Record Reviews

MAREK JAKUBOWSKI ~ MY OWN ... RECART 0007 (Barcode: 5908285287060) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2013 This is a beautiful debut album by young Polish Jazz drummer / composer Marek JakubowskiFind albums by this artist, who leads a classic piano trio with pianist Adam BieranowskiFind albums by this artist and bassist Piotr Max WisniewskiFind albums by this artist. The album comprises of eleven original compositions, all by Jakubowski, three of which are short (a minute or less) interludes, i.e. there are eight full scale compositions altogether. The focus of this album is the level of the compositions, which are all simply outstanding. Deeply rooted in Jazz tradition, they mange to present a fresh look at composition, which amalgamates a myriad of influences, starting with the intrinsically Polish melancholy and including odd meters, subtle World Music themes, vamping and repeated riffs, extra slow tempo and countless other tricks of the trade, which probably partly come about subconsciously. Nevertheless this music is first class – a fresh breath of air within the "mainstream" approach, which so often tends to be simply boring. Combined with the superb level of execution by the trio, these compositions achieve full bloom and turn into a most pleasurable listening experience. All three musicians show a great level of respect towards each other and even though the drummer is the trio´s leader there are no unnecessary solo spots just to prove it. In fact there is a perfect balance between the instruments, with the piano obviously stating the melody and harmony, as well as most of the improvised parts and the rhythm section supports it with a solid and empathetic embrace. The strength of a piano trio is never just a total of the individual talents of its members, must above all the level of cooperation and mutual interplay they are able to generate, as is splendidly shown here. As usual in such cases my heart fills up with pride and joy every time a representative of the young generation of the Polish Jazz scene comes up with a project, which clearly shows that the heritage will be continued in the years to come. Those young musicians grow up musically much faster than decades earlier and by the time they graduate from music academies they are already accomplished musicians with a level of maturity that never ceases to amaze. Overall this is an admirable debut, which immediately points out to keep the names of these musicians on the "watched" list, hoping to hear from them again. Every piano trio connoisseur in the world should be able to enjoy this music to the fullest, as I did. Well done indeed!

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

MAREK JAKUBOWSKI ~ PATIENT AND STUBBORN RECART 0011 (Barcode: 5908285287107) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2014 This is the second album by the fabulous young Polish Jazz drummer / composer Marek JakubowskiFind albums by this artist, recorded with the same trio that recorded the sensational debut ("My Own…Find albums with this title") just a few months earlier, which includes pianist Adam BieranowskiFind albums by this artist and bassist Piotr Max WisniewskiFind albums by this artist. The album comprises of eleven original compositions, all by Jakubowski, two of which are short interludes and the rest are fully developed pieces. Everything I already wrote in my review of the debut applies yet again to this album. Jakubowski´s compositions are all little gems, beautifully melodic and harmonic and yet completely non-trivial and full of twists and turns. The strength of the material is consistent and diverse, which makes listening to this album a real pleasure. This compositional attitude is a wonderful example of how mainstream Jazz can still be creative and inventive. The level of execution is also excellent from start to finish with Bieranowski displaying incredible lyricism and delicate touch, which result in elegant and intelligent delivery. Wisniewski is supportive and his solos are beautifully modest and concise. Jakubowski is a very versatile drummer, using an array of different sounds produced by his sticks and brushes, always at the appropriate volume and fitting the music ideally. This trio is emerging as one of the classic piano trios on the Polish scene, following in the footsteps of the established leaders like RGGFind albums by this artist or Marcin WasilewskiFind albums by this artist´s trio. The album is very well recorded and its sonic quality contributes greatly to the overall result, creating is a superb piano trio achievement, which many listeners around the world could enjoy. It is great to see that Jakubowski and his trio managed to repeat their success yet again and hopefully thy will continue to do so in the future. I can´t wait to hear more of this music!

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend