Record Reviews

PIOTR DAMASIEWICZ PROJECT ~ IMPROGRAPHIC 1 FOR TUNE 0006 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2013 This double CD album captures live performances by the quartet called Piotr Damasiewicz ProjectFind albums by this artist, led by Polish Jazz trumpeter Piotr DamasiewiczFind albums by this artist, with saxophonist Gerard LebikFind albums by this artist, bassist Jakub MielcarekFind albums by this artist (both members of the Polish ensemble EraseFind albums by this artist) and Portuguese drummer Gabriel FerrandiniFind albums by this artist. The music was recorded over a short period of just six days during the quartet´s performances in three clubs, each in a different Polish city. All the music is spontaneously improvised and is credited to all the quartet members. Stylistically the music belongs to the gray area between spontaneous Improvised Music, Free Jazz and contemporary Avant-Garde. The concept of using graphic notations instead of notes, as the basic directions upon which the improvisations are based, is of course quite old and was pioneered decades ago by such Jazz icons as Anthony Braxton as well as several contemporary Classical composers. Although Damasiewicz and his colleagues are obviously very talented musicians, this music leaves me stone cold. Having been listening to this kind of music for the last fifty years, I don´t find any substance here, which justifies listening to this music for over two hours; there is no real innovation, no fire that I can feel, no concept except for total freedom. Even the collective improvisation is quite limited, as the two soloists rarely play together and the rhythm section contributes very little to the overall result. Of course there are some great moments, but overall this is not going anywhere as far as I can hear. There are some differences between the music on the first and on the second CD of this set, with the latter being definitely more engaging to the listener, but still it was mostly a déjà vu of music heard many times before. Although the liner notes hint towards such legendary sources of influence as the British Spontaneous Music EnsembleFind albums by this artist, or Peter BrötzmannFind albums by this artist´s Machine GunFind albums by this artist and other European improvising ensembles, honestly I fail to see the parallels here. Of course this kind of music deserves to be documented and kudos to the For TuneFind albums on this label label for including it in its catalogue. Hardcore Avant-Garde fans will definitely find this interesting, as this kind of music is certainly quite rare these days.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 2 Recommend To A Friend

DAREK DOBROSZCZYK ~ SIMPLE DELIGHTS NOT ON LABEL 807 (Barcode: 5902596839529) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2014 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz trio led by pianist / composer Darek DobroszczykFind albums by this artist, which also includes bassist Jakub MielcarekFind albums by this artist (who also plays in a free form atmosphere with trumpeter Piotr DamasiewiczFind albums by this artist and the EraseFind albums by this artist quartet) and drummer Grzegorz MaslowskiFind albums by this artist (who is also a member of the Bartosz PernalFind albums by this artist / Michal SzkilFind albums by this artist quintet). Guitarist Przemyslaw HanajFind albums by this artist guests on one track. The album includes eight tracks, four of which are original compositions by Dobroszczyk, one is by Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, one by StingFind albums by this artist and two are standards. The album is kept well within the modern piano trio idiom, as established by such luminaries as the Keith Jarrett trio or Esbjorn Svensson trio, which are listed among the trio´s influences. The music is mostly very melodic and shows melancholic influence popular with Scandinavian modern Jazz composers. But considering the crystal-clear sound and the obvious talents displayed by these young players, one can hope that this is not an attempt to imitate but just a starting point of their venture together. The original compositions are all interesting and well suited for the piano trio format, although it is yet early to determine if they will be unique enough to become the composer´s trademark. The overall aesthetics and atmosphere of the album certainly points out a path, which the trio intends to follow. Considering that this is their debut recording, they certainly show a lot of hope and potential. Although perhaps not very innovative or groundbreaking, this is nevertheless a very well played and beautifully recorded pleasing listening experience, which Jazz enthusiast should enjoy without reservation. It is also a remarkable debut effort and therefore worthy of well deserved praise.

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

ERASE ~ NEW AND OLD DREAMS FOR TUNE 0014 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2013 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz quartet EraseFind albums by this artist, which consists of saxophonist Gerard LebikFind albums by this artist, bassists Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and Jakub MielcarekFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal TrelaFind albums by this artist. The album presents a live recording at Warsaw´s Pardon To Tu club, which in the last few years managed to establish an honorary position as the home of the Avant-Garde scene in the country´s Capital. The quartet performs five completely improvised pieces attributed to all the four musicians. The quartet presents music, which is naturally associated with the mid 1960s, when Free Jazz was at its artistic peak and musicians like Albert AylerFind albums by this artist, John ColtraneFind albums by this artist, Eric DolphyFind albums by this artist and others bravely broke the ties with Jazz conventions and stepped into uncharted territory to expand the Art Form beyond the known boundaries. However, keeping in mind that all this happened fifty years ago, playing Free Jazz today lost much of its originality, especially in view of the fact that its true pioneers are all dead by now. On the other hand, bands like Erase are needed today to shake up the somewhat stagnant Jazz scene, which often gravitates towards the dreaded retrograde mainstream. Therefore this total and uncompromising music is a welcome wake up call in that respect. Of course Erase has a lot to say on its own account, with the drenched saxophone wall-of-sound effect and the double bass lines and intensive drumming. It is a brutal encounter, which can leave no listener indifferent. Free Jazz is mostly an essence of a live performance and Free Jazz recordings suffer from the same problem that food suffers from, i.e. eating it is quite different than seeing pictures of it. Hearing this concert was probably a momentous experience for those lucky to be there at the time. The recording is only a secondary experience. That does not mean of course that the music is not worth being recorded, on the contrary For Tune made exactly the right decision to include it in their catalogue, simply for what it is: unadulterated explosion of musical energy, which pays tribute to the glorious past. And since nobody else is doing anything remotely similar, even more so! I don´t know if the album´s title is a tribute to the fabulous Old And New DreamsFind albums by this artist ensemble, which by itself was a tribute to Ornette ColemanFind albums by this artist; regardless if this is intentional or not, it is certainly most appropriate.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend