Record Reviews

DAVID DORUZKA ~ SILENTLY DAWNING ANIMAL MUSIC 007 (Barcode: 8594155990078) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2007 Released: 2008 This is the second album as a leader by Czech guitarist / composer David DoruzkaFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet setting with Swedish vocalist Josefine LindstrandFind albums by this artist and a Polish rhythm section: bassist Michal BaranskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Lukasz ZytaFind albums by this artist. The album presents twelve original compositions, all by Doruzka except for one piece which is a short percussion interlude by Zyta. Nine of the compositions feature lyrics based on poems by American poetess Emily DickinsonFind albums by this artist (four), Czech Jewish poet Jiri OrtenFind albums by this artist (two) and Lindstrand (three), one is an instrumental and another one is a vocalese / guitar duo. Lindstrand sings all the poems in their original language, i.e. English, Czech and Swedish, which of course is highly unusual and admirable. The album is elegantly packaged and all the poems are presented in appropriate translation in three languages – an obvious publishing labor of elegance and typical Czech care of details, designs and respect towards Culture. The entire album is of course a highly challenging Jazz & Poetry project, which as my readers know is one of my favorite idioms. The music is fitted to the lyrics in most of the pieces, being minimalist and beautifully delicate. The entire aura is deeply melancholic and introvert, even fragile, which is hardly surprising considering Dickinson´s moody, Orten´s mystical / philosophical and Lindstrand introvert poetry, all creating a rather intense atmosphere, which is even more emphasized by the character of the music. Doruzka, despite his age (he was only twenty-seven years old when this music was recorded) manages to compose the highly demanding musical framework for the poetic content, which is remarkably mature and respectful. Most of the vocals are accompanied only by guitar and the rhythm section is featured rather sparingly, wisely minimized to achieve the optimal effect. Baranski contributes several wonderful soli, which serve as interludes but are kept within the clear boundaries of the fragile architecture of this project. Doruzka plays both the acoustic and the electric guitar, always at low volume but certainly no less expressively. The principle of "less is more" is obviously a basic assumption, which proves to be highly effective here. Overall this is a beautiful, elegant and deeply aesthetic piece of music, utilizing the deeply European approach to interdisciplinary concept of Art and Culture, expressed here in the best possible way. It is a true joy to see David grow into a bona fide Jazz musician, especially in view of the fact that his Grandfather, the great Czech writer / music critic / Jazz activist Lubomir DoruzkaFind albums by this artist was a dear friend of mine for many years and whom I remember fondly to this very day. The apple did not, obviously, fell far from the tree ;) Godspeed!

Updated: 23/10/2020Posted: 23/10/2020

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MELLUSYA ~ Z SERCA SOLITON 660 (Barcode: 5901571096605) ~ POLAND ~ Sung Poetry Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the debut album by Polish ensemble MelluSyaFind albums by this artist led by vocalist Kaja MianowanaFind albums by this artist and including Russian (resident in Poland) pianist Vlasta TraczykFind albums by this artist, violinist Kinga KloczkoFind albums by this artist, bassist Adam WardziakFind albums by this artist and drummer Karol KrasinskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents twelve original songs, all composed by Traczyk, with lyrics by Polish, Russian (Anna AkhmatovaFind albums by this artist), French (Christine de PisanFind albums by this artist), American (Emily DickinsonFind albums by this artist) and British (Edgar Allan PoeFind albums by this artist) poets and two original texts by Mianowana. Two of the songs have lyrics in English and the rest feature Polish lyrics, including translations into Polish. The music is a typical example of the Polish Sung Poetry idiom, which is an extremely fruitful and popular sub-genre of the Polish Pop / Art Pop music, with a long and glorious tradition in Polish music scene and which is a companion to the Polish Jazz & Poetry idiom. Not surprisingly the music is mostly influenced by Traczyk, who composed all the songs, and offers an amalgam of Russian Classical Music influences and East European lyricism and melancholy with a dash of poetic Progressive Rock nostalgia. They are well structured melodically and harmonically, and have a tad of Siberian wintriness in them, which takes a while to get into, but which manages to create a unique atmosphere. Mianowana is an accomplished vocalist with a beautiful voice and great range. Her career and experience in musicals results in a certain over-theatrical approach, which is not naturally suited for Sung Poetry, which relays first and foremost on feeling and empathy with the poetic contents rather than a display of vocal mastery. But having said that, this is not really an issue here and she manages to deliver these songs very impressively. All four instrumentalists are well educated and highly trained, and all perform their parts without a hitch, as expected. The violinist is a bit hidden in the mix and might have been featured more prominently INHO. For Prog fans, the piano / vocals dominance brings fond memories of the RenaissanceFind albums by this artist / Annie HaslamFind albums by this artist albums – Prog-heads check it out! Overall this is a very solid and classy debut album, which should keep connoisseurs of Sung Poetry / Art Pop / Prog extremely happy. Definitely worth investigating and warmly recommended – good job Ladies and Gents!

Updated: 23/10/2020Posted: 03/04/2020

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MMO ENSEMBLE ~ ANY DAY NOW ORA FONOGRAM 134 (Barcode: 7090015631347) ~ NORWAY ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is the second album by the Norwegian saxophonist / composer Martin Myhre OlsenFind albums by this artist and his MMO EnsembleFind albums by this artist, which is a platform he uses to realize his ambitious large scale projects. On this album the ensemble is expanded to a 12tet and includes besides Olsen also saxophonist Andre RolighetenFind albums by this artist, trombonist Oyvind BraekkeFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Erik Kimestad PedersenFind albums by this artist, vocalist Siril Malmedal HaugeFind albums by this artist, guitarist Karl BjoraFind albums by this artist, pianist Ayumi TanakaFind albums by this artist, violinists Hakon AaseFind albums by this artist and Adrian Loseth WaadeFind albums by this artist, cellist Kaja Fjellberg PettersenFind albums by this artist, bassist Christian Meaas SvendsenFind albums by this artist and drummer Simon Olderskog AlbertsenFind albums by this artist. The album presents a live recording of an eleven-part suite composed by Olsen, which is a Jazz & Poetry endeavor. The album´s title and the titles of the individual tracks derive from a poem by James BaldwinFind albums by this artist and poetry by Emily DickinsonFind albums by this artist and E. E. CummingsFind albums by this artist is used within the suite. The music is mostly composed, based on strongly melodic motifs, but allows space for improvised passages. The large scale ensemble is capable of producing a rich orchestral sound but also fragments of intimate small scale moments and even individual solo statements. The fact that this highly complex music was recorded live as truly astounding. Both the ensemble performances and the individual statements by all the musicians involved are extraordinary. The ensemble spirit, which in a large ensemble like this one is often quite problematic, works here like a charm and the resulting music flows coherently and flawlessly from one piece to the next. But of course it is the musical concept and the compositional ability of Olsen that stands in the center of attention. Olsen talks about bringing the "Duke EllingtonFind albums by this artist Spirit" of Jazz composition into the 21st Century, and indeed his compositions are certainly inspired and influenced by Ellington´s works, but the transition into contemporary idioms is entirely his own creation. One might wish to fantasize how the Ellington Orchestra would sound today and listening to this album is of course one way to accomplish this fantasy. This album certainly continues the Ellington tradition of an orchestra based on virtuosi instrumentalists playing complex and intricate arrangements and featuring vocals. But of course one must not take these direct comparisons too far. Overall this is a stunning piece of music, which offers a vast amount of ideas and emotions, which are simply impossible to comprehend by listening to the album just once. With each listening session a true music lover will discover new layers and experience new thrills. It certainly looks like Olson is cementing his position on the large orchestral Jazz scene and if this is his early period, the sky is the limit. This album is a wonderful example of what European Jazz is able to accomplish using its own language. Although this music is not really representative of the Nordic Jazz idiom, the musical atmosphere of freedom, acceptance and open-mindedness among the young local musicians in Norway is pushing the music in the country to explore uncharted territory and make constant progress. This is definitely an exquisite album, which deserves to be heard and studied by all true music connoisseurs around the world. Absolutely and wholeheartedly recommended, and hats off to these young Jazz lions!

Updated: 23/10/2020Posted: 11/10/2018

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

SONIA SCHIAVONE ~ WAYNE SHORTER`S LEGACY DA VINCI JAZZ 00573 (Barcode: 746160914077) ~ ITALY ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2021 Released: 2022 This is an album by Italian vocalist / composer / lyricist Sonia SchiavoneFind albums by this artist, which as the title suggests is dedicated to the music by the iconic American saxophonist / composer Wayne ShorterFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight compositions by Shorter, to which Schiavone added her lyrics (in English) or adopted lyrics by others, like the American poetess Emily DickinsonFind albums by this artist or English poetess Elizabeth Barrett BrowningFind albums by this artist. In two cases she uses lyric already written to Shorter`s compositions and in two others alters previously written lyrics. And additionally the album includes also two original songs, composed by Schiavone, which fit well the intended atmosphere of the entire album. There is no doubt that the album can be considered as part of the “Jazz & Poetry” idiom. On the album Schiavone is accompanied by excellent Italian musicians; a piano trio with pianist Fabio GorlierFind albums by this artist, bassist Stefano ProfetaFind albums by this artist and drummer Donato StolfiFind albums by this artist, and three guest brass players on selected tracks. She also arranged all the music, which was excellently recorded and offers a beautiful sound quality. The music, which of course is pretty familiar to most Jazz listeners, gets a very European twist on this album, transformed into poetic, sometimes romantic, sometimes dramatic aura, with Schiavone’s obvious love of poetry, which resulted in an entire album dedicated to the poetry of Dickinson called “Come – Eden!Find albums with this title”, released in 2020. With somewhat changed instrumentation, this album is certainly closely linked to its predecessor. The vocal performances are all delicate and restrained, as appropriate for the atmosphere this album is conveying, with relatively little use of vocalese and open space for instrumental soli, all well balanced and presenting a coherent continuity, which has a relaxing, contemplative aesthetics. Schiavone’s feel and emotional involvement are undeniably fascinating. Overall, this is a beautiful album in every respect, from the concept and collection of material, arrangements and finally spotless execution, all of which should make perfectly happy every Jazz, and especially Jazz & Poetry aficionado the world over. Thank you for the music, Milady!

Updated: 07/10/2022Posted: 07/10/2022

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