Record Reviews

GEMBALSKI / IWANSKI / MAJCHRZAK / ZDUNIAK ~ 1999 HARMOLODIC ODYSSEY MTJ 11977 (Barcode: 5906409119778) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1999 Released: 2020 This is an archival album by a Polish Jazz quartet comprising of violinist Henryk GembalskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Janusz Yanina IwanskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Krzysztof MajchrzakFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal ZduniakFind albums by this artist. The album presents five lengthy improvised pieces, co-credited to the participating musicians. The music was recorded live and waited for over twenty years to be finally released. It is dedicated to the memory of Zduniak, who sadly passed in 2006. Polish political martyrology created the “cursed soldiers” idiom to commemorate the lesser known heroes of the struggle for independence, but many Polish Culture champions, who acted over the years on the margins of the Polish post WWII State sanctioned mainstream Culture never won the proper recognition, neither collectively as a movement nor individually as fighters for intellectual freedom. Polish Jazz is of course no different. In parallel to the Jazz activities overseen by the State recognized Polish Jazz Society, which controlled the local scene with an iron fist, many less conformist Jazz musicians managed to create their own, mostly Avant-Garde oriented facet of Polish Jazz, which enjoyed many creative peaks. People like Andrzej MitanFind albums by this artist, Andrzej PrzybielskiFind albums by this artist and many others were almost completely anonymous on the Polish Jazz scene for decades, and even today are known only to a handful of hardcore specialists. The musicians on this album also belong to the league, which operated mostly on the outskirts of the Polish Jazz mainstream, taking part in ensembles like LabiryntFind albums by this artist, Tie BreakFind albums by this artist, Free CooperationFind albums by this artist and others, playing exactly what they wanted to, regardless if it fit any “party line” or not, and often suffering the consequences. The music is a mixture of Fusion and Avant-Garde, or Avant-Garde Jazz-Rock Fusion, which is a wonderful amalgam of the four individual voices, with diverse stylistic accents, which creates a forceful statement, losing nothing of its intensity and innovation over time. Between Gembalski, who represents the Free Jazz approach, Iwanski, who is a Rocker at heart, Majchrzak, who is a Fusion kicks-ass and Zduniak, who is simply a brilliant drummer beyond classification, the music is a highly concentrated exchange of individual soloing and ensemble playing, which although demanding, is unique and superbly uplifting, with energies equaling an erupting volcano. Overall this is excellent document of the lesser travelled path of Polish Jazz, that rightfully deserves to be a part of the documented history of the genre. Good to see it finally available and hopefully more of such hidden gems will float to the surface. It would be a Cultural crime to have this music doomed as forgotten.

Updated: 30/03/2021Posted: 30/03/2021

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

ANDRZEJ MITAN / GRZEGORZ ROGALA ~ KIEDY UMIERA CZLOWIEK / PODNIESIENIE TRZECIA FALA 001 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1983 Released: 2013 This DVD is another reminder of the fact that Polish Avant-Garde is alive and kicking and from time to time also takes a look back at its fascinating roots. The legendary figure of Andrzej MitanFind albums by this artist, which re-appears in the limelight from time to time, mostly completely unexpectedly, is always full of surprises. This time Mitan produces a multi-media project combining music and cinematography (or video-art), resulting in this debut release on a new Polish label called Trzecia FalaFind albums on this label, headed by a young Art enthusiast Lukasz StrzelczykFind albums by this artist. Back in the mid-1980s, when Poland was in its most depressing period, both politically and culturally, Polish Avant-Garde was enjoying a renaissance of sorts, taking advantage of the state of confusion that the Socialistic Regime was in due to the eminent collapse of the system already clearly apparent and as a result with a laxer censorship in place. Andrzej Mitan, who always believed in doing things rather than talking about them, released in 1984 a series of very bold musical statements by Avant-Garde musicians as five independently pressed LPs under the Alma ArtFind albums on this label moniker, which also presented outrageous and innovative packaging designed by Avant-Garde artists, including for example a barb-wired LP sleeve. Those five albums have become record collector´s Holy Grail due to the fact that only 1000 copies of each album were pressed, reaching today astronomical prices on the collector´s market. In 1987 four more albums appeared in a similar effort. This DVD uses part of the first of these legendary album as the musical layer, combining it with a video-art by Polish experimental artists Grzegorz RogalaFind albums by this artist, who utilizes a technique called time stretching, which in this case takes a 3 seconds long fragment of video and stretches it to last for about seven minutes, which produces an almost still like picture with barely visible change. The combination of the tension induced by the video and the dramatic musical background produce together a powerful statement, which is also quite unique. The music, which was recorded during the 1983 Jazz Jamboree in Warsaw (organized shortly after the Martial Law in Poland was lifted and obviously symbolizing an eruption of liberty), is performed by many Polish Avant-Garde legends, like bassist / leader Helmut NadolskiFind albums by this artist, vocalist Andrzej Mitan, pianist Andrzej BiezanFind albums by this artist (who died shortly after the recording), trumpeter Andrzej PrzybielskiFind albums by this artist and others, appearing under the moniker of Jubileuszowa Orkiestra Helmuta NadolskiegoFind albums by this artist. In retrospect it becomes clearly evident that these nine albums released by Mitan in the 1980s are extremely important documents of Polish Jazz and Polish Avant-Garde and absolutely have to be made available again, the sooner the better. Considering the fact that this DVD was also released as a numbered limited edition of 100 copies, it is by now as impossible to get as those legendary albums.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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ONOMATOPEJA ~ ONOMATOPEJA TRZECIA FALA 003 ~ POLAND ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 1975 - 1978 Released: 2014 This is the third installment in a new series of archival releases / reissues, initiated and piloted by Lukasz StrzelczykFind albums by this artist under the Trzecia FalaFind albums on this label moniker. The purpose of this series is to expose, showcase and most importantly document for posterity the early Polish Avant-Garde music movement, which rests almost completely buried by the tides of time, mostly forgotten and criminally neglected. The fact that this music was created at all is a miracle, considering the circumstances surrounding its birth. The Socialist Regime was naturally quite suspicious and often outright offensive towards "antisocial elements", as artists not following the regime directives were often referred to. The importance of having this music available is a momentous achievement and a vital effort to preserve the Polish cultural heritage, which unfortunately suffers from chronic neglect. Therefore it is encouraging to see that the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage supports this wonderful effort. The albums in this series are pressed in very limited volumes, so an immediate purchase is highly recommended. This album presents, for the first time on record (as hard as it is to believe), music recorded by the pioneering group OnomatopejaFind albums by this artist, founded in 1968 by guitarist Jan OlszakFind albums by this artist and brothers: Andrzej MitanFind albums by this artist (vocals) and Piotr MitanFind albums by this artist (bass and drums). Onomatopeja was years ahead of its contemporaries, with complex melodic themes and extraordinary vocal performances, which included modulation and other World Music motifs, operatic sonorities and Avant-Garde improvisations. Several other musicians cooperated with the group until it finally ceased to function in 1981. The group also cooperated with visual artist Cezary StaniszewskiFind albums by this artist, who exhibited his paintings during the group´s performances, creating multi-media events. This album consists of nine songs recorded live between 1975 and 1978. Eight of the songs were composed by Olszak and one by Andrzej Mitan. The lyrics to five of the songs were written by poet Jan GalkowskiFind albums by this artist, one by poet Tadeusz NowakFind albums by this artist and one is a Polish translation of a poem by Croatian poet Jure Franicevic-PlocarFind albums by this artist entitled "When A Man Dies". The remaining two songs are instrumentals. Sadly the entire duration of the album is only twenty four and a half minutes, which is hardly what a document about the group deserves to have. The accompanying booklet includes information about the group´s history and other relevant details, with are also fully translated into English. Many historic photographs are also a splendid addition to the booklet. The fact that Onomatopeja never managed to record a full album during the time it existed is a sad characteristic of the Polish music scene during the Socialist regime, when the destinies of Artists were decided by incompetent State bureaucrats or political censorship. Non conformist and free thinking Artists had little chance to succeed, regardless of their true talents. This album manages, even if only partly, to pay a tribute to musicians, who placed their artistic truth before opportunism. For fans of Polish music, this album is an absolute must, not only because of its historic importance but principally since it uncovers a previously unknown piece of the puzzle, which has so much to offer. Side Note: Andrzej Mitan was one of the Artists, who took part in my production of the now legendary album "The Book Of JobFind albums with this title", which was recorded in 1985. His performance of the song "When A Man Dies" (see above), which was incorporated into our interpretation of the Biblical story, sends shivers down my spine every time I listen to the album. Needles to say we have been friends since then.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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TADEUSZ SUDNIK ~ TADEUSZ SUDNIK & HIS FRIENDS IN ART AUDIO CAVE 2017/001 (Barcode: 5905669566223) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 1986 - 2005 Released: 2017 This is an archival release by Polish keyboardist / composer / electronic music pioneer Tadeusz SudnikFind albums by this artist, which presents nine tracks recorded between 1986 and 2005 with the participation of some of top Polish Jazz musicians, like trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Adam PieronczykFind albums by this artist and Aleksander KoreckiFind albums by this artist, bassist Zbigniew WegehauptFind albums by this artist and others, including the Polish Avant-Garde legend Andrzej MitanFind albums by this artist. Sudnik is listed as co-composer of all the tracks, except the piece with Stanko. The music presents a wide scope of stylistic influences, but clearly points out the tremendous input Sudnik contributed to the development of electronic music as well as Polish Jazz and other genres. His membership in Stanko´s group FreelectronicFind albums by this artist in the 1980 and his work on such albums as "Peyotl - WitkacyFind albums with this title" or "Live At The Montreux Jazz Festival 1987Find albums with this title" are major contributions to the genre. On the album Sudnik utilizes live computer generated sounds, producing amazing and always perfectly suited music to accompany the friends he plays with. The album is full of great melodies, mystical sound vistas, exciting dialogues and a plethora of highly unusual, but highly aesthetic musical statements. Overall this is a superb career spanning overview, which presents Sudnik as a major electronic pioneer, full of ideas and stylistic diversity, which is rarely present in electronic music, which tends to be more concerned with electronics than with music. For Polish Jazz followers, this is a must have item, which enables a glance at a much lesser known areas of the genre´s activities. Electronic music connoisseurs should also find this fascinating, and much different from the usual output found within the genre. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 05/07/2018

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VARIOUS ARTISTS ~ THE BOOK OF JOB NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1985 Released: 2007 The tale of "The Book Of JobFind albums with this title" project originates in 1981, when a group of Polish jazz musicians, actors and other intellectuals decided to stage a production based on one of the most dramatic biblical stories – the story of the sufferings God decided to put on Job to test his faith. To understand the context, one has to remember that at that time Poland was being torn apart by political and social upheaval, led by the Solidarnosc movement, in protest against the socialist regime. The political struggle included many strikes and demonstrations, some of which led to violent clashes with the police and people being shot or beaten to death. The biblical story of Job’s suffering seemed to many Poles as an allegory reflecting their situation. The project involved a musical suite written especially for the project and performed by top Polish jazz musicians, with fragments of text from the Book of Job being recited by actors. The premiere performance was presented during the 1981 Jazz Jamboree Festival in Warsaw, with further performances scheduled all over Poland. However, on December 13, 1981 the Martial Law was announced in Poland as a last resort to save the regime from crumbling and all art activities were put on hold, with tanks occupying the streets of Warsaw. It seemed that the project was dead after just one performance. The Martial Law was finally lifted in 1983 and it was only a question of time when the Soviet Block was about to disintegrate, but the socialist government stayed in power till the end of the decade. In 1985 I received a call from some musician friends in Warsaw, inviting me to come over and co-produce a recording of "The Book Of Job" as well as take part in the expanded multi-lingual version of the project, by reciting the text in Hebrew (in addition to Polish, German and English). As much as I understood the Polish background and circumstances surrounding the project, my interior motives to take part in the project were quite different. I always considered the Book of Job as the closest biblical allegory to the fate of the Jewish People with the Holocaust symbolizing Job’s sufferings and the birth of the State of Israel as the outcome. Therefore realizing this project in Poland, where most of the Holocaust took place seemed more that appropriate to me. I was very excited by the prospect, but the possibility to actually undertake the venture seemed utterly impossible. I left Poland in 1967 and never visited the country since. My Polish citizenship was taken away when I left Poland, and at the time (1985) Poland and Israel had no diplomatic relationships. Poland and all other Socialist countries severed they diplomatic ties with Israel following the 1967 Six Days War, which meant there was no Polish Embassy in Israel, where I could get a Polish visa. In general no Polish visas were issued to Israeli citizens, especially those of Polish origin. My Polish friends started to thread the winding path of Polish bureaucracy and for some strange and completely incomprehensive reasons the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to grant me a visa for a few days, which I had to collect in Germany, something that was completely unheard off at the time. Finally in the bitterly cold late autumn (October) of 1985 I made the trip to Warsaw via Frankfurt and stepped on Polish soil for the first time in 18 years. I still remember the face of the Polish border police officer when I presented my Israeli passport at the Warsaw airport. I was of course a total nerve wreck, considering the fact that Poland was still very much a police state at that time, and constantly imagined that I could get arrested under any pretext at any given moment. For a few days I never stopped looking around trying to figure out if I’m being followed. Eventually the nervousness disappeared, mostly due to the warm reception I received from my friends, old and new alike. I flew to Krakow, where the production team and the musicians and actors assembled and we started rehearsing and then recording the music and the recitations. The recordings were done in a well-equipped studio, which was located behind the stage of the Teatr Stu. Everything went pretty smoothly and I stayed on for a couple of days to mix the tapes for the final master. After the production was over I went for a few days to visit Silesia, the southern, coal-mining part of Poland were I was born, and later on returned to Warsaw. I couldn’t take the master tapes with me, as these would surely be confiscated as illegal political unauthorized contraband, but I was promised they would be sent to me, as I planned to release them on my own JazzisFind albums on this label label, which I planned to start soon after. The producers also promised to release the album in Poland. A few days later I was back home in Israel and although I visited Poland many times later, I never heard about the project again. I lost contact with my Polish co-producers and although the tapes did land in my lap many years later, I left them untouched. Imagine my surprise when upon my recent visit to Poland a friend told me that the album was finally released just a few days before I arrived and even some reviews appeared in Polish papers (mentioning me) on the day I arrived. I was flabbergasted, angry for about 10 seconds (for not being consulted about this) and of course ecstatically happy to see this baby finally being born, after a 22 years long pregnancy. Especially so when I saw that the album was beautifully packaged in book format with splendid historical photographs (mine included, looking much younger of course). So much about the background of this album, and as to the contents, listening to it for the first time in so many years I must admit I’m more than proud to be associated with its creation. The music, performed by a wonderful septet of Polish jazz musicians, including Krzysztof ZgrajaFind albums by this artist – flute and piano, Andrzej PrzybielskiFind albums by this artist – trumpet, Zbigniew WegehauptFind albums by this artist – bass, Janusz TrzcinskiFind albums by this artist – drums, Mieczyslaw LitwinskiFind albums by this artist – sitar, Milo KurtisFind albums by this artist – percussion, Jew’s harp and trombita and Andrzej MitanFind albums by this artist – vocals, resembles in spirit the Miles DavisFind albums by this artist’ Bitches BrewFind albums with this title sessions, with plenty of space for solos performed over spacey / funky rhythmic patterns. The recitations are used as overlays, switching between the various languages, creating a dramatic collage effect over the music. Quite ambitious and far reaching in any respect and considering the fact that it was done 22 years ago, I’d say it was well ahead of its time. I suppose not everybody can enjoy this kind of creation as much as I do, but nevertheless it is a momentous piece of intellectual significance, cutting deeply into the listener’s soul, if listened to carefully and attentively.

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