Record Reviews

ALMOST JAZZ GROUP ~ FADE OUT WOOD AND MOOD 0005 (Barcode: 5907222681015) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is the third album by the Polish quartet called Almost Jazz GroupFind albums by this artist, led by accordionist / composer Pawel NowakFind albums by this artist and pianist / composer Ignacy Jan WisniewskiFind albums by this artist. The rhythm section comprises of bassist Maciej SadowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Antoni WojnarFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions: two each by Nowak and Wisniewski, three by Sadowski and one by Wojnar. The quartet´s name accurately describes the music that it presents, which is borderline Jazz, based on melodic themes which serve as basis for the improvisations, which are very tamed and stay within the strict mainstream idiom, bordering on Groove, Smooth Jazz and even Pop. Nevertheless the music is very well composed, coherent and harmonically pleasing, without being trivial or crossing over to kitsch. Personally I love the accordion´s sound and regret it is such a neglected instrument in Jazz, in spite of its enormous potential. The subtle balance between the accordion and the piano creates a wonderful atmosphere, which suits both the melancholic ballads and the swinging pieces. The bass supports the soloist amicably and very accurately, adding a crucial ingredient to the music. The drums are a bit too Rocky at times for this kind of music, but nothing dramatic which would break the charm. Both Nowak and Wisniewski play excellently and with obvious emotional involvement. Overall this is a very pleasant, somewhat nostalgic album, very well recorded, which offers a splendid listening experience to connoisseurs of the lighter side of the Jazz spectrum, but still being honest, superbly played and definitely worthy of listening. I had a great fun listening to it and I´m sure it will work for many other listeners as well – recommended!

Updated: 27/10/2017Posted: 27/10/2017

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

AREK CZERNYSZ ~ BREATH BCD 45 (Barcode: 5906881885451) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz accordionist / composer Arek CzernyszFind albums by this artist recorded in a trio format with bassist Filip ArasimowiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Antoni WojnarFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, all by Czernysz. In the contemporary music world the accordion became almost completely neglected and its glorious past is by now utterly forgotten. In Jazz accordion was always a rarity and of course it is even more so today, but an accordion trio with bass and drums is just about unheard of. The physical difficulty involved in playing the instrument, the technique and rigor required to master it and of course the complete absence of sex appeal the instrument radiates are just some of the reasons why very few young musicians want anything to do with it. Therefore Czernysz a priori deserves respect and praise for accepting the challenge. The music Czernysz composed for this album was obviously created with accordion in mind and suits the trio perfectly. It offers a wide range of stylistic influences obviously Jazz but also many World Music elements, some hints of Blues and of course the omnipresent Polish lyricism and melancholy present on almost every album made in Poland. He also cleverly avoids exploring the palpable accordion temptations like Tango, Polka and various folkloristic areas clearly associated with the instrument, creating his own musical ambience that shows no signs of imitation. In fact the music is certainly way more mature that what one might expect from such young composer. As a player Czernysz obviously shows a lot of talent and potential, but his performance lacks the polish and virtuosity that come with time and experience. Having said that the music is perfectly executed in every respect, it only lacks certain brilliance that is simply not here just yet but will definitely appear soon, perhaps even on his next album. I hope this does not sound discouraging in any way, as it is not meant to be; all I am saying at this point is that when Czernysz will add virtuosity to his performance, he will be unstoppable. The rhythm section does a splendid job shoulder to shoulder with the leader. As already mentioned above a bass / drums accompaniment to accordion does have a limited precedence and a tight cooperation as displayed on this album is definitely praiseworthy. Overall this is an exciting, bold debut album which offers splendid compositions, fine performances and a novelty effect of hearing accordion in a fresh musical environment. It is definitely wholeheartedly recommended and absolutely worth being discovered!

Updated: 22/06/2019Posted: 22/06/2019

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

DOMINIK KISIEL EXPLORATION QUARTET ~ EXPLORATION ALPAKA 003 (Barcode: 191924149699) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2018 This is the debut album by the young Polish Jazz pianist / composer Dominik KisielFind albums by this artist and his quartet called Exploration QuartetFind albums by this artist, which also includes saxophonist Michal Jan CiesielskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Piotr SzajrychFind albums by this artist and drummer Antoni WojnarFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Kisiel. The music is a melody based modern Jazz, with typical Polish lyrical inclinations, and melancholic tendencies, which the young Polish Jazz generation seems to have adopted as their favorite modus operandi. The beautiful themes are all wonderfully crafted and serve as ideal vehicles for the musicians to express their improvisational abilities. Some more energetic and more open compositions are also included, to balance the low-key material, and those are equally impressive. Both Kisiel and Ciesielski are able to articulate the melodic motifs and the improvised parts formidably, amicably supported by the rhythm section every step of the way. Together the quartet is able to create a coherent and well balanced ensemble sound, which does not reflect any lack of experience in spite of the of the musicians´ young age. Overall this is a very impressive debut, which emphasizes both Kisiel´s compositional skills and his work as an instrumentalist, superbly supported by his quartet members. Since the album´s release was postponed for technical reasons (it was recorded in 2016) and Kisiel and the quartet also released this year (2018) a live album, with different but no less excellent material, this year is certainly a remarkable jumpstart of his future career, which is definitely worth following. Well done indeed!

Updated: 20/12/2018Posted: 20/12/2018

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

MACIEJ SADOWSKI ~ I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO SAY, SO LISTEN RHODIUM 012 (Barcode: 193872506616) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is the debut solo album by Polish Jazz bassist / composer Maciej SadowskiFind albums by this artist (who also plays synthesizers) recorded with a bunch of musicians / friends including his usual cohorts: drummer Tomasz KoperFind albums by this artist and trumpeter Dawid LipkaFind albums by this artist, a string quartet, several vocalists, American multi-instrumentalist / producer Kevin Scott DavisFind albums by this artist, pianist Antoni WojnarFind albums by this artist and others. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Sadowski. The highly provocative / sarcastic title of the album stands in complete contrast to the contents of the album, which has in fact quite a lot to say on any imaginable musical plane. The compositions are spectacularly resounding, continuing the modus operandi which prevailed on the LowBowFind albums by this artist duo album by Sadowski and cellist Malgorzata ZnarowskaFind albums by this artist (who also plays here), called “Murmurs”. The resulting music presents a unique kind of Avant-Garde Contemporary Classical Music, which incorporates subtle elements of Jazz and Ambient / Electronic Music in addition to Chamber Classical Music, producing deeply lyrical and fascinating sound vistas. Sadowski eschews flashy expositions and prefers solid compositions, based on coherent melodic themes, which are the basis for his sound-paintings. His music leaves much to the listener’s imagination and real-time interpretation, which of course means that with every listening session the aural result might resound differently, which is a rare quality. Despite the fact that the album offers only slightly over half an hour of music, it definitely presents a full musical package, naturally leaving the listeners wishing for more. The team of musicians that performs on this album is nothing short of a “dream-team” every artist might desire to work with, setting aside any individual ambitions other than do their best to contribute to the success of Sadowski’s compositions. The delicate minimalism, which is the prevailing artistic directive on this album, pays off in full, according to the “less is more” principle, with the music rather floating in the air than hitting the listener directly between the ears. Judging by the quality of his output in the last few years, Sadowski proves that he is by far not a “one hit wonder” and has plenty to say, all of which is worth listening to. He definitely emerges as one of the most interesting figures on the young Polish scene, who deserve to be followed closely. Overall, this is a stunning piece of a wonderful musical treasure, which deserves to be heard by as many true music lovers around the globe as possible, regardless of their stylistic preferences. This is simply universally beautiful music!

Updated: 05/01/2022Posted: 05/01/2022

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend