Record Reviews

BABADAG ~ BABADAG LADO ABC B/18 (Barcode: 5907709922471) ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2012 Released: 2012 This is the debut album by Polish ensemble BabadagFind albums by this artist, a quartet fronted by vocalist / lyricist / composer Ola BilinskaFind albums by this artist with guitarist Maciej CieslakFind albums by this artist, bassist Szymon TarkowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Hubert ZemlerFind albums by this artist. The quartet members play a plethora of instruments among themselves and a few guest musicians also appear on selected tracks. The album presents ten original songs, all written and composed by Bilinska, nine of which have lyrics in English and one in Polish. The music is immediately strikingly as highly original, and therefore difficult to be easily categorized. The atmosphere is mostly somewhere in the neighborhood of Progressive Folk-Rock, but with instrumental work that borders on the Avant Progressive with touches of Jazzy influences. Although focused on Bilinska´s vocal explorations, this is obviously a team effort, as this highly emotional and complex music involves close cooperation between the Artists than usually found in such efforts. Bilinska displays extraordinary talent both as a composer of atmospheric, expressive and fully developed highly original compositions and as a unique performer. Although she sings lyrics, her delivery is more instrumental than text oriented and she uses a very diverse palette of vocal approaches. I usually detest Polish vocalists singing in English, but in this context the theatrical and artistic delivery of the vocals hide the "improper" accent and pronunciation to such extent, that it is completely acceptable. The other musicians involved in this project display their respective abilities as multi-instrumentalists, playing many exotic and unusual sounds, always perfectly matching the music. The arrangements of the material are credited to the entire ensemble, and rightly so, as this is obviously a result of close cooperation and common goal, as already mentioned above. As far as I know this album received very little exposure so far, which is not surprising considering how original, different and artistic it is. Perhaps the fact that it floats somewhere between the straightforward genre definitions has something to do with it. Also the fact that it was released on a small independent Polish label, Lado ABCFind albums on this label, associated with the Polish Avant Garde scene, did not help to gain popularity. Nevertheless the album definitely does deserve exposure, as it is a solid piece of heartwarming music, searching, exploring and aesthetically pleasing, not to mention being a superb debut effort.

Updated: 17/12/2018Posted:

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DOMINIK BUKOWSKI ~ DOMINIK BUKOWSKI & PROJEKTOR ALLEGRO 010 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2004 Released: 2005 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz vibraphonist / composer Dominik BukowskiFind albums by this artist, recorded with an excellent ensemble which comprises of saxophonists Wojciech StaroniewiczFind albums by this artist and Lukasz PoprawskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Piotr LemanczykFind albums by this artist, drummer Hubert ZemlerFind albums by this artist and Pawel GrabowskiFind albums by this artist who employs live electronics. The album presents nine original compositions, all by Bukowski except for one track being co-credited to Grabowski, which is a soundtrack to a short film, which is also included as part of this enhanced CD. The music is absolutely stunning, typical melancholic Polish Jazz at its best, with beautifully woven melodies, which are then developed by the ensemble to form serene soundscapes, many of which could serve as soundtracks of imaginary movies, not only the last track on the album, which is a soundtrack in reality. Bukowski emerges from the very first moments of this album as an important composer, which of course would be reconfirmed time after time in the years that followed this recording. The personal contributions by the musicians involved in making this album are all first class. Bukowski deliberately takes a step back and solos rather sparingly, but when he takes the lead his performance is mesmerizing. Most of the solos are performed by Staroniewicz, who is definitely one of the best players in the country with an incredible melodic lyrical tone and virtuosic improvisational qualities. Lemanczyk, again one of the finest players in Poland, does his bass magic like a dream. Zemler plays carefully and intelligently in the background in order to keep the delicate balance this music so much depends on intact. The electronic / sampled ornamentations are all non-obtrusive and well suited to the atmosphere of the music, fitting very well into the overall ambience. Overall this is a superb debut and a fantastic Polish Jazz album, which is mostly overlooked in retrospect, definitely deserving an honorable place on the short list of best albums recorded during the first decade of the 21st Century. Those fans of Polish Jazz that missed getting it at the time: it´s never too late for great music!

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DIOMEDE ~ PRZYSPIEWKI AUDIO CAVE 2020/008 (Barcode: 5908298549056) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the second album by Polish Jazz outfit DiomedeFind albums by this artist, which started as a duo of keyboardist Grzegorz TarwidFind albums by this artist and saxophonist Tomasz MarkaniczFind albums by this artist and on this album was expanded to a trio with the addition of drummer Hubert ZemlerFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original compositions, which are not credited on the alum´s artwork and assumed to be co-composed by all three musicians. The music seems to stick to the modus operandi of the debut album, presenting melodic pieces, which are only partly related to the Jazz idiom, but involve the element of improvisation and the adventurous spirit, and which could be easily perceived as Art Rock, cinematic music, World-Jazz Fusion and many other sun-genres. This chameleonic character of the music is truly charming and fascinating, and keeps the listener on his toes for the entire duration. Tarwid emerges as one of the most interesting representatives of the young Polish Jazz scene, and his recorded legacy so far offers an astonishing stylistic diversity and unusual level of excellence, which are certainly worth watching closely. His contributions on this album are a clear indication of his multi-talented musical personality. Markanicz evidently matured since the recording of the debut and his improvising skill and power of expression are certainly more impressive, placing him shoulder to shoulder with the two more experienced colleagues. Joining forces with Zemler, who is another example of the strength and diversity of the Polish scene and a remarkable performer, certainly added a lot of new creativity into the outfit´s presence and strengthened the overall sound significantly, now able to present a full palette of an bona fide ensemble. Overall this is a very impressive album, wonderfully unusual, rich in musical contents and surprising variety, excellently performed and obviously standing out as far as creativity and exploration are concerned. Absolutely well done, Gentlemen, and congratulations are in order for passing the critical sophomore album test.

Updated: 22/06/2020Posted: 22/06/2020

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KORYBALSKI / TRACZYK / ZEMLER ~ DON`T TRY FOR TUNE 0156 (Barcode: 5906395808724) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2020 Released: 2022 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz trio comprising of trumpeter Lukasz KorybalskiFind albums by this artist (who also plays synthesizers), bassist Wojciech TraczykFind albums by this artist and drummer Hubert ZemlerFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, described as “emerging from collective improvisation”. Korybalski is a fascinating figure, with rare appearances on the recording scene. His brilliant debut album “CMMFind albums with this title” from 2015 was one of the best Polish Jazz recordings at the time, but he almost completely disappeared from the scene during the five years that separate this album and the debut, and emerged in a completely new musical environment. Combining forces with two experienced representatives of the Polish Improvised Music scene, Korybalski and his cohorts create a stylistic amalgam between melodic Jazz and Free Jazz, whatever that means. The resulting music is way more accessible than the usual Improvised Music havoc and mayhem, but certainly is also far detached from mainstream melody based Jazz, which might function as a double edged sword, with the Improvised Music fans rejecting it as “too easy” and mainstream fans as “too challenging”. It is therefore at the mercy of the listener to decide its fate. Personally, although respecting the will to search and explore, I feel Korybalski is way more effective when playing well-behaved compositions, which are truly heart-wrenching, rather than playing Miles Davis late period short phrases, which are all beautiful miniatures, but lose their effectiveness on top of the improvised rhythm section background, and which worked splendidly on top of the Funky Groove that the Davis’ groups were so brilliantly producing, so long ago. The trio truly gets things going by the last track on the album, which is the epitome of what the album might have sounded at its best. Overall, this is a fascinating album by one of the best Polish Jazz trumpeters, which portrays him searching for a new way of expressing himself, and as such is absolutely worth listening to. It might disappoint some of his fans, who loved his mainstream work, but it will bring new fans willing to take a risk. This music takes a while to get into, but grows on the listener with time, as all good things do. Welcome back!

