Record Reviews

PIOTR BUDNIAK ESSENTIAL GROUP ~ INTO THE LIFE SJ 022 (Barcode: 5912596066238) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is the second album by young Polish Jazz drummer / composer Piotr BudniakFind albums by this artist with his Essential GroupFind albums by this artist sextet, which also includes saxophonists Wojciech LichtanskiFind albums by this artist and Jakub SkowronskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Szymon MikaFind albums by this artist, pianist Kajetan BorowskiFind albums by this artist and bassist Alan WykpiszFind albums by this artist; definitely some of the best young Polish Jazz lions. The album presents six original compositions (one repeated twice), all by Budniak. Perfectly executed and presenting superb compositions this album is an example of what modern young European Jazz is all about and it is a momentous step forward for Budniak as a composer and bandleader. The music is diverse, interesting, often unexpected and developing constantly. Although based on clearly defined melodic themes, it keeps evolving within each tune, changing moods and tempi, all to the delight of the listener. Although perhaps not intended as such, the albums sound like a continuous suite-like piece of music, which is perfectly coherent and feels like a complete statement. The sextet plays like a dream, at times sounding like a small Big Band, at other times like a Jazz-Rock ensemble, always perfectly in sync, balanced and cooperating towards a common goal. The individual statements are all perfect with the wonderfully structured solos chasing one another. The bass clarinet parts by Skowronski and the guitar parts by Mika are the "secret ingredients" which create the overall wonderful sonic aura, but everybody plays simply superbly. The rhythm section drives the ensemble like a Porsche engine, with sublime sensitivity, with the Big Bear Wykpisz being the maestro of melodic structures at the low end of the sonic spectrum. Budniak himself is a very delicate and considerate drummer, who keeps his rhythmic pulsation at a proper ensemble level not trying to be bossy. Of course Budniak deserves praise for his extraordinary compositions, which are the essence of this music. I must say that it has been quite a while since I heard an album´s length piece of music, which has absolutely no weak parts and keeps the listener at his toes for the entire duration. Absolutely brilliant stuff! Congratulations are in order to everybody involved and I highly recommend this album to all Jazz connoisseurs around the world as an example of what great music means these days. Life is too short for anything less than this!

Updated: 16/09/2017Posted: 16/09/2017

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JAZZPOCALYPSE ~ SISYPHONIC SAINT LOUIS JAZZ COLLECTION 017.1 (Barcode: 8032880740327) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is the second album by the quartet JazzpocalypseFind albums by this artist, which comprises of Polish saxophonist Jakub SkowronskiFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Sebastian ZawadzkiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Wojciech SwiecaFind albums by this artist and German drummer Janosch PangritzFind albums by this artist, expanded to a quintet with the addition of Italian bassist Caterina PalazziFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original compositions, two by Skowronski, three by Zawadzki, two by Swieca and three by Pangritz. The music is typical contemporary European mainstream Jazz, with solid compositions and excellent improvisations by the ensemble members. The tunes are melody based and present diverse approaches used by the four young composers, each creating a slightly different sonic world, but with all the compositions adding up to a coherent musical kaleidoscope. Some of the tunes are pretty straightforward, some are close to Jazz-Rock Fusion, mostly due to the strong presence of the electric guitar and yet others are relatively open and feature less restrained improvisations. The performances are all top notch, with the soloing evenly distributed between the front line players and a steady solid background provided by the rhythm section. All Jazz and Fusion connoisseurs should be able to find a lot to their liking here, and overall the album is a great fun to listen to, but also full of European Jazz aesthetics, superb compositions and depth rarely found across the pond. The album definitely fulfills the expectations that the group´s semi-official debut released some years ago managed to create. Hopefully we won´t have to wait so long for their next release!

Updated: 26/03/2018Posted: 26/03/2018

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MICHAL MARTYNIUK ~ NOTHING TO PROVE SJ 031 (Barcode: 5912596066351) ~ POLAND ~ Smooth Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is the debut album by Polish (resident in New Zealand) Jazz pianist / composer Michal MartyniukFind albums by this artist, recorded with a core quintet setting with saxophonist Jakub SkowronskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Jakub MizerackiFind albums by this artist, bassist Bartek ChojnackiFind albums by this artist and drummer Kuba GudzFind albums by this artist. Three guest artists: drummer Sebastian SkrzypekFind albums by this artist, percussionist Miguel FuentesFind albums by this artist and vocalist Tama WaiparaFind albums by this artist appear on selected tracks. The album presents eight original compositions, all composed by Martyniuk. The music is very melodic mainstream Jazz that stays almost completely within the conventional Smooth Jazz idiom, which is relatively atypical of young Polish Jazz and resembles recordings from across the pond - lush saxophone, dreamy guitar (with very strong Fusion tendencies) and romantic piano are the dominant characteristics. Having said that, the tunes are very well crafted and the music is excellently performed, arranged and recorded, so the listening experience is definitely very pleasurable. Perhaps the idea of this album was indeed that the leader has nothing to prove and decided to record an album easy on the ear, which can be liked by a wide range of listeners mostly from outside the strict Jazz circles. I have already read several very flattering reviews of this album by some Polish "critics", which proves that Martyniuk achieved his goal in full.

Updated: 20/08/2018Posted: 20/08/2018

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PAWEL NIEWIADOMSKI ~ INTRODUCTION FOR TUNE 0085 (Barcode: 5902768701906) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is the debut album by Polish trombonist / composer Pawel NiewiadomskiFind albums by this artist recorded in a quartet setting with saxophonist Jakub SkowronskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Ksawery WojcinskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Wojciech RomanowskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents six original compositions, all by Niewiadomski. Trombone-led Jazz ensembles are relatively rare and therefore every time one of those lands on my lap it receives special attention. In this case the attention turned out to we well justified, as this album is definitely a surprising gem. The music, although based on melodic themes stated at the beginning, develops into a Free Form group improvisation, which are full of passion and imaginative approach to the expanded Jazz idiom. Although still relatively young, these musicians are all experienced improvisers and excellent instrumentalists, with skills, technique and evident talent. These qualities, combined with the obvious camaraderie and mutual respect between the quartet members enables a creative atmosphere which results in very effective musical achievements. The resulting music is cohesive, highly passionate and aesthetically just right, which is a pleasure to listen to. The individual statements by the quartet members are all top notch: Niewiadomski pushes the limited trombone possibilities into the realm of physically impossible, Skowronski adds his convoluted saxophone statements, Wojcinski holds the entire album together with his superb bass pulsations, which are nothing short of sheer virtuosity and finally Romanowski adds fire and brimstone to the proceedings, topping the overall sound with condensed rhythmic ornaments. The trombone / saxophone unisono parts, which later develop into fiery exchanges, are the highlights of this album, but the overall level of performances is incredibly high. This is definitely a most impressive debut, introducing another player on the Polish Improvised Music scene, which is worth being followed, expecting only the best to come. This album will be very hard to beat, so I´m already waiting to hear the follow up, but in the meantime this is something the trombone connoisseurs and Polish Jazz fans will definitely not want to miss. Magnificent playing!

Updated: 26/02/2016Posted: 26/02/2016

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ORANGE TRANE ~ INTERPERSONAL LINES SOLITON 526 (Barcode: 5901571095264) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the fifth album by the excellent Polish Jazz ensemble Orange TraneFind albums by this artist, which consists of vibraphonist Dominik BukowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Piotr LemanczykFind albums by this artist and drummer Tomasz LosowskiFind albums by this artist. On this album two players are featured as guest musicians: the British saxophonist Soweto KinchFind albums by this artist and the young Polish saxophonist Jakub SkowronskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven pieces, five of which are original compositions (four by Lemanczyk and one by Bukowski) and two are compositions by legendary Polish Jazz figures: Zbigniew SeifertFind albums by this artist and Andrzej KurylewiczFind albums by this artist, included here as the band´s tribute to the older generation of Polish Jazz pioneers. The band continues its musical path faithfully, playing modern Jazz at the highest possible standard, characterized by the virtuosic vibraphone parts by Bukowski, no less virtuosic bass playing by Lemanczyk, who consistently delivers superb lines as only he can and is completed by the energetic and elegant drumming by Losowski. The addition of the two saxophonists expands the overall sound of the band, but does not change dramatically the character of the music. As usual, Lemanczyk also delivers his lovely compositions, which serve as ideal vehicles for the members of the ensemble to carry their individual statements. The collection of his compositions for Orange Trane, his solo albums and other recordings emerges as one of the most consistent bodies of Jazz compositions on the Polish scene, for which he deserves much more recognition than is actually awarded to him. The greatest asset of Orange Trane is the consistency of their work, which does not try to show off or amaze the listeners but rather concentrates on keeping the musical excellence and deliver honest, straightforward musical message. There is a certain minimalism and introversion involved in their musical delivery, which often emphasizes the "less is more" principle. Overall this is another great addition to the Orange Trane legacy, which over time achieved the symbol of quality, which does not disappoint. Well done gentleman, again!

Updated: 26/09/2016Posted: 26/09/2016

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PRZEMYSLAW RAMINIAK ~ LOCOMOTIVE SOLITON 417 (Barcode: 5901571094175) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is the first album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Przemyslaw RaminiakFind albums by this artist, following his departure from the seminal Polish piano trio RGGFind albums by this artist, of which he was a founding member. The album was recorded in a quartet setting and features also saxophonist Jakub SkowronskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Bartosz KuczFind albums by this artist and American drummer Frank ParkerFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, seven composed by Raminiak and one co-composed by him with Skowronski. Musically the album presents a complete about face as far as Raminiak´s role with RGG is concerned. No more long, contemplative, lyrical and almost free form ambient explorations, but straightforward melodic mainstream, almost smooth Jazz, energetic, vigorous, funky, groovy and danceable. Although at the first moment this can be quite shocking to some of Raminiak´s fans, there is basically nothing wrong with changing one´s approach, even dramatically. If Chick CoreaFind albums by this artist and Herbie HancockFind albums by this artist can do it, why can´t Przemyslaw Raminiak do it as well? This is very immediate music and yet it has many virtues: the melodies are all first-class, the arrangements are slick and professional and the performances are brilliant in that particular milieu. Raminiak plays acoustic and electric piano and a few synthesizers, always with flair and spotless technique, which of course is not surprising. Skowronski is a big surprise with his smooth phrasing and superb melodiousness. The rhythm section plays pretty solid background timekeeping stuff, with beautiful fretless bass playing a few nice solos and drums staying respectfully in the background, as appropriate for this setting. In short this whole thing works like a dream, delivering pleasant, nontrivial and highly satisfactory music, which is a lot of fun to listen to. Of course Raminiak will be accused of "selling out" and playing rubbish by Polish "music critics", but honestly most of them secretly enjoy this music very much and are simply embarrassed to admit it. As far as fellow musicians are concerned most of them wish they could come up with an album like this one themselves. So here it comes again people: this is a great album for what it is, straightforward uncomplicated good music. We can´t eat the same food all the time and we can´t listen to the same music all the time – this is definitely a nice alternative, mostly for those who know it all.

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