Record Reviews

KRYSTIAN BALAWENDER ~ BANGLA JAZZ SOLITON 1283 (Barcode: 5903684232833) ~ POLAND ~ Smooth Jazz Recorded: 2022 Released: 2022 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz trumpeter Krystian BalawenderFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quintet setting with guitarist Andrzej GondekFind albums by this artist, pianist Kajetan BorowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Marcin JadachFind albums by this artist and drummer Piotr BudniakFind albums by this artist. Vocalist Wojciech MyrczekFind albums by this artist guests on three tracks, adding his own lyrics to the tunes. Several other musicians guest on selected tracks. The album presents eight tracks, all of which are original compositions by the leader (with one track apparently co-composed by Myrczek. I wonder as to the album’s title, since this album has nothing to do with Bangla (i.e. Indian) Jazz? The music is a super nice, Funky Smooth Jazz, splendidly executed by all the musicians involved, which is a great fun to listen to. Balawender is the main soloist and his scorching trumpet sound is reminiscent of Swing bands of the American Jazz Age era, but with a much Funkier, Groovy, up-to-date feel to it. I suppose most hard-ass Jazz critics will dismiss this music outright, but to be honest this is some an absolutely delightful, entertaining and danceable piece of music that I have heard in a long time. It is absolutely non-pretentious and heartfelt, simply stating “let’s have fun” music, with some beautiful music on top. Myrczek is great, as always, and definitely understood what this album is all about :) Overall, this is a really nice, danceable, Funky and Groovy album, which is a delightful listening experience and could be a real hit at a party, where people still dance. I know you people think I am joking, but no – this is honestly great fun you all forgot how to enjoy in Jazz. Please remember that Smooth Jazz done well is better that pretentious Jazz badly played. Just get a copy and let’s see if you can sit still while listening to this. Great idea – congrats and thanks for keeping an open mind!

Updated: 20/01/2023Posted: 20/01/2023

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OLGA BOCZAR ~ TESKNO MI, TESKNO FOR TUNE 0137 (Barcode: 5906395808496) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Pop Fusion Recorded: 2016 Released: 2018 This is the second album by Polish vocalist / flautist / songwriter Olga BoczarFind albums by this artist, recorded with the same quartet of Polish Jazz musicians who accompanied her on her debut album: pianist Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Andrzej GondekFind albums by this artist, bassist Wojciech PulcynFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel DobrowolskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight songs, four of which are Polish Folk songs and the other four are original compositions by Boczar, three of which feature her lyrics (one of them in English) and one is based on a poem by Polish poet Boleslaw LesmianFind albums by this artist. Both the Folk songs and the original compositions get a Jazzy arrangement (which remains uncredited), but are not really transformed into the Jazz idiom, remaining mostly somewhere between Pop and Folk music after all. Boczar sings both lyrics and vocalese, holding her ground skillfully and even gracefully at times, but her vocal parts are somewhat low in the mix being often overshadowed by the instrumental accompaniment. Her flute parts are only marginally featured here. All four Jazz musicians that participate in the recording are of course highly professional, but the music leaves little ground for them to show their skills except for occasional solos. Overall this is a pleasant album, easy on the ear and well put together, mostly for listeners who prefer to be entertained rather than challenged, but one that can be enjoyed by a wide spectrum of music lovers.

Updated: 19/02/2019Posted: 19/02/2019

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OLGA BOCZAR MUSIC ESSENCE ~ LITTLE INSPIRATIONS NOT ON LABEL 001 (Barcode: 5905279086005) ~ POLAND ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 2013 - 2014 Released: 2014 This is the debut album as a leader by Polish vocalist / flautist / songwriter Olga BoczarFind albums by this artist, recorded with her ensemble called Music EssenceFind albums by this artist, with core members: keyboardist Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Andrzej GondekFind albums by this artist, bassist Wojciech PulcynFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel DobrowolskiFind albums by this artist. In addition several other musicians also participate on selected tracks, including bassist Krzysztof PacanFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Radek NowickiFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Dominik GawronskiFind albums by this artist, trombonist Michal TomaszczykFind albums by this artist and several background vocalists; altogether quite a formidable team. The album presents ten original songs all composed by Boczar and with lyrics mostly written by her as well. Only two of the songs feature lyrics in Polish and eight have English lyrics. The music was recorded in three different studios, including the Studio Tokarnia where Smoczynski also served as the sound engineer recording the rhythms section tracks. In spite of the fact that the album features some very prominent Polish Jazz musicians, it is by no means a Jazz album. Except for a few piano solos, the album presents a singer / songwriter Pop / Rock effort with slight Jazzy accents mostly present in some of the arrangements. There is of course nothing wrong with that, but promoting and marketing this album under a Jazz moniker is a conceptual mistake. The music is a collection of mostly low key melancholic melodies, which all sound a bit similar and leave no lasting impression. Everything is "nice" and "smooth", but there is no excitement, zest or attempt hit the listener between his eyes. Boczar´s voice and delivery don´t help much either, as she has a limited range and sings in the same narrow spectrum using repeatedly the same mannerisms, regardless of the text she is singing. Except for a few vocalese attempts, the rest is rather unexciting. And on top of this all these there is the problem with lyrics in English, which sound pretty inappropriate. In contrast, plainly audible, the two songs sung in Polish sound infinitely better. The instrumental work is all quite all right, but again lacks any spark. The arrangements are all rather trivial, and the potential of such mighty team of musicians seems completely wasted. Except for the already mentioned piano solos, there is no attempt to put some excitement into this music. Overall this is all professionally done, but sadly completely uninspired. This album has a potential on the Polish Pop market, if promoted properly. It might even win a Fryderyk award next year, as anything can happen there, but hopefully not in the Jazz category. And before an outcry of angry responses accusing me of ruining young people´s careers erupts again, let me emphasize that this is just my private, subjective opinion, which has absolutely no bearing on anybody´s fate.

