Record Reviews

CHORUS & DISCO COMPANY ~ DOLINA DIAMENTOW: ANTOLOGIA 1978 GAD 087 (Barcode: 5903068120190) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Pop Fusion Recorded: 1977 - 1978 Released: 2019 This is a reissue of the only two albums recorded by the Polish studio project Chorus & Disco CompanyFind albums by this artist managed by Leszek BogdanowiczFind albums by this artist: "Swiatla DyskotekiFind albums with this title" & "DiscolandFind albums with this title". The albums featured session musicians, many of which played on the local Polish Jazz scene, as well as a string section comprised of players of the Warsaw Philharmonic. The music was entirely composed and arranged by Bogdanowicz and Andrzej JanuszkoFind albums by this artist, a celebrated composer of Polish Popular Music. Although recorded when Poland was still deeply behind the Iron Curtain, the music was not only up to date, but in fact it was at least if not more sophisticated and well made than most of the Popular instrumental music created in Western Europe. The Polish Muza / Polskie Nagrania label intended these albums for the Western market, which did not happen at the time but they were re-discovered years later and enjoyed popularity in clubs around Europe. Despite the Disco flavoring, the music was actually more Funk, Groove and Smooth Jazz (before the term was even coined) oriented and surprisingly sounds quite interesting and enjoyable forty years later. Both LPs became in time not surprisingly cult items sought after by record collectors and this reissue by the excellent GADFind albums on this label Records label is a most welcome initiative to bring the music back to life. This album is wholeheartedly recommended to connoisseurs of music on the lighter side of the Jazz spectrum and followers of Polish Popular Music.

Updated: 20/06/2019Posted: 20/06/2019

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

PIOTR FIGIEL ~ GDZIES, KIEDYS GAD 103 (Barcode: 5903068120428) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Pop Fusion Recorded: 1977 - 1979 Released: 2019 This is a reissue of an album by Polish keyboardist / composer Piotr FigielFind albums by this artist, recorded with his ensemble which included guitarists Winicjusz ChrostFind albums by this artist and Slawomir PiwowarFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Wlodzimierz WinskiFind albums by this artist, drummer Tomasz PilewskiFind albums by this artist and others, whose names disappeared into the void of history. Legendary vocal group NOVIFind albums by this artist and vocalist Krzysztof CugowskiFind albums by this artist contribute some background vocal parts. The album presented eleven original compositions, most of which were composed by Figiel, except one which was co-composed with Andrzej JanuszkoFind albums by this artist and another one composed by Januszko. This reissue adds eight previously unreleased tracks, which were intended as a soundtrack to a TV film. The music is a collection of stylistically diverse instrumentals, mostly Soul and Funk oriented, with a Jazzy feel. Several of these tunes were used in soundtracks by contemporary Polish movies and overall this album represents well the Polish incidental music of the late 1970s. Figiel plays electric piano and analog synthesizers, which he does excellently of course, but this music was not created to reflect the instrumental abilities of the musicians involved in its making but rather create certain specific moods and atmospheres. Overall the album is first and foremost a tribute to Figiel´s abilities as a composer and his instrumental performances are only secondary, in contrast to his debut alum "Piotr". However it is still a wonderful example of ambitious incidental music and a great document of Polish popular music history.

Updated: 10/03/2020Posted: 10/03/2020

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend