ambience of the music. The music is almost entirely acoustic, with the exception of the electric guitar and synthesizers, which come up front momentarily, and strongly influenced by modern Classical music elements and Free Improvisation, which results in a much more demanding outcome than the two previous albums. As mentioned before, Gorzycki’s compositions and his dominant drumming give the music a somber, dense effect. Jachna’s trumpet parts are as fabulous as always, and he never fails to grab the attention of the listener, but his role is someway less central and leading on this album, with much more space given to the other three members of the ensemble. The balance between the instruments is also somewhat shifted towards the heavy drumming, which might sound a bit “unearthly” at first. This album definitely needs several listening sessions in order to embrace its unique qualities. It is very interesting to see the ensemble developing and changing the direction, especially when this leads towards a more ambitious and demanding results, but might also present a challenge to listeners, who are expecting something else, based on earlier exposure. For me personally this new direction is all for the good of course. Overall, this is a very interesting, captivating effort by Jachna and his colleagues, going back to his more Avant-Garde days of the mid-2000s, updated of course by the experiences gained since. It might surprise some of the listeners, but please give it some tome and open-mindedness and everything will work splendidly. Well done!

Updated: 11/03/2025Posted: 10/03/2025

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend