Record Reviews

AMC TRIO & ULF WAKENIUS ~ WAITING FOR A WOLF HEVHETIA 0048 (Barcode: 8588002496738) ~ SLOVAKIA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2011 Released: 2011 This is the second album recorded by the Slovak AMC TrioFind albums by this artist – pianist Peter AdamkovicFind albums by this artist, bassist Martin MarincakFind albums by this artist and drummer Stanislav CvancigerFind albums by this artist – with Swedish guitarist Ulf WakeniusFind albums by this artist, released again on the Slovak HevhetiaFind albums on this label label. It presents eight original compositions, all credited to the trio members. The album was fabulously recorded at the legendary Viennese Jazz club Porgy & Bess (although not live). The music is a collection of highly melodic, relatively simple themes, performed skillfully by the trio and beautifully complimented by the presence of the guitar, which adds a new dimension to the proceedings. Wakenius´ guitar sonically resembles the ambiance of Pat MethenyFind albums by this artist early recordings, but is much more focused and inspired, saving the album from the dangers of elevator muzak. Personally this kind of music usually bores me after a couple of tracks, but this album maintains a magical thread of interest, which kept me alert for the entire duration. The trio is obviously a smooth and highly polished musical unit and their music sounds simply perfect (perhaps too perfect) from start to finish. The dynamics of the tunes, the solos, the arrangements are likeable, full of lyricism, romanticism and obvious intrinsic elegance, but the music lacks drama and development in my opinion. If not for the guitar parts, this album would have been too sweet to swallow. The trio members are skilled instrumentalists; Adamkovic plays several inspired solos and Marincak pushes the trio forward with his pulsating rhythms. Sadly the drums are recorded / mixed so much in the background that they are hardly audible. Wakenius is of course a brilliant player, with rare sensitivity, superb technical mastery of his instrument and a great deal of imagination, which are all clearly apparent when he plays his solo parts. When his solos are over one is always left with a lingering for more. I have been following his career for many years and he is consistently excellent in all the settings his path led him through, both as a leader and as a sideman. Overall this is an enjoyable album for fans of melodic, slightly Fusion oriented music with some scorching guitar parts, which sounds great while driving a cabriolet by the sea. Enjoy!

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GRZEGORZ KARNAS ~ KARNAS HEVHETIA 0050 (Barcode: 8588002496776) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2010 Released: 2011 This is the fourth album by Polish Jazz vocalist / composer / arranger Grzegorz KarnasFind albums by this artist, one of the most unique and talented representatives of the young generation of the local Jazz scene. Separated by five years from its predecessor "Ballady Na Koniec SwiataFind albums with this title", this album is significantly different from his earlier work and presents several novelties as far as his recording career is concerned, for example the inclusion of songs not composed by him, usage of lyrics in several different languages, a new instrumental concept, etc. The singer is accompanied by a splendid quartet, which features pianist Michal TokajFind albums by this artist, cellist Adam OlesFind albums by this artist, bassist Michal JarosFind albums by this artist and drummer Sebastian FrankiewiczFind albums by this artist. Except for the bassist the other three musicians are long time collaborators on his earlier recordings. The presence of a bassist allows Oles to play his cello more in the way it was originally intended, as opposed to the earlier recordings, where it was mostly playing the bass parts. The album comprises of no less than nineteen tracks, some quite short (under a minute) and other fully developed and lasting around seven minutes. One song (Laurie AndersonFind albums by this artist´s "Langue D´Amour") appears four times in different incarnations and two other songs are reprised. Karnas composed or co-composed six of the pieces, four other pieces are credited to the band accompanying him, one is an instrumental composed by Tokaj and three are songs from the canonic Rock repertoire like StingFind albums by this artist´s "Roxanne", Joni MitchellFind albums by this artist´s "Black Crow" and the a.m. song by Laurie Anderson. It is immediately obvious that this is Karnas´ most ambitious album to date. The complexity and versatility of the material is overwhelming and music moving from one theme to another creates a charming flow, which makes the listener whish for it never to stop. Instrumentally this album, with Tokaj taking over the role of the main soloist, is finally perfect and Tokaj´s beautiful tango is the best original piece of music on the album. Oles finally shows what he´s made of and plays some amazing sounds. The vocal performances are also excellent, obviously more mature and relaxed than ever before. This time Karnas is pretty minimalistic, not trying to overemphasize his part and treating the entire project as a whole rather than another solo album. The group effort is definitely what makes this album tick so wonderfully and takes it a few notches up the scale. Overall this is a truly amazing vocal Jazz album, which plainly stands out as an artistic achievement, leaving most other albums of its kind way behind. Suffice to listen to the vocalist´s interpretations of the three well known songs, in order to appreciate his originality. Add to this the strength of his original material and Karnas emerges as an artist worth following and already leaving his mark on the contemporary scene, with very few contenders. An absolute must!

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OTTO HEJNIC ~ ONE HEVHETIA 0060 (Barcode: 8588002496899) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Jazz Recorded: 2011 Released: 2012 This is the debut album by Czech Jazz drummer / pianist / composer Otto HejnicFind albums by this artist, recorded in a classic trio format with pianist Ondrej KrajnakFind albums by this artist and bassist Josef FecoFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, all by Hejnic. Eight of the compositions are performed by the trio and one is a solo piano piece performed by Hejnic. Hejnic continues the fabulous Czech Jazz piano composition tradition, developed by such giants like Emil ViklickyFind albums by this artist, Karel RuzickaFind albums by this artist and others, which continues to be developed by the younger generation of Czech musicians. The compositions presented here are all mature, beautifully melodic and sophisticated. Both the lyrical ballads and the up tempo pieces show first class compositional skills, characterized by highly aesthetic approach and obvious passion. Hejnic wisely passed the task of playing the piano onto Krajnak, who emerges as one of the most skilled East European pianists, as documented by his other recordings. Feco, who plays with Krajnak on other recordings, is an absolute virtuoso bass player, and his extraordinary skills are plainly evident on this album from start to finish. Hejnic plays the drums set dynamically and always shoulder to shoulder with his cohorts, which being also a pianist probably helps considerably. The trio performance is simply fabulous. The sound quality and the recording are also excellent, which turns this album into a true piano trio gem. Overall this is a most impressive debut album by Hejnic, who emerges primarily as a remarkable composer but also as a first rate performer. The trio performance is simply exemplary. Very highly recommended to all piano trio aficionados and Jazz connoisseurs the world over!

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ONDREJ KRAJNAK ~ FOREVERNEST HEVHETIA 0067 (Barcode: 8588005257046) ~ SLOVAKIA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2013 This is a wonderful solo piano album by Slovak Jazz pianist / composer / arranger Ondrej KrajnakFind albums by this artist. It is a loving and beautiful tribute to the music of Slovak pianist / composer Ernest OlahFind albums by this artist, an outstanding figure of the first post WWII generation, who never truly achieved the recognition and fame he deserved, and who died prematurely in 2002 at the age of sixty, never releasing even a singular album as a leader during his lifetime. This album presents six original compositions by Olah and one original composition by Krajnak, dedicated to him. The album was produced by Ernest Olah´s son Roman OlahFind albums by this artist. Olah was not only a great pianist but also a wonderful composer of Jazz and contemporary Classical music and it is sad that his work is almost unknown. This album remedies the situation slightly, but hopefully more of Olah´s music will be rediscovered in the future. Olah admired Oscar PetersonFind albums by this artist and was able to imitate his playing very reliably, but of course his most important contributions were his original works. Krajnak emerges as an ideal choice of a pianist, who was trusted with the responsibility to present Olah´s music as perhaps he would have done himself. A pianist of virtuosic ability but more importantly exceptional feeling Krajnak is able to expose all the wonderful Eastern European lyricism of Olah´s compositions. Delicate, sophisticated and aesthetically challenging, every touch of the keyboard is simply right there exactly where is fits the music in the best way possible. This album is like a string of pearls with the individual notes sitting next to each other, gleaming in the light of a flickering candlelight, building the overwhelming effect of the whole string, which is after all much more than a collection of the individual pearls. A true gem in every respect, it is timeless, beyond classification and comparison; it simply is…

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ADAM KOWALEWSKI ~ FOR YOU HEVHETIA 0068 (Barcode: 8588005257053) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2011 Released: 2013 This is the debut album as a leader by Polish Jazz bassist / composer Adam KowalewskiFind albums by this artist, recorded in a duo setting with pianist Piotr WylezolFind albums by this artist. It presents eight compositions, five of which are originals by Kowalewski, one is an original by Wylezol and the remaining two are standards. The album was released on the Slovak HevhetiaFind albums on this label label and was one of the first Polish Jazz albums released by that label, to be later followed up by numerous others. Kowalewski recorded a plethora of albums as a sideman before he recorded this album, which means that he was already an established name on the local scene and the purpose of this album was obviously to present Kowalewski also as a composer apart from his abilities as a bass player. He cooperated with Wylezol earlier on playing bass on Wylezol´s debut piano trio album and therefore the choice of partners is hardly accidental. The music presents a series of melodic tunes, well within the Jazz mainstream, which are played by the duo with a lot of space and mutual respect, allowing both musicians plenty of breathing space. As expected in such circumstances, the volume of the bass is higher up in the mix than normal, which allows the listener to hear exactly every note played by the instrument. The problem with bass / piano albums is of course that the piano, which plays all the melody lines, "steals" the listener´s attention and only the most experienced listeners are able to split their attention between the two instruments on an equal basis. However, those able to listen to both instruments in parallel will discover a beautiful dialogue and a supportive collaboration, which is elegant and graceful. Acoustic bass buffs will of course have a field day with this album, and considering the good sound quality of this recording, it is quite suitable to test top range Hi-Fi equipment for balanced bass / midrange response. Personally I´m looking forward for the next album by Kowalewski, to discover more of his melodic gems!

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DAVID KOLLAR ~ THE SON HEVHETIA 0072 (Barcode: 8588005257091) ~ SLOVAKIA ~ Electronic & Ambient Recorded: 2013 Released: 2013 This is an intriguing and highly emotional solo album by Slovak guitarist / composer David KollarFind albums by this artist, on which he plays electric guitar, adding also other instruments and voices, creating improvised collages of sound. The album presents twelve (or thirteen) selections, cut out from three hours of material that Kollar recorded while working on this project. Based on his personal emotions in a difficult period in his life surrounding his son´s illness (hence the album´s title), Kollar transformed these emotions into sounds. The resulting music is completely beyond categorization or classification, as it includes a multitude of widely different references, like electronic, ambient, contemporary Classical, improvised music, spiritual music and others. In spite of the fact that this music is so immensely diverse, it makes perfect sense emotionally and enables total involvement form the listener´s side. Subtly hidden below the surface of this music one can find melody and harmony, which are rich in textures and full of intrinsic beauty. The serenity of the melodic element balances the anguished, tortured elements appearing on the surface, creating a complex entity which has a life of its own. The music has a strong element of tension and conflict, like a human soul torn between hope and desolation, good and evil or right and wrong. In many respects this music has a deep religious background, even if it exists only subconsciously. Of course this music is only as good as the listener´s involvement. In sharp contrast to trivial music, which is accessible to most people without asking for an iota of intellectual and emotional involvement, this music demands complete concentration and attention, being recreated anew in every listener´s mind. Such total approach to making music is of course rarely truly appreciated, but surely deserves admiration. Overall this is an astonishing piece of music of rare beauty and extraordinary power of expression. Kollar definitely deserves to appear on the "to be watched" list of ambitious music makers and one can only hope his music will reach as many music lovers around the world as possible. Wholeheartedly recommended!

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OFIR SHWARTZ ~ SHADES OF FISH HEVHETIA 0075 (Barcode: 8588005257138) ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2013 This is the second album by Israeli Jazz pianist / composer Ofir ShwartzFind albums by this artist, recorded in a piano trio format with bassist Gal ShayaFind albums by this artist and Slovenian (resident in Israel) drummer Gasper BertonceljFind albums by this artist. It presents nine (one repeated twice) original compositions, all by Shwartz (and a short solo piano piece as a hidden bonus track). The music consists mostly of melodic, lyrical ballads, which are Shwartz´s preferred modus operandi, but this album also introduces w few new elements in his music, like Rocky rhythms and "harder" approach in some of the tunes and certain moments of free improvised passages. Fortunately he is able to handle the different musical environments with ease and elegance. As a result most of the album is similar to the debut album, well within mainstream Jazz and melodic material and only parts venture into more ambitious territory. The trio performance is excellent from start to finish and presents a very high level of interplay between the three individual musicians, who obviously treat each other with respect and sympathy. Shaya is a wonderful bass player, very expressive and melodic, able to carry a tune and cooperating fabulously with the piano. His tone and technique are both outstanding. Bertoncelj keeps a relatively low profile, as appropriate for a piano trio, but his presence is definitely felt at all times as part of the trialogue. Overall this is a very impressive sophomore release, clearly pointing out the way towards establishing a career for Shwartz, which he builds up consistently and scrupulously. This album is a treat for piano trio lovers, with a few surprises therein, and deserves to be heard far and wide. It is also the first Israeli Jazz album released on the excellent Slovak HevhetiaFind albums on this label label, hopefully by far not the last. Warmly recommended!

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HANKA GREGUSOVA ~ ESSENCE HEVHETIA 0082 (Barcode: 8588005257237) ~ SLOVAKIA ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2014 Released: 2014 This is the second album by the Slovak vocalist Hanka GregusovaFind albums by this artist, which presents a beautiful tribute to Slovak Folklore. It features eleven folk songs, sung in Slovak and wonderfully arranged by pianist Ondrej KrajnakFind albums by this artist, who leads a Jazz quartet with bassist Josef FecoFind albums by this artist, drummer Marian SevcikFind albums by this artist and percussionist Stefan BugalaFind albums by this artist, which accompanies Gregusova on several tracks. On other tracks she is accompanied by a Folklore quartet, led by violinist Ivan HerakFind albums by this artist and featuring Josef Feco on cymbalon (also spelled cimbalom), Robert BoldiFind albums by this artist on viola and Marek BoldiFind albums by this artist on bass. One track features the combined forces of the Jazz and Folklore ensembles and the remaining tracks are more intimate trio, duet and solo vocal pieces. Several guest musicians also participate in the recording. This album is a classic example of what Jazz-World Fusion is all about and how it can be achieved successfully. Both the World music and Jazz idioms are given a respectful and graceful treatment, and are mixed with elegance and charm. The Jazz arrangements are of course further distanced from the original folk songs than the Folklore treatment, but the overall atmosphere and continuity of the album achieve a wonderful journey based on the Slovak Folklore transposed into contemporary musical language. Gregusova has a warm, well rounded voice which works both in the Jazz and the Folklore environment. Her phrasing on the Jazzy interpretations is simply superb and the solo vocal piece is deeply moving. Krajnak is a superb pianist and a most skillful arranger, which is obvious from what he achieved on this album, but all the musicians involved are also top notch. The recording quality and the sound of the album are also excellent. Overall this is an aesthetically pleasing and musically successful cross genre project, which manages to be original, while respectfully presenting traditional folkloristic heritage. Definitely a model to be followed and enjoyed!

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PIOTR WYLEZOL ~ IMPROLUDES HEVHETIA 0083 (Barcode: 8588005257244) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2013 - 2014 Released: 2014 This is the first piano solo album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Piotr WylezolFind albums by this artist and his sixth release as a leader / co-leader. It comes after a relatively prolonged period of silence (about five years) since his last recording. The album presents eight original compositions by Wylezol partly inspired by the work of the great Hungarian composer Franz LisztFind albums by this artist, especially Liszt´s etudes, hence the tongue in cheek album´s title. The album was released by the Slovak HevhetiaFind albums on this label label, which seems to be lately one of the favorite labels of the Polish Jazz artists, which is hardly surprising considering the great job the label is doing so far. The association with Liszt´s romanticism is hardly accidental, as Wylezol´s music displays clear Classical Music influences. Combined with the Polish lyricism and a wonderful sense of melody, these pieces are a delightful set of melodic gems, which are easy on the ear but at the same time invoke deep emotions and a charming aptitude. Solo piano lovers will find here everything one might expect from a solo piano album – excellent music, beautiful and sensitive execution and a superb recording quality, which is always an essential ingredient of such projects. Overall this music is not very innovative or groundbreaking, but its merits are clearly on quite a different musical layer, aesthetically close to the European Classical Music tradition, updated and transposed to contemporary language. Therefore this album should not be judged nor should it be approach from a strict Jazz point of reference, but should be allowed the leeway of a more open minded attitude towards its true artistic significance and impact. One might speculate if this album marks a turning point in Wylezol´s career, especially as a composer, leading to a whole new path combining his classical training and Jazz improvisation, or is this just a one time journey of discovery? Regardless of the answer, let´s hope we won´t have to wait for another five years to hear the answer to this question. Welcome back!

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SPHERE ~ SYNESTHESIA HEVHETIA 0085 (Barcode: 8588005257268) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2014 This is the debut album by Polish trio SphereFind albums by this artist, which comprises of vocalist / composer Ania RybackaFind albums by this artist, guitarist / composer Marek KadzielaFind albums by this artist and clarinetist / composer Jakub DybzynskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eleven relatively short original compositions, seven of which were composed by Rybacka, one by Kadziela and three by Dybzynski. Stylistically Sphere crosses genres and styles freely from one composition to another and often even within one composition, moving from clear melodic statements to Jazzy improvisations and even a serene form of Improvised Music bordering on Avant-Garde. The unusual lineup produces a unique and quite unusual sound environment, in which the human voice is treated as an instrument, playing along with the two instruments. The trio often uses a technique where two of the three members play / sing more or less unisono and the third instrument / voice plays "against" the duo, as if on a separate plane. This allows for a multitude of different combinations, which save the album from being repetitive or monotonous. Rybacka sings wordless vocalese on all the tunes, except for the last piece on the album, which uses a poem by Polish poetesses Wislawa SzymborskaFind albums by this artist (translated into English) as spoken lyrics. She also multi-tracks her voice to create a chorus effect and uses electronics to synthesize many different vocal effects. The guitar, although electrically amplified and the clarinet stick to natural acoustic sound. The resulting harmony and sound of the trio is quite eerie at times, but does not cross the border into cacophony. The most important factor of this album is the endeavor to search for new forms of expression, in an intimate environment and without stylistic limitations. These three young musicians are all well established Artists by now and Sphere is just one of several different projects they are all involved with. They obviously share the vision of creating new musical vistas and expanding the horizons, which by itself is commendable. This is not easy music by any means, even if it is mostly intimate and low-key. It requires from the listener a certain level of attention and dedication, as well as open-mindedness, involved with both intellectual and emotional process of absorption. But since ambitious music is never easy, the effort required to listen to this music is refunded in full eventually. Definitely a worthy effort which should make the band members proud and a high quality debut album by all means!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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NOCZ & IVA BITTOVA ~ NOCZ & IVA BITTOVA HEVHETIA 0086 (Barcode: 8588005257275) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2014 This is the second album by the NoczFind albums by this artist quartet, which comprises of Norwegian trumpeter Didrik IngvaldsenFind albums by this artist and Czech musicians: saxophonist Radim HanousekFind albums by this artist, bassist Marian FriedlFind albums by this artist and drummer Vaclav PalkaFind albums by this artist. On this album they are joined by Czech violinist / vocalist Iva BittovaFind albums by this artist, who participates on nine of the fourteen tracks present herein. All the music is original; Ingvaldsen composed eleven compositions, Hanousek two and one is a collective composition by the ensemble. The music is a fiery version of modern Jazz mixed with free improvised passages and World Music influences. Some of the pieces are distinctly more melodic than others, but overall the music stays pretty well organized and structured while at the same time it is freely spirited and very imaginative. The level of the individual performances is superb from start to finish and the album truly presents unconventional contemporary Jazz at its best. The trumpet / saxophone front end of the quartet brings on fond memories of the early days of Avant-Garde Jazz, especially Don CherryFind albums by this artist´s contributions, but the ambiance is undoubtedly updated to some extent. The rhythm section is also absolutely first class, keeping the pulse of the music flowing and at the same time contribution also some incredible solo parts. The presence of Bittova adds a wonderful new dimension to the quartet´s sound and her vocalese passages are among the album´s highlights, although the entire proceedings deserve only the highest praise. This album is a great example of the maturity of European Jazz, which keeps evolving more dramatically than ever thanks to the removal of national borders, enabling the emergence of international ensembles, such as this one. Overall this is an excellent modern Jazz album in every respect, surprising, moving and engaging, which will make every fan of nontrivial, advanced, open-minded Jazz extremely happy. Listening to this music is a true delight from start to finish!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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OTTO HEJNIC ~ STANDARDS ONE HEVHETIA 0087 (Barcode: 8588005257282) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2014 This is the second album by Czech Jazz drummer / pianist / composer Otto HejnicFind albums by this artist, recorded in a classic Jazz piano trio format with pianist Ondrej KrajnakFind albums by this artist and bassist Josef FecoFind albums by this artist. In contrast to the debut, which presented solely original compositions by Hejnic, this album features the trio´s interpretations of six classic standards, and in addition three short interludes, credited to the trio, are also included. Playing standards becomes increasingly more and more challenging with the passing of time, as these melodies have been performed already immeasurable number of times by countless musicians the world over. Therefore albums presenting standards must be judged more rigorously than albums with original music and using different criteria. There is no doubt that this album is beautifully played by very talented musicians, and can be counted as a first rate effort. Krajnak has a unique touch and his sense of melody and timing are impeccable. Feco is a superb, virtuoso bassist, who always demonstrates elegance and sensitivity. Hejnic provides a steady and reliable rhythmic support. Together the trio presents a graceful, intelligent and classy act, which makes this album a pleasant listening experience and for classic Jazz piano trio fans is a must have. However the interpretations of these standards remain within the mainstream tradition, with no attempt to introduce any novelty or adventure. Obviously this is the way the trio wanted this music to sound, which I respect of course, but personally I´m always in a lookout for unexpected twists and turns, which are simply not present here. Summa summarum this is a classic Jazz piano trio album, which should make the lovers of the genre ecstatically happy, full of grace and intrinsic joy of music, even if it breaks no new ground. Definitely worth checking out!

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MICHAL TOKAJ ~ THE SIGN HEVHETIA 0089 (Barcode: 8588005257312) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2014 This is the second album as a leader by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Michal TokajFind albums by this artist, one of the most well-regarded and respected musicians on the local scene, known primarily as accompanist, arranger and composer working with top Polish Jazz vocalists like Aga ZaryanFind albums by this artist, Szymon MakohinFind albums by this artist, Grzegorz KarnasFind albums by this artist and others, but also as member of distinguished instrumental ensembles led by Piotr BaronFind albums by this artist, Marek NapiorkowskiFind albums by this artist, Janusz MuniakFind albums by this artist, Czech bassist Jaromir HonzakFind albums by this artist and others. The album was recorded in the classic piano trio format, with bassist Michal BaranskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Lukasz ZytaFind albums by this artist, the same lineup that recorded Tokaj´s debut album "Bird AloneFind albums with this title" a decade earlier. The music comprises of ten original compositions, nine of which were composed by Tokaj and the album´s closing track, which was composed by the great Polish bassist / composer Darek OleszkiewiczFind albums by this artist. The music is brilliantly performed by the trio, which displays not only superb instrumental abilities but more importantly remarkable affinity and interplay, which is hardly surprising considering the fact that they have been playing together for so many years. Tokaj´s piano playing here is somewhat different, as might be naturally expected, from his delicate accompaniments when playing along vocalists or other leading instrumentalists. It is much more assertive and focused, definitely more complex and adventurous, and yet still incredibly melodic, even during the condensed and expressive improvisational passages. Of course both Baranski and Zyta deserve all the compliments for their intelligent and sympathetic, as well as technically exquisite support. The music is a true delight from start to finish, a wonderful mixture of melody, lyricism and even romanticism combined with quite complex ventures into intensive improvisation and above all a lot of freedom and breathing space, which make this music crystal clear even during its most demanding moments. It´s pretty obvious that Tokaj´s gift as a composer and his incredible versatility earn his a well deserved position close to the top of the list of Polish Jazz composers. For me this is easily the best "piano trio playing original music" album recorded in 2014, which is quite a distinction considering how much great music is produced on the Polish scene every year. As usual in such circumstances both a wholehearted recommendation to the fans to grab this gem ASAP and a humble expressions of gratitude towards the musicians are in order. Very well done indeed Gentlemen!

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AGA DERLAK ~ FIRST THOUGHT HEVHETIA 0090 (Barcode: 8588005257329) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2014 This is the debut album by a young Polish Jazz trio led by pianist / composer Aga DerlakFind albums by this artist with bassist Tymon TrabczynskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Bartosz SzablowskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents five lengthy original compositions, all by Derlak. It takes a lot of courage to take the bold step of recording a debut album in the classic piano trio format and play one´s original compositions, like Derlak and her cohorts do on this album. Piano trio is a "naked" environment, where every note, every nuance, even every touch of the keyboard is perfectly audible with absolutely nothing to hide behind. Such endeavors are often quite risky and perilous and therefore I´m happy to say that in this particular case the courage pays off big time. The music is mostly very lyrical and melancholic, almost meditative, even on the mid / up tempo compositions. The melodic statements played as the usual at the entry point of each track develop into lengthy improvised passages, which feature extensive dialogues between the piano and the rhythm section, which gets much more exposure on this album that usually accepted on piano trio albums. Trabczynski and Szablowski both perform wonderfully throughout, using the almost universal approach in today´s young piano trios, where the bass is actually playing the rhythm and the drums are allowed to play "around", often polyrhythmically. There is an obvious empathy and comradeship between the trio members, which is always the best glue which turns musicians into one harmonious entity. Of course not everything is perfect, which is quite understandable considering the age of these young Lions and a Lioness. The extensive improvisations, which last on three of the tracks well over ten minutes, are honestly a bit over the top. It takes a lifetime of playing Jazz to be able to keep an audience on the edge for ten continuous minutes… Perhaps inclusion of at least a couple of additional tunes and shortening the timings considerably would have produced an even more impressive album? But of course these are just my personal musings. Overall this is a most impressive debut, which hopefully will be followed by many more mature albums in the future. I intend to follow the careers of these youngsters, as they are surely a promising bunch. Well done Lady and Gentlemen!

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BARTOSZ DWORAK ~ POLISHED HEVHETIA 0091 (Barcode: 8588005257336) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is the second album by Polish Jazz violinist / composer Bartosz DworakFind albums by this artist and his quartet, which also includes pianist Piotr MatusikFind albums by this artist, bassist Jakub DworakFind albums by this artist and drummer Szymon MadejFind albums by this artist. The quartet performs nine original compositions, four by Bartosz Dworak and five by Matusik. Several of these compositions already appeared on the quartet´s debut album, which was a live recording, and get here a more polished (tongue-on-cheek) version. Dworak proudly joins a long list of Polish Jazz violinists, which keeps growing as the years go by, and includes such luminaries as Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist, Zbigniew SeifertFind albums by this artist, Krzesimir DebskiFind albums by this artist, Adam BaldychFind albums by this artist and young lions like Mateusz SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist and Dawid LubowiczFind albums by this artist. This wonderful legacy can be of course quite overwhelming and daunting, but Dworak seems to have no inferiority complexes whatsoever and gallantly steps into their shoes, doing his own thing. Although Dworak is the leader of this quartet, the compositional and soloing duties are split quite equally between him and Matusik, who wrote about half of the music and plays superb piano parts, both supporting the violin parts and soloing himself. The rhythm section plays along with the two soloists supporting them amicably but staying mostly in the background, which in this specific music is probably all for the best. The music is all pretty straightforward melodic mainstream, although at some moments the quartet ventures, albeit only partly, into a less clearly defined set of parameters. Of course, as usual with Polish Jazz violinists, the music is soaked in melancholy and lyrical folkloristic undertones, which brings fond memories of the material recorded by those musicians listed in the second paragraph. All nine tunes are beautifully melodic, which surely opens this album to a very widespread range of audiences, even those beyond the Jazz idiom. In many respects this album could be considered as a debut, since the semi-formal live recording released earlier was really just a teaser of things to come. And as a debut it certainly is a very impressive effort, in every respect, which keeps the hopes for a new generation of Polish Jazz musicians in general and violinists in particular at their highest. Personally I simply can´t wait for the next album, which will be the decisive proof of maturity. In the meantime we can all enjoy this gem!

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JELLE VAN GIEL GROUP ~ SONGS FOR EVERYONE HEVHETIA 0098 (Barcode: 8588005257404) ~ BELGIUM ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is the debut album by Belgian drummer / composer Jelle Van GielFind albums by this artist and his group, which is a septet also including trumpeter Carlo NardozzaFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Steven DelannoyeFind albums by this artist and Erik BogaertsFind albums by this artist, pianist Bram WeijtersFind albums by this artist, guitarist Tim FinoulstFind albums by this artist and bassist Janos BruneelFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Van Giel, who is also in charge of the arrangements. The music is a collection of melodic pieces, all well within the mainstream Jazz formula, nicely arranged for the group, skillfully utilizing the brass section and full of exciting solos by all participants. Although definitely on the easy side of the Jazz spectrum, this is a very well played collection of beautiful tunes, which is a great fun to listen to. The brass arrangements could have been much more adventurous of course as they mostly follow the American school dating from the Swing Days of the 1940s, but on the other hand they have a nice nostalgic tang to it The individual contributions by all the participants are professional and skilful, with well crafted soloing and sympathetic delivery. However the overall atmosphere is a bit too relaxed, and lacks passion and excitement, as if everybody was afraid to take any risks. Such calculated approach always bears the risk of losing the attention of the listener after a few tunes. The album´s title might have been a bit more meaningful than Van Giel initially intended. Overall this is a nice debut effort, which portrays Van Giel as a skillful composer and arranger, but offers little intellectual challenge to more advanced listeners. Fans of melodic, rounded and pleasurable Jazz will have a great deal of fun with this album. The second album "test" should be quite interesting in this case.

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PAWEL KACZMARCZYK / AUDIOFEELING TRIO ~ SOMETHING PERSONAL HEVHETIA 0100 (Barcode: 8588005257411) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is the fourth album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Pawel KaczmarczykFind albums by this artist, recorded in a classic piano trio format with bassist Maciej AdamczakFind albums by this artist and drummer Dawid FortunaFind albums by this artist. This rhythm section is also known as the rhythm section of the New BoneFind albums by this artist ensemble. The album presents seven tracks, all of which are original compositions by Kaczmarczyk. It was mixed and mastered by the great Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist and released on the Slovak HevhetiaFind albums on this label label, which releases lately a significant amount of Polish Jazz albums, opening new opportunities for Polish Jazz musicians, who face a very tough and crowded local recording market. Kaczmarczyk stormed the Polish Jazz scene over a decade earlier as a young prodigy, winning awards from every possible competition and later recording and releasing three excellent albums as a leader. But the initial impact somewhat subsided over time and although he was visible on the scene quite recurrently, almost six years passed between the release of his last album and this one. No doubt these were years of reflection and reassessment of his musical attitude, as this album clearly proves. The return to the piano trio format and the much less complex arrangements of his compositions signal a kind of return to the roots. Kaczmarczyk was always a great songweaver, and the collection of his new compositions confirms that status again. Wonderfully melodic, deeply lyrical and always full of grace, his music, presented here in a very basic down to earth form, is most effective exactly as it appears here. Gone are the elaborate and intricate rhythmic complexities, instrumental shenanigans and other tricks of the trade; instead we get Kaczmarczyk almost naked musically, but finally mature and truthful to himself. Of course Kaczmarczyk is also a brilliant pianist and on this album, which is modest and very personal, there are limited possibilities to shine as a virtuosic performer; and yet Kaczmarczyk manages to pull this off, playing some amazingly sweet and inspired piano performances. The experienced rhythm section plays along tightly and supportively, being always there when needed. Adamczak plays several nice solos and stands by the leader both harmonically and rhythmically. Fortuna is a very busy drummer, but at all times stays in the background not disturbing the delicate trio balance. In many respects this album could be seen as Kaczmarczyk´s "return", an older, and more mature and focused version of the young star from a decade earlier. The lost charm of excitement and surprise was replaced by musical depth and developed compositional as well as performing skills. It was definitely worth the time we had to wait for this album and hopefully another long lingering will be spared. Welcome back! Side Note: The promo version of this album includes also seven tracks, but two of them are different than those included on the formal album, which of course makes the demo a most desirable collector´s item!

Updated: 27/09/2016Posted:

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JORGOS SKOLIAS / ANTONIS SKOLIAS ~ KOLOS HEVHETIA 0101 (Barcode: 8588005257428) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock-World Fusion Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is a wonderful duo album by Polish vocalist / composer Jorgos SkoliasFind albums by this artist and his son Antonis SkoliasFind albums by this artist, who sings and plays drums and percussions. Together they perform nine original songs, all co-composed by the father / son team, which feature lyrics in the Greek language. Three of the songs have lyrics by the Greek poet Konstantinos Petrou KavafisFind albums by this artist, who lived in Alexandria, Egypt, and who is now recognized as one of the finest Modern Greek poets. Another four songs originate in songs Jorgos remembers from his childhood. Jorgos Skolias is one of several musicians active on the Polish scene, who belong to the Polish Greek community, members of which arrived in Poland as political refugees escaping the persecutions following the end of the civil unrest in Greece after WWII and the defeat of the communists in 1949. Poland, a "young" socialist country at the time, opened its doors to the Greek exiles and they became integrated within the Polish society, producing such great musicians as Apostolis AnthimosFind albums by this artist, Milo KurtisFind albums by this artist, Konstanty JoriadisFind albums by this artist and others. The album is a bold statement of originality; featuring just vocals and percussion where the limitations seem insurmountable, and yet the duo manages to create a fully fledged bona fide magical musical environment, which seems completely natural and misses nothing. Of course Jorgos Skolias is a phenomenal vocalist, a fact known to all his followers since many years, who is able to use his vocal chords in ways nobody else tried before. His ability to create wordless vocalese is a class in itself and he is able to carry a melody like an entire set of instrumentalists. In some ways this album is another facet of his work with the Oles Brothers and their trio called Sefardix, which features vocals supported solely by a rhythm section, which also works out fabulously. It is quite impossible to label this music stylistically, and perhaps this quality is one of its strengths. There are Folkloristic elements here, but also improvisation, Rocky rhythms, Jazz & Poetry manifestations and a whole bunch of other elements, all beautifully amalgamated into a musical experience, which is fascinating from start to finish. Skolias manages to create aesthetic tension and his deep throaty voice has simply no parallels. Kudos to Jan SudzinaFind albums by this artist and his fabulous HevhetiaFind albums on this label label for releasing this music, which has no chance in a commercial environment in spite of its intrinsic values; this tribute to the Greek and in fact the entire Mediterranean group of cultures shows the diversity of the European Culture and the magnificent ingenuity of musicians, who are able to completely ignore imaginary boundaries. This is definitely a unique gem, which will award its listeners a stunning experience, full of surprises and delightful thrills.

Updated: 12/04/2016Posted: 12/04/2016

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KOMARA ~ KOMARA HEVHETIA 0104 (Barcode: 8588005257466) ~ SLOVAKIA ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is the debut album by the international "supergroup" trio KoMaRaFind albums by this artist comprising of Slovak guitarist / bassist David KollarFind albums by this artist, American drummer Pat MastelottoFind albums by this artist (King CrimsonFind albums by this artist) and Italian trumpeter Paolo RaineriFind albums by this artist. It presents ten original compositions, which are not specifically credited on the album´s artwork and therefore in all probability are group compositions by the trio members. There is no doubt that KoMaRa attempts to build a new aesthetic in contemporary music. The striking cover art (by ToolFind albums by this artist´s Adam JonesFind albums by this artist) brings almost immediate association with no less striking "Alien" surrealistic cinematic art by Swiss H. R. GigerFind albums by this artist and in all honesty this album could easily serve as the soundtrack of the "Alien" movies. The music is completely beyond classification, which by itself is already a huge compliment. Cross-genre, cross-style, cross-culture it simply goes all over the place, from Heavy Metal to contemporary Classical, with a serious dose of Jazzy improvisation, Electronic and Ambient, in short a wonderful mayhem, which against all odds makes perfect sense artistically. Although there is no point in analyzing individual contributions by the trio members, as this music is an indissoluble whole, it must be stated that the final result works so well because the personas behind it are so different from each other. Kollar is the avant-gardist relentlessly searching for new sounds and effects, Mastelotto is the rock of Gibraltar, keeping everything in check and Raineri is the romantic sound poet pouring his lyricism on top to calm the stormy, erupting lava bubbling below. KoMaRa is not revolutionary; countless groups attempted similar musical synergy projects since many years, and yet it is undoubtedly one of the most successful of such projects. Therefore, rather then revolution, KoMaRa´s music presents another evolutionary step in music, which amalgamates all our musical traditions and manages to come forth with something previously unachieved, which happens, sadly, extremely rarely as of late. In spite of this music´s "strangeness", it is remarkably accessible, at least to an experienced listener. Repeated listening reveals additional layers, as usual in projects of such complexity, which means that this album can be discovered and re-discovered over a period of time. This is definitely an album that deserves to be wholeheartedly recommended and open-minded / open-hearted listeners are in for a treat!

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KAMIL PIOTROWICZ ~ BIRTH HEVHETIA 0105 (Barcode: 8588005257572) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Kamil PiotrowiczFind albums by this artist recorded in a quintet setting with trumpeter Emil MiszkFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Piotr CheckiFind albums by this artist, bassist Michal BakFind albums by this artist and drummer Slawomir KoryznoFind albums by this artist. It presents nine original compositions (one appearing twice and another based on a Folk tune) by Piotrowicz and one standard. The music is mostly quite conventional, well within the mainstream Jazz format, with occasional less constrained and more open moments. The compositions are however quite sophisticated and often feature several subsections with different rhythmic patterns and melodic themes, turning them into mini-suites. The overall level of these compositions is certainly well advanced, especially in view of the young age of the composer. The arrangements feature the entire ensemble extensively, with the brass section up front, in charge of most of the solos, and the leader staying relatively in the background. It is pretty obvious that the emphasis of this album is in the following order of importance: compositions, arrangements, ensemble performance and only then individual solos. All the young members of the quintet have already some experience and appear on earlier recordings and they are the new generation that will dominate the Polish Jazz scene in the years to come. Judging by what they are able to do herein, things look pretty promising. This is definitely a most impressive debut effort, which although does not break any new ground, certainly proves that there are still infinite opportunities within the established borders of Jazz. Congratulations are in order and of course I´m already waiting for the next endeavor.

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THE BLESSED BEAT ~ MIV HEVHETIA 0108 (Barcode: 8588005257404) ~ SLOVAKIA ~ Jazz-Rock-World Fusion Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is the debut album by the international trio The Blessed BeatFind albums by this artist comprising of Slovak guitarist David KollarFind albums by this artist, Italian drummer Simone CavinaFind albums by this artist and Italian trumpeter Paolo RaineriFind albums by this artist. It presents eight pieces, which are all improvised group compositions by the trio members. The album was composed and recorded in "real time", i.e. using the "what was played is what you hear" approach. The concept behind the music was to create an imaginary soundtrack to an imaginary movie (well, not completely imaginary as at least two different film adaptations were made), based on the Charles BukowskiFind albums by this artist´s shocking story "The Copulating Mermaid Of Venice, CA". The MIV title stands for "Mermaid In Venice" and the titles of the eight pieces are quotations from the story´s actual text. Imaginary soundtracks are of course not a new idea and contemporary musicians are quite fond of this specific sub-genre, which if being used in Progressive Rock, Alternative Rock and Electronic / Ambient music. This album however completely disregards genre boundaries and being completely improvised based on a very loose pre-defined ideas, it is quite different from most other projects of this kind. In view of the fact that this music is performed by just three musicians, it is pretty amazing that they are able to produce effectively such tremendous "wall of sound" sonority. The music flows on several parallel layers of sound, produced by the distorted guitar, the powerful drums, the electronic textures and finally by the trumpet, which floats on top of everything. Since there is very limited melodic continuity, the music transmits an eerie sense of timelessness and floating dimensionless space, which pulls the listener deeper and deeper into the imaginary story evolving underneath. The music displays an amazing, almost telepathic level of communication between the three musicians, each working on his musical plane and all together creating a common virtual sonic reality. Of course Improvised Music, like this one, has a great advantage by constantly changing depending on the listener´s emotional and intellectual input at a specific moment. Therefore albums like this propose theoretically an infinite number of experiences over time. Overall this is a very powerful and ambitious debut effort, which is worth investigating by all adventurous and open-minded music lovers anywhere on this planet. Well done, Gentlemen!

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ELMA ~ AD REM HEVHETIA 0113 (Barcode: 8588005257657) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2016 This is the second album by Polish Jazz vocalist ElmaFind albums by this artist, but in fact it could be viewed as the second part of Elma´s debut album, as it presents material recorded at the same recording session as the material released on the debut. A conscious decision was made at the time to collect the "song oriented" material on the debut and the improvised material on this second album The album was recorded by a quartet, which features Elma with Finnish trumpeter Verneri PohjolaFind albums by this artist and Polish pianist Dominik WaniaFind albums by this artist and bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and was recorded at the Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist. The music on this album comprises of twelve improvised pieces; a prologue and then an eleven-part suite. Except for the first part of the suite which is credited to Elma and Pohjola, the rest of the music is credited to all four participants. Although the Improvised Music is enjoying a spectacular Renaissance in the last few years, it is almost always completely instrumental and does not involve the human voice. The glorious days of the vocal Improvised Music are sadly completely gone and pioneering vocalists like Jeanne LeeFind albums by this artist, Lauren NewtonFind albums by this artist, Urszula DudziakFind albums by this artist, Jay ClaytonFind albums by this artist, Bobby McFerrinFind albums by this artist and others are either forgotten or changed their field of interest. Therefore Elma can be considered as the torch bearer of this fantastic tradition into the 21st Century. Elma treats her voice as an instrument, which has always been the basic rule of great vocalists. Since the human voice is limited only by the vocalist´s imagination, it is the most versatile and virtually unlimited instrument, a fact which becomes plainly evident to anybody listening to this music. With the incredibly compassionate accompaniment Elma receives from her three partners, the resulting music is one of the most unique musical creations recorded in the last few years. The importance of this music is twofold; firstly it is breathtakingly beautiful, emotionally intense and aesthetically stunning and secondly it is intellectually courageous and fascinating. Elma is not regressing to the 1970s to create more of the same vocal Improvised Music created then, but takes the tradition right up to date, moving forward and updating the concept, adapting it to contemporary Jazz language, sound and vision. Her vocalese and other tricks of the trade, most of which she invented herself or expanded from earlier examples, is a completely new language in itself, which enables her to go where nobody went before; an extremely rare quality these days. The contributions of the three instrumentalists present here is simply outstanding. They all manage to contribute to the music without overshadowing the focus of the vocals and their empathy and ability to communicate with Elma almost telepathically is simply phenomenal. This is indisputably one of the most important albums released on the Polish Jazz scene in the last decade and as far as vocal Jazz is concerned, also on a world scale. There is no other vocal Improvised Music of this intensity and innovative authority anywhere else at the moment, which makes this album simply a one of its kind. To say the truth, this album should be studied by every vocalist in the world, Jazz and otherwise, just to make them aware of what the human voice (and mind) is capable of. This might of course make some of them stop singing, which would be of great benefit of course. Absolutely essential item in every serious record collection!

Updated: 29/02/2016Posted: 29/02/2016

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KLIMA / WYLEZOL / KOWALEWSKI ~ LUTOSLAWSKI RETUNED HEVHETIA 0114 (Barcode: 8588005257664) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is the debut album by a Polish Jazz trio comprising of clarinetist Szymon KlimaFind albums by this artist, pianist Piotr WylezolFind albums by this artist and bassist Adam KowalewskiFind albums by this artist. Veteran Polish Jazz musician Piotr Baron guests on one track playing bass clarinet. The album´s music was all composed by the contemporary Classical Polish composer Witold LutoslawskiFind albums by this artist, and includes his five dance preludes (composed in 1954 as a five-parts suite) and a sixth unrelated composition, which was initially published under a pseudonym. What prompted to rearrange (or retune) these composition for a Jazz environment was probably the Lutoslawski Year celebrations in 2013 (his 100 Birthday), which were a big cultural event in Poland and brought the composer to the attention of a much wider audience, including many young Jazz musicians. As a result a long list of Polish Jazz albums, like this one, paid tribute to the great composer; for example "Inspired By LutoslawskiFind albums with this title" by Grazyna AuguscikFind albums by this artist, "BukolikiFind albums with this title" by High Definition QuartetFind albums by this artist, "AtomsphereFind albums with this title" by Atom String QuartetFind albums by this artist and many others. The dance preludes suite, which was originally composed for clarinet and piano, was later twice (1955 and 1959) re-orchestrated for larger ensembles, but Klima based his Jazzy approach on the original intimate version, which remains intimate under the new arrangement. As almost always with Lutoslawski, his music is deeply rooted in the Polish Folklore, and these "dances" all bear resemblance of the characteristic folklore melodies and harmonies, at least to people who are acquainted with that music. Klima, both as arranger and player, oscillates between the Classical and the Jazz idioms, as his clarinet tone and phrasing are almost completely Classical whereas his improvised parts are of course Jazz related. Of course Wylezol and Kowalewski are bona fide Jazz musicians, and their contributions have a decisive weight to turn this music into a wonderful Jazz-Classical Fusion. The intimacy of this music, the virtuosi performances, the elegant and respectful treatment of the original inspirations all add up to a superbly balanced and delightful musical adventure, which should prove pleasing and satisfying to all connoisseurs of good music. Hopefully some of the listeners will try to find out how the music sounds in its original Classical incarnations, and perhaps venture into more fabulous music created by Lutoslawski, other might wish to explore other recordings by Wylezol and Kowalewski, also released by the excellent HevhetiaFind albums on this label label. If so everybody wins, both of the Classical and the Jazz enthusiasts. This album is a great example of a cross-genre exploration, which treats the origins with respect and love, creating a new, perfectly valid amalgamation, which manages to preserve the aesthetics of its origins. Wholeheartedly recommended!

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MICHEL SAJRAWY ~ FLOATING CITY HEVHETIA 0117 (Barcode: 8588005257718) ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz-Rock-World Fusion Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 Although in the public eye the Holy City of Jerusalem symbolizes the Middle East as a cradle of the three religions, for me it is the Galilean City of Nazareth, which is the epitome of the Middle Eastern existence. Christians, Muslims and Jews live, work and study side by side in a fragile embrace of coexistence, day by day. Jerusalem has been and still is, tragically, a symbol of feud and conflict for way too long, while Nazareth serves as an example of what the Middle East could look like, God willing. Michel SajrawyFind albums by this artist and I share the aura of Nazareth since many years. He was born and raised there and lives in the City, whereas I have been teaching there generation after generation of students in classes, where celebrating Easter, Ramadan and Passover is as natural as breathing air. We both love the hills on which the City is built, the beautiful churches and the sound of the church bells, the colorful markets and busy streets, the minarets and the modern buildings of the ever growing new neighborhoods. Therefore it is completely natural that Michel, as an Artist, would incorporate the multicultural background of his home City and create a unique amalgam of Middle Eastern influences, which he can now proudly call his very own. This is the fourth album Michel recorded, which features his music, and in retrospect it follows a clearly defined artistic path, which climaxes here. The Jazz-Rock-World Music blend presented herein is a true masterpiece in every respect. This album is definitely Michel´s most mature statement, but also reveals the search of his musical roots. The relation to the ancient tradition of Arabic maqam, combined with the modern electric guitar sound is absolutely stunning. This emphasized by Michel´s incredible talent to compose beautiful heart capturing melodies, seemingly simple but in fact quite complex and sophisticated, turns him into an icon of the collaboration between East and West musical ethnicities. Michel´s return to his roots is also symbolized by the use of Middle Eastern instruments: oud, qanun, and darbuka, which were significantly less prominent on his early albums. Also Michel plays the bass parts on this album by himself, rather that using a Jazz / Fusion bass player, like he did on previous albums. The combined effect of these changes results in a more than ever substantial presence of World Music elements, which reveals the true Michel Sajrawy. This is a document of a journey there and back; an authentic re-discovery of Fusion between seemingly distant traditions, which proves that an Artist has only to return to his roots, to become whole again. Side Note The above are my liner notes included on this album's artwork. I am honored when asked by the Artists to write liner notes for their albums, always hoping that my words reflect the true spirit of the music. This is also a symbol of our mutual respect and friendship developed over the years. The same is also true when Record Labels ask me to write liner notes for their releases, mostly in the case of reissues of archival albums, which is a symbol of their appreciation of my knowledge and historical perspective and my recognition of their dedication to the preservation of the history of recorded music and the effort to keep human Culture and Aesthetics alive.

Updated: 19/09/2018Posted: 30/12/2016

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IDA ZALEWSKA ~ STORYTELLING HEVHETIA 0118 (Barcode: 8588005257725) ~ POLAND ~ Blues Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the third album by Polish vocalist / songwriter Ida ZalewskaFind albums by this artist, recorded with a quartet comprising of pianist Kuba PluzekFind albums by this artist, who also arranged all the songs, guitarist Szymon MikaFind albums by this artist, bassist Jakub DworakFind albums by this artist and drummer Damian NiewinskiFind albums by this artist, all of them representatives of the young generation of the Polish Jazz scene. The album presents ten original songs, six of which were co-composed by Pluzek and Zalewska, three are by trumpeter Jerzy MalekFind albums by this artist and one is by pianist Bogdan HolowniaFind albums by this artist. Zalewska wrote the lyrics to seven of the songs and Joanna MajorkiewiczFind albums by this artist to the remaining three; five of songs have Polish lyrics and the other five have English lyrics. Although the album is somewhat jazzed up, mostly by the presence of the Jazz musicians, Zalewska is body and soul oozing the Blues, with her deep, sensual voice and vocal mannerisms all originating in the Blues idiom. There is none of the typical Polish lyrical melancholy and Slavic mysticism here (well almost); it is all one or another form of the Blues. Pluzek, as the composer, arranger and main accompanist took the bull by its horns and produced a diverse but consisted body of music, which is built around Zalewska´s capabilities. The instrumental work on this album is relatively modest, and except for Pluzek, who carries most of the weight on his shoulders, the rest of the quartet is rather subdued. Mika plays a few very nice solos, but on a Blues album one would expect a much more dominant guitar presence. The rhythm section has little more to do than to keep time, which they do pretty straightforwardly. Pluzek contributes some nice solo parts and serves the role of the accompanist amicably. Overall, although not really my cup of gumbo, this album is definitely something fans of Soul drenched American Blues will enjoy a lot. The biggest problem this album presents to me is with the lyrics: the English lyrics are fine but Zalewska´s pronunciation is a bit off, the Polish lyrics sound really unnatural in this environment and don´t fit the music very well. I guess Blues was not meant to be sung in Polish. Anyway these are minor points and I guess this music can do very well live, much better than in a sterile studio environment.

Updated: 28/02/2016Posted: 28/02/2016

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SZYMON MIKA ~ UNSEEN HEVHETIA 0122 (Barcode: 8588005257770) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the debut album as a leader by Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Szymon MikaFind albums by this artist, one of the prominent representatives of the young generation of the Polish Jazz scene. It was recorded in an intimate trio setting with bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and Israeli drummer Ziv RavitzFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine tracks with five original compositions by Mika (the opening and closing track are versions of the title track) and three standards. The fact that Mika is an exceptionally gifted guitarist becomes immediately apparent and the excellent level of musicianship continues until the very last notes. The music is kept well within the Modern mainstream, with no attempts to venture into the Free territory. The themes are clearly melodic and Mika plays brilliantly and although he improvises extensively he makes an effort to stay within the boundaries. This might be limiting in a long range, but luckily his partners contribute some amazingly supportive and elaborate musical structures, which carry the music forward at all times and sound truly refreshing. Mucha is also a superb player and his solid bass lines provide a safe foundation for the trio to stretch out. Ravitz is by now one of the top young World drummers and his prolific recording career proves that he is very much in demand, which is fully justified. His contributions on this album are an example of what inventive contemporary Jazz drumming is all about. Overall this is a beautiful piece of Jazz music, which all connoisseurs of the genre should enjoy immensely, "guitar heaven" for those listeners who love the sound of guitar and a strong example of how mainstream Jazz can be intelligent and aesthetically perfect. Wholeheartedly recommended! For Hi-Fi enthusiasts, this album has superb sound quality and one of the nicest, roundest guitar sounds I have heard in a long time – a true feast for the ears!

Updated: 22/04/2016Posted: 22/04/2016

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PAWEL KACZMARCZYK / AUDIOFEELING TRIO ~ VARS & KAPER DECONSTRUCTION HEVHETIA 0126 (Barcode: 8588005257817) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 - 2015 Released: 2016 Three years ago I initiated a series of concerts / recordings as part of the Singer Jazz Festival, of which I am the artistic director, of music by the great "American" composers: Victor YoungFind albums by this artist, Bronislaw KaperFind albums by this artist and Henryk WarsFind albums by this artist, all three of which are in fact Polish Jews, who immigrated to the US at some stage of their life. The fact that they had Polish / Jewish roots is almost completely unknown not only to the American public (which is not surprising), but sadly also to Polish public. The main purpose, therefore, of these concerts / recordings was to bring their Jewish / Polish roots to the attention of music lovers. The music was performed and recorded by my friend, the excellent Polish Jazz pianist Kuba StankiewiczFind albums by this artist and his trio, and the entire series was hugely successful. Neither Kuba nor I anticipated the fact that our project would also influence the entire Polish Jazz scene and produce a huge renewed interest in these three composers, which also produced a string of recordings, of which this album is an example. Pawel KaczmarczykFind albums by this artist is of course one of the most brilliant Polish Jazz pianist, who took the local scene by a storm and during the last decade established himself as a one of its central figures. This is the second album with his trio which includes bassist Maciej AdamczakFind albums by this artist and drummer Dawid FortunaFind albums by this artist. Together they perform nine songs composed by Henryk Wars (four songs) and Bronislaw Kaper (five songs, two split into two parts). In addition to the trio the DJ Wojciech DlugoszFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Mr. KrimeFind albums by this artist) adds turntablism and electronics. The trio performs beautifully, as expected, playing the classic compositions with the usual flair and technical brilliance. The turntablism, electronics and other sound effects like vintage voice recordings, suit the music well and are non intrusive, but don’t really add anything substantial to the subject matter, beyond being a novelty of sorts. The usage of the term "deconstruction" in the album´s title is however quite problematic. Personally I can´t hear anything being deconstructed in the music played on this album? These are just pretty standard interpretations of the classic songs, but deconstructions? The philosophical / aesthetic meaning of deconstruction is certainly absent here and in general this term is being used (or misused) way to often these days. Overall this is an excellent piano trio recording, with brilliant Jazz performances, as expected. Just forget the somewhat pretentious title and enjoy the music!

Updated: 27/09/2016Posted: 27/09/2016

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ILONA DAMIECKA / FRANCESCA BERTAZZO HART ~ MONK`S MIDNIGHT HEVHETIA 0128 (Barcode: 8588005257831) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the third album by Polish pianist / vocalist Ilona DamieckaFind albums by this artist and her second recording with the Italian guitarist / vocalist Francesca Bertazzo HartFind albums by this artist. The international quartet is completed by Polish bassist Pawel UrowskiFind albums by this artist and American drummer Eric AllenFind albums by this artist. The album, as the title suggests, presents ten Thelonious MonkFind albums by this artist compositions, nine of which feature lyrics mostly written by Jon HendricksFind albums by this artist. Monk´s music is for me a temple of Jazz spirituality and incredible intellectual depth and albums like this one, which turn his music into "entertainment for the masses" really make me very angry. They might popularize the great composer´s music, but they also trivialize it, by leaving the thin melodic layer on the surface, rather than trying to explore it in depth. After all there are already so many albums similar to this one, why would anyone attempt to make another one. As if the ad meritum problems of this album were not enough, it also suffers from the usual predicaments involving nonnative English speaking vocalist singing in English, which here are painfully obvious, although not equally shared by the two vocalist Ladies. The instrumental parts are fine, nothing spectacular of course just straightforward Bebop played by European (well almost) musicians, which sounds exactly as expected. There is no iota of innovation, ambition or effort to create something meaningful here. The vocalese parts sadly are a pale shadow of what Jazz vocalist have been doing for many decades already. Oh yes! The CD is gold plated!

Updated: 12/09/2016Posted: 12/09/2016

CD 1 Digipak Gold Recommend To A Friend

JACHNA / TARWID / KARCH ~ SUNDIAL II HEVHETIA 0130 (Barcode: 8588005257879) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is the second album by the excellent Polish Jazz trio consisting of trumpeter Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist, pianist Grzegorz TarwidFind albums by this artist and drummer Albert KarchFind albums by this artist. It presents nine original compositions, four of which were composed by Tarwid, two were composed by Karch, one was composed by Jachna, one was co-composed by Jachna and Tarwid and the final one was co-composed by all three members of the trio. The trio´s previous album, which created quite a stir on the Polish scene when it was released two years earlier, has set an incredibly high hurdle before the musicians to follow up and even more so to further develop their music, with the usual "second album dread" hovering above. I am delighted to say that they did not disappoint and managed very successfully to surmount all the perils. The main element of this album is the decisive role of the composition, which takes over the role of improvised music, which was the primary modus operandi on the debut album. It becomes very apparent after just a few moments of listening, that this music is carefully composed and structured, which takes it even closer to the contemporary Classical idiom and further away from Jazz, than previously. The music is mostly very serene, relaxed and minimalistic, with prolonged pauses and a vast amount of space between the notes, except for a few highly intensive passages. Tarwid, who is the primary composer this time, plays long solo piano passages, which resemble the characteristic atmosphere of the music by the great French composer Erik SatieFind albums by this artist. Jachna almost completely avoids his blistering staccatos and mostly just plays the melody lines and variations. Karch also does not play traditional rhythms, just adds percussive layer to the music, mostly using mallets and playing very modestly. As a trio they are extremely effective, balanced and expressive, using the silence and space as their most efficient tool. Together the trio creates an amazing amalgam of contemporary music, which simply eschews any simplistic classification. For a lack of a better definition it could be described as belonging to the very liberal and broad definition of the Jazz idiom, but in truth it could be also perceived as a next step in the development of contemporary music. Free yet organized, unconventional yet coherent, composed yet unexpected, this is definitely some of the best music that is being played in Europe these days. One can only speculate what these young musicians will come up with in the future, but it is pretty sure it will be fresh and intellectually challenging. This level of composition and performance happens only very rarely, even on the European Jazz scene, which is blessed with remarkable quantity of extremely talented young musicians. In the meantime we can enjoy every second if this superb album, filling our hearts with the joy of creation these musicians share with us. Absolutely brilliant!

Updated: 27/10/2016Posted: 27/10/2016

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KAMIL PIOTROWICZ ~ POPULAR MUSIC HEVHETIA 0134 (Barcode: 8588005257916) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is the second album by young Polish Jazz pianist / composer Kamil PiotrowiczFind albums by this artist, this time recorded in a sextet setting with trumpeter Emil MiszkFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Kuba WiecekFind albums by this artist and Piotr CheckiFind albums by this artist, bassist Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, all by Piotrowicz. The music is a superb collection of modern Jazz compositions, brilliantly arranged for the sextet, using all the power and interplay possibilities of the relatively large ensemble. The compositions are diverse and quite complex, changing styles and tempi rapidly and displaying an incredible maturity relative to the age of the composer. In spite of the complexity and multilayered structure the compositions are completely coherent and deeply moving emotionally. Stylistically the music moves between contemporary Classical oriented pieces and large ensemble compositions, firmly based on the tradition developed in the late 1950s and 1960s by such Jazz mavericks like George RussellFind albums by this artist and Charles MingusFind albums by this artist. Adorned with typical European harmonies this music reaches peaks rarely heard before. The level of execution of this difficult music is also exceptional. All the participants play amazing solo parts and cooperate brilliantly in the ensemble parts, with the rhythm section firmly holding the intricate musical construction in place. Nothing is taken for granted here and these wonderful musicians keep surprising the listener again and again, with a bag of virtuosic tricks that never ceases to amaze. Most of the individual statements are concise and perfectly suited to the musical setting at the moment of their execution, This album is a giant step forward for Piotrowicz and although his debut album, released a year earlier, showed a lot of potential, nothing prepared the listeners for this masterpiece following up so soon. This is definitely one of the best Polish Jazz albums released in 2016 and a very strong contender for the top of the heap. If Piotrowicz is able to create music of such profound impact today, what will happen next? This is an absolute must for all Polish Jazz connoisseurs around the world and an exquisite example of the fact that Jazz is alive and kicking and progressing and exciting and intensely beautiful! Hats off!

Updated: 28/10/2016Posted: 28/10/2016

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JAKUB DYBZYNSKI EQUILATERAL TRIO ~ INTUITIVE INVERSIONS HEVHETIA 0135 (Barcode: 8588005257923) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz clarinetist / composer Jakub DybzynskiFind albums by this artist recorded with his trio called Equilateral TrioFind albums by this artist, which also includes bassist Mariusz PrasniewskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Karol DomanskiFind albums by this artist. All trio members are graduates of Music Academies in Denmark, where many young Polish Jazz musicians study and often also stay in the last decade, and where this album was recorded. Together they perform eight original compositions, all by Dybzynski. The music is quite diverse and moves between melodic modern Jazz and open compositions which are closer to Free Jazz. Some compositions have a steady swinging rhythmic drive others are much less restrained rhythmically, in short an interesting mixture of melodies, rhythms and musical freedom, which works out very well. Dybzynski is a skilled player, but for the moment lacks the finesse displayed by the veteran Polish Jazz clarinetists. He is however certainly on the right track and will surely gain the necessary experience in the years to come. His compositional skills are already quite mature, and the material on this album is definitely very promising. The rhythm section is really excellent and handles the complex rhythmic patterns with ease and elegance, carrying the music steadily even during the free form passages. They are perfect accompanists to the delicate clarinet sound, delivering an overall powerful message to the listener. The open, free form compositions are the most impressive parts on this album, and hopefully will be more prominent in the future recordings by the trio. But even on the steady swinging tunes the trio plays interestingly enough to keep the listener fully engrossed in the music. The clarinet is sadly not as popular in Jazz as it deserves to be, and hearing young musicians pursuing the great clarinet Jazz tradition is very encouraging. This is definitely an impressive debut and hopefully will be followed up by no less impressive recordings in the feature. Well done!

Updated: 18/11/2016Posted: 18/11/2016

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SZYMON LUKOWSKI ~ HOURGLASS HEVHETIA 0136 (Barcode: 8588005257930) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2017 This is the second album by Polish Jazz saxophonist / clarinetist / composer Szymon LukowskiFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quintet setting with Austrian (resident in London) guitarist Hannes RieplerFind albums by this artist, and Polish vibraphonist Dominik BukowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Pawel UrowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Slawomir KoryznoFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, six by Lukowski and one each by Bukowski, Riepler and Urowski. From the first notes of this album it is obvious that the young musician made a giant step forward both as a player and a composer in comparison to his earlier recordings. Supported by a formidable team of highly talented musicians, Lukowski delivers a wonderful collection of excellent tunes, all beautifully played by him and his cohorts. The elegant arrangements, which feature the superb talents of Bukowski on vibes and marimba and great guitar playing by Riepler, all contribute to the elegant flow of melody lines, amicably supported by the rhythm section. Although the music is still very "conventional" and well within the Jazz mainstream idiom, it is able to shed off the trivial references to years of Jazz tradition, which have been abused and misused for decades. This music flows smoothly and elegantly, keeping the listener attentive. Lukowski uses several types of saxophones and the bass clarinet to produce diverse and interesting tonal ornamentations which serve the music to the max. The music was wonderfully recorded at the Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, with the usual spectacular sonic result. The clarity of the sound and the superb separation of the instruments make listening to this album an audiophiles´ orgy. Overall this is a great mainstream Jazz album, which offers excellent music and first class performances, which should satisfy all connoisseurs and still deliver something previously unheard. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 27/05/2017Posted: 27/05/2017

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FRANCESCA PALAMIDESSI ~ AMBER HAZE HEVHETIA 0137 (Barcode: 8588005257954) ~ ITALY ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is the second album by Italian (resident in Belgium) vocalist Francesca PalamidessiFind albums by this artist, recorded with Belgian keyboardist Hendrik LasureFind albums by this artist and drummer Casper Van De VeldeFind albums by this artist. The album presents thirteen original compositions, all except one composed by Palamidessi, some of which feature lyrics (in English) also all except one written by her as well. Six of the tracks are described as being freely improvised. The music floats somewhere between Avant-Garde Pop and Improvised Music, creating some of the most unique and bizarre soundscapes, which even the most experienced music listeners come across pretty rarely. Very minimalistic on one hand but deeply expressive on the other, this is a formidable example of uncompromised artistic chase for individualism and originality. Although the vocalist uses texts, she treats her voice just like an instrument, singing also improvised melodic bits and vocalese. The accompaniment becomes merged with the vocal parts, creating a fluid tapestry which changes in intensity from whisper to shout. Although there is almost no melody in the conventional sense, the music has an intrinsic continuity and fluidness that lets the listener follow the sonic developments on a lucid path. Overall this is a very unique piece of music, which requires open mindedness and several listening sessions to get into, but which exemplifies the everlasting urge of Artists to pursue their own visions, even when this results in staying well outside the mainstream. A wonderful, challenging experience, which I wholeheartedly recommend!

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

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STANISLAW SLOWINSKI ~ LANDSCAPES TOO EASY TO EXPLAIN HEVHETIA 0139 (Barcode: 8588005257978) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is the debut album by a quintet led by Polish Jazz violinist / composer Stanislaw SlowinskiFind albums by this artist, which also includes trumpeter Zbigniew SzwajdychFind albums by this artist, pianist Katarzyna PietrzkoFind albums by this artist, bassist Justyn MalodobryFind albums by this artist and drummer Maksymilian OlszewskiFind albums by this artist. Together they perform seven original compositions, all by the leader. The music is an excellent example of modern Polish Jazz, which although melody based and well within the mainstream convention, manages to maintain a very high level of compositions and performances. It is soaked with typical Polish melancholy and Slavic melodic motifs, and of course focuses on the violin as the leading instrument, and as a result one can hardly find a more spiritually "Polish Jazz" album than this one. The pairing of the violin and the trumpet as the two lead instruments proves to be extremely effective and harmonically attuned, in spite of its rarity. As usual with the new generation of the Polish Jazz musicians, Slowinski, despite his young age, has already an impressive list of accomplishments to his credit, which includes leading / membership in several projects, including as diverse directions as Improvised Music on one hand and Classical Music on the other. This album, which sits, as already mentioned, comfortably within the mainstream Jazz idiom, presents yet another facet of Slowinski´s versatility and is primarily dedicated to presenting his compositions. But of course his performances on the violin are full of beautiful sensitivity and technical excellence. It is worth mentioning that Slowinski is yet another representative of the Polish Jazz Violin School, which enjoys an incredible renaissance in the last decade, and places Poland in the leading position as far as violin artistry is concerned in the Jazz field. He joins the ranks of many of his colleagues, who proudly continue the traditional role of the violin as one of the most expressive instruments available to mankind. The rest of the quintet members are all of course excellent performers as well. Szwajdych delivers melodic accompaniment and excellent solo parts, Pietrzko lays out the harmonic layer upon which the tunes progress and fills the gaps with her delicate but solid statements, and hopefully will play more solo parts on future recordings. The rhythm sections provides admirable and flawless support to the soloists, and plays always at the right levels to make the music a whole bigger that the sum of its parts. This is definitely a very impressive debut, which comes with a firm recommendation to follow these wonderful young people in their future endeavors. Well done indeed!

Updated: 30/12/2016Posted: 30/12/2016

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ANNA GADT ~ RENAISSANCE HEVHETIA 0143 (Barcode: 8588005258005) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is the fourth album by Polish Jazz vocalist Anna GadtFind albums by this artist, which presents her interpretations of Polish Renaissance music by such composers as Waclaw z SzamotulFind albums by this artist, Mikolaj GomolkaFind albums by this artist, Jan z LublinaFind albums by this artist and Mikolaj z KrakowaFind albums by this artist, who all lived and composed music in the 16th Century. The fourteen pieces presented on this album include also three short improvisations and three original compositions by Gadt. On the album Gadt is accompanied by only two musicians: accordionist Zbigniew ChojnackiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist (of RGGFind albums by this artist fame). The music was recorded at the fabulous Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, with the usually spectacular sonic quality. The music features mostly vocalese, with just a few fragments of lyrics, which of course means that Gadt´s voice is the centerpiece of this project. Her control of the vocal range and her improvisational abilities are astounding. The overall musical effect is not easy to be absorbed by the average listener, as it requires patience and understanding of both ancient music and Jazz, which is definitely far from being trivial. Those who can truly appreciate this highly unique undertaking will be rewarded by immense emotional and aesthetic gratifications. The conscious decision to appear with minimal instrumental support is also an extremely courageous one, but luckily Gadt found two most sympathetic cohorts. Chojnacki is a Master accordionist and his instrument is able to create sonic vistas which move between the mighty church pipe organ to a wooden flute. His virtuosity is simply completely exceptional. Gradziuk, who is one of the most versatile and sensitive drummers on the Polish Scene, also contributes formidable support to the vocal parts. Together the three musicians are able to create a much bigger effect than just the sum of their contributions. Overall this is a most ambitious and praiseworthy effort, which combines paying tribute to the Polish Culture from the past and its development in recent times. The obscure Renaissance Music, known only by a few selected scholars, gets an exposure, which hopefully will result in more people discovering it. Gadt´s contribution to the Polish Vocal Jazz School is fully noted and sealed by this release, being fully deserved. Well done Anna! Kudos to Jan SudzinaFind albums by this artist and his HevhetiaFind albums on this label label for supporting Polish Jazz so enthusiastically, which is of course very neighborly of him. Keep it up!

Updated: 23/02/2017Posted: 23/02/2017

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FLASH! ~ SILA HEVHETIA 0144 (Barcode: 8588005258012) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the debut album by Polish trio The Flash!Find albums by this artist, which consists of saxophonist Slawomir PezdaFind albums by this artist, bassist Jakub DworakFind albums by this artist and drummer Maksymilian OlszewskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eleven original compositions, all by Pezda. The music is a very surprising twist of Punk / Rock / Jazz power trio approach, very similar to the stuff done by Scandinavian trio The Thing. Pezda´s solid tunes are structured and melodic enough to be easily followed and serve as a basis for his lengthy improvisations. The bass uses electronic fuzz and distortion to produce a very thick and loud sound and the drums are primarily used to supply a straightforward steady beat. The overall idea is to sound as loud and uncomplicated as possible, providing a hypnotic and easy to follow grove, although the saxophone improvisations are far from simplistic. It is difficult to guess if the band recorded this album as a cynical exercise to ridicule some of the contemporary directions in Jazz, which tend to castrate the music from its artistic values and its power, or perhaps this is a serious protest against the musical establishment, hypocrisy of the Art world and other social dilemmas. Whatever the motivation might be, this is a very strong statement, which is difficult to be ignored. Some of the Polish musicians who established the Yass movement in the 1990s might smile and say to themselves "we have already tried this ages ago", but in all fairness this music has perhaps some of the Yass attitude, but musically it is quite different and often much more ambitious. Pezda´s performances on this album are a unique example of treating the saxophone as a Rock instrument, similar to what was quite natural in the early 1960s as part of the Rhythm And Blues and Big Beat music, and than completely disappeared. This album is definitely worth hearing and experiencing (watch the volume!) and it is difficult to predict how it will be accepted by the Jazz audiences, but it´s pretty easy to guess that the young generation should love it, as it usually loves everything that is loud and projects anti-establishment (in music this time). Congrats to the band for being unconventional! I had a great fun listening to this stuff!

Updated: 08/05/2023Posted: 13/01/2017

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PAST PRESENT & ANDREW D`ANGELO ~ SHORT PIECES HEVHETIA 0148 (Barcode: 8588005258098) ~ NORWAY ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is the debut album by a collaboration between the Norwegian duo Past PresentFind albums by this artist, comprising of trumpeter Simen Kiil HalvorsenFind albums by this artist and bassist Alexander HoholmFind albums by this artist, and American saxophonist Andrew D`AngeloFind albums by this artist. Three guest musicians: pianists Pete RendeFind albums by this artist and Elias StemesederFind albums by this artist and drummer Jim BlackFind albums by this artist appear on selected tracks. The album presents ten original improvised pieces, all unusually short (under four minutes in duration) credited to the participating musicians. The music is surprisingly very melodic, especially in view of its improvisational nature, with the Nordic melancholy omnipresent. The melody lines are often stated and soon after left to reverberate before the improvisation takes over. The concept of creating only short pieces of music proves to be successful in this case, as Improvised Music more than often suffers from overstated and in the long run repetitive exploration leading nowhere, which is completely avoided in this case. Perhaps the idea is based in the minimalist approach, which simply puts forward a musical idea and than lets the listener to fill the blanks. One way or another these short pieces stimulate curiosity and interest, but often leave the listener surprised, when the music is unexpectedly over. Overall this is a very interesting Improvised Music / Free Jazz statement, which manages to stick to the European aesthetics of non aggressive coexistence, which helps the music to be acceptable to listeners from outside of the relatively closed sphere of Avant Garde aficionados. Definitely worth exploring!

Updated: 17/12/2018Posted: 17/08/2018

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AGA DERLAK ~ HEALING HEVHETIA 0149 (Barcode: 8588005258104) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is the second album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Aga DerlakFind albums by this artist, recorded again in a classic piano trio format, this time with bassist Tymon TrabczynskiFind albums by this artist, who also played on the debut, and drummer Szymon MadejFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, all by Derlak. Musically the album continues exactly from where the debut left off. The long, contemplative themes, introvert and full of silent breaths are still here, but they are much more condensed and compressed, which works all for the best. This music is very minimalistic, hinting more that it is actually saying, hiding more than it is actually disclosing. This clever game of hide and seek keeps the attentive listener on the edge at all times, trying to guess the next move. Derlak manages to define her very personal style on this album much more fluently and precisely that on her debut, which is quite understandable. The performances are extremely hard to judge, as they are fragmented into short passages, which limit the possibility of displaying technical fluency. But perhaps the ability to play a myriad of fragments rather than a steady flow of notes is the true challenge here. If I might use a metaphor from another field of Art, Derlak´s music is like impressionist pointillist painting, which in music is called divisionism. I have no idea if Derlak is at all aware of these terms, but that what her music is really all about. Of course in painting, as in music, the individual dots of paint / sound dots create a complete picture of uniquely structured beauty. The rhythm section faces the same difficulties as the leader, with the music being introvert and constantly intervallic, which of course makes the traditional role of keeping time and pulse devilishly difficult. These young players stand up to the challenge bravely, supporting the pianist amicably, elegantly and with superb cohesiveness and harmony, which is nothing short of being brilliant. Derlak and her fellow musicians mange to overcome the proverbial second album jinx with flying colors, producing a brilliant piano trio album, which is not only elegant and intelligent, but also completely innovative and unique. Even on the incredibly busy and productive Polish Jazz scene albums like this one are an exception. As a result Derlak becomes a talent worth watching, and considering her achievements in such early stages of her career, God only knows where she intends to take us in the future. Mon plus profond respect Milady!

Updated: 08/05/2017Posted: 08/05/2017

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GRZEGORZ KARNAS ~ POWER KISS HEVHETIA 0150/0151 (Barcode: 8588005258111) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is the seventh album by Polish Jazz vocalist Grzegorz KarnasFind albums by this artist, this time recorded live during his 2016 concerts in China. The enclosed CD presents ten tracks, five of which are original compositions / improvisations by Karnas, one song (repeated twice) is by Joni MitchellFind albums by this artist, another song (also repeated twice) is by Laurie AndersonFind albums by this artist and one is a Michal TokajFind albums by this artist composition. Karnas is accompanied by a piano trio, which consists of Azerbaijani pianist Elchin ShirinovFind albums by this artist and Polish bassist Alan WykpiszFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz MaslowskiFind albums by this artist. The enclosed DVD presents mostly the same material included on the CD with a couple of alternate takes. Karnas is of course the most unique Polish Jazz vocalist and his music presents a completely individual approach, which is basically incomparable with anything else in the vocal department, not only in Poland but in the whole world for that matter. He hardly ever uses words (lyrics) and most of what he utters is virtuosic vocalese unrelated to any "real" language (although here he seems to make an effort to communicate with his audiences in Chinese). His inventive use of his vocal cords and his unearthly timbre, combined with superb instrumental work by his band members always create epic results, which are beyond what one might expect within the vocal Jazz idiom. It is absolutely amazing what these four musicians are able to achieve on stage, live and "naked". Karnas chose some of the absolutely best young musicians on the European scene, with the brilliant Shirinov creating all the melodic / harmonic background (and soloing spectacularly) and the rhythm section simply carrying the music all along on a rock-steady foundation and with exquisite inventiveness. Overall this is a stunning piece of music, which deserves to be taught in music schools not only for its musical qualities, but primarily for the freedom of creation it symbolizes like only very few other recordings do. Every true music connoisseur should find this album enchanting, even if not immediately likeable. Music of such quality requires total involvement, nothing less. It is great to see Karnas still able to move mountains, especially in view of his relatively sparse release schedule lately. All his albums deserve an honorable place in any serious Polish / European Jazz collection, and they are all a chronicle of an Artist, who does not rest for one moment, constantly searching for new territory and new forms of expression; a rare and precious quality for which he deserves all praise. Thank you for the gift of music!

Updated: 12/09/2017Posted: 12/09/2017

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KARI SAL ~ BETESDA HEVHETIA 0153 (Barcode: 8588005258135) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Pop Fusion Recorded: 2015 - 2016 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by Polish singer / songwriter Kari SalFind albums by this artist, recorded with a dream-team backup group consisting of top Polish Jazz musicians: violinist Adam BaldychFind albums by this artist (Sal´s husband), violist Michal ZaborskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Piotr CheckiFind albums by this artist, pianist Pawel KaczmarczykFind albums by this artist, bassist Michal KapczukFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. Finnish trumpeter Verneri PohjolaFind albums by this artist also guests on several tracks. The album presents seven original songs, five of which were composed by Sal, one was co-composed by Sal and Baldych and one was co-composed by Sal, Baldych and Kaczmarczyk. Sal wrote the lyrics to five of the songs and two songs have lyrics based on Biblical texts. There is also one track featuring wordless vocalese with music by Baldych. The music is a mixture of many diverse influences, which include Polish Folklore roots, Scandinavian Alternative Pop and others; altogether close in spirit to the Polish sung poetry idiom. The arrangements add a distinct Jazzy flavor, but the music is not rooted in Jazz per se. Sal´s songwriting is full of typical Polish lyricism and melancholy, both on the musical and textual planes. Influenced by her visit to Island, the music also encompasses the Nordic characteristics, which are not that far away from the Slavic sources, which perhaps explains why Polish and Scandinavian musicians feel so much affinity towards each other. The biblical sources and Sal´s own lyrics reflect deeply religious / spiritual involvement, which is rarely present in contemporary Art. Sal´s compositions are all remarkably mature, harmonically coherent, stylistically consistent and aesthetically rounded, which of course deserves praise and admiration. As expected, the performances by all the instrumentalist present on this album are nothing short of stellar. There are numerous exquisite solos and the accompaniment by the basic violin / piano / rhythm section quartet is superbly and consistently executed. But of course the vocal parts by Sal are the focus of this album. She has a wonderfully clear, steady and colorful voice, which she uses wisely and cleverly. Both her lyrics and vocalese parts are moving and fascinating, and although she demonstrates self-confidence and clear musical vision, she is not over-confident and respectfully cooperates with the band members. The decision to sing in Polish is also extremely important and it´s encouraging to see that some Polish vocalists are free of the "singing in English" complex, which is a plague and keeps Polish vocalists in many cases back from achieving its full potential. Overall this is a beautiful and most impressive debut album, which proves that determination and talent conquer all. Obviously Sal received a lot of support and help from the musicians playing on this album, but it is first and foremost her own achievement, both as a songwriter and performer and she deserves every bit of our gratitude for creating this sensitive, intelligent music. I already can´t wait for the next album… Thank you, Milady!

Updated: 04/11/2017Posted: 04/11/2017

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RYBACKA / PASBORG ~ VOICE`N`DRUMS HEVHETIA 0157 (Barcode: 8588005258203) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by a duo comprising of Polish (resident in Denmark) vocalist Ania RybackaFind albums by this artist and Danish drummer Stefan PasborgFind albums by this artist. It presents eight improvised pieces co-credited to Rybacka and Pasborg. The music is a courageous attempt to create meaningful aural experiences within the minimalistic setting of voice and drums only, which surprisingly works out very successfully. Obviously cross-genre and unconventional, the music encompasses many different ingredients, both melodically and rhythmically and is very difficult to pinpoint, which of course is its virtue. There are clearly elements of Jazz and Improvised music, but also World Music, Ambient, Meditative Music and others are involved. Rybacka uses a plethora of wordless vocal techniques like looping, multiplexing, repetition and minimalistic Classical Music approach, creating a musical tapestry full of mysticism, anticipation and spirituality. Her level of inventiveness and exploration is awe inspiring and the album has no dull moments throughout its entire duration. Pasborg is not only equally inventive and diverse in his contributions, but most importantly an equal partner in the process of creating this music. The interplay and telepathic dialogue that develops between the two Artists is nothing short of phenomenal. Overall this Avant-Garde effort is a fascinating and intelligent exercise in expanding the boundaries of music, which in spite of its innovation and daring approach is also very listenable and even enjoyable. Of course, as usual in such cases, an open-minded attitude is required from the listener to be able first to accept and then to enjoy this music. This is an important and highly recommended album, which proves that imagination has no limits and life does not have to be mundane and enslaved in the chains of archaic perceptions.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 23/02/2018

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JACEK KOCHAN / MUSICONSPIRACY ~ PARENTES HEVHETIA 0158 (Barcode: 8588005258210) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock-World Fusion Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is an album by veteran Polish Jazz drummer / composer Jacek KochanFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet setting with young virtuoso accordionist Zbigniew ChojnackiFind albums by this artist, Italian guitarist Fabrizio BruscaFind albums by this artist and bassist Michal KapczukFind albums by this artist. Ten additional musicians (brass and string sections) play on some tracks. The album presents nine original compositions, all by Kochan. The music is dominated by odd meters and irregular rhythmic patterns as well as World Music motifs and Rock / Fusion excursions, with strong Jazz affiliations but not really Jazz per se; altogether pretty weird and intriguing mixture of styles and influences. The melodic content is ragged and difficult to follow for an average listener. The overall result is quite a challenge to the listeners, but also offers plenty of opportunities to find a connection with fairly uncommon music. The individual performances are all excellent with Chojnacki stealing the show with his incredible sensitivity and layers of melodic revelations. Brusca is more proficient in the Rock / Fusion environment than within the Jazz idiom. Kapczuk plays well and provides a solid bottom that holds the music together. The leader´s assertive drumming dominates the proceedings taking no prisoners. The occasional orchestral arrangements do not change the character and outcome of the music significantly. Overall this is an interesting and challenging album, which may require several listening sessions to win the listener over. Kochan does not stay still and constantly tries out new ways to express his musical ideas and doing his own thing, for which he deserves to be praised. This is not easy stuff, but definitely worth investigating.

Updated: 03/11/2017Posted: 03/11/2017

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IMPROVISION QUARTET ~ FREE-FOLK-JAZZ HEVHETIA 0159 (Barcode: 8588005258227) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by Polish ensemble called Improvision QuartetFind albums by this artist, which comprises of clarinetist Szymon KlimaFind albums by this artist, pianist Dominik WaniaFind albums by this artist, bassist Adam KowalewskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Przemyslaw JaroszFind albums by this artist. The album presents six improvisations based on Polish musical Folklore, arranged by the quartet. The album offers an unprecedented high quality recording sound, definitely one of the best I came across this year (2017). The music, as already mentioned above, consists of Free Form improvisations based on Polish Folklore songs, some of those being well known and others completely obscure. The quartet offers a remarkable ensemble work, which presents a coherent and clear artistic vision, consistently developed throughout the album, deeply rooted in Free Jazz / Improvised Music tradition, but also astonishingly minimalistic, focused and full of breathing space. There is a beautiful atmosphere of relaxation and complete lack of pressure to state anything beyond the necessary. In some respects this album is the continuation of the "Lutoslawski RetunedFind albums with this title" album recorded three years earlier, but the statements are much bolder and refined this time. The individual contributions by these virtuosi musicians are all absolutely brilliant from start to finish. The minimalistic approach allows for many solo / duo / trio and eventually also quartet statements, which expose each of the participants in complete "nakedness". Not surprisingly they all manage to come victorious from the challenging circumstances, which present to the listener some of the best moments these musicians ever put on record. Wania´s contributions are definitely stellar and for me personally probably they are his best playing ever so far. His wondrous ability to say so much with just a few touches of the keyboard is simply miraculous. But Klima, Kowalewski and especially Jarosz also contribute amazing moments, with the latter producing some of the most amazing percussive effects I had the pleasure to hear. This is definitely one of the finest hours of Polish Jazz in 2017, although it will probably not achieve the praise it deserves, as usual on the Polish scene, where often some pretty dismal albums get all the distinctions, prizes and attention. Well, life is not fair and people are stupid and deaf. This is an amazing album from start to finish, which redefines the contemporary Free Jazz idiom, again emphasizing the fact that sublime things in Jazz happen only in Europe. One needs to be born in Poland and suck the Polish Culture from one´s mother´s breast, to be able to play like that and create music like this one. Luckily the Art aesthetic is universal and anybody on this Earth of ours, with some soul and musical ears should be able to enjoy this music on the deepest level. Absolutely brilliant!

Updated: 03/11/2017Posted: 03/11/2017

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PRZEMEK KLECZKOWSKI ~ TIME HEVHETIA 0161 (Barcode: 8588005258241) ~ POLAND ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by Polish singer / songwriter Przemek KleczkowskiFind albums by this artist, recorded with excellent young Polish Jazz instrumentalists: guitarist Szymon MikaFind albums by this artist, pianist Franciszek RaczkowskiFind albums by this artist, organist Grzegorz DowgialloFind albums by this artist, flautist Kasia Gacek-DudaFind albums by this artist, bassist Wojciech SzwugierFind albums by this artist and drummer Patryk DoboszFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine songs, seven of which are originals (assumably as this is not stated on the album´s artwork) by Kleczkowski (with lyrics in Polish and English), one is a Polish song by veteran saxophonist / composer Jerzy MatuskiewiczFind albums by this artist and another is a Classic Rock standard by the DoorsFind albums by this artist. The songs have very little to do with Jazz per se, being mostly Pop, Rock and Folk oriented, but the instrumental arrangements have a distinct Jazz touch to them. The melodies are very melancholic and low key, which after a while gets to be a bit monotonic. Several excellent instrumental solos save the day, but without them the album would be quite difficult to listen to all the way through. Using lyrics in English is, as always, a bad mistake and the songs featuring them suffer from pretty problematic delivery. Kleczkowski offers a very limited vocal palette and workshop, simply delivering the lyrics and not using any other vocal tools. As a result his singing belongs more to the Alternative Pop idiom than to Jazz and is definitely an acquired taste. The album is full of good intentions, which sadly do not come to fruition. Overall this is a nice Pop album, with Jazzy arrangements and melancholic songs that are easily forgettable.

Updated: 11/08/2018Posted: 11/08/2018

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JANA GAVACOVA ~ BIELE NOCI HEVHETIA 0162 (Barcode: 8588005258258) ~ SLOVAKIA ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2016 - 2017 Released: 2018 This is the debut album by Slovak vocalist Jana GavacovaFind albums by this artist, recorded with an impressive group of Jazz players. The core rhythm section includes bassist Martin KapusnikFind albums by this artist and drummer Marian SevcikFind albums by this artist. Two excellent Slovak pianists / arrangers: Ondrej KrajnakFind albums by this artist and Lubos SramekFind albums by this artist, Hungarian pianist / arranger Kalman OlahFind albums by this artist and Polish pianist / arranger Nikola KolodziejczykFind albums by this artist take part, as well as guitarist Lubos BrtanFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Miroslav HloucalFind albums by this artist and others, including the Mucha String QuartetFind albums by this artist. Gavacova contributed to six of the songs on the album (music and / or lyrics) and the other songs are mostly Jazz arrangements of folklore material. Although most of the lyrics are sung in Slovak, Gavacova also sings in Polish, French, English, Roma and Hungarian, which is pretty impressive. The recording quality of the album is absolutely wonderful! The music, including the original compositions, is strongly influenced by East European folklore, even if the rhythmic background dictates Bossa Nova. The album is definitely a showcase of Jazz arrangements, which are as important as all the wonderful performances the album offers. The album, although recorded by several different lineups, offers a refined and coherent musical continuity, in spite of the linguistic, ethnic and rhythmic diversity, thanks to the excellent rhythm section and the general concept Gavacova intelligently formulated. Overall this is a very impressive debut, which shows plenty of ambition and chutzpah, fully justified by the result. Gavacova demonstrates a lot of experience and self confidence, as well as obvious talent and sensitivity. Her vocals range from expressive and highly dynamic delivery to delicate, soft and almost timid balladry, always perfectly carried out. The entire album is a showcase of superb vocal delivery, excellent musicianship, masterful arrangements and a wise selection of material, which all come together to create an excellent piece of music, from start to finish. Well done Milady and Friends; hats off!

Updated: 16/08/2018Posted: 16/08/2018

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STANISLAW SLOWINSKI ~ VISIONS (BETWEEN LOVE AND DEATH) HEVHETIA 0163 (Barcode: 8588005258265) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is the second album by Polish Jazz violinist / composer Stanislaw SlowinskiFind albums by this artist, recorded in a sextet setting with two of the musicians who played on his debut: trumpeter Zbigniew SzwajdychFind albums by this artist and bassist Justyn MalodobryFind albums by this artist and three new players: guitarist Szymon MikaFind albums by this artist, pianist Kuba PluzekFind albums by this artist and drummer Dawid FortunaFind albums by this artist. Vocalist Joanna SlowinskaFind albums by this artist guests on one track. The album presents seven original compositions, six of which were composed by Slowinski and one is a collective improvisation. The music is a continuation of the approach initiated by the debut, with major emphasis on the compositions, which have a suite-like structure, such that the entire album could be considered as one continuous piece of music. Although clearly melody based, the music allows individual freedom of expression and personal interpretation by the sextet members. The melodic themes are again mostly very lyrical and somewhat melancholic, but at the same time dynamic and multi-layered enough to keep the listener at his toes. As expected form the sextet´s lineup, which consists of some of the most prominent representatives of the young Polish Jazz scene, the individual contributions are all fabulous. Szwajdych is the romantic element, Mika the Fusion oriented vigorous voice and the leader takes the role of a charmer, with his violin seductively swirling around the basic melody lines. With these three front-line players sadly there is very little solo space left for Pluzek, who is an excellent player but is limited here mostly (except for one track) to the role of an accompanist, which of course he fulfills perfectly. The dynamic rhythm section is an integral part of the sextet and steers the soloists safely across the sometimes troubled waters of the tricky compositions. Overall this is an excellent sophomore album, which definitely stands up to the expectations aroused by the debut. The Polish Jazz violin school is proudly developing before our very eyes, which is a source of joy, and albums like this one confirm that Polish / European Jazz is doing well and manages to avoid stagnation. Well done indeed!

Updated: 01/02/2018Posted: 01/02/2018

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ROMANOVSKA / TICHY / HRUBY ~ ROMANOVSKA / TICHY / HRUBY HEVHETIA 0165 (Barcode: 8588005258289) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is the debut album by the Czech Jazz trio comprising of violinist Anna RomanovskaFind albums by this artist (who also plays the koto), bassist Petr TichyFind albums by this artist and clarinetist / saxophonist Michal HrubyFind albums by this artist. The album presents six original compositions, four of which were composed by all three members of the trio and two were composed by Hruby. The music floats between composed and improvised settings completely naturally and indistinguishably within the same piece, and is mostly very minimalist and open with a lot of breathing space between the notes, which makes the music easily accessible despite its complexity. Romanovska, perhaps due to her interest in the koto and Japanese music, which followed suit, uses often Far Eastern motifs in her playing, which amalgamate very well with the European sound of the clarinet and the rhythmic patterns of the base. Therefore the overall mood of the music has a distinct World Music influence, which is relatively rare in European Improvised Music. The individual performance by the trio members are all excellent, as expected form musicians of such class. Hruby is of course in charge of the Free Jazz elements, whereas Romanovska brings in the Folkloristic feel as much as contemporary Classical Music influence. Tichy serves as a bridge between the two soloists and his imaginative bass playing is what keeps the music under control and guidance. Overall this is a very interesting Improvised Music album, which discloses the existence of the idiom in the Czech Republic, which is not known to most fans of the genre outside of the country. It is also a great example of European aesthetics, which prefers minimalism and minute detail over the wall of sound effect often dominating the Free Jazz / Improvised Music scene across the pond. Definitely worth investigating!

Updated: 18/08/2018Posted: 18/08/2018

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SZYMON KLIMA ~ FOLWARK HEVHETIA 0166 (Barcode: 8588005258395) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is the debut album by a Polish Jazz quintet led by clarinetist / composer Szymon KlimaFind albums by this artist, which also includes saxophonist Dariusz RubinowskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Jakub MizerackiFind albums by this artist, bassist Adam KowalewskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Jakub MiarczynskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents six pieces, which are all interpretations of Polish Folklore in the widest meaning of the idiom, including even Polish Hassidic music, and also include some improvised and inspired motifs created by the quintet members. In 2017 Klima, as a member of the Improvision QuartetFind albums by this artist, released one of the best Polish Jazz albums of that year, the fantastic "Free-Folk-JazzFind albums with this title", and this album is in many respects a continuation of the same approach, although the sound is somewhat different. Instead of the wonderful piano parts, which placed the music closer to the Free Jazz milieu, on this album the guitar takes the music more into Free Rock direction. But the basic characteristics of the previous album, which are above all about the intimate conversations between the musicians and the mutual development of ideas, are still here. The individual contributions by all the quintet members are all superb, and the virtuosic statements chase each other as the music moves forward. Solos, duos, trios and full quintet parts move in and out in a magical flow, which is unstoppable. There is accord and contrast, harmony and discord, all making perfect sense. The "sweet" mellow clarinet sound and the harsh distorted guitar din are able to coexist in perfect coherence and musical logic. The rhythm section is brought up to the level of the other instruments and becomes an integral part of the music, especially in the heat of the group improvisation parts. It seems that Polish Jazz manages time after time to create innovative and challenging statements when re-examining and re-approaching the Polish Folklore musical tradition, which is broad and rich, probably more successfully that similar attempts on other Jazz scenes around the world. This album is another example of the inspiration that Polish Folklore is able to arouse, stimulate and inspire, taking the amalgamated result into unpredicted and previously uncharted territory. Overall this is yet another highly successful and rewarding musical experiment by Klima and his cohorts, which delivers excellent music and challenging, but highly rewarding listening experience. For Polish / European Jazz connoisseurs this is a golden nugget and a must have in every serious / advanced Jazz-World Fusion collection. Hats off!

Updated: 30/04/2018Posted: 30/04/2018

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MOW ~ HISTORIE ZEBRANE HEVHETIA 0169 (Barcode: 8588005258319) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Pop Fusion Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is the debut album by Polish ensemble MOWFind albums by this artist, which comprises of vocalist / songwriter Ania BratekFind albums by this artist, pianist Aga DerlakFind albums by this artist, bassist Mateusz SzewczykFind albums by this artist and drummer Patryk ZakrzewskiFind albums by this artist. Guitarist Jakub MizerackiFind albums by this artist guests on three tracks. The album presents eleven original songs, all featuring lyrics (in Polish language) written by Bratek and all but one were composed by Bratek and one co-composed by her. All songs were arranged by the ensemble members. The album was recorded at the Monochrom Studio and was engineered by Ignacy GruszeckiFind albums by this artist, with the expected excellent sonic result. The music is a Jazzed-up Alternative Pop, but basically eschews clear genre classification. The focus is naturally on the lead vocals, accompanied by a piano trio, which collectively offers a constant stylistic duality between the vocal parts, which are more Soul / Pop oriented and the instrumental piano trio parts, which are clearly Jazz related. The mixture does work together well and the album is an interesting listening experience. For the Polish speaking audiences, the well crafted and intelligent lyrics offer an additional benefit. Bartek´s vocal delivery is somewhat theatrical, which emphasizes the messages delivered by the lyrics. She is able to express the emotions as well as the melodic / harmonic contents with ease and sincere involvement, and her compositions are exciting and diverse enough to make the music flow swiftly and keep the listener interested all the way through. The instrumental work is also excellent, which is hardly surprising as Derlak´s piano playing already earned her a lot of attention in spite of her young age and short mileage. The rhythm section sticks to the Jazzy formula with great bass lines and inventive drumming moving the music forward. Mizeracki´s guitar parts are also admirable and it´s a pity he wasn’t featured as a regular member of the band. Overall this is an excellent debut offering, which will hopefully be followed by new music soon. The two female Artists on this album are a sign of the growing role of the Women Power in Polish Jazz, which is wonderful of course. Kudos to the Slovak HevhetiaFind albums on this label label for supporting the Polish music scene since several years, and for offering new opportunities and exposure to creative Artists, which the local Polish record industry is unable to contain. Well done Milady and all the best in the years to come!

Updated: 22/12/2018Posted: 22/12/2018

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ANNA GADT ~ MYSTERIUM LUNAE HEVHETIA 0170 (Barcode: 8588005258326) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2017 - 2018 Released: 2018 This is the fifth album by Polish vocalist / composer Anna GadtFind albums by this artist and her second cooperation with the fabulous Polish piano trio RGGFind albums by this artist, which comprises of pianist Lukasz OjdanaFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist. Cellist Annemie OsborneFind albums by this artist from Luxembourg is the guest artist. The album presents seventeen pieces some of which incorporate four poems written by the Polish / Jewish poet Boleslaw LesmianFind albums by this artist, but most feature only wordless vocalese. Nine of the pieces were composed by Gadt, one each by Ojdana and Garbowski and the remaining six are improvisations. The album was recorded at the excellent Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, with the usual superb sound quality. From the very onset of the album it is obvious that this is her most ambitious effort so far, mostly improvised and full of complex melodic themes, which last sometimes only for a brief moment before being transformed into another improvised passage. With wordless vocalese dominating the proceedings, this is perhaps the boldest step in Polish vocal Jazz since decades, bridging the void stretching over forty years into the past, when Urszula DudziakFind albums by this artist created her revolutionary vocal experiments in the early 1970s. Gadt is exceedingly fortunate to develop the collaboration with RGG, who are one of the most open minded and technically proficient Polish ensembles able to match her vision, which as a result goes way beyond accompaniment and becomes a fully integrated musical creation. The piano trio also moves consistently over time towards more open formats and Improvised Music, and proves to be a most amicable companion to Gadt, which is fully demonstrated herein. It is also very satisfying to see Gadt embarking upon the ambitious and highly aesthetic Jazz & Poetry idiom, especially in view of the fact that a century old poems are able to become a part of today´s Avant Garde, alive and kicking, timeless and penetrating. Words and sounds combined are able to build highly complex and intricate intellectual structures, which can be, when properly executed like in this case, more potent than simply the sum of their ingredients. Overall this is a brilliant piece of contemporary music, fascinating, exciting and challenging, which is a sublime proof of the fact that music knows no limits and there is always a way to step beyond the horizon. My sincere thanks to the musicians involved, not only for the intellectual pleasure their music bestows upon the listener, but primarily for keeping the ray of hope alight in a word full of mediocre darkness. Hats off Milady and Gents!

Updated: 17/12/2018Posted: 20/03/2018

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BARTOSZ DWORAK ~ REFLECTION HEVHETIA 0171 (Barcode: 8588005258401) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is the third album by young and upcoming Polish Jazz violinist / composer Bartosz DworakFind albums by this artist, recorded with the same quartet that was featured on the two earlier recordings with pianist Piotr MatusikFind albums by this artist, bassist Jakub DworakFind albums by this artist and drummer Szymon MadejFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, four by the leader, two by Matusik and one co-composed by Dworak and Matusik. The music continues the path set by Bartosz Dworak´s earlier recordings, presenting highly melodic and very lyrical compositions, kept well within the mainstream Jazz convention, with strong Polish Folkloristic influences. The music is slightly more open this time, with a lot of breathing air, which allows the rhythm section to become fully involved in the improvisational process, and as a result enables the listener to appreciate the splendid bass parts played by Jakub Dworak and tasteful drumming by Madej. But the soloing and front position is of course reserved for Bartosz Dworak and Matusik, who take care of the melodic contents. Dworak uses the synthesized violin on a couple of tracks, which adds another variation to his sound. The compositions by Dworak are more up tempo and have a distinct Rocky character, whereas those by Matusik are more romantically inclined which balances the overall content of the album and keeps the listener interested. All these four young musicians perform splendidly throughout, which of course is quite usual for young Polish Jazz musicians, who are well schooled and experienced, today better that ever before. Overall the album is a very solid and well balanced effort, which offers beautiful music and superb execution from start to finish and should satisfy most Jazz enthusiasts, especially Jazz violin connoisseurs. It does not break any new ground as far as Jazz or Jazz violin is concerned, but offers a splendid listening experience, which is definitely worth investigating.

Updated: 27/04/2018Posted: 27/04/2018

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SZYMON MIKA ~ TOGETHERNESS HEVHETIA 0175 (Barcode: 8588005258425) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is the second album by the Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Szymon MikaFind albums by this artist, recorded, same as the debut album, in an intimate trio format with bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and Israeli drummer Ziv RavitzFind albums by this artist. Three guest musicians appear on selected tracks: vocalist Basia DerlakFind albums by this artist, who also contributed the lyrics to the four songs she appears on, Joachim MencelFind albums by this artist who plays the hurdy-gurdy on three tracks and pianist Mateusz PalkaFind albums by this artist, who plays on five tracks. The album presents eleven original compositions, all by Mika. It album was beautifully recorded at the Monochrom Studio and engineered by Maciej StachFind albums by this artist. The music on this album is decidedly more diverse and shows a more searching attitude than the excellent debut album, which is very encouraging and promising development. There are obvious World Music influences present in this music, but also openness and noticeable reach beyond mainstream Jazz, which was still the core of the debut album. Mucha and Ravitz are ideal partners in this quest for new identity, both of them being unconventional in their approach to music and exceptionally gifted, providing exquisite support to Mika´s lead parts and building a solid, but adventurous, rhythmic layer behind him. The four vocal tracks are also quite surprising and show another facet of Mika´s talent. Derlak sings in Polish, which is already a good starting point, and handles the relatively complex music with ease and obvious flair. Her Folksy mannerisms are a nice addition to the Jazz setting and I´d love to hear more of her in such setting. The tracks with Mencel and Palka, when the ensemble becomes a quintet (or even sextet with the addition of vocals) are somewhat different form the trio tracks, offering more conventional melody lines and ambience and adding to the overall diversity and fluency of the album as a whole. Overall the album is a clear and elegant step forward for Mika in many respects: as a composer, a bandleader and a guitarist. He joins the ranks of the new generation of Polish Jazz musicians, who are gradually taking over the center of the stage both in Poland and in Europe. Kudos are also due to the Slovak HevhetiaFind albums on this label label, which is rapidly becoming one of the most important, open minded and active record labels in Europe and manages to expand its roster of artist to include many of the young generation´s top artists, including neighbors from across the Tatra Mountains, and support them loyally. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 11/08/2018Posted: 11/08/2018

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BIG BAND MALOPOLSKI ~ LIVE AT MLYN JAZZ FESTIVAL II HEVHETIA 0176 (Barcode: 8588005258210) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2018 During the recent HevhetiaFind albums on this label Showcase in Kosice I had the opportunity to talk at length to Ryszard KrawczukFind albums by this artist, the leader / conductor of the Big Band MalopolskiFind albums by this artist, one of the very few active Polish Jazz Big Bands. As usual the conversation revolved around the logistic / financial aspects of keeping a Big Band together these days – a complicated and frustrating task by any standard, and more often than not completely underappreciated. But with all hardships set aside, the Big Band Malopolski is a smooth and mean, well oiled music machine, which can easily look straight in the eye of any other European Jazz Big Band. The lineup of the Big Band, based partly on the students of the Academy of Music in Krakow, includes some of the best young and upcoming Polish Jazz players, like saxophonists Wojciech LichtanskiFind albums by this artist and Slawomir PezdaFind albums by this artist, trombonist Bartosz PernalFind albums by this artist and many others, who play along older and seasoned musicians. Guest artists are often invited to play and record with the Big Band. The current lineup includes also the vocalist / rapper / beat box performer Andy NinvalleFind albums by this artist, who spices up the Big Band´s performances with incredibly energetic and up to date glimmer. This, the Band´s second album, presents the current repertoire, which is a mixture of compositions by Polish Jazz veterans, like Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist, Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist and Marek BalataFind albums by this artist, American Jazz standard and a composition by the Italian saxophonist / composer Rosario GuilianiFind albums by this artist, all together six wonderful pieces of mainstream Jazz, superbly arranged and ideally suited to the Big Band environment. Polish Jazz vocalist Lora SzafranFind albums by this artist guests on one of the tracks. The performances are perfectly executed, with plenty of space for some excellent soloing and the above mentioned tasty beat box ornamentations, which were enthusiastically received by the audience during the concert I was happy to attend. Overall this is an excellent Jazz Big Band album, which should satisfy connoisseurs all over the world, especially in view of the fact that Big Band albums are a rarity these days, especially those that are able to keep this Art Form up to date. Warmly recommended!

Updated: 14/09/2019Posted: 14/09/2019

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DAVID KOLLAR / ARVE HENRIKSEN ~ ILLUSION OF A SEPARATE WORLD HEVHETIA 0178 (Barcode: 8588005258456) ~ SLOVAKIA ~ Electronic & Ambient Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is the debut album by a duo comprising of Slovak guitarist / composer David KollarFind albums by this artist and Norwegian trumpeter / composer Arve HenriksenFind albums by this artist. It was recorded "virtually" over the Net, by exchanging files between the two musicians, and presents twelve original pieces co-composed by them. The music is quite difficult to categorize, as it flows freely between styles and genres. Since it also lacks a clear melodic content, it is ambient in nature and presents more moods and emotions rather than what most listeners consider as music in the straightforward sense of the idiom. Henriksen´s trumpet playing is the epitome of Nordic music, with lyrical and melancholic themes, while Kollar´s guitar, with extensive usage of electronics, is mostly incidental, ambient and cinematic in nature. However, when combined together, these two directions amalgamate splendidly, creating surprisingly evocative statements. Although music of such nature can be quite tedious and lethargic, this album manages to avoid that trap with elegance and a continuous listening, although requiring some effort, is eventually rewarding and even inviting. It is a good example of ambient music, which one can listen to more than once, revealing new layers of musical depth with each listening session. Kollar and Henriksen are both established musical phenomena and this album confirms their individual talents and cooperative skills, but does not offer any surprising new vistas, being more or less something the followers of these two musicians would expect to hear on the album. Nevertheless it is an elegant, highly aesthetic piece of sound-weaving, which has its faithful followers.

Updated: 17/08/2018Posted: 17/08/2018

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JACHNA / TARWID / KARCH ~ SUNDIAL III HEVHETIA 0186 (Barcode: 8588005258593) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is the third album by the excellent Polish Jazz trio consisting of trumpeter Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist, pianist Grzegorz TarwidFind albums by this artist and drummer Albert KarchFind albums by this artist. This time the trio is expanded into a quartet with the inclusion of the veteran saxophonist Irek WojtczakFind albums by this artist. The album, recorded live, presents nine original compositions, all composed or co-composed by the trio members. It is quite a challenge to follow the two superb albums which the trio recorded earlier with another extraordinary piece of music, which will continue the same level of emotional depth and sophistication. This is perhaps the reason why the trio members decided to reinforce their ranks with the addition of Wojtczak, who has achieved a remarkable level of respect and appreciation on the Polish scene, being one of the most creative and open-minded musicians on the scene. In retrospect this decision proved to be most fruitful and successful musically. The music on this album is even more open and adventurous than on the two earlier albums, still offering a pre-composed skeleton but relaying more on spontaneous improvisation than ever before. It is therefore further removed from the Contemporary Classical tendencies followed earlier on and moves toward Avant-Garde contemporary music, with an emphasis on both group and individual improvisation. The melodic themes become more minimalist and nebulous, strongly related to the Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist legacy he defined in the mid-1960s. I am pretty sure this music would put a smile on his face. As usual, the individual contributions by the trio members are highly inspired and perfectly executed. Wojtczak integrates with the trio completely and unconditionally, becoming entirely naturally an integral part of the music making unit. Obviously his presence enhances and deepens the overall sound and adds new possibilities, which are immediately sized upon by the trio members. One could hardly hope for a more innate combination of improvising powers than this. The future will tell weather Wojtczak joins the trio on a permanent basis, turning it into a quartet or this was just a one time only collaboration, but the potency of this ensemble is fully exposed on this album. It is only natural that musicians of this caliber refuse to stand still and keep searching constantly, and therefore it is completely normal to see the music evolving and developing from one album to the next. As long as they manage to keep it interesting, inspiring and deeply satisfying, like in this case, we should be grateful and feel blessed that such music is being made. Overall this is a remarkable album, certainly marking a noteworthy event in the 2019 list of Polish Jazz releases and deserving the admiration and respect reserved only for the very best of its kind. Thank you for the music, as always!

