Record Reviews

MICHAL CIESIELSKI ~ RACING THOUGHTS DAYMUSIC (Barcode: 198025026775) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2023 Released: 2023 This is the third album as a leader and again a solo piano recording by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Michal CiesielskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight tracks, seven of which are original compositions by Ciesielski and one is a standard. Ciesielski, also known as the leader of the Confusion ProjectFind albums by this artist trio, with whom he recorded three albums, returned to Poland after several years of teaching Jazz in China, and this is his first release following his homecoming. The music continues the direction set on the two previous solo piano albums, presenting beautiful compositions, which have a relaxed, almost romantic tinge, and obvious proximity to Classical Music, superbly performed by Ciesielski, showing great sensitivity and obvious love of Jazz, which is most prominent on his interpretation of the standard. This music will be probably most appreciated by listeners who love Jazz-Classical Fusion projects. There are many moments herein, which are clearly Chopinesque, and which Polish listeners will recognize immediately, but many other, subtler hints are dispersed throughout the album. Listeners looking for a straightforward swinging Jazz would probably feel out of place. Overall, this a truly enjoyable piece of music, especially for piano and Jazz-Classical Fusion enthusiasts. Ciesielski is a very proficient instrumentalist and gifted composer, and personally I enjoy his work, despite the fact that at times it is quite detached from the Jazz core ingredients. Nevertheless, it is a superbly crafted piece of music, which deserves to be heard, and gets my full-hearted recommendation.

Updated: 08/08/2023Posted: 08/08/2023

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CONFUSION PROJECT ~ HOW TO STEAL A PIANO? BCD 34 (Barcode: 5906880885292) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2014 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz trio called Confusion ProjectFind albums by this artist, led by pianist / composer Michal CiesielskiFind albums by this artist with bassist Piotr GierszewskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam GolickiFind albums by this artist. The album comprises of nine compositions, eight of which are original compositions by Ciesielski and the last one (a bonus track) is a standard. Gierszewski plays electric bass, so the overall sound of the classic piano trio is somewhat updated here to sound quite Fusion-like at times. The music is a mixture of up tempo numbers and ballads with clear melodic themes stated usually at the onset of each piece, followed by solos, all quite ordinary except for the rhythm section playing much more aggressively and stridently than in a typical Jazz setting. The compositions are all nice, well developed and rounded, creating a pleasant atmosphere easily accessible for mainstream Jazz listeners. The whole thing is perhaps to pretty altogether, lacking an edge that would turn it from pleasant into fascinating, but considering the fact that it is a debut album, these young musicians have done a splendid job herein. Ciesielski shows off his technique and knowledge of many different stylistic mannerisms, but most of it is derivative and we´ll have to wait for his original statement to arrive sometime in the future. The rhythm section is a bit too busy at times, but all in all it does the job of accompanying the piano shoulder to shoulder vigorously. The sound quality of the album is quite excellent, which Hi-Fi enthusiasts will appreciate enormously. In short this is a nice debut, which is pleasant to listen to and sounds good, a set of qualities that satisfy most contemporary listeners. Hopefully next time these young musicians with try to produce a more profound statement. In the meantime bon chance mes amis!

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CONFUSION PROJECT ~ LAST DAYMUSIC 03 (Barcode: 198002160188) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is the fourth album by Polish Jazz trio called Confusion ProjectFind albums by this artist, led by pianist / composer Michal CiesielskiFind albums by this artist with electric bassist Piotr GierszewskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam GolickiFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, six by the leader and one co-composed with Golicki. The music, although still deeply melodic, presents a significant stylistic change in comparison to the earlier recordings, moving from Fusion oriented ambience into more Classical oriented one, even if only hinted rather than specifically emphasized. The compositions are longer and more extensively developed and the atmosphere is definitely more reflective, sometimes even somewhat somber, perhaps reflecting the times we live in. The album is a wonderful example of an alternative approach to the classic Jazz piano trio, with the rhythm section radically different, but definitely not less significant, than in the traditional approach. Gierszewski plays some amazing bass lines and solos frequently, which manages to contribute both to the melodic layer and the rhythmic layer of the music and Golicki keeps a tight ship without being intrusive or dominating, displaying a wonderful respect towards the music. Ciesielski has plenty of opportunities to show his piano chops, but stays mostly in a romantic, meditative mood and concentrates on the delivery. Overall, this is an excellent and interesting album and a significant step in the trio’s process of development and maturity, which I had a pleasure to follow over the years. For traditional Jazz piano trio fans this might be quite an eye (ear) opener and for listeners, who like a slight touch of Fusion in their Jazz dish, this is definitely something worth checking out. Of course we all hope this is not the “last” outing together by these talented musicians.

Updated: 19/11/2021Posted: 16/11/2021

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CONFUSION PROJECT ~ PRIMAL SOLITON 800 (Barcode: 5901571098005) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is the third album by Polish Jazz trio called Confusion ProjectFind albums by this artist, led by pianist / composer Michal CiesielskiFind albums by this artist, with electric bassist Piotr GierszewskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam GolickiFind albums by this artist. The album presents an eleven part suite, which is based on a concept story of Naturalist motif, composed and arranged by the leader. The album, which was recorded at the Monochrom Studio and engineered by Ignacy GruszeckiFind albums by this artist, offers a superb sound quality, which should delight the Hi-Fi enthusiasts. The music is deeply melodic and only marginally belongs to the mainstream of the Jazz idiom, although it does include a substantial element of improvisation. It could be also considered as Progressive Rock, Fusion or contemporary Classical Music and better yet an amalgam of all these genres. Since the music is performed by a piano trio the obvious focus is on the leader, who dictates the dynamics and the flow of the suite and is also the principal improviser. The rhythm section stands shoulder to shoulder with the leader, providing the harmonic and chronometric basis of the music, but also soloing quite effectively, although sparingly. The smooth electric bass lines are ideally suited to the music, at times providing a very effective Groovy, almost Funky feel. The trio is perfectly matched up and synchronized up to the tiniest detail and sounds like one perfect musical unit. Overall this is a most enjoyable piece of music, which can be appreciated by a wide range of listeners. It is full of wonderful melodic themes and offers a coherent development of the themes, which constitute the entire suite. Although on the lighter side of the music spectrum, it is honest and elegant and above all highly professional and definitely inspired. It seems that Confusion Project found a niche they wish to operate within, which offers beautifully crafted and highly melodic music, which offers to please rather than challenge the listener, without compromising an iota of their musical integrity. This is definitely a legitimate and highly rewarding modus operandi. Enjoy!

Updated: 28/04/2018Posted: 28/04/2018

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CONFUSION PROJECT ~ THE FUTURE STARTS NOW BCD 37 (Barcode: 5906881885376) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is the second album by young Polish trio called Confusion ProjectFind albums by this artist, which comprises of pianist / composer Michal CiesielskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Piotr GierszewskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam GolickiFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven tracks, six of which are original compositions by Ciesielski and one is the trio´s interpretation of a John ColtraneFind albums by this artist tune. This album continues the modus operandi presented on the trio´s debut from a couple of years earlier; piano trio with electric bass, playing mostly original music in a Fusion oriented manner with strong Classical music influences recognized in the pianist´s approach to the instrument. There is no real progress from the debut and it sounds mostly as "more of the same". The performances by all the trio members are accomplished and technically excellent in every respect: Ciesielski is a very skillful player and writes nice tunes, Gierszewski plays a great Funky bass guitar barrage and Golicki keeps the time like a chronometer. The only problem is that this music is not really going anywhere… Once it is over, at least in my case, it is easily forgotten. I´m sure that these talented young musicians have a lot of potential and it is only a matter of finding the right formula which will take their music to the next level. It has not happened on this album, but it surely will happen one day. Overall this is a nice Fusion album with a lot of interesting solos, especially by the bass player and some inspired moments, which should keep the average Fusion listener happy. Mind you this album is way better that most other contemporary Fusion albums, which have no musical contents whatsoever except for excessive and repetitious doodling, so here we are: quality is relative.

Updated: 11/02/2016Posted: 11/02/2016

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ADAM GOLICKI ~ AD SHAVE BCD 36 (Barcode: 5906881885369) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz drummer / composer Adam GolickiFind albums by this artist, recorded with a core trio, which also includes keyboardist Michal CiesielskiFind albums by this artist and bassist Piotr GierszewskiFind albums by this artist. This same trio released an album under the Confusion ProjectFind albums by this artist moniker a year ago. Eight guest musicians appear on selected tracks, among them saxophonist Maciej SikalaFind albums by this artist. The album presents six original compositions, all composed by Golicki (although the album´s packaging includes also a conflicting line claiming the compositions were co-composed by Golicki and Ciesielski). The music is a nice collection of melodic tunes performed excellently by all the musicians involved in a Funky / Fusion mainstream style. This music swings and the musicians are all professionals, so nothing negative can be said about this album, except for the fact that it is derivative and introduces absolutely no innovation as far as music is concerned. On the other hand not every album innovates (in fact only very few do) so this album is at least as good as most other albums released in the same musical milieu and parts of it are even brilliant. I had an entertaining time listening to this music, not trying to analyze it any more than need be and having a good time in the process. Perhaps not music for brainiacs, but this is a solid piece of music in every respect and very many people who like the lighter side of Jazz should have a great time listening to it. Hopefully Golicki will continue his musical path further and will grace us with more ambitious projects in the future. His potential as a composer certainly ignites high hopes.

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ADAM GOLICKI ~ REFLECTIONS DAYMUSIC 01 (Barcode: 198000473723) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is the third album as a leader by Polish Jazz drummer / composer Adam GolickiFind albums by this artist, this time recorded in a classic guitar trio setting with two veterans of the local scene: guitarist Maciej GrzywaczFind albums by this artist and bassist Piotr LemanczykFind albums by this artist, who plays both acoustic and electric basses. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Golicki. The album shows a much serious facet of Golicki’s music in comparison to his earlier efforts, which presented an easy-going approach with a Fusion oriented approach. This time we are presented with a collection of carefully crafted tunes, strictly within modern mainstream Jazz, which are treated seriously and respectfully by the trio in a traditional Jazz manner. The music has a certain melancholic tinge, which suits the trio format perfectly. The performances are, as expected, exemplary, with Grzywacz playing the themes and improvisations with technical precision and obvious feel for the music. Lemanczyk is absolutely brilliant, both as an accompanist and soloist, and as usual “steals the show” with his virtuosity, a phenomenon repeating itself on all the recordings he takes part in, which he simple cannot avoid in view of his extraordinary technique and talent. The leader plays very tastefully and with great sensitivity, which is also apparent on the current recording he made with the Confusion ProjectFind albums by this artist, of which he is a founding member, album “LastFind albums with this title”, Overall, this album is an important milestone in Golicki’s recording career, certainly his most impressive achievement so far, which of course is very welcome. For guitar lovers this is a great opportunity to hear some beautiful guitar playing in the true Jazz spirit, avoiding the overbearing Fusion mannerisms, and of course a superb display of bass playing, which every bass player the world over surely can learn something from. This is a typical example of “less is more”, which in this crazy world we live in is a welcome balsam to one’s ears. Well done!

Updated: 21/11/2021Posted: 21/11/2021

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