Record Reviews

ELMA ~ LICENTIA POETICA HEVHETIA 0232 (Barcode: 8588005259286) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2020 Released: 2022 This is the long awaited third album by Polish Jazz vocalist ElmaFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Elma KaisFind albums by this artist) recorded live with American guitarist Knox ChandlerFind albums by this artist, Australian (resident in Berlin) bassist Daigo NakaiFind albums by this artist and German drummer Klaus KugelFind albums by this artist. The album presents thirteen original pieces, all co-composed by the four musicians. The music is spontaneously improvised, although obviously somewhat pre-conceived, and as such could be classified as Improvised Music or Free Jazz, but honestly it makes no sense to apply any definitions to it, as it is as free-spirited as humanly possible. Although Elma’s vocal parts are obviously in the center of the listener’s attention, the music is collaborative and involves all four musicians at the same level of creativity. Elma continues her wordless vocalese / “voice as instrument” approach, which she demonstrated on her two earlier albums, but takes it further out into the truly virtuosic sphere, which sets her in a separate universe from almost all Jazz vocalists active today, continuing the vocal Jazz revolution started in the 1970s by European vocal pioneering female vocalists like Urszula DudziakFind albums by this artist, Lauren NewtonFind albums by this artist, Jeanne LeeFind albums by this artist, Mirka KrivankovaFind albums by this artist and several others. On contemporary Polish Jazz scene, she seems to be almost completely solitary, except for the work of Anna GadtFind albums by this artist. There is no doubt that this album is completely unique, as far as vocal Jazz is concerned, and Elma’s talent shines ever so brightly, fulfilling gracefully all the great hopes she stirred with her earlier albums. The music she creates with her colleagues hits the listener straight between his eyes, shocks and uplifts on a truly spiritual level, which happens only very rarely with new music that arrives on my desk. Considering the fact that Elma practically reinvents the approach to vocal improvisation, throwing away all pre-conceptions and limitations, she is able to cross into uncharted territory. We often tend to think that “everything was already done” in music (or otherwise), but that is a defeatist approach and life proves that there a possibility for progress. Overall, this is a shockingly beautiful, uplifting musical experience, which happens extremely rarely. As pompous as this might sound, this is probably the most perfect Polish Jazz vocal album of all times, a creation of unprecedented courage, inventiveness and free-spirited exploration. Yes, yes I see all the sceptics shrugging…

Updated: 21/05/2022Posted: 21/05/2022

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

GANELIN TRIO PRIORITY ~ SOLUTION FOR TUNE 0068 (Barcode: 5902768701678) ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz Recorded: 2010 Released: 2015 This is a live recording by the Ganelin Trio PriorityFind albums by this artist, led by Israeli (of Lithuanian roots) pianist / composer Vyacheslav GanelinFind albums by this artist with Lithuanian saxophonist Petras VysniauskasFind albums by this artist and German drummer Klaus KugelFind albums by this artist. It presents an Improvised Music piece, divided into eight sections, all co-composed by the trio members. The recording, which was done a few years before it was released, is available here for the first time. Ganelin´s legendary status as one of the world´s leading Free Jazz / Improvised Music pioneers was established already in the 1970s, while he was still residing in Lithuania, which at the time was a part of the USSR. His stunningly original and prophetic music, which under bizarre circumstances was released by the solitary Soviet State owned record label MelodiaFind albums on this label, struck the listeners (albeit only a few at the time) as completely innovative and original, way ahead of most that was happening in that area anywhere else in the world. Ganelin continues to create wonderfully innovative music since and his recorded legacy is a symbol of excellence and ingenuity. He founded the Ganelin Trio Priority as a working and touring ensemble, which plays concerts and festivals around the world. He also composes music for theatre and cinema and teaches composition as the Jerusalem Academy of Music. This wonderful album is an exquisite example of the trio at work, performing Improvised Music which sonically sounds like a Symphony Orchestra and musically keeps the listener on his toes at all times. Ganelin uses piano and synthesizers to create the sound layers while Vysniauskas improvises melodically on top and Kugel charges the music with incredible rhythmic tension. Together they sound like a three-headed Apollo uttering Godly sounds to charm the humans. It is almost impossible to think of this music as a collective improvisation, as it sounds more "composed" than most composed contemporary Classical music, thanks to Ganelin´s extraordinary intrinsic sense of melody and the great talent of Vysniauskas to weave the musical threads into a spectacular colorful canvas. Kugel complements the trio perfectly with his respectful and highly attentive attitude, filling the missing pieces which require rhythmic elements of simply adding supplementary ornamentation. Overall this is a brilliant album from start to finish, almost a "book" example of Improvised Music and its true vocation, and should serve as an example and a beacon to all other Improvising Musicians. Of the numerous Free Jazz and Improvised Music albums released on the For TuneFind albums on this label label, this is definitely one of the absolute best ones so far. An essential listening experience!

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CHARLES GAYLE TRIO ~ CHRIST EVERLASTING FOR TUNE 0063 (Barcode: 5902768701647) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is a live recording at Poznan´s club Dragon of a trio led by American saxophonist / pianist / composer Charles GayleFind albums by this artist with Polish bassist Ksawery WojcinskiFind albums by this artist and German drummer Klaus KugelFind albums by this artist. The trio performs nine tunes, four of which are standards and the other five are group compositions / improvisations credited to all trio members. Gayle arrived on the US scene as "the new discovery / profit" of Free Jazz in the late 1980, after years of performing as a homeless street musician. I have followed his recordings over the years and I must admit that somehow Gayle has failed to convince me to be anything more than a curiosity. His extreme political and religious views aside, his "music´ is a raw collection of sounds uttered with great intensity and emotion, but it does not "compute" as music in my brain – my bad of course – despite my passionate love for that kind of music. In retrospect Gayle´s recordings hardly advanced the Free Jazz / Improvised Music idiom in a global sense and everything he does was already done in the 1960s, much more effectively as far as I can see. That does not mean of course that his concerts are not worth attending and his albums not worth being heard, at least as far as one does not expect to be "enlightened". This particular gig caught on this album is pretty typical of Gayle´s concerts but has a wonderful added value of the excellent rhythm section, which literally saves the day. Wojcinski and Kugel, both experienced and talented Improvised Music figures, add the missing musical element to Gayle´s music, the depth and the interface, which enables a player / audience communication. Overall this is an interesting amalgam of free spirited, almost anarchist improvisation with solid and often virtuosic "sensible" rhythm section, which prevents the anarchy to take over completely. The Free Jazz fans will definitely enjoy this music, if not immediately than after a few attempts; more conventionally oriented listeners beware, you have been warned.

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

MILOBEDZKA / ZIMPEL ~ TYLE TEGO TY MALTAFUNDACJA 9788393420230 (Barcode: 9788393420230) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2012 Released: 2012 This album is a wonderful example of the Polish Jazz tradition of combining music and words in what is usually known as the Jazz & Poetry movement. That tradition continues almost uninterruptedly since the early days of the modern Polish Jazz history and reflects the intellectual approach, which sees music, poetry and other Art Forms as different facets of the phenomenon we call Culture. Over the years Polish Jazz produced many remarkable recordings of quite different manifestations of the Jazz & Poetry sub-genre and this beautiful album is an example of how it can be taken into new areas and cover new ground, keeping it alive and relevant. The album is packed in an elegant box, which also includes a book with all the lyrics. Polish poetess Krystyna MilobedzkaFind albums by this artist recites twenty one of her extraordinary poems and is accompanied by music composed by Polish Jazz clarinetist / composer Waclaw ZimpelFind albums by this artist. The music is performed by a trio comprising of Zimpel, who plays clarinets, flutes and harmonium and German musicians: bassist Christian RamondFind albums by this artist and drummer Klaus KugelFind albums by this artist. Together they manage to create a beautiful lyrical atmosphere, balancing between the somewhat hesitant, obviously weakened by her age, delicate voice of the author and the music, which is partly based on the Japanese gagaku tradition and partly reflects contemporary Improvised Music. Jazz & Poetry projects are often considered problematic due to the obvious language barriers, in this case between those listeners who understand the Polish language and those who don´t. But as in some extraordinary cases, this album transcends those barriers with ease and every sensible, Cultural human being is still able to experience an aesthetic epiphany when listening to it, regardless if he understands the words or not. The trio manages to create an entire universe of music, which surrounds the lyrics, engulfing them and symbiotically joins them, creating a new entity. Zimpel is in charge of the melodies delicately presented in slow motion. Ramond is the pulse of this virtual world, which gives it its fourth dimension. Kugel ornaments the reality with a myriad of percussive details, which in a way conduct a dialogue with the recited words. Obviously this is not something which a casual listener can comprehend or appreciate. But for those who can, this is simply a masterpiece. It is comforting to witness such extraordinary projects being realized in the stone cold reality that surrounds us. Brilliant stuff!

Updated: 01/01/2016Posted:

BOOK+CD 1 Box Set Recommend To A Friend

SCHUBERT / UCHIHASHI / KUGEL ~ BLACK HOLES ARE HARD TO FIND NEMU 028 (Barcode: 4041806052721) ~ GERMANY ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2021 Released: 2022 This is an album by a trio comprising of German saxophonist Frank Paul SchubertFind albums by this artist, Japanese (resident in Berlin) guitarist Kazuhisa UchihashiFind albums by this artist and German drummer Klaus KugelFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven lengthy pieces of Improvised Music, credited to all three members of the trio. As usual in Improvised Music, the essence of the music is highly dependent on the level of communication between the musicians, which is more important than their individual abilities and statements. In this case we are talking about three highly experiences improvisers, all with impressive portfolio of recordings to their credit, which is immediately apparent when the music starts to develop. The music offers an interesting balance between more Jazz infused tendencies, represented by the saxophone, and strong Rock influenced performances by the guitar, with the drums supporting both directions simultaneously. At all times the music stays within clear boundaries of non-aggressiveness and mutual respect, which makes all individual contributions perfectly audible. The resulting music often tends to be quite Ambient oriented, which is quite unexpected. The usual, the question concerning Improvising Music, which ponders if the music manages to remain interesting and valuable beyond the moment of its creation, is relevant here as well, and the answer is truly individual as far as the listeners are concerned. Personally I enjoyed this gathering of talents and their communal output, but I might understand people who would be completely lost between these sounds. Overall, this a meeting of highly skilled and talented Free Jazz / Improvised Music activists and their work together is impressive and coherent in the ears of listeners skilled in that idiom. Highly recommended to the followers of that particular manifestation of sound manipulation.

Updated: 08/03/2023Posted: 08/03/2023

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ULTRAMARINE ~ NEBOCRY FOR TUNE 0049 (Barcode: 5902768701388) ~ UKRAINE ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2012 Released: 2014 This is the debut album by the international Ethnic Jazz quartet UltramarineFind albums by this artist, which consists of Ukrainian vocalist Uliana HorbachevskaFind albums by this artist, veteran Lithuanian saxophonist Petras VysniauskasFind albums by this artist, Ukrainian bassist Mark TokarFind albums by this artist and German drummer Klaus KugelFind albums by this artist, who is the moving force behind this project. The album presents six improvised pieces, all credited to all four quartet members. The music was recorded live at a church in Lviv, Ukraine. The musical concept behind this album is an amalgam of Ukrainian Folk and Free Jazz improvisation, which follows many similar projects of this kind that sprung on the East European scene in the last decade. The vocal parts / songs represent the folkloristic motifs and the three instrumentalists add their improvised parts around these motifs. The formula is pretty basic and therefore also open and spacey, allowing all the quartet members to initiate and respond to what the other musicians are doing. Although the music is free spirited, it is also surprisingly melodic and lyrical, contrary to what one might expect from the lineup. Horbachevska sings in a typical folkloristic manner, using vibrato and dramatic modulation, but also moves away from the basic melody lines using vocalese. She is definitely the anchor of this music, and without her it would simply disintegrate. Vysniauskas weaves beautiful melodies on his soprano saxophone as if charming snakes, showing his incredible talent, sadly seldom appreciated by Western European audiences. Tokar plays empathically, providing the bottom sound needed for the music to lean upon and Kugel as usually ornaments the proceedings with his dynamic rolls and explosions. Overall this is a highly engaging experience, with a very specific aesthetics, which might be a bit bizarre and difficult for some listeners, but is definitely worth getting into. The amalgamation of seemingly incompatible musical elements is often the ultimate challenge and this quartet manages to achieve a true symbiosis, which us definitely praiseworthy. As usual the Polish For Tune label proves to be able to reach beyond any conventions and brings us innovative, challenging musical explorations, which constantly expands our conception of music. Well done indeed!

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WACLAW ZIMPEL ~ STONE FOG FOR TUNE 0009 (Barcode: 5902768701098) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2013 This is the debut recording by the quartet led by Polish Jazz clarinetist / composer Waclaw ZimpelFind albums by this artist with his countryman pianist Krzysztof DysFind albums by this artist and two German musicians: bassist Christian RamondFind albums by this artist and drummer Klaus KugelFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight compositions named using lines from poems by the US poetess Laura Winter. Three of the compositions are credited to Zimpel and the remaining five are group compositions. Despite his young age (he was 29 years old when this music was recorded) Zimpel is already considered as one of the most important upcoming Free Jazz / Improvised Music figures on the European scene. In the scope of the last decade he managed to cooperate with many first-class musicians from Poland and abroad, play many concerts and record quite a few albums as a leader and as sideman, most of which were received enthusiastically by the critics. The clarinet, Zimpel´s "weapon of choice", is sadly a much neglected instrument in contemporary music, Avant-Garde and Improvised Music included, and therefore his contributions are especially important, keeping the clarinet tradition alive. Except for the older generation clarinet Giants, like American Perry RobinsonFind albums by this artist, Israeli Harold RubinFind albums by this artist, French Louis SclavisFind albums by this artist, Italian Gianluigi TrovesiFind albums by this artist and a handful of others, Zimpel´s young voice is a fresh breath of air in this particular niche. As to the music on this album, I find it slightly less exciting personally in comparison to his earlier recordings with ensembles like UndividedFind albums by this artist or HeraFind albums by this artist. Not that this album lacks anything in quality and power of expression, but perhaps it is less based on incorporating World Music motifs, which Zimpel excels at. This album firmly belongs to the "traditional" Free Jazz / Improvised Music milieu, if the word "traditional" applies at all in such cases. But regardless of my personal preferences, this is excellent music from start to finish, performed with passion and masterly ability, by all four musicians involved. The rhythm section provides exceptional backing, moving swiftly between almost swing to free form, Dys on piano spreads layers of twisted harmonic structures and Zimpel, as usual, plays the role of the of Hamelin´s Pied Piper, snake charmer and a Hassidic Klezmer, all in one. Most connoisseurs of Free Jazz will find this music very interesting and aesthetically enchanting. The album was released by a new Polish label called For TuneFind albums on this label, which seems to be specializing in "unconventional" musical projects, like this one. All the releases on the label have a distinct graphic design, which appears to be copying the early ECMFind albums on this label, Hat HutFind albums on this label and other Avant-Garde labels following this path. Polish Avant-Garde Jazz fans know that this label is of course not the first of its kind, but the more the merrier. There is always place for good music and I wish the label a lot of success.

Updated: 12/10/2024Posted:

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend