Record Reviews

MICHAEL AADAL ~ STORIES CLONMELL JAZZ SOCIAL 006 ~ NORWAY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2023 Released: 2024 This is a solo guitar album by Norwegian Jazz guitarist / composer Michael AadalFind albums by this artist. The album presents sixteen short tracks, which last together just under half an hour, all original composition by Aadal. The music is very introvert and delicate, recorded simply by “guitar straight into an amp”, without any studio trickery, using electric and acoustic guitars. The music floats between composed and improvised approaches, and is charming in its simplicity and straightforwardness, on one hand, and the melodic and ambience oriented tranquility on the other hand, offering a brief moment of relaxed, but touching aesthetics. Aadal recorded six albums with his ensembles, but this is his first solo outing, mostly influenced by the Pandemic, which imposed reflection and solitude, which are the underlying motives behind making this album. Overall, this is a very personal album, which offers intimacy and immediate contact between the composer / instrumentalist and his audience, putting aside any barriers, fads and fashions. It is not about flashy guitar licks and pretentious pseudo-virtuosity, but simply a very personal heart-to-heart offering, for the listener to enjoy. I, for one, loved every moment of it.

Updated: 30/09/2024Posted: 30/09/2024

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ERODOTO PROJECT ~ STORIES CULTURAL BRIDGE 0006 (Barcode: 600740998942) ~ ITALY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is an album by Italian Jazz quartet Erodoto ProjectFind albums by this artist, led by saxophonist Bob SalmieriFind albums by this artist, with pianist Alessandro De AngelisFind albums by this artist, bassist Ermanno DodaroFind albums by this artist and drummer Giampaolo ScatozzaFind albums by this artist. Trumpeter Gabriel Oscar RosatiFind albums by this artist and percussionist Carlo ColomboFind albums by this artist appear as guests. The album presents eleven tracks, six of which are originals by Salmieri and four by De Angelis, and one is a Pop song by the legendary crooner Domenico ModugnoFind albums by this artist. The music is melodic mainstream European Jazz, which incorporates subtle World Music influences, mostly Middle Eastern and Latin. All the melodies are beautifully and carefully woven, which is quite typical of Italian Jazz, known for its strong ties with melody and harmony. There is a wide stylistic diversity within the compositions, which of course generates new interest with each of the tracks. The overall level of the compositions is truly impressive. The performances do not fall behind the compositions and all four members of the quartet and the quests are highly skilled and more importantly highly sensitive players, who are able to make the most out of the compositions and present an excellent ensemble effort, as well as play impressive solos. Salmieri, who plays tenor and soprano saxophones, ney (Middle Eastern end-blown wooden flute) and clarinet, proves to be a multitalented player and his solos are all top notch; De Angelis is wonderfully harmonious and elegant, and the rhythm section drives the music firmly and skillfully. Overall this is a very pleasant and rewarding musical experience, which proves that sophisticated and well done mainstream Jazz is still relevant, especially when created by European musicians. The album also offers splendid sound quality and altogether should satisfy most Jazz connoisseurs the world over. Well done!

Updated: 22/02/2018Posted: 22/02/2018

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AGNIESZKA HEKIERT ~ STORIES UNIVERSAL 028947651475 (Barcode: 028947651475) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2012 Polish Jazz vocalist / composer Agnieszka HekiertFind albums by this artist, who combines the careers of a vocalist and a successful vocal coach for TV reality shows, released this album eight years after her last release called "Night And Day SwingFind albums with this title", which she recorded with the pianist / composer Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist and his trio. In the meantime she also recorded the "European ImpressionsFind albums with this title" album with my dear friend, the great Polish saxophonist / composer Leszek ZadloFind albums by this artist, which unfortunately remains unreleased so far. From that session she carried over the Bulgarian pianist / composer Konstantin KostovFind albums by this artist (who studied with another friend of mine, the Russian pianist / composer Leonid TschischikFind albums by this artist, now living and teaching in Germany), who is her closest collaborator on this album. The other musicians, who constitute the piano trio on this album, are bassist Robert KubiszynFind albums by this artist and drummer Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist. Guest appearances also include Herdzin on flute (yes I smiled too), vocalist Kuba BadachFind albums by this artist and the superb Atom String QuartetFind albums by this artist. The album includes twelve songs, four of which are Kostov / Hekiert originals, another four are by Hekiert or feature her lyrics, one is a standard, one is a song by StingFind albums by this artist, another one by Polish vocalist KayahFind albums by this artist and the last of mysterious Far East source (sic!); overall quite a mishmash of styles and influences, which are unified by the arrangements (the arranger is not listed) and excellent performances by the piano trio. Kostov is a brilliant player, which is evident both on his solo spots and his skillful accompaniment, and so are of course veterans Kubiszyn and Konrad. Hekiert is a talented vocalist, singing lyrics and vocalese with obvious ease and technical proficiency. Most of the vocals are in Polish, which of course is highly commendable, with few exceptions, which are unfortunately less impressive. Overall the vocal parts are kept within very safe limits of mainstream Jazz, which is somewhat lacking, as she obviously could have taken a few more risks and less obvious choices. Perhaps the fact that the album was released by Universal signifies an attempt to produce a much wider accessible music? In any case compared to some truly exciting vocal albums released in 2012 in Poland, this one sadly does not challenge any of them. Connoisseurs of vocal Jazz will find this a pleasant listening experience, with excellent instrumental parts and professional vocal performances, no less and no more.

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WALDEMAR KNADE ~ STORIES NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2022 Released: 2023 This is an album by Polish violist / keyboardist / composer Waldemar KnadeFind albums by this artist, recorded with some long-time musical friends mostly from the Polish Avant-Garde Jazz and Rock scene, such as vocalist / lyricist Jorgos SkoliasFind albums by this artist, clarinetist Jerzy MazzollFind albums by this artist, guitarist Lukasz FijalkowskiFind albums by this artist, drummer Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist, bassists Michal RybkaFind albums by this artist and Bogdan MizerskiFind albums by this artist, vocalist Ewelina WizentasFind albums by this artist and turntablist DJ Paulo B.O.K.Find albums by this artist The album presents seventeen relatively short tracks, all composed and some co-composed by Knade and the participating musicians, with the vocal tracks featuring lyrics mostly written by Skolias. The music is a fabulous atmospheric / ambient trip, full of mysticism and emotional tension, with subtle melodic themes, which are often more subconscious than actually specifically stated. Jazz, theatrical recitation, ambient electronic music and some Funky pulsations are all amalgamated into a diabolic / angelic magic potion, which the listener is treated to while submitting his mind to the music. There are many instrumental gems spread along the way, with Mazzoll improvising sublimely on bass and metal clarinets and Knade fiddling away enchantingly, and with divine vocal practices by Skolias and Wizentas, which are no less that blood curdling. Whether deeply religious or profoundly atheistic, which of course is entirely up to the listener, this music is simply way too engaging to be ignored emotionally. I see so often the phrase “spiritual music” being endlessly abused and misused by music critics, but in this case this is simply no other but spiritual music. I find it truly inspirational, encouraging and even life / sanity saving to see that people still engage in creating music like this today, when crawling through musical slime is the norm. Listening to this music is simply a deeply healing experience. Overall, this is an exceptional, highly spiritual piece of Avant-Garde Jazz, performed by some of the best Polish Jazz and Avant-Garde musicians, which delivers a fresh, exhilarating and completely unique aural experience of epic proportions. I am eternally grateful to all the participant and proud to be able to call some of them my Friends. I can only hope this music could be heard by every person on this crazy planet.

Updated: 08/04/2023Posted: 08/04/2023

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DAWID LUBOWICZ ~ STORIES REQUIEM / OPUS 2022/75 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2021 Released: 2022 This is the 2nd solo album by Polish violinist / composer Dawid LubowiczFind albums by this artist, recorded in an unusual setting of violin duo, with Argentinian, resident in Poland, violinist Christian DanowiczFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine tracks, all of which are original compositions by Lubowicz. Lubowicz, primarily known as a member of the Atom String QuartetFind albums by this artist, Poland’s Jazz-Classical Fusion ensemble, is by now well recognized first-class violinist and composer of his own right. On this album the music is primarily within the Classical vein, at least at the first encounter. But as the music develops, there is plenty of World Music influences, both Polish lyricism and melancholy and other livelier streaks, all subtly incorporated into the music. Although the music is obviously strictly written, the performances, especially the exchanges within the duo, offer some improvisation. As expected, the music is brilliantly performed and superbly recorded, which results in a most pleasurable ambience and aesthetic atmosphere, which keeps the listener enchanted for the entire duration. Lubowicz masterfully sculpts the miniature melodies, which are adorned by the duo’s virtuosic touches, as if dressed up in delicate musical satin-like fabric. The music crosses centuries between Baroque and Modernism, Tango and Polonaise but ever so smoothly and cleverly avoiding any clashes or clichés. Overall, this is a delightful, highly unusual piece of music, which manages to eschew precise classification, but delivers a solid dose of heartwarming, sophisticated and emotional experience, which should keep all connoisseurs of truly gorgeous music happy for a long time.

Updated: 02/01/2025Posted: 02/01/2025

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JOHN MAYALL ~ STORIES EAR MUSIC 4029759148647 (Barcode: 4029759148647) ~ UK ~ Blues-Rock Recorded: 2002 Released: 2020 This is a reissue of an album recorded by the Godfather of British Blues guitarist / keyboardist / vocalist / songwriter / bandleader John MayallFind albums by this artist, which was his second album in the new Millennium. The lineup of the BluesbreakersFind albums by this artist on this album includes seasoned American Blues musicians: guitarist Buddy WhittingtonFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Tom CanningFind albums by this artist, bassist Hank Van SickleFind albums by this artist and drummer Joe YueleFind albums by this artist. Percussionist Lenny CastroFind albums by this artist guests on several tracks. The album presents fourteen songs, six of which are originals by Mayall and the rest are written by the members of the band or Blues classics. Mayall stepped boldly into the new Millennium as if time has absolutely no meaning for him and the first two decades saw him releasing nine new studio albums (and a plethora of live albums, mostly archival), which for a person in their seventies, eighties and nineties is quite astounding. No less amazing is the fact that his music stays as young, vigorous and kicking as it was in the early days of his career. Despite the limitations of the Blues idiom, Mayall seems to be able to reinvent himself on every new album and his superb sense of melody and the Blues of course are simply unparalleled. On this album the tunes flow smoothly one after another, featuring Mayall´s wonderfully idiosyncratic vocals and superb playing by his band, which are undisputed Blues / Blues-Rock heaven. God bless you John for the sixty years of great music you shared with all of us!

Updated: 30/04/2021Posted: 14/01/2021

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MONOSIES ~ STORIES OF THE GRAY CITY SOLITON 742 (Barcode: 5901571097428) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 - 2017 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by the Polish Jazz quintet MonosiesFind albums by this artist, led by guitarist / composer Lukasz KomalaFind albums by this artist, which also includes trumpeter Zbigniew SzwajdychFind albums by this artist, pianist Michal SalamonFind albums by this artist, bassist Krzysztof AugustynFind albums by this artist and drummer Mateusz KaronFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Komala. The music is very melodic, well within mainstream Jazz with slight Fusion touches, which are pretty natural when lead guitar is involved. Most of the tunes are pretty slow tempo, melancholic / romantic in nature, but excellently put together. Typically for the young generation of Polish Jazz musicians, the musicians mature with solid compositional abilities, which is apparent on almost all debut albums released on the Polish Jazz scene. All the eight tunes on this album are little gems, which are a pleasure to listen to. All the members of the quintet are also excellent instrumentalists. Szwajdych plays several superb trumpet solos, which are well suited to the melodic line of the compositions. Salamon plays fluidly and always with the exact dynamics required at each specific moment, Augustyn solidly supports the flow of the music with his bottom line pulsations and Karon keeps the energy of the music kicking in. Komala produces some very unusual guitar sounds, especially when playing chords, obviously using a plethora of electronic devices. His solos are more Fusion than Jazz oriented, but they are concise, coherent and elegant, and certainly avoid the unnecessary doodling that plagues most contemporary Fusion recordings. Overall this is an excellent debut album, which is full of great tunes and excellent performances. Guitar fans should have a lot of fun with this, but all melodic Jazz connoisseurs will find this album to be an exciting listening experience. Perhaps not very innovative, but this is definitely a sold, well executed project which presents Komala as a gifted composer and the entire ensemble as an eloquent group of young Jazz lions. Well done indeed!

Updated: 10/11/2017Posted: 10/11/2017

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KRZYSZTOF PUMA PIASECKI / JOZEF SKRZEK ~ STORIES NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is an album by the duo of Polish Jazz-Rock Fusion veterans: guitarist / composer Krzysztof Puma PiaseckiFind albums by this artist and bassist / keyboardist Jozef SkrzekFind albums by this artist (of SBBFind albums by this artist fame). The double CD album presents fifteen original compositions, six by Piasecki, five by Skrzek and four co-composed by Piasecki and Skrzek. The music is a beautiful collection of melodic tunes, which float somewhere between Fusion and Progressive Rock and feature extended improvisations. Piasecki plays a plethora of acoustic and electric guitars and piano on one tune, and Skrzek plays various keyboards and adds wordless vocalese parts. Although not explicitly stated, the music could be easily considered as a concept suite, since the pieces follow in a coherent manner and obviously present a uniform stylistic concept. The music develops slowly and moves from quiet passages to dynamic peaks, as appropriate for Progressive Rock. The sound is however more Fusion oriented due to the guitar sound and mannerisms, resulting in a wonderful Prog / Fusion amalgam. It is heart worming to hear Skrzek performing so well and being so vigilant, especially in view of the fact that his music in the last decade or so seemed to lose the focus and intensity that characterized his momentous work for many years. The cooperation with Piasecki certainly proved to be most productive and inspiring. It seems that the old Masters still have got all that is needed to make great music and I wish the young Fusion and Prog players would listen to this album and use it as an example of what intelligent and honest music making is all about. Both contemporary Fusion and Prog seem to be completely lost these days, moving away from the glory that exemplified both idioms in the past. This album is a reminder what it was all about – great songwriting, virtuosic performances and above all personal integrity. Overall this album is a magnificent and breathtaking voyage into contemporary instrumental music, which is still highly emotional and aesthetically fulfilling. Obviously this is an absolute must for guitar freaks, Prog and Fusion connoisseurs and all music fans that still have a beating heart, which is not just a muscle. Chapeau!

