Record Reviews

WOJCIECH BERGIEL / DOMINIK KISIEL ~ INTO THE WOODS NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2023 Released: 2023 This is an album by a duo comprising of two Polish Jazz musicians: saxophonist Wojciech BergielFind albums by this artist and pianist Dominik KisielFind albums by this artist. The album is a “field recording” captured on a forest glade, with a dancer, called AnahataFind albums by this artist, also present (as documented on a documentary clip). Surprisingly the sound quality of the recording is pretty amazing, and I have no idea how they managed to achieve that. The album presents ten tracks, which are not specifically accredited and therefore assumed to be co-composed / created by the two musicians. The music, as expected, is largely meditative, obviously spontaneously improvised, although some melodic motifs can be detected here and there. But the concept is evidently that of a flow of emotions and relaxation, rather than premeditation and intentions. Kisiel, as I have already mentioned several times lately, emerges as one of the most interesting young Polish Jazz musicians, blessed by great talent. His explorations in diverse Jazz sub-genres prove that he is still solidifying his personal aesthetics, but everything he recorded so far turned out to be highly successful. Bergiel is a mystery, as this is his debut recording as far as I know, but he certainly has a nice flow and sound, which work well with Kisiel’s piano vistas, which is an excellent starting point. Overall, this is a very nice impromptu field recording of improvised music inspired by Nature, concise and gentle, which should keep connoisseurs of improvised music happy, especially since it is non-aggressive and floats freely in the air, caressing rather than pushing, like improvised music often can be. Obviously not intended for the regular mainstream Jazz listeners, but accessible enough for a wide range of more ambitious music explorers.

Updated: 05/04/2024Posted: 05/04/2024

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DOMINIK BUKOWSKI / DOMINIK KISIEL ~ DELTA SCUTI GO NORTH 01 (Barcode: 5901157049445) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2021 Released: 2021 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz duo comprising of veteran vibraphonist / composer Dominik BukowskiFind albums by this artist and a representative of the young generation of the Polish Jazz scene, pianist / composer Dominik KisielFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original compositions co-credited to the duo members. The music is very contemplative and sonorous, which combined with the dense sonic aura produced by the vibraphone / piano combination immediately signals to the listener that his full attention is absolutely required. Perhaps the simplest description would be to say that this is “serious” improvised music, almost on the same level as the so called contemporary Classical music, often with the same level of complexity. Obviously this music transcends any stylistic definitions, as well as most known precedents, which means that not only is it completely innovative, but also intrinsically “progressive”, which can be only said ever so rarely about music made today. The creation of this musical experiment by musicians originating in the Jazz idiom is even more surprising to be honest, as Jazz tends to be highly dominant and rarely allows any escape route. Nevertheless, following Bukowski’s development over the years, it was always very apparent that his way of musical thinking is hardly confined to established dogmas and thinking “outside of the box” should not be surprising in his case. It is great to see that Bukowski managed to draw Kisiel so completely into this concept, especially in view of the incredible interplay between the two musicians, which often sound almost supernatural. The duo’s performances sound as if performed by a four-hand / one head creature, not by two separate entities. As the title suggests, this is a true interstellar drive ;) Overall, this is an astounding album, a brilliant illustration of the “Art of the Duo” idiom and a groundbreaking achievement of contemporary Improvised Music / Jazz-Classical Fusion or whatever one wishes to call it. It is definitely the most outstanding album originating from the Polish Jazz scene this year (2021). For listeners searching for new directions in Jazz, this is something they should not miss. Brilliant stuff!

Updated: 03/09/2021Posted: 03/09/2021

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HURRA ~ IN SEARCH OF WAVES V 023 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2022 Released: 2022 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz septet HurraFind albums by this artist, led by guitarist / composer Grzegorz DoroszenkoFind albums by this artist, which also includes second guitarist Jakub KlimiukFind albums by this artist, Swedish saxophonist Jonas KulhammarFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Jakub KurekFind albums by this artist (a member of EABSFind albums by this artist), keyboardist Dominik KisielFind albums by this artist (the most experienced Polish musician in the lineup with several albums as a leader and member of other ensembles under his belt), bassist Paul RutschkaFind albums by this artist and drummer Wojciech WarmijakFind albums by this artist (member of Immortal OnionFind albums by this artist). The album presents seven original compositions, all by the leader. The music offers an excellent collection of well-constructed tunes with clear melody lines, which are executed with obvious technical proficiency and a dose of freshness, which has been missing from the local scene since a while. Although the music has a distinct Fusiony tinge, it is not Fusion per se and could be (if one must) classified somewhere between Brass-Rock and Electric Jazz; styles that sadly almost completely disappeared from the contemporary Jazz scene. The septet offers a fat / big sound, Funky beats and a lot of fun in general, and despite a contemporary sound it does bring sentimental memories of the 1970s, which of course is meant here as a compliment. It also resembles to some degree the music of EABS, at its best. Overall, I truly enjoyed the music from start to finish, as it flows smoothly, caressing the ears with great melody lines, shakes the ass with a danceable rhythmic patterns and tingles the brain with impressive instrumental improvisation by the septet members. In short, this is a truly rare phenomenon of an album, which is as plangent as it is stimulating. Highly recommended!

Updated: 09/01/2023Posted: 08/01/2023

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MARCIN JANEK / EXTRADITION QUINTET ~ MOVIN` ON ALLEGRO 042 (Barcode: 5901157049421) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz saxophonist / flautist / composer Marcin JanekFind albums by this artist and his Extradition QuintetFind albums by this artist, which also includes trumpeter Piotr SzlempoFind albums by this artist, pianist Dominik KisielFind albums by this artist, bassist Pawel UrowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Maksymilian KreftFind albums by this artist. Veteran Polish Jazz saxophonist and the owner of AllegroFind albums on this label Records, which released this album, Wojciech StaroniewiczFind albums by this artist, guests on one track. The album presents seven original compositions, all by Janek. The music is all within the mainstream modern Jazz idiom, but the level of the compositions and the splendid performances turn it into a most enjoyable listening experience from start to finish. The quintet comprises of a mixed bag of musicians, as far as recording experience is concerned, but the seamless flow and diversity of these players speaks volumes as to the level of the young Polish Jazz scene, which of course is hardly a secret to those familiar with the scene. As already mentioned above, the level of the compositions is the most surprising element on this album, since each and every one of the seven tunes is an immediate candidate for sounding like a Jazz standard, creating a warm feeling of familiarity in the listener’s sub consciousness. The leader offers some passionate soprano saxophone soloing of snake-charming fluidity and no less impressive work on the tenor saxophone. Sadly, he plays the flute sparingly, which is a pity, as this beautiful instrument get sadly very little exposure lately. The rhythm section passes with flying colors, with Kisiel, an already proven charmer, providing excellent harmonic accompaniment, “almost veteran” Urowski is excellent, as always, and Kreft, whom I know from only one previous recording, is certainly a drummer worth watching. Overall this is a heartwarming album, which proves that the Jazz tradition is being well preserved by the young Polish players, and kept up to date with contemporary approach and that the new generation is able to compose wonderful European Jazz, which no inferiority complex. Well done by all of you Gentlemen!

Updated: 03/08/2021Posted: 03/08/2021

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JAZZ.U ~ ELIYAHU NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2022 Released: 2024 This is the 2nd album by Polish Jazz-Rock Fusion ensemble Jazz.UFind albums by this artist, led by guitarist / composer Krzysztof PawlockiFind albums by this artist, which also includes keyboardist Dominik KisielFind albums by this artist, bassist Konrad ZolnierekFind albums by this artist and drummer Lukasz LapinskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine tracks, seven of which were composed by the leader, and two are uncredited improvisations. Although still very much a Fusion album, the music offers polyrhythmic tempi, less straightforward melodic themes and a very unusual guitar sound, which immediately sets the album apart from most Fusion albums one might have come across over time. Combined with the extraordinary keyboard work by Kisiel, this album turns out to be quite a surprising step forward for the ensemble, in comparison to the debut, which was recorded four years earlier. The music takes a while to get into, perhaps even requiring several listening sessions, which is a very rare phenomenon as far as Fusion is concerned, and speaks volumes both about the composer and the instrumentalists. There is a lot of volume dynamics between very quiet passages and more aggressive ones, which again are unusual and make the listener to check the volume controls, which might initially be a tad unnerving. In short, the entire experience of listening to the music is full of unexpected trickery, which adds spice to the proceedings. Overall, this is an excellent album, full of surprising and constant shifts in volume, tempo and atmosphere, which makes it stand out within the genre. Complex music and excellent performances, combined with an unusual guitar work should make this a heaven for Fusion fans and offer a whiff of freshness within the rather stale Fusion environment. Well done!

Updated: 26/01/2025Posted: 26/01/2025

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JAZZ.U ~ GRIGIO NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 5901571099736) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz-Rock Fusion band Jazz.uFind albums by this artist led by guitarist / composer Krzysztof PawlockiFind albums by this artist and including saxophonist Michal SasinowskiFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Dominik KisielFind albums by this artist (who has a couple of albums as a leader under his belt), bassist Konrad ZolnierekFind albums by this artist and drummer Lukasz LapinskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, all by the leader. The music is pretty straightforward Fusion, based on melodic tunes, which serve as basis for the improvisations by the three lead instruments. The compositions are all well structured but rather simplistic, and with one or two exceptions, and do not share the Polish lyricism, which makes Polish bands special, obviously trying to be as universal as possible. The performances are all without a hitch, with the sax, piano and guitar soloing on each tune and the rhythm section providing solid backing. The music flows rather uneventfully, again with a few exceptions. The bass parts deserve a special mention. Overall this is a solid, entertaining Fusion album, which offers pleasant listening experience to a wide range audience of listeners between ambitious instrumental Rock, Fusion and the lighter side of Jazz. Considering the fact that this is a debut effort, the result is commendable and one can only hope the sequel will offer a tad more ambitious material. Fusion heads should have a great time with this music for sure and this album is definitely better than most of the typical Fusion recordings, especially those originating across the pond.

Updated: 27/03/2020Posted: 27/03/2020

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ANNA JOPEK ~ INSIGHT ALPAKA 021 (Barcode: 3663734142872) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2021 Released: 2022 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz pianist / composer Anna JopekFind albums by this artist (not to be confused with the vocalist Anna Maria JopekFind albums by this artist), recorded with saxophonist / clarinetist Jakub KlemensiewiczFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Adam SkorczewskiFind albums by this artist and cellist Michalina SokolowskaFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original compositions, all by Jopek except for the title track, which was co-composed by her and Klemensiewicz. The music is beautifully recorded and offers a sensational sound experience, and is elegantly packaged, including a set of monochromatic photographs, which ideally suit the music. The music is strikingly minimalist, offering mostly duos between the piano and saxophone / clarinet and is spiritually close to 20th Century Classical music with just an undercurrent of Jazz inclinations. There are strong Polish Folklore ties, not surprisingly, and the album is soaked in typical in Polish lyricism and deep melancholy. Klemensiewicz is the focal soloist here and his moving performances perfectly comply with his earlier recordings with Dominik KisielFind albums by this artist, which are amongst the finest examples of the work by the new Polish Jazz generation. This album firmly fortifies that position. Jopek’s piano performances are elegant, but subdued and her role often focuses on introducing the themes and then accompanying the saxophone / clarinet parts. Of course, as the composer, she deserves all the praise for creating this beautiful, moving and highly intelligent music, which despite its seeming simplicity is hugely effective. Even though there is no explicit innovation or revolutionary character in this music per se, it sounds remarkably fresh and intriguing, which is sadly extremely rare in today’s music. As already stated in several of my recent reviews, there is now an obvious tendency in the young Polish Jazz scene toward minimalism and deep exploration of Polish Folklore roots, probably as an antidote to the music pollution surrounding us all incessantly. This music definitely offers a balsam for the listener’s ears. Overall, this is a deeply moving, highly original album, and a sensational debut by a new talent on the Polish Jazz scene, which is definitely worthy of attention and following. Calm, soothing, soul-drenching and above all wonderfully musical, this is a true discovery. Well done young Lady!

Updated: 23/05/2022Posted: 23/05/2022

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DOMINIK KISIEL ~ STOP ALPAKA 015 (Barcode: 308175527859) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is the debut solo piano album by young Polish Jazz pianist / composer Dominik KisielFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original “improvised compositions” by Kisiel, grouped into three one part pieces and two three-part pieces. Kisiel made an impressive entry into the Polish Jazz scene about five years ago, recording several excellent albums as a leader and sideman and making a rapid progress from mainstream oriented projects into more sophisticated, even Avant-Garde vistas, which are most impressive and mark him as one of the young musicians to be watched carefully. This album follows the a.m. development trend faithfully and takes Kisiel further into the borderline between contemporary Classical Music and Jazz, analogous to his ambitious duo project “Delta ScutiFind albums with this title” with Dominik BukowskiFind albums by this artist. The music eschews clearly stated melody lines and offers a flow of notes expressed by continuous arpeggios, which are more about dynamics and expressions than the melodic / harmonic development. The intensity of the music is somehow reminiscent of the piano works by Sergei RachmaninoffFind albums by this artist, with a somewhat updated piano technique of course. Despite the fact that the music is improvised, it offers remarkable coherence and continuity, and even without stating explicit melodic themes it creates an impression of being “subconsciously” highly melodic. The entire album sounds like one continuous piece of music, which seems to be “unstoppable” and demands to be heard continuously. Although the music lasts only thirty-three minutes, the emotional and intellectual intensity demanded to listen to it attentively is overwhelming and leaves the listener highly charged. Overall, this is one of the most potent pieces of music I came across in a very long time and although I have listened to it several times, it obviously still hides many wonderful discoveries in its depth. It is a most remarkable piece of creativity, a true musical deliverance from the mundane non-Culture that surrounds us today and a proclamation (no less) of things to come. Regardless of its cross-genre characteristics, it clearly emerges as a prophecy of music merged into “one” higher consciousness of Artistic expression.

Updated: 09/09/2021Posted: 09/09/2021

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DOMINIK KISIEL / KRZYSZTOF PAWLOCKI ~ LATE SUMMER GRIGIO 03 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Ambient Fusion Recorded: 2023 Released: 2023 This is an album by Polish Jazz duo comprising of pianist Dominik KisielFind albums by this artist and guitarist Krzysztof PawlockiFind albums by this artist, last heard together as members of the Jazz.uFind albums by this artist quartet on its debut album from 2018. The album presents seven tracks, all original compositions / improvisations by the duo members. Kisiel has been extremely prolific in the last few years, appearing on many recordings, both as a leader and sideman, some of which were among the finest achievements on the local scene, systematically building up his career as one of the most interesting representatives of the young Polish Jazz generation. The music is very different from that Fusion oriented debut album by Jazz.u, completely open and largely improvised, a home recording, which catches the spur of the moment flowing on the wind. And yet, despite all that lack of clear boundaries and restraints, the music retains a solid melodic content, which keeps evolving slowly, free-spirited and consistent, which seems to be Kisiel’s favorite modus operandi lately. At times the music becomes very contemplative and almost of New Age / meditative nature, which might prove to be trying to a casual, unexpecting listener, but hopefully the mesmerizing beauty will be able to convince the listener to linger on and give oneself up fully to the music, simply enjoying the ambience. Although only marginally close to the core Jazz experience, this music manages to amalgamate the improvisation element with diverse musical directions, leaving much to the listener’s imagination. Overall, this is a very unconventional album, which tries to communicate with the listener on many parallel levels, involving emotions and associations as much as the “usual” chords, notes and sounds. Definitely not for everyone, this music requires a total submission to its spiritual messages, rather than to the conventional notions people hold about music. Fascinating stuff!

Updated: 20/05/2024Posted: 20/05/2024

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DOMINIK KISIEL EXPLORATION QUARTET ~ EXPLORATION ALPAKA 003 (Barcode: 191924149699) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2018 This is the debut album by the young Polish Jazz pianist / composer Dominik KisielFind albums by this artist and his quartet called Exploration QuartetFind albums by this artist, which also includes saxophonist Michal Jan CiesielskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Piotr SzajrychFind albums by this artist and drummer Antoni WojnarFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Kisiel. The music is a melody based modern Jazz, with typical Polish lyrical inclinations, and melancholic tendencies, which the young Polish Jazz generation seems to have adopted as their favorite modus operandi. The beautiful themes are all wonderfully crafted and serve as ideal vehicles for the musicians to express their improvisational abilities. Some more energetic and more open compositions are also included, to balance the low-key material, and those are equally impressive. Both Kisiel and Ciesielski are able to articulate the melodic motifs and the improvised parts formidably, amicably supported by the rhythm section every step of the way. Together the quartet is able to create a coherent and well balanced ensemble sound, which does not reflect any lack of experience in spite of the of the musicians´ young age. Overall this is a very impressive debut, which emphasizes both Kisiel´s compositional skills and his work as an instrumentalist, superbly supported by his quartet members. Since the album´s release was postponed for technical reasons (it was recorded in 2016) and Kisiel and the quartet also released this year (2018) a live album, with different but no less excellent material, this year is certainly a remarkable jumpstart of his future career, which is definitely worth following. Well done indeed!

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

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DOMINIK KISIEL EXPLORATION QUARTET ~ LIVE AT RADIO KATOWICE PRK 0137 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is a live recording by young Polish Jazz pianist / composer Dominik KisielFind albums by this artist and his quartet called Exploration QuartetFind albums by this artist, which also includes saxophonist Michal Jan CiesielskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Piotr SzajrychFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam GolickiFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, four composed by Kisiel, two by Ciesielski and one by Golicki. The music is typical modern young Polish Jazz, based on excellent melody based compositions and superbly performed by these young musicians, who never cease to amaze how well musically advanced they are despite their young age. It is worth to mention that the material present on this album is completely different from the material included on the quartet´s debut studio album recently released on AlpakaFind albums on this label Records, which proves the prolific compositional capacity of the quartet members. The individual performances are all excellent and the concert setting allows the musicians to stretch out and play long solos without being concerned by time limitation often present in the recording studio. As a result three of the tunes performed here last for over ten minutes in duration. Kisiel skillfully builds up his solos gradually, with excellent usage of dynamics and harmonics, adorned with his technical skill, which is spotless. Ciesielski also stretches out wonderfully, playing with confidence and beautiful sense of lyricism, at all times supported amicably by Kisiel. The rhythm section does an excellent job as well, with Golicki showing his maturity and experience gained over the last few years. Szajrych keeps mostly to the basics, as he seems to be the most inexperienced player in the quartet, but his performance is stable and accurate, exactly what one would expected from a solid bassist in a quartet. Overall this is an excellent effort by the young generation of Polish Jazz players, full of great tunes and superb performances, which is a true fun to listen to and admire their talents and abilities. Definitely well done!

Updated: 06/10/2018Posted: 05/10/2018

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KLEMENSIEWICZ - KISIEL ~ CASSUBIA MJUSE 001 (Barcode: 5903919630106) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2021 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz duo comprising of saxophonist Jakub KlemensiewiczFind albums by this artist and pianist Dominik KisielFind albums by this artist. The album presents just three extensive pieces (all well over ten minutes in duration), which are influenced by the Folklore from the Kashubian region and based on music composed by Marian SelinFind albums by this artist, a local poet / composer, arranged by the duo members. Baritone saxophonist Dariusz HerbaszFind albums by this artist guests on one track. The music was recorded live at the Sfinks 700 club in Sopot and offers a wonderful sound ambience, with the music reverberating in the club’s space. This album is one of several Polish Jazz albums dealing with the Kashubian Folklore, recorded in the last decade. The music is very melodic, floating on waves of thematic repetitions, which change very gradually, somewhat like serial or minimalist music, but less constrained sonically. Kisiel provides a rich, carpet like platform, upon which Klemensiewicz scatters his melodic splashes, together creating a floating, spacey, almost ambient vistas. Although such approach would have perfectly suited electronic music, the fact that it is performed on acoustic instruments, adds a magic touch, creating a unique sonic structure. The borderline between Jazz and other music genres are constantly crossed in this music, obviously touching upon Classical Romanticism (well, these guys are Polish so Frederic ChopinFind albums by this artist is under their skin), but also other domains. The Folkloristic influence is rather less obvious, being hidden deeply beneath the surface, but this perhaps adds to the universal appeal of this music, which should be fascinating to every open-minded listener. The performances by these young musicians are truly inspiring, and their ability to function as a team is phenomenal. There is an obvious empathy and respect between them, which allows the musical synergy they are able to create on the fly. Despite the fact that this music is mostly melody based, it is by far not trying to be “nice and easy” by any means and demands attentive listening, which of course is quite expected in case of a serious attempt to inspire the audience. Overall, this is a unique and beautiful piece of music, which should make many listeners from a wide range of musical idioms very happy. Well done indeed!

Updated: 19/06/2021Posted: 19/06/2021

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MAGDA KURAS ~ PLONY NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2020 Released: 2020 This is the debut album by Polish singer / songwriter Magda KurasFind albums by this artist, accompanied by a piano trio consisting of pianist Patryk CzyzewskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Michal KowalczykFind albums by this artist and drummer Robert KutrzepaFind albums by this artist. A couple of singers participate in the backing vocal parts. The album presents seven original songs, all featuring lyrics by Kuras, six of which were co-composed by Kuras and Czyzewski and one was composed by Dominik KisielFind albums by this artist, on which he also plays the piano. The music is heavily influenced by Polish Folklore vocal tradition and arranged combining a Jazz inspired instrumental parts, creating together a wonderful amalgam of Jazz-World Fusion, which is absolutely stunning. The overall level of compositions and the intelligent lyrics are all unusually mature for a debut album. Kuras uses the entire range of vocal trickery, singing lyrics, vocalese, choir parts and everything in between, and sounds great at all times. The music is fresh, youthful, full of optimism and vigor, and yet manages to be romantic and melancholic, when needed. Even the opening a cappella track is sensational. The instrumental parts are also excellent, perfect for the job and truly supportive, but leaving the vocals in the limelight, as appropriate. Czyzewski (and Kisiel on the last track) stand up to the role of accompanying the vocals with finesse and the rhythm section swings like clockwork. This album is a splendid example of how the Polish Folklore tradition can and should be respected, updated and used in contemporary music making, which sadly happens very rarely lately. The only maddening thing about this album is its playing time, just briefly over half an hour… it is a tease making the listener longing for more, like a brief kiss before disappearing into the night. Really young Lady - We want more! Thanks for the music and respect to Krystyna StankoFind albums by this artist for her job as a teacher. Love you both :)

Updated: 23/02/2021Posted: 23/02/2021

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JERZY MALEK ~ FOREVELLE KAYAX 103 (Barcode: 5907678818645) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is the seventh album as leader by Polish Jazz trumpeter / composer Jerzy MalekFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quintet setting with keyboardist Dominik KisielFind albums by this artist, guitarist Krzysztof LochowiczFind albums by this artist, bassist Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and drummer Slawomir KoryznoFind albums by this artist. Saxophonist Maciej KadzielaFind albums by this artist guests on one track. Together they perform seven original compositions, all by Malek. The music is typical melodic mainstream Jazz, full of distinctive Polish Jazz characteristics, like melancholic ballads, Slavic folkloristic harmonies and the overall atmosphere of poignancy, even on the up-tempo numbers. All the seven originals are solid compositions, elegant, well structured and aesthetically pleasing, especially so the ballads, which seem to be Malek´s forte. The execution is also top notch, with evident class and talent displayed by the musicians involved. Malek is an excellent trumpeter, with steady clear tone and brilliant phrasing, and his playing is a great example of the classic approach to Jazz trumpet, which is sadly not very appreciated these days. Kisiel plays beautiful piano lines both on the acoustic and electric instruments, contributing several nice solos and supporting the leader amicably. Lochowicz is a mystery as I could only hear him on one tune and there he was so back in the mix that he was totally lost. Swies, a veteran and brilliant bassist, is one of the top Polish players and every recording featuring his talents is already ahead just by his presence. Koryzno plays also very well, supporting the steady rhythmic patterns with confidence and skill, staying respectfully in the background. Overall this is a classic mainstream album, which features superb tunes and excellent execution, which should make every Jazz connoisseur in the world happy. There is no innovation or groundbreaking here, but not every Jazz album has to be about these elements. Playing solid, excellent mainstream Jazz like the one here is still Art.

Updated: 19/11/2016Posted: 19/11/2016

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ADAM SKORCZEWSKI ~ STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS MJUSE 002 (Barcode: 5903919630113) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2021 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz trumpeter / composer Adam SkorczewskiFind albums by this artist, recorded in a classic quintet setting with saxophonist Jakub KlemensiewiczFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Dominik KisielFind albums by this artist, bassist Bartosz BorzeszkowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Hussam Abdul-SamadFind albums by this artist. The album, which was recorded live, presents just three extended tracks, two over fourteen and one over eighteen minutes in duration, which remain sadly uncredited on the album’s artwork (assumably composed by the leader). The music, which is based on solid composed themes, is largely freely improvised, like many contemporary modern Jazz recordings. There are several obvious similarities / quotes from famous / legendary Polish Jazz recordings, conscious or not, especially those related to Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist’s music in general and his album “AstigmaticFind albums with this title” in particular. This is very commendable of course, but to a large extent strengthens my personal feeling that Jazz is largely stuck in its past despite the five decades of intensive effort to move forward. But inspirations aside, the music is certainly very interesting and absorbing, despite its slow and seemingly hesitant, but generally well balanced development. There is plenty of opportunity for the musicians to display their individual talents, but all in good measure. The typical Polish melancholy is the prevailing sentiment, which of course is hardly surprising, but the music offers enough of originality and invention to make it into a fascinating listening experience. The presence of Klemensiewicz and Kisiel is of course immediately noticeable, and they both contribute from their somewhat more mature experience to the flow of the music and its melodic / harmonic structure. Skorczewski has a clear, open trumpet sound, which is truly beautiful and I’d love to hear more of it, as his solos are rather on the short side, but if he composed the music, he surely deserves a lot of credit on that front. Borzeszkowski, of whom I know nothing, holds the fort splendidly, which for this kind of music is crucial of course. Abdul-Samad stays mostly behind the scenes, with his contributions being largely inaudible, perhaps due to the rather iffy sound quality of the recording. Overall, this is a splendid debut effort, full of creative power, respect of Polish Jazz tradition and excellent performances by the participants. As usual, it proves the incredibly high potential of the young local Jazz scene, which keeps developing rapidly. Congratulations and thanks for the music!

Updated: 26/12/2021Posted: 26/12/2021

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IRKA ZAPOLSKA QUARTET ~ PERCEPTION OF PRECEPTION NOT ON LABEL 5904933517718 (Barcode: 5904933517718) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2021 Released: 2023 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz vocalist / songwriter Irka ZapolskaFind albums by this artist. The album was recorded in a classic vocalist / piano trio setting with the vocalist supported by pianist / composer Dominik KisielFind albums by this artist, bassist Filip ArasimowiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Maksymilian KreftFind albums by this artist. The album presents five tracks, all of which are original “songs” co-composed by Kisiel and Zapolska, four with lyrics by Zapolska (in English) and one based on excerpts from “Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland” by Lewis CarrollFind albums by this artist, translated into Polish. Two of the tracks are over then minutes in duration. There is absolutely nothing conventional about this album and it is strikingly original. There is almost no straightforward music per se herein, just fragments of sounds and hints of melodies, the vocals are a combination of recitation and free style / improvised singing / vocalese, in short this is a brilliantly fresh Avant-Garde, which is almost unheard of on the Polish Jazz scene since decades. I should have expected this just from the appearance of the name of Kisiel on the cover, who in the last few years managed to produce some of the most original and outstanding music on the Polish scene, but this album still caught me completely unprepared and left me speechless. The quartet is basically improvising on everything possible while creating this album: the sounds and the silences, the words and syllables, the rhythms and a-rhythms and all the sounds produced by the voice and the instruments – absolutely everything is twisted and amended from the norm, not surprisingly similar in spirit to the fashion of the brilliant writings by Carroll. I am not crazy about Polish singers using lyrics in English, but in this case accent and pronunciation are meaningless anyway, so this can be easily forgotten. In some cases, the songs start off almost “normally”, with a blink of a melody and harmony, only to be dispersed all over the place and forgotten in the process. The most beautiful thing about this music is the fact, that the crazier it gets, the better it sounds, shaking some profound conceptions about music in general and Jazz in particular. It takes a truly brilliant mind to conceive this music and some giant balls / ovaries to bring it to life. In these shallow times, where everything is about hype and appearances, young musicians creating such profound music are perhaps the last rays of hope as far as music is concerned. Overall, this is an absolutely stunning, magical, unconventional and meaningful piece of music, definitely one of the best Jazz related albums on the Polish / European scene that I had the immense pleasure to listen to in a very long while. It is probably a one of a kind strike of luck, so I am not even hoping anything like this can be repeated again, but one can always dream…

Updated: 31/03/2024Posted: 31/03/2024

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend