Record Reviews

RAFAL DUBICKI ~ SHADOW ON THE SPACE SOLTAN ART GROUP 018 (Barcode: 5903802188585) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2021 Released: 2021 This is the second album by young Polish Jazz trumpeter / composer Rafal DubickiFind albums by this artist recorded in a classic quartet setting with the same musicians who played on his debut: guitarist Michal SoltanFind albums by this artist, bassist Mateusz WozniakFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam LewandowskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eleven original compositions, all by the leader. Same as on the debut, Dubicki offers a delightful collection of mainstream Jazz pieces, based on excellent melodic themes, which offer diverse moods, but all swing splendidly. The quartet plays the pieces with obvious joy and all four musicians do exactly what is needed to make them sound perfect. The leader has a clear trumpet sound, which resounds with confidence and is able to create a mystic ambience of romance and anticipation as well as a burning urgency. Soltan is a wonderful guitar player and his chords lay down the entire harmonic background for this music, amicably and elegantly supported by the rhythm section. Soltan’s solos tend to slide towards Fusion, as opposed to his accompaniments, which are purely Jazzy, thus adding another dimension to the music. As a result, the entire album floats somewhere between Jazz and Fusion and even Brass Rock, despite the fact that just a single trumpet is present. As said in my review of the debut, some Jazz critics will probably find this music to be “not enough Jazz oriented”, but who gives a damn. This music is improvised, it swings like hell and is pure joy to listen to, so who cares what the Jazz snobs think. Overall, this is a sold follow up to the debut, which surely will find many listeners who love what these musicians are doing. A word of warning as to the future, since pursuing the same direction for too long might prove to be less successful, but so far so good. I simply love this stuff to bits!

Updated: 31/12/2021Posted: 31/12/2021

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

RAFAL DUBICKI ~ STORY ABOUT EMOTIONS SOLTAN ART GROUP 001 (Barcode: 5907648374409) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz trumpeter / composer Rafal DubickiFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet setting with guitarist Michal SoltanFind albums by this artist, bassist Mateusz WozniakFind albums by this artist and veteran drummer Adam LewandowskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, all by Dubicki. This album is also the first release on a new record label founded by Soltan, called Soltan Art GroupFind albums on this label – best wishes with the new enterprise! The music is all strongly melody based mainstream Jazz, moving between ballads and Latin rhythms, definitely on the lighter side of the Jazz spectrum, which could be labeled as "late night Jazz". The music swings and is spotlessly executed by the quartet members. Dubicki has a crystal clear, somewhat "old fashioned" trumpet tone, which is sadly very rarely used today, and which brings on nostalgic memories of the Swing Era. But his soaring soli are impressive and heartwarming. Soltan is an excellent and diverse guitar player and his soli are among the highlights of the album. Wozniak sticks to the basics and offers a solid bottom layer to the music, keeping things balanced and plays just one perfectly structured bass solo and Lewandowski, as usual, is totally in charge of the rhythm department. Although this album will probably be dismissed by the Polish Jazz "critics", who will be lamenting about its straightforwardness and popular approach, albums like this are a completely valid part of the Polish Jazz scene, as long as they are as professionally put together as this one. Not everybody gets orgasmic listening to Avant-Garde doodling, and enjoying pleasant Jazz is definitely not a social crime. Overall this is a nice Jazz album offering solid compositions and performances, which will make many listeners perfectly happy, and which will hopefully launch Dubicki´s musical career in the foreseeable feature.

Updated: 31/12/2021Posted: 15/09/2019

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

WOJCIECH GOGOLEWSKI TRIO ~ MEDYTACJE WIEJSKIEGO LISTONOSZA JAZZOWEGO NOT ON LABEL 9788365344007 (Barcode: 9788365344007) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is an album by Polish Jazz piano trio led by veteran pianist / composer Wojciech GogolewskiFind albums by this artist, with bassist Pawel PantaFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam LewandowskiFind albums by this artist. As the album´s title suggests, at least to those familiar with the Polish music scene, this album is dedicated to the music by the legendary Polish Rock group SkaldowieFind albums by this artist and pays tribute to their extraordinary talents. The album presents ten songs Skaldowie created during their heyday, all composed by Andrzej ZielinskiFind albums by this artist (one of the two Zielinski brothers who led the group) and arranged for Jazz trio by Gogolewski. It is of course completely impossible for someone like me, who grew up listening to the music of Skaldowie, to be in any way objective while listening to this album, and indeed I don´t intend to be objective at all. This is a marvelous piece of music in every respect, even without the tsunami of nostalgia, which floods my brain while listening to it, since it perfectly holds water just by being what it really is, i.e. an excellent piano trio album playing some superbly crafted music, beautifully recorded and perfectly executed. Of course the music of Zielinski presents some of the most incredibly weaved melodies on this planet, full of "impossible" chord changes and weird harmonies, tempi shifts and other musicological mumble-jumble, which most people have absolutely no idea about, but which simply work wonders and create some of the most beautiful songs ever written, which made our childhood and then adolescence so incredibly beautiful. Comparing Skaldowie to the BeatlesFind albums by this artist would have been mostly unfair to the Polish group, as they were light-years ahead musically. The fact that their music transfers so gracefully into the Jazz idiom is a great proof of its quality, whereas most Jazz arrangements of Beatles songs never really rise above pastiche. I am pretty sure this album should be universally appealing to every Jazz connoisseur around, even those who can´t find Poland on the map. This music is simply universal and its elegance and typical European sophistication is irresistible. I can only wholeheartedly thank the people involved in creating this masterpiece for the immense pleasure it has bestowed upon me. Perhaps some listeners, happy with what they find here, will reach out for the original Skaldowie albums, where this music originates from, to take another step on the path of exploration. Bless you all!

Updated: 11/09/2017Posted: 11/09/2017

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

ANDRZEJ KORZYNSKI ~ WIELKI SZU (SOUNDTRACK) GAD 061 (Barcode: 5901549197815) ~ POLAND ~ Soundtracks Recorded: 1982 - 1983 Released: 2017 This is an archival release of the previously unreleased soundtrack to the cult Polish movie "Wielki Szu", scored by one of the most prolific Polish cinematic composers Andrzej KorzynskiFind albums by this artist. This is the third album on the excellent Polish GADFind albums on this label Records label, which presents a soundtrack scored by Korzynski. This expanded edition includes the eighteen pieces that were included in the movie and three bonus tracks, one of which is an outtake and two are taken from another movie filmed at the same period, called "Dzien Kolibra", also scored by Korzynski. The music is performed by an ensemble which features some of the top instrumentalists of the time, including guitarist Winicjusz ChrostFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Henryk MajewskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Arkadiusz ZakFind albums by this artist, drummer Adam LewandowskiFind albums by this artist and others. The music is an amalgam of synthesizer based instrumental music, which originates from Korzynski´s studio ensemble Arp LifeFind albums by this artist days and a more up to date groove, disco, blues, funk and what have you, which somehow work together even in this stand-alone version outside of the movie´s framework. In retrospect the Polish Funk of the 1980s, which is now a thought after commodity and a source of many compilations, is well represented here. The instrumental work, although limited by the time restrictions of soundtrack music, is really interesting, especially so the bluesy guitar parts by Chrost and superb drumming by Lewandowski. The sound quality, intelligent liner notes, photographs, graphic design and the meticulous attention to details, which characterize all GAD releases, is an example of how reissues are supposed to look like and what they are all about. Preservation of Polish National Cultural Heritage is a work of love and dedication, and happens even without the support of the Polish Ministry, which is supposed to support it. Well done, as always!

Updated: 29/01/2019Posted: 26/01/2018

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

MACIEJ MIECZNIKOWSKI & KRZYSIA GORNIAK ~ TRIBUTE TO NAT KING COLE DUX 1237 (Barcode: 5902547012377) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Pop Fusion Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is an album by Polish vocalist / guitarist Maciej MiecznikowskiFind albums by this artist and female guitarist Krzysia GorniakFind albums by this artist, who present their interpretations of eleven songs associated with the legacy of American singer / pianist Nat King ColeFind albums by this artist. The pair is accompanied by veteran Polish Jazz rhythm section: bassist Pawel PantaFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam LewandowskiFind albums by this artist and the excellent Polish Atom String QuartetFind albums by this artist (violinists Dawid LubowiczFind albums by this artist and Mateusz SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, violist Michal ZaborskiFind albums by this artist and cellist Krzysztof LenczowskiFind albums by this artist). Miecznikowski sings the songs in a very straightforward manner, very closely to the original performances. His English pronunciation and accent are bearable, but not ideal of course, part of the usual insurmountable problems that Polish vocalists face while singing English lyrics. He uses his smooth baritone voice with skill and intelligence and all in all his vocal performances are fine, but not exceptional and surely not extraordinary. The string arrangements are also pretty mundane, kept well in the background and adding very little to the overall effect. Of course Atom String Quartet is a superb ensemble, but here their role is severely limited, not to say a stronger word. The rhythm section does its job amicably, but again there us very little it can actually contribute within this concept. The only ray of sunshine on this album is the incredible guitar work by Gorniak, who really shines from start to finish. She plays a real Jazz guitar, something almost completely absent on today´s scene with all the guitarists playing Fusion or God only knows what, but surely not Jazz guitar. In short there is almost no reason to listen to this album other than to listen to some great guitar parts, since what is the sense in listening to pale versions of songs when one can hear the originals? A decent album, that´s what it is ;)

Updated: 12/05/2017Posted: 12/05/2017

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

ZBIGNIEW NAMYSLOWSKI ~ POLISH RADIO JAZZ ARCHIVES VOL.28 POLSKIE RADIO 2060 (Barcode: 5907812245849) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1983 Released: 2017 This is the twenty-eighths installment in the series of releases initiated by the Polish Radio, which presents archive Jazz recordings from the radio vaults. Radio recordings are always a fabulous source of remarkable material, and as far as Polish Jazz history is concerned, the Polish Radio, which was a state monopoly for 45 years, recorded over time a plethora of invaluable material, which apart from the albums released by the Polskie Nagrania record company (also a state monopoly), is the only available additional source of Polish Jazz recordings. For many years Polish Radio recorded concerts presented during Poland´s most important Jazz venues, including the annual Jazz Jamboree Festival and many other festivals as well. The tracks presented here were recorded live in October 1983 during the twenty-fifth edition of Jazz Jamboree Festival in Warsaw and present the quintet led by one of the Godfathers of Polish Jazz, saxophonist Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, called Air ConditionFind albums by this artist, which also included pianist Wojciech GogolewskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Marek BlizinskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Jan CichyFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam LewandowskiFind albums by this artist. The quintet performs seven original compositions, all composed by Namyslowski. Namyslowski is one of the very few Polish Jazz musicians who have appeared consistently on the local scene since the 1950s and kept their music up to date over time, pioneering trends and new developments. Over the years his many groups featured the ever young talents of the heart and soul of the Polish Jazz community. This recording is a great document of that phenomenon, showing Namyslowski´s Air Condition group, which was active in the early 1980s, recorded several excellent albums and toured worldwide. Although the group changed its lineup quite often, it was always excellent. This particular lineup recorded only one studio album, which was only released in Greece, which makes this recording especially valuable. For Namyslowski´s many fans around the world and Polish Jazz enthusiasts this is an absolute must! The beautifully restored sound quality is excellent and the warm ambience of the analog recording is a true joy. As usual with this series, which is very reasonably priced, I miss the presence of "in depth" liner notes / booklet, which should convey the circumstances at which this music was recorded and its importance to the development of Jazz in Poland. Nevertheless this is an absolutely essential piece of Jazz history which every Jazz fan will surely consider an absolute must.

Updated: 05/05/2017Posted: 05/05/2017

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

RYSZARD SYGITOWICZ ~ BEZ GRAWITACJI GAD 029 (Barcode: 5901549197372) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1983 - 1984 Released: 2015 This is a reissue of an instrumental album by Polish guitarist / composer Ryszard SygitowiczFind albums by this artist, which was recorded during several sessions for the Polish Radio and released on a small independent label WifonFind albums on this label in 1985, achieving quite unexpectedly a big success on the local market at the time. This album includes, in addition to the nine tracks that were included on the original album, four bonus tracks originating from the same sessions. The music was recorded mostly in a trio format with bassist Arkadiusz ZakFind albums by this artist and drummers Dariusz SygitowiczFind albums by this artist or Wojciech MorawskiFind albums by this artist. Renowned Polish Jazz saxophonist Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist guests on two tracks and percussionist Adam LewandowskiFind albums by this artist on one track. The music is a refined instrumental guitar oriented Jazz-Rock Fusion, which is comparable to similar efforts by Jeff BeckFind albums by this artist, Carlos SantanaFind albums by this artist and many others and by all means not inferior to any of them. Sygitowicz has a great talent to weave wonderfully melodic themes and play them on his guitar with great feel, tone and skill. As a result these tracks sound as great today as they did at the time they were recorded, losing nothing of their validity over time. Over the years Sygitowicz was a member of several Polish Rock ensembles and a busy session musician, which resulted in his leaving a mark on dozens of releases by numerous Polish recording artists. He is still very active on the local scene after spending some time in the USA in the late 1980s. In retrospect this album is still a highlight of his career and thanks to the splendid work of GADFind albums on this label Records we are able to enjoy this fabulous music again. Guitar connoisseurs and classic Jazz-Rock Fusion fans should have a field day with this gem!

Updated: 20/02/2016Posted: 20/02/2016

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend