Record Reviews

TOMASZ CHYLA ~ DA VINCI ALPAKA 014 (Barcode: 308175527842) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2020 Released: 2020 This is the third album by Polish Jazz violinist / composer Tomasz ChylaFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quintet setting with trumpeter Emil MiszkFind albums by this artist, guitarist Krzysztof HadrychFind albums by this artist, bassist Konrad ZolnierekFind albums by this artist and drummer Slawomir KoryznoFind albums by this artist. A vocal octet, called Art `n` VoicesFind albums by this artist participates on four tracks. The album presents nine original compositions, all co-credited to the quintet members. Following two excellent albums, which offered an extraordinary musical imagination and intellectually challenging concepts, this album offers again a completely different approach from its predecessors, this time being almost completely removed from any Jazz elements, and venturing into contemporary minimalist music, with some elements of Rock Avant-Garde and Industrial Music, dark and alienated, almost atonal at times, and almost completely devoid of melody lines, which at its most intense moments knocks the listener on his head like a sledgehammer. Having said that the music is extremely potent and original, with obvious carefully planned aesthetics and conceptual approach, which challenges the listener for the entire duration. The use of the vocal octet is especially effective, close to modern Classical Music practices. The prominent presence of the electric guitar influences dramatically the intense crescendo moments, emphasizing the proximity to Rock, but within the kaleidoscopic wealth of other elements, it does not dominate the entire approach of this album. Chyla is obviously a musician of great scope, who is still developing his vocabulary and stylistic language. It is fascinating to watch his development, as documented by his recordings so far, and he always leaves his listeners waiting impatiently for more. This album is perhaps the most difficult one to “enjoy”, but repeated listening might remedy this condition. I’d say the album offers a bit too much of everything for my liking, but I still appreciate the ideas and the imagination, as well as the excellent playing by all members of the quintet, which was invested in creating it. Overall this is an important document of the fascinating Polish Jazz scene, which refuses to stay within the preconceived guidelines, slaughtering holy cows by the dozens. For listeners who liked the two earlier albums this is a must and for open-minded seekers of unusual sound vistas, this is a worthy challenge!

Updated: 27/05/2021Posted: 27/05/2021

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JAZZ.U ~ ELIYAHU NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2022 Released: 2024 This is the 2nd album by Polish Jazz-Rock Fusion ensemble Jazz.UFind albums by this artist, led by guitarist / composer Krzysztof PawlockiFind albums by this artist, which also includes keyboardist Dominik KisielFind albums by this artist, bassist Konrad ZolnierekFind albums by this artist and drummer Lukasz LapinskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine tracks, seven of which were composed by the leader, and two are uncredited improvisations. Although still very much a Fusion album, the music offers polyrhythmic tempi, less straightforward melodic themes and a very unusual guitar sound, which immediately sets the album apart from most Fusion albums one might have come across over time. Combined with the extraordinary keyboard work by Kisiel, this album turns out to be quite a surprising step forward for the ensemble, in comparison to the debut, which was recorded four years earlier. The music takes a while to get into, perhaps even requiring several listening sessions, which is a very rare phenomenon as far as Fusion is concerned, and speaks volumes both about the composer and the instrumentalists. There is a lot of volume dynamics between very quiet passages and more aggressive ones, which again are unusual and make the listener to check the volume controls, which might initially be a tad unnerving. In short, the entire experience of listening to the music is full of unexpected trickery, which adds spice to the proceedings. Overall, this is an excellent album, full of surprising and constant shifts in volume, tempo and atmosphere, which makes it stand out within the genre. Complex music and excellent performances, combined with an unusual guitar work should make this a heaven for Fusion fans and offer a whiff of freshness within the rather stale Fusion environment. Well done!

Updated: 26/01/2025Posted: 26/01/2025

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JAZZ.U ~ GRIGIO NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 5901571099736) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz-Rock Fusion band Jazz.uFind albums by this artist led by guitarist / composer Krzysztof PawlockiFind albums by this artist and including saxophonist Michal SasinowskiFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Dominik KisielFind albums by this artist (who has a couple of albums as a leader under his belt), bassist Konrad ZolnierekFind albums by this artist and drummer Lukasz LapinskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, all by the leader. The music is pretty straightforward Fusion, based on melodic tunes, which serve as basis for the improvisations by the three lead instruments. The compositions are all well structured but rather simplistic, and with one or two exceptions, and do not share the Polish lyricism, which makes Polish bands special, obviously trying to be as universal as possible. The performances are all without a hitch, with the sax, piano and guitar soloing on each tune and the rhythm section providing solid backing. The music flows rather uneventfully, again with a few exceptions. The bass parts deserve a special mention. Overall this is a solid, entertaining Fusion album, which offers pleasant listening experience to a wide range audience of listeners between ambitious instrumental Rock, Fusion and the lighter side of Jazz. Considering the fact that this is a debut effort, the result is commendable and one can only hope the sequel will offer a tad more ambitious material. Fusion heads should have a great time with this music for sure and this album is definitely better than most of the typical Fusion recordings, especially those originating across the pond.

Updated: 27/03/2020Posted: 27/03/2020

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LESZEK KULAKOWSKI ~ WITKACY NARKOTYKI SOLITON 1227 (Barcode: 5903684232277) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2021 Released: 2022 This is an album by Polish pianist / composer Leszek KulakowskiFind albums by this artist, which presents a live recording of a spectacle, featuring music composed by Kulakowski and texts written by the Polish writer / poet / painter WitkacyFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Stanislaw Ignacy WitkiewiczFind albums by this artist). The participants comprise of Kulakowski, who plays electronic keyboards rather than piano, vocalist Jorgos SkoliasFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Tomasz DabrowskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Marcin WadolowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Konrad ZolnierekFind albums by this artist, drummer Sebastian FrankiewiczFind albums by this artist and actor Jerzy KarnickiFind albums by this artist, who narrates the texts. The album presents seven tracks and is beautifully packaged with an informative booklet, which also includes all the texts, as well as Witkacy’s paintings. Witkacy’s literary / philosophical / artistic heritage remains to be controversial and more often than not misinterpreted since the day it was conceived and published, and the state of affairs did not change much during the last century. Many of the subjects touched upon by Witkacy in his works, like sex, drugs and social relationships remain a taboo in Poland to this very day, despite the superficial openness and modernism. Therefore, his artistry is often treated as scandalous and sensational, rather than prophetic and educational. This is not the first attempt to interpret Witkacy’s “aura” within the Polish Jazz setting of course. In the mid-1980s iconic Polish trumpeter / composer Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist made a groundbreaking recording inspired by Witkacy’s legacy, which also related to the subject of drugs, which of course was a household issue among many Jazz musicians, not only on the west side of the Iron Curtain. The trumpet duos between Stanko and Andrzej PrzybielskiFind albums by this artist are certainly some of the Polish Jazz highlights of that period. Dabrowski’s parts on this album serve as a bridge between that momentous album and this new creation. But Kulakowski managed to create a completely new and original approach herein in every respect. The music is highly melodic, with clearly defined themes, the Funky, Fusion oriented rhythmic background makes the music sound contemporary and vigorous. The synthesizers suit this environment way better than acoustic piano, and Kulakowski certainly made the right choice here. Wadolowski’s guitar fits the scenario perfectly as well as the round and pulsating bass parts. But the greatest asset of this album are the vocal / vocalese parts by Skolias, who is as demonic and fascinating as only humanly possible. Overall, this is an important, courageous attempt to interpret Witkacy and his legacy, highly original and moving, and beautifully performed, especially considering the fact that this is a live recording, which offers a superb sound quality. Kulakowski never ceases to re-invent himself, and despite the fact that I know him and his music for so many years, he still manages to surprise me time after time. Hats off, Maestro!

Updated: 22/02/2022Posted: 22/02/2022

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EMIL MISZK / THE SONIC SYNDICATE ~ ARTIFICIAL STUPIDITY ALPAKA 013 (Barcode: 308175527811) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the second album by Polish Jazz trumpeter / composer / bandleader Emil MiszkFind albums by this artist and his octet called The Sonic SyndicateFind albums by this artist, which also includes saxophonists Piotr CheckiFind albums by this artist and Kuba WiecekFind albums by this artist, trombonist Pawel NiewiadomskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Szymon BurnosFind albums by this artist, guitarist Michal ZienkowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Konrad ZolnierekFind albums by this artist and drummer Slawomir KoryznoFind albums by this artist, same lineup as on the debut. The album presents six original compositions, which strangely are not credited on the album´s artwork and are therefore assumed to be all by the leader. The total playing time of the album is just below thirty-five minutes, which is closer to an EP than a full album. The brilliant debut album released a couple of years earlier created enormously high expectations from the sophomore release, which are almost impossible to be fulfilled. Considering the fact that the music on this album is significantly different from that on its predecessor, any attempt to compare the two is practically fruitless. Combined with loosing the element of surprise, the resulting effect is somewhat less exciting. Nevertheless this is still brilliant music, beautifully performed by some of the best young generation Polish Jazz musicians. The compositions are complex and combine several melodic and rhythmic themes within each of the pieces. They are all carefully designed, ordered and planned, cerebral and refined, oriented towards the "big sound" the octet is able to create, at times offering up-to-date Big Band mannerisms. There is no doubt that Miszk and his Sonic Syndicate offer some of the cleverest music on the Polish Jazz scene, which can eventually lead to some level of estrangement with the audience. This album, as already mentioned, has a short playing time, but is so intensive and demanding that perhaps any additional material might have been simply over the top. Miszk obviously gives up almost completely his role as an instrumentalist and is completely absorbed by his role of a composer and arranger. Overall this is a dazzling piece of music, which concentrates on highly complex, sophisticated compositions, which are difficult to follow but highly rewarding to advanced Jazz listeners. The (almost) orchestral arrangements are devilishly tricky and must have been a real challenge to perform and record, which makes me wonder if this music is possible to be played live. In any case Miszk is surely an Artist to be watched closely, as he obviously is just worming up.

Updated: 21/07/2022Posted: 17/07/2020

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EMIL MISZK / THE SONIC SYNDICATE ~ DON`T HESITATE! ALPAKA 005 (Barcode: 191924149736) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is the debut album as a leader by young and upcoming Polish Jazz trumpeter / composer Emil MiszkFind albums by this artist, who has made a significant mark on the local scene lately. On this album he leads an impressive octet, called Sonic SyndicateFind albums by this artist, which also includes saxophonists Piotr CheckiFind albums by this artist and Kuba WiecekFind albums by this artist, trombonist Pawel NiewiadomskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Michal ZienkowskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Szymon BurnosFind albums by this artist, bassist Konrad ZolnierekFind albums by this artist and drummer Slawomir KoryznoFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, all by the leader. The stunning music consists of some of the most original Jazz compositions I have heard in many years. Miszk uses brilliantly the power of the octet, which has almost the strength and possibilities of a Big Band / Orchestral scale, to express his complex, suite like compositions, which are all multilayered, with twisted melody lines and constant tempi changes, but which in spite of their devilishly clever intricacy sound completely coherent and complete. The music moves between melodic statements of the composed themes and almost Free Form mini-improvised passages, presenting a fresh and invigorating approach to Jazz composition, which is simply phenomenal. At times the music ventures into the Brass Rock approach, fondly remembered from the work of ensembles like ChicagoFind albums by this artist and ChaseFind albums by this artist (and many more), but of course is completely brought up to date and modernized. All the members of the octet are of course radiant instrumentalists, who are able to execute the convoluted and challenging twists and turns of the music spotlessly. The music calls mostly for an ensemble / orchestral sound and presentation, which means that individual soloing, is not the focus of this music, but rather creating sound vistas that require discipline and collaboration by all the participants; which of course does not exclude some blood-curdling solo work by the leader and others and surprising Rocky guitar statements by Zienkowski. This music is also the epitome of European Jazz, being completely open to all musical styles and influences, managing to amalgamate them in a perfect way. There is a lot of tradition here, some conscious and some subconscious, but absolutely no stagnation or repetition. This is exactly what European Jazz aesthetics is all about – experiment and elegance, good taste and talent. This kind of music can probably only be made in Poland. Any attempt to describe this beautiful piece of music is of course completely futile and does not replace the experience of listening to it, which of course I absolutely recommend. It is very rare that a debut album of this magnitude appears and usually it happens only once or twice in a given year, and for 2018 this is definitely it. Absolutely not to be missed!

Updated: 07/05/2018Posted: 24/04/2018

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EMIL MISZK / THE SONIC SYNDICATE ~ SCRATCHES FOR 8 MUSICIANS ALPAKA 023 (Barcode: 3663734142964) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2021 Released: 2022 This is the third album by Polish Jazz trumpeter / composer / bandleader Emil MiszkFind albums by this artist, recorded live with his octet called The Sonic SyndicateFind albums by this artist, which comprises of top young Polish Jazz musicians: saxophonists Piotr CheckiFind albums by this artist (tenor) and Jakub KlemensiewiczFind albums by this artist (baritone), trombonist Pawel NiewiadomskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Michal ZienkowskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Mikolaj BasiukiewiczFind albums by this artist, bassist Konrad ZolnierekFind albums by this artist and drummer Slawomir KoryznoFind albums by this artist. The album presents four extended pieces, which are uncredited on the album’s artwork (open for speculation). The music is essentially improvised, with just very few sketchy melodic themes and coherent continuity, at some occasions being more about a sonic atmosphere than music, as most people conceive it. It is fascinating to compare this album with Miszk’s earlier recordings since he first appeared on recording scene in 2014, including the two previous albums with the Sonic Syndicate, which shows a radical estrangement from melodic modern Jazz, gradually moving towards Improvised Music and Avant-Garde. Of course Miszk has every right to experiment and develop his music any way he sees fit, and his qualities are clearly obvious here, as they were in his earlier work. The album, although being more about the ensemble sound that individual soloing, which is typical of European larger ensembles, allows all the members of the octet to show their chops, even in the highly unconventional environment of this music. At best, the ensemble sounds like a Big Band, but during the intimate improvisation moments the ensemble sound gets lost obviously, which is a pity. As a result, the music is very uneven and depends largely on the listener’s attention span and patience. Overall, this is a courageous experiment, exposing the more experimental / searching facets of the young Polish Jazz scene, which refuses to stand still. The music might prove to be trying to an average Jazz listener, but the more open-minded and searching Jazz fans should find this album worth of their attention.

Updated: 16/07/2022Posted: 16/07/2022

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OLKO.M.TRIO ~ TRUE NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 198000124588) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz trio led by pianist / composer Alexandra MularczykFind albums by this artist with bassist Konrad ZolnierekFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam GolickiFind albums by this artist. The album presents six original compositions, all by Mularczyk. The piano trio format on this album is significantly modernized with the presence of the electric bass, especially the fretless one, crossing over to Fusion at times, but the acoustic piano and the long arpeggios keeps it firmly within the mainstream Jazz idiom. The music is energetic and youthful, firmly based on solid melodic compositions, which serve as basis for extended improvisations. Golicki, who has already an impressive recording experience behind him, ornaments the music with diverse rhythmic patterns and certainly steps beyond the basic drumming duty, becoming an integral part of the creative team. Although the album does not offer much of adventurous exploration of the Jazz idiom, it shows the excellent level of the young Polish Jazz generation, as well as the growing number of young female Jazz musicians (mostly pianists but not only), which are now joined by Mularczyk, who earn their position thanks to their talents and creativity. Overall this is a very promising debut album, which will hopefully be followed my more examples of the work by the musicians involved in this one. Definitely worth investigating!

Updated: 18/07/2021Posted: 18/07/2021

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