Record Reviews

WITOLD JANIAK ~ CINEMA MEETS JAZZ NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 - 2013 Released: 2013 This is the third album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Witold JaniakFind albums by this artist, and his debut recording in the piano trio format. There are actually two different trios present on this album, one with bassist Wojciech PulcynFind albums by this artist and drummer Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist and the other with bassist Andrzej ZielakFind albums by this artist and drummer Kamil MiszewskiFind albums by this artist. All the tracks were recorded at the excellent Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, which guaranties the highest sound quality. The album includes nine tracks, all of which are, as the title suggests, famous movie themes arranged by Janiak for the piano trio. Playing cinematic music in a Jazzy manner is of course a treacherous ground, since such projects have been attempted numerous times in the past, and by the absolute top Jazz players all over the world. Therefore the idea is hardly innovative or original and anybody attempting such a project has to be prepared to offer some bonus values, like extraordinary virtuosic performance or highly inventive arrangements. Sadly this album offers none of the above. Of course Janiak and his rhythm sections are skilled players with years of experience behind them, which results in excellent performances, but the music lacks sparkle and inspiration. This is painfully evident on the trio´s interpretation of Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist´s theme from Rosemary´s Baby, which has been performed incessantly by other Polish Jazz musicians. Overall the album presents some pleasant and well played piano trio Jazz, but fails to cross over into prominence.

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WITOLD JANIAK ~ ZAGRAJCIE SWOJA MUZYKE NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 5908254159527) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is the fourth album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Witold JaniakFind albums by this artist, recorded in a classic piano trio setting with bassist Rafal RozalskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Kamil MiszewskiFind albums by this artist. It presents nine traditional Polish folkloristic tunes rearranged into the Jazz idiom by Janiak. The album was recorded at the excellent Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, with the usual superb sound result. Judging by the number of albums related to Polish Folklore it seems that the Polish Jazz scene rediscovered its roots in 2015, in a way repeating a trend that was quite popular in the 1960s and 1970s. Some of those recent albums are truly revealing and present superb aesthetic achievements, while others sadly are much less original and seem to just blindly follow a fad. Janiak and his trio are very proficient musicians and their playing is without reproach all the way through, but the resulting music simply does not rise above the level of being "nice". There is no fire or emotional stir that makes a Jazz album rise above the average. The folkloristic influence is very marginal and does not come forward enough, beyond stating the basic melody line, failing to achieve the amalgamation of the two genres. To be fair this is still a very decent piano trio album, which many Jazz fans can enjoy; it simply does not compare to other exceptional Jazz albums released in Poland, which are way more artistic, engaging and fulfilling.

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GRZEGORZ ROGALA PROJECT ~ POLISH PSALTER VOL. 2 ARS SONORA 5903855701854 (Barcode: 5903855701854) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2023 Released: 2023 This is the second volume of psalms recorded by Polish Jazz trombonist Grzegorz RogalaFind albums by this artist and his ensemble, which includes soprano singer Barbara RogalaFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Szymon BonkowskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Witold JaniakFind albums by this artist, bassist Michal RutkowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Kamil MiszewskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight tracks, all of which are based on Biblical David’s psalms, loosely translated into Polish language by 16th Century poet Jan KochanowskiFind albums by this artist, with music by his friend, composer Mikolaj GomolkaFind albums by this artist. The music is an amalgam of the original pieces, sung by Barbara Rogala and then expanded into instrumental parts with Jazzy arrangements, performed by the instrumental ensemble, resulting in a characteristic Jazz-Classic Fusion. The album manages to create a fusion of the original Renaissance music with Jazz, which works splendidly, despite the obvious Centuries long time gap between them. It takes a while to get used to the transitions between the two musical spheres, there and back, but once over that hurdle everything works smoothly and the music is quite delightful. Most of the splendid soloing within the Jazzy parts is performed by Janiak, whose delicate arpeggios fit the spirit of the project perfectly, but all the instrumentalist play excellently in both domains. The soprano vocal parts are of course the anchor of the entire project, and are performed with confidence and clarity. Overall, this is a very original undertaking, which demands open-mindedness and skill to pull off. The excellent arrangements and obvious dedication demanded from all the participants pays off and the resulting music is deeply moving and highly aesthetic. Although unusual and somewhat challenging, it should keep most Jazz lovers happy, especially those with affinity to vocal Classical music and the Renaissance period. Very well done indeed!

Updated: 08/03/2024Posted: 08/03/2024

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