Record Reviews

BROWN / LEVIN / MAZURKIEWICZ ~ DAY IN THE LIFE OF A CITY MULTIKULTI MPI 029 (Barcode: 5907796319543) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2014 This is the debut album by the US / Polish Improvising Music trio, which consists of saxophonist Rob BrownFind albums by this artist, cellist Daniel LevinFind albums by this artist and Polish bassist Jacek MazurkiewiczFind albums by this artist. The album was recorded live at three different locations during a Polish tour of the trio and presents eight improvised pieces co-credited to all the trio members. Improvised Music is by its very nature a spur of the moment occurrence and when frozen for posterity by the recording process it very rarely sustains its original meaning and only in exceptional cases turns into a meaningful piece of music, which is worthy of repeated hearing. Sadly the music herein is not one of such rare cases and although it might have been interesting when heard during a live performance, it sounds distant and introvert on record. Although all three participating musicians have a fine list of achievements, and the two Americans have recorded together before, the trio fails to impress. Improvised Music is all about cooperation, without which it sounds like a series of individual statements, which do not merge together and have only one thing in common: the fact that they happened at the same place at the same time, which this album unfortunately tends to sound like most of the time. Of course it is entirely possible that I just don´t get this music and am not able to enjoy it, in which case my opinion is completely worthless and selfish. On the other hand perhaps that kind of music making is a completely self-centered activity, which excludes listeners as superfluous? In any case it is up to the listener to decide.

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TOMASZ DABROWSKI / JACEK MAZURKIEWICZ ~ BASEMENT MUSIC MULTIKULTI MPI 040 (Barcode: 5907529223543) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2015 Released: 2018 This is the debut album by the Polish Improvised Music duo comprising of trumpeter Tomasz DabrowskiFind albums by this artist and bassist Jacek MazurkiewiczFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven compositions, all co-credited to both participants. Both Dabrowski and Mazurkiewicz are very prolific musicians who released quite a few albums on various labels, and it is a bit difficult to follow their rich output, especially in view of the incredible number of albums released on the Polish scene year after year. Mazurkiewicz released a couple of excellent albums with another young Polish trumpeter Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist, so playing with a trumpet is certainly not unfamiliar to him. Dabrowski, who recorded dozens of albums in many different musical environments, proved that he can handle virtually anything. Therefore it is not surprising that their collaboration on this album works smoothly and effectively. As with all Improvised Music the most important test is if the music makes sense in recorded form. Improvised Music almost always makes some kind of sense live, as it is able to express the mutual relationship between the musicians and the listeners in the audience, but when captured on record it has to make sense to a random listener, who does not hear the musicians playing live and the sound captured on the album is his only source of cerebral information. Thanks to the incredible versatility of Dabrowski, who can create a myriad of sounds and moods on his trumpet, and the clever usage of electronics Mazurkiewicz employs in addition to his imaginative bass playing, this music works in its stand-alone recorded version and constitutes an interesting aesthetic experience to the listener, presenting a very varied and fascinating musical adventure. Of course a priori this music appeals to a tiny minority within the minority of Jazz listeners, who are open minded enough to even try and listen to Improvised Music to start with. One has to admire the musicians who consistently tread on this treacherous path against all odds, disregarding popular trends and often facing open animosity not only from ignorant listeners, but even from other musicians. Admittedly not for everybody, this album offers some fascinating Improvised Music, which is as good as Improvised Music gets. Certainly worth investigating!

Updated: 17/04/2019Posted: 17/04/2019

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ZOFIA ESDEN ~ ACCIDENTAL SAMPLING NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2023 Released: 2023 This is the debut solo album by Polish vocalist Zofia EsdenFind albums by this artist, who utilizes electronics, synthesizers, loops and other devices in addition to her vocals. Several guest musicians take part in the recording, most notably bassist Jacek MazurkiewiczFind albums by this artist. The album presents twelve tracks, some composed or co-composed by Esden and the rest being her interpretations of songs by others. Although featuring vocals, the music is mostly generated by electronic instruments and devices, and almost completely non-melodic in the conventional sense. It mostly escapes any attempt to be precisely categorized, which of course is completely legit. Like most Ambient music, it is totally dependent on the listener’s state of mind at any given moment. Even as far as Ambient it is pretty Avant-Gardist, certainly eschewing any conventional approaches. It is certainly a courageous statement by an Artist, who knows exactly what she wants, disregarding trends and fashions, which is certainly not something one finds around too often. Avant-Garde is not meant to be obvious, and as such it is up to the listener to make up his mind how much he can communicate with this music. Overall, as all experimental music, it is not for everybody and can be controversial, but with some open-mindedness and tolerance it can be interesting and challenging. Definitely worth investigating by listeners willing to step beyond the obvious.

Updated: 18/12/2023Posted: 18/12/2023

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JACHNA / MAZURKIEWICZ / BUHL ~ […] AUDIO CAVE 2023/007 (Barcode: 5908298549643) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2022 Released: 2023 This is the third album by Polish Free Jazz / Improvised Music trio comprising of trumpeter Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist, bassist Jacek MazurkiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Jacek BuhlFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven tracks, all co-credited to the trio members. These three musicians are part of the hardcore of the Polish Avant-Garde Jazz since years, with dozens of albums to their collective credit, including four albums by Jachna and Buhl as a duo. As such, they are already established Artists, for good and for bad, since it certainly becomes more difficult in time to produce music, which will surprise the listeners and perhaps show some new direction, if such a development is at all possible in Avant-Garde Jazz music? But of course they are Masters of their trade and the music they produce is always fascinating and exciting, despite the minimalist setting and conceptual restrictions. The music leaves more to the listener´s imagination than it actually states, which is always inspiring and stimulating. But less open-minded or less cooperative listeners might be perhaps left behind this time… Jachna’s tone is, as always, irresistible to the trumpet lovers, who always long for more, but his statements are even more concise and shorter than usual (or perhaps it’s only my personal impression). But when he does play, he captivates as always, no question asked. The rhythm section, if they can be called that at all, is brilliant, and with the delicate usage of electronics and extended percussion, manages to create sound vistas, which flow on their own behalf. Overall, this is a complex piece of music, which requires total involvement from the listener, but offers, as usual in the case of these three magicians (sorry, musicians) unusual stimulation and unexpected experiences. Sublime instrumental performances are obviously there, but this music is more an out of the body experience than something one gets during the usual listener / performer relationship. It certainly takes more than one encounter with this music in order to establish a spiritual contact, but patience is always a virtue.

Updated: 14/05/2023Posted: 14/05/2023

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JACHNA / MAZURKIEWICZ / BUHL ~ DZWIEKI UKRYTE INSTANT CLASSIC 044 ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the debut album by Polish trio comprising of trumpeter Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist, bassist Jacek MazurkiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Jacek BuhlFind albums by this artist. Jachna and Buhl recorded several albums earlier on as a duo but this is their first encounter in a trio setting. Mazurkiewicz is active on the Polish Improvised Music scene since several years. The trio performs eight improvised pieces, spontaneously composed during the performance in a Synagogue in Bydgoszcz. The music, which also uses some electronic effects, is mostly very introvert, subdued and in a strange way melancholic. Obviously improvised, it displays clear melodic motifs and regular rhythmic patterns, which makes it remarkably accessible in contrast to its complexity and sophistication. This music is a wonderful example of freedom, which does not transform into anarchy. Jachna is of course one of the top Polish trumpet players and his numerous recordings present an Artist of remarkable consistency and enormous talent. Following several years of searching, he now has an individual sound and phrasing, which make his playing instantly recognizable. His performances on this album are all breathtakingly beautiful and prove that he finally reached the level of confidence and maturity that fully fits his artistry. Mazurkiewicz and Buhl also play splendidly, as expected from highly talented and professional musicians. They become an integral part of the trio functioning symbiotically with each other and contributing many remarkable solos and interplays. In many respects they are ideal partners for Jachna in this specific setting and hopefully this trio will record more music together in the future. Overall this is a wonderful example of Improvised Music, which manages to continue its existence beyond the moment of creation, which happens very rarely. Elegant and contemplative, moving and absorbing, this is Improvised Music at its best, and I honestly wish that many other musicians would follow this as an example. An absolute must to all Polish Jazz / Improvised Music connoisseurs!

Updated: 23/05/2016Posted: 23/05/2016

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JACHNA / MAZURKIEWICZ / BUHL ~ GOD`S BODY AUDIO CAVE 2018/006 (Barcode: 5905669566551) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is the second album by the Polish Improvising Music trio comprising of trumpeter Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist, bassist Jacek MazurkiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Jacek BuhlFind albums by this artist. Jachna and Mazurkiewicz employ also various electronic devices to produce sound. The album presents seven original compositions, co-credited to all members of the trio. The music is an organic development of the music on the trio´s debut album, spontaneous yet well organized, undoubtedly influenced by the fact that it was recorded in the studio rather than live, where Improvising Music is usually recorded. This time the music is certainly more relaxed and often even lyrical, and the use of electronics is subtle and more sophisticated. Jachna, with over two dozen albums under his belt as a leader, co-leader and band member, is certainly emerging as one of the leading personalities on the Polish Improvising Music scene, not only as a superb performer but also as a "mover" who constantly seeks for new opportunities to develop and create new musical environments. Jachna´s steady progress over time, which I have been lucky to follow at first hand since several years, is a wonderful chronology of his personal development, as well as a superb illustration of the renaissance of the Polish Jazz scene, which he exemplifies perhaps better than most. The cooperation between Jachna and Buhl also goes back several years, and their phenomenal telepathic bond is clearly present on this album. Buhl takes the notion of "drumming" way beyond the conventional concept, with puts the traditional role of time keeping completely out of the picture. His contributions on this album are as much revolutionary and innovative as the work of Tony OxleyFind albums by this artist in the late 1960s. Mazurkiewicz completes the molecular bond of the trio with his beautifully harmonic work and rhythmic pulsations, which are crucial in absence of traditional drum parts. Overall this is a beautiful and highly rewarding musical experience, which in spite of its Improvised Music labeling, is quite accessible to a large Jazz loving audience. For the many fans these musicians already have, this is a must of course, but at the same time this is a great opportunity to get exposed to some superb music, regardless of stylistic connotations. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 24/07/2018Posted: 24/07/2018

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KAMASZ ~ EIGHT ROCKS FROM GRANDMA´S BOX MULTIKULTI MPI 041 (Barcode: 5907529223772) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2015 Released: 2019 This is the debut album by Polish Improvising Music trio KaMaSzFind albums by this artist comprising of guitarist Marek KadzielaFind albums by this artist, bassist Jacek MazurkiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions / improvisations co-credited to all three members of the trio. Despite the fact that this album firmly belongs to the Improvised Music idiom, the music is relatively well "organized" and accessible, including melodic fragments and logical harmonic developments, wrapped up in minimalistic low key, spaced-out ambience, which overall is remarkably listenable. For one reason or another, this music remained unreleased for five years and only now sees the light of day. In the meantime the musicians involved in creating it recorded intensively, so this album allows a glance into the past, as well as comparison with their recent work. Whatever the reason, it is great to have this music out in the open. All three musicians contribute not only cohesive and sympathetic collaborative statements as a trio, but also interesting individual statements. Kadziela offers a diverse palette of sounds, often returning to his Rock roots, Mazurkiewicz keeps the music on track with excellent bass lines and Szmanda masterly plays in and around the rhythms, still able to swing al all times. Overall this is a highly enjoyable album, full of great playing and despite the open improvisations sounding organized and structured enough for most Jazz listeners to be able to have fun, giving it some slack. Recommended!

Updated: 05/01/2020Posted: 05/01/2020

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MELECH / MAZURKIEWICZ / TRILLA ~ DOG / HUM / BRAIN MULTIKULTI MPI 047/48/49 (Barcode: 5903068683282) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2016 Released: 2019 Released as three separate CDs, this is obviously a unified release documenting live performances by the Improvised Music / Avant-Garde Jazz trio comprising of Polish clarinetist Piotr MelechFind albums by this artist, bassist Jacek MazurkiewiczFind albums by this artist and Spanish drummer Vasco TrillaFind albums by this artist, recorded in February 2016 at three clubs in different cities in Poland. Guitarist Damian PielkaFind albums by this artist takes part on one track. The albums present four / five / two improvised tracks respectively, all obviously credited to the three members of the trio. Although all the three concerts were recorded by the same trio within one week, the music on the separate CDs differs significantly, presenting completely diverse facets of the trio´s possibilities. Improvised Music is of course created in the spur of the moment and such diversity speaks highly of the abilities of the trio both on the individual and ensemble levels. Listeners familiar with the European Improvised Music scene are obviously already familiar with the names of these musicians, since they all performed and recorded prolifically in the last decade and are considered as some of the most interesting representatives of the genre. Since both Melech and Mazurkiewicz employ electronics on regular basis, the music on these albums depicts the polarity between purely acoustic and almost completely electronic music, with everything in between. It seems that the usage of electronics opened up the possibilities, both of the contemporary modern European Jazz and the more adventurous Free Jazz / Avant-Garde scene, which embraced electronics as an integral part of the accessible instrumental palette, a trend growing stronger towards the end of the decade. The reception of this music is of course highly individual, but I found all thee albums to be highly interesting and absorbing, and the diversity of the music is a strong incentive to try and listen to the whole set in one go. But of course it is also entirely possible to listen to them separately. Overall this is a great document of the live concerts, which stand on its own in the recorded version and offers challenging, but highly aesthetic listening experience. Highly recommended to all Improvised Music enthusiasts!

Updated: 15/03/2020Posted: 15/03/2020

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MODULAR STRING TRIO ~ ANTS, BEES AND BUTTERFLIES CLEAN FEED 377 (Barcode: 5609063003772) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2014 Released: 2016 This is the second album by Polish / Ukrainian Improvised Music ensemble Modular String TrioFind albums by this artist, recorded live at the legendary Warsaw Pardon To Tu club, the home base of the Polish Avant-Garde scene. Contrary to its name the ensemble is not a trio but a quartet, and includes a string trio: violinist Sergiy OkhrimchukFind albums by this artist, cellist Robert JedrzejewskiFind albums by this artist and bassist Jacek MazurkiewiczFind albums by this artist, but also the modular synthesizer / electronics manipulator Lukasz KacperczykFind albums by this artist. Together they perform eight improvised pieces, which are co-credited to the quartet members and are nameless, but cryptically sequentially numbered. The music ranges between completely free and open improvisations and more structured, either rhythmically or melodically, pieces. For listeners unfamiliar with Improvised Music this is probably beyond bearable, but connoisseurs of the genre should find this music quite fascinating. It combines the Jazz and Classical Music elements unlike the music of other such ensembles, due to the specific string trio sound and interplay, and as such is pretty unique. There is a distinct mutual understanding and a high level of musical conversation between the ensemble members, which results in a coherent and plausible musical progression, which the listener is able to follow. Mazurkiewicz is definitely the anchor of the music, supplying the basic pulsations, without which the music would have become way to abstract. As usual the important question is if this music is communicative enough to contribute beyond the closed circle of the musicians involved in making it. The quandary as to the existence of a listener who would like to listen to this music more than once or even repeatedly remains open of course. Personally I enjoyed listening to this music, but I hope these still young musicians will eventually find a middle way between total and unconditional freedom and some form or structure, to make their music closer to the listeners without compromising their artistic vision. Radicalism for the sake of radicalism is usually the problem rather than the solution.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 12/10/2016

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MODULAR STRING TRIO ~ CHLOROFIL AUDIO CAVE 2019/007 (Barcode: 5905669566780) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2019 This is the third album by the Polish / Ukrainian Avant-Garde / Improvised Music quartet called Modular String TrioFind albums by this artist, which combines a string trio: violinist Sergiy OkhrimchukFind albums by this artist, cellist Robert JedrzejewskiFind albums by this artist and bassist Jacek MazurkiewiczFind albums by this artist and the modular synthesizer player Lukasz KacperczykFind albums by this artist. As appropriate for the genre, the album was recorded live and presents five spontaneous pieces, attributed to all four members of the quartet. The music of the quartet tries to balance the trialogue within the string trio with a dialogue between the trio and the synthesizer, which often requires quite an effort from the listener, following the twists and turns of the plethora of sounds being created in tandem. The beauty of it is that the acoustic sounds of the string instruments and the electronic sounds of the synthesizer amalgamate together almost effortlessly and even "harmoniously", even when conventional harmony is not part of the happening. It is difficult to talk about beauty in the conventional sense as far as this music is concerned, but personally I found most if it aesthetically pleasing. The individual contributions of all four participants are electrifying and highly dexterous, as is the level of the "telepathic" interplay between them. Personally I appreciate the role of Mazurkiewicz as the anchor of the entire live event and both his arco and plucking technique are what keeps the music together. Before listening to the music I read my review of their previous album, and to my surprise it seems that the quartet found in this music some of the elements that I pointed out as missing then; this music is definitely more structured and intrinsically more coherent, which immediately results in it being more accessible that the two earlier albums. Of course this is by all means still a hard-core Avant-Garde, which eschews almost all conventional musical means of expression, but on the other hand a much wider circle of open-minded listeners should be able to "get into" this music without much ado and perhaps even truly enjoy it. While exploring this album I soberly reflected on the contrast between the emotional and intellectual effort involved in listening to this music and the nihilistic effortlessness involved in listening to thousands of almost identical conventional mainstream Jazz albums out there… thank God for the ability to think outside of the box…

Updated: 31/10/2019Posted: 31/10/2019

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ANDRZEJ PRZYBIELSKI ~ TREN ZALOBNY MULTIKULTI 017 (Barcode: 5907529223178) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2008 - 2009 Released: 2011 This is the third posthumous release (in a few months) by the great Polish Avant-Garde trumpeter / composer Andrzej PrzybielskiFind albums by this artist, which is about as many albums as he released under his name during his entire life. This sad statistic once more reminds us that Art should be appreciated preferably while the Artist is still with us rather than when he´s gone. But, "better late than never", which is a solace for the fools, applies nevertheless. This album collects the recordings (both live and studio) Przybielski made with two young musicians: bassist Jacek MazurkiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel OsickiFind albums by this artist, which were one of his last projects. The music is quite different from the acoustic trio performances with the Oles BrothersFind albums by this artist, as it also includes some electronically generated sound layers, vocal parts (with Przybielski´s distinctive voice) and other effects, which expand the scope significantly. In many respects this is a lesser known side of Przybielski´s activity, although he was involved with many innovative projects his entire life, some of which lied well beyond the Jazz idiom. Of course the music is brilliant and challenging as always in his case and attentive and open-minded listeners should find here an unusual and most rewarding musical experience. The album is an overwhelming proof of Przybielski´s versatility and complete disregard of conventions and limitations, which makes his untimely death even more tragic, as he definitely was one of very few of his class. Modern Avant-Garde Jazz lovers rejoice!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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SZMANDA / NUBIOLA / MAZURKIEWICZ ~ TEN PLAGUES NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the debut album by a trio consisting of Cuban (resident in Poland) saxophonist Luis NubiolaFind albums by this artist and Polish bassist Jacek MazurkiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. Percussionist Philip South guests on a couple of tracks. The album present five original pieces co-credited to the participating musicians. The very short total playing time (under half an hour) makes this an EP rather than a full album. Nubiola, who is usually associated with Cuban / Latin Jazz, fits perfectly with the two veteran improvisers, creating an interesting series of spontaneous free pieces, which sound natural. His wonderfully worm saxophone tone is a nice twist, and manages to create just the right kind of interplay with the rhythm section. The music is completely improvised, but has a strict melodic sub context, which makes it easily accessible to a wide range of listeners. It is also quite minimalist and subdued, which creates a delicate, emotional mood. All three musicians play wonderfully, being veterans of the trade, and the intimate setting enables their individual contributions to be heard clearly. Overall this sounds like a friendly experiment, which hopefully will lead to a bona fide full album soon. In the meantime we can enjoy this short foreteller and wait for the next one.

Updated: 30/07/2020Posted: 30/07/2020

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TRZASKA / MAZURKIEWICZ ~ NIGHTLY FORESTER MULTIKULTI MPI 033 (Barcode: 5907796319895) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is an album by Polish Improvising Music duo comprising of clarinetist / saxophonist Mikolaj TrzaskaFind albums by this artist and bassist Jacek MazurkiewiczFind albums by this artist. They perform nine original compositions / improvisations co-credited their names. The unique aspect of this album is the fact that the music is a "field recording", capturing the two musicians performing in deep forest, away from any urban influences and studio technology. The sound quality of this recording is absolutely sensational. The music is very intimate and mostly quite introvert, emphasizing the close dialogue Trzaska and Mazurkiewicz are able to create between them. The natural and clean sound of the instruments suits the overall nature of this music perfectly and creates a beautiful sonic ambience, rarely captured in a studio. Trzaska manages to stay relaxed and low key, which shows his lyrical side more expressively than on most of his other numerous recordings. His clarinet work is stunning and full of Hassidic influences, lamentations and howls characterizing serious Klezmer music. Mazurkiewicz utilizes the arco and plucking techniques with great effectives. But most importantly they manage to maintain a coherent dialogue, which results in music being much stronger than just a sum of its ingredients. Although Improvised Music is often estranged and unfriendly towards the listeners, this music is remarkably accessible and "strangely pleasant", of course in the most positive meaning of the phrase. Over several listening sessions it really gets under the listener´s skin and becomes an extension of his inner self, which happens of course very rarely. Personally I find Trzaska´s return to the exploration of the Jewish Music motifs extremely satisfying, especially after a period of time when he was busy with other musical paths. Whatever the motivation might be, the end result is what counts, and it is most welcome. Music like this is the epitome of the "Art of the Duo", in its most refined and purified form. Superb stuff!

