Record Reviews

PIOTR BUDNIAK ESSENTIAL GROUP ~ INTO THE LIFE SJ 022 (Barcode: 5912596066238) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is the second album by young Polish Jazz drummer / composer Piotr BudniakFind albums by this artist with his Essential GroupFind albums by this artist sextet, which also includes saxophonists Wojciech LichtanskiFind albums by this artist and Jakub SkowronskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Szymon MikaFind albums by this artist, pianist Kajetan BorowskiFind albums by this artist and bassist Alan WykpiszFind albums by this artist; definitely some of the best young Polish Jazz lions. The album presents six original compositions (one repeated twice), all by Budniak. Perfectly executed and presenting superb compositions this album is an example of what modern young European Jazz is all about and it is a momentous step forward for Budniak as a composer and bandleader. The music is diverse, interesting, often unexpected and developing constantly. Although based on clearly defined melodic themes, it keeps evolving within each tune, changing moods and tempi, all to the delight of the listener. Although perhaps not intended as such, the albums sound like a continuous suite-like piece of music, which is perfectly coherent and feels like a complete statement. The sextet plays like a dream, at times sounding like a small Big Band, at other times like a Jazz-Rock ensemble, always perfectly in sync, balanced and cooperating towards a common goal. The individual statements are all perfect with the wonderfully structured solos chasing one another. The bass clarinet parts by Skowronski and the guitar parts by Mika are the "secret ingredients" which create the overall wonderful sonic aura, but everybody plays simply superbly. The rhythm section drives the ensemble like a Porsche engine, with sublime sensitivity, with the Big Bear Wykpisz being the maestro of melodic structures at the low end of the sonic spectrum. Budniak himself is a very delicate and considerate drummer, who keeps his rhythmic pulsation at a proper ensemble level not trying to be bossy. Of course Budniak deserves praise for his extraordinary compositions, which are the essence of this music. I must say that it has been quite a while since I heard an album´s length piece of music, which has absolutely no weak parts and keeps the listener at his toes for the entire duration. Absolutely brilliant stuff! Congratulations are in order to everybody involved and I highly recommend this album to all Jazz connoisseurs around the world as an example of what great music means these days. Life is too short for anything less than this!

Updated: 16/09/2017Posted: 16/09/2017

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PIOTR BUDNIAK ESSENTIAL GROUP ~ SIMPLE STORIES ABOUT HOPE AND WORRIES SOLITON 429 (Barcode: 5901571094298) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz drummer / composer Piotr BudniakFind albums by this artist and his sextet called Essential GroupFind albums by this artist, which also includes trumpeter Pawel PoludniakFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Wojciech LichtanskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Szymon MikaFind albums by this artist, pianist Kajetan BorowskiFind albums by this artist and bassist Alan WykpiszFind albums by this artist. Vocalist Michal SobierajskiFind albums by this artist guests on one track. The album presents seven original compositions, all by the leader, who also wrote the lyrics to the vocal piece. Budniak, who returned to playing Jazz after a brief encounter with Rock-Folk as member of the ensemble LemONFind albums by this artist, which stirred quite a sensation on the local music scene, explores the Jazz tradition but maintains a fresh perspective, especially as a composer. The resulting music is a mixture of contemporary Jazz and Jazz-Rock Fusion, with a dash of Pop & Rock, performed efficiently and elegantly by the sextet. The emphasis on melody and lyricism creates an overall atmosphere of relaxation and lack of tension, which can be a two edged sword. The young players, who are members of the sextet, are all upcoming heroes of the next generation of Polish Jazz, many of which have already shown their chops on other recording released in recent years. Mika is the most noticeable soloist by far and Wykpisz slowly emerges as a very promising bass player, who can literally hold a tune like an old pro. These two are definitely worth following with special attention. But all the other players, including the leader, are fine young talents, who will be heard and noticed in the future. The focus of this album is obviously on the compositions, and rightly so, as Budniak has definitely a lot to say in that department. All of his compositions here are nicely crafted and a pleasure to listen to. The only drawback of this music is that it lacks originality and passion to explore uncharted territory, but perhaps it´s unfair to ask for boldness at this stage. This is definitely an impressive debut effort, which should make all the participants proud of their achievements. I am looking forward to their sophomore album in order to follow their progress.

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PIOTR BUDNIAK ESSENTIAL GROUP ~ THE DAYS OF WINE AND NOISES NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is the third album by Polish Jazz drummer / composer Piotr BudniakFind albums by this artist and his ensemble called Essential GroupFind albums by this artist, which on this album is a quintet and includes also saxophonist Wojciech LichtanskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Kajetan BorowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Piotr NarajowskiFind albums by this artist and as guest Czech guitarist David DoruzkaFind albums by this artist. The album was recorded live and presents five original compositions, all by the leader. Musically the album continues the path set by the earlier recordings by Budniak, presenting excellent compositions well within modern melodic mainstream, performed with vigor and technical proficiency. Lichtanski and Borowski have been with the ensemble since its inception and together with Budniak constitute the core of the group, which is obviously well solidified. The new young bassist has a very though pair of shoes to fit, filling in for the original member of the ensemble, the excellent Alan WykpiszFind albums by this artist, but manages to catch up nicely. Doruzka is a very accomplished player and his role on this album proves his versatility and skill, again filling in for the original member of the ensemble Szymon MikaFind albums by this artist. Once again the focus of the album is on the excellent compositions by the leader, which present a diverse palette and a wonderful sense of melody and harmony. The quintet performs the music with grace and elegance, but without any extravagant solo excursions, which is all for the best. On the down side the sound quality of the live recording is rather problematic, which limits the pleasure of listening to the music. It is not entirely sure if this album is a formal release or just a promo release added to the Polish Jazz Forum magazine, but in any case sound quality is a crucial part of any recording and in this case it is simply not up to par with the quality of the music. Overall this is another injection of good Jazz compositions by Budniak and excellent playing by his ensemble, less formally packaged and recorded, but nevertheless very enjoyable.

Updated: 04/05/2018Posted: 04/05/2018

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