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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TOMASZ CHYLA ~ MUSIC WE LIKE TO DANCE TO ALPAKA 029 (Barcode: 7331898174584) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2023 Released: 2023 This is the 4th album by Polish Jazz violinist / composer Tomasz ChylaFind albums by this artist, recorded with his quintet, which also includes 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, the same lineup that recorded the previous album three years earlier. The album presents nine tracks, six of which are original compositions by the leader, one is co-composed with Hadrych and one each is by Hadrych and Miszk. The album was recorded at the excellent Monochrom studio and engineered by Ignacy GruszeckiFind albums by this artist. The music this time is quite different from everything Chyla recorded previously, which proves that he is not clutching to one specific style or genre, but on the other hand it also signifies that he is still searching for his personal voice. Personally I find this album to be a bit confusing musically, as it jumps all over the range, between contrasting stylistics as far from one another as Heavy Metal Bebop to almost Free Improvisation. As a result, it sounds rather chaotic and unfocused, despite the obvious abilities by the musicians involved. Also, the violin, which is the leader’s instrument, and as such is supposed to be in the center of attention, is almost entirely inaudible on this album, partly because the leader solos rarely and partly because the heavy, busy sound, which does not allow for the violin to be heard most of the time. Overall, this album, recorded by excellent musicians, leaves me somewhat cold and sad in a way, as my expectations were very high. Of course this is, as usual, only my very personal opinion, although I did listen to the music several times to avoid a rush judgment.

Updated: 18/06/2025Posted: 18/06/2025

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MAJA LAURA SEPTET ~ MONK, MY DEAR MAJA LAURA 2 ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2024 Released: 2024 This is the second album by Polish Jazz keyboardist / composer Maja LauraFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Maja Laura JaryczewskaFind albums by this artist), recorded in an octet setting (why septet?) with drummer Teo OlterFind albums by this artist, bassist Kamila DrabekFind albums by this artist, guitarist Krzysztof HadrychFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Lukasz KorybalskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Jakub KlemensiewiczFind albums by this artist and Krzysztof KusmierekFind albums by this artist and flautist Dominik StrycharskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight tracks, seven of which compositions by Thelonious MonkFind albums by this artist and one is a standard, which Monk often performed, all arranged by the leader. The music is almost completely highly improvised, to such extent that for a listener unaware of the context, i.e. Monk’s compositions, that specific association is very difficult to be recognized, except for the brief moments where direct musical quotes are present. This is probably why the leader takes a credit for the music, side by side with Monk. Such approach raises the question as to the limits of Freedom, even Artistic Freedom, although “limits of Freedom” might sound like an oxymoron. In this specific case if this album was presented as: “inspired by Monk”, or anything in similar zone, it would have been much more acceptable, but presenting it as Monk’s music is, at least for me, a bit of a hyperbole, to say the least. Monk was the greatest Jazz revolutionary within Bebop, but he knew the limits of Freedom perfectly well, I suppose more subconsciously than with premeditation, but he never overstepped the boundaries. I believe Maja Laura, when she claims that she loves Monk “madly” (sic), but so do I, and therefore I think that love has its limits too. Having said all that, this is definitely a bold musical statement, and it has its magic moments, if not as a concept, surely as a result of some of the performances, as the album does involve some of the best Polish Jazz musicians after all. Even if it has some flows, it is better that such attempts are made, than avoided. After all, “love will forgive you everything”, as the famous Polish song claims, which is also sometimes true in life. Overall, this is a very interesting, bold and unusual album, which despite its flaws offers an attempt to deliver an homage to one of the most important Jazz geniuses ever, which is commendable, as is the leader’s courage and individuality. Improvised Music enthusiasts should enjoy this album, traditional Jazz lovers might be shocked to the core, all for the best.

Updated: 10/04/2025Posted: 10/04/2025

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