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  | MAREK MCCARRON MOTYKA ~ BURNS
NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Blues
Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021
This is an album by veteran Polish Blues vocalist / guitarist / songwriter Marek McCarron MotykaFind albums by this artist recorded in a trio format with guitarist Tomasz BienekFind albums by this artist and bassist Jacek RaciborskiFind albums by this artist. Banjo player Partyk FilipowiczFind albums by this artist guests on selected tracks. The album presents eleven original songs co-composed by the trio members, all featuring lyrics by the 18th Century Romantic Scottish poet Robert BurnsFind albums by this artist, translated into the Silesian language by Miroslaw SyniawaFind albums by this artist.
At first look the entire enterprise looked entirely weird; Scottish poetry translated into Silesian and framed into a Blues setting? But after taking a deep breath, reading the liner notes and placing the album into the CD player everything started to make perfect sense. Poetry is obviously universal and manages to cross time and language barriers, and since human emotions are basically common to all of us, Motyka’s affinity to the Scotsman’s words are not that bizarre after all.
As to the Blues setting, well the southern Polish region of Upper Silesia (where I was born) is well recognized as the cradle of the Polish Blues and many of the leading Polish Blues musicians originate from there. And even the McCarron nickname has a good explanation for the insiders ;)
The music is, not surprisingly, traditional Blues, acoustic and raw, wonderfully sung by Motyka, who has the vocal qualities ideal for the genre, and the guitars only accompaniment adds to the authenticity of the sound. If one disregards the language, this sound almost like an early, almost field recording. Of course this album is way beyond copying the original, but a genuine, heartfelt Blues statement, full of emotion and expression. The instrumental work is also exactly what is required to make this music sound honest and unpretentious.
Overall this is a very original and interesting statement, with a cross-cultural message and a nice dose of Blues, which should make all lovers of the genre happy. Silesia rules, which goes without saying!
| | Updated: 13/08/2021Posted: 13/08/2021 | CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend |
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