Record Reviews

MARCIN BANASZEK ~ STATIONS OF THE CROSS AKADEMIA MUZYCZNA W KRAKOWIE 017 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by Polish pianist / composer Marcin BanaszekFind albums by this artist, recorded in a classic piano trio format with bassist Andrzej ZielakFind albums by this artist and drummer Karol DomanskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents fourteen original compositions, all by Banaszek, which form a suite dedicated to the religious images depicting the fourteen Stations of the Cross passed by Jesus on the day of his crucifixion. The music is deeply poignant, almost lethargic, moving slowly from one piece to another, inspiring reflection and perhaps even prayer. Full of melancholy and tranquility, the melodic contents is kept on a steady subdued level both harmonically and rhythmically. As a religiously inspired project this music makes sense but separated from the context it is somewhat monotonous. As a melodic mainstream Jazz this music has several drawbacks: the melodies are very similar, most of the tracks are too short to allow for in depth improvisation and the dynamics is almost absent. As such this music presents a serious challenge to Jazz connoisseurs, who expect excitement, variety and challenge from the music they listen to. The performance is also very minimalistic, with the piano taking over almost completely and the rhythm section present mostly only in the background, almost unheard. The only lengthy piece on the album is an example how this music might have sounded under a different approach, and is the best track on the album. Overall this is an unusual piano trio album, which works well under its religious concept but on its own is somewhat limited. However, many piano trio connoisseurs might find it interesting and since people like many different forms of Jazz, it is definitely worth investigating.

Updated: 01/03/2018Posted: 01/03/2018

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BIOTONE ~ UNSPOKEN WORDS SJ 002 (Barcode: 5902020415558) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2009 Released: 2011 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz quartet BiotoneFind albums by this artist, led by trombonist Michal TomaszczykFind albums by this artist, who also wrote all the music present herein. The other members of the quartet are saxophonist Przemyslaw FlorczakFind albums by this artist, bassist Andrzej ZielakFind albums by this artist and drummer Sebastian KuchczynskiFind albums by this artist. These four young musicians are all typical examples of the new generation, which is slowly establishing themselves on the, rather crowded one must say, Polish Jazz scene. This scene was always exploding with talent and is now overflowing, unfortunately not being developed enough, dynamic enough and flexible enough to contain all that incredible influx of talent flowing in at an ever increasing paste. One must admire Tomaszczyk for his self-confidence, as a trombone-led quartet is a very uncommon phenomenon in Jazz history. Even the greatest trombonists were usually satisfied with the role of a sideman, but Tomaszczyk boldly presents his approach, and shows us all an upper hand. The quartet has a fresh, well balanced sound and all the members play excellently throughout. The rhythm section is inventive and fully participates in the music-making process together with the two front soloists. The compositions are also very good, both melodically and rhythmically, presenting an interesting compositional palette, which at this stage already shows individuality and character. But of course the key point of the album is the solo work of the leader, who manages to make the most of his difficult and often ungrateful instrument. His performances are absolutely first class from top to bottom and as someone, who has a lot of trombone "mileage" (after producing several trombone-centered albums) I can definitely say this is first class work and more importantly a great promise for the future. Altogether a superb debut, worth investigating!

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WITOLD JANIAK ~ CINEMA MEETS JAZZ NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 - 2013 Released: 2013 This is the third album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Witold JaniakFind albums by this artist, and his debut recording in the piano trio format. There are actually two different trios present on this album, one with bassist Wojciech PulcynFind albums by this artist and drummer Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist and the other with bassist Andrzej ZielakFind albums by this artist and drummer Kamil MiszewskiFind albums by this artist. All the tracks were recorded at the excellent Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, which guaranties the highest sound quality. The album includes nine tracks, all of which are, as the title suggests, famous movie themes arranged by Janiak for the piano trio. Playing cinematic music in a Jazzy manner is of course a treacherous ground, since such projects have been attempted numerous times in the past, and by the absolute top Jazz players all over the world. Therefore the idea is hardly innovative or original and anybody attempting such a project has to be prepared to offer some bonus values, like extraordinary virtuosic performance or highly inventive arrangements. Sadly this album offers none of the above. Of course Janiak and his rhythm sections are skilled players with years of experience behind them, which results in excellent performances, but the music lacks sparkle and inspiration. This is painfully evident on the trio´s interpretation of Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist´s theme from Rosemary´s Baby, which has been performed incessantly by other Polish Jazz musicians. Overall the album presents some pleasant and well played piano trio Jazz, but fails to cross over into prominence.

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KUBA RACZYNSKI ~ MY MUSIC SOLITON 1170 (Barcode: 5903684231706) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2020 - 2021 Released: 2021 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Kuba RaczynskiFind albums by this artist recorded in a classic quartet setting with pianist Rafal StepienFind albums by this artist, bassist Andrzej ZielakFind albums by this artist and drummer Radek BolewskiFind albums by this artist. Five musicians, including saxophonist Maciej SikalaFind albums by this artist, guest on selected tracks. The album presents eleven original compositions, all by the leader. The music is all within the modern mainstream, highly melodic and very well structured. It manages to eschew the usual lethargic paste of most Polish Jazz mainstream albums and offers several medium and up tempo numbers, which inspires the general atmosphere of the album to sound more alive. But the most impressive quality of the music is it’s melodic / harmonic quality, which is truly heartwarming. Raczynski, who plays alto, soprano and baritone saxophones, as well as clarinet and bass clarinet, has a wonderfully warm sound, which acts like honey on the listener’s ears. The diverse stylistics employed within the compositions allow him to display the full palette of his instrumental abilities, which after all debut albums are about. The rest of the quartet performs splendidly, with Stepien accompanying the soloists amicably and adding several highly impressive, but not superficially flashy soli of his own. The rhythm section drives the music with vigor and precision, exactly as the doctor prescribed, The guests all add some icing on the cake, making the proceedings less uniform, but more sparkling, except for the one vocal track, which is a bit tacky and honestly out of context. Overall, this is a very nice mainstream Jazz album, somewhat on the lighter side of the spectrum, but highly enjoyable, offering a pleasant listening experience to a wide audience of Jazz listeners. It is definitely an earnest debut album, which shows a lot of talent by the leader, especially as a composer. It is full of youthful naiveté, but shows a lot of promise, which will surely not disappoint. Well done!

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

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