Record Reviews

BANDONEGRO ~ HOLA ASTOR SJ 043 (Barcode: 5912596066764) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 This is the third album by Polish Tango ensemble BandonegroFind albums by this artist, which consists of bandoneónist Michal GlowkaFind albums by this artist, violinist Jakub CzechowiczFind albums by this artist, pianist Marek DoleckiFind albums by this artist and bassist Marcin AntkowiakFind albums by this artist. On this album the quartet was expanded to a sextet with the addition of two young Polish Jazz players, guitarist Dawid KostkaFind albums by this artist and drummer Mateusz BrzostowskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eleven tracks, six of which are compositions by Astor PiazzollaFind albums by this artist and five are original compositions by Antkowiak, all arranged by the ensemble. The album was recorded at the celebrated Monochrom Studio and engineered by Ignacy GruszeckiFind albums by this artist with the usual spectacular sound quality. Bandonegro formed in 2016 and over time established an international reputation with tours around the world, including Argentina, the cradle of Tango. Musically this album takes the ensemble closer to the Nuevo Tango of Piazzolla and its proximity to Jazz. Both the ensemble´s interpretation of Piazzolla´s compositions and even more so their original compositions are remarkable, especially in view of the idiosyncrasy of the Tango, which one does not expect to be performed authentically by East European musicians, who have culturally nothing in common with the original idiom. Bandonegro prove that love of the music and talent are able to conquer the seemingly impassable cultural gap, which enables them to sound as bona fide Tango performers. The addition of the Jazz elements is very subtle and quite elegant, and does not impede the natural Tango spirit of the music. To the trained ear, the original compositions by Antkowiak, which constitute the more Jazzed up portion of the album, hide also some understated elements of Slavic origin, which of course is a fascinating element of the music. Whatever this music misses in Argentinean passion, it more than pays back in elegance and subtlety of European origin. Overall this is a superb album, full of great compositions and superb performances, passionately executed and intelligently put together. For Tango connoisseurs this is an absolute must, but even listeners who would not usually listen to Tango music, this album is both special and beautiful enough to win them over. As a great lover of the Tango I can´t help but recommend this album wholeheartedly, hoping it will find a warm place in the hearts of as many listeners as possible.

Updated: 27/07/2019Posted: 27/07/2019

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DAWID KOSTKA ~ PROGRESSION SJ 036 (Barcode: 5912596066689) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is the second album by Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Dawid KostkaFind albums by this artist, recorded in a trio setting with bassist Damian KostkaFind albums by this artist and drummer Mateusz BrzostowskiFind albums by this artist, with two top Polish Jazz musicians as guests: saxophonist Maciej KocinskiFind albums by this artist and pianist Pawel KaczmarczykFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, all by Dawid Kostka. The music was recorded at the Monochrom Studio and engineered by Ignacy GruszeckiFind albums by this artist and offers a spectacular sound quality, precision and clarity; a heaven for Hi-Fi enthusiasts. The music is a superb collection of stylistically diverse compositions, all melody based but offering a wide spectrum of moods, feelings and tempi, clearly pointing out Kostka´s compositional abilities. Stylistically Kostka seems to feel equally at ease with post-Bebop, Fusion and Modern European Jazz and listening to the album is a true joy ride through contemporary Jazz. The performances are also nothing short of stellar. The two guest musicians require no introduction to Polish Jazz cognoscenti and their performances here are as good as one might expect, far beyond just a guest appearance, involving a full integration within the quintet sound. Kocinski, who sadly slightly dropped off the horizon lately, delivers some heartfelt soli that are wonderful reminders of his heydays with SoundcheckFind albums by this artist and Kaczmarczyk never disappoints with his fluidity and musicality. The rhythm section is perfectly integrated with the soloists and offers a versatile and interesting technical competence, with solid and clear bass lines that hold the music together and support the harmony and creative drumming pulsations which are both precise and imaginative. But of course Dawid Kostka is the true hero of this album, playing outstanding guitar parts throughout, changing his sound and attack often and presenting a portrait of a mature Artist, who knows exactly where he want to go with his music. His guitar artistry and obvious virtuosity are the absolute highlight of this album, which is definitely the best Polish Jazz guitar offering for 2018. Overall this is the true debut album fully deserving to feature Dawid Kostka´s name on it, with the debut recorded a couple of years earlier being just a forgettable incident, which was just a teaser of his true abilities (as mentioned in my review of that album). This is definitely a major achievement and places Kostka in the forepost of the Polish Jazz guitar players, which is rather small considering the size and the vitality of the scene today. Wonderful from start to finish, this album is a true delight and a must for Polish / European Jazz connoisseurs!

Updated: 20/12/2018Posted: 15/12/2018

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DAWID KOSTKA QUARTET & CHICO FREEMAN ~ LIVE AT AQUANET JAZZ FESTIVAL, POZNAN 2016 NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is a live recording by a young Polish Jazz quartet led by guitarist / composer Dawid KostkaFind albums by this artist, which also includes pianist Jacek SzwajFind albums by this artist, bassist Damian KostkaFind albums by this artist and drummer Mateusz BrzostowskiFind albums by this artist. The quartet plays just on one track, which is an original composition by the leader. On the other four tracks the pianist, bassist and drummer are joined by the veteran American saxophonist / composer Chico FreemanFind albums by this artist and play two Freeman originals and two standards. There is also a bonus video track with another Freeman original. The first track presents an interesting composition by Kostka, which is very promising, but since it is just a sample of the quartet´s ability not much can seriously be said about it. The four quartet tracks with Freeman are American Bebop, which is absolutely corny and presents zero intellectual challenge to the listeners. Freeman plays very well of curse and so does Szwaj, but that kind of music was exploited already ad nauseam, and makes no sense to be recorded today. Of course such music still has a wide following, especially in America, but it contributes nothing to the development of the Jazz idiom. What a pity this album does not present the entire performance by the Dawid Kostka quartet playing their own music, and was sacrificed to present young Polish musicians playing along a Big American Star, which did them no good whatsoever!

Updated: 01/01/2017Posted: 01/01/2017

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PIOTR SCHOLZ ~ BIRDS FROM ANOTHER PLANET AUDIO CAVE 2021/012 (Barcode: 5908298549315) ~ POLAND ~ Big Band Jazz Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is the second album as a leader by Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Piotr ScholzFind albums by this artist, which returns to the Big Band / Orchestral Jazz format, same as the debut. This time the album presents a seven-part suite (on seven tracks) composed by Scholz and performed by a seventeen musicians strong Big Band, conducted by Scholz, who resigns the guitar post this time to Dawid KostkaFind albums by this artist. The music again attempts to combine the Classical and Jazz idioms, with the compositions based, as Scholz explains in the album’s artwork, on seven symmetrical scales (of limited transposition, also called modes) as defined by the 20th Century French composer Oliven MessiaenFind albums by this artist. One might speculate as to the fact of how many listeners are familiar with these highly technical musicological terms, so the true test of the music must be left to laics, who listen to music emotionally / aesthetically rather than intellectually / academically. The album’s title hints as to Messiaen’s passion for ornithology. There is no doubt that this highly ambitious piece required a lot of work and dedication from the composer, as well as effort from the performing musicians, which are all greatly commendable. The resulting music becomes highly dependent on the listener’s openness to unusual scales and harmonies, patience and perhaps musical experience, but it does present an unusual challenge, especially to Jazz listeners, who might find this music beyond their comprehension / likability. This attempt to combine Jazz with modern Classical music is typically European in nature, taking the rusted Jazz tradition to new vistas, which of course is a positive trend, although sometimes with varying success. Scholz is certainly to be congratulated for his attempt to discover new ground and invest so much work and energy in this project. Overall, this is a very ambitious and interesting cross-genre project, which might require an effort in order to digest it, at least at first, but offers an intellectual depth worth pursuing.

Updated: 19/12/2021Posted: 19/12/2021

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