Record Reviews

RICHARD GALLIANO ~ NINO ROTA DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 028947646150 (Barcode: 028947646150) ~ FRANCE ~ Jazz Recorded: 2011 Released: 2011 This is an album by French accordionist / composer Richard GallianoFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quintet setting with British saxophonist John SurmanFind albums by this artist, American trumpeter Dave DouglasFind albums by this artist, Russian (resident in US) bassist Boris KozlovFind albums by this artist and American drummer Clarence PennFind albums by this artist. As the title suggests, the album is dedicated to the cinematic music by the great Italian composer Nino RotaFind albums by this artist. The album presents twenty tracks, all but one composed by Rota and one is an original composition by Galliano, dedicated to Rota. Rota’s music was one of the most distinctive soundtracks of the Italian / European and later on also Hollywood cinema. His cooperation with Italian directors like Frederico FelliniFind albums by this artist, Luchino ViscontiFind albums by this artist and Franco ZeffirelliFind albums by this artist and later Francis Ford CoppolaFind albums by this artist, made his brilliant film scores world famous and everlasting. Galliano and the quintet’s treatment of Rota’s music is wonderfully balanced between the original melody lines and their Jazz interpretations, full of superb musicianship and imagination. Sometimes hidden from the eye (ear), at other times easily recognizable, the epic melodies fly one after another like scenes from b/w movies, and those of us, who experienced these brilliant films at their first exposures, are swept on a carpet ride through a sentimental journey, full of memories and emotions. These were definitely better times… Overall, this is a sublime interpretation of the cinematic music by Nino Rota, played by great Jazz instrumentalist and arranged, adapted and orchestrated with great care and aesthetic respect by Galliano. This is a breath of fresh air in every respect, perhaps not a typical Jazz album, but certainly one that leaves the listener with a wide smile and a tear in the eye…

Updated: 30/10/2023Posted: 30/10/2023

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MAREK NAPIORKOWSKI ~ UP! V 002 (Barcode: 5903111377014) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2013 Although this is only his fourth album as a leader, Polish guitarist / composer Marek NapiorkowskiFind albums by this artist is one of the most recorded artists on the local scene, being probably the most in-demand session guitarist since many years, which resulted in him taking part in over 140 different albums so far. He played and recorded with many world famous musicians and literally with everybody who is anybody on the local Polish scene; people like Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist and Anna Maria JopekFind albums by this artist, to mention just two extremely different environments, which emphasize his legendary diversity and chameleonic ability to suit every musical milieu. This is by far his most ambitious project so far, which involves eight of his original compositions arranged for a Jazz ensemble and a nine-piece chamber ensemble. The Jazz players are saxophonist Adam PieronczykFind albums by this artist, bass clarinet player Henryk MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist, pianist Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, bassist Robert KubiszynFind albums by this artist and American drummer Clarence PennFind albums by this artist. Herdzin was also the man in charge of the arrangements, orchestration and conducting the chamber ensemble, turning him in many respects into the most significant contributor to this album alongside Napiorkowski. The result is a sophisticated Jazz-Classical Fusion, based on solid melodies and featuring many excellent guitar solos, which floats between energetic up-tempo moods and gentle melancholic themes. Although the individual tunes are not related per se, the overall ambience and atmosphere of the album turns it into a kind of orchestral suite for chamber orchestra and Jazz soloists. The guitar work on this album, both in the acoustic and the electric tonalities, is simply brilliant and for me the best ever achieved by Napiorkowski. Rather than trying to prove his ability as a player, which is already established anyway, Napiorkowski really concentrates on playing music, the essence that so often tends to be forgotten in favor of flashy emptiness. Herdzin, the Polish musical Wizard of Oz, once again manages to sprinkle his magic all over this music, both as a pianist and of course as the man behind the ornamentation, which makes this music spark and sizzle. Luckily he found the way of balancing the basic Jazz contents and the chamber enhancements, keeping them both intact and coexisting alongside each other rather than mixing them into an undistinguishable mesh, which happens, unfortunately, way to often in such situations. Herdzin is probably the only person on the local scene who can pull this off. Some listeners might have a problem to identify with this music, which often happens when an Artist changes his established path in search of new means of expression. Perhaps this will be either too Jazzy or not Jazzy enough for some? One can never satisfy everybody and it´s preferable that the Art prevails rather than the attempt to be liked by everyone. This album is a statement by a mature, self-aware musician, who presents his vision, hoping that other can share it with him. I certainly hope many will do so!

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MAREK NAPIORKOWSKI ~ WAW NYC AGORA 9788326825897 (Barcode: 9788326825897) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is an album by Polish guitarist / composer Marek NapiorkowskiFind albums by this artist, recorded (as the title suggests) with a Polish / American quartet, which also includes Cuban (resident in NY) pianist Manuel ValeraFind albums by this artist, Polish bassist Robert KubiszynFind albums by this artist and American drummer Clarence PennFind albums by this artist. American saxophonist Chris PotterFind albums by this artist guests on one track. The album presents seven original compositions, six by Napiorkowski and one by Kubiszyn. The music presents a collection of beautifully melodic tunes, as appropriate for Napiorkowski´s already well established composing career, which all suite ideally his virtuosic guitar performances. Floating between genres and changing moods, the music eventually could be best described as Fusion, but of course in case of Napiorkowski that is only fitting for lack of a better term, as his music is way richer and ambitious than the usual Fusion efforts. The tunes are full of twists and turns, tempo changes and complex harmonic structures, that produce an overall powerful and broad sound, which keeps the listener on his toes from start to finish. All the musicians participating in this project are Masters of their trade and their playing here is professional and perfect in every respect. The focus is obviously on Napiorkowski, but this is definitely a group effort in every respect and the leader shares the responsibilities with his partners on an equal foot. Valera is a magnificent pianist, with an incredibly sensitive touch on the keyboard and a soulful lyricism, which are ideal for this music. Kubiszyn is a highly melodic bassist, very sensitive to the intricacies this music requires and always there where his support is needed. Penn is exquisitely dynamic, always there behind the players, but never obtrusive or overwhelming beyond the call of duty. Overall this is a wonderful album which is a true pleasure to listen to, calling for repeated listening sessions in order to get the depth and complexity of these performances absorbed in full. Fusion fans the world over should be melting to the sound of this music playing in the background, not to mention guitar diehards, who are in for a treat. But beyond the guitar artistry and group performances, the music is what stays in the long term! Hats off Maestro!

Updated: 27/01/2018Posted: 27/01/2018

CD 1 Digibook Recommend To A Friend