Updated: 23/09/2017Posted: 23/09/2017

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SKUBISZ / LEMANCZYK COOPERATION ~ STORIES ABOUT LIFE AND LOVE AFRO VIBE 004 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rap Fusion Recorded: 2022 Released: 2022 This is the debut album by Polish ensemble Skubisz / Lemanczyk CooperationFind albums by this artist, which comprises of rapper Bartlomiej SkubiszFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. EskaubeiFind albums by this artist), bassist / composer Piotr LemanczykFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Tomek NowakFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz PalkaFind albums by this artist. DJ Wojciech DlugoszFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Mr. KrimeFind albums by this artist) appears as a guest musician and plays synthesizers. The album presents nine tracks, eight of which are original compositions by Lemanczyk with texts by Skubisz and one is a composition by iconic Polish Jazz trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist and saxophonist Janusz MuniakFind albums by this artist with text by Skubisz, dedicated to Stanko. Listeners familiar with the Polish Jazz scene are already familiar with the Jazz-Rap Fusion recordings by Eskaubei & Tomek Nowak QuartetFind albums by this artist, which are clear predecessors of this album and include contributions by Nowak and Dlugosz. The format is very similar, but the brilliant compositions by Lemanczyk and his virtuosic electric bass performances take everything one notch higher. Skubisz, as usual, expresses his unequivocal opinions about the problems and circumstances of contemporary life, including fears and angers caused by politics, human stupidity and the ocean of excrements we all need to swim in, keeping our nose just above the surface, in order to survive. I have always admired his honesty and clear vision of reality, especially since his statements are intelligent and penetrating, rather than being rude and vile. Words of truth are definitely stronger than profanities. Nowak plays some excellent trumpet parts on this album, and being the main soloist he sets the entire mood of the music. The Jazz-Rap Fusion requires a very delicate balance between the spoken parts and the music, which this ensemble is able to maintain for the entire duration. Lemanczyk contributes the pulse, like a heartbeat, which keeps this music alive. It is worth to listen to this album several times, each time concentrating on the separate contributions by the participants, apart for listening to the album as a whole; especially Lemanczyk’s bass lines, which are Masterful, the trumpet solos and of course the texts. Overall, this is a most welcome return to the Jazz-Rap Fusion idiom by Skubisz, who is as always accompanied by excellent musicians, creating some relevant social criticism and life observations, which are not easy to hear but nevertheless absolutely necessary to keep one’s sanity. Kudos for keeping up the good work!

Updated: 13/10/2022Posted: 13/10/2022

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NORMA WINSTONE ~ STORIES YET TO TELL ECM 2158 (Barcode: 602527374260) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 2009 Released: 2010 The British Jazz Diva, singer Norma WinstoneFind albums by this artist, with five decades of amazing career behind her, is still an unstoppable creator of heavenly music and every new release, which features her incredible voice, is a gift from musical heaven. On this exquisite album Norma is accompanied by just two musicians, the German clarinetist (bass) and saxophonist (soprano) Klaus GesingFind albums by this artist and Italian pianist Glauco VenierFind albums by this artist. This intimate setting is ideal for this delicate, fragile music, which floats like a butterfly from one song to another, showing the different shades and color of its wonderfully colorful wings. The music comes from different sources: some of it is composed by Gesing or Venier, some is traditional and a couple of standards are also present. Norma wrote the lyrics to all of these songs, another formidable showcase of her amazing talents. Overall this album is way beyond just music; it´s a complete aesthetic / intellectual love affair, which, when properly appreciated, is a source of bliss and delight. It seems futile to describe the music using words, just grab this album, pour a glass of wine and sit back and listen…and enjoy. Life it too short to miss this! Visitors' Comments Christopher  Brice I respectfully agree with Adam´s comments, but want to add that the sax is strongly reminiscent of Surman in lyrical mode; and that I immediately ordered the other album by this trio - now spinning sublimely in my CD player for the first time

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