Record Reviews

D.R.A.G. ~ OBEREK AUDIO CAVE 2017/003 (Barcode: 5905669566230) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz quartet D.R.A.G.Find albums by this artist led by violinist Dominika RusinowskaFind albums by this artist, which also includes pianist Mateusz GawedaFind albums by this artist, bassist Jakub MielcarekFind albums by this artist and drummer Jozef RusinowskiFind albums by this artist. As the title suggests, the album presents six Polish Folklore melodies, arranged for the Jazz quartet by Rusinowska, Gaweda and the entire quartet (two pieces each). Although not stated on the album´s liner notes, the music was recorded live (at least partly). The renaissance of the Polish Jazz Violin School in the last decade is a true joy and seeing finally a female violinist joining the pack is encouraging. Especially so in view of this ambitious and interesting effort which crosses genres between Improvised Music and Jazz-World Fusion, which is extremely demanding. The arrangements take the folkloristic themes only as basic musical ideas, which are then expanded by the lengthy improvisations, featuring the violin and piano. The rhythm section supports the soloists by creating a steady pulse, which drives the music forward and allows the soloists to move pretty far away, both harmonically and rhythmically. Most of the solo parts are quite Free oriented, at times even extremely Free, which sometimes slightly exceeds the abilities of the soloists, especially in the case of the leader. Nevertheless the music flows energetically and presents many superb moments of highly interesting intensity. By the nature of things Gaweda steals a lot of the attention with his stellar piano parts, but this of course should have been expected. Overall the album tries to say a bit too much that is really necessary in this case. A more modest and calculated approach might have produced a more refined result, but considering the age and experience of these talented musician, a youthful enthusiasm is understandable. Definitely an impressive debut for the leader, who emerges as one more Polish Jazz musician worth following!

Updated: 24/02/2017Posted: 24/02/2017

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LIZARD ~ HALF-LIFE AUDIO CAVE 2018/012 (Barcode: 5905669566650) ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is the seventh studio album by Polish Progressive Rock group LizardFind albums by this artist, which consists of vocalist / guitarist / composer / lyricist Damian BydlinskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Janusz TanistraFind albums by this artist, guitarist Daniel KurtykaFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Pawel FabrowiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Mariusz SzulakowskiFind albums by this artist. Violinist Dominika RusinowskaFind albums by this artist appears as guest artist. The album presents just one, forty four minutes long track, composed and written (in Polish language) by Bydlinski. The music takes off with a lengthy instrumental intro which makes an attempt to leave the classic symphonic Neo-Prog format behind and partly cross over towards Jazz-Rock / Fusion, but once the vocals enter the stage, the Prog sound and feel are back at the helm. The concept album framework and slowly developing and repeating themes are deeply rooted in Prog and as a result the album offers a slick, melodic continuity, full of typical riffs and hooks, with some Fusion oriented instrumental passages. Overall the album is a pleasant, unchallenging musical journey into nostalgia, which is in complete contrast to the morose apocalyptic lyrics. The performances are all very professional and the production is exactly right for this kind of music and the album emerges as a typical Neo-Prog work, no different than hundreds of similar offerings recorded all over the world since the 1990s. Of course Prog Heads will find this album as good as Prog albums go, and people from outside of Poland might find it interesting to hear what is happing in Prog in Poland and surely won´t be disappointed, as this is after all a solid, well put together piece of music, which delivers exactly what is expected. This is definitely nothing to be ashamed of, but sadly neither something to be really proud of? Sadly Polish Prog is unable to shake off its past and develop a new direction, after spending the last few decades in a zombie vegetative state musically, supported by a shrinking, but fanatic fan base, in complete contrast to Polish Jazz, which is exploding with talent and creativity and serving as a beacon for the rest of the world. I´m just too old for this by now… been there… heard it all…

Updated: 21/09/2021Posted: 16/12/2018

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O.N.E. ~ ONE AUDIO CAVE 2020/007 (Barcode: 5908298549063) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz ensemble O.N.E.Find albums by this artist comprising of five female representatives of the young generation of the local scene: saxophonist Monika MucFind albums by this artist, violinist Dominika RusinowskaFind albums by this artist, pianist Paulina AtmanskaFind albums by this artist, bassist Kamila DrabekFind albums by this artist and drummer Patrycja WybranczykFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven pieces, three composed by Muc, two by Atamanska, one traditional tune and one composition by Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist. The music is quite characteristic of the young Polish Jazz scene; full of melancholy and folkloristic influences, strictly melody based but with open space for improvisation and soloing. The rather unusual instrumental lineup (see violin) creates a particular sound, which takes time to get used to. These Ladies have of course perfect schooling and a lot of playing experience behind them, which results in spotless execution, both by the front line and the rhythm section. The original compositions are well structured, albeit a bit hesitant in their nature, which results in a certain lack of focus, as far as the album as a whole is concerned. But considering the fact that this is a debut offering, this is a minor point and can be easily forgiven. This album offers a perfect opportunity to exam the timeless issue of "Women´s Jazz", which always annoys me. I´d rather leave gender out of music the same way we should avoid dealing with race or religion. We should concentrate on giving woman equal opportunity instead. As this album proves, women can be certainly as creative, adventurous and clever as men in every aspect of life. Overall this is an important debut, which hopefully will open a recording continuance for this gathering of Jazz Amazons (daughters of Harmonia), for the years to come. Definitely worth investigating!

Updated: 31/03/2022Posted: 18/05/2020

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