Record Reviews

KRZYSZTOF HERDZIN ~ JESTES SWIATLEM UNIVERSAL 602537293872 (Barcode: 602537293872) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2012 Released: 2013 The Jazz & Poetry sub-genre is one of the pillars of Polish Jazz in particular, but also Polish Music in general, as it appears on the scene in many variations and crosses genre boundaries between Pop, Rock and Jazz since many decades. The abundance of great poets and poetesses as much as composers and performers, the intrinsic Polish lyricism and melancholy and the intellectual elitism of Polish Art evidently produce a fruitful ground for such meetings between words and music, which happen in the Polish Culture more often then anywhere else in the world. This album by celebrated Polish Jazz pianist / composer / arranger Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist is his contribution to the Jazz & Poetry legacy. It presents eight original compositions and one arrangement of a song by the Polish 19th Century Romantic composer Karol KurpinskiFind albums by this artist to the words of a late 18th / early 19th Century poet Franciszek KarpinskiFind albums by this artist, the father of Polish Sentimentalism. Of the eight compositions by Herdzin, one (the title track closing the album) is an instrumental and the others have lyrics by contemporary Polish poets: Konstanty Ildefons GalczynskiFind albums by this artist (one of my favorite Polish poets) and Kazimierz Przerwa-TetmajerFind albums by this artist. Herdzin assembled a dreamy team to record this music, which features him on keyboards and a plethora of other instruments, bassist Robert KubiszynFind albums by this artist and drummer Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist. Guitarist Marek NapiorkowskiFind albums by this artist guests on five tracks. The vocal tracks are sung by the legendary Anna Maria JopekFind albums by this artist, Dorota MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist and Grzegorz TurnauFind albums by this artist. Herdzin himself sings on one track and adds background vocals on two more. In spite of the truly excellent instrumental accompaniment and no less excellent vocals, the focus of this album is the original music, which spotlights Herdzin´s talent as a composer. Diverse and often even contrasting in the many tempi and cross-genre excursions, from deep lyricism to exotic World Music themes, this music remains constantly beautifully melodic and round. It fits the various poems used as the lyrics perfectly, which is always a great challenge for any composer. Even though Herdzin is still a relatively young musician, his enormous experience and his many talents come to full fruition herein. The instrumental work is pretty exciting as well, with Herdzin changing instruments more often that he changes his socks, playing all of them quite well, Kubiszyn playing some very nasty fretless bass parts that make the hair on your neck curl, Konrad keeps the entire ensemble rolling like only he can, and Napiorkowski adds some superbly tasty ornamentation. All three (or four in fact) vocalists are without reproach, with Jopek being (for me) divine as always, but the others not falling behind by any means. Turnau, who specializes in the Jazz & Poetry niche, sings most of the vocals, always with sensitivity and exquisite diction. So here we have it, another great album by Maestro Herdzin, whose inexhaustible energies know no limits. Jazz & Poetry buffs will of course love this to bits, but for any cultural music connoisseur this is a piece of music worthy admiration and a source of many pleasurable moments.

Updated: 01/01/2016Posted:

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WOJCIECH MAJEWSKI ~ REMEMBRANCE FOR TUNE 0094 (Barcode: 5902768701449) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2004 - 2013 Released: 2016 This is an archival album presenting a live recording by a quintet led by pianist / composer Wojciech MajewskiFind albums by this artist, which also included his brother trumpeter Robert MajewskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Tomasz SzukalskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Jacek NiedzielaFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof DziedzicFind albums by this artist. The concert, which took place at a Polish Radio studio, was part of a promotion effort for the album "ZamyslenieFind albums with this title", recorded by the same quintet and released a few months earlier. For this release the album was enhanced by the inclusion of one original track from that album, which features the vocals of the incredible Grzegorz TurnauFind albums by this artist, a couple of solo piano pieces recorded by Wojciech Majewski a decade later and finally by a fragment of a historic radio broadcast, featuring the Polish Rock legend Czeslaw NiemenFind albums by this artist accompanied by Wojciech Majewski and Szukalski. The music was mostly composed by Wojciech Majewski, but includes also a composition by Niemen, a couple of compositions by the legendary Polish bard Marek GrechutaFind albums by this artist and one composition by the Godfather of modern Polish Jazz Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist. The music is, as expected, top notch from start to finish, and presents the peak of the second generation of the Polish Jazz scene, both on the instrumental and compositional levels. All five players are absolute masters of their respective instruments, but obviously the performances by Szukalski are at the centre of attention, as he is sadly no longer with us and this album emphasizes the incredible loss Polish Jazz suffered with his premature death. As such, this album is a great tribute to his talents. Wojciech Majewski as a composer is in many respects the epitome of the mainstream Polish Jazz, encapsulating the lyricism, melancholy and exquisite melodies, which are its main characteristics. This album also shows how Polish Jazz, often within the Jazz & Poetry idiom, is interconnected with other aspects of the Polish Culture. The inclusion of works by Grechuta and Niemen are by no way incidental and emphasizes these intricate associations. Overall this is a highly important release, not only as far as the beautiful music it presents, but also as a wonderful historic document shedding light on the Polish Jazz scene in particular and Polish Culture in general. The For Tune label deserves to be especially praised for this release, which no doubt is a very significant addition to the label´s catalog. I hope more releases of such character will follow. This is an absolute must to all fans of Polish Jazz, but Jazz connoisseurs the world over should also enjoy this music immensely, as it knows absolutely no borders.

Updated: 19/07/2016Posted: 19/07/2016

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DOROTA MISKIEWICZ ~ PIANO.PL UNIVERSAL MUSIC POLSKA 602557206852 (Barcode: 602557206852) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is a live recording of a gigantically ambitious project conceived by Polish Jazz vocalist Dorota MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist, which pays tribute to the Polish Jazz piano school, which spans several generations and is a sublime example of Polish / European Jazz tradition. The album presents twelve songs, one original by Miskiewicz and eleven "Polish standards" composed and written by the best Polish composers and lyricists, each performed by Miskiewicz accompanied by a different pianist and on eight of them also accompanied by the renowned Atom String QuartetFind albums by this artist. The list of the pianists reads like the who´s who of Polish Jazz: Michal TokajFind albums by this artist, Andrzej JagodzinskiFind albums by this artist, Lutoslawski Piano DuoFind albums by this artist, Bogdan HolowniaFind albums by this artist, Leszek MozdzerFind albums by this artist, Piotr OrzechowskiFind albums by this artist, Tomasz KalwakFind albums by this artist, Marcin WasilewskiFind albums by this artist, Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, Dominik WaniaFind albums by this artist, Grzegorz TurnauFind albums by this artist (who also briefly sings) and Wlodzimierz NahornyFind albums by this artist. Saxophonist Henryk MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist (Dorota´s Father) guests on one song. The DVD (filmed during the concert), included in the package, adds the concert´s intro, outro and a couple of songs not included on the CD. I am happy to say that I managed to have a more modest (with just three pianists) version of this project perform at the 2018 Singer Jazz Festival, which was extremely successful. As expected, all the performances are absolutely wonderful, a typical example of European haute Culture, where music, words and stage performance are combined to deliver an overall experience, which is more than just a sum of its ingredients. The album moves between Jazz & Poetry and highly lyrical popular music, all expertly arranged and brilliantly executed, especially in view of the fact that it was captured live. This album delivers exactly what it promises: an extraordinary panorama of Polish Jazz piano, full of elegance, virtuosity and flair. Miskiewicz moves with ease from one song to another, with a chameleonic change of moods and emotions, as appropriate for a great performer. For lovers of Polish Jazz in general and Polish Jazz piano in particular, this album is a superb introduction to the subject. Even for listeners beyond the Polish language sphere, this music easily penetrates and language barriers and should be completely accessible to every music lover.

Updated: 14/09/2018Posted: 14/09/2018

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DOROTA MISKIEWICZ / HENRYK MISKIEWICZ ~ NASZA MILOSC AGORA 5903111495572 (Barcode: 5903111495572) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2021 Released: 2021 This is an album by Polish Jazz vocalist (and violinist) Dorota MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist and her Father, saxophonist / composer Henryk MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist, recorded with an excellent team which includes pianist Piotr OrzechowskiFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. PianohooliganFind albums by this artist), bassist Slawomir KurkiewiczFind albums by this artist and another member of the Miskiewicz clan (often fondly referred to as the “Polish Jazz Royal Family”), Dorota’s brother Michal MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist. Kurkiewicz and Miskiewicz are the rhythm section of the Marcin WasilewskiFind albums by this artist Trio (previously Simple Acoustic TrioFind albums by this artist). The album presents eight original compositions, all composed by Henryk Miskiewicz or co-composed with his two offspring. Seven of the compositions feature lyrics by Polish Poets and one features Dorota singing wordless vocalese. The music is absolutely beautiful, kept well within the Classic Jazz convention and presenting superb melodies and spotless aesthetics, as well as perfect and truly virtuosic performances. All the five musicians, each in his own specific field, contributes to the final result, which emerges as more than just a sum of its parts. Dorota masterfully utilizes her velvety voice and her sensitivity to the lyrics, which she interprets splendidly. Henryk ideally emphasizes the romantic atmosphere and proves to be both a great accompanist and a soloist. Piotr adds the spark and fantasy, with his virtuosic piano parts, proving that he can be as imaginative and inventive in mainstream Jazz as he is in more complex Jazz idioms. And the rhythm section is a dream come true, supporting the music firmly and elegantly. Overall this is a superb vocal Jazz experience, which combines lofty compositions, intelligent and elegant lyrics and classy Jazz, that is an absolute marvel from start to finish. Although perhaps not a classic Jazz & Poetry project per se, it has many common characteristics with my beloved High Art idiom, shedding some light on the romantic side of the poetry of Ewa LipskaFind albums by this artist, and returns to the splendid work of Bogdan LoeblFind albums by this artist, Wojciech MlynarskiFind albums by this artist, Grzegorz TurnauFind albums by this artist and Andrzej PoniedzielskiFind albums by this artist, all being true wizards of words. Absolutely delightful!

Updated: 20/10/2021Posted: 20/10/2021

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AGA ZARYAN ~ KSIEGA OLSNIEN EMI 5099908449627 (Barcode: 5099908449627) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2011 Released: 2011 This is the seventh album by Polish Jazz vocalist Aga ZaryanFind albums by this artist and a close companion to the album "A Book Of Luminous ThingsFind albums with this title", released a few months earlier. If fact these two albums are identical as far as their instrumental contents is concerned, with the difference being that this album features lyrics in the Polish language, as opposed to its predecessor, which featured lyrics in English. Another slight difference is the fact that Polish Jazz vocalist Grzegorz TurnauFind albums by this artist guests on one song. I suggest to the reader to check out my review of "A Book Of Luminous Things" in order to explore the background information about these two albums and their relation to the poetry of Czeslaw MiloszFind albums by this artist as well as the information about the musicians involved in the recording. One should not, however, assume that this is just a Polish language version of the same album. Language, and therefore consequently vocals, are intertwined intimately, as I´ve been trying to explain since many years. Each human language has its own melodic expression, flow, sensitivity, coloristic, sonority, etc. As a result the same song, sung in two different languages, simply "splits" into two separate entities, which can vary tremendously. This is even more obvious and evident in the case where the lyrics of the song are based on a poem, like all the songs here. Most of the poems used as lyrics of these songs were originally written in Polish, which of course means that their "true" nature is full of the intricacies specific to that language, which are extremely difficult, if not impossible, to be translated into any other language. Just four of the songs here were translated from their original English version into Polish, which means that the majority of the poetry used appears in its original form. This fact has a tremendous influence on the result, which is quite different from the earlier version of the album. Of course Jazz & Poetry is a very specific sub-genre, which demands a certain sensitivity and cultural background from its fans and avid followers, but even more so from the Artists involved. Zaryan brings forward her sensitivities, which are somehow, at least to me, much more complex and diversified in the Polish version of these songs. Her ability to play around with the words, juggle syllables, change accents and stretch notes are simply masterly herein. The very fact that these two albums use the same instrumental playback means that she managed to put together this album by surmounting such problems as different word lengths, accents, keeping the melodic lines intact and still manage to sound honest, moving and convincing. Definitely a victory of mind over matter! Yes I personally prefer this version over the English language, not because it is "better" in any sense, but simply because as a natural Polish speaker it penetrates deeper into my psyche. People, who are not blessed with the knowledge of the Polish language, will definitely prefer the English version, in order to enjoy both the fabulous music and the wonderful poetry on their terms. My admiration of Zaryan´s awareness of the importance of lyrics, which she constantly demonstrates during her career, cannot be overstated. Her understanding that the Polish version of this album is a worthy piece of Art of its own right and determination to pull it through is truly commendable.

Updated: 01/01/2016Posted:

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