Record Reviews

WOJTCZAK / PIOTROWICZ ~ PLASTIC POETRY HOWARD 3 (Barcode: 5903420816266) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is the debut album by the Polish Jazz duo comprising of the veteran saxophonist Irek WojtczakFind albums by this artist (aged fifty) and young pianist Kamil PiotrowiczFind albums by this artist (aged twenty seven). The album presents ten tracks, which are connected into an improvised suite. Wojtczak is credited as a composer of one of the pieces and Piotrowicz of two, with the rest being co-composed / spontaneously improvised. The duet setting is one of the most difficult and demanding Jazz environments, but at the same time one of the most rewarding, and which has earned a status of a sub-idiom called "Art of the Duo" over time. I am happy to say that this wonderful album certainly deserves an honorable place within that idiom. Wojtczak, who already earned a respected position on the Polish Jazz scene over the years, is no surprise as his consistent excellence is part of his persona. Piotrowicz, on the other hand, recorded his debut album as a leader just three years earlier (2015) and travelled a marvelous journey at the speed of light between his early days characterized by mainstream Jazz to his current position at the spearhead of Improvised Music / Avant-Garde explorations. Therefore this particular get-together reflects the meeting between two consecutive generations of the Polish Jazz scene, where the representatives of both generations have absolutely no problem creating shoulder to shoulder in perfect tandem and without any inferiority complex involved. Duo is all about conversation and mutual respect and this music is a wonderful example of such human / Artistic relationship. The music, although obviously improvised, sounds often as if it was completely composed and rehearsed for ages, reflecting the perfect understanding and almost telepathic communication between the two musicians. It is also perfectly harmonically structured and offers a continuous line of coherent musical development. Overall this is a wonderful piece of music which although highly improvised offers a serene, richly textured musical journey, that can be enjoyed by a relatively wide circle of open-minded listeners. The inventiveness and virtuosity of these two superb musicians is a gift we can now share. This is definitely one of the strongest Polish Jazz releases in 2019 and is obviously wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 15/12/2019Posted: 15/12/2019

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