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  | KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA ~ KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA W POLSKIM RADIU VOL.02 – MUZYKA BALETOWA I FILMOWA – CZESC PIERWSZA
POLSKIE RADIO 1862 (Barcode: 5907812248628) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1959 - 1963 Released: 2014
This is the second installment in a new series of albums launched by the Polish Radio, which presents radio recordings by the Godfather of Polish Jazz, pianist / composer / bandleader Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist. Komeda is of course the most familiar name associated with Polish Jazz and his legacy is of crucial importance to Polish and European Jazz. Considering the fact that Komeda´s studio recordings are relatively scarce, the radio recordings are in fact the main source of his recorded legacy, as they include among others the Jazz Jamboree festival appearances by Komeda and his various ensembles over the years.
Recorded between 1959 and 1963 this volume collects only original music that Komeda composed for ballet and cinema and performed with his groups during the 1961 edition of the Jazz Jamboree festival in Warsaw (one track), the 1962 edition (four tracks) and 1963 edition (one track). The remaining two tracks are radio studio recordings. The music includes the following compositions: "Ballet Etudes", written by Komeda to be performed by a Jazz ensemble accompanying ballet dancers, which had its premiere during the 1962 Jazz Jamboree with dancers from the Warsaw Opera, theme from the film "Innocent Sorcerers" directed by Andrzej WajdaFind albums by this artist and the monumental music from the debut full length film "Knife In The Water" directed by Roman PolanskiFind albums by this artist. As any Polish Jazz enthusiast knows, this is the cradle of modern Polish Jazz and includes some of its most defining moments, as well as the essence of Komeda, the composer.
The list of the musicians participating in these recordings reads like the who´s who of early modern Polish Jazz: vocalist Wanda WarskaFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, bassists Roman DylagFind albums by this artist, Adam SkorupkaFind albums by this artist, Jan ByrczekFind albums by this artist and Maciej SuzinFind albums by this artist, drummers Leszek DudziakFind albums by this artist, Czeslaw BartkowskiFind albums by this artist and Tadeusz FederowskiFind albums by this artist and percussionist Jozef GawrychFind albums by this artist. Three Swedish musicians also participate: saxophonist Bernt RosengrenFind albums by this artist, trombonist Eje ThelinFind albums by this artist and drummer Rune CarlssonFind albums by this artist.
Overall this is a collection of brilliant music, superbly performed, which is an absolute revelation to anybody who loves Jazz. It is a fundamental piece of every decent Jazz record collection.
The recordings are splendidly restored and remastered and nicely packaged in an elegant digipak / slipcase. Dates, places and lineups are faithfully included and even personal liner notes by young Polish Jazz critics are present, but there is no in-depth background material about Komeda and his music, however considering the plentitude of published material and several excellent books on the subject, an intelligent listener can easily bridge the knowledge gap. The only small reservation one might have is the fact that these recordings have been already released many times, more or less legally on the somewhat untamed Polish music market, which means they is already owned by the serious Polish Jazz collectors, probably more than once.
| | | CD 1 Digipak Slipcase Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA ~ KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA W POLSKIM RADIU VOL.05 – MUZYKA BALETOWA I FILMOWA - CZESC DRUGA
POLSKIE RADIO 1865 (Barcode: 5907812248659) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1961 - 1964 Released: 2015
This is the fifth installment in a new series of albums launched by the Polish Radio, which presents radio recordings by the Godfather of Polish Jazz, pianist / composer / bandleader Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist. Komeda is of course the most familiar name associated with Polish Jazz and his legacy is of crucial importance to Polish and European Jazz. Considering the fact that Komeda´s studio recordings are relatively scarce, the radio recordings are in fact the main source of his recorded legacy, as they include among others the Jazz Jamboree festival appearances by Komeda and his various ensembles over the years.
