Record Reviews

BKK ~ JAZZ FOR MR IVES, JAZZ FOR MR SEROCKI REQUIEM / OPUS 2023/87 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2021 Released: 2023 This is the debut album by the BBKFind albums by this artist (Bydgoski Kolektyw KompozytorskiFind albums by this artist / Bydgoszcz Composer CollectiveFind albums by this artist) trio, which comprises of drummer Rafal GorzyckiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Mikolaj SaradFind albums by this artist and electronic sound designer Bartlomiej ChmaraFind albums by this artist. Clarinetist Mateusz SzwankowskiFind albums by this artist appears as a guest. The album presents one lengthy track with a two-part composition, co-composed by the trio members and dedicated, as the title suggests, to the Classical composers: American Charles IvesFind albums by this artist and Polish Kazimierz SerockiFind albums by this artist. The music, although strictly composed, sounds often like Improvised Jazz and of course has closed links to Avant-Garde modern Classical Music, which of course means that it is not intended for an occasional listener, but rather for an advanced connoisseur of Modernism and seasoned Avant-Gardist. There is almost completely no melodic continuity as such or typical harmonic gestures, but rather a series of seemingly unrelated sonic sculptures. Having said that, the music certainly offers a coherent flow, and despite the limited instrumentation, certainly manages to present a highly interesting development, with all the participants displaying highly skilled abilities, albeit the minimalist approach. The decision to dedicate the music to two pivotal representatives of modernism, both still being only partly recognized and appreciated in their full might and glory, may perhaps allude to the career of Gorzycki, who despite the fact that he is one of the most inventive and fertile Polish Jazz (and beyond) musicians, receives relatively little recognition, which is sadly completely inexcusable. His collective discography, which includes over three dozen albums, among them some of Polish Jazz most interesting releases, is a solid body of his instrumental, compositional and leadership qualities. Overall, this is a highly unusual and uncompromising piece of music, which deserves to be heard by open-minded modern music connoisseurs, and is another step in the developing career of Gorzycki and his cohorts, which takes no shortcuts and firmly stand behind their aesthetic standpoint. Great to see the Requiem / OpusFind albums on this label label to support this kind of music!

Updated: 17/09/2023Posted: 17/09/2023

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