Record Reviews
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  | CONFUSION PROJECT ~ HOW TO STEAL A PIANO?
BCD 34 (Barcode: 5906880885292) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz
Recorded: 2013 Released: 2014
This is the debut album by Polish Jazz trio called Confusion ProjectFind albums by this artist, led by pianist / composer Michal CiesielskiFind albums by this artist with bassist Piotr GierszewskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam GolickiFind albums by this artist. The album comprises of nine compositions, eight of which are original compositions by Ciesielski and the last one (a bonus track) is a standard.
Gierszewski plays electric bass, so the overall sound of the classic piano trio is somewhat updated here to sound quite Fusion-like at times. The music is a mixture of up tempo numbers and ballads with clear melodic themes stated usually at the onset of each piece, followed by solos, all quite ordinary except for the rhythm section playing much more aggressively and stridently than in a typical Jazz setting. The compositions are all nice, well developed and rounded, creating a pleasant atmosphere easily accessible for mainstream Jazz listeners. The whole thing is perhaps to pretty altogether, lacking an edge that would turn it from pleasant into fascinating, but considering the fact that it is a debut album, these young musicians have done a splendid job herein.
Ciesielski shows off his technique and knowledge of many different stylistic mannerisms, but most of it is derivative and we´ll have to wait for his original statement to arrive sometime in the future. The rhythm section is a bit too busy at times, but all in all it does the job of accompanying the piano shoulder to shoulder vigorously. The sound quality of the album is quite excellent, which Hi-Fi enthusiasts will appreciate enormously.
In short this is a nice debut, which is pleasant to listen to and sounds good, a set of qualities that satisfy most contemporary listeners. Hopefully next time these young musicians with try to produce a more profound statement. In the meantime bon chance mes amis!
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  | CONFUSION PROJECT ~ LAST
DAYMUSIC 03 (Barcode: 198002160188) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion
Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021
This is the fourth album by Polish Jazz trio called Confusion ProjectFind albums by this artist, led by pianist / composer Michal CiesielskiFind albums by this artist with electric bassist Piotr GierszewskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam GolickiFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, six by the leader and one co-composed with Golicki.
The music, although still deeply melodic, presents a significant stylistic change in comparison to the earlier recordings, moving from Fusion oriented ambience into more Classical oriented one, even if only hinted rather than specifically emphasized. The compositions are longer and more extensively developed and the atmosphere is definitely more reflective, sometimes even somewhat somber, perhaps reflecting the times we live in.
The album is a wonderful example of an alternative approach to the classic Jazz piano trio, with the rhythm section radically different, but definitely not less significant, than in the traditional approach. Gierszewski plays some amazing bass lines and solos frequently, which manages to contribute both to the melodic layer and the rhythmic layer of the music and Golicki keeps a tight ship without being intrusive or dominating, displaying a wonderful respect towards the music. Ciesielski has plenty of opportunities to show his piano chops, but stays mostly in a romantic, meditative mood and concentrates on the delivery.
Overall, this is an excellent and interesting album and a significant step in the trio’s process of development and maturity, which I had a pleasure to follow over the years. For traditional Jazz piano trio fans this might be quite an eye (ear) opener and for listeners, who like a slight touch of Fusion in their Jazz dish, this is definitely something worth checking out. Of course we all hope this is not the “last” outing together by these talented musicians.
| | Updated: 19/11/2021Posted: 16/11/2021 | CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend |
  | CONFUSION PROJECT ~ PRIMAL
SOLITON 800 (Barcode: 5901571098005) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018
This is the third album by Polish Jazz trio called Confusion ProjectFind albums by this artist, led by pianist / composer Michal CiesielskiFind albums by this artist, with electric bassist Piotr GierszewskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam GolickiFind albums by this artist. The album presents an eleven part suite, which is based on a concept story of Naturalist motif, composed and arranged by the leader. The album, which was recorded at the Monochrom Studio and engineered by Ignacy GruszeckiFind albums by this artist, offers a superb sound quality, which should delight the Hi-Fi enthusiasts.
The music is deeply melodic and only marginally belongs to the mainstream of the Jazz idiom, although it does include a substantial element of improvisation. It could be also considered as Progressive Rock, Fusion or contemporary Classical Music and better yet an amalgam of all these genres. Since the music is performed by a piano trio the obvious focus is on the leader, who dictates the dynamics and the flow of the suite and is also the principal improviser.
The rhythm section stands shoulder to shoulder with the leader, providing the harmonic and chronometric basis of the music, but also soloing quite effectively, although sparingly. The smooth electric bass lines are ideally suited to the music, at times providing a very effective Groovy, almost Funky feel. The trio is perfectly matched up and synchronized up to the tiniest detail and sounds like one perfect musical unit.
Overall this is a most enjoyable piece of music, which can be appreciated by a wide range of listeners. It is full of wonderful melodic themes and offers a coherent development of the themes, which constitute the entire suite. Although on the lighter side of the music spectrum, it is honest and elegant and above all highly professional and definitely inspired.
It seems that Confusion Project found a niche they wish to operate within, which offers beautifully crafted and highly melodic music, which offers to please rather than challenge the listener, without compromising an iota of their musical integrity. This is definitely a legitimate and highly rewarding modus operandi. Enjoy!
| | Updated: 28/04/2018Posted: 28/04/2018 | CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend |
  | CONFUSION PROJECT ~ THE FUTURE STARTS NOW
BCD 37 (Barcode: 5906881885376) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015
This is the second album by young Polish trio called Confusion ProjectFind albums by this artist, which comprises of pianist / composer Michal CiesielskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Piotr GierszewskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam GolickiFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven tracks, six of which are original compositions by Ciesielski and one is the trio´s interpretation of a John ColtraneFind albums by this artist tune.
This album continues the modus operandi presented on the trio´s debut from a couple of years earlier; piano trio with electric bass, playing mostly original music in a Fusion oriented manner with strong Classical music influences recognized in the pianist´s approach to the instrument. There is no real progress from the debut and it sounds mostly as "more of the same".
The performances by all the trio members are accomplished and technically excellent in every respect: Ciesielski is a very skillful player and writes nice tunes, Gierszewski plays a great Funky bass guitar barrage and Golicki keeps the time like a chronometer. The only problem is that this music is not really going anywhere… Once it is over, at least in my case, it is easily forgotten.
I´m sure that these talented young musicians have a lot of potential and it is only a matter of finding the right formula which will take their music to the next level. It has not happened on this album, but it surely will happen one day.
Overall this is a nice Fusion album with a lot of interesting solos, especially by the bass player and some inspired moments, which should keep the average Fusion listener happy. Mind you this album is way better that most other contemporary Fusion albums, which have no musical contents whatsoever except for excessive and repetitious doodling, so here we are: quality is relative.
| | Updated: 11/02/2016Posted: 11/02/2016 | CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend |
  | FRANK FUSION TRIO ~ MY PLACE
ATS 0982 (Barcode: 9005216009824) ~ AUSTRIA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 2022 Released: 2022
This is the second album by the Austrian ensemble Frank Fusion TrioFind albums by this artist, which is rather confusing as the ensemble has no less than eight members: keyboardist Fabian MangFind albums by this artist, bassist Stefano DelorenzoFind albums by this artist and drummer Philipp BindreiterFind albums by this artist (the trio), expanded with saxophonist Michael ErianFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Daniel NosigFind albums by this artist, guitarist Armin PolsingerFind albums by this artist, violinist Anja Wobak-EderFind albums by this artist and cellist Jana ThomaschutzFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original compositions, eight by Mang and two by Erian.
The music is highly melodic and offers expanded compositions, which eschew exact pinpointing stylistically, making everything interesting of course. There is plenty of Jazz-Rock Fusion, but also other genres like Funk or Symphonic Progressive Rock, Classical Music orchestration etc. in short never a dull moment.
As such, this album is really quite universal and could be enjoyed by a wide range of listeners, between Fusion to Brass Rock and Funky Jazz. Normally such diversity could cause a lot of confusion and a lack of focus, but this music works well and the variety adds a lot of spicing.
