Record Reviews

LABORATORIUM ~ ANTHOLOGY 1971-1988 METAL MIND 001 (Barcode: 5907785028173) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1971 - 1988 Released: 2006 This Box Set compiles all the albums released by the Polish Jazz-Rock Fusion ensemble LaboratoriumFind albums by this artist, which was without a shadow of a doubt one of the best and most important Fusion outfits in Eastern Europe before the fall of the Iron Curtain. Over the years the band managed to release ten albums, an unprecedented achievement at the time, of which seven were studio recordings, two were recorded live and the last one was a compilation of previously unreleased tracks. Two of the studio albums were released on the legendary Polish Jazz Series (Volumes 49 and 58). All the ten albums were remastered for this Box Set release and expanded with a plethora of bonus tracks, which include studio outtakes, radio and live performances and mini-sleeved. The booklet includes a detail history of the band and reflections about the albums by the band´s founder / leader keyboardist / composer Janusz GrzywaczFind albums by this artist. As all ensembles Laboratorium changed lineups over the years, but enjoyed relatively steady personnel for extended periods of time, which undoubtedly added to their success. Most of their material, which is covered by their second to sixth albums (and the compilation album), was recorded by a steady lineup, which included in addition to the leader also saxophonist / vocalist Marek StryszowskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Pawel ScieranskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Krzysztof ScieranskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Mieczyslaw GorkaFind albums by this artist. On the later albums the lineup includes Grzywacz and Stryszowski (who are the only musicians appearing on all the ten albums) with guitarist Ryszard StylaFind albums by this artist, bassist Krzysztof OlesinskiFind albums by this artist, drummer Andrzej MrowiecFind albums by this artist and percussionist Jan PilchFind albums by this artist. The debut recording, which initially occupied only one side of an LP, features the legendary Polish violinist Zbigniew SeifertFind albums by this artist and is stylistically quite close to Free Jazz in contrast to the Fusion direction adopted later. The band performed only original music, which of course was a courageous decision, and with a singular exception, all the music enclosed herein was composed by Laboratorium members, mostly by the leader but also by others or co-composed by the band. Over the years Grzywacz emerged as a first rate tune-weaver with an excellent ability to write great melodies and riffs, which make the music accessible, even when it becomes quite complex. The music remains intelligent and ambitious throughout, with a remarkable consistency of high-level quality. But the most important factor of Laboratorium was its ability to constantly evolve and change, which is quite evident to anybody listening to the music in the proper historic order. Grzywacz slowly moved from acoustic to electric piano and then to synthesizers, but never indulged in mindless pyrotechnics which so many of his colleague keyboardists fell victim to during that period of time. Laboratorium managed to avoid that terrible, obnoxious 1980s cheesy synthesizer sound, which is a success in itself. Although most of the music performed by Laboratorium is instrumental, they used the human voice time and again in an instrumental capacity. These vocalese experiments are all quite interesting and present another layer of the band´s musical range. It seems that Polish Jazz is particularly fond of such experimentation since its early days and it´s definitely interesting to hear how Laboratorium handled them. There are endless moments of musical joy inside this Box Set; virtuosic performances by the musicians, especially those by Krzysztof Scieranski, who stands easily shoulder to shoulder with such bass heroes as Jaco PastoriusFind albums by this artist, beautiful melodies, funky grooves, superb guitar and keyboards solos, in short Fusion heaven for all connoisseurs of the genre. I can´t imagine any Fusion fan anywhere on this planet not being melted away by the beauty of this music. The Box Set is an individually numbered limited edition and if you can put your hands on a copy, don´t you dare to hesitate even for a moment – it´s worth its weight in gold!

Updated: 26/01/2019Posted:

CD 10 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Oversampling Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

LABORATORIUM ~ MODERN PENTATHLON (POLISH JAZZ VOL.49) MUZA 949 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1976 Released: 2004 Polish Jazz-Rock Fusion band LaboratoriumFind albums by this artist was one of several great Polish bands (Extra BallFind albums by this artist for example) playing in that vein during the 1970s and 1980s. Founded by keyboardist Janusz GrzywaczFind albums by this artist, the band´s founding members included also saxophonist / vocalist Marek StryszowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Mieczyslaw GorkaFind albums by this artist. After an initial period of trying to find a musical identity, the band was joined by brothers Pawel ScieranskiFind albums by this artist on guitar and Krzysztof ScieranskiFind albums by this artist on bass (one of the greatest Polish bass players) and settled into the Fusion genre, with a musical approach and sound not far away from Weather ReportFind albums by this artist. This, their debut recording, presents them already in their full power and the recording is quite stunning in its sophistication and instrumental aptitude. The music includes the 20 minutes long suite in five parts, which gives the album its title and a few shorter pieces, all composed or co-composed by the leader. As opposed to most American Fusion at the time, which was mostly based on simplistic melodies and endless instrumental doodling, this music is atmospheric, intelligent, sophisticated, well developed and coherent, clearly well rooted in the European musical tradition. Fusion fans are well advised to try this out and explore this wonderful music, which is expanding the genre´s limitations to the max. Superb stuff!

