Record Reviews

IZABELLA EFFENBERG ~ CUENTAME UNIT 4559 (Barcode: 7640114795596) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2014 This is the debut album by Polish vibraphonist / composer Izabella EffenbergFind albums by this artist, currently residing in Germany, recorded with an ensemble which includes Israeli (also resident in Germany) vocalist Efrat AlonyFind albums by this artist and German players: harpist Maja TaubeFind albums by this artist, multi-instrumentalist Florian TrubsbachFind albums by this artist, baritone saxophonist Norbert EmmingerFind albums by this artist, bassist Markus SchieferdeckerFind albums by this artist and drummer Jens DuppeFind albums by this artist. The album consists of nine compositions, four of which are her originals, one by Emminger and the remaining ones by German composers like Peter FuldaFind albums by this artist and others. Effenberg, who is the only Polish female vibraphonist, presents here a suite-like cycle of complex compositions, which differ from each other and yet somehow make sense as a continuous whole. Although inevitably Jazz, the music carries a strong contemporary Classical influence and could be easily classified as Chamber Jazz, if such labeling makes any sense at all. It is unquestionably fundamentally European, with the strong aesthetic / sonoric elements of European Jazz overwhelmingly outweighing the American Jazz tradition. There are some World Music elements present as well, albeit mostly quite concealed. The overall atmosphere is fairly unique and wonderfully weird. Of course all the musicians involved are hardcore professionals, so one should expect the perfect execution present herein, but at times the proceedings seem a bit over calculated, screaming for some more spontaneity. But of course these are personal musings and should not influence the overall excellence of the entire work. Effenberg plays some great vibes (pun intended) and I´d love to hear her live, which I hope will happen one day. This is undoubtedly a very ambitious and bold debut, which offers no easy outings and no compromises, neither stylistically not intellectually. This music requires attentive listening and eschews unnecessary pleasantries, as all ambitious music should. Hopefully it will find its admirers among the listeners and serve as an important step in building Effenberg´s future career. Well done Milady!

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IZABELLA EFFENBERG ~ IMPRESSIONS IN COLOURS GLM 365 (Barcode: 4014063436528) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2021 Released: 2024 This is a 2CD album by Polish (resident in Germany) multi-instrumentalist / composer / music activist Izabella EffenbergFind albums by this artist, recorded with several German musicians and featuring the Polish / Japanese vocalist / songwriter Yumi ItoFind albums by this artist. The album presents twenty-two tracks, all but two composed by Effenberg and one each composed by Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist and Lars DanielssonFind albums by this artist. Izabella Effenberg emerged on the European Jazz scene just about a decade ago and during that relatively short period of time she proved to be not only an outstanding musician and composer, but also an important activist, recording Artist, educator and festival organizer, which of course is a highly commendable and unique achievement. Despite the fact that Izabella plays the vibraphone, one of the most difficult instruments within the Jazz milieu, she continuously expands her interest in the entire mallet family, expanding way beyond the obvious with trying new and uncharted territory and introducing experimental new instruments, like glass harp, array mbira and others, incorporating them into her set of performing tools. The presence of Ito is a true proverbial cherry on top! By using such a wide collection of instruments within her performances and recordings, Izabella is able to create one of the most unique and unparalleled arrays of sonic experiences, which keep the audiences electrified and astounded time and again. Her compositions are perfectly suited for her instrumental abilities and offer the listeners a magic, unforgettable aural voyage. Overall, this is a remarkable musical experience, which presents a wide range of diverse mallet instruments, masterly performed and composed by Effenberg. It combines Jazz with many other genres, offering a stunning kaleidoscope of sound and ideas. I am proud to be her keen follower since her early days and a Friend, always proud of her remarkable achievements. Side Note The above are my liner notes included on this album's artwork. I am honored when asked by the Artists to write liner notes for their albums, always hoping that my words reflect the true spirit of the music. This is also a symbol of our mutual respect and friendship developed over the years. The same is also true when Record Labels ask me to write liner notes for their releases, mostly in the case of reissues of archival albums, which is a symbol of their appreciation of my knowledge and historical perspective and my recognition of their dedication to the preservation of the history of recorded music and the effort to keep human Culture and Aesthetics alive.

Updated: 04/12/2024Posted: 04/11/2023

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IZABELLA EFFENBERG ~ IZA UNIT 4730 (Barcode: 7640114797309) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is the second album by Polish (resident in Germany) vibraphonist / composer Izabella EffenbergFind albums by this artist, recorded in a trio setting with German pianist Jochen PfisterFind albums by this artist and Polish (also resident in Germany) drummer Pawel CzubatkaFind albums by this artist. Vocalist Agnes LeppFind albums by this artist guests on one track. The album presents fifteen original compositions, all by Effenberg. The intimate trio format seems to be a perfect setting for Effenberg to show her skills as a player, while Pfister and Czubatka support her amicably all the way through. They let the vibraphone to pave the way, providing the harmonic and rhythmic support, which is needed to turn the trio into an ensemble. There is a lot of mutual sympathy and understanding, and the rather difficult format seems to pose no serious obstacles to these excellent musicians. But the album is also a great opportunity to encounter the superb compositions, which this album presents. They are wonderfully melodic and lyrical, and ideally suited for the vibraphone, which is a difficult and demanding instrument. These compositions are more mature than those on her debut and Effenberg´s progress as a composer is quite evident. She displays typical European sensitivities and harmonic tendencies, which distant her somewhat from the Jazz mainstream tradition, moving more in the direction of contemporary European Jazz. There is even a tendency to open up and introduce more openness and freedom into the music. This is definitely an impressive follow up to her debut, marking a clear step forward in developing her career, both as an instrumentalist and a composer. Being one of relatively few female vibraphonists, Effenberg definitely starts mo make a mark on the vibraphone scene, which is also completed by her role as an organizer of the Vibraphonissimo Festival in Nuremberg. As usual I´m already looking forward to hear more of her wonderful compositions and her playing in the near future.

Updated: 16/10/2016Posted: 16/10/2016

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YUMI ITO ~ STARDUST CRYSTALS UNIT 4946 (Barcode: 7640114799464) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2018 Released: 2020 This is an album by Polish (Mother) – Japanese (Father) (resident in Switzerland) vocalist / composer / lyricist Yumi ItoFind albums by this artist, recorded with an international eleven piece band, which also includes Polish (resident in Germany) vibraphonist Izabella EffenbergFind albums by this artist and bassist Jakub DworakFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original pieces, all composed and arranged by Ito, six of which feature her lyrics (in English) and two are instrumentals. The music is multi-layered and utilizes complex instrumental arrangements, which from the very onset of the album clearly state that this is a serious and extremely elaborate piece of music. The overall sound is strongly influenced by contemporary Chamber Music, featuring a unique lineup of vocals, string and woodwind trios, harp, vibraphone and a bass / drums rhythm section, which only very rarely can be found within the Jazz idiom. Ito brilliantly utilizes the many hidden possibilities of such a large ensemble to beautifully ornament and enhance her vocal parts, keeping the instrumental parts somewhat in the background behind her vocals and yet fully audible for the listener to enjoy their wonderful support. Ito presents an entire spectrum of vocal abilities, which includes recitation, singing lyrics, improvising using vocalese, etc. all tastefully and masterly executed with great respect to the entire framework of her compositions and the vocal tradition, which is truly cross-genre, but always perfectly aesthetically rounded. The instrumental work by the ensemble members is all superb, and although there is relatively little soloing per se, there are multiple mini-solo parts of delicate nature. But more importantly the ensemble work, which is by all means demanding, is perfectly executed, full of mutual respect and fragile interplays, including the rhythm section wonderfully chronometric, but highly imaginative support. Overall this is a superbly composed and executed piece of Artistic music, which is a true joy to listen to, a uniquely genuine and mysterious kaleidoscope of sounds and ideas that is mind-boggling and utterly relaxing at the same time. This is definitely one of the most interesting albums that arrived on my desk in 2020. You certainly made good young Lady! Hats off!

Updated: 14/11/2020Posted: 14/11/2020

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