Record Reviews

CHOJNACKI / MIGULA ~ CONTEMPLATIONS SOLITON 675 (Barcode: 5901571096759) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz quartet co-led by trumpeter Jan ChojnackiFind albums by this artist and pianist Filip MigulaFind albums by this artist, which also includes bassist Bartlomiej ChojnackiFind albums by this artist and drummer Dawid OpalinskiFind albums by this artist. Saxophonists Jan KantnerFind albums by this artist and Adam BlawickiFind albums by this artist guest on two tracks and percussionist Bartlomiej PajakFind albums by this artist guests on one track. The album presents eight original compositions, one by Chojnacki and the rest by Migula. The music is melodic mainstream Jazz with some World Music influences on part of the tracks. All the compositions are well structured and offer solid melodies and coherent harmonic development and the arrangements, albeit a bit predictable, do justice to the music. The quartet sounds best when performing the beautiful ballads, which are about half of the material, offering typical Polish Jazz melancholy and lyricism, but the up tempo numbers are somewhat less spectacular. The performances are also perfectly executed, as everything done by the well schooled and trained young Polish Jazz generation. Jan Chojnacki offers a wonderful and perfectly clear tone, usually associated with Classical players. Migula plays with confidence and obvious skill. Bartlomiej Chojnacki adds solid bottom and is always precise and well rounded. Opalinski is creative and delicate, adding exactly what the music needs at all times. Overall this is a very impressive debut, which offers good music and elegant playing, altogether showing a promising potential. The album is a bit too conventional for my taste, but that´s just my personal taste. Mainstream Jazz fans should have great fun with this outing and hopefully future recording will be a tad more adventurous. Well done!

Updated: 23/05/2020Posted: 23/05/2020

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DAMIAN HYRA ~ Z ODDALI V 019 (Barcode: 5903111377205) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2020 Released: 2020 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz vocalist / guitarist Damian HyraFind albums by this artist recorded in a quartet setting with trumpeter Dominik GawronskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Ambrozy RanzFind albums by this artist and drummer Dawid OpalinskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original songs composed and featuring lyrics (eight in Polish and one in English) by Hyra. The music is all melodic mainstream Jazz, based on solid themes, easy on the ear and definitely on the easier side of the Jazz spectrum, but highly entertaining, briskly swinging and offering a good time listening experience to the listeners. The instrumental lineup is unusual, with the trumpet / flugelhorn playing most of the leads and soli and the guitar playing the "second fiddle", but also soloing on most of the tracks, utilizing a somewhat Fusion oriented sound and attitude while soloing. The rhythm section is highly supportive and keeps the time perfectly, but stays mostly on the back plane. Hyra´s vocals are definitely an acquired taste and take a while to get used to, but after a while become enjoyable, despite their atypical sound and articulation. The one track with the English lyrics is a perfect example of what should be avoided by all possible means. Overall this is an entertaining Jazzy album, which offers some nice songs and a lot of good time, but stays away from exploring uncharted territory. This is definitely not a typical Polish Jazz album, by any respect, showing another facet of the local scene.

Updated: 20/04/2024Posted: 10/11/2020

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