Updated: 06/02/2017Posted: 06/02/2017

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TRZASKA / MAZURKIEWICZ / SZPURA ~ NORTH MERIDIAN PLANK-TONE 1 ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is an album by a trio of Polish Free Jazz / Improvised Music musicians: veteran saxophonist / clarinetist Mikolaj TrzaskaFind albums by this artist and two younger but already established representatives of the genre, bassist Jacek MazurkiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel SzpuraFind albums by this artist. The album presents six original compositions, all co-composed by the members of the trio. The music is everything the listeners familiar with the Polish Improvised Music scene would expect: an excellent example of a trialogue between highly expressive and imaginative players, which demonstrates a high level of mutual respect and telepathic exchange of ideas, which makes the music sound as if it was carefully researched, in spite of the fact that it is completely spontaneous. There is a wonderful balance of responsibilities and role sharing between the musicians and ability to play together without overshadowing each other´s contributions. The music is excellently recorded, with perfectly isolated sound of each of the instruments, which enables the listener to hear absolutely every delicate nuance, even when Mazurkiewicz employs heavy electronic sounds in addition to the acoustic instruments. The music varies in intensity and atmosphere, moving between delicate and soft passages and "wall of sound" vistas, being perfectly cohesive and focused at all times. In spite of the fact that this music offers no straightforward melody contents as such, it has a melodic streak of sorts, making the music accessible to a relatively wide circle of listeners, not necessarily originating only from within the Improvised Music circle. Trzaska seems to be in a meditative mood on this album and his performances are tamer and more relaxed than usual, which is a real treat. He is apparently still developing his palette and able to surprise even his most devoted followers, like yours truly. But Mazurkiewicz and Szpura both contribute excellently as well, perhaps better than at any earlier recording. Overall this is a beautiful piece of Improvised Music, which manages to be transformed into an experience worth listening to repeatedly, something that happens very rarely within the genre. This album is the first release on the new Plank-ToneFind albums on this label Records label founded by Mazurkiewicz, and of course greetings and salutations are in order!

Updated: 25/12/2019Posted: 25/12/2019

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MIKOLAJ TRZASKA ~ WOLYN (SOUNDTRACK) POLSKIE RADIO 2056 (Barcode: 5907812246853) ~ POLAND ~ Soundtracks Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the soundtrack album with music from the film "Wolyn", directed by the cult Polish screenwriter / director Wojciech SmarzowskiFind albums by this artist, composed by Polish saxophonist / clarinetist / composer Mikolaj TrzaskaFind albums by this artist and recorded by Trzaska, bassist Jacek MazurkiewiczFind albums by this artist and an orchestra called The Klezmer Orchestra of Pogranicze TheaterFind albums by this artist, which is located in a small town of Sejny close to the borders between Poland, Lithuania and Belarus. Trzaska wrote the music for all the films by Smarzowski ("Dom Zly", "Roza", "Drogowka", "Pod Mocnym Aniolem" and "Wolyn"), except for his debut film ("Wesele"). The most important aspect of cinematographic music is of course its relevance to the film, of which it is an integral part. The question if the music is able to be relevant as an auditory experience, unrelated to the visual dimension, is very complex. In most cases soundtracks lose their relevance completely, when placed on an audio record. In some relatively rare cases, the music assumes an independent identity from the film and proposes a relevant and coherent audible experience. In extremely rare cases the music is not only able to stand alone but constitutes a musical masterpiece if its own right. This is definitely one of those extraordinary events. The music combines a multitude of sources originating in the extremely rich Polish Music tradition, which over a thousand of years amalgamated dozens of Slavic Folkloristic styles, Jewish Klezmer music, European Classical Music and of course also Jazz, which in Polish Culture has probably a more direct influence than anywhere else in Europe or the entire world for that matter. Trzaska, who is one of the pioneers of contemporary Jewish Music renaissance in Poland, is of course one of the most successful sorcerers where it comes to updating and transforming Jewish rooted music into modernist stylistic amalgams, which include a variety of Jazz sub-genres with an emphasis on Free Jazz and Improvised Music. These Jazz influences are perhaps less noticeable in this music, especially for listeners not familiar with them in depth, but it is there at all times, at the deep foundations of the music. The overall somber and grave atmosphere of this music is of course related directly to the film´s heartbreaking subject matter, but might be also related to more contemporary aspects of life, which influence us all. Trzaska, a deeply sensitive human being, projects his personality into his music, as all great Artists do, and yet his music becomes more universal because of it, rather than self-centered, as might be expected. This is a very unique music, which could have only been created by a unique composer and the unique circumstances that influenced it: the convoluted history of the Polish People, their rich and complex Cultural background and the immense depth of their catastrophic experiences as a Nation. The decision the release this music on an album is very commendable. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 17/01/2017Posted: 17/01/2017

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