CD 1 Digipak Oversampling Remastered Recommend To A Friend

LABORATOTIUM ~ QUASIMODO (POLISH JAZZ VOL.58) POLSKIE RADIO 0532 (Barcode: 5901448115323) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1979 Released: 2005 This is the 2nd album by Polish Jazz-Rock Fusion ensemble LaboratoriumFind albums by this artist, which was one of several great Polish bands (like Extra BallFind albums by this artist for example) playing in that vein during the 1970s. Founded by keyboardist Janusz GrzywaczFind albums by this artist, the band´s founding members included also saxophonist / vocalist Marek StryszowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Mieczyslaw GorkaFind albums by this artist. After an initial period of trying to find a musical identity, the band was joined by brothers Pawel ScieranskiFind albums by this artist on guitar and Krzysztof ScieranskiFind albums by this artist on bass (one of the greatest Polish bass players) and settled into the Fusion genre, with a musical approach and sound not far away from Weather ReportFind albums by this artist. This, their second recording, presents them in their full power and the recording is quite stunning in its sophistication and instrumental aptitude. The music includes pieces composed by all members of the group. As opposed to most American Fusion at the time, which was mostly based on simplistic melodies and endless instrumental doodling, this music is atmospheric, intelligent, sophisticated, well developed and coherent, clearly well rooted in the European musical tradition. Fusion fans are well advised to try this out and explore this wonderful music, which is expanding the genre´s limitations to the max. This music will also interest fans Prog fans, as it is close in spirit to the Canterbury genre. Superb stuff!

CD 1 Digipak Oversampling Remastered Recommend To A Friend

ZBIGNIEW SEIFERT ~ KILIMANJARO VOL.1 POLJAZZ / ANEX 206 (Barcode: 5907513047353) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1978 Released: 2006 Polish violin virtuoso Zbigniew SeifertFind albums by this artist passed on the firmament of the Polish Jazz scene like a bright comet before dying from cancer in 1979 at the ridiculous age of 32. Today, decades later, he is considered as one of the greatest Jazz talents that ever lived and every piece of music recorded by him during his short career achieved a legendary status. Strongly influenced by the music and musical philosophy of John ColtraneFind albums by this artist, Seifert is often called "the Coltrane of violin", mainly because of his exceptional improvisational power, brilliant technique and a totally integrated approach to Jazz, pushing the boundaries with every note uttered from his instrument. Seifert´s compositions, although rooted in European music, provide him with a perfect vehicle for his ambitious explorations and are all timeless masterpieces. This album (and its companion Vol.2) presents a live recording at his home town (Krakow) famous Jazz club "Pod Jaszczurami", made less than a year before his tragic death with a great group consisting of the best players on the local scene: guitarist Jaroslaw SmietanaFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Janusz GrzywaczFind albums by this artist, bassist Zbigniew WegehauptFind albums by this artist and drummer Mieczyslaw GorkaFind albums by this artist. The music includes two original compositions by Seifert, including the extended piece which gave the album its title. The third piece is a tribute to Seifert´s mentor John Coltrane in the form of Coltrane´s famous composition "Impressions". This is exceptional music, which should be revered by every Jazz enthusiast on this planet with no exception. Absolutely essential!

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

ZBIGNIEW SEIFERT ~ KILIMANJARO VOL.2 POLJAZZ / ANEX 208 (Barcode: 5907513047377) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1978 Released: 2006 Polish violin virtuoso Zbigniew SeifertFind albums by this artist passed on the firmament of the Polish Jazz scene like a bright comet before dying from cancer in 1979 at the ridiculous age of 32. Today, decades later, he is considered as one of the greatest Jazz talents that ever lived and every piece of music recorded by him during his short career achieved a legendary status. Strongly influenced by the music and musical philosophy of John ColtraneFind albums by this artist, Seifert is often called "the Coltrane of violin", mainly because of his exceptional improvisational power, brilliant technique and a totally integrated approach to Jazz, pushing the boundaries with every note uttered from his instrument. Seifert´s compositions, although rooted in European music, provide him with a perfect vehicle for his ambitious explorations and are all timeless masterpieces. This album (and its companion Vol.1) presents a live recording at his home town (Krakow) famous Jazz club "Pod Jaszczurami", made less than a year before his tragic death with a great group consisting of the best players on the local scene: guitarist Jaroslaw SmietanaFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Janusz GrzywaczFind albums by this artist, bassist Zbigniew WegehauptFind albums by this artist and drummer Mieczyslaw GorkaFind albums by this artist. The music includes two original compositions by Seifert. In addition an extensive interview with Seifert (in Polish) is also included, providing a glimpse at his personality and musical ideology. This is exceptional music, which should be revered by every Jazz enthusiast on this planet with no exception. Absolutely essential!

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

ZBIGNIEW SEIFERT ~ POLISH RADIO JAZZ ARCHIVES VOL.32 POLSKIE RADIO 2145 (Barcode: 5907812248697) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1970 - 1978 Released: 2018 This is the thirty-second installment in the series of releases initiated by the Polish Radio, which presents archive Jazz recordings from the radio vaults. Radio recordings are always a fabulous source of remarkable material, and as far as Polish Jazz history is concerned, the Polish Radio, which was a state monopoly for 45 years, recorded over time a plethora of invaluable material, which apart from the albums released by the Polskie Nagrania record company (also a state monopoly), is the only available additional source of Polish Jazz recordings. For many years Polish Radio recorded concerts presented during Poland´s most important Jazz venues, including the annual Jazz Jamboree Festival and many other festivals as well. The seven tracks presented here were recorded by one of the most iconic Polish Jazz figures: saxophonist / violinist / composer Zbigniew SeifertFind albums by this artist, who sadly died at a ridiculously young age succumbing to cancer. Influenced by the music of John ColtraneFind albums by this artist, Seifert revolutionized the Polish Jazz violin school and achieved international recognition. All the tracks are original compositions by Seifert. The first five tracks were recorded live on November 14, 1978 at the "Pod Jaszczurami" Jazz club in Krakow, just three months before Seifert´s death. They were recorded by a quintet, which also included guitarist Jaroslaw SmietanaFind albums by this artist (also not with us anymore, another victim of cancer), keyboardist Janusz GrzywaczFind albums by this artist, bassist Zbigniew WegehauptFind albums by this artist (my dear and sadly also departed friend) and drummer Mieczyslaw GorkaFind albums by this artist. Grzywacz and Gorka were at the time members of the legendary Polish Jazz-Rock ensemble LaboratoriumFind albums by this artist while Smietana and Wegehaupt were at the time members of another no less legendary ensemble Extra BallFind albums by this artist. The music, although composed by Seifert, gets here a Fusion oriented treatment, as a result of the fact that all members of the quintet except for Seifert were involved with Fusion at the time. Sadly these five tracks are only a selection from the entire recording session captured by Polish Radio Krakow, which has been previously partially released as a double LP entitled "KilimanjaroFind albums with this title" by the Polish Jazz Society label PoljazzFind albums on this label (available also separately as "Kilimanjaro Vol.1Find albums with this title" and "Kilimanjaro Vol.2Find albums with this title") and later on as a double CD bootleg album in its entirety. Why wasn´t the entire material finally released properly and legally on this album is a mystery and sadly a grave opportunity loss to put things in order once and for all and honestly a mess! The sixth track originates from a recording Seifert made with the Polish Radio Jazz Studio OrchestraFind albums by this artist directed by Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist in 1972. It presents him as a soloist backed up by an excellent Jazz orchestra, performing one of his early compositions, which is also previously unreleased. The seventh and last track goes even further back and was recorded in 1970 during the thirteenth edition of the Jazz Jamboree Festival. On this track Seifert plays saxophone and is accompanied by pianist Jan JarczykFind albums by this artist, bassist Jan GonciarczykFind albums by this artist and drummer Janusz StefanskiFind albums by this artist. This track was already released in 2010 by the great Polish reissue label GADFind albums on this label Records on the album "NoraFind albums with this title", dedicated to Seifert´s early recordings, and the inclusion of this track here is redundant and somewhat questionable. The beautifully restored sound quality is excellent and the warm ambience of the analog recording is a true joy. As usual with this series, which is very reasonably priced, I miss the presence of "in depth" liner notes / booklet, which should convey the circumstances at which this music was recorded and its importance to the development of Jazz in Poland. Nevertheless this is an absolutely essential piece of Jazz history which every Jazz fan will surely consider an absolute must.

Updated: 01/10/2018Posted: 28/09/2018

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Recommend To A Friend

JAROSLAW SMIETANA ~ A TRIBUTE TO ZBIGNIEW SEIFERT JSR 0011 (Barcode: 5901119902399) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2009 Released: 2009 This is a stunning tribute album to the Polish violin virtuoso / composer Zbigniew SeifertFind albums by this artist by the great Polish guitarist Jaroslaw SmietanaFind albums by this artist and his band: pianist Piotr WylezolFind albums by this artist, bassist Zbigniew WegehauptFind albums by this artist, drummer Adam CzerwinskiFind albums by this artist and percussionist Slawomir BernyFind albums by this artist. Keyboardist Janusz GrzywaczFind albums by this artist guests on two tracks. Smietana invited nine leading Jazz violinists to play along with this fabulous band, performing Seifert´s wonderful compositions. They are: Jerry GoodmanFind albums by this artist (ex-Mahavishnu OrchestraFind albums by this artist, USA), Mateusz SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist (Poland), Didier LockwoodFind albums by this artist (France), Krzesimir DebskiFind albums by this artist (Poland), Christian HowesFind albums by this artist (USA), Mark FeldmanFind albums by this artist (USA), Maciej StrzelczykFind albums by this artist (Poland), Adam BaldychFind albums by this artist (Poland) and Pierre BlanchardFind albums by this artist (France). These nine virtuosi play like there´s no tomorrow and the resulting music is simply a breathtaking trip into Seifert´s world. This is such a conglomerate of talent, that anything said beyond this would be simply superfluous. Simply grab this ASAP, as you are about to take trip of your life – violin heaven indeed!

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend