Record Reviews

BALDYCH / HERDZIN / PIERONCZYK / SZTABA ~ GREAT ENCOUNTERS ANAKLASIS 075 (Barcode: 5907795210841) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2020 - 2021 Released: 2021 This is an album produced to celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the PWM Edition (Polish music publishing house), which also owns the prestigious AnaklasisFind albums on this label record label. The album collects five musical pieces, which represent the cross-genre projects released by the label as part of its “Revisions” series. Those are mostly Jazz-Classical Fusion or Pop-Classical Fusion explorations, which were inspired by Polish Classical Music composers: Frederic ChopinFind albums by this artist, Stanislaw MoniuszkoFind albums by this artist, Ignacy Jan PaderewskiFind albums by this artist, Karol SzymanowskiFind albums by this artist and Henryk WieniawskiFind albums by this artist. Three Polish Jazz instrumentalists / composers: violinist Adam BaldychFind albums by this artist, pianist Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist and saxophonist Adam PieronczykFind albums by this artist, as well as pianist / composer / arranger / conductor Adam SztabaFind albums by this artist, mostly associated with Polish TV and entertainment industry, were selected to create the music for this album. Herdzin is the author of two of these pieces and the others authored one piece each. The music is performed by Baldych, Herdzin, Pieronczyk and additional musicians: vocalist Igor HerbutFind albums by this artist, Moldovan cimbalom (hammered dulcimer) player Marcel ComendantFind albums by this artist, pianist Krzysztof DysFind albums by this artist and the AUKSO Chamber OrchestraFind albums by this artist conducted by Marek MosFind albums by this artist. The music offers quite a diverse stylistic amalgam, dominated by the two pieces by Herdzin, which comprise almost half of the album’s duration, ranging from romantic easy listening Classical music to Jazz Avant-Garde and Avant-Pop. The level of the performances is absolutely superb and the music offers intelligent and highly aesthetic listening experience. Overall, this is another highly successful album in this wonderful series, and certainly something worthy of pursuing by the Jazz-Classical Fusion enthusiasts. Since these pieces do not appear on any of the albums released in this series, it is absolutely worth getting as well. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 31/03/2023Posted: 31/03/2023

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ADAM BALDYCH & HELGE LIEN TRIO ~ BRIDGES ACT 9591 (Barcode: 614427959126) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is the third album for the prestigious German ACTFind albums on this label label by Polish Jazz violinist / composer Adam BaldychFind albums by this artist, clearly the most significant representative of the Polish Jazz violin school active today. Contrary to most Jazz musicians, Baldych obviously prefers to create ad hoc associations with various musicians rather than lead his own band, which in his case seems to be the ideal solution in order to fully communicate his enormous versatility. This time he cooperates with the Norwegian piano trio, led by pianist Helge LienFind albums by this artist, which also includes bassist Frode BergFind albums by this artist and drummer Per Oddvar JohansenFind albums by this artist. The album´s eleven tracks consist of nine original compositions by Baldych and one piece co-composed by Baldych and Lien and additionally an arrangement of a pop tune. Two of the compositions were arranged by Polish Jazz pianist / composer / arranger Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist. Similarly to his previous album recorded with the Israeli pianist Yaron Herman, the atmosphere and actual material on this album is only marginally Jazzy and covers mostly other music areas like contemporary Classical and World Music. The music is very spacey, intimate and minimalistic in form, based on beautiful melodic themes, which Baldych masterly creates seemingly from thin air. The influence of the Polish Folklore is very significant in Baldych´s playing on this album, more than on any of his earlier recordings and some of the songs sound like famous Polish Folklore dances. Of course this might have happened somewhat subconsciously, but considering Baldych´s sophistication and perfectionism that is quite unlikely. Personally I find the team work on this album a bit limited, certainly in comparison of Baldych´s earlier work. Although the Norwegian trio has an excellent record behind it, their role on this album is almost entirely concerned with accompaniment with very few moments of true group improvisation and interplay. This might have been a conscious decision on the part of Baldych or simply worked out this way, but the result definitely puts the trio on a second plane, with the rhythm section almost never leaving the shadows. Of course the trio does a great job playing alongside Baldych, but personally I miss the electricity in the air which could have uplifted this album to another level. Overall this is a beautiful piece of music, skillfully executed, which should make every fan of violin perfectly happy. Jazz purists might find this a bit too sweet, smooth and melancholic, but to be fair Baldych simply has no competition neither in his own country nor anywhere else at the moment, so he is setting the mark. Baldych will surely come up with a new surprise pretty soon, being always full of ideas and abilities, and his work is always a source of joy and aesthetic pleasure.

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MARIUSZ BOGDANOWICZ ~ CONFITEOR SONG CONFITEOR 002 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2000 Released: 2001 This is the debut album as a leader on his own record label by Polish bassist / composer Mariusz BogdanowiczFind albums by this artist, recorded with a formidable team of Polish Jazz musicians, which includes saxophonists Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and Adam WendtFind albums by this artist, US born guitarist Brandon FurmanFind albums by this artist, accordionist Andrzej JagodzinskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist and drummer Piotr BiskupskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions by Bogdanowicz and one arrangement of a folk tune. Considering the level of the musicians involved there are no surprises here; the performances by all the participants are spotless, professional and truly excellent. The young Herdzin, who was a member of the ensemble led by Namyslowski at the time, plays some great piano lines. It is very interesting to hear Namyslowski play music he did not compose; his performances here are truly inspired. Furman plays beautiful guitar lines, full of lyricism and technically brilliant guitar tricks. Jagodzinski, who normally plays piano of course, adds some nice accordion touches. Wendt adds also some fiery saxophone solos and finally Biskupski on drums plays solidly and respectfully alongside Bogdanowicz, who plays several beautiful bass solos, creating together a perfect mainstream Jazz rhythm section. But the focus of this album is of course on the superb tunes composed by the leader. Melodic and gorgeously lyrical, these compositions are all sensual and intelligent, serving as perfect vehicles for the musicians to spread their wings. These tunes are all as good as any Jazz standard and deserve to be listened to repeatedly. Overall this is a perfect mainstream Jazz album, which combines great music with perfect and inspired execution, a model for all excellent Jazz album ever created, becoming an instant classic Polish Jazz album in all respects.

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GROHMAN ORCHESTRA ~ KLASYKA POLSKIEJ ROZRYWKI 4Q4 004 (Barcode: 5901844920330) ~ POLAND ~ Pop-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by the Polish Grohman OrchestraFind albums by this artist, a thirteen-piece ensemble of classically trained musicians, which exists since several years. On this album they present arrangements of seventeen Polish Pop evergreens, arranged by pianist / composer / arranger Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist. The music is a collection of carefully arranged melodies, which originally appeared as Polish Pop songs and achieved enormous popularity over the years. Herdzin also weaved fragments of well-known Classical themes with his arrangements of the songs. The overall result is a very pleasant piece of instrumental music, which is extremely accessible to a wide range of (most probably) older listeners, who might recognize the original songs and at the same time enjoy the new approach. Herdzin´s arrangements are, as usual, perfectly structured and the highly professional orchestra executes them without a hitch. One might wonder what the main purpose of this music is: to popularize and bring the audience closer to Classical music or to bring new audiences to semi-classical environment, using the Pop songs as a hook. In either case the music should be able to achieve the result. Some of the selected songs work better in the new arrangements than others, but the overall result manages to avoid the kitsch trap, which projects like this are usually destined for. Of course this is more entertainment than a serious musical statement, but entertainment that defends its own aesthetical values. In addition to its purely entertainment value, the album is also a tribute to the Polish Pop songwriting, which is a very valuable piece of the overall Polish Culture and this cross-genre approach is a very appropriate step for such an undertaking.

Updated: 26/09/2017Posted: 26/09/2017

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AGNIESZKA HEKIERT ~ STORIES UNIVERSAL 028947651475 (Barcode: 028947651475) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2012 Polish Jazz vocalist / composer Agnieszka HekiertFind albums by this artist, who combines the careers of a vocalist and a successful vocal coach for TV reality shows, released this album eight years after her last release called "Night And Day SwingFind albums with this title", which she recorded with the pianist / composer Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist and his trio. In the meantime she also recorded the "European ImpressionsFind albums with this title" album with my dear friend, the great Polish saxophonist / composer Leszek ZadloFind albums by this artist, which unfortunately remains unreleased so far. From that session she carried over the Bulgarian pianist / composer Konstantin KostovFind albums by this artist (who studied with another friend of mine, the Russian pianist / composer Leonid TschischikFind albums by this artist, now living and teaching in Germany), who is her closest collaborator on this album. The other musicians, who constitute the piano trio on this album, are bassist Robert KubiszynFind albums by this artist and drummer Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist. Guest appearances also include Herdzin on flute (yes I smiled too), vocalist Kuba BadachFind albums by this artist and the superb Atom String QuartetFind albums by this artist. The album includes twelve songs, four of which are Kostov / Hekiert originals, another four are by Hekiert or feature her lyrics, one is a standard, one is a song by StingFind albums by this artist, another one by Polish vocalist KayahFind albums by this artist and the last of mysterious Far East source (sic!); overall quite a mishmash of styles and influences, which are unified by the arrangements (the arranger is not listed) and excellent performances by the piano trio. Kostov is a brilliant player, which is evident both on his solo spots and his skillful accompaniment, and so are of course veterans Kubiszyn and Konrad. Hekiert is a talented vocalist, singing lyrics and vocalese with obvious ease and technical proficiency. Most of the vocals are in Polish, which of course is highly commendable, with few exceptions, which are unfortunately less impressive. Overall the vocal parts are kept within very safe limits of mainstream Jazz, which is somewhat lacking, as she obviously could have taken a few more risks and less obvious choices. Perhaps the fact that the album was released by Universal signifies an attempt to produce a much wider accessible music? In any case compared to some truly exciting vocal albums released in 2012 in Poland, this one sadly does not challenge any of them. Connoisseurs of vocal Jazz will find this a pleasant listening experience, with excellent instrumental parts and professional vocal performances, no less and no more.

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HERDZIN / BOGDANOWICZ / BISKUPSKI ~ SERIALE SERIALE CONFITEOR 001 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1997 Released: 1998 This is the third album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, this time co-leading a piano trio with bassist Mariusz BogdanowiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Piotr BiskupskiFind albums by this artist, accompanied by a string sextet. It presents the musical themes of eight Polish TV serials arranged by Herdzin and composed by various Polish composers, among then two with very strong Jazz ties: Andrzej KurylewiczFind albums by this artist and Jerzy MatuszkiewiczFind albums by this artist, who contribute two compositions each. The music is all very solid and is also a wonderful example of the fact that music for TV productions can be intelligent and wonderfully crafted, as this album demonstrates and emphasizes. The overall atmosphere of the piano trio accompanied by strings obviously tends to sound somewhat corny and commercial, but careful listening reveals that the level of performances is highly professional and the result is anything but trivial. Herdzin, who was a member of the ensemble led by Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist at the time of the recording of this album, was already recognized as one of the brightest upcoming Polish Jazz musicians and his talent and ability are obvious. The string arrangements reveal Herdzin´s respect and love of Classical music, which will, in later stages of his career, come to the forefront of his activities. The rhythm section, which already at that time had a long tradition of playing together, is a perfectly oiled and masterfully synchronized team, which in the years to come will prove to be one of the best of its kind on the Polish Jazz scene. Although very accessible, this is still a great mainstream piano trio album, which sounds as good today as it did at the time of its recording and can be enjoyed both by Jazz enthusiast and listeners who do not listen to Jazz on a regular basis. Definitely worth looking for and being discovered now, almost twenty years later.

