Record Reviews

ALMOST JAZZ GROUP ~ FADE OUT WOOD AND MOOD 0005 (Barcode: 5907222681015) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is the third album by the Polish quartet called Almost Jazz GroupFind albums by this artist, led by accordionist / composer Pawel NowakFind albums by this artist and pianist / composer Ignacy Jan WisniewskiFind albums by this artist. The rhythm section comprises of bassist Maciej SadowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Antoni WojnarFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions: two each by Nowak and Wisniewski, three by Sadowski and one by Wojnar. The quartet´s name accurately describes the music that it presents, which is borderline Jazz, based on melodic themes which serve as basis for the improvisations, which are very tamed and stay within the strict mainstream idiom, bordering on Groove, Smooth Jazz and even Pop. Nevertheless the music is very well composed, coherent and harmonically pleasing, without being trivial or crossing over to kitsch. Personally I love the accordion´s sound and regret it is such a neglected instrument in Jazz, in spite of its enormous potential. The subtle balance between the accordion and the piano creates a wonderful atmosphere, which suits both the melancholic ballads and the swinging pieces. The bass supports the soloist amicably and very accurately, adding a crucial ingredient to the music. The drums are a bit too Rocky at times for this kind of music, but nothing dramatic which would break the charm. Both Nowak and Wisniewski play excellently and with obvious emotional involvement. Overall this is a very pleasant, somewhat nostalgic album, very well recorded, which offers a splendid listening experience to connoisseurs of the lighter side of the Jazz spectrum, but still being honest, superbly played and definitely worthy of listening. I had a great fun listening to it and I´m sure it will work for many other listeners as well – recommended!

Updated: 27/10/2017Posted: 27/10/2017

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IGNACY JAN WISNIEWSKI ~ DUOS HEVHETIA 0221 (Barcode: 8588005259026) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is an album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Ignacy Jan WisniewskiFind albums by this artist, which presents a series of duos recorded with other Polish Jazz musicians: bassist Olo WalickiFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Olgierd WalickiFind albums by this artist), saxophonist Mikolaj TrzaskaFind albums by this artist, drummer Michal BryndalFind albums by this artist and vocalist Marcin JanuszkiewiczFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original pieces, all of which are freely improvised. For “freely improvised music”, the music on this album is at times remarkably melodic and returns to the formats used by Wisniewski in his earlier recordings, which amalgamate elements of Jazz and Classical music with Avant-Garde vistas, being this time perhaps somewhat more radical, since the earlier music was definitely largely pre-composed. In any case, if all Improvised Music was as coherent, sensible and aesthetically pleasing as what can be heard here, my general cautiousness about the genre would have been way less intensive. This music is simply beautifully expressive and inviting, in complete contrast to most contemporary Improvised Music, with constant challenges, strange twists and turns and quite unexpected performances by the participants, like almost romantic saxophone parts by Trzaska and Cecil TaylorFind albums by this artist staccatos by the leader. The biggest surprise for me are the vocal performances by Januszkiewicz, whose earlier work I admit to not being familiar with. Due to his contacts with the theatre circles, as composer of music for spectacles, Wisniewski uses actors rather that Jazz vocalist in his projects (see / hear Kamil DominiakFind albums by this artist in “Kantata JazzowaFind albums with this title”), proving his perfect instinct as far as making such decisions. Januszkiewicz is absolutely stunning in his unconventional vocal approach and his parts are, for me, absolutely climatic. But to be fair all the participants contribute heartfelt roles in the entire project. Overall, this is one of the absolutely most wonderful Polish Free Jazz / Improvised Music recordings lately, which is rather unusual in its tameness, which perhaps is the source of its success. Presenting great musicianship, firmly managed by the leader, it proves that Improvised Music can be lasting and still innovate, which is happening very rarely lately. An absolute must to listeners, who are ready to be challenged. Hats off to all participants!

Updated: 01/10/2021Posted: 01/10/2021

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IGNACY JAN WISNIEWSKI ~ JAZZ SHIRIM WOOD AND MOOD 0001 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2016 This is the debut album as a leader by young Polish Jazz pianist / composer Ignacy Jan WisniewskiFind albums by this artist, recorded in a trio format with bassist Adam ZuchowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel OsickiFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, all by Wisniewski, that were originally created for a theatre production about the Jewish Community in Gdansk before and during the WWII. The Hebrew word "shirim" means songs. The music is an ambitious amalgam of melodic modern mainstream and free form improvisation. The pieces start with a clearly stated melody, followed by much less restrained improvisations, which are also very diverse rhythmically. The compositions are therefore just frameworks that are filled up by the improvised parts. This is definitely a very unusual and bold musical statement, which is also quite listenable in spite of its complexity and sincerity. The trio performs as a very tight unit, responding attentively to each other and complementing each other´s statements. Although there is a lot of space and freedom in this music, the trio members are closely coupled at all times, which produces a wonderful effect of group cohesiveness. Sometimes music created for theatre or cinema has no independent existence, but this music definitely holds the floor on its own, being completely relevant in its minimal form, which of course speaks greatly of its qualities. It does not make any artistic compromises or attempts to be more acceptable and it manages to fascinate and create a lot of tension for the attentive listener, which happens relatively rarely. Overall this is a very impressive debut, and although the music was recorded a while ago, it´s good to see it finally released, as it certainly deserves to be heard. Serious Jazz connoisseurs should enjoy this music in full. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 01/03/2019Posted: 05/12/2016

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IGNACY JAN WISNIEWSKI ~ KANTATA JAZZOWA WOOD AND MOOD 0011 (Barcode: 5907222681077) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is the second album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Ignacy Jan WisniewskiFind albums by this artist, recorded with the same trio he used to record his debut, which includes bassist Adam ZuchowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel OsickiFind albums by this artist. In addition the album features also vocalist Kamil DominiakFind albums by this artist. Together they present eight "songs", all composed by Wisniewski to the lyrics written specifically for this project by Polish Poet Michal RusinekFind albums by this artist. The entire song cycle is called a "Jazz Cantata" and of course firmly belongs to the marvelous Polish Jazz & Poetry tradition. The album was beautifully recorded at the now legendary Monochrom Studio and engineered by Ignacy GruszeckiFind albums by this artist. The music presents an ambitious amalgam of cross-genre modern Jazz, with roots in contemporary Classical music, melodic mainstream Jazz and Avant-Garde improvisation, all tastefully put together with the lyrics, creating an impressive and powerful statement. Wisniewski, who concentrates mainly on composing music for theatre, has definitely a very strong theatrical "streak" as a composer, which comes to full bloom herein. The music is wonderfully executed, both on the instrumental and the vocal layers. Dominiak, who is not a Jazz singer, stands up to the challenge with flying colors, using his vocal abilities and more importantly theatrical expressionism to the max. The piano trio offers some excellent instrumental passages, shifting between melodic / rhythmic statements and Free Improvised moments with grace and elegance. The album offers a perfect balance between the instrumental and vocal contents, without one or the other being dominant, which is a rare quality in such projects. The poetry, which sadly is only accessible to native Polish speakers, is a wonderful example of the thriving contemporary Polish Poetry scene. Rusinek (well-known as the private secretary of the great Polish Poetess Wislawa SzymborskaFind albums by this artist) is an accomplished writer / translator / poet and his brilliant plays on words are a true delight. Overall this is another valuable addition to the Polish Jazz & Poetry legacy, which is being kept alive by the new generation of Polish Jazz composers / musicians, with the same passion and dedication as that of the pioneers of the genre six decades earlier. Definitely highly recommended!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 16/03/2019

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