Record Reviews

ADAM CZERWINSKI / DAREK OLESZKIEWICZ ~ RAINDANCE ALLEGRO 015 (Barcode: 634479245978) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2005 Released: 2007 This is an album by a Polish / American Jazz quartet, which features the excellent Polish Jazz rhythm section of drummer Adam CzerwinskiFind albums by this artist and bassist Darek OleszkiewiczFind albums by this artist and the US players: guitarist Larry KoonseFind albums by this artist and organist Larry GoldingsFind albums by this artist. Sound engineer Nolan ShaheedFind albums by this artist plays cornet on one track. Oleszkiewicz, Koonse and Shaheed later took part in the recording of the 2nd Aga ZaryanFind albums by this artist album, which was recorded in the same studio. Of the ten tracks on this album, three were composed by Czerwinski, another three by Oleszkiewicz, two by Koonse and the remaining two are standards. The music is all very mainstream and very easy going, i.e. on the lighter side of the Jazz spectrum, but of course is perfectly executed by these master musicians. The sound of the Hammond organ is always a winner and quite irresistible to Jazz buffs, so the overall result is a most entertaining piece of easy melodic Jazz, without being kitschy or overtly moronic. The original compositions are all nicely crafted, especially those by Oleszkiewicz, which are also the most advanced ones on this album. This is an excellent example of how accessible music is able to retain musical qualities, being still strongly rooted in Jazz and improvised, and yet enjoyable to people who have little or no Jazz experience of affiliation. Such listeners will definitely love this stuff madly!

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JANUSZ MACKIEWICZ ~ FROGSVILLE ECNALUMBA 0002 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2006 Released: 2008 This is the second album as a leader by Polish Jazz bassist / composer Janusz MackiewiczFind albums by this artist. It is a live recording, which also features saxophonist Dariusz HerbaszFind albums by this artist, trombonist Grzegorz NagorskiFind albums by this artist, vibraphonist Dominik BukowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam CzerwinskiFind albums by this artist, all well seasoned players from the Polish Baltic Tricity scene. The quintet performs seven compositions, six of which are original compositions: four by Mackiewicz, one each by Bukowski and Herbasz and the last one is a Charles MingusFind albums by this artist tune. The music is all well within mainstream Jazz, but the excellent compositions and spotless execution turn it into a very pleasant listening experience, mostly low key and somewhat subdued. The music is definitely not trying to break any new musical ground, but it does represent highly professional well played contemporary Jazz, which is accessible to a wide Jazz audience and should satisfy most regular Jazz connoisseurs all over the world. In many respects this music has a nostalgic feel of the Bebop hay days as captured during the 1950s and 1960s on Blue Note, Prestige and other labels, but with a more contemporary sound quality. This album is definitely worth checking out, especially for Polish Jazz collectors, as it proves beyond any doubt that Polish Jazz musicians can play classic Jazz as well as the guys across the pond.

Updated: 01/06/2018Posted:

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JAROSLAW SMIETANA ~ A TRIBUTE TO ZBIGNIEW SEIFERT JSR 0011 (Barcode: 5901119902399) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2009 Released: 2009 This is a stunning tribute album to the Polish violin virtuoso / composer Zbigniew SeifertFind albums by this artist by the great Polish guitarist Jaroslaw SmietanaFind albums by this artist and his band: pianist Piotr WylezolFind albums by this artist, bassist Zbigniew WegehauptFind albums by this artist, drummer Adam CzerwinskiFind albums by this artist and percussionist Slawomir BernyFind albums by this artist. Keyboardist Janusz GrzywaczFind albums by this artist guests on two tracks. Smietana invited nine leading Jazz violinists to play along with this fabulous band, performing Seifert´s wonderful compositions. They are: Jerry GoodmanFind albums by this artist (ex-Mahavishnu OrchestraFind albums by this artist, USA), Mateusz SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist (Poland), Didier LockwoodFind albums by this artist (France), Krzesimir DebskiFind albums by this artist (Poland), Christian HowesFind albums by this artist (USA), Mark FeldmanFind albums by this artist (USA), Maciej StrzelczykFind albums by this artist (Poland), Adam BaldychFind albums by this artist (Poland) and Pierre BlanchardFind albums by this artist (France). These nine virtuosi play like there´s no tomorrow and the resulting music is simply a breathtaking trip into Seifert´s world. This is such a conglomerate of talent, that anything said beyond this would be simply superfluous. Simply grab this ASAP, as you are about to take trip of your life – violin heaven indeed!

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WOJCIECH STARONIEWICZ ~ A`FREAK-AN PROJECT ALLEGRO 021 (Barcode: 5901157049216) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2010 Released: 2011 This is a very interesting concept album by veteran Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Wojciech StaroniewiczFind albums by this artist, dedicated to African music. Staroniewicz assembled an unusual lineup, fronted by a four-saxophone brass section: himself on tenor, Przemek DyakowskiFind albums by this artist on tenor, Dariusz HerbaszFind albums by this artist on baritone and Irek WojtczakFind albums by this artist on tenor and soprano saxophones. There are no keyboards, as appropriate for African music, which are replaced by typical African instruments like marimba and kalimba, with some vibraphone, all played by Dominik BukowskiFind albums by this artist. The rhythm section comprises of bassist Janusz MackiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam CzerwinskiFind albums by this artist and two percussionists complete the lineup: Larry Okey UgwuFind albums by this artist and Slawomir BernyFind albums by this artist. The album includes seven original compositions, all by the leader, and was recorded "live" in the studio. Rather than copying obvious African elements, Staroniewicz creates a set of compositions, which are African more in spirit than in form, a task which is most commendable and of course much more difficult. The brass arrangements sound similar to African Brass Bands, mostly those from Southern part of the continent, but what is most impressive, is that Staroniewicz presents Africa as a whole, with music influences originating from all the four corners of the Black Continent – North with its Middle-Eastern flavor, West with its typical rhythm signatures, East with its enchanting expressive melodies and South with its highly energetic, danceable spirit. The decision not to include keyboards, especially electronic ones, adds significantly to the authenticity and genuineness of the overall result. Although obviously a team effort, especially in light of the live recording circumstances, there are plenty of great solos by all the players involved. These are all experienced and talented musicians, mostly leaders of their own ensembles and the common strength of their conglomerated effort is quite impressive. One should note that although this is obviously a Jazz-World Fusion album, the ethnic elements are not dominating the basic Jazz feel and order of things here, which happens so often in this genre. After all these are European musicians, who grew up on European aesthetics and heritage, and for them pretending to be native Africans would be ridiculous. Therefore this subtle and intelligent approach is much more effective. In addition to the great musical content the album is also beautifully packaged and the graphic design of the digipak enclosure is simply wonderful and highly original, which proves how much thought and love went into making this album. Highly recommended to Jazz-World Fusion enthusiasts, who should enjoy this music wholeheartedly and repeatedly, discovering the many layers it has to offer. Nice stuff!

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LORA SZAFRAN ~ LONESOME DANCER (POLISH JAZZ VOL.76) MUZA 1076 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1989 Released: 2006 This is the excellent debut album by female Polish Jazz vocalist Lora SzafranFind albums by this artist, the best new arrival on the local scene in the 1980s in the vocal department. She was blessed with great musicality, versatility and superb vocal abilities, which are rare and precious. On this album she is accompanied by an exceptional quartet called New PresentationFind albums by this artist, consisting of the best young Polish Jazz musicians at the time: pianist / composer / leader Wojciech NiedzielaFind albums by this artist, his brother bassist Jacek NiedzielaFind albums by this artist, drummer Adam CzerwinskiFind albums by this artist and the excellent trumpeter Piotr WojtasikFind albums by this artist. Together they perform nine songs, two of which were composed by Wojciech Niedziela, two others are by other Polish composers and the rest are Jazz standards. The overall level of performance is truly excellent from start to finish and for people who love mainstream Jazz delivered with taste and virtuosity, this is a must. Side Note: This is the last album released under the "Polish Jazz" series, and as the volume number suggests the entire series consists of 76 albums released between mid-1960s and late 1980s. Some of the best European Jazz ever recorded can be found in this exceptional collection of recordings, which is often collected by Jazz fans around the world. A giant Box Set with all the 76 albums in mini-sleeve replicas would be a "dream come true" for true lovers of Polish Jazz. Hopefully soon!

Updated: 26/01/2019Posted:

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MARCIN WADOLOWSKI ~ BLUE NIGHT SESSION ALLEGRO 028 (Barcode: 5901157049285) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2014 This is the second album by the Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Marcin WadolowskiFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quintet setting with saxophonist Wojciech StaroniewiczFind albums by this artist, vibraphonist Dominik BukowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Janusz MackiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam CzerwinskiFind albums by this artist, all seasoned players from the Polish Tricity region. The album presents ten original compositions, all by Wadolowski. Wadolowski can be also heard as a member of Elec-Tri-CityFind albums by this artist and MoongangFind albums by this artist. The music is all very melodic and kept within the mainstream Jazz conventions. All the tracks are relatively short, creating a sort of "songs" album, although of course entirely instrumental, in contrast to a typical Jazz recording, which focuses on the improvisational skills. Wadolowski simply decides to concentrate on featuring his skills as a composer and presenting his music rather than his and his quintets performing talents. There is basically absolutely nothing wrong with such approach of course. Nevertheless the album features very talented and skilled instrumentalists and although the framework and time limitations of this album allow rather modest contributions, those are all executed perfectly. Staroniewicz is a marvelous player and so is Bukowski, who uses recently more and more the xylosynth (a combination of xylophone and synthesizer, which sound really more like a keyboard and produces some very beautiful moments. The rhythm section is also perfect for the job, staying mostly in the background but providing a solid support for the soloist and doing it with grace and elegance. As to the leader, personally I prefer his work in a more electric / Fusion / Funky environment than playing gentle almost acoustic guitar, which limits his possibilities or perhaps exposes more his technical weaknesses, but overall his performance is also quite satisfactory. All in all we have here a pleasant well played album, which should satisfy most Jazz connoisseurs, with a slight tendency towards melodic and less complex musical forms. This album is quite ideal for a lazy evening with a glass of a wonderful cognac or very old single malt on ice.

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MARCIN WADOLOWSKI ~ MY GUITAR THERAPY ALLEGRO 030 (Barcode: 5901157049308) ~ POLAND ~ Blues-Rock Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is the third album by Polish guitarist / composer Marcin WadolowskiFind albums by this artist, this time recorded in a trio setting with superb bassist (both acoustic and electric) Piotr LemanczykFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam CzerwinskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, all by Wadolowski. If the two earlier albums by Wadolowski flirted with Jazz to some extent, this one abandons all Jazz connections and concentrates on Blues or Blues-Rock entirely. Of course the rhythm section comes from the Jazz environment, but they too play along splendidly within the Blues idiom, retaining their superb technique and feeling. Of course Wadolowski improvises extensively during his extended solos, but this is typical Blues-Rock improvisation. It becomes plainly evident from the early moments of this album that Wadolowski really feels great in this environment and his playing is not only more daring and adventurous but also much gutsier than earlier on. Of course Lemanczyk also adds a few bass solos of his own, which are, as always, absolutely breathtaking, but he easily complies with the Bluesy atmosphere. Wadolowski writes great melodic tunes, which are ideal vehicles for his guitar pyrotechnics and combine some Funk and Groove on top of the basic Blues-Rock stuff. In short, this music should not be judged by Jazz standards, as it is not Jazz music. It is a down to earth Blues-Rock, excellently played and ideal for the many fans of the genre. It is a great listen and a true fun, without any compromise whatsoever as far as musicianship and integrity are concerned.

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