The individual contributions are all excellent and the compositions are all solid and coherent, and as a result this is a very pleasant listening experience, without losing any musical integrity. Highly recommended to listeners, who like the lighter spectrum of Jazz / Fusion, which can still be intellectually stimulating!
| | Updated: 27/04/2022Posted: 27/04/2022 | CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend |
  | FREE FUSION BAND ~ VULCAN`S ELECTRIC HAMMER
ALLEGRO 035 (Barcode: 5901157049353) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 2006 - 2016 Released: 2017
This is the debut album by the Free Fusion BandFind albums by this artist, a project led by Polish (resident in Oslo) bassist / keyboardist / synthesizer player / composer Jakub PielakFind albums by this artist. The participants include several Polish and Norwegian musicians, including guitarist Tomasz KozaFind albums by this artist, percussionist Iwona LipinskaFind albums by this artist and many others. The album was recorded in Oslo over a period of over ten years and presents seven lengthy compositions, all by Pielak. It is lavishly packaged with graphics and texts full of Science Fiction allusions, which were an obvious influence on the composer.
The music is a unique amalgam of a plethora of electronic, ambient, improvised threads, combined together to create an Avant-Garde flow, which is fascinating and engaging, although certainly quite demanding, especially when encountered for the first time. There are distinct melodic themes and a coherent continuity, but the music is not devised to be analyzed on the detailed plane but rather embraced as a whole by simply succumbing to its natural flow.
There are many improvised passages, which as the band´s name suggests are inherently closer to Fusion than to Jazz, although could be accepted as both. The entire approach is more accidental and cinematic in its nature, which leads this music more into the "soundtracks of imaginary movies" category rather than a concrete melodic / harmonic entity.
Although the music was created and recorded over a prolonged period of time and involves different teams of participating musicians, it certainly manages to maintain a coherent concept and stylistic unity, which in projects of such nature is often very difficult. The natural flow and often hypnotic nature of the music enables listeners, who are drown to such emotional involvement, to get completely enthralled within the music.
This is certainly quite an unusual project in every respect and the will and consistency demanded from Pielak to bring this music into existence deserves respect and admiration. Going against the popular flow and following one´s true vision are rare qualities today.
I am already looking forward to hear more of Pielak´s conceptual vistas in the future and in the meantime recommend listeners´ who are able to make a conscious efforts and take a step out of the comfort zone and listen to some truly exciting music present on this album. A true voyage of discovery…
| | Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 23/03/2019 | CD 1 HDCD Recommend To A Friend |
  | FUSION GENERATION PROJECT ~ NO FUSION
ALLEGRO 027 (Barcode: 5901157049278) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 2012 - 2013 Released: 2013
This is the debut album by young Polish quartet called Fusion Generation ProjectFind albums by this artist, which consists of keyboardist Dariusz PeteraFind albums by this artist, guitarist / cellist Krzysztof LenczowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Lukasz Jan JozwiakFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof KwiatkowskiFind albums by this artist. They perform nine original compositions, six of which are by Petera and the rest are one each by the other three quartet members. Saxophonist Marcin KajperFind albums by this artist and American trumpeter Michael Patches StewartFind albums by this artist appear as guest on a few tracks.
The music is a nice brand of Jazz-Rock Fusion, on the lighter side of the genre almost touching on instrumental Pop occasionally. The tunes are very melodic and pretty straight-forward, but the level of performances as well as the general atmosphere of the album is quite excellent. There are also a few nice surprises, for example when the guitarist plays the cello out of the blue, and other less enjoyable ones when the album starts with a long drums solo track. The keyboardist, who is also the principal composer of the material, is the Jazziest player in the quartet, whereas the guitarist (at least when playing the guitar) is a definite Rocker. The excellent rhythm section is quite Funky on the other hand, so the overall effect works well, without taking any major risks.
The usage of the sax and trumpet seem a bit out of place as the band sounds pretty balanced as a quartet and loses the focus with the addition of the brass. Stewart´s solos, although adequate, seem out of place stylistically and sort of misguided. But overall the music is good fun and a nice listen, especially when driving.
I´d prefer that such talented musicians would have played a more adventurous and challenging music altogether, but each to his choices and the future will tell where does all this lead. In the meantime this album will surely find many satisfied listeners.
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  | FUSION SYNDICATE ~ A SPEEDWAY ON SATURN`S RINGS
PURPLE PYRAMID 4022 (Barcode: 889466402227) ~ USA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 2012 - 2023 Released: 2023
This is the second album by the Fusion SyndicateFind albums by this artist, a brainchild of American guitarist / composer / producer Fernando PerdomoFind albums by this artist, who assembled a group of Fusion / Prog superstars to record (mostly) his compositions with various lineups, which change from track to track. The collective lineup includes guitarists Al Di MeolaFind albums by this artist and Jan AkkermanFind albums by this artist, keyboardists Rick WakemanFind albums by this artist and Brian JacksonFind albums by this artist, bassist Jah WobbleFind albums by this artist and Alphonso JohnsonFind albums by this artist and drummer Chester ThompsonFind albums by this artist, among others. The album presents eight tracks recorded in late 2022 and early 2023.
The album also presents four bonus tracks produced and composed by bassist / composer Billy SherwoodFind albums by this artist, which originate from the debut eponymous album by Fusion Syndicate from 2012, which is difficult to find these days. It features such Fusion giants like bassist Jimmy HaslipFind albums by this artist, guitarist Larry CoryellFind albums by this artist, violinist Jerry GoodmanFind albums by this artist, drummer Billy CobhamFind albums by this artist and others.
Although featuring excellent musicians, the album has nothing new to offer musically and has no coherent concept per se. There is plenty of excitement and excellent soloing by the participants, as expected, but sadly it confirms the notion that Fusion, following a relatively brief period of creativity and Artistic productivity during the Golden Decade (1965-1975) has been mostly dormant, if not dead since.
Overall, this is a well-played typical Fusion album, which adds nothing new to the genre’s illustrious past, but offers a pleasant listening experience to the genre’s hard to die fans.
| | Updated: 08/12/2023Posted: 08/12/2023 | CD 1 Digipak Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | FUSION SYNDICATE ~ BEAUTIFUL HORIZON
PURPLE PYRAMID 4685 (Barcode: 889466468520) ~ USA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 2012 - 2023 Released: 2023
This is the third album by the Fusion SyndicateFind albums by this artist, a brainchild of American guitarist / composer / producer Fernando PerdomoFind albums by this artist, who assembled a group of Fusion / Prog superstars to record (mostly) his compositions with various lineups, which change from track to track. The collective lineup includes guitarists John EtheridgeFind albums by this artist and Robby KriegerFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Brian AugerFind albums by this artist, bassists Jah WobbleFind albums by this artist and Alphonso JohnsonFind albums by this artist and drummer Chester ThompsonFind albums by this artist, among others. The album presents seven tracks, all original compositions by Perdomo.
The album also presents three bonus tracks produced and composed by bassist / composer Billy SherwoodFind albums by this artist, which originate from the debut eponymous album by Fusion Syndicate from 2012, which is difficult to find these days. It features such Fusion giants like bassist Percy JonesFind albums by this artist, guitarist Steve MorseFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Jim BeardFind albums by this artist, drummer Asaf SirkisFind albums by this artist and others. These bonus tracks were newly remastered and with the four bonus tracks added to the “A Speedway On Saturn`s RingsFind albums with this title” album, constitute a reissue of the debut album.
Although featuring excellent musicians, the album has nothing new to offer musically and has no coherent concept per se. There is plenty of excitement and excellent soloing by the participants, as expected, but sadly it confirms the notion that Fusion, following a relatively brief period of creativity and Artistic productivity during the Golden Decade (1965-1975) has been mostly dormant, if not dead since.
Overall, this is a well-played typical Fusion album, which adds nothing new to the genre’s illustrious past, but offers a pleasant listening experience to the genre’s hard to die fans.
| | Updated: 11/12/2023Posted: 11/12/2023 | CD 1 Digipak Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | FUSIONATOR ~ KUNG FU
NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 5903292102993) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 2012 Released: 2012
This is the debut album by the young Polish Fusion band FusionatorFind albums by this artist, which comprises of guitarist Krzysztof LenczowskiFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Wawrzyniec PrasekFind albums by this artist, bassist Lukasz Jan JozwiakFind albums by this artist and drummer Szymon LinetteFind albums by this artist. The violin virtuoso Adam BaldychFind albums by this artist guests on two tracks. The album includes ten original compositions, six composed by Lenczowski, and two each by Prasek and Jozwiak.
The music is quite conventional as far as Fusion goes, with a tendency more towards Rock than Jazz, demonstrated both in the improvisational approach and the choice of rhythmic patterns. If fact Progressive Rock listeners should feel especially "at home" with this music, as it is similar to many other efforts in that area. Whatever is missing here as far as innovation and exploration are concerned is balanced by the excellently crafted tunes and the individual performances, which are mostly excellent, especially those by the guitarist, who is undoubtedly the most imaginative player in the group as well as the main composer. Stylistically he is heavily influenced by Mike SternFind albums by this artist (who also tends to sound Rockier rather than Jazzier) and a plethora of other guitar heroes, but manages to find an individual voice, which is quite rare these days.
Although obviously an introductory effort, this is quite an impressive debut, which should provide an exciting listening experience for Fusion / Prog enthusiasts, especially in view of the complete lack of excitement in that area in years. There is a lot of potential herein, which hopefully will turn into a more mature achievements in the not to distant future. Definitely worth investigating!
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  | JOHN MAYER / INDO-JAZZ FUSIONS ~ INJA
FMR 069 ~ UK ~ Jazz-World Fusion
Recorded: 2000 Released: 2000
British violinist / composer John MayerFind albums by this artist invented the fusion between Jazz and traditional Indian music in the 1960s, when he and the brilliant saxophonist Joe HarriottFind albums by this artist co-led an ensemble, which recorded a series of groundbreaking albums which fused the two musical genres, being one of the pioneers of Jazz-World Fusion. Unfortunately the ensemble ceased to exist when Harriott died tragically in 1973. From that time on Meyer continued his work mainly in the field of Classical music, but by the end of 1990s he formed a new ensemble called Indo-Jazz FusionsFind albums by this artist and recorded with them a series of superb albums until his death in 2004. The ensemble was a nonet and included Mayer on violin and eight young but extremely talented musicians, with his son Jonathan MayerFind albums by this artist on sitar, Harjinda MataruFind albums by this artist on tabla, James McDowallFind albums by this artist on flute, Carlos Lopez-RealFind albums by this artist on saxophone, David SmithFind albums by this artist on trumpet, Simon ColamFind albums by this artist on piano, David FosterFind albums by this artist on bass and Andrew BrattFind albums by this artist on drums. Mayer wrote most of the fantastic music performed by the ensemble, but the great Kenny WheelerFind albums by this artist composed the title track of this album. The music is a direct continuation of the stuff the Mayer-Harriott group was doing, missing of course Harriott’s virtuosity, but nevertheless still formidable. Mayer’s beautiful melodies are perfect vehicles for the improvised passages and solos by the ensemble’s members and everything falls into place just flawlessly. One can hardly imagine a better cross-pollination between cultures and we should all be grateful to Mayer for pursuing this wonderful dream. Delightful!
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  | JOHN MAYER / INDO-JAZZ FUSIONS ~ SHIVA NATARAJ KING OF DANCE
FMR 086 (Barcode: 649849981301) ~ UK ~ Jazz-World Fusion
Recorded: 2001 Released: 2001
British violinist / composer John MayerFind albums by this artist invented the fusion between Jazz and traditional Indian music in the 1960s, when he and the brilliant saxophonist Joe HarriottFind albums by this artist co-led an ensemble, which recorded a series of groundbreaking albums which fused the two musical genres, being one of the pioneers of Jazz-World Fusion. Unfortunately the ensemble ceased to exist when Harriott died tragically in 1973. From that time on Meyer continued his work mainly in the field of Classical music, but by the end of 1990s he formed a new ensemble called Indo-Jazz FusionsFind albums by this artist and recorded with them a series of superb albums until his death in 2004. This album was unfortunately the last he recorded with this ensemble before he died. The lineup is identical to the one, which recorded the beautiful INJAFind albums with this title, and again a British Jazz veteran contributes one of the compositions on this album, this time saxophonist Stan SultzmannFind albums by this artist. The music is as beautiful and perfect as anything Mayer ever touched - a great example of Jazz-World Fusion and a must for all lovers of cross-cultural inspirations. Mayer’s fans need no further inducement to grab this one ASAP.
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