Eight of the ten tracks on this album were recorded between 1961 and 1964 during the forth to seventh edition of the seminal Jazz Jamboree Festival in Warsaw, this collection showcases legendary Komeda ensembles (quintet / trio), which in many respects were the quintessential vehicles, which presented Komeda´s music at its pinnacle. Two additional tracks were recorded in the Polish Radio Studio, both featuring vocals, the second of which is especially interesting as it presents an early recording by vocalist Urszula DudziakFind albums by this artist.
The musicians, besides Komeda of course, include top Polish Jazz musicians at the time: trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist, bassists Maciej SuzinFind albums by this artist and Roman DylagFind albums by this artist, drummer Czeslaw BartkowskiFind albums by this artist, vocalist Wanda WarskaFind albums by this artist and others, as well as Swedish musicians: saxophonist Bernt RosengrenFind albums by this artist and drummer Rune CarlssonFind albums by this artist.
The music is of course selected to reflect Komeda´s involvement with composing music for cinema, theatre and ballet. A few bonus tracks are also added, which are not connected with the above, but present rarely heard Komeda´s recording. Overall this is a collection of excellent Jazz music, superbly performed, which is an absolute delight to anybody who loves Jazz. It is a fundamental piece of every decent Polish Jazz record collection, especially in the case of the younger generation of listeners, which is just getting acquainted with the enormous legacy of Polish Jazz.
The recordings are splendidly restored and remastered and nicely packaged in an elegant digipak / slipcase. Dates, places and lineups are faithfully included and even personal liner notes by Polish Jazz critic Filip KosinskiFind albums by this artist are present, but there is no in-depth background material about Komeda and his music, however considering the plentitude of published material and several excellent books on the subject, an intelligent listener can easily bridge the knowledge gap. The only small reservation one might have is the fact that these recordings have been already released many times, more or less legally on the somewhat untamed Polish music market, which means they is already owned by the serious Polish Jazz collectors, probably more than once.
| | | CD 1 Digipak Slipcase Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | GEORGE RUSSELL ~ THE COMPLETE REMASTERED RECORDINGS ON BLACK SAINT & SOUL NOTE
CAM JAZZ 1005 (Barcode: 8024709113221) ~ USA ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1966 - 1983 Released: 2010
This superb Box Set collects all the albums recorded by the legendary American keyboardist / composer George RussellFind albums by this artist on the twin Italian independent labels: Black SaintFind albums on this label and Soul NoteFind albums on this label. The recordings span a period of almost 20 years and present Russell in many different settings, from a sextet to a big Jazz Orchestra, his preferred weapon of choice. His brilliant compositions are the focal point of these recordings and present a most impressive volume of brilliant work, which earn him an honorable place in the history of the genre. Most of these recordings are with European and in particular Scandinavian musicians and the list of names reads like a who´s who of the European Jazz scene: Jan GarbarekFind albums by this artist, Bernt RosengrenFind albums by this artist, Jon ChristensenFind albums by this artist, Terje RypdalFind albums by this artist, Arild AndersenFind albums by this artist and many others. Russell resided in Europe in the mid to late 1960s and after returning to the US he often visited Europe and continued to record there. His music was accepted and appreciated in Europe much more that in his native US, which is the case with many American Jazzmen in the 1960s and 1970s, many of which resided in Europe for extended periods of time. The contents of this Box Set is a great tribute to the great composer´s life and work and includes some of the most interesting music recorded in the 20th Century. A must!
Side Note
The Italian independent record label Black SaintFind albums on this label was founded by the music critic / author / producer Giacomo PellicciottiFind albums by this artist in 1975. It was taken over by the producer Giovanni BonandriniFind albums by this artist in 1978 and a year later (1979) a sister label, called Soul NoteFind albums on this label, was established. The twin labels were run by Giovanni and later his son Flavio BonandriniFind albums by this artist, until they were sold in 2008 to the Italian KEPACH Music Group, which already owned the CAM JazzFind albums on this label label, and which also bought another Italian independent record label Dischi Della QuerciaFind albums on this label.
The mission of the Black Saint / Soul Note labels was to record and document the Free Jazz / Improvised Music / Avant-Garde scene, mostly from the US but also from Europe, which continued between mid 1970s and late 1990s and produced a staggering collection of almost 550 albums recorded by world's most important Jazz innovators active at the time, providing an opportunity to American (mostly Afro-American) musicians, who would have never managed to make these recordings at home, ridden by racism, alienation and closed-mindedness. Without these two labels most of this fantastic human creativity would have been never documented.
However, the Black Saint / Soul Note Box Sets produced under the CAM JazzFind albums on this label moniker are an archetypal example of how good intentions turn sour. Although these new editions often bring back to life some of the best music ever made on this planet, which in many cases has been lost in the tides of time and was unavailable on the market for ages, they suffer from an unforgivable disregard to the essence of cultural values and general sloppiness, contrary to human decency, which requires us to treat our cultural legacy with respect and loyalty.
These Box Sets have no booklet which presents researched historical background and exact discographical information of the albums included, and most importantly an overview of the music and its meaning and contribution to the Jazz Art form. Although the original LP sleeves are reproduced, the information is in most cases too small to be readable at all. In short the fact that these Box Sets are meant to be inexpensive, does not mean that they have to be cheap!
| | Updated: 12/04/2020Posted: | CD 9 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | VARIOUS ARTISTS ~ POLISH RADIO JAZZ ARCHIVES VOL.07
POLSKIE RADIO 1626 (Barcode: 5907812246266) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1961 - 1962 Released: 2013
This is the seventh installment in the new series of releases initiated by the Polish Radio, which presents archive Jazz recordings. Radio recordings are always a fabulous source of remarkable material, and as far as Polish Jazz history is concerned, the Polish Radio, which was a state monopoly for 45 years, recorded over time a plethora of invaluable material, which apart from the albums released by the Polskie Nagrania record company (also a state monopoly), is the only additional source of Polish Jazz recordings. For many years Polish Radio recorded concerts presented during Poland´s most important Jazz venue, the annual Jazz Jamboree Festival and many other festivals as well.
The material collected here presents recordings made during 1961 (with one exception from 1962) by visiting Jazz musicians, mostly from Scandinavia. Although the Iron Curtain separating Eastern Europe from the West was still very much intact and pretty impregnable, Poland´s relations with the northern Scandinavian neighbors were much more relaxed and allowed for two-way contacts between musicians and mutual visits. As a result Scandinavian Jazz, mostly Swedish, had a major impact on the Polish Jazz scene in the early 1960s and allowed exposure to new musical developments that were happening in the US and Western Europe at the time via smuggled LPs and personal contacts.
The first four tracks present the giant Swedish saxophonist / composer Bernt RosengrenFind albums by this artist, one of the founding fathers of modern European Jazz, in a quartet setting with the brilliant Romanian pianist Jancy KorossyFind albums by this artist and a Polish rhythm section comprised of bassist Roman DylagFind albums by this artist and drummer Leszek DudziakFind albums by this artist. The next three tracks preset the Korossy trio with the same rhythm section. Then comes one track by the Swedish Lasse LystedtFind albums by this artist quintet, followed by three tracks by another Swedish ensemble, the Lars WernerFind albums by this artist trio, and finally the album is rounded off with a vocal track by Norwegian vocalist Nora BrockstedtFind albums by this artist accompanied by the Polish Radio Orchestra.
The music includes mostly Jazz standards, except for the tracks by Lars Werner, which are all originals. Although based mostly on Bebop, it shows already early signs leading to the development of a new European Jazz style, which would crystallize over the next few years. The performances are all excellent and their invaluable historical significance is beyond reproach. Beautifully restored sound quality and a warm ambience of the analog recording is a true joy.
As usual with this series, which is very reasonably priced, I miss the presence of "in depth" liner notes / booklet, which should convey the circumstances at which this music was recorded and its importance to the development of Polish Jazz. Nevertheless this is an essential piece of history which every European Jazz fan will surely consider an absolute must.
| | | CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
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