Record Reviews

BREAKOUT ~ MIRA MUZA 941 (Barcode: 5907783499418) ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1971 Released: 2005 4th album by brilliant Polish ensemble BreakoutFind albums by this artist formed and led by guitarist / vocalist / composer Tadeusz NalepaFind albums by this artist. Breakout was formed in 1968 after Nalepa decided to change the name of his previous group BlackoutFind albums by this artist and reformed it under the new name. The group was fronted by vocalist Mira KubasinskaFind albums by this artist, one of the first great female performers of the Polish Rock scene, and also included harmonica player Tadeusz TrzcinskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Jerzy GoleniewskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Jan MazurekFind albums by this artist. The sixth member of Breakout was the great Polish saxophonist / flautist Wlodzimierz NahornyFind albums by this artist, the first Polish Jazz musician, who combined the Jazz and Rock genres and of course was an early pioneer of Jazz-Rock Fusion. Nalepa´s musical background was deeply rooted in Blues, and much of the group´s material was in fact Blues-Rock based, but the presence of Nahorny and the contemporary Prog and Psychedelic influences turned Breakout into one of the most formidable East European groups ever, with a broad range of cross-genre musical activities. Breakout had an immense influence on the Polish, as well as the entire East European music scene, serving as a beacon to generations of musicians living behind the Iron Curtain. In their native country Breakout was often criticized by the Socialist regime for idealizing Western culture and their music was banned from the media during the peak of the "dark age" repressions in the late 1960, which eventually only increased the following the group enjoyed among the young generation. Nalepa, who composed all of the group´s music, worked closely with lyricist / poet Bogdan LoeblFind albums by this artist, who supplied the band with highly intelligent and often controversial lyrics, way above the usual level of Rock lyrics used in Rock at the time. This album was intended as Mira´s debut solo album, but in time it was accepted by fans and Rock historians as the group´s fourth album. Sadly, it was the last Breakout album, which featured Nahorny´s Jazzy ornamentation. In retrospect this is a timeless classic and any connoisseur of East European Rock / Prog will find it phenomenal. Brilliant stuff!

CD 1 Digipak Oversampling Remastered Recommend To A Friend

SHOW BAND ~ DNO PRZESTRZENI GAD 072 (Barcode: 5901549197976) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Funk Fusion Recorded: 1975 Released: 2018 This is the second archival album with previously unreleased material by the Polish trio Show BandFind albums by this artist, led by bassist Anatol WojdynaFind albums by this artist, which also included keyboardist Maciej GluszkiewiczFind albums by this artist (ex-Klan) and drummer / violinist Jan MazurekFind albums by this artist (ex-BreakoutFind albums by this artist, QuorumFind albums by this artist). Percussionist Aleksander BemFind albums by this artist (ex-BemibekFind albums by this artist) appears as a guest musician. The album presents nine original compositions, all by Wojdyna. The music is a mixture of Jazz-Rock Fusion, Funk, Soul and Groove, all on the lighter side of the Jazz spectrum, but presenting solid compositions and excellent musical skills by the musicians. In retrospect the music sounds a bit dated due to the retro sound / ambience, but followers of Polish Funk should be delighted by this material, exactly in the same manner as with the previously released album by this trio. After recording this material, which was originally recorded as library music for the Polish Film Chronicle, the trio fell apart and the musicians followed separate paths. In retrospect this album is a nice collection of Polish Funk, which over four decades later still finds new followers all over the world, in spite of the fact that it is almost completely unknown. Another great find by GADFind albums on this label Records, which keeps great music safe from oblivion.

Updated: 29/01/2019Posted: 17/04/2018

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

SHOW BAND ~ PUNKT STYKU GAD 013 (Barcode: 5901549197143) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1974 Released: 2014 The Show BandFind albums by this artist trio was one of many Polish ensembles, which never managed to record an album during their lifespan as a band, although performed extensively in Poland and abroad. Formed by bassist Anatol WojdynaFind albums by this artist it also included Hammond organ player Maciej GluszkiewiczFind albums by this artist (ex-KlanFind albums by this artist) and drummer Jan MazurekFind albums by this artist (ex-BreakoutFind albums by this artist), the trio played music that stylistically floated between Jazz-Rock Fusion and Funk, and managed to work out a specific sound and feel, which sounded more like American instrumental Funk bands (Booker T. & The MG`sFind albums by this artist immediately come to mind) than Eastern European ensembles at the time. Luckily for us, the band was approached by the Warsaw Documentary Filmmakers Group (WDF) to records a series of tracks, which would be later used as background music for the Polish Film Chronicle documentary series. The trio eagerly accepted the offer and recorded in early 1974 ten tracks, eight of which were original compositions by Wojdyna and two were compositions by Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist. For the recording the trio was expanded by two guest musicians: pianist Jan JarczykFind albums by this artist and percussionist Aleksander BemFind albums by this artist. The recorded music survived the tides of time and sounds superbly after being remastered to modern standards. Forty years later this music lost nothing of its charm and zest and is definitely worth being remembered and listened to. Although pretty straightforward it offers quality melodic contents and great performances. It is also a great opportunity to pay tribute to the sadly departed Jarczyk, who plays some truly excellent stuff here. For lovers of Polish Funk this is an absolute must! Again thanks to GADFind albums on this label Records for finding this lost gem and bringing it back to life as part of the label´s modus operandi, which consistently preserves Polish musical heritage.

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend