Record Reviews

PAWEL KAMINSKI ~ LET`S DO IT SJ 041 (Barcode: 5912596066740) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2019 This is a debut album by young Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Pawel KaminskiFind albums by this artist recorded in a quartet setting with pianist Adam JarzmikFind albums by this artist, bass guitarist Jedrzej LaciakFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal DziewinskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight tracks, seven of which are original compositions by Kaminski and one is a standard. The music is all within modern Jazz mainstream, strictly melody based but diverse enough to present the proficiency of the leader as a composer and the band as a performing init. Overall the original compositions are all coherent and well rounded, and sound much more mature than what one might expect from such a young composer. The performances are also excellent, especially those by Jarzmik, who is clearly the most experienced player on this album and who also has previous recording experience. His soli are all perfectly fluent and are classic examples of Jazz piano at its best. Kaminski also plays very well, with a steady and clear tone and interesting soloing abilities. The rhythm section is amicable and sympathetic, doest not stand in the way of the music and is also given opportunity to solo occasionally. Although the presence of a bass guitar usual pushes the music towards Fusion, both stylistically and sound-wise, it is not the case here. There is some more fusion oriented music here, but its character is defined by the usage of electric piano rather than the bass, which stays conventionally Jazz oriented. Overall this is an excellent debut effort, which as usual on the Polish Jazz scene surprises with its high standard of compositions and the ability of the players, who sound as if they have been playing Jazz for decades. The youthfulness and energy are well tamed by restrain and self discipline, resulting in a tasteful showcase of young Polish Jazz at its best. Well done indeed!

Updated: 21/05/2019Posted: 21/05/2019

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MOON HOAX ~ RANDKA Z ANDROIDEM CAPRICORNUS 003 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2021 Released: 2021 This is the second album by Polish Fusion ensemble Moon HoaxFind albums by this artist, led by guitarist / composer Michal KarbowskiFind albums by this artist. The new lineup of the sextet includes trumpeter Klaudiusz KlosekFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Jaroslaw BothurFind albums by this artist, vibraphonist Filip OwczarskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Jedrzej LaciakFind albums by this artist and drummer Przemyslaw BorowieckiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, all by the leader. The music follows to some extent the musical direction of the debut, recorded eight years earlier, moving between Jazz, Fusion and Brass Rock. The melodic compositions are spiced with diverse rhythmic patterns and the extended soloing allows all the ensemble members to show their individual abilities. The leader’s guitar sound is the most idiosynchratic element in the music, which sets it aside from most other Fusion efforts. The fact that the harmonic layer is supported by the vibraphone, rather than by the omnipresent keyboards, adds to the unique ambience the ensemble manages to create. The Brass Rock sound that characterized the debut is less emphasized on this album, with the brass instruments soloing in turn, but not supporting the music with background brass riffs all along the way, which loses some of the charm. Nevertheless, the music is still very enjoyable and the album offers an exciting listening experience, especially to Fusion oriented music fans. Overall, this is a very solid Fusion album, with exciting music and excellent performances, which should find every fan of the genre completely satisfied. Hopefully next time we won’t have to wait for another eight years for the next one.

Updated: 18/01/2022Posted: 18/01/2022

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MAREK WALAROWSKI ~ SEVEN STAIRS TO HELL DUX 1209 (Barcode: 5902547012094) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2015 This is an album by Polish pianist / composer Marek WalarowskiFind albums by this artist, which presents a project he recorded with a classic piano trio with acoustic bass guitarist Jedrzej LaciakFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal DziewinskiFind albums by this artist. It consists of eight original compositions, all by Walarowski. The tongue in cheek reference in the project´s title to the seminal Miles DavisFind albums by this artist album hints about the musical point of reference this music is related to, deep within the Jazz tradition. Although seemingly a straight-ahead mainstream Jazz piano trio album, this album offers a whole musical concept, which mixes the traditional Jazz idiom with unique approach to improvisation, where the instruments rather than soloing in turn, improvise continuously constantly exchanging phrases between themselves, similar to what happens in group improvisation in Free Jazz, but within the standard melodic / harmonic mainstream Jazz. If this is not clear enough, the best idea is to listen to the music and hear this approach in real time. Of course in order to apply this approach, Walarowski had to find the right partners, which is definitely not a trivial matter. The stunning work done by the acoustic bass guitarist is a proof that such partners do exists. Laciak plays along with the piano notes with an amazing virtuosity, and manages to combine the traditional role of the bass in a piano trio with a continuous barrage of notes, which improvise and perform a dialogue with the piano. Dziewinski is obviously less involved in the actual improvisation, except for his solo spots, but he accompaniments the piano / bass lines with great elegance and sensitivity. Of course the great performances are based first and foremost on the compositions, which serve as vehicles for the improvisational layer. Walarowski´s beautifully melodic and lyrical themes are perfect for the job and are a real pleasure to listen to. He is also a great pianist of course, but his idiosyncratic style might sound a bit strange to purist Jazz listeners, revealing some Classical mannerisms, which are difficult to hide. Overall this is a wonderful piano trio album, which should make all connoisseurs of that particular Jazz variety extremely happy, although it might require a few listening sessions in order to appreciate this music in full. I suppose this is a multi-layered album in a sense that some listeners will enjoy the melodic, swinging parts, which are very easy to like while others will make an effort to dig deeper and listen beneath the surface to discover the hidden treasures. Whichever way, this is a highly recommended piece of music, worth discovering and investigating.

Updated: 10/05/2016Posted: 10/05/2016

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