Updated: 24/05/2019Posted: 24/05/2019

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BACKSPACE ~ AD_DA HEVHETIA 0188 (Barcode: 8588005258616) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 This is the debut album by Polish experimental / Avant-Garde duo BackspaceFind albums by this artist, which comprises of violinist Lukasz CzekalaFind albums by this artist and accordionist Zbigniew ChojnackiFind albums by this artist, who both also employ extensively live electronics in their music. On this album the duo was expanded (or "augmented") to a trio with the addition of cornetist Marcin Albert SteczkowskiFind albums by this artist. The album, recorded live (and unedited), presents four extensive pieces, which are not specifically credited and are assumably spontaneously co-created by the participants. Chojnacki appeared like a comet on the Polish Jazz / Avant-Garde firmament just a few years ago, but his extraordinary talent and virtuosic performances on the accordion, a sadly much neglected instrument in Jazz and experimental music, earned him an almost instant stardom, despite his youthfulness. I have followed closely his development both as a recording artist and live performer from the onset of his career and invited him to perform a solo concert during the Singer Jazz Festival in 2017. In the process I witnessed his rapid metamorphosis from a timid wunderkind to a full blown and mature sound magician. Another aspect of his development over time was the growing involvement with electronic sound devices, which gradually overshadowed the acoustic sound of the accordion and become almost completely a wall of synthesized sound effects, often completely detached from any straightforward melodic substance. And yet this accordion / electronics fusion, which might have caused some of his early admirers to stay behind, developed into a new phantasmagoric instrument that places Chojnacki right along the leaders of the pack. However, in the company of Czekala and Steczkowski, who create a plethora of exquisite melodic passages, both brief and prolonged, his role as integrator and supplier of the sound layers behind the violin and cornet "soloing" is absolutely stunning. Listeners expecting to hear any unambiguous accordion on this album will be obviously disappointed, but there are plenty of brilliant passages created by Chojnacki. The performance of the trio is absolutely mesmerizing and offers a perfect model of what one might expect from contemporary electro-acoustic music. For the entire duration of the album there is an intimate closeness between the performers and the listener and a calm, wonderful warmness of co-existence. The interplay and coordination between the trio members is nothing short of being telepathic. I hope my attention to the role of Chojnacki in this recording does not overshadow the contributions of Czekala and Steczkowski, which are of course equally important. Overall this is an absolute brilliant piece of contemporary music, cross-genre and beyond classification, which shows the way and explores uncharted territory, offering a non-aggressive, cohesive and aesthetically pleasing piece of modern sound Art (since calling it just music might not do it justice). There is almost nothing else I could recommend as warmly as this gem!

Updated: 28/10/2019Posted: 28/10/2019

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MICHAL ZABORSKI ~ FEELING EARTH HEVHETIA 0189 (Barcode: 8588005258623) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2017 Released: 2019 This is the debut album as a leader by the Polish violist Michal ZaborskiFind albums by this artist, mostly recognized as a member of the Atom String QuartetFind albums by this artist, recorded with a quartet, which also includes pianist Nikola KolodziejczykFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej SzczycinskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal BryndalFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, all by Zaborski and the music was recorded at the excellent Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist. With the viola in the lead, the quartet produces a noticeably "different" sound than one expects from a Jazz recording, and indeed this music, although Jazz oriented, includes also strongly noticeable additional influences, such as Classical and Folklore music, which are immediately apparent from the onset. The compositions are all deeply melancholic and mostly low key, emphasizing a strong melodic presence, with the themes stated by the viola at the beginning of each piece and than gently carried on by the fragile piano and viola improvised parts. The piano is a tad too busy at times, but not extravagantly so. The rhythm section keeps things to bare minimum, with the bass pulsating in the background and playing a few beautifully melodic soli and the drums steady and barely audible at times. And yet the music has an irresistible charm to it, a magical flow that keeps the listener mesmerized for the duration of the album, taking him from one piece to the next as if hypnotized. In spite of the minimalist outcome produced by the musicians, the music does not seem to be missing anything and is perfectly rounded and whole. The music is kept mostly on a relaxed level with little dynamics displayed along the way, which could be considered a bit indistinguishable, but easily forgiven. Personally I really enjoyed the music, although I suspect some listeners will find it a bit "too pretty" and altogether lacking the "kick" Jazz enthusiasts expect to hear in the music. There is no doubt Zaborski is a virtuoso and his performances here as every bit as strong as on his numerous earlier recording. His compositions are heavily influenced by Polish Folklore music and his Classical Music background, which he openly admits in his music, not trying to make it sound more Jazzy than it rally is. Overall this is a very unique album, different from most of the output arriving on the Polish Jazz scene, and also different from the material Zaborski records with the Atoms, showing another facet of his musical personality. A Gentle Giant by all means, who can weave beautiful melodies and share them with his listeners with obvious love and modesty.

Updated: 07/10/2019Posted: 07/10/2019

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FRANCESCO BRUNO ~ BLUE SKY ABOVE THE DREAMERS HEVHETIA 0193 (Barcode: 8588005258692) ~ ITALY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 My relatively short acquaintance with Francesco BrunoFind albums by this artist is a wonderful example of personal chemistry; we immediately found out that the number of things that connects us goes way beyond our obvious love of music. We also share the Mediterranean love of life, beauty, food and above all friendship – the kinship with other people. As a result of our friendship I discovered that Francesco is also a wonderful musician, an excellent guitar player and a superb composer, who consistently develops his Art over the years. He is gifted with a delicate lyricism, which results in his melodies being simply heart melting, like much Italian music naturally does. But he is also humble, hard working, loyal, highly professional, uncompromising and honest, a collection of qualities that are rare to come by these days. In spite of its immense popularity in many musical arenas, Jazz was never an easy field for the guitar. In retrospect the number of great Jazz guitar players is not overwhelming, surely not those who contributed considerably to the development of the idiom. Guitar is perhaps a less "natural" Jazz instrument and requires from its master a kind of dedication that only very few musicians are able to sacrifice. When you listen to the music on this album, hopefully with a glass of good wine in you hand, you are about to take a wonderful journey into Francesco´s world. Full of beautiful melodies and brilliant, gentle performances, like fingers touching the surface of water, this music simply flows smoothly from one tune to the next and before you even get a proper taste of it all, it is over – time to push the play button again of course. The quartet setting suits the music ideally and considering the fact that Francesco plays with these excellent musicians since years, the ensemble vibe and the mutual respect between Pierpaolo PrincipatoFind albums by this artist, Luca BulgarelliFind albums by this artist, Marco RovinelliFind albums by this artist and Francesco are well reflected within the music. The Jazz cognoscenti will of course be able to hear the finesse of the guitar phrasing, the fabulous harmonizing of the piano and the subtle chronometry of the rhythm section, but honestly this is just splendid music best enjoyed without much cerebral analyzing – just let your heart do the work! Love you my friend, as always! Side Note The above are my liner notes included on this album's artwork. I am honored when asked by the Artists to write liner notes for their albums, always hoping that my words reflect the true spirit of the music. This is also a symbol of our mutual respect and friendship developed over the years. The same is also true when Record Labels ask me to write liner notes for their releases, mostly in the case of reissues of archival albums, which is a symbol of their appreciation of my knowledge and historical perspective and my recognition of their dedication to the preservation of the history of recorded music and the effort to keep human Culture and Aesthetics alive.

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

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NATALIA KORDIAK ~ BAJKA HEVHETIA 0194 (Barcode: 8588005258708) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz vocalist Natalia KordiakFind albums by this artist recorded in a quintet setting with saxophonist Przemyslaw ChmielFind albums by this artist, pianist Mateusz KolakowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Alan WykpiszFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz PalkaFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, all by Kordiak, two of which feature lyrics (one by Polish poetess / playwright Maria Pawlikowska-JasnorzewskaFind albums by this artist and the other by Kordiak) and the rest feature wordless vocalese. The album was recorded at the RecPublica Studios and engineered by Michal WasylFind albums by this artist, and offers a superb sound quality. A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to hear Kordiak sing live in Katowice as a member of the First Was The VoiceFind albums by this artist vocal ensemble conducted and directed by my friend the fabulous Anna GadtFind albums by this artist, which should have prepared me for what I was about to hear on this album, but now I have to admit that probably nothing could have really prepared anybody for what this album offers. This is simply the Polish Jazz vocal album I have been dreaming about for the last half a Century, since Urszula DudziakFind albums by this artist appeared on the Polish Jazz scene and revolutionized the approach to vocal Jazz not only in Poland but worldwide. Kordiak treats her voice as an instrument and her vocalese explorations are simply unbounded by any previously set limitations, conventions or boundaries. Her singing is completely intuitive and her sense of melody is so open and free that the music becomes completely boundless and unconventional. Each of the tunes offers a melodic theme, but the vocal and instrumental improvisations move freely beyond the sketched horizons into the unknown and unexpected, which happens extremely rarely and immediately pushes this music into the "high sphere" of Jazz aesthetics. The instrumentalists do a magnificent job on this album, with the most important task always before their eyes: do not disturb the vocals. Each of these players is able to play exquisitely as a soloist but this album sets a textbook example of respect and supportive role by the instrumentalists, who are clearly heard within the delicate fabric of the music, but never overshadow the vocal parts even for one moment. The rhythm section of Wykpisz and Palka, which is certainly phenomenal on its own, offers here a magnificent assistance to the vocals, often just in a trio settings. Kolakowski, who deserves a much wider recognition that he enjoys in Poland at the moment, is a key element which makes this music what it is, playing absolutely stunningly and beautifully free, which is amazing considering his Classical Music upbringing and education. Chmiel, also relatively anonymous, offers some stunning saxophone parts, which immediately put him alongside the most respected names on the Polish scene. In short this is a true dream team and Kordiak was extremely fortunate to record this album with these magnificent musicians at her side. Polish vocal Jazz has been struggling in the last decades to produce anything as artistically and aesthetically valuable as the output it managed to offer time after time in modern instrumental European Jazz, which won it an international acclaim. Sadly Polish vocal Jazz got stuck mostly in imitating rather that inventing, with the ever present obsession of singing English lyrics, more often than not with appalling results. Therefore, although obviously hardly politically correct, the most accurate compliment I can think of under these circumstances is to say that Kordiak emerged here as someone with truly "big-balls", setting everything aside and doing her own thing. I am not surprised that Kordiak comes from under the wings of the above mentioned Anna Gadt, who is a true revolutionary Artist and obviously also and Educator. Considering the fact that Kordiak is still a student, God only knows what she is capable of in the future and I can’t wait to find out. And yes, now I know what my best Polish Jazz album for 2019 will be on my list ;) Thank you for a true fairytale my Dear!

Updated: 13/12/2019Posted: 13/12/2019

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ANNA GADT / MARCIN OLAK ~ GOMBROWICZ HEVHETIA 0196 (Barcode: 8588005258746) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is a wonderful debut album by the Polish Avant-Garde Jazz duo comprising of vocalist Anna GadtFind albums by this artist and guitarist Marcin OlakFind albums by this artist, which offers their interpretations of the writings by Polish author Witold GombrowiczFind albums by this artist, one of the most idiosyncratic and controversial literary figures in Polish Cultural heritage. Although based on prose fragments, this album firmly belongs to the Jazz & Poetry idiom, both conceptually and aesthetically. The album presents twelve tracks of improvised voice / guitar pieces, which include recitation, singing and vocalese, each of them based on a different fragment taken from texts by Gombrowicz Listeners familiar with the Polish Avant-Garde / Improvised Music scene are probably familiar with Marcin Olak´s recordings on the FSRFind albums on this label label, which are all worth checking out. Gadt is of course one of the brightest stars on the Polish Jazz vocal scene, with a substantial recording legacy, but most importantly characterized by her chameleonic quality of constant transformation of her vocal style, which over the years developed from mainstream to highly personal Improvising Music environment, which is still evolving. She is also a respected and devoted teacher of the vocal Art and her students are beginning to shape the next generation of the Polish Jazz vocal scene. During my recent visit in Warsaw I had the opportunity to attend the debut performance of this music in a small club, which offered an intimate opportunity to celebrate the release of this album. I watched the audience to see how effectively this highly demanding music will be able to penetrate the walls of indifference and cerebral demand this music requires, but to my surprise the audience was absolutely mesmerized by what was happening on the small stage. Obviously this music is stronger and more communicative than what one might expect, in spite of its farfetched aim towards intellectual brain functionality, acting on the purely emotional, raw instinct level as well, in retrospect somewhat similar to Gombrowicz´s writing. Connoisseur of the human voice Art will be of course delighted by Gadt´s performances on this album, which include probably many of the things "you always wanted to do with your voice but were afraid to try" list. She is simply fearless and completely uninhibited in the way she uses her voice, which often expands the known boundaries of vocal expression. Although using texts in Polish language, this kind of vocal expression transcends any language barriers completely, making them meaningless. In some cases Gadt´s vocal construction are so distinctive, that she seems to construct a completely new vocal "language" of her own design. It is pretty rare when an album labeled as Avant-Garde is truly Avant-Gardist in its nature, since the label is used way too lightly these days. Anything that is unusual / unconventional often gets labeled as Avant-Garde, whereas in fact despite being different, it does not offer anything that is done for the first time and is a pillar of fire showing the way to whoever is following. This album, however, is genuinely Avant-Gardist in every bit of its existence and its ingredients as much as a whole – a rare and beautiful thing indeed – and an absolute treasure! Thank you Anna and Marcin!

Updated: 22/02/2020Posted: 22/02/2020

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SZYMON LUKOWSKI ~ SHORT SKETCHES HEVHETIA 0197 (Barcode: 8588005258753) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the third album by young Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Szymon LukowskiFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet setting with keyboardist Adam LemanczykFind albums by this artist and superb veteran rhythm section comprising of bassist Wojciech PulcynFind albums by this artist and drummer Sebastian FrankiewiczFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, four by Lukowski and one each by Lemanczyk, Pulcyn and Stankiewicz. The music was recorded at the excellent Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, with the usual first class sonic quality. The music is all within the modern mainstream Jazz convention, but Lukowski´s progress as a composer and instrumentalist is again clearly apparent in comparison to his earlier work. His bass clarinet parts expand the sonic palette considerably and his compositions are more complex and excellently arranged for the quartet, which results in these performances being highly absorbing from start to finish. The strength of the quartet as a tight musical unit also adds to the success of this material. Lemanczyk is equally effective on acoustic piano and electric keyboards, playing some truly mesmerizing parts. Pulcyn, as always, keeps everything in check and his highly melodic bass lines offer a steady ground for the music to lean on. Frankiewicz adds a highly percussive and dynamic drum parts on the up-tempo numbers and delicate ornamentation on the ballads, like a professional he truly is. Overall this is a truly fine piece of Jazz music, diverse, interesting and aesthetically satisfying, which all Jazz lovers should find worth listening to. As usual it perfectly reflects the high level of original music being created in Poland these days, which is as good, if not better, as Jazz created all over Europe these days, without any inferiority complex. Well done indeed!

Updated: 21/02/2020Posted: 21/02/2020

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KRZYSZTOF KOBYLINSKI ~ SPERO HEVHETIA 0205 (Barcode: 8588005258845) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2020 Released: 2020 This is an album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer / activist Krzysztof KobylinskiFind albums by this artist recorded with the Slovak Gregorian choir Voces Gregorianae CassoviensesFind albums by this artist directed by Jan VelbackyFind albums by this artist. The album presents a ten-part suite composed by Kobylinski. Kobylinski, who is a very versatile and prolific composer and recording Artist, likes to tackle unusual and innovative musical undertakings, such as this one. The music, which combines several solo piano and melodica parts, short opening and closing parts sung by the choir and one middle piece featuring the choir and the piano together, paints a minimalist moody picture, which develops slowly and offers relatively little dynamics. The music has very little to do with Jazz per se, except for the fact that the piano pieces are partly improvised. Since Kobylinski already recorded several solo piano albums, I was personally expecting a much more intensive involvement of the choir. However Kobylinski obviously sees his solo piano work as a centerpiece of his Artistic endeavors, and acts accordingly. Overall the music is very atmospheric and contemplative, moving between Classical influences and Cinematic sound vistas, which requires patience and attentive listening in order to be absorbed. Classical music listeners, especially those who like Romantic piano pieces, should especially enjoy this album.

Updated: 03/01/2021Posted: 03/01/2021

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SZYMON KLIMA / DOMINIK WANIA ~ FANTASTICO HEVHETIA 0209 (Barcode: 8588005258920) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2020 Released: 2020 As outlandish as it might sound, there is only one musical instrument – the human brain! It is the musician´s brain that commands his body parts to touch keys, pluck strings, beat on stuff, blow into tubes or simply exhale to vibrate his vocal chords, all those in order to produce sound. It is the same brain that invents virtual notes, harmonies, melodies, layers of sound and time measures and sets them all into a particular sequence, which becomes a composition, before it was even played in reality. In case of Improvised Music, as the one presented on this album, these two separate brain functions, i.e. composing and playing, become intertwined and amalgamated, happening simultaneously within the same human brain. In case the music is spontaneously created by two musicians, again as in this case, two human brains are not only simultaneously composing and playing as individuals, but they are also communicating and complementing each other in real time. This is truly mindboggling = Fantastico… But this is only one side of the story, of course. There is another human brain, which receives electrical impulses via its owner´s ears and using its psychoacoustic mechanism translates these pulses into what it perceives as music, creating another version of the original produced by the players, with its own interpretation of harmony, melody and rhythm. Now let´s multiply that brain´s activities by the number of listeners and we have a myriad of parallel musical "universes", all initiated by what happened during the recording session that gave "life" to this music. Incredible, isn´t it = Fantastico… And now let´s assume that the music is able to generate a cascade of both intellectual and emotional reactions within the listener´s brain, such as pleasure, aesthetic satisfaction, appreciation of the sophistication, Artistry and ingenuity and above all gratitude for all the above. Music that is able to produce such a flood of brain enzymes, as is the case here, must be truly unique, or rather Fantastico… Side Note The above are my liner notes included on this album's artwork. I am honored when asked by the Artists to write liner notes for their albums, always hoping that my words reflect the true spirit of the music. This is also a symbol of our mutual respect and friendship developed over the years. The same is also true when Record Labels ask me to write liner notes for their releases, mostly in the case of reissues of archival albums, which is a symbol of their appreciation of my knowledge and historical perspective and my recognition of their dedication to the preservation of the history of recorded music and the effort to keep human Culture and Aesthetics alive.

Updated: 17/10/2020Posted: 17/10/2020

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FLASH! ~ BUJAKA W GUMIAKACH HEVHETIA 0211 (Barcode: 8588005258944) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the second album by Polish trio The Flash!Find albums by this artist, founded by saxophonist / composer Slawomir PezdaFind albums by this artist with bassist Jakub DworakFind albums by this artist and drummer Maksymilian OlszewskiFind albums by this artist. On this album they are joined by Boston based guitarist Dustin CarlsonFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven pieces, six of which were composed by Pezda and one is by the American duo Lightning BoltFind albums by this artist. The music is a further exploration of the concepts described in my review of the debut album "SilaFind albums with this title" and manages to produce a completely original "wall of sound" Punk Jazz, which is as much controversial as it is fascinating. It is difficult to decide if the musicians are mocking contemporary Pop, Rock, and even Jazz in its ridiculous crudeness and oversimplification, or they are just pissed off and want to relieve some bad vibes, but the overwhelming effect is certainly achieved. Of course it is plainly obvious that these guys are brilliant musicians, no kidding there. To make things clear everything here is perfectly planned and executed with the attention to the minute details, so obviously nothing was left to chance. The sheer audacity and the amount of ideas are simply staggering. In any case any attempt do describe this music in words is simply futile and nothing will replace the exposure to the actual aural content. The attitude brings fond memories of the early experiments of Polish Yass movement, when quite a few of such original creations were produced, but on today´s Polish music scene The Flash! are sadly almost completely lonesome. It is remarkable to see (or rather hear) how well Carlson fits within this madness; he is truly a spiritual kin to the members of the trio and manages to complete and expand the diversity of the sound without changing the basic attitude and direction, which is truly amazing. Obviously not for everyone, but personally I love this music to bits, every second of it. The Rock genes in my musical personality are vibrating happily and my Zappaesque aesthetics of "don´t care what you think" are fully satisfied! This is brilliant stuff!

Updated: 07/11/2020Posted: 07/11/2020

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YUMI ITO / SZYMON MIKA ~ EKUAL HEVHETIA 0217 (Barcode: 8588005258982) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2021 This is the debut album by the duo comprising of Polish / Japanese (resident in Switzerland) vocalist / songwriter Yumi ItoFind albums by this artist and Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Szymon MikaFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original songs (with lyrics in English) written or co-written by the duo members. Both Ito and Mika have already several earlier recordings to their credit and their work together goes back a while, but this is the first opportunity to get exposed to their intimate work as a duo, which is highly unique and stunningly beautiful. The vocal parts and the guitar work are completely idiosyncratic, and combined together manage to create an aura of mysticism and tranquility combined, which is nothing less than mesmerizing. Ito uses the entire range of the vocal Jazz spectrum, moving between lyrics and wordless vocalese with ease and elegance. Mika is an absolute wizard when touching his guitar strings, creating a semi-acoustic / semi-electric tonality, which is unconventional and highly effective. Despite the relative “nakedness” of this music, the result sparks with sounds and ideas, which leaves the listener dazed by the combined effect of just two “instruments”. It is the intimacy of their work as a duo that reflects the individual strengths of the two young musicians, proving that they indeed are two of a perfect pair. Overall, this is a superb album, perhaps not really surprising to those, who had the opportunity to listen to the duo live, like yours truly, but the “sterility” of the studio environment proves to work in favor of this particular effort. It is obvious that this pair has a lot more to offer in the future, so I am already impatiently waiting for their post-Covid-19 work, as this album definitely leaves everybody with a desire to hear more. Thanks for the beautiful music!

Updated: 20/05/2025Posted: 02/11/2021

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IGNACY JAN WISNIEWSKI ~ DUOS HEVHETIA 0221 (Barcode: 8588005259026) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is an album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Ignacy Jan WisniewskiFind albums by this artist, which presents a series of duos recorded with other Polish Jazz musicians: bassist Olo WalickiFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Olgierd WalickiFind albums by this artist), saxophonist Mikolaj TrzaskaFind albums by this artist, drummer Michal BryndalFind albums by this artist and vocalist Marcin JanuszkiewiczFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original pieces, all of which are freely improvised. For “freely improvised music”, the music on this album is at times remarkably melodic and returns to the formats used by Wisniewski in his earlier recordings, which amalgamate elements of Jazz and Classical music with Avant-Garde vistas, being this time perhaps somewhat more radical, since the earlier music was definitely largely pre-composed. In any case, if all Improvised Music was as coherent, sensible and aesthetically pleasing as what can be heard here, my general cautiousness about the genre would have been way less intensive. This music is simply beautifully expressive and inviting, in complete contrast to most contemporary Improvised Music, with constant challenges, strange twists and turns and quite unexpected performances by the participants, like almost romantic saxophone parts by Trzaska and Cecil TaylorFind albums by this artist staccatos by the leader. The biggest surprise for me are the vocal performances by Januszkiewicz, whose earlier work I admit to not being familiar with. Due to his contacts with the theatre circles, as composer of music for spectacles, Wisniewski uses actors rather that Jazz vocalist in his projects (see / hear Kamil DominiakFind albums by this artist in “Kantata JazzowaFind albums with this title”), proving his perfect instinct as far as making such decisions. Januszkiewicz is absolutely stunning in his unconventional vocal approach and his parts are, for me, absolutely climatic. But to be fair all the participants contribute heartfelt roles in the entire project. Overall, this is one of the absolutely most wonderful Polish Free Jazz / Improvised Music recordings lately, which is rather unusual in its tameness, which perhaps is the source of its success. Presenting great musicianship, firmly managed by the leader, it proves that Improvised Music can be lasting and still innovate, which is happening very rarely lately. An absolute must to listeners, who are ready to be challenged. Hats off to all participants!

Updated: 01/10/2021Posted: 01/10/2021

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LNSD QUARTET ~ UNASKED, UNANSWERED HEVHETIA 0223 (Barcode: 8588005259040) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is the debut album by the Polish Jazz ensemble LNSD QuartetFind albums by this artist, which comprises of saxophonist Szymon LukowskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Gabriel NiedzielaFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel DobrowolskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, five by Lukowski and one each by Smoczynski and Niedziela. The album was recorded at the Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Smoczynski. The music is quite different from the three albums recorded earlier by Lukowski as a leader, which were all pretty mainstream Jazz oriented, whereas this album offers a different approach, still melody based and musically straightforward, but with a highly unique sound created by the synthesized keyboards, at times almost industrial, Funky / Fusiony guitar sound and busy drumming, which together create a heavy, somewhat muddy / murky / distorted sound, and which takes a while to get adopted to and prompts the listener to check his ears / sound system to make sure that what he hears is what was intended to be heard. I admit that it took some effort to accept the music for what it is and by the second listening it started to make perfect sense. There is plenty if great music under the murky exterior and the darkish atmosphere of the album has its fortes. Lukowski and Niedziela play some excellent soli here, and Smoczynski is busy enough with creating the ambient background, while Dobrowolski sets the paste with his usual precision and artistry. Overall, this is a very unusual sounding album, which offers some excellent compositions and great performances, but requires open-mindedness as far as the sound and ambience are concerned. Patience is, as usual, well rewarded! Jazz lovers, who are into novel sound experiments, should have a field day with this album.

Updated: 02/04/2022Posted: 02/04/2022

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ELMA ~ LICENTIA POETICA HEVHETIA 0232 (Barcode: 8588005259286) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2020 Released: 2022 This is the long awaited third album by Polish Jazz vocalist ElmaFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Elma KaisFind albums by this artist) recorded live with American guitarist Knox ChandlerFind albums by this artist, Australian (resident in Berlin) bassist Daigo NakaiFind albums by this artist and German drummer Klaus KugelFind albums by this artist. The album presents thirteen original pieces, all co-composed by the four musicians. The music is spontaneously improvised, although obviously somewhat pre-conceived, and as such could be classified as Improvised Music or Free Jazz, but honestly it makes no sense to apply any definitions to it, as it is as free-spirited as humanly possible. Although Elma’s vocal parts are obviously in the center of the listener’s attention, the music is collaborative and involves all four musicians at the same level of creativity. Elma continues her wordless vocalese / “voice as instrument” approach, which she demonstrated on her two earlier albums, but takes it further out into the truly virtuosic sphere, which sets her in a separate universe from almost all Jazz vocalists active today, continuing the vocal Jazz revolution started in the 1970s by European vocal pioneering female vocalists like Urszula DudziakFind albums by this artist, Lauren NewtonFind albums by this artist, Jeanne LeeFind albums by this artist, Mirka KrivankovaFind albums by this artist and several others. On contemporary Polish Jazz scene, she seems to be almost completely solitary, except for the work of Anna GadtFind albums by this artist. There is no doubt that this album is completely unique, as far as vocal Jazz is concerned, and Elma’s talent shines ever so brightly, fulfilling gracefully all the great hopes she stirred with her earlier albums. The music she creates with her colleagues hits the listener straight between his eyes, shocks and uplifts on a truly spiritual level, which happens only very rarely with new music that arrives on my desk. Considering the fact that Elma practically reinvents the approach to vocal improvisation, throwing away all pre-conceptions and limitations, she is able to cross into uncharted territory. We often tend to think that “everything was already done” in music (or otherwise), but that is a defeatist approach and life proves that there a possibility for progress. Overall, this is a shockingly beautiful, uplifting musical experience, which happens extremely rarely. As pompous as this might sound, this is probably the most perfect Polish Jazz vocal album of all times, a creation of unprecedented courage, inventiveness and free-spirited exploration. Yes, yes I see all the sceptics shrugging…

Updated: 21/05/2022Posted: 21/05/2022

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OTTO HEJNIC ORGANISM ~ BERINGIA HEVHETIA 0250 (Barcode: 8588005259477) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Jazz Recorded: 2022 Released: 2022 This is an album by Czech drummer / composer Otto HejnicFind albums by this artist, recorded with his trio, called OrganismFind albums by this artist, which includes American organist Brian CharetteFind albums by this artist and British (resident in Czech Republic) saxophonist Osian RobertsFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, all by the leader. The music is all within straightforward mainstream Jazz idiom, but the unusual sound created by the uncommon lineup of Hammond organ / saxophone / drums is what separates this music from most other mainstream albums, in addition of course to the melody lines, which are full of European lyricism. I am always impartial when a recording involves the Hammond, as it is my favorite instrument, but in this case the organ parts seem to be the most mundane element of the music. Somehow Charette fails to create the excitement and zets this miraculous instrument is able to produce, perhaps intentionally on this album, but I can imagine this music sounding way more stimulating with a kick-ass organ player. Roberts also sticks mainly to state the melody themes, but his solo work is limited. Hejnic keeps the music flowing with his strong and energetic drumming, doing a great work as always, but sadly that is not enough to make this album extraordinary in any way. Overall, this is a nice mainstream album, with unusual sound and some excellent compositions, but somehow lacks the excitement I was hoping for. Hammond organ enthusiasts might find this interesting, but don’t expect any miracles.

Updated: 24/10/2022Posted: 24/10/2022

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FRANTISEK BALES ~ BASNE MUZICKE HEVHETIA 0253 (Barcode: 8588005259491) ~ SLOVAKIA ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2022 Released: 2022 This is an album by Slovak keyboardist / composer Frantisek BalesFind albums by this artist and his ensemble, which also includes vocalist Matus UhliarikFind albums by this artist, bassist Vladimir MacajFind albums by this artist and drummer Juraj SusanikFind albums by this artist. Numerous guest musicians participate on selected tracks. The album presents ten tracks, nine of which are based on poems by six celebrated Slovak poets set to music by Bales, which of course make this a Jazz & Poetry project. The opening track is a poem by Bales dedicated to the poet Pavol Orshagh HviezdoslavFind albums by this artist, with three of his poems included on this album. Two of the poems are translated into English and the others are performed in Slovak language. The music is perfectly suited to the literary context, with basic classic Jazz piano trio environment, richly decorated by the more elaborated instrumental pats provided by the guests. The atmosphere is typical of Eastern European lyricism, based on wonderful melodic themes, which are mostly melancholic and lyrical. The entire production and the arrangements create a solid, coherent Jazz & Poetry experience, which although losing some of its charm due to the language barriers, still manages to achieve its basic goal of combining music and texts into a result, which is stronger than just the sum of its ingredients. There is plenty of genuine modern Jazz spirit and excellent soloing here to satisfy every Jazz lover on the planet, with the bonus of some splendid poetic presence for those, who can understand the language. But the vocals are very enjoyable just on the musical level, so the language barrier can be ignored with some flexibility. Overall, this is a beautiful Jazz & Poetry album, an idiom which is not only more popular in Eastern Europe than anywhere else, but also usually more Artistically accepted as an integral part of the Jazz scene. For the idiom lovers, this album works regardless of the language barriers, and is therefore highly recommended. Since some of the poetry included herein was excellently translated into English, poetry lover might want to explore that avenue as well. Definitely worth being discovered and thanks to my Friend Jan SudzinaFind albums by this artist, owner of the HevhetiaFind albums on this label label, for producing this little gem.

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

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

MINJIN SEO ~ FILLED WITH SONG HEVHETIA 0266 (Barcode: 8588005259217) ~ SOUTH KOREA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2022 This is an album by South Korean Jazz vocalist MinJin SeoFind albums by this artist, recorded in the US with several American musicians, excellent South Korean pianist Jeongwon LimFind albums by this artist and her Polish husband, drummer Piotr PawlakFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight songs, one of which is an original by Seo and seven are Jazz standards, and a short prologue and epilogue. The music is all standard American mainstream, with no surprises or innovations, but very well played by the musicians involved. The vocals are also pretty standard, but Seo offers a decent American accent and pronunciation and handles the tunes with obvious dedication and passion. She has an impressive range and her heartfelt delivery is completely acceptable. The album waited for six years, before it was finally released now, better late than never. Overall, this is a nice vocal Jazz album, which is fun to listen to and which will make fans of the genre perfectly happy. It is definitely worth to be checked out!

Updated: 28/10/2022Posted: 28/10/2022

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OTTO HEJNIC ~ THIS IS HOW IT IS HEVHETIA 233 (Barcode: 8588005259293) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Jazz Recorded: 2022 Released: 2022 This is the fifth album by Czech drummer / composer Otto HejnicFind albums by this artist, recorded with his trio which includes pianist Ondrej KrajnakFind albums by this artist and bassist Josef FecoFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, all by the leader. With Krajnak switching to the Fender Rhodes electric piano, the sound of the trio is metamorphosed away from the classic Jazz piano trio I was accustomed to and offers a refreshing experience, although of course takes the listener some five decades back, to the time the electric piano reached the peak of its popularity in the early 1970s. Whichever way one wats to look at this, the change definitely is most welcome. The music is still very melodic, as usual with Hejnic’s compositions, somewhat melancholic but always perfectly rounded. The trio members have obvious fan with this music, performing splendidly, as expected, with an excellent interplay between them and the resulting music flows smoothly from one tune to another, taking the listener on a most pleasant ride along. Hejnic is a living proof to the fact, that some of the best Jazz composers are drummers, which for some reason is not usually expected, but in his case, and numerous others, is definitely true. So beware of the stereotype of the drummer being just the guy with the sticks :) Overall, this is another excellent offering by this excellent trio, fresh and unexpected but definitely up to par with their previous recordings. The electric piano sound, one of my favorite instruments, is magic and personally I loved every moment of this music, which most probably many other Jazz listeners will also experience. Warmly recommended and thank you my Friends for the music!

Updated: 18/10/2022Posted: 18/10/2022

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IMPROVISION QUARTET ~ ANONYM POLSKIE RADIO 2442 (Barcode: 5905610870560) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2020 Released: 2023 This is the second album by Polish Jazz Improvision QuartetFind albums by this artist, comprising of clarinetist Szymon KlimaFind albums by this artist, pianist Dominik WaniaFind albums by this artist, bassist Adam KowalewskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Przemyslaw JaroszFind albums by this artist. Whereas their debut album from 2017 “Free-Folk-JazzFind albums with this title” presented their interpretations of Polish Folklore, this time they offer interpretations of Polish music by anonymous composers from the Medieval period. The album presents seven tracks, with three of the tracks credited to Wania, one to Klima, one to Kowalewski, one co-credited to Klima and Wania and finally one left uncredited, referring to the title. The music, although based on some melodic / composed themes, is mostly Freely improvised, leaving the challenge of identifying the original music to the listener, if need be. The performances are all, no surprisingly, phenomenal, and I personally have a great affinity to the clarinet playing by Klima, who is certainly one of the most underappreciated Jazz players on the Polish scene. Of course Wania is a magician whose piano parts keep the music wonderfully together, and the rhythm session drives it intelligently forward. This is “well organized” Free Jazz, which makes perfect sense for the entire duration, challenging the listener but staying coherent and brilliantly focused. It took a while for this music to be released, as it was recorded in the midst of the pandemic, but it makes me very happy to see it finally out. This is the first Jazz album featuring Klima released on a Polish label, since his previous recordings were released by the wonderful Slovak HevhetiaFind albums on this label label, now sadly dormant. If anyone deserves more exposure, it is definitely him, Chapeau bas to Polskie RadioFind albums on this label label for releasing this superb piece of music. Overall, this is a challenging but highly intelligent example of Polish Free Jazz, which deserves to be heard by all followers of the genre worldwide. Brilliant musicianship, musical depth and a true feast to the ears!

Updated: 08/12/2023Posted: 08/12/2023

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