Record Reviews

JANUSZ ZDUNEK ~ NUMERY SP 02/17 (Barcode: 5909876540045) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Funk Fusion Recorded: 2015 Released: 2017 This is an album by Polish trumpeter / composer Janusz ZdunekFind albums by this artist, recorded in an octet setting with six brass players (Zdunek on trumpet, trombonist Jaroslaw WaznyFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Bogumila LudwinskaFind albums by this artist, Mariusz GodzinaFind albums by this artist and Tomasz GlazikFind albums by this artist and tuba player Piotr WrobelFind albums by this artist) and rhythm section: bassist Ireneusz KaczmarFind albums by this artist and drummer Rafal BacaFind albums by this artist. The album presents eleven original compositions, all by Zdunek. One of the tracks features Rap style lyrics. The musicians on the album are old Zdunek´s cohorts from his Yass ensembles 4 SyfonFind albums by this artist and MarienburgFind albums by this artist and Rock group KultFind albums by this artist. The music is consistent with earlier albums by Zdunek, presenting more or less the same mixture of Jazz, Rock, Yass and Funk influences, which are almost danceable, played with great feeling of Groove and a Funky approach, but basically adding very little to the musical arsenal, which Zdunek presented already in the past, except perhaps for a few Klezmer influenced pieces. The large brass section could have been used to create a much richer and multilayered environment, but sadly it is mostly limited to playing long unisono lines behind Zdunek´s trumpet solos, which are not interesting enough to keep the listener on his toes. The rhythm section keeps the music moving forward in a hypnotic Funky Groove, which is really excellent, but after a while becomes somewhat repetitious. Overall this is a nice, listenable album with a lot of brass sounds and Groovy / Funky rhythms, which many listeners should be able to enjoy and perhaps even dance to. More entertainment that Art, but nevertheless definitely worth investigation!

Updated: 28/04/2017Posted: 28/04/2017

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JANUSZ ZDUNEK / 4 SYFON ~ BATERIE NOT TWO 730 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2001 Released: 2001 This is the 3rd album by Polish Jazz trumpeter / composer Janusz ZdunekFind albums by this artist and his quartet called 4 SyfonFind albums by this artist, which also included saxophonist Tomasz GlazikFind albums by this artist, bassist Wladyslaw ReflingFind albums by this artist and drummer Jacek BuhlFind albums by this artist. Of the fifteen relatively short tracks on this album, six were composed by Zdunek, three by Buhl, another three (or in fact one repeated three times) by guest vocalist Krzysztof GruseFind albums by this artist, one by Refling, one is a folk tune and the remaining one is by Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, the Godfather of Polish Jazz. Although recorded after the heyday of the Polish Yass movement, which happened in the late 1990s, Zdunek continues the nonchalant, almost Punk attitude towards Jazz on this album. Based on simple, repetitive rhythm patterns, which originate mostly in Rock, the melody and the improvisation is played on top, sometimes by one instrument and sometimes by both soloists. A few tracks are pretty "free" (written, not surprisingly by Buhl, who would be drawn towards the Free Jazz movement later on in his career), but they are definitely exceptions. The group´s treatment of the Komeda tune is perhaps the most typical example of the idea behind this music; rhythmic simplicity and improvisation on top, with some Rap elements and overall atmosphere of "we do our thing and don´t give a fuck what you think about it". Strangely enough it works just fine. It´s pretty obvious that these are greatly talented musicians, trying very hard not to show it. Over a decade after it was recorded, this music definitely lost some of its initial innovative approach and edge, but most of it still sounds pretty cool today. Not for everybody, but there are enough weirdoes out there to enjoy this stuff immensely forever.

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