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ANDRZEJ GONDEK ~ MAZE NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2022 Released: 2022 This is the debut album as a leader by Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Andrzej GondekFind albums by this artist, recorded in a trio setting with bass guitarist Slawomir KurkiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel DobrowolskiFind albums by this artist. Keyboardist Pawel TomaszewskiFind albums by this artist guests on three tracks and Robert KubiszynFind albums by this artist plays the moog bass on one track. The album presents eleven tracks, eight of which are original compositions by Gondek, one is co-composed with Kurkiewicz, one is by Tomaszewski and one is an arrangement of a song by the American Funk band The MetersFind albums by this artist. Gondek has been around on the local scene in the last decade, recording on quite a few albums as a sideman, and this debut album puts him at last in the focus of things, showcasing his talent as both a great guitar player and composer. The album sparks with its excellent melodies, which are ideal vehicles to display the superb instrumental performances by all the participants. Stylistically, the music is an interesting amalgam of Jazz, Funk and Fusion, with a dash of Blues, featuring the guitar at the epicenter, but involving the rhythm section as an integral part of the collective process. Gondek manages to achieve a very personal guitar sound, something which sounds almost unachievable these days, but definitely is happening here. That sound, combined with his excellent guitar technique and strong, dynamic and perfectly synchronized wall of sound created by the rhythm section generate an impressive “power trio” result, which might surprise guitar lovers, who think they have already heard everything in that idiom. Overall, this is a very impressive debut, which places Gondek on the list of important Polish Jazz guitarists, who are definitely worth being noticed and watched, and which will serve as a head start of the next phase of his career. For the many guitar fans the world over, this is as opportunity to hear some original and unorthodox guitar acrobatics, which are relatively hard to come by these days.

Updated: 26/03/2023Posted: 21/03/2023

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ANNA RUTTAR ~ HEART MADE UNIVERSAL MUSIC POLSKA 602547647313 (Barcode: 602547647313) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Pop Fusion Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is the debut album by Polish vocalist / keyboardist / songwriter Anna RuttarFind albums by this artist recorded with a core trio featuring guitarist Andrzej GondekFind albums by this artist, bass guitarist Wojciech GasiorFind albums by this artist and drummer Szymon MadejFind albums by this artist. Bassist Michal KapczukFind albums by this artist and kalimba player Bernard MaseliFind albums by this artist guest on one track each. The album presents ten original songs, all composed and arranged by Ruttar. She also wrote lyrics to nine of the songs and one song uses a poem by American poet E. E. CummingsFind albums by this artist. Nine of the songs use English lyrics and only one uses Polish lyrics. The album is an excellent example of sophisticated Jazz-Pop Fusion, with the beautifully melodic songs dressed up in a Jazzy (and sometimes Bluesy) arrangements, superbly performed by the participating musicians. Combined with intelligent and meaningful lyrics, these songs are a great fun to listen to from start to end, presenting a truly exquisite collection of diverse, coherent, and rare quality music. The vocals / bass duet, which is the most Jazz oriented song on the album, is an instant classic and the solo track closing the album is perhaps a road sign for the future? Ruttar has a nice, expressive voice and makes a good use of her vocal abilities throughout the album. My usual grunt about Polish vocalist singing in English is not really needed this time, as she does a good job with the English pronunciation and her foreign accent is rather charming. Nevertheless I would have preferred of course if the songs all had Polish lyrics, like the closing song of the album. Instrumentally the album is pretty minimalist, and the most important, and by all means superb, contributions are by the guitarist, who plays some absolutely stunning licks here, all perfectly matched to the music. The rhythm section does an ideal job, being supportive, precise and professional, and most importantly not getting in the way. Overall this is a superb debut effort, which sadly slipped under the radar when released, probably simply for the reason that it was too good to noted. I´d truly love to here more music from Ruttar, at the earliest convenience. Delightful stuff!

Updated: 07/10/2018Posted: 07/10/2018

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ANNA SERAFINSKA ~ GROOVE MACHINE POLSKIE RADIO 1662 (Barcode: 5907812246624) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2013 Released: 2013 This is a live radio recording by veteran Polish Jazz vocalist / songwriter / educator Anna SerafinskaFind albums by this artist with her group called Groove MachineFind albums by this artist, which consists of mostly younger musicians: keyboardist Rafal StepienFind albums by this artist, guitarist Andrzej GondekFind albums by this artist, bassist Michal BaranskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist. The group also includes a couple of female backing vocalists. The album includes ten pieces, nine of which are originals on which Serafinska contributed the music or the lyrics or both and only one is a standard. The group´s name conveys exactly its musical direction, which is Funk, Soul-Jazz and Groove, without exception. Although marginally Jazzy, this music is quite excellent at what it stands for and does not fall behind similar efforts recorded anywhere else in the world, US included. The band plays with a superb feel and groove, as expected, driven by the excellent rhythm section of brilliant Baranski and veteran Konrad, who never fails regardless the musical environment. Keyboards and guitar, which provide the melodic content as well as atmospheric ornamentation, are also spotless and inspired. The tasty hints of ambient and electronic sounds by the keyboardists bring the overall sound up to date sounding completely contemporary. Serafinska, who sings in Polish and English, does a good job, obviously technically proficient and with a lot of feeling and understanding for this kind of music. However, her voice lacks any distinctive elements and is simply unremarkable. But the lack of luster is definitely a minor drawback and overall she really does an excellent job here both as a performer and composer / lyricist. This is what it is – good time music, which manages however to preserve musical quality, aesthetics and integrity. With excellent sound quality and truly entertaining contents this is definitely worth listening to, especially while driving a convertible on a see-side road. Groovy indeed!

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MICHAL WROBLEWSKI / RADIOSTATIK ~ LUCID DREAM – LIVE AT FILHARMONIA SZCZECIN FILHARMONIA SZCZECIN 007 (Barcode: 5903111493431) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Pop Fusion Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is the fourth album by Polish Jazz keyboardist / composer Michal WroblewskiFind albums by this artist recorded live with his ensemble called RadiostatikFind albums by this artist and the Szczecin Philharmonic OrchestraFind albums by this artist. Radiostatik was originally formed in NY in 2015, when Wroblewski was invited by trumpeter Terrence BlanchardFind albums by this artist to record an album, which resulted in the studio version of "Lucid Dream", and which sadly remains so far unreleased. The American-Polish lineup of Radiostatik, which was created to perform the material live, includes two American vocalists: singer Andre WashingtonFind albums by this artist and rapper Raashan AhmadFind albums by this artist, the leader on Fender Rhodes, guitarist Andrzej GondekFind albums by this artist, bassist Michal KapczukFind albums by this artist and drummer Sebastian KuchczynskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents twelve original compositions, all by Wroblewski and arranged by him, with lyrics by him and Ahmad. The music is a exactly what it promises to be, a Jazz-Pop Fusion with orchestral arrangements, based an excellent melodic themes, which sounds as American as American goes, the kind of stuff which usually gets nominated for Grammy over the pond. It is catchy, groovy, smooth and easy on the ear, but in this case it is also highly musical and truly excellently put together. If it proves anything, it is the fact that European composers and musicians can easily beat the Americans at their own game. Except for a few instrumental soli, the music has very little to do with Jazz, which means that the Polish Jazz lost the talents of Wroblewski for a while, but personally I am quite convinced he will be back to his musical roots again. In the meantime he can pursue other goals and there is absolutely nothing wrong with this as long as the music is well done and does not deteriorate to the normal level of contemporary Pop, which is killing us mercilessly. The orchestral parts are the real surprise of this album, ideally suited to the music and performed with great taste and skill. Such class of Pop instrumentation is almost completely absent from contemporary Pop music, probably because it is simply too expensive. But the album proves that a real orchestra can not be replaced by synthesizers. Overall this is a highly entertaining and classy Pop album with some Jazzy features and orchestral ornamentation, beautifully executed and accessible to a wide music loving audience, which should satisfy every true popular music connoisseur. Definitely worth investigating!

Updated: 21/06/2019Posted: 21/06/2019

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