Updated: 08/07/2022Posted: 08/07/2022

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LAM ~ LAM INSTANT CLASSIC 048 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the debut album by Polish Improvising Music trio LamFind albums by this artist, which comprises of veteran Polish Avant-Garde activists: clarinetist / composer Waclaw ZimpelFind albums by this artist, pianist Krzysztof DysFind albums by this artist and drummer Hubert ZemlerFind albums by this artist. Berlin based producer moorycFind albums by this artist, who was involved with the production, adds some electronic sounds. Together they present seven original compositions, all composed by Zimpel, two of which were co-composed by mooryc. Listeners familiar with the music of Zimpel will find this album closely following his usual concept of contemplative, meditative music, which develops painfully slowly and progresses on a very limited emotional level, almost like the music of Far Eastern cultures, which serves mostly for meditation and prayer. This music has a restricted melodic content, with short melodic themes, which are then repeated in an endless cycle, changing only marginally within each piece. Of course serial, cyclic, minimalistic and repetitive music techniques exist also in the Western Classical Music idiom, but Zimpel´s music has more affinity to the folkloristic directions. Personally this is not a kind of music I´d listen to intentionally, as usually I find it rather limited and annoying. Nevertheless this particular album is an exception, as I quite enjoyed the music herein and listened to the entire album with interest and pleasure. Zimpel´s highly emotional and expressive playing on one of the pieces is the absolute highlight of the entire album and justifies getting a copy of it. Dys, who is a brilliant piano virtuoso, sadly has little opportunity to show his super technique and exceptional ability, staying mostly in the background. Same applies to Zemler, who is a very creative drummer but this music hardly allows him to show his entire arsenal of possibilities. But all the limitations are balanced by a tight correlation between the musicians and the aesthetics of the musical concept, which inspires calm personal introspection, which perhaps is the main purpose of this music. Not for everybody of course, but Zimpel has many fans on the Polish scene, who will welcome this album openheartedly, which is always a good thing. Personally I´d love to hear Zimpel playing other kind of music for a change, perhaps more Jazz oriented, but I respect his consistency and obvious talent.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 08/11/2016

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EWA LIEBCHEN ~ ELECTRIC SHEEP BOLT 1050 ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Classical Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is the fourth album by Polish flautist Ewa LiebchenFind albums by this artist and her first solo recording. The album presents six compositions. The first two compositions were written specifically for Liebchen in 2017 by two well known contemporary Polish composers, Slawomir KupczakFind albums by this artist and Artur ZagajewskiFind albums by this artist respectively. The third composition is by the celebrated Austrian composer Bernhard LangFind albums by this artist. The fourth composition is by Ralf HutterFind albums by this artist and Florian SchneiderFind albums by this artist, the founding members of the legendary German group KraftwerkFind albums by this artist, which was arranged by percussionist Hubert ZemlerFind albums by this artist, who also plays on it and the previous piece. The fifth composition is by the Hungarian composer Laszlo SaryFind albums by this artist and features also the soprano singer Joanna FreszelFind albums by this artist. The sixth and last composition is by Lithuanian composer Rytis MazulisFind albums by this artist. The music is an eclectic orgy of European contemporary Avant-Garde minimalism, which opens a window into a world of mostly completely unknown music, which is sadly privy only to tiny Cultural elite. As the album´s title hints, the music examines the human / machine relationships, this time in the music making context, i.e. machines (mechanical or electronic) performing music in a humanoid form or humans imitating machines while performing music. Of course these themes have been already explored and experimented with during the Industrial Music period in Rock history, which makes the Kraftwerk reference self-explanatory, but while Rock Music almost completely lost interest in this sub-genre by the end of the 20th Century, the contemporary Avant-Garde Classical composers still find Musique Mechanique and related fields fascinating. But of course the essence of this album, beyond the musical directives, is the phenomenal virtuosic performance by Liebchen, who seems to be a true sound conjurer. She makes the magic flute (pun intended) soar gently in the wind, howl and scream, pound like a hammer and caress like a feather, sometimes all of the above at once. With the use of looping and pre-recorded synthesized sounds the delicate flute may sound like a giant factory hall or like a tiny child´s toy. She is obviously living the music with her entire entity and takes no prisoners. As the result the music is fascinating and completely absorbing, regardless of the diverse moods and ambiences, which flow quite naturally from one piece to another. Only when the music is over, the listener is faced by the sheer potency and penetrating sound imagery left behind and now emphasized by the silence. Liebchen is amicably and ably supported by Zemler, who is one of the most prolific, versatile and interesting musicians on the Polish interdisciplinary Avant-Garde scene. Freszel´s vocal acrobatics are also a hair-rising experience adding another layer to this incredible music. The album works wonderfully in every aspect of its multilayered unity: the selection of the pieces, the sequencing, which tells a story in itself, the performances of course and even the elegant artwork, created by the wonderful Witold PopielFind albums by this artist, who is guilty of introducing me to this music and who wisely guessed that I´d probably love this music, when we met a few months ago. Thank you my friend for the gift of music and trust. Overall this is one amazing piece of Artistry of the highest dimension, enslaving in its might and filling one´s life batteries with hope that not everything is lost and creativity, although mostly in deep underground, is still around. For intelligent and emotional music connoisseurs, who are able to open their minds and hearts to a new kind of musical experience, this music is like ambrosia for the mortals. Even people, who are complete strangers to contemporary Avant-Garde / Classical music, are able to enjoy this music in full, should they choose to accept it (again pun intended). Get a copy ASAP, oh come all ye faithful!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 30/10/2018

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EWA LIEBCHEN ~ GOODNIGHT MR. GORECKI BOLT 1705 (Barcode: 5902547017051) ~ POLAND ~ Classical Recorded: 2020 Released: 2020 This is an album by Polish flautist Ewa LiebchenFind albums by this artist accompanied by pianist Emilia Karolina SitarzFind albums by this artist, soprano singer Barbara Kinga MajewskaFind albums by this artist and percussionist Hubert ZemlerFind albums by this artist. As the title suggests, most of the music was composed by the great Polish Classical Composer Henryk GoreckiFind albums by this artist, including three of his pieces focusing on flute, and one piece composed by Zemler. The opening track (“Valentine Piece” from 1996) is a solo flute miniature originally composed as a gift to famous American flautist Carol VincencFind albums by this artist, who commissioned Gorecki’s most famous flute piece (“Concerto-Cantata” from 1992). The second track (“For You, Anne-Lill” from 1986) is a duet for flute and piano composed with the Norwegian flautist Anne-Lill ReeFind albums by this artist in mind, whom Gorecki met a couple of years earlier. This composition started Gorecki’s love affair with the flute, which blossomed in the 1990s. The next three tracks (“Good Night” from 1990) is a tripartite mourning meditation for flute, piano, soprano voice and percussion composed in memory of the British Arts Administrator Michael VynerFind albums by this artist. The last track (“Good Luck” from 2020) was composed by the prolific contemporary Polish percussionist / composer Hubert Zemler, featuring the same instrumentation as “Good Night” and based on its atmosphere and musical direction. Although originally intended as an improvised piece, to be performed at the concert promoting this album, which of course was eventually cancelled due to the pandemic, it was decided to write the music down for the studio recording. The music is of course absolutely marvelous from start to finish, with the delicate flute in the centerpiece of the minimalist atmosphere, with the notes floating delicately like autumn leaves. Deeply melancholic, often heartwrenching and always deeply moving, the music is totally fascinating and its sparingness only amplifies the overall effect. Zemler’s composition fits the rest of the material just perfectly and I can only congratulate Ewa on her decision to include it on this album. The performances are all superb, featuring the virtuosic flute parts by Liebchen impeccably supported by the rest of the team. In such intense playing and almost naked environment every little nuance matters of course and the splendid sound quality lets the listeners hear absolutely everything in perfectly audible form and shape. The album’s cover art features the work of the great Witold PopielFind albums by this artist, which as usual suits perfectly the spirit of this entire project. Overall this is a wonderful album, full of beautiful and deeply moving music, superbly performed by first class musicians, emphasizing the best in contemporary Polish / European music aesthetics and dedication to Art. The unusual concept and the mind-expanding subject matter makes it a true feast to the ears as much as to the mind and soul. Thank you, My Lady, for undertaking this challenging task and providing us with another glance at your amazing abilities as an Artist!

Updated: 30/01/2021Posted: 30/01/2021

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MICHAL PRZERWA-TETMAJER ~ DOKTOR FILOZOFII NOT ON LABEL 01 (Barcode: 5903240397006) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2013 This is the debut solo album by Polish guitarist / composer Michal Przerwa-TetmajerFind albums by this artist, who is familiar to followers of the Polish Jazz scene as the guitarist of the successful group JazzpospolitaFind albums by this artist. The album was recorded in a classis quartet setting with pianist Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Michal JarosFind albums by this artist and drummer Hubert ZemlerFind albums by this artist and presents nine original compositions by Przerwa-Tetmajer. It was recorded at the excellent Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Smoczynski, resulting in excellent sound quality, as usual. The music on this album is quite different from what Przerwa-Tetmajer plays with Jazzpospolita and is obviously an attempt to present a different side of his musical personality. The overall concept here is bona fide Jazz, as opposed to the obvious anarchist / rebellious approach used by the group. Surprisingly it is not about straightforward / mainstream melodic Jazz at all, but quite an ambitious open and at times even completely Free Form Jazz, although mostly quite reserved and melancholic. Although the music has a strong melodic content, the melodies are purposely uneven, both harmonically and rhythmically, which means that this music requires attentive listening and is anything but easy on the ear. The depth of these compositions is the biggest surprise of this album. Subtle, delicate, even fragile musical threads are finely presented and then developed by the two main soloists, each doing it his way; Smoczynski, who is a Master of melodic chord progression, pulls the tunes towards subtle melancholy, so typical of Polish Jazz, whereas Przerwa-Tetmajer pushes them into ragged fragmentation. This dichotomy adds an interesting dimension to the entire process of music making, which lifts this album to a higher plane. Przerwa-Tetmajer´s guitar playing is a strange mixture of classic Jazz and Blues guitar and his own liberties, which sometimes fit the music perfectly but on other occasions sounds a bit unnerving, hesitant and plain "strange". He is after all just starting, so his personal style is still in the process of being shaped, but the potential and talent are definitely there. Smoczynski, whose reputation as a brilliant player is mostly well within the mainstream idiom, shows here that he is incredibly flexible and can handle a much more challenging situations. The rhythm section, which consists of much older and experienced musicians, is of course beyond reproach and keeps this music "down to earth", saving it from potential chaos. Overall this is a very impressive debut, which hopefully will lead to future explorations of the infinite musical space. Judging by the compositions on this album Przerwa-Tetmajer has a bright path ahead of him, both as a player and composer. Of course we are all waiting for his next quantum leap of his solo career, in parallel to his work with Jazzpospolita.

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SLALOM ~ WUNDERKAMERA LADO ABC A/15 ~ POLAND ~ Electronic & Ambient Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is the second album by Polish Avant-Rock trio SlalomFind albums by this artist, which comprises of guitarist Bartlomiej TycinskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Bartosz WeberFind albums by this artist and drummer Hubert ZemlerFind albums by this artist. Tycinski and Weber play also synthesizers. A couple of "honorable" guests add their contributions as well. The album presents eight original compositions credited to all three members of the trio. The music of Slalom is a mixture of Rock, Ambient, Industrial and Electronic, with an overall Jazzy feel on improvisation, although no bona fide Jazz improvisation is attempted at any stage. It has a strong melodic basis and uses many short melodic phrases, often repeated continuously with slight variations, which build up a continuity of hypnotic nature, which is a great fun to listen to. All the above creates a very original and intriguing world of sound, which is quite unique and daring, something that happens very rarely in today´s Rock music, or any music for that matter. Although it might sound chaotic and confusing at first, this music makes perfect sense if one only cares to listen attentively. It is difficult to value the individual playing abilities of Tycinski and Weber, as the sounds they produce are often hidden behind a veil of electronics, distortion and synthesized / sampled sounds, but it is immediately apparent that Zemler does a brilliant work on this album from start to finish and keeps this music together so powerfully, that without him it would have probably disintegrated. He shows and incredible versatility as a drummer, getting away with even meters, polyrhythmic complexities and other tricks of the trade with astounding ease and elegance. It is very encouraging to hear that the young generation of Polish musicians does experiment in idioms other that the Jazz, for which the country´s musical scene is famous. This album shows that a lot of interesting stuff is happening in the Polish musical "underground", some of them even completely innovate and fascinating. As always, the more the popular music scene degrades into idiocy and brainlessness, the reaction of the Avant-Garde scene becomes more powerful and mind-expanding. This music is definitely worth exploring by everybody who is interested in challenging, intelligent music which stays away from the dreadful clichés and values its independence. Well done indeed!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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WOJCIECH STARONIEWICZ ~ ALTERNATIONS ALLEGRO 017 (Barcode: 5901157049179) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2007 Released: 2008 This is an excellent album by Polish saxophonist / composer Wojciech StaroniewiczFind albums by this artist, recorded with his quartet, which includes pianist Slawomir JaskulkeFind albums by this artist, bassist Michal BaranskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Hubert ZemlerFind albums by this artist. Polish piano superstar Leszek MozdzerFind albums by this artist sits in on three tracks, replacing the regular pianist. Staroniewicz composed all the nine tracks present here, which again proves his abilities as a composer, as they versatile and vary in mood and melodic direction, including some subtle World Music influences. The music is performed perfectly with the leader soloing extensively, and his solos are always a pleasure to listen to. On the three tracks Mozdzer guests on, he also gets plenty of space to show his chops. The rhythm section gives the soloist excellent support and the overall sound of the quartet is very solid. Staroniewicz has a wonderful tone on tenor and soprano saxophone and an unusually melodic approach, which does not diminish his improvisational qualities, which are truly impressive. Overall this album is a lot of fun to listen to and a great proof that solid, melodic Jazz can be also of high quality and interest. This album is most warmly recommended to Jazz fans who love quality modern mainstream Jazz.

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DOMINIK STRYCHARSKI CORE 6 ~ CZOCZKO FOR TUNE 0072 (Barcode: 5902768701708) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 In the last couple of years the burgeoning Polish Jazz / Improvised Music scene re-discovered Polish Folklore and a long series of albums, which amalgamates these two genres into contemporary Jazz-World Fusion, have been recorded. As usual in such circumstances some of these albums are truly phenomenal and others are distinctly less so. On this album Polish flautist / recorder player Dominik StrycharskiFind albums by this artist presents a series of nine compositions inspired by Kashubian folk songs, arranged and transformed into the Jazz / Improvised Music environment. Three of these pieces are performed by a duo comprising of Strycharski and clarinetist Waclaw ZimpelFind albums by this artist and the remaining six pieces are performed by a sextet which features a double rhythm section: bassists Zbigniew KozeraFind albums by this artist and Ksawery WojcinskiFind albums by this artist and drummers Hubert ZemlerFind albums by this artist and Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist; all of them are top representatives of the Polish Improvised Music milieu. As much as I respect all these musicians, it is completely beyond me why they would invest time and energy into this project, which honestly is simply completely banal and meaningless in my opinion. None of the aims expected form the amalgamation of World Music and Jazz are achieved here; the folkloristic themes remain bare and simple and the Jazz additions plainly don´t stick to them. The double rhythm section is bombastic and overbearing, being mostly contra productive and the overall proceedings are simply pointless and boring. Polish Folklore and Jazz have a proven record of working together wonderfully, both in the early Polish Jazz history in the 1960s and 1970s and currently with brilliant projects, many of which were released by For TuneFind albums on this label Records. This one is sadly a miss. Of course this is only my personal view and others might disagree with me, as usual. The musicians will probably not like these words either, but hey this is what I hear…

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MILOSZ WOSKO ~ URBAN RESIDENTS` BELIEFS REQUIEM / OPUS 2019/35 ~ POLAND ~ Classical Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 This is the debut album by young Polish pianist / composer Milosz WoskoFind albums by this artist, one of the upcoming Polish contemporary Classical Music activists. The album presents three instrumental works: "Dawn" for strings and accordion, played by the excellent AUKSO Chamber OrchestraFind albums by this artist and accordionist Maciej FrackiewiczFind albums by this artist, "Urban Dances" a five part suite for string quartet, piano and percussion played by the Kwartet PolonikaFind albums by this artist, pianist Emilia SitarzFind albums by this artist and percussionist Hubert ZemlerFind albums by this artist and finally "Five Discussions On Difficult Topics" for brass quintet played by the Polish Brass QuintetFind albums by this artist. Although quite diverse stylistically and tonally the music of Wosko seems to have a close association to cinematic themes, which is hardly surprising considering his work as composer of film soundtracks and other audiovisual concept works. As he writes in the album´s liner notes, his music is about our day-to-day 21st Century hectic life under constant pressure of time and routine, and the possibility to find the emotions that the human race seems to be losing on its path. The music, although modern, is not Avant-Garde per se, maintaining a strong melody contents and using familiar Classical Music vocabulary. It also offers much of the typical Polish melancholy, that characterizes the works of Polish modernist Masters, and which is probably unavoidable, almost genetically implanted within all Polish music across the genres and generations. The diversity of the compositions makes this album a superb listening experience, never allowing the listener to get too comfortable within the framework of one piece and moving into another one, which requires a swift intellectual reboot. And yet all three compositions have common characteristics, even when performed by different instrumental settings, which again is hardly surprising and indicates that Wosko has already managed to achieve a voice of his own. Overall this is a splendid piece of music, highly interesting and aesthetically pleasing as well as excellently executed and recorded. This music should by highly appealing to a wide range of music connoisseurs, not necessarily only Classical Music buffs, but all quality music lovers. Congratulations are in order and wishes of good luck in the future!

Updated: 11/01/2023Posted: 26/11/2019

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HUBERT ZEMLER & AUKSO CHAMBER ORCHESTRA ~ TOXIC POEM AUDIO CAVE 2024/004 (Barcode: 5908298549803) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2022 Released: 2024 This is an album by Polish percussionist / composer Hubert ZemlerFind albums by this artist, recorded with the AUKSO Chamber OrchestraFind albums by this artist, conducted by Marek MosFind albums by this artist. The album presents five tracks, which are parts of the suite, which gives the album its title. The music lasts for just slightly over thirty minutes. The suite is basically an Avant-Garde piece, which floats between contemporary Classical Music and Improvised Music, although most of the music is strictly composed and features only limited improvised elements. The music is minimalist, fragmented and offers a difficult to follow continuity, which appeals probably a limited audience, even among the most adventurous listeners. Zemler plays a wide range of percussion instruments, with the orchestra creating a background layer of Ambient, repetitive themes, stylistically resembling the minimal music by composers like Steve ReichFind albums by this artist, Terry RileyFind albums by this artist and others, highly popular in the 1960s, but almost completely abandoned since. Overall, as much as I admire Zemler’s originality and non-conformism over the years, I find this album somewhat less interesting or innovative than his usual work. Of course, Polish music needs adventurers and pioneers like Zemler, so I thank him for this piece of his creativity.

Updated: 12/07/2024Posted: 09/07/2024

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WACLAW ZIMPEL TO TU ORCHESTRA ~ NATURE MOVES FOR TUNE 0036 (Barcode: 5902768701340) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2013 Released: 2014 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz clarinetist / composer / bandleader Waclaw ZimpelFind albums by this artist and his nonet called To Tu OrchestraFind albums by this artist (the name is probably a wink in the direction of the legendary Warsaw club Pardon, To Tu), which includes saxophonist Pawel PostaremczakFind albums by this artist, flautist Dominik StrycharskiFind albums by this artist, hurdy-gurdy player Maciej CierlinskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Jacek KitaFind albums by this artist, bassists Wojciech TraczykFind albums by this artist and Mike MajkowskiFind albums by this artist and drummers Pawel SzpuraFind albums by this artist and Hubert ZemlerFind albums by this artist. The album includes six original compositions, arranged into three mini suites, of one, three and two parts respectively. The music is in many respects a continuation of Zimpel´s earlier work with the group Hera, which combines elements of Avant-Garde, Jazz and contemporary Classical music with World Music from all over the world. The strongest influence on this album is minimal music pioneered decades earlier by Philip GlassFind albums by this artist, Steve ReichFind albums by this artist, Terry RileyFind albums by this artist and others, which Zimpel embraces, most evidently in the first of the three mini suites but in fact throughout the entire album. The repeated structures returning cyclically, typical in minimal music, which are normally produced by electronic or acoustic orchestral patterns, are created here by World Music patterns, like Balinese gamelan music, slowly changing and intensifying until they reach a massive sound, but do not reach an expected crescendo. Minimalism continues to be present in the rest of the compositions, simply changing the geographic colorization, using Japanese, Middle Eastern and other folkloristic influences. Zimpel is undoubtedly a master of atmosphere and building tension, which accompany his earlier work as well, but come to a fruition and perfection on this album. The large ensemble allows him to "paint" much denser multilayered vistas, which move freely in the World Music universe. The music does not actually get into Jazzy improvisation until the very last piece on the album, so listeners anticipating that facet of Zimpel´s music are in for a disappointment. What emerges here is a new type of minimal music which amalgamates the earlier forms of minimalism with World Music, creating a World Minimal Music. Zimpel evidently had a great fun creating this music and it is also very listenable, but the fundamental question as to what Zimpel wanted to achieve remains open, at least in my case. I have not been overwhelmed neither by the aesthetics nor by the musical result, which after all simply states nihil novi sub sole. But it is very well done for sure!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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