Record Reviews

DOMINIK BUKOWSKI ~ SUFIA FSR 2016/07 (Barcode: 5905279364110) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is the fifth album as a leader by the Polish Jazz vibraphonist / composer Dominik BukowskiFind albums by this artist, one of the most respected and prolific figures on the Polish Jazz scene. The album was recorded live in a quartet setting, with American trumpeter Amir ElSaffarFind albums by this artist, Polish bassist Adam ZuchowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Patryk DoboszFind albums by this artist. Together they perform eight tunes (one split into two parts), five of which are arrangements of traditional melodies and three are original compositions by Bukowski. The music is a Jazz-World Fusion project, which amalgamates the Folklore roots of Polish and Middle Eastern music, or more specifically the Arabic maqam system, which lately has been discovered by many Jazz improvisers all over the world. The maqam is remarkably open system and as such an ideal basis for improvisation, which is clearly demonstrated on this album. Both the traditional pieces and the original compositions get a similar treatment, which creates a remarkable coherency and consistency, which this album manages to uphold for its entire duration. The involvement of ElSaffar is of course the decisive factor, which makes this album tick. His knowledge of Arabic musical forms makes him an ideal partner side by side with Bukowski, who after all is originally rooted in different musical environment. Without him this project might have proven to be too ambitious for the Polish musicians working on their own. Of course ElSaffar´s virtuosic trumpet performances based in the Jazz idiom are another strong virtue of this project. His santur solos are also some of the highlights of the album. Bukowski wisely lets ElSaffar to take upon himself most of the soloing and in general the leading of the music, as he is the bridge between the two worlds. Bukowski and the rhythm section take a step back and play along the trumpeter, contributing amicable support, both harmonically and rhythmically, which is especially impressive considering how difficult the odd and irregular Arabic rhythms usually are for people living outside the region. Zuchowski and Dobosz wisely take the rhythmic level of the music into a free form and less regular rhythmic environment, skillfully avoiding the traps of the tricky Arabic patterns as such. Their contributions are excellent all the way through and truly admirable. Bukowski, as usual, contributes some superb vibraphone vistas, somewhat subdued and modest, but always elegant and highly aesthetical. His original compositions fit the concept of the album ideally and the vibraphone / trumpet collaboration is tasteful and unique. This album, diametrically different from the other projects he is involved in, proves his diversity and open-mindedness. Overall this is definitely one of the most interesting Jazz-World Fusion albums recorded by Polish Jazz musicians in a long time and deserves all the compliments bestowed upon it already, which I fully support. Bukowski has been a sure "bet" ever since he arrived on the scene and this album places him also in the "full of surprises" category, which is pretty rare. Hats off, Dominik!

Updated: 16/12/2016Posted: 16/12/2016

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DOMINIK BUKOWSKI ~ TRANSATLANTYK SOLITON 887 (Barcode: 5901571098876) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is an album by veteran Polish Jazz vibraphonist / composer Dominik BukowskiFind albums by this artist recorded in a quartet setting with younger musicians: trumpeter Emil MiszkFind albums by this artist, bassist Adam ZuchowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Patryk DoboszFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine pieces, seven of which are original compositions by Bukowski, one is co-composed by all four members of the quartet and one is an arrangement of a composition by Polish Classical Music composer Andrzej PanufnikFind albums by this artist. The music on this album was inspired by the human experience of emigration, of leaving someone´s home and country and moving to another place, a process millions of Poles went through in modern history for a variety of reasons and as a result of economic, political, religious and personal pressures. This, Bukowski´s sixth album as a leader, repeats the lineup of his previous album "SufiaFind albums with this title", with Miszk replacing Amir ElSaffarFind albums by this artist and the rhythm section remaining in place. Miszk, who makes an impressive mark on the local scene lately, is in charge of most of the solo parts, as expected. The music continues the path set by Bukowski many years ago, which is based on the characteristic Polish lyricism and melancholy, but keeps changing and developing from one album to the next. The recording of the preceding album made a distinctive mark on Bukowski´s music with the inclusion of odd time signatures and strong World Music influences, which are also present here. But the music is in general more daring and adventurous, which can be perhaps credited also to the presence of the young players. The challenging task of creating a "concept album", which presents a coherent sequence of compositions with a common context uniting them, is achieved here remarkably well and the atmosphere of "storytelling" is felt distinctly, emphasized by the inclusion of the spoken word parts. The feeling of uncertainty, fear and outlandishness is present very vividly, expressing the mental state of émigrés, surly at the early stages of their new lives, but often lastingly. Therefore this album deserves a somewhat different perspective than a purely musical creation. Overall this is a momentous piece of Art, powerful both musically and as a document of human emotional states, which deserves a serious and attentive listening. Although the texts are almost exclusively in Polish, their meaning is universal enough to be felt without actually understand the verbal context. As someone who went through the process of emigration I can of course relate to this album more directly and emotionally than those who didn´t experience emigration in person, but I am sure that the power of this music is completely universal. Thank you Dominik for this wonderful gift of music and human sensitivity!

Updated: 28/04/2019Posted: 28/04/2019

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DARIUSZ HERBASZ ~ JOY OF FRIENDSHIP MULTIKULTI 024 (Barcode: 5907529223246) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2012 This is the debut album as a leader by Polish Jazz saxophonist Dariusz HerbaszFind albums by this artist and his double tenor saxophone quintet, which also includes saxophonist Tomasz GrzegorskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Piotr ManiaFind albums by this artist, bassist Adam ZuchowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Tomasz SowinskiFind albums by this artist. The album comprises of six original compositions, all by Herbasz and was recorded at the superb Studio Tokarnia with engineer Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist presiding. If I would have been subjected to listening to this album in a blindfold test situation, I would be sure this is an unknown recording of mid 1960s Blue NoteFind albums on this label period, as this music has the distinctive feel of modern mainstream, which flourished at the time and was captured for posterity by Rudy Van GelderFind albums by this artist. The warmth and presence of the overall sound and the crisp piano sound are quite remarkable. But of course there is also the music, which stylistically returns to that wonderful period that summarized the Jazz tradition bringing it to sheer perfection on one hand and opening doors for the free form just wide enough to make it interesting on the other hand. These wonderful compositions are truly grand on every level; there are some beautiful melancholic melodies, several great vamps, and a strange feeling of familiarity even upon the first hearing. I must admit that it´s been a while since I´ve heard a collection of such superbly crated tunes on one album. Herbasz takes a considerable risk with the double tenor saxophone frontline, since such setting is often prone to clashes and outright contest rather than cooperation, but also opens intriguing opportunities of harmonizing and completing each other. It´s a pleasure to hear how well this situation was handled here, enabling both players to solo as well as play together in a variety of quite distinct musical surroundings and atmospheres. Both saxophonists [lay remarkably well, both when simply stating the lyricism of a melody or venturing into almost free form excursions. The rhythm section is excellent as well, providing the ideal support for the soloists and framing the musical expressions with just the right amount of direction, allowing space for less constrained experimentation at times. The pianist is an ideal harmonizer and his vamping is a classic form obviously learned from the best. Bass is round, clear and worm and the drums play exactly the amount of time keeping to keep everything tick, with some great topping of inventive drumming. The overall dynamic sensitivity of the entire rhythm section is simply just what the doctor ordered to make the music perfect. This is a remarkable debut and a brilliant Jazz album, which comprises of everything that makes Jazz such a great music: it´s interesting, artistic, intelligent, well played and above all honest, simply stating the artist´s credo and not trying to be something it isn´t. Well done indeed!

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SLAWOMIR JASKULKE ~ EUROPA 67/21 NARODOWE CENTRUM KULTURY 5905279869219 (Barcode: 5905279869219) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2021 Released: 2021 This is an album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Slawomir JaskulkeFind albums by this artist, recorded in a classic Jazz quintet setting with trumpeter Emil MiszkFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Piotr CheckiFind albums by this artist, bassist Adam ZuchowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Slawomir KoryznoFind albums by this artist. The Neo QuartetFind albums by this artist, a string quartet playing electric string instruments, and actor Tomasz BorkowskiFind albums by this artist, who recites poetry, are also on board. The album presents six tracks, all original compositions by Jaskulke. The concept behind the album is an attempt to “remake” one of the most iconic Polish Jazz albums of all time, Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist’s “Meine Susse Europaische HeimatFind albums with this title” Jazz & Poetry masterpiece, produced by my Friend and Mentor Joachim BerendtFind albums by this artist, which presented Komeda’s compositions accompanying contemporary Polish Poetry (translated into German), recorded in 1967, hence the album’s title. This album utilizes six of the same poems (in original Polish version), which were included on the a.m. album, and the same quintet instrumentation, but all the music is new and composed by Jaskulke and adds the string quartet. This is the second album by Jaskulke, which proposes to “remake” Komeda’s music, following the 2018 album “Komeda RecomposedFind albums with this title”. The sheer boldness of attempting to “remake” an icon might seem suicidal, to say the least. The result should be judged on its own merit, rather than in comparison to the source of inspiration, as such comparison simply does not materialize itself. My opinion about producing new versions of Komeda’s music is widely known, so I won’t repeat it herein. The music is overtly melodic, full of sentimental lyricism and melancholy, which falls easy on the ear but lacks the depth suitable for the accompanying poetry. The performances are spotless, as expected from the participating musicians, but not particularly exciting. I wandered why this album was completely unnoticed at the time of its release, thinking it was all due to the pandemic, but now after hearing the music I see there were other reasons… Overall, this is another Komeda inspired album, which contributes little to his memory, despite the fact that the music is fine and the performances are highly professional. I certainly don’t regret buying a copy, if only to hear my beloved poetry.

Updated: 29/12/2023Posted: 04/12/2023

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ANDRZEJ JOZEFOW ~ THREEISM SYNTACTICA 001 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2015 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Andrzej JozefowFind albums by this artist, recorded in a trio setting with bassist Adam ZuchowskiFind albums by this artist and Chilean drummer Luis Mora MatusFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten tracks, seven of which are originals by Jozefow, one is co-composed by all three trio members, one is a standard and one is a Classical piece by the French composer of Polish / Jewish origin Alexandre TansmanFind albums by this artist. From the very onset of this album it becomes apparent that this is not the "usual" guitar trio album, usually created to show the guitarist´s skills and neck breaking speed. This one is a much more serious and deep affair, dark and introvert, which presents a musical concept and ensemble approach rather rarely found in such projects. Jozefow´s music, which is the core of this album, is very melancholic, ascetic and slowly developing, a set of characteristics usually typical of Classical Music, but it is also inevitably Jazz in the best sense of the idiom. There is a lot of space and freedom in this music, which allows the musicians to spread their wings and soar high above the basic melodic and harmonic structure of the tunes, which keeps the listener on his toes for the entire duration. The execution is also quite extraordinary; Jozefow plays gently, delicately strumming the guitar and sparingly uttering his notes, being a complete antidote of the usual guitar madness. His notes are like delicate strokes of paint on canvas, slowly but consistently exposing the idea. Zuchowski is a wonderful partner in this creating, playing with the bow almost as much as plucking his bass, adding another layer of color to the musical canvas and always being right there when he is needed. Matus also keeps his drums in check, faithfully supporting the subtle musical structures with his tasteful touches, keeping the rhythm on time only when absolutely needed and playing around the rhythms when appropriate. The overall interplay between these three musicians is nothing short of astonishing. This is definitely a most impressive debut album, which surely promises many great things to come. I had the pleasure of meeting Jozefow in person during my recent visit in Gdansk, and he certainly makes an impression of treating his Art and career highly professionally. Therefore I can only wish him the best of luck, which he truly deserves.

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JOANNA KNITTER ~ ARETHA ALLEGRO 041 (Barcode: 5901157049414) ~ POLAND ~ Blues-Rock Recorded: 2020 Released: 2020 This is an album by Polish vocalist Joanna KnitterFind albums by this artist and her band called Blues & Folk ConnectionFind albums by this artist, which comprises of keyboardist Artur JurekFind albums by this artist, guitarist Krzysztof PaulFind albums by this artist, bassist Adam ZuchowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Piotr GoraFind albums by this artist. As the title suggests, this s a tribute album to the American Soul / Rhythm And Blues Diva, singer / songwriter Aretha FranklinFind albums by this artist. The album presents thirteen songs either written by or associated with Franklin’s repertoire. Normally I’d have dismissed such enterprise without even giving it a listen; I mean Polish vocalist singing classic / untouchable songs, probably with a terrible Polish accent and accompanied by a bunch of anonymous musicians. But luckily for me I have heard several earlier recordings by Knitter and decided to give the album a chance, which turned out to be quite a pleasant surprise. Of course there is nothing innovative or original as far as the music is concerned, but Knitter is an incredible vocalist, with a lovely husky / throaty voice, which she uses very effectively, her accent is not bad at all and her feel for the Blues / Soul is pretty astonishing, as if she was born Black at heart. And to top things up, the guys in the band turn out to be ass-kicking instrumentalist, who can play great guitar licks, soulful Hammond and piano accompaniment and the rhythm section pushes the music strongly forward. In short this is a great Blues / Soul album, which stands proudly shoulder to shoulder with anything recorded across the pond, and with the American music market’s head deeply stuck up the Hip Hop behind, this music sounds more American than anything made in the America these days. In short, as usual, never dismiss an album before you hear it, as nice surprises can happen. Hats off to Knitter for making my ass dance in the chair when I listened to this album, which I hope will happen to everybody listening to it. I surely appreciate to courage to face this challenge – you did well Lady!

Updated: 08/05/2023Posted: 09/08/2021

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LESZEK KULAKOWSKI ~ BEAUTIFUL JAZZY OPERA SOLITON 1338 (Barcode: 5903684233380) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2022 Released: 2023 This is a live album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer / educator Leszek KulakowskiFind albums by this artist, recorded with a classic piano trio with bassist Adam ZuchowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Tomasz SowinskiFind albums by this artist, a large orchestra Sinfonia Baltica PhilharmonicFind albums by this artist conducted by Tadeusz WicherekFind albums by this artist, and two opera singers: soprano Anna FabrelloFind albums by this artist and tenor Lukasz ZaleskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten tracks, which are Jazzy arrangements by Kulakowski of operatic pieces by Polish composer Stanislaw MoniuszkoFind albums by this artist, Italian composer Giacomo PucciniFind albums by this artist, French composer Georges BizetFind albums by this artist and a couple of other pieces. Obviously the music is a Jazz-Classical Fusion attempt to combine the two genres, which is rather unusual, as such projects rarely tackle operatic music. The contrast between the two genres is not easy to achieve, since the arias do not allow much space for improvisation, and as a result the music offers something of a “two for the price one” show, which do not always go hand in hand. Kulakowski is without a doubt one of the best Polish Jazz pianists, and his improvisations in the piano trio format, or with the orchestral accompaniment, are all perfectly executed, but when the vocal parts take over the central stage, the Jazz element is almost completely lost. This does not mean of course that the album is not a great fun to listen to, but the listener has to be prepared to accept this dichotomy. Personally, I had no problem whatsoever with this format, being a music lover of all shapes and shades, but I can imagine some people objecting. Overall, this is a bold effort to place Jazz and Opera together on one stage, but without integrating them to closely. It offers an opportunity to hear some great Jazz piano playing by Kulakowski, interesting orchestral arrangements and a few operatic arias beautifully sung by the soloists. A musical feast by all means, but probably not for everybody.

Updated: 04/04/2024Posted: 04/04/2024

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IGNACY JAN WISNIEWSKI ~ JAZZ SHIRIM WOOD AND MOOD 0001 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2016 This is the debut album as a leader by young Polish Jazz pianist / composer Ignacy Jan WisniewskiFind albums by this artist, recorded in a trio format with bassist Adam ZuchowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel OsickiFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, all by Wisniewski, that were originally created for a theatre production about the Jewish Community in Gdansk before and during the WWII. The Hebrew word "shirim" means songs. The music is an ambitious amalgam of melodic modern mainstream and free form improvisation. The pieces start with a clearly stated melody, followed by much less restrained improvisations, which are also very diverse rhythmically. The compositions are therefore just frameworks that are filled up by the improvised parts. This is definitely a very unusual and bold musical statement, which is also quite listenable in spite of its complexity and sincerity. The trio performs as a very tight unit, responding attentively to each other and complementing each other´s statements. Although there is a lot of space and freedom in this music, the trio members are closely coupled at all times, which produces a wonderful effect of group cohesiveness. Sometimes music created for theatre or cinema has no independent existence, but this music definitely holds the floor on its own, being completely relevant in its minimal form, which of course speaks greatly of its qualities. It does not make any artistic compromises or attempts to be more acceptable and it manages to fascinate and create a lot of tension for the attentive listener, which happens relatively rarely. Overall this is a very impressive debut, and although the music was recorded a while ago, it´s good to see it finally released, as it certainly deserves to be heard. Serious Jazz connoisseurs should enjoy this music in full. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 01/03/2019Posted: 05/12/2016

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IGNACY JAN WISNIEWSKI ~ KANTATA JAZZOWA WOOD AND MOOD 0011 (Barcode: 5907222681077) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is the second album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Ignacy Jan WisniewskiFind albums by this artist, recorded with the same trio he used to record his debut, which includes bassist Adam ZuchowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel OsickiFind albums by this artist. In addition the album features also vocalist Kamil DominiakFind albums by this artist. Together they present eight "songs", all composed by Wisniewski to the lyrics written specifically for this project by Polish Poet Michal RusinekFind albums by this artist. The entire song cycle is called a "Jazz Cantata" and of course firmly belongs to the marvelous Polish Jazz & Poetry tradition. The album was beautifully recorded at the now legendary Monochrom Studio and engineered by Ignacy GruszeckiFind albums by this artist. The music presents an ambitious amalgam of cross-genre modern Jazz, with roots in contemporary Classical music, melodic mainstream Jazz and Avant-Garde improvisation, all tastefully put together with the lyrics, creating an impressive and powerful statement. Wisniewski, who concentrates mainly on composing music for theatre, has definitely a very strong theatrical "streak" as a composer, which comes to full bloom herein. The music is wonderfully executed, both on the instrumental and the vocal layers. Dominiak, who is not a Jazz singer, stands up to the challenge with flying colors, using his vocal abilities and more importantly theatrical expressionism to the max. The piano trio offers some excellent instrumental passages, shifting between melodic / rhythmic statements and Free Improvised moments with grace and elegance. The album offers a perfect balance between the instrumental and vocal contents, without one or the other being dominant, which is a rare quality in such projects. The poetry, which sadly is only accessible to native Polish speakers, is a wonderful example of the thriving contemporary Polish Poetry scene. Rusinek (well-known as the private secretary of the great Polish Poetess Wislawa SzymborskaFind albums by this artist) is an accomplished writer / translator / poet and his brilliant plays on words are a true delight. Overall this is another valuable addition to the Polish Jazz & Poetry legacy, which is being kept alive by the new generation of Polish Jazz composers / musicians, with the same passion and dedication as that of the pioneers of the genre six decades earlier. Definitely highly recommended!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 16/03/2019

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IREK WOJTCZAK ~ PLAY IT AGAIN FSR 2018/06 (Barcode: 5905279364295) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2015 Released: 2018 This is a live recording by a quintet led by Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Irek WojtczakFind albums by this artist, which also includes trumpeter Tomasz DabrowskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Piotr ManiaFind albums by this artist, bassist Adam ZuchowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Kuba StaruszkiewiczFind albums by this artist. The quintet plays music that was recorded by the "American" quintet led by Wojtczak, which recorded the splendid "Folk FiveFind albums with this title" album for the For TuneFind albums on this label label slightly over a year before this music was recorded. As the title suggests, this recording is another attempt to play almost the same music that was recorded for the "Folk Five" album, but this time by an all-Polish quintet. The album presents eight tunes, all originating in Polish Folklore and arranged by Wojtczak, six of which were already recorded on "Folk Five" and two are new tunes used here for the first time. The musical concept is of course quite clear: Jazz-World Fusion which transfers some of the treasures of Polish Folklore into the Jazz idiom, an idea that is quite common in Polish Jazz since its Genesis. As usual, some efforts dealing with this concept worked out better than others, but overall the seven or so decades of Polish Jazz produced a sizable and highly original amount of superb music created under this moniker. The aforementioned "Folk Five" album was definitely one of the highlights of that idiom and the attempt to try and repeat the magic that happened on that album was a bold and audacious undertaking. I am happy to say that Wojtczak and his cohorts not only managed to recreate the magic, but also managed to take the music to a higher plane. There is of course no doubt as to the quality of the music or the level of the execution, they are both simply extraordinary. Therefore the comparison between the two versions of the music must touch upon the fundamental differences between American and European Jazz, of which these two albums are a textbook example or even a paradigm. One might of course say that such comparison is a priori unfair, as the Polish Jazz musicians are way more familiar and culturally accustomed to the Polish Folklore element of the music than their American counterparts. But such argument is simply irrelevant, as these two albums clearly show. These albums are different not because the lack of familiarity with Polish Folklore by the American musicians, but by the intrinsic attitude towards improvisation and even more broadly towards music making, between the American and the European Jazz musicians. As a result of these fundamental differences "Folk Five" remains an excellent, very well played album, whereas "Play It Again" shows where the same music can get to, when played without the restrictions the American Jazz tradition imposes even on the best musicians. The flair, elegance, imagination, feeling and openness present on this album takes it to a completely new level of awareness and creativity. But comparisons aside, this is above all a masterpiece of modern Polish / European Jazz, which takes the Jazz-World Fusion idiom light years ahead in comparison to its rather humble beginnings, clearly showing that Polish Jazz is a stronghold of originality, imagination and musical ingenuity. This is an absolute must to every Polish Jazz fan and a supreme gem of an album for all seasons. Hats off!

Updated: 20/09/2018Posted: 20/09/2018

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