Record Reviews

EDUARDO BORTOLOTTI ~ HUAPPANGO NIGHTS SOLITON 1092 (Barcode: 5903684250921) ~ MEXICO ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2020 Released: 2020 This is the debut album by Mexican (resident in Poland) Jazz violinist Eduardo BortolottiFind albums by this artist recorded in a quartet setting with Columbian (also resident in Poland) bassist Edilson SanchezFind albums by this artist and two Polish musicians: keyboardist Mateusz SobiechowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Bartek StaromiejskiFind albums by this artist. Percussionist Alberto SuazoFind albums by this artist guests on selected tracks. The album presents nine pieces, four of which are arrangements of Mexican Folk tunes and five are original compositions by Bortolotti. The music is typical Jazz-World Fusion with strong Mexican / Latin tinge, skillfully performed by the participants. The sound of the violin is certainly quite unusual in this musical environment and takes a moment to get used to, but it certainly works out eventually. The closing track offers a much open and free attitude and perhaps hints as to Bortolotti´s future development. Bortolotti, who studied with leading Polish Jazz violinists: Marcin HalatFind albums by this artist and Henryk GembalskiFind albums by this artist, is certainly well schooled and his technical proficiency is beyond reproach. His personal style still needs to be crystallized, which is sure to happen in time, combining the Polish influences and his Mexican roots and creating a unique voice. The rest of the players are also skilled performers, with the two Polish musicians having already proven recording experience. They all support the leader amicably and the group sound is coherent and well balanced. Overall this is a promising debut album, which shows potential and talent, and is definitely worth checking out, especially since the violin in Jazz is relatively obscure and deserves wider recognition.

Updated: 11/01/2021Posted: 11/01/2021

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HEFI QUARTET ~ LIVE NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2011 - 2013 Released: 2013 This is the third album by young Polish Jazz flautist / saxophonist / composer Leszek HeFi WisniowskiFind albums by this artist, this one being released under the moniker of his current HeFi QuartetFind albums by this artist, which also includes the fabulous keyboardist Pawel KaczmarczykFind albums by this artist, bassist Tomasz KupiecFind albums by this artist and drummer Bartek StaromiejskiFind albums by this artist. The music includes one studio track (from 2013), three live radio tracks (from 2012) and six live concert tracks (from 2011), which also feature the veteran violinist Krzesimir DebskiFind albums by this artist. All the music was composed by Wisniowski except one track which is credited to the entire group and one which is a traditional folklore tune. The music is exciting Modern mainstream with some World Music influences, a bit of Fusion and other ingredients, all well amalgamated compositionally and beautifully executed. The first part of the album (the radio / studio recordings) is mostly calm and relaxed, whereas the second part (the concert recordings) with Debski is much more energetic, loud and expressive, with Debski´s input being quite dominant. Overall the music is truly excellent, but the album suffers a bit from being a somewhat hectic collection of music recorded under different circumstances rather than an integral statement. Wisniowski also makes a mistake of employing / inviting musicians, who are simply excellent, which sadly makes him the least impressive player of them all, even if he´s the leader. Kaczmarczyk completely "steals" the show with his superb solos, which are all simply brilliant, both technically and emotionally. The rhythm section also performs beautifully, way beyond just supporting the soloist, but actually contributing actively to the process of creating the music. These young musicians have already quite a lot of experience performing and even recordings behind them, which is immediately noticeable. Debski, as already mentioned, is a veteran with a very flamboyant style of playing. As a result the leader´s solos really sound rather pale in comparison. Nevertheless this is still a very strong album, which many Jazz listeners will enjoy immensely. Not too complex and yet interesting and versatile stylistically, this is definitely something worth listening to and at the same time accessible to a relatively wide range of connoisseurs.

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HEFI QUARTET ~ PARALLAX ERROR SJ 019 (Barcode: 191061111023) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is the fourth album by Polish Jazz flautist / composer Leszek HeFi WisniowskiFind albums by this artist and the second under the HeFi Quartet moniker. The quartet features this time the excellent pianist Dominik WaniaFind albums by this artist and the familiar rhythm section which accompanies Wisniowski since several years: bassist Tomasz KupiecFind albums by this artist and drummer Bartek StaromiejskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents fourteen relatively short original compositions, all by Wisniowski, two of which were co-composed by Kupiec and one by Wania. From the very onset of this album it becomes clear that this is by far the most mature, coherent and balanced recording by Wisniowski, which presents him as a gifted composer and excellent instrumentalist in a best possible setting. The music ideally combines melodic elements with modern Jazz approach, which allows the players plenty of space to express their individual statements and at the same time maintains the unity of the quartet as an organic ensemble. Wisniowski treats his instrument with an utmost respect, flirting and even making love with it all along, always in perfect harmony and perfect balance between the emotional expressionism and the technical virtuosity. The pieces move between solos, duos and quartet performances, each of these settings emphasizing different aspects of the music, which is completely absorbing and magnetic in its depth of emotion. The presence of Wania is a crucial element of the album´s aura and its overall success to create to desired effect. Among the many Polish Jazz pianists, Wania is not only one of the very best, but also the most modest and most profound as a player, being able to find the ideal expression suitable to a diverse set of environments. He never "steals" the show and always fills the space with his stunning, delicate and perfect phrases. His performances on this album are definitely among his most beautiful and Wisniowski made a very wise decision to select him as a partner, which resulted in a brilliant piece of recorded music, definitely one of the best so far this year on the Polish Jazz scene. It is very satisfying to see that Wisniowski finally found his true realm on this album. After many years of searching, this album is simply a pinnacle of his achievements and a well deserved glorification of his talents, which will hopefully be followed by many more such fabulous musical vistas. Well done indeed!

Updated: 08/07/2017Posted: 08/07/2017

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KRZYSZTOF LENCZOWSKI ~ LOST JOURNEY REQUIEM / LYDIAN 2021/17 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is the third album as a leader by Polish Jazz cellist / composer (and now also guitarist) Krzysztof LenczowskiFind albums by this artist, primarily known as a member of the superb Atom String QuartetFind albums by this artist, but with a rich and exciting recording legacy of dozens of albums by top Polish artists. This album finds him in an exciting organ trio format with the wonderful organist Kajetan GalasFind albums by this artist and drummer Bartek StaromiejskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original compositions, all by Lenczowski. The music is absolutely delightful, like a ten-course meal in a tree-star Michelin restaurant. Each and every of those compositions is completely different and the diversity is simply astounding, including Classical Music, Rock, Prog, Fusion, World and other influences, skillfully exploited to create a dazzling kaleidoscope of sounds. It is hard to believe that all this music is performed by just three instrumentalists, which emphasizes their individual skills and talents. Lenczowski is a brilliant cellist of course but here he demonstrates amazing scale of different sounds he is able to create on his cello. Galas, whom I have been following closely for a few years now, is a stunning talent, able to express a myriad of feelings using the keyboards. Staromiejski adds his robust drumming to drive the music steadily through the rapid turns and twists and frequent mood changes with sensitivity and skill. It is very difficult to accurately define this music stylistically, and for luck of a better term, it would probably be best described as Jazz-Rock Fusion, although that might not do the music justice, as it is way more rich in textures than what usually passes as Fusion. The leagues of Prog fans should also feel perfectly comfortable with this music, as in fact should all lovers of ambitious melodic music, full of surprising vistas and virtuosic performances. There are very few musicians today, who can match Lenczowski’s compositional ingenuity and chameleonic cross-genre and cross-idiom approach. A retrospective glance at his recorded legacy so far is already highly impressive, and one can never guess what he will come up with next – which of course is one of his many virtues. Overall this is an absolute gem of an album, which a great appeal to all Artistic souls out there, of all ages and all musical affiliations. I can’t imagine anybody not loving this music, and if they don’t I am really sorry for them…

Updated: 01/04/2021Posted: 27/03/2021

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MULASTA TRIO ~ LIVE IN GREEN EYE BCD 23 (Barcode: 5906881885222) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2007 Released: 2008 This is a live recording by the Mulasta TrioFind albums by this artist, which consists of Polish Jazz violinist Tomasz MuchaFind albums by this artist, Finnish bassist Lasse LindgrenFind albums by this artist and Polish drummer Bartek StaromiejskiFind albums by this artist. They perform seven compositions, four of which are originals by Mucha, one is a Finnish tune, one is a standard and finally the last one is a folk tune arranged by Lindgren. The music is performed almost completely acoustically, which is very different from most contemporary Jazz violin recordings, which sound mostly electric. This acoustic approach is reminiscent of early Jazz violin recordings before violin was almost completely drawn into Fusion. Although improvised and swinging, the overall result is not exactly within the mainstream Jazz boundaries and includes also World Music elements. The atmosphere is very relaxed and the musicians obviously have a great fun playing together. The essence of the music is based on the intimate exchanges between the violin and the bass, with both instruments playing alongside constantly. This wonderful dialogue is the absolute highlight of this recording. Both Mucha and Lindgren perform with virtuosity and finesse, which definitely deserves to be discovered. Staromiejski respectfully accompanies the two soloists trying not to interfere with their performances and does a perfect job in that respect. Mucha´s compositions are all rounded and wonderfully lyrical, fitting elegantly this setting. Overall this is a beautiful, graceful and delicate album, which is sadly little known and surely deserves a wider exposure. Although the Polish Jazz violin already holds a proud position in that music´s history, this acoustic variety surely deserves also to be a part of that heritage. I´d surely love to hear more of this kind of music in the future.

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ORGAN SPOT ~ ORGAN SPOT SJ 006 (Barcode: 5902596066055) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2013 The Hammond B-3 Organ is one of my all time favorite musical instruments, with endless reminiscences overflowing my mind every time the unique sound starts buzzing in the air. Scores of superb albums were recorded using the B-3 over the years, not only in Jazz but also in Rock of course, and hundreds of keyboardists used the instrument over the years, which in time achieved a legendary status. In addition, the Hammond B-3 / guitar cooperation (in duos and trios mostly) has a fascinating tradition in Jazz from way back in the 1950s, which is still very much alive and kicking today. Therefore listening to this album was quite an emotional journey for me. Organ SpotFind albums by this artist is a trio comprising of three young Polish Jazz musicians: organist Kajetan GalasFind albums by this artist, guitarist Szymon MikaFind albums by this artist and drummer Bartek StaromiejskiFind albums by this artist. The album consists of seven tunes, five of which are Jazz standards and two are originals, composed one each by Mika and Galas. Not surprisingly the album was recorded at the excellent Studio Tokarnia and engineered by the studio owner and himself a fellow Hammond "brother in arms" Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist. The wonderful sound quality and ambience is one of the key factors which makes this album such a sweet gem, as Studio Tokarnia has a wonderful ability to create a truly "retro" sound, which resembles classic Jazz recordings for such legendary labels as Blue NoteFind albums on this label. Watch out for the worn-out LP gap between the tracks in one case, which gives a hint as to the "retro" intensions herein. The performances by all three trio members are spotless and incredibly well balanced. There are no ego trips here and they all play together respectfully listening to each other and supporting each other. Although the organ is obviously the center of attention on this album, the listeners should definitely pay attention to the incredible guitar parts, which are truly invigorating. Some great guitar players must be smiling in Heaven hearing this stuff. Musically this album is not looking for innovation or breaking new ground; it´s all about keeping a wonderful tradition (sonically, stylistically and aesthetically) alive, and doing it in a fresh and interesting way. This album is every inch as good as any similar music produced anywhere else, which speaks for itself as far as the talents and abilities of these young musicians are concerned. Having respect for the tradition, studying and preserving it, are not self-understood these days and are definitely something to be praised and appreciated. Overall this is as close to a perfect mainstream Jazz album as it gets; it is honest, well played, sounds great and most Jazz connoisseurs can enjoy it in full. Definitely a most impressive debut!

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