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KRZYSZTOF HERDZIN ~ ALMOST AFTER JAZZ FORUM 020 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1999 Released: 2000 This is the fourth album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist recorded in a classic piano trio format with bassist Adam CegielskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist. It presents eight original compositions, all by Herdzin. At the time this album was recorded Herdzin was a regular member of the ensemble led by Polish Jazz veteran Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and his reputation as a rising piano prodigy was already pretty much established, but this recording also presents his talent as a composer. This is a classic piano trio album, in the tradition established decades earlier and polished to perfection by generation of legendary pianists and their respective rhythm sections. Therefore it´s extremely difficult to be original or groundbreaking in that specific niche, perhaps even more so than in any other Jazz endeavor. Herdzin doesn´t break any particular new ground here, but his passionate playing, accompanied by obvious virtuosity and brilliant technique, manages to create a most impressive piece of Jazz music and a remarkable debut effort. From the very early recorded projects Herdzin exposes a tendency for perfection, well reflected here. His control of timbre, tempo and tone are all excellent and the result sounds accordingly. Of course even the best pianist is only as good as his rhythm section allows and in this case his partners stand with him shoulder to shoulder, complimenting his efforts with superb companionship and affinity. Overall the trio effort is accomplished here to the fullest, and again, since this is a debut effort, the result is above the level of expectations in such cases. As a composer, Herdzin emerges here most dominantly as a weaver of great melodies, which fall nicely on the listener´s ears, but are in fact quite complicated and very well crafted. Most of his compositions on this album lack the typical Polish Jazz melancholy, which characterizes most of its output, but includes one heartbreaking ballad, which Herdzin uses skillfully to show his arpeggio skills. These pieces are mostly mid-tempo and transmit a happy, cheerful state of mind, which is a nice and refreshing change for once. In retrospect this is still a very nice album, which can be enjoyed both by Jazz novices and refined connoisseurs, each of them on a different level. Herdzin´s numerous talents as composer / arranger and a formidably multi-talented / ferociously busy Artist were yet to come at that stage. The album was released as an add-on to the European Jazz magazine Jazz Forum and was never released commercially. A reissue should definitely be considered, bringing this music to a much wider audience. A splendid piece of work by all means!

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KRZYSZTOF HERDZIN ~ CAPACITY POLSKIE RADIO 1439 (Barcode: 5903034004936) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2011 Released: 2011 Polish pianist / composer / orchestrator / arranger Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist is undoubtedly one of the most revered musicians on the local scene, incredibly prolific and omnipresent across the entire genre spectrum between Pop and Contemporary Classical music, with Jazz as his epicenter. Recent years found him frantically busy with so many non-Jazz projects, that it is heartwarming to see him return to the basic piano trio format, with bassist Robert KubiszynFind albums by this artist and drummer Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist, to confront his listeners directly, without the ornamentation of elaborate orchestral arrangements. Listening to this album definitely re-establishes Herdzin´s position as a piano virtuoso and the five original compositions present here (with one additional standard) again fanfare his compositional skills. Add to this the excellent sound quality and dynamic mastering and here you have a perfect piano trio album… and yet… after listening to it for a couple of times I discovered that I feel somewhat uneasy about it. Everything is simply too good, too perfect, too… everything. Like a cake, which is so sweet it is too sweet? It seems that Herdzin has a tendency to make things just perfect, which sometimes is simply overdoing it. To summarize, this is a beautiful, smooth, professional album, which most people will love to bits and rightly so. I love piano trios and this is a great piano trio! Have I been intellectually challenged? Not really, but the heck with it, good time was had by all.

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KRZYSZTOF HERDZIN ~ COMPOSER`S CONCERT LIVE DUX 0970 (Barcode: 5902547009704) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2012 Released: 2013 Polish pianist / composer / arranger / conductor Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, who is in his early forties at the time these words are being written, managed to create an entire universe of music in the relatively short span of his life so far; a universe so diverse and overwhelmingly rich in forms, idioms and palette that one begins to wonder if the Artist will ever reach his limits and become finally content and contained. Herdzin has been tightrope walking for some time now between Jazz and Classical Music, obviously deeply involved in both genres. Sometimes his works try to amalgamate the genres, creating a Jazz-Classical Fusion, but he also composes "strictly" Classical Music, which is presented on this live recording. Here Herdzin conducts the Polish Radio Symphony OrchestraFind albums by this artist, which performs seven of his compositions. Five of these compositions are orchestral works, with two involving only strings and the other three the entire orchestra, another one involves an improvising saxophonist – in this case the brilliant Piotr BaronFind albums by this artist – and the last one is a piano concertino in three parts, on which the composer also plays the piano. Contrary to what one might expect, Herdzin as a Classical Music composer does not follow the Polish "modernist school", which includes such distinguished composers as Krzysztof PendereckiFind albums by this artist, Witold LutoslawskiFind albums by this artist, Henryk GoreckiFind albums by this artist and Wojciech KilarFind albums by this artist, to mention just the most renowned names. His inspiration is obviously much closer to the French modernists / impressionists like Claude DebussyFind albums by this artist and Maurice RavelFind albums by this artist and the more Avant-Garde "Les Six" group, but of course many other distinguished composers he admires. His works are always full of romanticism and lyricism and are beautifully melodic, which makes them sound "easy" / "pleasant", even if they are in fact quite complex in their structure, harmony and form. The music presented here follows Herdzin´s tendency for creating melodic, romantic and mostly joyful music, which can be enjoyed by a wide spectrum of listeners, which can encompass his Jazz listeners as easily as fans of Classical Music. His Jazz persona is evident in the piece involving the saxophone improvisation, which is stunningly performed and definitely is one of the album´s highlights. The piano concertino also includes quite a few Jazzy hints and undercurrents. Herdzin does not present any groundbreaking discoveries herein, but his music is a very solid statement and pays tribute to his many talents. Overall this is a lovely and aesthetically pleasing piece of music, excellently performed and very well recorded, as much as being a great listening experience. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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KRZYSZTOF HERDZIN ~ DANCING FLOWERS FUSION 001 (Barcode: 5907564258012) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2001 Released: 2005 This album by Polish keyboardist / composer / arranger Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist presents yet another aspect of his seemingly universal musical personality. It is basically a Funk album, which consists of seven instrumentals and three songs, all composed by Herdzin. The arrangements, especially those involving the horn section, have some proximity to Jazz, but overall it is a Pop album with some Jazz-Rock Fusion elements. The music is performed by an excellent team, which includes guitarist Marek NapiorkowskiFind albums by this artist, bassists Zbigniew WegehauptFind albums by this artist (in a rare appearance on bass guitar), Filip SojkaFind albums by this artist and Miroslaw WisniewskiFind albums by this artist and drummers Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist, Grzegorz GrzybFind albums by this artist and Michal DabrowkaFind albums by this artist and horn players like saxophonists Michal KulentyFind albums by this artist, Marek PodkowaFind albums by this artist and Mariusz MelczarekFind albums by this artist and several others. The vocals are handled by three young Pop vocalists, two female and one male, all of them quite unimpressive The music is based on the American Funk model, which was developed in the 1970s / 1980s by a plentitude of mostly African American musicians, especially the archetypical Earth, Wind & FireFind albums by this artist, but also by many partly Jazz oriented artists like George DukeFind albums by this artist, Stanley ClarkeFind albums by this artist, Grover Washington, Jr.Find albums by this artist and even Miles DavisFind albums by this artist and Herbie HancockFind albums by this artist during some periods of their extensive careers. Herdzin presents his version of Funk, which is based more on the melodic content than the rhythmic progression and is therefore somewhat softened, or simply more European. Herdzin often states that anything he does is by no means inferior to whatever the Americans are doing, and to tell the truth he is often correct when saying so, but on the other hand as it was once so adequately put: "White Man Can´t Jump" and Funk is after all about "jumping" more than anything else. When asked if he ever played Funk, Herdzin can most certainly answer positively, following this recording. Overall this is a well done, pleasant album (except for the vocal tracks), which is ideal for driving on sunny days (pretty rare in Poland) with the volume up and a pretty blonde beside you. Enjoy!

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KRZYSZTOF HERDZIN ~ FANTASY ON THEMES FROM IV STRING QUARTET BY GRAZYNA BACEWICZ / FAIRYTALE STORIES POLSKIE RADIO 1269 (Barcode: 5907812242695) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2009 Released: 2009 It seems that some Jazz musicians / composers, especially those with Classical Music education and training, are caught in a duality conflict between these two streams of artistic expression. After all the European musical tradition cultivated Classical music for centuries as a lofty and superior cultural form, leaving other kinds of music, like Folklore, Pop and later also Jazz to the masses. Since the late 20th Century Jazz managed to achieve some recognition from the Classical music elite, but is hardly commonly accepted on equal terms. Polish pianist / composer / arranger Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist belongs to that particular group, which is probably the reason why he tries to bridge his Jazz activities with Classical music, as demonstrated on this album, which presents two Jazz-Classical Fusion pieces composed by him. The first piece is a three parts fantasy based on the themes used in the 4th String Quartet by Polish 20th Century violinist / composer Grazyna BacewiczFind albums by this artist, who was an exceptionally gifted composer concentrating on music involving the violin, but wrote also full orchestral pieces. The fantasy is performed by a Jazz quartet, which includes Herdzin´s regular rhythm section: bassist Robert KubiszynFind albums by this artist and drummer Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist and saxophonist Michal KulentyFind albums by this artist. The Jazz quartet is accompanied by the Royal String QuartetFind albums by this artist. The second piece is an eight part cycle of miniatures performed in a duet setting with saxophonist Pawel GusnarFind albums by this artist. The problem with most such attempts is to combine Classical music with Jazz is usually twofold: to integrate the two into an organic amalgam and to maintain a balance between the conflicting nature of the two. Often those attempts fail on both counts or at least at one of them, becoming either Jazz & Strings or Classical music played by the saxophone. In this case is seems that Herdzin´s Jazz affiliation takes over, leaving the Classical component slightly in the background. Although the integration between the Jazz and string quartets is very smooth, the resulting music demonstrates a Jazzy "swing", which Classical music usually lacks. Whatever the music misses in adventurousness and novelty is well compensated by great melodies and slick arrangements. Nevertheless this is overall a very satisfactory effort, which surely deserves a wider audience than it initially achieved. Personally I prefer the intimate duets, which work better for me, but the whole record should prove interesting to most true music lovers. The performances are, as usual with Herdzin´s albums, spotless and inspired. All the musicians involved are highly talented and professional. Herdzin, as usual, manages to present one more facet of his bottomless box of tricks, which never ceases to amaze.

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KRZYSZTOF HERDZIN ~ IMPRESSIONS ON PADEREWSKI ANAKLASIS 011 (Barcode: 5907795209722) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is an album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, recorded live in a solo piano setting. The album presents five interpretations (impressions) of compositions by the Polish Classical pianist / composer Ignacy Jan PaderewskiFind albums by this artist. The album was released by the prestigious Polish AnaklasisFind albums on this label label as part of its “Revisions” series. Despite Herdzin’s highly successful career as a Jazz musician, he obsessively returns to his Classical Music alter ego, mostly as a composer of his own music, but sometimes, as in this case, as an interpreter of Classical Music composed by others. It seems that some Jazz musicians / composers, especially those with Classical Music education and training, are caught in a duality conflict between these two streams of artistic musical expression. After all, the European musical tradition cultivated Classical music for centuries as a lofty and superior cultural form, leaving other kinds of music, like Folklore, Pop and later also Jazz to the masses. Since the late 20th Century Jazz managed to achieve some recognition from the Classical music elite, but is hardly commonly accepted on equal terms. Herdzin is a classic (pun intended) case of this dichotomy and sadly, as much as I like his Jazz facet, I often find his Classical facet difficult to swallow. To my surprise and delight, this adventure by Herdzin with Classical Music is quite enjoyable. He does show off with his technique, playing as many arpeggios as possible, but his “impressions” are creative and even innovative, which summa summarum turns out to be a very nice piece of music, which is enjoyable and easy on the ear, but avoids being a schmaltzy chaltura. Perhaps the wonderfully melodic music by Paderewski is a more suitable medium for being Jazzed up, but whatever the reason, the end result works out fine (assuming that the composer is not turning in his grave). Overall, this is another highly successful album in this wonderful series, and certainly something worthy of pursuing by the Jazz-Classical Fusion enthusiasts. It is probably the most approachable album in the entire series, as far as wide audiences are concerned, but definitely stands up to the standards of excellence set up by the Anaklasis label. Grab a copy and enjoy!

Updated: 30/03/2023Posted: 30/03/2023

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KRZYSZTOF HERDZIN ~ JAZZ Z MACV WARSZAWSKA OPERA KAMERALNA 001 (Barcode: 5904316586829) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2021 Released: 2021 This is an album by Polish pianist / composer / arranger / conductor Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, recorded with the Musicae Antiquae Collegium VarsovienseFind albums by this artist (MACVFind albums by this artist), an early music orchestra playing original period instruments. The album presents two works: Wolfgang Amadeus MozartFind albums by this artist’s Piano Concerto No. 17 and Herdzin’s piece called “Chopiniana con delizia”, based of Frederic ChopinFind albums by this artist’s themes. Both works are in three parts. For his entire career Herdzin floats between Classical Music and Jazz, trying to excel in both, a process which often borders on musical schizophrenia and works perfectly (well almost) only in extremely rare cases. There is no doubt about Herdzin’s talents and abilities, and he did manage to produce a fine body of recorded legacy over the time, but somehow I have always found his efforts a tad problematic, unfocused and in extreme cases pointless. Sadly, this album belongs to that last category. On the Mozart concerto Herdzin fiddles a little with the original composition, but that’s about it. There are many classical pianists in Poland who can play this concerto much more elegantly, passionately and imaginatively, and Herdzin’s minimal “improvisations” are somehow out of place. The original piece, based on Chopin’s themes, immediately brings on the problem of abusing Chopin’s Genius ad absurdum within the “Jazz” idiom, which somehow never seems to stop. It is somewhat closer to the cross-genre concept, but only slightly, and contributes absolutely nothing to both genres, trivializing them on the way and crossing into the kitsch region. Overall, this is a sad example of an attempted cross-genre Classical-Jazz Fusion, that went astray. Herdzin is perhaps a classic case of “to talented for his own good” musician, which is a great pity. But of course he will surprise us all with his display of pure Genius in the future (hopefully).

Updated: 31/12/2023Posted: 19/02/2023

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KRZYSZTOF HERDZIN ~ JESTES SWIATLEM UNIVERSAL 602537293872 (Barcode: 602537293872) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2012 Released: 2013 The Jazz & Poetry sub-genre is one of the pillars of Polish Jazz in particular, but also Polish Music in general, as it appears on the scene in many variations and crosses genre boundaries between Pop, Rock and Jazz since many decades. The abundance of great poets and poetesses as much as composers and performers, the intrinsic Polish lyricism and melancholy and the intellectual elitism of Polish Art evidently produce a fruitful ground for such meetings between words and music, which happen in the Polish Culture more often then anywhere else in the world. This album by celebrated Polish Jazz pianist / composer / arranger Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist is his contribution to the Jazz & Poetry legacy. It presents eight original compositions and one arrangement of a song by the Polish 19th Century Romantic composer Karol KurpinskiFind albums by this artist to the words of a late 18th / early 19th Century poet Franciszek KarpinskiFind albums by this artist, the father of Polish Sentimentalism. Of the eight compositions by Herdzin, one (the title track closing the album) is an instrumental and the others have lyrics by contemporary Polish poets: Konstanty Ildefons GalczynskiFind albums by this artist (one of my favorite Polish poets) and Kazimierz Przerwa-TetmajerFind albums by this artist. Herdzin assembled a dreamy team to record this music, which features him on keyboards and a plethora of other instruments, bassist Robert KubiszynFind albums by this artist and drummer Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist. Guitarist Marek NapiorkowskiFind albums by this artist guests on five tracks. The vocal tracks are sung by the legendary Anna Maria JopekFind albums by this artist, Dorota MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist and Grzegorz TurnauFind albums by this artist. Herdzin himself sings on one track and adds background vocals on two more. In spite of the truly excellent instrumental accompaniment and no less excellent vocals, the focus of this album is the original music, which spotlights Herdzin´s talent as a composer. Diverse and often even contrasting in the many tempi and cross-genre excursions, from deep lyricism to exotic World Music themes, this music remains constantly beautifully melodic and round. It fits the various poems used as the lyrics perfectly, which is always a great challenge for any composer. Even though Herdzin is still a relatively young musician, his enormous experience and his many talents come to full fruition herein. The instrumental work is pretty exciting as well, with Herdzin changing instruments more often that he changes his socks, playing all of them quite well, Kubiszyn playing some very nasty fretless bass parts that make the hair on your neck curl, Konrad keeps the entire ensemble rolling like only he can, and Napiorkowski adds some superbly tasty ornamentation. All three (or four in fact) vocalists are without reproach, with Jopek being (for me) divine as always, but the others not falling behind by any means. Turnau, who specializes in the Jazz & Poetry niche, sings most of the vocals, always with sensitivity and exquisite diction. So here we have it, another great album by Maestro Herdzin, whose inexhaustible energies know no limits. Jazz & Poetry buffs will of course love this to bits, but for any cultural music connoisseur this is a piece of music worthy admiration and a source of many pleasurable moments.

Updated: 01/01/2016Posted:

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KRZYSZTOF HERDZIN ~ LIVE IN TYGMONT ALLEGRO 011 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2004 Released: 2006 This album presents a live recording captured at the Warsaw´s Tygmont club by pianist / composer Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist and his trio, with bassist Zbigniew WegehauptFind albums by this artist and drummer Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist. The trio performs six compositions, four of which are originals by the leader and two are standards. The recording has a beautiful realistically captured live sound and an overall superb sound quality. People familiar with the Polish Jazz scene are surely aware of the fact that Herdzin is one of the busiest and most versatile musicians in the country, who left his mark on a large scale of different musical projects in Contemporary Classical music, Jazz and Popular music. His work as an arranger / orchestrator marks most of the great Pop albums recorded in the last two decades in Poland. Sometimes it seems as if there is hardly anything happening in Polish music, which does not involve Herdzin one way or another. Of course such omnipresence can be dangerous and lead to spreading the talents thin, but one must admit that everything Herdzin touches turns out well, which simply proves his incredible talent, versatility, stamina, perseverance and above all professionalism. To be fair one must remember that this album presents just one aspect of Herdzin´s activity, i.e. his work as a leader of a classic Jazz piano trio. During his career Herdzin recorded several albums in this format, and I must admit this is the favorite one for me. There are several reasons why I feel that way; firstly the material included herein presents a wide emotional range, from up-tempo numbers presenting Herdzin as a virtuoso pianist performing neck-breaking solos and up to deeply contemplative ballads, where the listener can hear Herdzin the atmospheric painter. Secondly the trio work, which is absolutely stunning, is a superb example of creative cooperation in real time, which after all is what Jazz is all about. The dazzling displays of piano bravura are brilliantly supported at all times by the rhythm section, which at the time of the recording was probably the best in the country. My deeply lamented personal friend Zbigniew Wegehaupt, who left us at a ridiculous young age a year ago, was undoubtedly one of the greatest bassists to emerge on the local scene and drummer Cezary Konrad, with whom Herdzin works often, is probably to top drummer of the second Jazz generation in Poland. This is a classic piano trio album in every respect, which should satisfy even the sternest and most capricious Jazz connoisseurs. Regardless if your champion is Chick CoreaFind albums by this artist, Bill EvansFind albums by this artist or Herbie HancockFind albums by this artist, you will find something here, which is of course first and foremost Herdzin´s statement, but sits firmly in the same state of mind that these great Masters bestowed upon us. A timeless jewel!

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KRZYSZTOF HERDZIN ~ LOOK INWARD UNIVERSAL MUSIC POLSKA 602557947120 (Barcode: 602557947120) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is a solo piano album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer / arranger Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, who is a highly respected musician on the local scene, known for his professionalism and perfectionism. The album, which is Herdzin´s first solo piano venture, presents nine improvised pieces, which as the album´s title and the liner notes describe, are highly personal reflections of his musical life´s experiences, impulsively created on the spur of the moment. In the last few years of his career Herdzin gradually moved away from Jazz towards other musical areas, mostly contemporary Classical Music and stage music. This album follows the same pattern, perhaps subconsciously, but it has very little to do with Jazz per se, and is much closer to Classical forms of expression. Although the melodic content is very fragmented, the overall mood is mostly lyrical and romantic, often quite minimalist. Herdzin uses mostly single notes and chords are being used sparingly, which creates tension and anticipation, but on the other hand makes the music somewhat difficult to follow after a while. Overall this is an interesting experiment, which offers a unique glimpse of Herdzin´s complex musical personality. His customary listeners might find this music a tad too difficult to swallow, surely in the initial attempt, but this album grows on the listener in time. Herdzin is unquestionably a highly talented composer and performer, but he is often more appreciated by his peers than by the general public. It is good to see him let go of his disciplined approach and indulge in improvisation, even if the improvisation is somewhat imprisoned by his subliminal sense of order. I hope this album gets the exposure it deserves, and music connoisseurs will discover another facet of Herdzin´s music. Recommended!

Updated: 28/07/2018Posted: 28/07/2018

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KRZYSZTOF HERDZIN ~ LOOKING FOR BALANCE UNIVERSAL 602527877860 (Barcode: 602527877860) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2010 Released: 2011 Polish pianist / composer / arranger Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist is without a doubt not only the most versatile musician in his country, but also extremely prolific and obviously accordingly talented. He likes to work with as many different musical settings as possible, from a piano trio to large scale orchestral extravaganzas, seemingly with equal ease and success. This is one of such "out there" projects, which features Herdzin´s original music played by a Jazz ensemble and accompanied by a full scale string and woodwinds orchestra. The ensemble comprises of Herdzin´s regular trio, with bassist Robert KubiszynFind albums by this artist and drummer Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist, and three guests: guitarist Marek NapiorkowskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Piotr BaronFind albums by this artist and Swiss harmonica player Gregoire MaretFind albums by this artist (of Pat MethenyFind albums by this artist Group fame), who is the featured soloist. The Sinfonia VivaFind albums by this artist Orchestra is responsible for the orchestral parts. The music belongs broadly to the Jazz & Strings format, which of course was tried many times before. The Jazz ensemble plays a set of very melodic, relaxed and lyrical compositions, taking solos in turn, with Maret being the principle soloist. The harmonica is relatively rarely used as a solo instrument in the Jazz framework and with the exception of a few known cases (most notably the Belgian Toots ThielemansFind albums by this artist) is usually associated with less challenging music. Of course in the hands (and mouth) of a very talented player it can sound quite virtuosic, as is the case here, but it adds another dimension of "sweetness" to the proceedings, which borders with overdoing it. Personally Baron´s contributions on this album are the most interesting, albeit being decisively too limited. The orchestral arrangements are elegant and kept in good taste, playing only the second fiddle (pun intended) in the proceedings. Although excellently played and masterfully arranged, they seem to be merely ornamentation, contributing little to the actual musical content other than setting an atmospheric background. There is definitely a fine balance and cooperation between the ensemble and the orchestra, but full musical integration is not achieved here, perhaps purposely. Herdzin of course proves that he can easily handle the orchestral arrangements any way he pleases. Overall this is a very nice album, which many listeners will find pleasing and enjoyable. For hardcore Jazz fans this might be a bit too sweet to swallow (especially those with diabetes like myself), but nevertheless it is professionally executed classy music, accessible to a wide audience, which definitely has its merits.

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KRZYSZTOF HERDZIN ~ THE BOOK OF SECRETS (POLISH JAZZ VOL.84) WARNER MUSIC POLAND 190295370787 (Barcode: 190295370787) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Pop Fusion Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 This is an album by veteran Polish Jazz keyboardist / composer Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist recorded in a quartet setting with American saxophonist Rick MargitzaFind albums by this artist, and Polish rhythm section: bassist Robert KubiszynFind albums by this artist and drummer Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist and a rather atypical clarinet quintet adding an orchestral dimension to the proceedings. The album presents seven original compositions, all by Herdzin, which according to him: "make up a closed narrative" or "a concept album". Followers of the Polish music scene are certainly familiar with Herdzin´s gigantic legacy amassed during his professional career since the mid-1990s, which includes twenty (this one included) albums as a leader, dozens albums as a sideman, numerous compositions in diverse genres, including Jazz, Pop and Classical Music, arranging, conducting, producing, playing a myriad instruments and a plethora of other accomplishments – for more details just read his biography on his website or his Polish Wiki entry – all this before reaching his 50th Birthday. There is no doubt that Herdzin´s biography is extremely impressive, or rather extreme in every sense, almost superhuman. Herdzin is an unusually talented and gifted musician, but personally I have always found his activities somewhat unfocused, lacking certain depth beneath all that glitter. His music and his playing are always "nice", polished, pleasant and nearly "perfect", but at the same time he seams to tease the listener boasting his aptitudes and most of all taking it (or himself) way to seriously. This album is a perfect example of Herdzin´s music in every sense. It is full of brilliant ideas, beautiful music, melancholy and lyricism, gleaming performances and everything that makes a listener schvitz. And yet once the music is over, the question "what was all that about?" arises almost instantly. And yes, the music is instant gratification incarnate: smooth, easy to swallow and scintillating, like a glass of champagne. With all the confusion these days about what is Jazz and what isn´t, I´d say that this album offers entertaining instrumental music amalgamating Pop with Jazz and Classical Music ornamentations, which is accessible to a wide audience. As to its lasting value, time will tell. I wish Herdzin for his upcoming Birthday another fifty years (and a Jewish 20% bonus) of health and productivity, and even if I don´t always appreciate his music I do appreciate his Sisyphean effort. May the Force be with you! Side Note The iconic "Polish Jazz" series of recordings, originally released between 1965 and 1989 by the Polish state owned record company Polskie NagraniaFind albums on this label, which used the MuzaFind albums on this label label as its moniker, consists of seventy six LP albums. It presents the history of Polish Jazz recordings during that period, which includes some of the most important Polish / European modern Jazz milestones and reflects the extraordinary development of Jazz music behind the Iron Curtain. It is one of the most important historic documents of Polish Music and of course Polish Culture in general. The series had an eminent logo designed by Roslaw Szaybo and the albums were numbered sequentially from Vol.1 to Vol.76 accordingly. The album's artwork was wonderfully stylish and modernist, featuring the brilliant photographs and characteristic design by the legendary Polish Artist Marek Karewicz. Stylistically the series presented all Jazz genres, from Traditional Jazz to Avant-Garde / Free Jazz, which was extraordinarily liberal considering the cultural censorship imposed by the Socialist Regime. It suffered from some inconsistency, as far as the musical quality and aesthetics were concerned, as well as the internal "politics" of the Polish Jazz scene at the time, but in retrospect it achieved a spectacular overall result, unparalleled as far as consistently documenting a national Jazz scene is concerned. After the Polskie Nagrania catalogue was bought by Warner Music PolandFind albums on this label, the new owner started a reissue process of the Polish Jazz series, carefully remastered, repackaged and including extensive liner notes, which keeps the artwork as close to the original design as possible. So far forty four volumes of the original series were reissued. In 2016 Warner Music Poland decided to continue the original series by releasing new contemporary Polish Jazz recordings under the same format and even to continue the sequential numbering starting with Vol.77 – a decision I personally consider almost sacrilegious. Some things are simply untouchable, and the "Polish Jazz" series is surely one of those things. If Warner Music Poland wants to produce Jazz albums, which is always more than welcome, they could have started a new series, under a new title, rather than exploiting the reputation of the historic series. As a result, some artist whose albums are released as part of the new series might be led to expect instant gratification, fame and stardom, just for being an artificial part of a prestigious past, which of course is as bogus as it is sad.

Updated: 23/02/2020Posted: 23/02/2020

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ANNA MARIA JOPEK ~ DWA SERDUSZKA CZTERY OCZY UNIVERSAL 602517947825 (Barcode: 602517947825) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2005 - 2008 Released: 2008 This phenomenal Box Set, or rather book set, combines three albums by Polish vocalist / songwriter Anna Maria JopekFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. AMJFind albums by this artist), recorded over a period of several years in the mid 2000s. It includes the album "IDFind albums with this title", a CD full of demos and outtakes which did not make it to be included on "ID" and the live album "JO & COFind albums by this artist". Together these three CDs summarize the "ID" period, which was a groundbreaking step in AMJ´s development as an artist. Packaged with a marvelous book full of black & white photographs of AMJ and the participating musicians, elegantly designed and exquisitely printed, this is a piece of Art in every sense of the word. Surrounded by a group of wonderful musicians form Poland and the world over she performs mostly self-written songs, mixing Jazz and World Music with the typical Polish melodic / lyrical atmosphere, which dominates the proceedings. The list of world famous musicians participating on "ID" is most impressive and includes saxophonist Branford MarsalisFind albums by this artist, bassists Christian McBrideFind albums by this artist and Richard BonaFind albums by this artist, drummer Manu KatchéFind albums by this artist, percussionist Mino CineluFind albums by this artist, oud player / vocalist Dhafer YoussefFind albums by this artist, guitarist / vocalist Oscar Castro NevesFind albums by this artist and pianist Tord GustavsenFind albums by this artist. Polish musicians include keyboardist Pawel Bzim ZareckiFind albums by this artist, guitarists Marcin KydrynskiFind albums by this artist and Marek NapiorkowskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Leszek MozdzerFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Robert MajewskiFind albums by this artist, pianist / arranger Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, who is in charge of the string quartet and orchestral arrangements (performed by the Sinfonia VivaFind albums by this artist Orchestra). The live album includes also organist Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Henryk MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist, bassist Robert KubiszynFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel DobrowolskiFind albums by this artist. The music presents a complex panorama of sounds and ideas, which include many cross-genre excursions, vocal experiments, poetic vistas and intimate dialogs between the Artist and the world that surrounds her. AMJ has one of the sweetest voices on this planet and her big artistry is all about not to make sugary music, which would be quite natural for many other singers. She also has an incredible sense of rhythm in general and Jazzy swing in particular, which is quite rare. Her affinity to music originating beyond her native Polish / European sphere of influence is also quite remarkable. All these, combined with her unique expressionism as a singer and delicate, elegant, intricate vocal delivery make her one of my favorite singers of all times. AMJ enjoys a superstar status in Poland, which usually is a sign of tasteless commercialism and total lack of any artistic values. Her ability to be extremely popular and at the same time produce first class music is therefore especially impressive. Although some snobbish Jazz circles in her country deem her commercial and populist, this is simply completely unjustified and probably a sign of narrow-mindedness if not worse. I find it hard to believe that anybody listening to this music would feel anything but total admiration, as it is simply perfect.

Updated: 26/01/2019Posted:

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ANNA MARIA JOPEK / BRANFORD MARSALIS ~ ULOTNE AMJ 001 (Barcode: 5906395769315) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 - 2017 Released: 2018 Every new release by the Polish Diva Anna Maria JopekFind albums by this artist is a celebration of Culture and a major musical event on an international scale, especially so when it involves a revered Jazz superstar like saxophonist Branford MarsalisFind albums by this artist. Jopek, famous for her consistent independent Artistic vision, managed to create her own universe, where she does not need to compare or compete with the rest of the world, which enables her complete freedom of expression and self-determination, which only very few Artists worldwide were able to achieve over time. Recording an album with Marsalis was a dream, which Jopek held on to since the time she heard him playing with StingFind albums by this artist, which of course was a huge influence on every true music lover at the time. The incredible chemistry that Sting and Marsalis demonstrated was an extremely tall order to follow, but Jopek never eschewed a challenge and this album proves that the realization of that dream was indeed worthwhile waiting for. The album was recorded during two separate recording sessions, twenty one months apart, which considering the busy schedule that Jopek and Marsalis are both entangled in, is not as surprising as it might sound. The somewhat esoteric group of musicians includes percussionist Mino CineluFind albums by this artist, pianists Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist (who was also in charge of arrangements and conducting) and Marcin WasilewskiFind albums by this artist, multi-instrumentalist Piotr NazarukFind albums by this artist, bassist Robert KubiszynFind albums by this artist and Atom String QuartetFind albums by this artist (violinists Mateusz SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist and Dawid LubowiczFind albums by this artist, violist Michal ZaborskiFind albums by this artist and cellist Krzysztof LenczowskiFind albums by this artist). Polish Folklore Guru Maria PomianowskaFind albums by this artist guests on one track. The album presents ten tracks on the "formal" first CD and four additional tracks (one of which is an alternate version of a track on the album) on the "bonus" second CD. The songs are mostly originals, written by Jopek or co-written with her spouse Marcin KydrynskiFind albums by this artist, one song is by Herdzin, one by Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist (see below), one by Andrzej ZielinskiFind albums by this artist (SkaldowieFind albums by this artist) and one by Harry KandelFind albums by this artist with the rest being originally traditional Polish Folklore songs. Musically the album marks a return to Jopek´s established modus operandi, which combines Polish Folklore and original songwriting, spiced with Jazzy arrangements and of course dominated by her highly original expressionism. The music is deeply soaked in Polish lyricism and melancholy and her decision to sing in the Polish language emphasizes these elements even further. Marsalis plunges into this Slavic environment with vigor and determination, as if Eastern European sensitivities were his second nature, which is quite remarkable. It proves not only his openness and ability to embrace diverse Cultures, but also his incredible musicality, which enables him to feel completely at home in this Slavic musical setting. It also proves, perhaps more importantly, that music is universal, as is human soul, and ethnic boundaries can be crossed and amalgamated on the collective plane. Jopek, Marsalis and all the musicians involved in the recording of this album are of course veteran professionals in addition to their individual Artistic abilities, which results in the music being perfectly and incredibly sensitively executed. This music requires total dedication and every single note played by every musician at every given moment must be precisely articulated to achieve the desired effect. Luckily this team rises to the challenge admirably. The delicate and wonderfully written string arrangements performed by the Atoms add a superbly "angelic" aura to the overall sound and the folkloristic elements by Nazaruk spice the proceedings splendidly. Marsalis plays a series of breathtaking solos throughout the album, exactly as expected of course and Jopek, as always, manages to create goose bumps all over the listener´s body regardless if she sings lyrics or awe-inspiring vocalese. When selecting the material for this album, Jopek requested the permission of Tomasz Stanko to use his beautiful ballad "A Farewell To MariaFind albums with this title", originally used in the soundtrack of a movie of the same name, as she was sure Marsalis would be able to embrace the lyricism of this incredible melody and create a marvelous solo while performing it. She was right of course and this track is definitely one of the highlights of this album, and at the same time it constitutes a mournful tribute to Stanko, who passed away before the album was released. Another interesting piece is the excellent arrangement of the classic Harry Kandel (born in Lwow) Klezmer tune "A Night In The Garden Of Eden", which features Jopek´s hair-raising vocalese. Of course Klezmer music has always been an integral part of the Polish Folklore tapestry, in which the Jewish contribution was invaluable. Overall this album is a Masterpiece from start to finish, which is no news to the numerous Jopek´s fans. There is not one moment on this album, which is not inspirational and eloquent, heartwarming and heartfelt. Both deeply Polish and at the same time universally appealing this music knows no stylistic or Cultural boundaries. It is beautiful and sensitive and at the same time deeply emotional, soul-searching and introspective. In short, this album delivers everything one expects to hear when Great Artists are involved. Thank you, as always, my Dear!

Updated: 08/12/2018Posted: 08/12/2018

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KROKE ~ FEELHARMONY EMI 5099901770827 (Barcode: 5099901770827) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2012 Released: 2012 In autumn of 2011 I had the pleasure of being present at the opening concert of the Singer´s Warsaw Festival, which featured Poland´s most prominent World Music ensemble KrokeFind albums by this artist and their guest, superstar vocalist Anna Maria JopekFind albums by this artist. Jopek, who in recent years discovered World Music herself, as evident on her latest recordings, was nevertheless quite a surprising partner for Kroke, and considering she only landed in Warsaw a few hours before the concert and managed only a brief rehearsal with them, things were quite tense. But when the lights went out and the music started, it was obvious that magic was in the air that night and for the next two hours the audience was completely mesmerized. Obviously the very same magic prompted Kroke to include Jopek on this, their next studio album. Kroke, which consists of viola player Tomasz KukurbaFind albums by this artist, accordionist Jerzy BawolFind albums by this artist and bassist Tomasz LatoFind albums by this artist, started in the early 1990s as a Klezmer band, one of numerous such bands established in Poland as a result of the Renaissance of the Jewish Culture in the country. They started to perform at Krakow´s old Jewish district Kazimierz, which became a fashionable tourist attraction, and in time their reputation grew. They were lucky to gain international attention and soon became the resident ethnic stars. In time they left Klezmer music almost entirely and embraced World Music originating in many different cultural spheres and added noticeable Jazz influence to their music. For this album Kroke joined forces with, in addition to the a.m. Anna Maria Jopek, also the excellent drummer Slawomir BernyFind albums by this artist and pianist / composer / arranger Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, who co-produced the album, composed and arranged some orchestral intros to the band´s music and conducted the Sinfonietta CracoviaFind albums by this artist, which performed the orchestral parts. The album presents twelve pieces, eleven of which are original compositions by the band´s members and one is by the pioneer of modern Klezmer music Harry KandelFind albums by this artist. As the title suggests, the band intended to "take a step" into a more "symphonic" sound for their music, utilizing the orchestra. Unfortunately, intentions aside, the album fails to achieve the same level of excitement and spontaneous inspiration, which characterized the live concert I witnessed. Although Jopek delivers some superb vocal parts, they constitute only a small contribution to the entire project. The orchestral arrangements sound quite out of place in this case, turning the free spirit of World Music into a housebroken animal, which is a pity. Some things simply don´t go well together. Overall there is plenty of great music here and even if the album sounds very commercial at times, it was created by excellent musicians, who meant well.

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MICHAL KULENTY ~ DUSZA W USZACH POLSKIE RADIO 1835 (Barcode: 5907812248352) ~ POLAND ~ Smooth Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2016 This is an album by veteran Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Michal KulentyFind albums by this artist, recorded in a classic quartet setting with pianist Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, bassist Robert KubiszynFind albums by this artist and drummer Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist and accompanied by the Polish Radio OrchestraFind albums by this artist conducted by Herdzin. The album presents twelve original compositions, all by Kulenty and all arranged by Herdzin. The album was recorded four years prior to its release. The music is all very melodic and well structured, only marginally belonging to the Jazz idiom, being much closer to Popular and light Classical music, especially in view of Herdzin´s elaborate, but sugary arrangements. Although Kulenty improvisations are at the centre of the listeners attention, they are somewhat watered down by the orchestral accompaniment with an overall Smooth Jazz ambience. Kulenty´s wonderful tone and phrasing, which awarded him the nickname of "saxophone poet" due to his superb feeling and lyricism, are indeed pure delight. The album offers many wonderfully lyrical moments, appropriate especially for the less strictly Jazz oriented audiences, and is highly professionally executed and recorded, which overall produces a very pleasant listening experience. Tragically the release of this album almost coincided with Kulenty´s premature death in January 2017, which was a great loss to the local Jazz scene.

Updated: 31/03/2017Posted: 31/03/2017

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DAWID LUBOWICZ ~ INSIDE ZBIGNIEW SEIFERT FOUNDATION 5 (Barcode: 5907222048054) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is the eagerly awaited and highly anticipated debut album as a leader by Polish Jazz violinist Dawid LubowiczFind albums by this artist, primarily known as a member of the Atom String QuartetFind albums by this artist. The music was recorded in a quartet setting with pianist Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist (who also plays flute and accordion), bassist Robert KubiszynFind albums by this artist and drummer Lukasz ZytaFind albums by this artist. Vocalist Jacek KotlarskiFind albums by this artist and keyboardist Tomasz KalwakFind albums by this artist guest each on one tune. The album presents nine compositions, eight of which are originals by Lubowicz and one is by Polish Classical composer Karol SzymanowskiFind albums by this artist. Musically the album is quite surprising, especially in view of extensive recorded legacy Lubowicz created with Atom String Quartet and other projects. The compositions are all exquisitely melodic, melancholic and delicate, seemingly "simple" in their scope, leaving the complexity to be expressed via the performance layer rather than making the music less communicative. Such honesty and straightforwardness is an extremely rare quality among Jazz composers these days, which mostly adhere to the notion that music has to impress by its "cleverness" and "intricacy", neglecting the "simple is beautiful" ideal, which Lubowicz is able to bring to perfection herein. Another significant aspect of this music is its strong connection, almost umbilical, to Polish Folklore, and especially to the music of the Polish Highlanders, which is of course native land of Lubowicz. The ties to folkloristic themes are quite subtle at times and need a trained ear to be recognized, but they are preset almost continually as part of the aesthetic climate this album offers. The inclusion of the Szymanowski composition also refers to the composer´s fascination with the music of the Highlanders. The decision to use Herdzin as part of the team might seem surprising at first, as Herdzin is rarely used as a sideman these days and his role is usually much more dominant. But in retrospect Lubowicz made the ideal decision, as Herdzin has very few equals when playing "pretty" is in order. He is a master of sweetness and romanticism and his work on this album is simply perfect in every respect. Kubiszyn is a Master and every album he is on is blessed by his presence. His acoustic bass pulsations and fretless solos are all breathtaking. Zyta is the metronome man, always ideally on time and with the right intensity, even if he is playing just in a duet setting with Lubowicz. Kalwak transforms the single tune he is on into a gleaming magic pearl, full of sensitivity and intrinsic beauty, using his unique "touch". And Lubowicz? Oh well Lubowicz is a Monster, a quiet, gentle Monster, mind you, but a true virtuoso, who plays music rather than showing his chops, always elegant, stylish and graceful, creating an irresistible urge to embrace everything that his vibrating strings are able to create. Overall this is a most impressive debut album and the only regret about it is that we had to wait for it for so long. But now, that it is finally out there, don´t hesitate and grab it ASAP and I guarantee you won´t regret it. The album is exquisitely packaged and offers a superb sonic quality, which should make the decision to get a copy even easier. The album was released by the Zbigniew Seifert FoundationFind albums on this label, run by the unwearied Aneta NorekFind albums by this artist, who deserves our gratitude for keeping the Polish Jazz violin tradition flourishing.

Updated: 22/06/2018Posted: 22/06/2018

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NIKA LUBOWICZ ~ NIKA`S DREAM FOR TUNE 0065 (Barcode: 5902768701654) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz vocalist / composer Nika LubowiczFind albums by this artist, who is accompanied by a very impressive group of musicians, which includes her siblings: violinist Dawid LubowiczFind albums by this artist (Atom String QuartetFind albums by this artist) and keyboardist Jakub LubowiczFind albums by this artist, cellist Krzysztof LenczowskiFind albums by this artist (also Atom String Quartet), bassist Marcin MurawskiFind albums by this artist, drummer Marcin UlanowskiFind albums by this artist, percussionist Bogusz WekkaFind albums by this artist, guitarist Artur GierczakFind albums by this artist and trumpeter Piotr SchmidtFind albums by this artist. Veteran pianist Andrzej JagodzinskiFind albums by this artist guests on a couple of tracks. The album presents nine tracks, three of which are standards, two are by Dawid Lubowicz, another two by Krzysztof Lenczowski and yet another two by Nika Lubowicz herself. All songs feature English lyrics except for the last track which has lyrics in Polish. From the very first notes of this album it´s plainly evident that this is no ordinary vocal Jazz album. The arrangements, which in most cases feature either the violin or the cello up front alongside the vocal parts, replace the usual "vocals with piano trio" setting. The arrangements also include other unusual lineups, keeping the listener on his toes at all times. The overall atmosphere of this album is all about the essence of music, freely crossing genre boundaries, comfortably and elegantly touching upon mainstream Jazz, ethnic music, Pop and Soul with the same artistically predetermined frivolity. I even have to agree with all the compliments listed in the album´s liner notes authored by Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, which happens extremely rarely. Nika Lubowicz uses her vocal abilities wisely and intelligently, switching between lyrics and vocalese with grace. Her vocalese parts are in fact way more impressive than her actual singing lyrics, which as always in such cases suffer from the English pronunciation, being far from ideal. The closing track sung in Polish is a sore proof of this. Luckily her singing lyrics are altogether just a minor part of the entire endeavor. I have not timed the album but about half of the album´s duration is instrumental, which is highly unusual for albums involving vocals, and which is a very courageous and in this case extremely tasteful decision. This is the second album in the "pink" (Jazz vocals) series by For TuneFind albums on this label Records, and it is again a big time winner. Albums of such quality and obvious aesthetic approach are extremely rare and the fact that at least once a year they do materialize makes life worth living, at least for people who love music. This is definitely a most impressive debut and so far the best vocal Jazz album released this year on the Polish Jazz scene. Well done girl!

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DOROTA MISKIEWICZ ~ PIANO.PL UNIVERSAL MUSIC POLSKA 602557206852 (Barcode: 602557206852) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is a live recording of a gigantically ambitious project conceived by Polish Jazz vocalist Dorota MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist, which pays tribute to the Polish Jazz piano school, which spans several generations and is a sublime example of Polish / European Jazz tradition. The album presents twelve songs, one original by Miskiewicz and eleven "Polish standards" composed and written by the best Polish composers and lyricists, each performed by Miskiewicz accompanied by a different pianist and on eight of them also accompanied by the renowned Atom String QuartetFind albums by this artist. The list of the pianists reads like the who´s who of Polish Jazz: Michal TokajFind albums by this artist, Andrzej JagodzinskiFind albums by this artist, Lutoslawski Piano DuoFind albums by this artist, Bogdan HolowniaFind albums by this artist, Leszek MozdzerFind albums by this artist, Piotr OrzechowskiFind albums by this artist, Tomasz KalwakFind albums by this artist, Marcin WasilewskiFind albums by this artist, Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, Dominik WaniaFind albums by this artist, Grzegorz TurnauFind albums by this artist (who also briefly sings) and Wlodzimierz NahornyFind albums by this artist. Saxophonist Henryk MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist (Dorota´s Father) guests on one song. The DVD (filmed during the concert), included in the package, adds the concert´s intro, outro and a couple of songs not included on the CD. I am happy to say that I managed to have a more modest (with just three pianists) version of this project perform at the 2018 Singer Jazz Festival, which was extremely successful. As expected, all the performances are absolutely wonderful, a typical example of European haute Culture, where music, words and stage performance are combined to deliver an overall experience, which is more than just a sum of its ingredients. The album moves between Jazz & Poetry and highly lyrical popular music, all expertly arranged and brilliantly executed, especially in view of the fact that it was captured live. This album delivers exactly what it promises: an extraordinary panorama of Polish Jazz piano, full of elegance, virtuosity and flair. Miskiewicz moves with ease from one song to another, with a chameleonic change of moods and emotions, as appropriate for a great performer. For lovers of Polish Jazz in general and Polish Jazz piano in particular, this album is a superb introduction to the subject. Even for listeners beyond the Polish language sphere, this music easily penetrates and language barriers and should be completely accessible to every music lover.

Updated: 14/09/2018Posted: 14/09/2018

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MYRCZEK & SCHMIDT QUINTET ~ MLYNARSKI. BYNAJMNIEJ. SJ 080 (Barcode: 5905489720904) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2024 Released: 2024 This is an album by a Polish Jazz quintet co-led by vocalist Wojciech MyrczekFind albums by this artist and trumpeter Piotr SchmidtFind albums by this artist, which also includes pianist Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, bassist Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and drummer Sebastian FrankiewiczFind albums by this artist. French percussionist Mino CineluFind albums by this artist guests on five tracks and the AUKSO Chamber OrchestraFind albums by this artist, conducted by Marek MosFind albums by this artist, performs the strings arrangements. The album presents nine tracks, composed by various Polish composers and arranged by Herdzin (six tracks), Sabina MeckFind albums by this artist (two tracks) and Joanna SzymalaFind albums by this artist (one track), all with the lyrics by Wojciech MlynarskiFind albums by this artist, a distinguished Polish lyricist, who contributed lyrics to numerous classic Polish songs, whose talent this album celebrates by presenting them in a Jazzy framework. The music is all absolutely perfectly suited to the purpose, with superb arrangements that go hand in hand with these mostly highly lyrical / romantic songs, emphasizing their beauty. Myrczek, often called “the Polish Frank Sinatra” which is not entirely without a basis, is absolutely ideal for the job. Schmidt ornaments the songs by his short, concise but again perfectly crafted soli, and the rest of the participants are all Masters of their trade, and as usual do all in their power to make everything work as planned. Encrusted with the delicate string arrangements, this music is a true “whole package” in every sense. Of course I can only pity all my friends, who are not Polish language speakers, who are obviously destined to miss the pleasure of enjoying these sophisticated, intelligent and masterly woven lyrics by Mlynarski, but on the other hand my better half, whose knowledge of the Polish language is limited to “pierogi” and “prosze Pani”, loves this album and anything else by Myrczek, she just ignores the lyrics and enjoys the velvety voice, so here you are. This honestly is a universal piece of music. Overall, this is a beautiful vocal Jazz album, which borders on “Jazz & Poetry” due to Mlynarski’s sublime lyrics, with superb instrumental parts performed by some of the best Polish Jazz players, masterfully arranged and altogether delightful. What a joy!

Updated: 07/02/2025Posted: 07/02/2025

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ZBIGNIEW NAMYSLOWSKI ~ DANCES POLONIA 133 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 1997 Released: 1997 This album by veteran Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist summarizes many years of his career by concentrating on one of the most important characteristics of his music: the symbiosis of Jazz and World Music, or more precisely Jazz and folklore, as represented by dances from different regions. The album comprises of fourteen original compositions by Namyslowski, all of which are based on specific dance rhythms, like tango, waltz and samba or Polish folk dances like mazurka, kujawiak and oberek. Several of the compositions included on this album are new arrangements of compositions recorded and released previously over time. The music is performed by a quartet, which besides Namyslowski, who plays saxophone, flute and trombone (his original instrument) includes also pianist Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, bassists Olgierd WalickiFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz GrzybFind albums by this artist. Three additional players expand the lineup to a septet: accordionist Cezary PaciorekFind albums by this artist, violinist Maciej StrzelczykFind albums by this artist and percussionist Jose TorresFind albums by this artist. A Cuban percussion group guests on one tune (obviously the samba). Namyslowski´s ability to compose melodies, which fit the various rhythms and meters, including some very odd meters indeed, is absolutely phenomenal. This album is full of such clever tunes, which happen also to be delightful and sound completely "easy" in spite of their complex and capricious nature. The actual performance is of course first-rate, as always with ensembles led by Namyslowski, who is very strict and meticulous as far as playing is concerned. In many respects this is the most unconventional album ever recorded by Namyslowski in which Jazz plays still a central role, but is intertwined with the folkloristic elements so tightly, that is sounds often like a soundtrack to a documentary produced by National Geographic. Jazz connoisseurs will find this album absolutely charming in every respect, even though it covers musical ground not habitually associated with Jazz. It might be very difficult to find, but I urge every Polish Jazz enthusiast to lay their hand on a copy of this gem. Listening to this music is such a great fun!

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ZBIGNIEW NAMYSLOWSKI ~ MOZART GOES JAZZ JAZZ FORUM 019 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 1998 Released: 1999 This is probably the least known as well as most unusual album by veteran Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer / band leader Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, who is associated with the local scene continuously since the late 1950s. The album consists of a live recording captured by the Polish Radio, which presents a Jazz arrangement of Wolfgang Amadeus MozartFind albums by this artist´s Clarinet Concerto in A major, K 622, performed by Namyslowski´s quartet, clarinetist Wojciech MrozekFind albums by this artist and the CamerataFind albums by this artist string quartet. The Zbigniew Namyslowski quartet at the time of the recording included also pianist Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, bassist Olgierd WalickiFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz GrzybFind albums by this artist. Mozart´s masterpiece, which was his last completed work before his untimely death, consists of three movements, but this extended interpretation adds five more "variations". All the pieces were arranged by Namyslowski, except the middle movement of the original concerto, which was arranged by Herdzin. Of course this is by far not the first attempt of creating Classical-Jazz Fusion, which has been attempted countless times before. The matching of these often distant musical idioms is probably the most perilous area, and this album is a "classic" (pun intended) example why. The idea behind such attempts is of course to fuse the two idioms and create an amalgam, which somehow manages to preserve the best of both ingredients and create a new flavor, previously unknown. Sadly the music presented here fails completely in that sense, as far as I am concerned. The resulting music mixes Mozart´s melodic themes with Jazz rhythms and improvisations, but the resulting music simply sounds unsavory. Sort of "pickles with marmalade", which makes sense to pregnant women only. Of course Namyslowski and his crew are all wonderful musicians and perform spotlessly all the way through, as do their Classical counterparts. There are many showcases of splendid musicianship and inspired soloing. However the overall atmosphere simply doesn´t let one enjoy this music. Mozart dancing calypso is simply not my cup of rum… But considering Namyslowski´s remarkably long and otherwise spotless career and tremendous contribution to Polish Jazz, this excursion is easily forgiven, as it is forgotten.

Updated: 08/09/2021Posted:

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ZBIGNIEW NAMYSLOWSKI / REMY FILIPOVITCH ~ GO! ALBUM 66919 (Barcode: 4022685201226) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2003 Released: 2003 This is a recording by Polish Jazz veteran Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist and his quartet: pianist Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, bassist Olgierd WalickiFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz GrzybFind albums by this artist, with the Lithuanian saxophonist Remy FilipovitchFind albums by this artist as a co-leader. They perform nine original compositions, six of which are by Namyslowski and the remaining three by Filipovitch. Although excellently played by all the musicians involved, the album brings little adventure to the listeners. Namyslowski´s compositions are brilliant, but they are not new and were recorded previously on other albums. The two saxophonists cooperate very little except for a few unisono statements of the themes, soloing separately and not playing against each other or soloing together or even exchanging licks. Therefore the whole idea of a double-sax front line seems to be missed completely here. Nevertheless this is still Namyslowski and a bunch of first-class players so the music sounds great and is a classic example of European modern mainstream Jazz at its best. With two saxophones up front the rhythm section gets naturally a bit less opportunity to shine, but Herdzin manages to squeeze in a few very nice piano solos. Walicki and Grzyb support the soloists steadfastly, as always. Perhaps not the strongest album in Namyslowski´s lifelong and legendary legacy, but then again nothing he should regret or be ashamed of. Polish Jazz fans will find this a pleasant addition to their collection.

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ZBIGNIEW NAMYSLOWSKI ~ 3 NIGHTS POLONIA 174/176 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1998 Released: 1999 This album by Polish Jazz Colossus saxophonist Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist documents a live recording captured during three consecutive nights at the legendary Warsaw Jazz Club "Akwarium". Accompanied by his regular (at the time) quartet, with pianist Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, bassist Olgierd WalickiFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz GrzybFind albums by this artist, as well as guest musicians: trumpeter Piotr WojtasikFind albums by this artist, trombonist Grzegorz NagorskiFind albums by this artist, accordionist Cezary PaciorekFind albums by this artist and percussionist Jose TorresFind albums by this artist, Namyslowski played a different program each night, which comprised entirely of his original compositions, twenty three of them in total. Although not intended as such, this recording is a sort of retrospective, both for Namyslowski the composer and Namyslowski the player. Approaching the age of sixty Namyslowski celebrated four decades of activity on the local and international scenes: recording some of the Polish Jazz milestone albums, grooming generations of Jazz musicians and playing countless concerts, an impressive record, which only very few other musicians share with him. Among the compositions performed one can find a few of his early tunes, going over thirty years back before the date of this recording, as well as some recently composed ones. The three nights seem to have quite a different character, although it´s difficult to guess if that was intended. The first night is all up-tempo tunes, performed by a septet with strong presence of the percussion, which spices the music with a Cuban feel. The second night is more modern mainstream, performed by a sextet and the last night is the most adventurous, with odd meters and World Music influenced compositions, which are often Namyslowski´s trademark. Overall the quality of the compositions and the performances are of course excellent. Namyslowski always knew how to pick up his group members, almost always from the ranks of one young generation after another. Walicki and Grzyb represent the youngest (at the time) generation and both prove to be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the veterans. Herdzin, who played for several years with Namyslowski in the late 1990s, was still relatively unknown at the time (in the years to come his career was about to literally explode) and is the most interesting soloist on this album except the Boss of course. The guest players are all well known and their contributions are professional, but not very inspiring, except perhaps for Paciorek, who is so original that his playing is always fascinating. In the long discography by Namyslowski, this is perhaps not one of his milestone recordings, but in retrospect it definitely reflects his exceptional abilities as a player, composer and bandleader. The sound quality of these live recordings is spotless and has a warm aura and superb presence. This is a must have for the many Namyslowski fans and Polish Jazz buffs in general!

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MAREK NAPIORKOWSKI ~ TROJKA LIVE POLSKIE RADIO 1914 (Barcode: 5907812249144) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is a live album recorded at the Polish Radio Studio Three by Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Marek NapiorkowskiFind albums by this artist. The recording captures Napiorkowski in a sextet setting with some of the absolute top Polish Jazz payers: saxophonists Adam PieronczykFind albums by this artist and Henryk MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist (who also plays on bass clarinet), pianist Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist (who also plays flute), bassist Robert KubiszynFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel DobrowolskiFind albums by this artist. They perform six original compositions, all by Napiorkowski. The music is a superb example of modern mainstream Jazz, which combines excellent compositions with perfect execution. Based on beautiful and masterly woven melodic themes, full of romanticism, melancholy and typical Polish mystery, the tunes presented here have been masterly arranged for the sextet by Herdzin, who is celebrated for his ability to create wonderful sonic structures, which are elaborate and highly sophisticated but sound remarkably pleasing. The lineup selected by Napiorkowski ensured a truly marvelous performance, with all the musicians involved having plenty of opportunity to play extended and expressive solos. The leader delivers his usual, slightly Fusion oriented strings of pearls on his electric guitar, which are, as always, dazzling. He also uses the acoustic guitar no less effectively. The saxophonists have plenty of opportunities to play heartwarming solos, the bass clarinet and flute provide nice atmospheric layers, the piano keeps the harmony together and leads the way and the excellent rhythm section takes care of the pulse, always perfectly on time. However, the individual performances are only pieces of the puzzle, which, when combined together, creates a much stronger and more satisfying whole. This is one of the best mainstream Jazz ensemble albums I came across lately, which proves that mainstream Jazz can be fulfilling and sophisticated, if talented and dedicated musicians are involved. The arrangements and the team work present here are a classic example of contemporary mainstream Jazz perfection. As if all this wasn´t enough, the album is also beautifully recorded and considering the fact that this is a live recording, the quality is even more remarkable. Overall this is a superb modern mainstream album, which offers beautiful compositions and perfect execution, and which should satisfy even the sternest connoisseurs and bring joy to all true Jazz lovers. Hats off!

Updated: 29/11/2016Posted: 29/11/2016

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MAREK NAPIORKOWSKI ~ UP! V 002 (Barcode: 5903111377014) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2013 Although this is only his fourth album as a leader, Polish guitarist / composer Marek NapiorkowskiFind albums by this artist is one of the most recorded artists on the local scene, being probably the most in-demand session guitarist since many years, which resulted in him taking part in over 140 different albums so far. He played and recorded with many world famous musicians and literally with everybody who is anybody on the local Polish scene; people like Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist and Anna Maria JopekFind albums by this artist, to mention just two extremely different environments, which emphasize his legendary diversity and chameleonic ability to suit every musical milieu. This is by far his most ambitious project so far, which involves eight of his original compositions arranged for a Jazz ensemble and a nine-piece chamber ensemble. The Jazz players are saxophonist Adam PieronczykFind albums by this artist, bass clarinet player Henryk MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist, pianist Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, bassist Robert KubiszynFind albums by this artist and American drummer Clarence PennFind albums by this artist. Herdzin was also the man in charge of the arrangements, orchestration and conducting the chamber ensemble, turning him in many respects into the most significant contributor to this album alongside Napiorkowski. The result is a sophisticated Jazz-Classical Fusion, based on solid melodies and featuring many excellent guitar solos, which floats between energetic up-tempo moods and gentle melancholic themes. Although the individual tunes are not related per se, the overall ambience and atmosphere of the album turns it into a kind of orchestral suite for chamber orchestra and Jazz soloists. The guitar work on this album, both in the acoustic and the electric tonalities, is simply brilliant and for me the best ever achieved by Napiorkowski. Rather than trying to prove his ability as a player, which is already established anyway, Napiorkowski really concentrates on playing music, the essence that so often tends to be forgotten in favor of flashy emptiness. Herdzin, the Polish musical Wizard of Oz, once again manages to sprinkle his magic all over this music, both as a pianist and of course as the man behind the ornamentation, which makes this music spark and sizzle. Luckily he found the way of balancing the basic Jazz contents and the chamber enhancements, keeping them both intact and coexisting alongside each other rather than mixing them into an undistinguishable mesh, which happens, unfortunately, way to often in such situations. Herdzin is probably the only person on the local scene who can pull this off. Some listeners might have a problem to identify with this music, which often happens when an Artist changes his established path in search of new means of expression. Perhaps this will be either too Jazzy or not Jazzy enough for some? One can never satisfy everybody and it´s preferable that the Art prevails rather than the attempt to be liked by everyone. This album is a statement by a mature, self-aware musician, who presents his vision, hoping that other can share it with him. I certainly hope many will do so!

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JACEK PELC CITY JAZZ TRIO ~ LIVE INTERACTIONS JACEK PELC RECORDS 007 (Barcode: 5904013793605) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2011 Released: 2022 This is an archival live album by Polish Jazz drummer / composer / bandleader Jacek PelcFind albums by this artist, recorded in a classic piano trio setting with pianist Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist and bassist Grzegorz NadolnyFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine tracks, eight of which are original compositions by Pelc and one is a standard. The music is all mainstream oriented modern Jazz, beautifully melodic and well structured, and as expected superbly executed by these highly experienced musicians. Pelc manages to prove again that being a drummer is not in any conflict with being able to compose beautiful lyrical themes, full of Polish melancholy, which are memorable and highly aesthetic. Herdzin, who appears relatively rarely within the Jazz idiom lately, shows that he was one of the most exciting Polish Jazz piano virtuosi, and his piano playing is truly refreshing herein. Hearing him on this album not only brings fond memories of his artistry, but raises hopes of his desire to return and take his rightful position on the Jazz scene, which he abducted in favor of other explorations. Nadolny plays wonderfully as well, showing great taste and technique both on the upright and electric bass, always perfectly in tune and right on the beat, he provides the background layer to the music, which couldn’t survive without it. And last but not least, Pelc with his Masterly drumming technique and endless trickery, which never ceases to amaze, which rightfully award him the position at the very top of the Polish Jazz rhythm magicians guild. Overall, this is a wonderful Jazz piano trio album, which should delight every fan of that particular niche, but to be honest it speaks to every Jazz lover on this planet, creating a lasting experience, which lingers in the back of the listener’s mind long after the music is over. Absolutely marvelous and well done, my Friend!

Updated: 18/05/2022Posted: 18/05/2022

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ANNA SERAFINSKA ~ GADU GADU (SPECIAL EDITION) POMATON 5099944044626 (Barcode: 5099944044626) ~ POLAND ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 2005 - 2012 Released: 2012 This is the fourth album by Polish Jazz / Pop singer Anna SerafinskaFind albums by this artist. It includes fourteen songs, all of which feature the lyrics by the great Polish poetess and lyricist Agnieszka OsieckaFind albums by this artist. The music was composed mainly by Seweryn KrajewskiFind albums by this artist (ex-Czerwone GitaryFind albums by this artist), one of Poland´s most remarkable songwriters. The other composers include several leading Polish Jazz figures like Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, Wlodzimierz NahornyFind albums by this artist, Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist and others. The music was arranged by Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, who also plays piano and other musicians include bassist Adam KowalewskiFind albums by this artist (who plays some mean fretless bass parts), drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist and many others, as well as a string quartet. The original album was released in 2006 and this special edition, released in 2012, adds two songs newly recorded with Anna´s new group called Groove MachineFind albums by this artist. The album has a great potential and seemingly all the right ingredients: first-class songs, wonderful lyrics, skilful arrangements and excellent musicianship, and yet although it is pleasant and overall enjoyable, it is also quite forgettable. Stylistically it sort of "sits on the fence" between Pop and Jazz, being both too close to Pop to be considered Jazz and too Jazzy to be a straightforward Pop. Herdzin´s arrangements push it consistently towards Latin grooves and mainstream Jazz settings, but the result is all over the place and feels somehow uneasy. I understand that Serafinska has quite a following in Poland, but this is the second album of hers that I listened to and she leaves me stone cold. Fortunately she sticks to Polish lyrics on this album, avoiding the problems of struggling with a foreign language, but her vocals simply don´t do it for me, which of course is completely my fault. In my ears her vocal range is somewhat limited and the emotional expressiveness just doesn´t cut it for me (again), although she does have a good feel for groove, which explains what she does with her new band. Of course there are some superb moments here and the album is a nice listening experience, which can be enjoyed by many listeners across the genre borders. I sort of hoped it would be more than that.

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KRYSTYNA STANKO ~ AQUARIUS: THE ORCHESTRAL SESSIONS STM 006 (Barcode: 602577499500) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is the 9th album by Polish Jazz vocalist Krystyna StankoFind albums by this artist, recorded with her more or less regular musical companions: vibraphonist Dominik BukowskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Marcin WadolowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Piotr LemanczykFind albums by this artist and drummer Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist. Violin virtuoso Mateusz SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist guests on a couple of tracks. Additionally the Sinfonia VivaFind albums by this artist Orchestra, conducted by Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist, who also wrote the orchestral arrangements, provides the orchestral accompaniment. The album presents ten songs, three of which were written by Antonio Carlos JobimFind albums by this artist, two by Chick CoreaFind albums by this artist, four are Jazz standards and one is a Polish cabaret song. Musically this album is a direct continuation of Stanko´s previous album "Novos AnosFind albums with this title", which was characterized by a distinct Bossa Nova flavor, which is also present here. The same idea of presenting well known songs in a very personal interpretation applies also here. The superb instrumental work by the excellent musicians who accompany the vocalist, are enhanced here with the addition of the orchestral arrangement, wonderfully and cleverly put together by Herdzin. Altogether the instrumental work on this album is every bit as impressive as the vocal parts. Bukowski uses the vibraphone and the marimba like a snake charmer, adopting his solos to every tune. Wadolowski plays quiet acoustic guitar parts but also excellent electric solos and consistently proves that he is one of the top guitar players on the local scene. Lemanczyk, as usual, keeps everything under control with his caressing bass lines, which fill all the spaces. Konrad is steady like the Rock of Gibraltar, and his delicate, but firm drum parts, which are the heartbeat of the music. Herdzin´s arrangements deserve praise not only for their sophistication, but more importantly for their incorporation within the overall framework of the sound, staying respectfully in the background and ornamenting the sonic whole rather that dominating it. Stanko, as usual, balances between singing lyrics and vocalese, in order to keep the things interesting. Her sensuous and dreamy voice is charming as always, and she is not trying to sound like anybody else simply being herself, a quality I always admired in her career. Her understanding of the fact that there is nothing wrong with singing standards, as long as the result is both musically solid and uncompromising, is a key ingredient of her musical mission. Overall this is a beautiful album full of superb music and outstanding performances, which can be enjoyed by a wide spectrum of Jazz listeners, from complete beginners to experienced connoisseurs, with each one being able to find something that touches them. Thank you again, my Baltic Siren, for sharing your musical heart with me and everybody else who will listen to this music and enjoy it. You are the one and only, as always!

Updated: 23/03/2024Posted: 02/04/2019

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STRING BIG BAND ~ STRING BIG BAND POLSKIE RADIO 1634 (Barcode: 5907812246341) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2013 Released: 2013 It takes a true musical "nut" (of the nicest sort), like The Polish pianist / composer / arranger / conductor Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist to come up with a project like this, which is designed to establish a new musical "genre" (or sub-genre) of chamber string music he defines as "string big band", a marriage between the European tradition of the string orchestra and the American Jazz Big Band. In order to prove his point, Herdzin took ten "classic" Jazz standards, some of which are closely associated with Big Band performances, others that aren´t, and arranged them for a musical collective, which brings together the sensational Atom String QuartetFind albums by this artist (violinists Mateusz SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist and Dawid LubowiczFind albums by this artist, violist Michal ZaborskiFind albums by this artist and cellist Krzysztof LenczowskiFind albums by this artist) with Sinfonia VivaFind albums by this artist orchestra to create a large string ensemble equivalent to the size of a Big Band. Bassist Robert KubiszynFind albums by this artist and vocalist Agnieszka WilczynskaFind albums by this artist (she sings on a couple of tracks only) also take part and the entire ensemble, conducted by Herdzin, which is appropriately named String Big BandFind albums by this artist. I must admit that before I listened to the music, just by looking at the CD and reading the texts, I was absolutely sure I´m going to hate this thing with vengeance. Boy was I wrong! It turned out to be one of the most uplifting pieces of musical delight I have heard in a long time. Herdzin somehow managed the impossible: he turned a potentially kitschy and schmaltzy musical idiom into absolute magic. I felt transformed back in time, about ninety years or so back in time, watching a Broadway stage performance at the peak of the Great Gatsby´s "Jazz Age", with tall women in tight lush dresses, glasses of champagne and all that Jazz! Pure Magic! Of course a big part of the success goes also to the wonderful performers; Atom String Quartet emerges as one of the most intriguing discoveries on the Polish scene in the last decade and the Sinfonia Viva orchestra, which Herdzin utilizes repeatedly as part of his projects, is definitely a group of most talented and worthy of admiration musicians. But Maestro Herdzin is definitely the main honcho, the inspirer and the chief (or perhaps chef) of this whole crazy happening. It takes a lot of courage and self confidence to undertake such a perilous venture and to emerge triumphant and victorious is simply phenomenal. This music can be enjoyed by almost anybody who has a working pair of ears on him, and it so multilayered and elegant that the more experienced and sophisticated the listener, the more pleasurable the experience becomes. Kudos Krzysztof, you really hit the jackpot this time! The live recording at the Polish Radio studio #3 in Warsaw has an unusually excellent, clear and vibrant sound quality, which enhances the whole album tremendously. The stars were definitely smiling at that project!

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LORA SZAFRAN ~ SPIEWNIK NAHORNEGO CONFITEOR 004 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2000 Released: 2003 Polish Jazz vocalist Lora SzafranFind albums by this artist is active on the local scene since the mid 1980s, when she graduated from the Katowice Music Academy. She sings Jazz but is also active on the mainstream Polish popular music market. This is her sixth album as a leader and it is dedicated to songs composed by the legendary Polish Jazz pianist / saxophonist / composer Wlodzimierz NahornyFind albums by this artist, who is also known as the author of popular evergreens. The album includes twelve songs composed by Nahorny, with lyrics (in Polish) by some of top Polish lyricists. Szafran is accompanied by a trio which includes Nahorny on piano with bassist Mariusz BogdanowiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Piotr BiskupskiFind albums by this artist and a string sextet, with string arrangements by Andrzej JagodzinskiFind albums by this artist and Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist. The album is kept in the classic mainstream Jazz tradition, performed spotlessly and with flair by all participants. Nahorny´s music is timeless and remains fresh and beautiful in complete disregard of passing fads and fashions. His compositions are as good as any American standards. The intelligent lyrics are a painful remainder that song´s lyrics are supposed to tell a story in an intelligent way, as they do here in complete contrast to today´s monstrosities called songs. Szafran sings perfectly and superbly, with her charming mannerisms and vocal tricks, which she manages to use as effectively as always. She is able to pronounce every word clearly and accurately, with feeling and obvious sentiment to the context, an art that seems to be lost completely these days. Her warm and round voice and professional finesse are irresistible. The interplay between her and the trio is always impeccable, which turns the entire recording into a musical love affair. Nahorny and the rhythm section are of course a living example of knights in shining armor. This is an "old fashioned" album, but in spite of that often misused classification it sounds fresh and alive in spite of its delicacy, fragility and sophistication. I must be old fashioned myself, as this stuff simply melts my heart.

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JAREK WIST / KRZYSZTOF HERDZIN BIG BAND ~ SWINGING WITH SINATRA DUX 0090 (Barcode: 5902547000909) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2011 Released: 2013 This is a live recording of a concert dedicated, as the title suggests, to the songs which were part of the classic repertoire of Frank SinatraFind albums by this artist. The songs are performed by young Polish vocalist Jarek WistFind albums by this artist, who is accompanied by a Big Band led and conducted by distinguished veteran pianist / composer / arranger Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist. The album includes fourteen tracks, twelve of which are standards from the Sinatra repertoire and two are original compositions by Herdzin, one used as an intro and the other as a showcase to present the members of the Big Band at mid-time. Sinatra, who was often dismissed by narrow-minded Jazz buffs as a crooner and mere entertainer, was in fact one of the greatest American Jazz singers and had more swing in his toes alone than most others, certainly more than his critics. His very individual and unique treatments of the great American Songbook are the absolute Holy Grail of American Jazz vocals and remain untouched by time, incomparable, undefeated and uncontested. Especially notable are his superb recordings with Big Bands, like the Count BasieFind albums by this artist Orchestra and several others, arranged and conducted by such luminaries as Nelson RiddleFind albums by this artist, Neal HeftiFind albums by this artist or Quincy JonesFind albums by this artist. All these recordings are quintessential, pure and unadulterated Jazz classics. It is simply impossible to listen to this album without comparing it, for example, to the classic "Sinatra At The SandsFind albums with this title", recorded with the Count Basie Orchestra conducted by Quincy Jones. Unfortunately the comparison doesn´t leave much space to remain positive about this album, which is a great pity, since the intentions were probably quite honorable and the participants are all excellent musicians. I can understand Herdzin willing to step into the shoes of the great Big Band arrangers of the past and indeed his part as the arranger is probably the best ingredient of the entire package. However even these arrangements sound rather pale and lack the zest and the kick which characterize the original Sinatra recordings. I have no idea if the Big Band had ample opportunity to rehearse and considering the economic realities of a Big Band, they most probably did not, which is immediately apparent. As already stated, the participating musicians, who include pianist Piotr WrombelFind albums by this artist, guitarist Marek NapiorkowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Robert KubiszynFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel DobrowolskiFind albums by this artist and thirteen additional brass and reed players, are all able and talented musicians, but obviously have limited opportunities to show their skills within the Big Band collective when accompanying a lead singer. Wist is a rather ordinary singer, completely lacking the theatrical and humorous sides of Sinatra´s stage persona. His interpretations of these classic standards are simply dull and often imperfect technically. And of course there is the dreaded Polish accent and pronunciation, which is perhaps acceptable on the local market but completely unbearable to an English speaker. It´s a pity the producers of this album did not consider the additional step of getting the lyrics translated into Polish; this might have saved the day, al least to some extent. Even the audience´s applause present at the hall where this music was recorded sounds hesitant and weary and the sound quality of the recording suffers from uneven volume, poor separation and overall muddy resonance. In retrospect this was a lost case before it even begun. Tackling the enormity of Sinatra´s talent, heritage and status is not a very wise decision and such things are usually best left alone. The old saying: "a smart man knows how to get out of trouble but the wise man knows how to avoid trouble in the first place" is very appropriate here. During the concert Herdzin complains about the difficulty of his multi-talented persona (he not only arranged the songs, composed two pieces and conducted the band, but also plays the piano on one track and sings on another). Perhaps there is a lesson here for him, since after all he is an extremely talented person. On the other hand those who don´t do don´t make mistakes, and he surely does a lot.

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AGA ZARYAN ~ A BOOK OF LUMINOUS THINGS BLUE NOTE 5099908449825 (Barcode: 5099908449825) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2011 Released: 2011 This is the 6th album by Polish Jazz vocalist Aga ZaryanFind albums by this artist and her second release on the legendary Blue NoteFind albums on this label label (she is the first Polish Jazz artist to release albums on that label, and so far the only one, which is altogether disheartening, considering the level of musical artistry readily available in Poland). Any reference to this album as yet another vocal Jazz release would be completely off the track. This is much more than just one more vocal Jazz album; it is an artistic statement, which encompasses different Art disciplines – in this case music and poetry – amalgamating them into an aesthetic whole, which becomes more than the sum of its parts. This kind of (music & poetry) format, which has an established tradition on the Polish cultural scene, continues the superb Jazz & Poetry movement, which has its roots more that half a century ago in the Beat generation. Zaryan created this concept work around the works of Polish Nobel laureate, poet Czeslaw MiloszFind albums by this artist, and three poetesses, which Milosz admired. Of the twelve songs presented on this recording, six are based on poems by Milosz and the other six are by the three poetesses, each with two poems. To complicate things a bit further, all the texts are in English, although most were written originally in Polish. Milosz, who lived in the US since 1960, firmly believed that he should write poetry only in his Mother tongue (i.e. Polish), and only later translated his own poems into English. He also translated the poems by the Polish poetess Anna SwirszczynskaFind albums by this artist. The other two poetesses: British-born American Denise LevertovFind albums by this artist and American Jane HirshfieldFind albums by this artist wrote their poems in English of course. As to the music, the list of credits is no less impressive. The basic tracks were recorded in a quartet format with musicians, who cooperated with Zaryan on earlier recordings: pianist / composer Michal TokajFind albums by this artist, who also composed almost all the music, guitarist Larry KoonseFind albums by this artist, bassist Darek OleszkiewiczFind albums by this artist and percussionist Munyungo JacksonFind albums by this artist. The basic tracks were then ornamented by rich orchestral arrangements, written by Tokaj and performed by the Polish Radio String Orchestra, which was directed by another Polish Jazz celebrity, pianist / composer Krzysztof HerdzinFind albums by this artist. If all this is not confusing enough, the basic tracks were recorded in the US and the orchestra in Poland. But what really counts is of course the final result, and in this case in spite of the intellectual complexity looming in the background and the musical intricacy involved, the overall result is a delicate, almost reserved and unpretentious little gem of an album. There is nothing flashy and overbearing here, just an intimate dialogue between Zaryan, her cohorts and the listener. Yes, it takes some effort to plunge deep beneath the surface and yes it takes a few listening sessions to discover some of those wonderful details veiled behind the sounds. I´d be surprised if Zaryan would´ve wanted it any other way; after all subtlety and modesty were always her distinctive gifts. Her vocal performances here, mystical and sensuous, reveal her struggle with the lyrical content, which is often devilishly convoluted. Yet everything sounds seemingly effortless and natural, as if no sweat was spilled in the process. These are true star qualities, in the best possible meaning of the idiom and in complete contrast to what are commonly conceived as star qualities these days. Although the album does not break and new musical ground, it certainly manages to create a unique atmosphere and climate, proving once more that intelligent, meaningful and non-trivial music combined with an obvious love and conviction leading the Artist are the essential ingredients needed to create true Art. Zaryan´s Polish listeners will probably impatiently await the Polish language version of this album, which should be available very soon, but it is this version which might bring some listeners in Europe and the US closer to the treasures of the Polish Cultural Heritage, which unfortunately remains mostly completely unknown beyond its own ghetto. Thank you Aga for your vision and conviction: chapeau! kudos! and respect!

Updated: 01/01/2016Posted:

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