Record Reviews

BLACKBIRD ~ BLACKBIRD MULTIKULTI MPJ 012 (Barcode: 5907796319710) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is the debut album by the young Polish Jazz quintet BlackBirdFind albums by this artist, which comprises of trumpeter Pawel SurmanFind albums by this artist, guitarist Michal WalczakFind albums by this artist, pianist Michal RoratFind albums by this artist, bassist Bartek BednarekFind albums by this artist and US drummer Frank ParkerFind albums by this artist. Veteran vibraphonist Bernard MaseliFind albums by this artist appears as a guest artist on a couple of tracks. The album presents seven original compositions (one of which is repeated four times), four by Walczak, two by Rorat and one by Bednarek. The album was recorded live and has a very good sound quality. The music is dominated by the sound of the electric guitar and immediately falls under the typical Fusion imagery. The combination of lead guitar and trumpet, which was favored by early Jazz-Rock / Fusion artists, like Larry CoryellFind albums by this artist and his Eleventh HouseFind albums by this artist ensemble for example, was pretty dormant lately and the attempt by BlackBird to bring it back is very effective. With the guitar / trumpet lead balanced by the acoustic piano and the electric bass and drums pulsating vigorously, the overall sound of the quintet floats somewhere between Fusion and the Scandinavian ECMFind albums on this label sound, which of course turns it immediately into a very likeable piece of music. Once we have established that the album sounds great the question of course arises as to its musical contents, which is definitely not on the same level as the sound. The melodies are rather simplistic and a bit repetitive, which makes the album to sound like one continuous piece of music with very little diversity. Even the attempt to break the monotony by repeating the theme song four times does not help much. It´s not that the music is bad or anything, it just sort of stays in one place all the time. But of course this is only my personal opinion and others may find it completely misguided. The personal performances by the quintet members are all quite adequate, although the guitar is definitely too loud and aggressive. For me Rorat delivers the most impressive solos, even if he is the most introvert and timid player herein. His piano strokes are a true joy throughout. Overall this is a pleasant Fusion album, which many Fusion fans might find attractive and which sounds absolutely divine, but is hardly a brainer. Since it is a debut effort, things will probably improve with their next release, which I am impatiently waiting for already.

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ROBERT CZECH / SOUND SMUGGLERS ~ ROBERT CZECH / SOUND SMUGGLERS NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 5096031407135) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2008 Released: 2008 This is an album by Polish Jazz keyboardist / composer Robert CzechFind albums by this artist and his ensemble Sound SmugglersFind albums by this artist, which includes on this album as core members saxophonist Jacek MielcarekFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej PaszekFind albums by this artist and drummer Marek SochackiFind albums by this artist. Many additional musicians participate as guest artists on some of the tracks, including Polish Jazz icons such as bassist Krzysztof ScieranskiFind albums by this artist or vibraphonist Bernard MaseliFind albums by this artist. Czech wrote all the ten compositions included here, one of which also features vocals by Karolina GlazerFind albums by this artist. Stylistically the music is mostly contemporary Fusion, with strong melodic statements and intervals of extended improvisations, all of which are done professionally and spotlessly. Most impressive solos are delivered by guitarist Marek RaduliFind albums by this artist and it´s a pity he is not featured on more tracks. Although there are no innovations or groundbreaking statements here, this is a very well done mainstream Fusion, which should be enjoyed by all Fusion enthusiasts anywhere in the world. This kind of music often very easily crosses over to clichés and pointless doodling, which fortunately is successfully avoided here. Therefore although on the lighter side of the Jazz spectrum, this is definitely music worthy of being listened to both for its quality and fun value.

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BERNARD MASELI ~ DRIFTER WARNER MUSIC POLAND 190296460135 (Barcode: 190296460135) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Pop Fusion Recorded: 2013 - 2019 Released: 2021 This is an album by the Polish Jazz vibraphonist / composer Bernard MaseliFind albums by this artist, recorded over a period of several years with a long list of Polish and international Jazz instrumentalists and vocalists. The album presents twelve tracks, eleven original compositions or co-compositions by Maseli and one by Japanese composer Kozaburo HiraiFind albums by this artist. The album was, for some strange and inexplicable reasons, released in the new “Polish Jazz Masters” series, which was designed to include Polish Jazz albums not released in the legendary “Polish Jazz” series, but recorded before 1990, which is not a case here. It was also released in a non-standard packaging as a jewel case and not as a digipak, as the rest of the series. The music is all on the distinctly lighter side of the Jazz spectrum, mostly Smooth Jazz and even in some case not Jazz at all, being Rap, Funk, Soul or simply Pop. Maseli plays vibraphone, marimba, kalimba and Mallet KAT and improvises brilliantly, the music has only a very fait Jazz undercurrent. The wonderful Beata PrzybytekFind albums by this artist adds some great vocals on several tracks, again those being mostly in the Soul department. Of course Maseli is still a superb Jazz musician and definitely has an honorable position among Polish Jazz vibraphonists, but on this album he shows other facets of his musical personality, which is perfectly fine. His compositions are all excellent and he and his fellow musicians are all first class performers and the album offers many wonderful moments, probably not necessarily for a Jazz audience. Overall, this is a very nice Pop-Jazz Fusion, Funk, Soul and World Music album, with superb mallet technique displayed by Maseli on all the instruments he uses to create this music, which is a great fun to listen to and mostly also quite danceable.

Updated: 15/04/2023Posted: 15/04/2023

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BERNARD MASELI SEPTET ~ GOOD VIBES OF MILIAN FOR TUNE 0151 (Barcode: 5906395808663) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2021 This is an album by veteran Polish Jazz vibraphonist / composer Bernard MaseliFind albums by this artist and his septet, which comprises of four vibraphonists (Maseli, Bartosz PieszkaFind albums by this artist, Dominik BukowskiFind albums by this artist and Karol SzymanowskiFind albums by this artist) and a rhythm section (pianist Boguslaw KaczmarFind albums by this artist, bassist Michal KapczukFind albums by this artist and drummer Marcin JahrFind albums by this artist), a classic “Summit” format, which I utilize since many years in my Singer Jazz Festival, and which was initially devised by my Friend and Mentor Joachim BerendtFind albums by this artist. The album is a tribute to one of the Godfathers of Polish Jazz, vibraphonist / composer / bandleader Jerzy MilianFind albums by this artist, a pillar of modern Polish Jazz and one of the greatest composers, especially of orchestral Jazz, on the European Jazz scene. It presents a live recording of a concert recorded a few years back, which offers seven tracks, six of which were compositions by Milian (one co-composed with Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, another iconic figure of Polish Jazz) and one composed by Pieszka. The sound quality and clarity is excellent. The artwork features Milian’s wonderful paintings, an Artform Milian embraced after retiring from active performing life, which are reproduces in full color, for the first time in the many years of For TuneFind albums on this label Records history ;) The lines notes by Krzysztof BalkiewiczFind albums by this artist are well written and informative. The music holds no surprises, perfectly executed by the professional team and beautifully weaved by the Master composer, with the expected focus on the vibraphone (and marimba) as the tool of delivery. The vibraphone is a very dominant instrument and the thought of four vibraphone playing simultaneously is pretty scary; fortunately, most of the time it is just one of the four vibraphones (or two of them) that plays at a given moment, which makes the music perfectly audible and balanced. Since the listener is not present at the performance, it would have been nice to have a list of who is soloing on which track, but credits aside, all the players do a perfect job, as does the excellent rhythm section, driving the music steadily and securely. Overall this is an important tribute to the composing Genius of Milian and a very pleasant listening experience. For vibraphone enthusiasts this is of course a true feast. Of course it is also a well-deserved tribute to Polish Jazz history. Well done Gentlemen!

Updated: 29/12/2023Posted: 17/07/2021

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NOYA / JAKUBEK / MASELI ~ LIVE NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock-World Fusion Recorded: 2009 Released: 2012 This album presents a live recording of a trio, which comprises of world famous Indonesian (living in Netherlands) percussionist Nippy NoyaFind albums by this artist and two veteran Polish Jazz musicians: keyboardist Zbigniew JakubekFind albums by this artist and vibraphonist Bernard MaseliFind albums by this artist. The album includes six original compositions, four of which were composed by Maseli and two by Jakubek. Three of these compositions receive extended treatment and carry on for twelve and up to seventeen minutes, while the other three last the usual six / seven minutes. The sound quality is excellent and every detail of the music is perfectly audible, even though it was recorded live. The music is mostly ambient and atmospheric, with a strong Jazz-Rock orientation, although much more fragile and delicate than the usual output of the genre. A strong World Music influence is also evident. The melodies are stated clearly and are the basis of the extended improvised passages. Jakubek often plays the bass lines using his instruments, so at times the music sounds like being performed by a quartet. The overall atmosphere is reminiscent of several Pat MethenyFind albums by this artist recordings with his group featuring keyboardist Lyle MaysFind albums by this artist. The music is relaxed and flows gently from one track to another, but manages to stay inside the creative limits of the Jazz parameters, without spilling over into the muzak territory, which is usually where such undertakings eventually arrive at. Both Jakubek and Maseli play some truly great solos here and keep the music interesting, with Noya sticking to his percussive background. This is obviously an album, which belongs to the "lighter" side of Jazz, but it is does neither compromise the participating musicians nor insult the listener. Not exactly my cup of tea, but I suspect that many listeners will love this album to bits, which is perfectly fine with me. This album is definitely recommended to those folks, who love melodic and well played music, which does not make your teeth ache.

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BEATA PRZYBYTEK ~ I`M GONNA ROCK YOU FLID 001 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2011 - 2012 Released: 2012 This is the fourth album by the Polish vocalist Beata PrzybytekFind albums by this artist and her debut as a singer / songwriter. After releasing three consecutive albums between 2003 and 2005, Przybytek took almost seven years to come up with this album, which presents sixteen songs written by her to lyrics (in English) by Alicja MaciejowskaFind albums by this artist (thirteen songs) and her own (the remaining three songs). She is accompanied by a wonderful ensemble of gifted and sympathetic instrumentalists, which includes the keyboardist / arranger Tomasz KalwakFind albums by this artist, who is responsible for the truly excellent and highly skilled musical settings created for her songs. Other players include guitarist Damian KuraszFind albums by this artist, pianist Boguslaw KaczmarFind albums by this artist, bassists Tomasz KupiecFind albums by this artist and Adam KowalewskiFind albums by this artist, drummers Arek SkolikFind albums by this artist, Krzysztof DziedzicFind albums by this artist and Filip MozulFind albums by this artist and percussionist Slawomir BernyFind albums by this artist. Several guest musicians also appear, among them trumpeter Piotr WojtasikFind albums by this artist, vibraphonist Bernard MaseliFind albums by this artist, organist Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist and others. Przybytek started her career as a Jazz vocalist, but her last album ("WonderlandFind albums with this title"), which comprised entirely of songs by Stevie WonderFind albums by this artist, saw her already flirting with Pop, Soul and Rhythm And Blues. This album, which focuses on her songwriting as much, if not more, as on her performances, takes her into new territory, which in a beautiful amalgam of Pop, Blues, Gospel, Soul and Jazz. The artistic level of her songwriting is formidable and these sixteen songs are all jewels in their own right, quite diverse and beautifully full of character. I must admit that at first hearing I could hardly believe my ears as I haven´t heard such a sublime collection of new songs in a very long time. The vocal performances are also first-class, somewhat similar to the mannerisms of Etta JamesFind albums by this artist / Amy WinehouseFind albums by this artist, but with a wonderfully warm tone and total control of timbre and expression. It´s a pity she chose to sing in English as I personally am quite convinced that if she sang these songs in her native language the result would have been even more stunning. Well, one can´t win them all. Still this is one of the best albums of its kind that I´ve heard in a very long time. The instrumental parts are, as already mentioned, simply delightful. Each song gets quite a different treatment, which keeps the album changing mood and ambiance often, as well as the instrumentation. The guest musicians get to deliver their respective solo spots and it sure looks like a great time was had by all during the recording sessions. This album is also a wonderful example of high quality music, which can be overtly accessible, without compromising even an iota of its intrinsic value. Every music lover should have a field day with this brilliant piece of music. Hats off, Beata! Silesia rulez again!

Updated: 08/05/2023Posted:

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ANNA RUTTAR ~ HEART MADE UNIVERSAL MUSIC POLSKA 602547647313 (Barcode: 602547647313) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Pop Fusion Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is the debut album by Polish vocalist / keyboardist / songwriter Anna RuttarFind albums by this artist recorded with a core trio featuring guitarist Andrzej GondekFind albums by this artist, bass guitarist Wojciech GasiorFind albums by this artist and drummer Szymon MadejFind albums by this artist. Bassist Michal KapczukFind albums by this artist and kalimba player Bernard MaseliFind albums by this artist guest on one track each. The album presents ten original songs, all composed and arranged by Ruttar. She also wrote lyrics to nine of the songs and one song uses a poem by American poet E. E. CummingsFind albums by this artist. Nine of the songs use English lyrics and only one uses Polish lyrics. The album is an excellent example of sophisticated Jazz-Pop Fusion, with the beautifully melodic songs dressed up in a Jazzy (and sometimes Bluesy) arrangements, superbly performed by the participating musicians. Combined with intelligent and meaningful lyrics, these songs are a great fun to listen to from start to end, presenting a truly exquisite collection of diverse, coherent, and rare quality music. The vocals / bass duet, which is the most Jazz oriented song on the album, is an instant classic and the solo track closing the album is perhaps a road sign for the future? Ruttar has a nice, expressive voice and makes a good use of her vocal abilities throughout the album. My usual grunt about Polish vocalist singing in English is not really needed this time, as she does a good job with the English pronunciation and her foreign accent is rather charming. Nevertheless I would have preferred of course if the songs all had Polish lyrics, like the closing song of the album. Instrumentally the album is pretty minimalist, and the most important, and by all means superb, contributions are by the guitarist, who plays some absolutely stunning licks here, all perfectly matched to the music. The rhythm section does an ideal job, being supportive, precise and professional, and most importantly not getting in the way. Overall this is a superb debut effort, which sadly slipped under the radar when released, probably simply for the reason that it was too good to noted. I´d truly love to here more music from Ruttar, at the earliest convenience. Delightful stuff!

Updated: 07/10/2018Posted: 07/10/2018

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PAWEL TOMASZEWSKI ~ COINCIDENCE FILHARMONIA SZCZECIN 025 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2022 Released: 2023 This is an album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Pawel TomaszewskiFind albums by this artist, recorded with several leading Polish Jazz instrumentalists and the Szczecin Philharmonic Symphony OrchestraFind albums by this artist conducted by Szymon BywalecFind albums by this artist. The album presents two suites, one two-parts and the other seven-parts, with the second being inspired by a film theme composed by Polish composer Wojciech KilarFind albums by this artist. The quartet comprising of Tomaszewski, saxophonist Marek PodkowaFind albums by this artist, bassist Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and drummer Marcin JahrFind albums by this artist play on the entire album, while marimba player Bernard MaseliFind albums by this artist, vocalist Wojciech MyrczekFind albums by this artist and American guitarist Mark LattieriFind albums by this artist play on the first suite and trumpeter Jerzy MalekFind albums by this artist plays on the second suite only. The music is wonderfully melodic, full of typical Polish melancholy and lyricism, which characterizes both Polish Jazz and Polish Cinematic music at their best. The balance between the Jazz instrumental parts and the orchestral accompaniment and statements is absolutely perfect, and offers a pleasant cross-genre listening experience. All the musician are of course Masters of their relative areas, offering excellent soloing and ensemble performances. This delicate and mostly tranquil music is all about balance and harmonic cooperation, which means that there is no space for much individual statements, but rather a collective effort. Of course Tomaszewski’s piano work leads the music consistently all the way through. Overall, this is a very elegant and beautifully performed album, which offers music that is widely accessible to audiences from both Jazz and Classical Music circles. Tomaszewski is an excellent pianist and talented weaver of beautiful compositions, and all the musicians taking part in this project and the orchestra definitely fit the bill perfectly. Highly recommended!

Updated: 05/06/2023Posted: 05/06/2023

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VARIOUS ARTISTS ~ TRIBUTE TO ZBIGNIEW JAKUBEK AFRO VIBE 006 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2013 - 2023 Released: 2023 This is a 2CD album paying tribute to Polish Jazz keyboardist / composer / arranger Zbigniew JakubekFind albums by this artist, a prominent figure on the Polish Jazz scene for many decades and member of such ensembles like Walk AwayFind albums by this artist, Young PowerFind albums by this artist and others. Jakubek recorded many albums with the groups he was a member of, as well as a sideman in numerous projects with other top Polish Jazz musicians, but sadly never managed to record a solo album as a leader. Following his death in May 2023, guitarist / composer Marek RaduliFind albums by this artist, who was a close friend of Jakubek, undertook this splendid project to record an album with original music by Jakubek, with the help of many of the musicians Jakubek played with, such as bassists Michal GrottFind albums by this artist, Tomasz GrabowyFind albums by this artist, Robert KubiszynFind albums by this artist and Krzysztof ScieranskiFind albums by this artist, drummers Michal DabrowkaFind albums by this artist, Wojciech FedkowiczFind albums by this artist and Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist, vibraphonist Bernard MaseliFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Adam WendtFind albums by this artist, guitarist Damian KuraszFind albums by this artist and others. The album presents ten tracks (five on each CD), nine of which are original compositions of Jakubek and one is composed by Raduli, with lyrics by Bartlomiej SkubiszFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. EskaubeiFind albums by this artist). Seven of the tracks are based on tracks left by Jakubek, recorded as sketches / preparations for his solo album and other sources, two are taken from Walk Away albums and the last one, was written (see above) especially for this album. The music is all brilliantly melodic, with typical Polish melancholy and lyricism, excellently performed by all the participants and offers an excellent sound quality. Raduli’s guitar playing is absolutely sensational and his emotional involvement with this project is evident and his dedication to carry it out is exceptional. Overall, this is a brilliant tribute album to a great musician / composer, warmly remembered by his peers and friends, and the music offers some of the finest guitar oriented Jazz / Fusion music recorded in Poland. For the lovers of the genre, this album is an absolute must, but all Jazz lovers around the world should be able to appreciate the superb compositions by Jakubek and enjoy the music wholeheartedly. Hats off to those who contributed to make this project a reality!

Updated: 09/04/2024Posted: 09/04/2024

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WALK AWAY ~ FLOWER POWER SOLITON 1186 (Barcode: 5903684231867) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is an album by veteran Polish Jazz ensemble Walk AwayFind albums by this artist, formed in the mid-1980s by drummer / composer / bandleader Krzysztof ZawadzkiFind albums by this artist. The lineup of the ensemble was remarkably stable over the years and still includes vibraphonist Bernard MaseliFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Adam WendtFind albums by this artist and bassist Tomasz GrabowyFind albums by this artist. Master percussionist Slawomir BernyFind albums by this artist joins the quartet, expanding the lineup to a quintet and guitarist Grzegorz SkawinskiFind albums by this artist guests on couple of tracks. The album presents eight tracks, seven of which are originals (three by Maseli and two each by Wendt and Grabowy) and one is by Larry CoryellFind albums by this artist. The music is a continuation of the musical path the ensemble preferred over the years, which is an easy going mainstream Jazz, with some touches of Fusion and Smooth Jazz, all excellently put together, arranged and performed. Although definitely on the lighter side of the Jazz spectrum, this music is honest, direct and highly professional, and for listeners who love this shade of Jazz, it is simply perfect. All these musicians are so experienced and professional that they simply cannot play anything below standard. Sometimes one wonders if Jazz musicians completely forgot the concept of having a good time and all try to be over complicated to prove their worth. Well, this album is certainly all about good time, without giving away the seal of quality. Overall, this is a pleasant, highly melodic and entertaining Jazz album, which proves that the less complex Jazz explorations can be Artistically satisfying and highly pleasurable. Great to see all these guys in such a great form!

Updated: 04/11/2021Posted: 04/11/2021

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