Record Reviews

CYCLISTS ~ ETIUDY MIEJSKIE NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2013 Released: 2013 This is the second album by Polish experimental quartet CyclistsFind albums by this artist, formed by keyboardist Daniel MackiewiczFind albums by this artist (Sing Sing PenelopeFind albums by this artist) with other musicians from the Bydgoszcz scene: bassist Wojciech WozniakFind albums by this artist, drummer Jacek BuhlFind albums by this artist (GlabulatorFind albums by this artist) and DJ G.R.Z.A.N.A.Find albums by this artist Together they play thirteen relatively short pieces, eleven of which were composed / improvised by the entire quartet and two were composed by Krzysztof GruseFind albums by this artist, also a well known Bydgoszcz household name. The music is a mixture between Jazz-Rock Fusion ditties and the ambient ventures produced by the DJ, which together sounds like an updated version of early Soft MachineFind albums by this artist sans the vocals. The compositions, although pretty basic, are all nicely melodic and the Rhodes electric piano brings waves of nostalgia. There is essentially nothing very innovative here, or perhaps the entire proceedings are purposely retrograde; in any case this is a nice and very listenable piece of music, but overall quite déjà vu. Of course these are very talented musicians and they produced some excellent music in the past, so one should accept this project as an attempt to relax and have fun, which is exactly what it is all about.

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RAATZ / BIELAK / MACKIEWICZ ~ MUTUAL INFLUENCES RG 108 ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz trio comprising of guitarist Boguslaw RaatzFind albums by this artist, violinist Robert BielakFind albums by this artist and percussionist Daniel MackiewiczFind albums by this artist. The album was recorded live in the studio and presents three original compositions uncredited on the album’s artwork and assumably co-composed by the three participants. Raatz and Bielak cooperated earlier as members of the group Question MarkFind albums by this artist, Bielak appeared on the first three albums by Light CoorporationFind albums by this artist and Mackiewicz played for many years in Sing Sing PenelopeFind albums by this artist and with Raatz in Ritual Art OrchestraFind albums by this artist. In short these are highly experienced and talented musicians. The music is mostly improvised, based on sketchy melodic framework, which serves as the basis for extended improvisations by the trio, which float between World Music and Fusion climates. The lengthy tracks, especially the opening one, which last for over twenty-two minutes, is an epic journey moving between relaxed quiet stretches and peeks of intense soloing by the guitar or violin, accompanied by percussive Eastern rhythmic pulsations. The jam session atmosphere that prevails throughout the album offers a trans-like sonic adventure that is fascinating to follow, completely engulfing the listener in the process, inviting to sink deeply into the flow. But of course one can also follow the intricate details of the improvisations, if so inclined. Overall, this is a highly emotional musical experience for the open-minded listener, involving superb instrumental performances and strong group improvisations, which are much more inviting than most such excursions. Both World Music and Fusion fans should find this music very agreeable. Highly recommended!

Updated: 31/07/2022Posted: 31/07/2022

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BOGUSLAW RAATZ ~ EXZYSTENCJE RG 104 ~ POLAND ~ Electronic & Ambient Recorded: 2013 - 2018 Released: 2018 This is an album by Polish guitarist / composer Boguslaw RaatzFind albums by this artist, which presents the music which was part of a multimedia project combining an Art exhibition of paintings by Lukasz WodynskiFind albums by this artist and musical accompaniment by Raatz. The album presents a five part suite lasting under half an hour, performed by Raatz using guitars and synthesizers and percussion instruments played by Daniel MackiewiczFind albums by this artist. The album is beautifully packaged in a metal case and includes a booklet with some reproductions of the paintings by Wodynski. The music is mostly Electronic / Ambient, with limited melodic content, but with strong emotional character. Progressive Rock listeners might also find this music quite interesting, especially the longest (fourth) piece of the suite, which is closest to the Progressive Rock idiom. Although initially intended as illustrative music for the exhibition, it holds its own ground as a piece of Ambient music and is an intriguing listening experience. This album is not just a piece of plastic intended to be a means of distributing music, but a piece of Art in itself, and should be viewed as such and an example of European aesthetics. Definitely worth investigating!

Updated: 26/09/2018Posted: 26/09/2018

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RITUAL ART ORCHESTRA ~ ATMOSPHERE RG 103 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2015 - 2017 Released: 2018 This is the debut album by the Polish ensemble Ritual Art OrchestraFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. R-A-OFind albums by this artist), which already released an album under an earlier moniker (Ritual Duo). The current lineup of the ensemble consists of American violinist / composer Steve KindlerFind albums by this artist and Polish multi-instrumentalist / composer Boguslaw RaatzFind albums by this artist and percussionist Daniel MackiewiczFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, five by Kindler and four by Raatz. The music is an interesting amalgam of Ethnic / World Music elements, Electronic / Ambient influences and Jazzy improvisations. Although performed by just three musicians, it is heavily overdubbed and often reaches orchestral proportions. The Ethnic influences originate from many different Cultures, like Middle Eastern and Far Eastern, Balinese, African and others, which makes the music diverse and avoids the repetition and sameness that many projects of this kind suffer from. All three members of the ensemble display their individual talents, which although are quite dissimilar, work very well together. Kindler uses a 9 string violin, which has a very unique sound. Raatz plays guitars and a plethora of ethnic instruments like oud and sitar, each contributing a unique layer to the overall sound tapestry. Mackiewicz adds the rhythmic layer, again using several different instruments, which also enriches the overall sound. The music is very well recorded and the album offers excellent sound quality. Overall this is a musical journey around the world, which Jazz-World Fusion enthusiasts should find quite interesting and entertaining. It offers many improvised passages and subtle melodies, with a certain New Age flavor, which characterized recordings of this kind in the 1990s. It is definitely worth listening to by people who like this kind of music already, but also an opportunity for others to discover this idiom.

Updated: 26/06/2018Posted: 26/06/2018

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SING SING PENELOPE ~ MUSIC FOR UMBRELLAS MONOTYPE 008 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2006 Released: 2006 This is the 2nd album by the incredible Polish Jazz ensemble Sing Sing PenelopeFind albums by this artist, led by drummer Rafal GorzyckiFind albums by this artist and also including trumpeter Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Tomasz GlazikFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Daniel MackiewiczFind albums by this artist and bassist Patryk WeclawekFind albums by this artist. Violinist Sebastian GruchotFind albums by this artist guests on one track. They play all original music, composed mostly by Gorzycki and Jachna or credited to the ensemble. Stylistically this is an incredible mixture of many elements from Jazz, Rock, Ambient, RIO and other areas, completely eluding any attempt of pinpointing or categorization. They are definitely one of the most interesting and most consistently excellent ensembles currently active on the Polish scene, which of course is a major compliment. All these players are excellent instrumentalist, the music is fresh, unusual and truly intelligent, but in spite its complex nature manages to embrace the element of melody, which is often mostly lost in adventurous attempts tried by others. I suppose that if Frank ZappaFind albums by this artist was alive today, he´d have loved to play with these young musicians behind him, but so would a lot of other great musicians. In any case this, and the other recordings by this group, is a beacon of hope that not all is lost in music in the 21st Century. Absolutely not to be missed!

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SING SING PENELOPE ~ SING SING PENELOPE TONE INDUSTRIA 009 (Barcode: 5905912550863) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2004 Released: 2005 This is the debut album by the sensational Polish ensemble Sing Sing PenelopeFind albums by this artist, founded in Bydgoszcz in 2001 by four musicians: keyboardist Daniel MackiewiczFind albums by this artist, bassist Patryk WeclawekFind albums by this artist, drummer / percussionist Rafal GorzyckiFind albums by this artist and saxophonist Tomasz GlazikFind albums by this artist. They were joined in 2003 by trumpeter Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist and the quintet lineup, which recorded this album, was born. Obviously based on the Jazz-Rock and modern Jazz roots, this ensemble acts as a creative unit and treats their original music (credited to all the five members) as an experimental canvas, expanding it into new and uncharted territory. Rather that use well established patterns and musical structures they try to innovate constantly, which puts them apart from most of their contemporaries. Combining melodic themes, pulsating rhythms and a lot of freedom in the improvisations they mange to create something fresh, challenging and often unexpected, which will be their trademark in all their future recordings. In fact this little known (at the time of its release) album marks the birth of was to become the most interesting ensemble active on the Polish scene in the first decade of the 21st Century. By now this is already a classic recording, which sadly is very difficult to find today. A must!

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SING SING PENELOPE ~ THIS IS THE MUSIC / VOLUME 1 MW 004 (Barcode: 5903292102245) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2011 - 2012 Released: 2012 This is the 6th album by the brilliant Polish ensemble Sing Sing PenelopeFind albums by this artist, formed and led by drummer Rafal GorzyckiFind albums by this artist, which includes also trumpeter Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Aleksander KaminskiFind albums by this artist (new member) and Tomasz GlazikFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Daniel MackiewiczFind albums by this artist and bassist Patryk WeclawekFind albums by this artist. Two guest artists, who played on the ensemble´s previous recordings, are also present here: violinist Sebastian GruchotFind albums by this artist and DJ StrangefruitFind albums by this artist from Norway on live electronics. It seems that SSP (as they are known in this age of shortcuts) can do no wrong and this album is every bit as grand as everything else they attempted previously, which after six albums and ten years amounts both to a substantial body of music as much as their impeccable reputation. The music, contributed collectively or individually by all participants, is as usual a completely original mix of styles and sub-genres, disregarding boundaries and freely moving from one territory to another. Atmospheric / ambient electronic sounds over strong, pulsating rhythmic patterns and Jazz solos on top seems to be shortest way to describe this music, although it manages to escape any simple depiction, which of course means there is interesting stuff happening here. In many respects this album sums up the decade of the ensemble´s existence, covering everything from their Jazz-Rock efforts, through the Free Jazz improvisations and recent ambient vistas. In retrospect SSP emerge as perhaps the most interesting phenomenon of the first decade of the 21st Century on the Polish scene, being the most consistent, searching and completely disregarding fads group of young musicians around. An absolute must to any serious Jazz listener, wishing to reach beyond the obvious!

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SING SING PENELOPE ~ WE REMEMBER KRZESELKO ELECTRIC EYE 003 (Barcode: 5905912552874) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2006 - 2007 Released: 2008 This is the 3rd album by excellent Polish ensemble Sing Sing PenelopeFind albums by this artist, led by drummer / composer Rafal GorzyckiFind albums by this artist, one of the most versatile and diligent Polish musicians, who also created and leads other ensembles, like Ecstasy ProjectFind albums by this artist. Gorzycki incorporates Jazz tradition with contemporary Classical music, Avant-Garde, Rock, Punk and a myriad of other genres and sub-genres, completely ignoring conventions, like many of his Polish contemporaries on the off-centre music scene. His recording legacy in the last decade is quite prolific, presenting many quite contrasting, but always intriguing musical vistas. This album is definitely one of the most interesting of his recordings, and one of the best albums coming out of Poland in the first decade of the 21st Century. On this album the ensemble includes trumpeter Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Tomasz GlazikFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Daniel MackiewiczFind albums by this artist and bassist Patryk WeclawekFind albums by this artist. Violinist Sebastian GruchotFind albums by this artist guests on four tracks. The music, all original of course, is a stunning amalgam of Modern Jazz, Avant-Rock, RIO, contemporary Classical; in short completely beyond classification. Somehow all this makes perfect sense musically and leaves the innocent listener completely stunned. The strange thing is that this music might appeal to Jazz and Rock (especially Progressive Rock) audiences with equal might, but certainly it´s extremely unlikely someone might stay indifferent to it. In short this is a blast of an album, which took me by complete surprise and made me return to it several time already. As to the album´s title, I have no idea what the ensemble really meant, even after watching the short video included on the album, but my guess would be that it´s a pun on the many Polish Jazz albums dedicated to the memory of Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, including the famous "We`ll Remember KomedaFind albums with this title" album? In any case this album is an absolute must!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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SING SING PENELOPE / DJ STRANGEFRUIT ~ ELECTROGRIDE MOZG 001 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2010 Released: 2010 This is the 5th album by the sensational Polish ensemble Sing Sing PenelopeFind albums by this artist, recorded in cooperation with Norwegian DJ StrangefruitFind albums by this artist (real name Pal NyhusFind albums by this artist) and Polish (resident in Norway) violinist Sebastian GruchotFind albums by this artist. The regular SSP lineup (trumpeter Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Tomasz GlazikFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Daniel MackiewiczFind albums by this artist, bassist Patryk WeclawekFind albums by this artist and drummer / percussionist Rafal GorzyckiFind albums by this artist) is slightly changed with saxophonist Aleksander KaminskiFind albums by this artist fulfilling the position of the absent Glazik. The circumstances surrounding the recording of this album are connected to the Smolensk catastrophe, in which a plane carrying Polish Government officials crushed killing everybody on board. The musicians who recorded this album were suppose to tour Polish clubs, but as a result of the mourning the concerts were cancelled and instead they recorded the album, which was distributed free of charge in the clubs, where the concerts were supposed to be played. Of course today this album is a rare collector´s item. Musically this album marks another expansion of SSP already adventurous music into new territory, with the inclusion of electronics and ambient elements. The music becomes more contemplative and spacey, in comparison to their earlier efforts, but the Jazz solos and overall atmosphere is unmistakably SSP. Another innovation is the use of World Music percussive elements by Gorzycki, which adds another dimension to the music. The album´s ac hoc nature and the short (EP size) repertoire are all results of the on the spot decision to make the album at the time and the fruition of the ideas contained herein was fully realized in their next album. In retrospect this little gem appends a valuable add-on to the splendid recorded legacy of the ensemble so far and as usual is a splendid piece of contemporary music of rare quality.

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SING SING PENELOPE / ANDRZEJ PRZYBIELSKI ~ STIRLI PEOPLE – IN JAZZGA MONOTYPE 022 (Barcode: 5908310927084) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2008 Released: 2009 This phenomenal recording presents a somewhat unlikely cooperation between young Polish ensemble Sing Sing PenelopeFind albums by this artist and the dark prince of Polish Jazz Avant-Garde, genius trumpeter / composer Andrzej PrzybielskiFind albums by this artist (now sadly departed). Sing Sing Penelope, formed by Polish drummer / composer Rafal GorzyckiFind albums by this artist also includes brilliant trumpeter Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Tomasz GlazikFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Daniel MackiewiczFind albums by this artist and bassist Patryk WeclawekFind albums by this artist. They recorded three albums since the mid-2000s, all of which are excellent, and this is their fourth release. Przybielski was a key figure on the Polish Avant-Garde scene since the 1960s, and his scarce, but mostly brilliant recorded legacy is a prime example of the Eastern-European Jazz at its most creative best. The music created by the young members of the ensemble and the veteran trumpeter is a wonderful surprise, completely unexpected not only due to the age and musical background differences but mainly because of the vibrancy and vitality of the result, which resembles the power and verve of the early electric Miles DavisFind albums by this artist ensembles. The sound is very modern and up to date, mostly up tempo and sometimes quite Rock oriented, but always within the Jazz aesthetic and always simply radiant. Of the seven composition presented on the album Przybielski is credited with three, another three are co-credited to him and the group and the last one is by the group. The most striking feature of the album is of course the double trumpet front line, which is simply phenomenal. Jachna already proved his ability as a player on several albums featuring his unique talents and playing alongside a genius such as Przybielski must have proven a unique inspiration, which is evident from the result. Przybielski himself simply plays beautifully all the way and this recording is definitely one of his best moments. As much as two saxophones lineups are very popular in Jazz, a two trumpets ones are almost inexistent, which is a great pity, as this recording proves beyond any doubt. But of course all the participants of this recording deserve to be praised, as everybody contributes towards the unprecedented success. Overall this is one of the strongest Polish Jazz albums recorded recently and a grand memorial to the talents of Andrzej Przybielski, who received almost no recognition before his untimely and tragic death. Definitely a must to every connoisseur of Polish and Eastern-European Jazz!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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