Record Reviews

LUKASZ KOKOSZKO ~ NEW CHALLENGE SJ 030 (Barcode: 5912596066337) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Lukasz KokoszkoFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet setting with pianist Grzegorz ZiolekFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej KitajewskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz PalkaFind albums by this artist, all representatives of the youngest wave of Polish Jazz musicians at present (2018). The album presents nine original compositions, all by Kokoszko. The music is a melodic variety of Fusion, with stronger Jazz ties than usual Fusion material, especially in view of the fact that except for the electric guitar the rest of the instruments play acoustically. The compositions are also more complex than the usual Fusion stuff, so the overall stylistic environment is somewhere between melodic modern Jazz and Fusion. The music is mostly very calm and melancholic, and perhaps more up tempo numbers would have served the album well to add more variety. All four musicians perform very well, with the obvious emphasis on the leader, who sets the tone, playing the themes and long improvisations. Ziolek also adds several wonderful piano solos and the rhythm section splendidly supports them along the way. Kokoszko is a splendid guitar player, strongly based in the Blues tradition, which is relatively uncommon among contemporary guitar players. His personal style is very unique, which is a great virtue these days, with most guitar players imitating other guitar players. Overall this is a first class debut album, which shows a lot of potential by the leader and his splendid team. Solid compositions and excellent performances add together to create a very pleasant listening experience and the unusual guitar sound and drive are certainly worth being discovered. Well done indeed!

Updated: 05/08/2018Posted: 05/08/2018

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DARIUSZ ZIOLEK ~ FORGET NOT YET SJ 067 (Barcode: 5902596066987) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2022 Released: 2022 This is an album by Polish Blues / Jazz bass guitarist / composer Dariusz ZiolekFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet setting with Cuban clarinetist / saxophonist / trumpeter Joaquin SosaFind albums by this artist, pianist Grzegorz ZiolekFind albums by this artist and drummer Bartosz SzablowskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, seven by Dariusz Ziolek and two by Grzegorz Ziolek (son of Dariusz). The album offers an excellent sound quality, which is very important in delivering the music as naturally and acoustically, as it was intended. The music is all beautifully melodic Jazz, consisting mostly of low-key ballads with strong melancholic / lyrical feel. The level of the compositions is excellent and the entire duration of the album is a pleasant, relaxing experience. There are no surprises or unforeseen explorations, but the delivery is solid and the music flows coherently. The electric bass gets naturally more than usual soloing opportunities, in view of the fact that it is played by the leader, but most of the solo parts are performed by Sosa and Grzegorz Ziolek. Dariusz Ziolek is of course an excellent musician and his smooth, lingering bass lines are at the epicenter of the music, clearly audible for the entire duration of the album. Overall, this is a highly entertaining musical encounter, superbly put together and full of well composed music, which should make all mainstream / melodic Jazz listeners perfectly happy. The simplicity and relaxed atmosphere are a completely valid alternative, as long as they are backed by professional support and talent, which certainly are plentiful herein.

Updated: 28/01/2023Posted: 28/01/2023

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