Record Reviews

MARCEL BALINSKI ~ OPALENIZNA I WIATR NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2020 Released: 2022 This is the debut album as a leader by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Marcel BalinskiFind albums by this artist, recorded in a classic piano trio setting with bassist Franciszek PospieszalskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. The album presents six original compositions, all by the leader. The classic piano trio format stands in complete contrast to the music it produces here, which is diametrically different from what one expects to hear from a piano trio. There is nothing in this music that resembles a classic melody / improvisations layout and piano / rhythm section role division. So what is it? Well, it is a beautifully innovative approach to create music, which is somewhat Jazz oriented, but could be easily presented as contemporary Classical chamber music. The music is a creation of three musicians, playing symbiotically and without any division into soloist / accompanist, based on short melodic sketchy themes, expended into complex structures, which might as well be improvised, but are obviously too well organized to be spontaneous. Somehow this strange brew makes not only perfect / coherent sense, but is also inspired and superbly innovative. The individual performances are all brilliant, but secondary in comparison to the ensemble effect of the trio. I had a hard time deciding if this music can be called Avant-Garde? Although it is different from almost everything happening on the Jazz scene these days, it is mostly an assemblage of familiar ingredients, put together in an unfamiliar way with out of the box approach and obvious highly aesthetic vision. Although Balinski took part in the recording of several Polish Jazz albums since 2018, this music is a quantum leap in comparison to his work on those albums. Another interesting question that comes up, is if this is the future of Polish Jazz or even Jazz in general? Balinski will have first to establish a wider recorded evidence to prove his role in the future of the genre, but this music certainly marks him as one of the young prophets. Overall, this is a stunning album, which is one of those rare eye (ear) openers that happen way to rarely and when they do, it makes you smile. Can’t wait for the next one as this one is already somewhat from the “past”. Congratulations are definitely in order!

Updated: 03/02/2022Posted: 03/02/2022

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BOSSA NORKAH ~ NA MOIM BRZEGU MULTIKULTI MPJ 024 (Barcode: 5907529223994) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Pop Fusion Recorded: 2016 - 2017 Released: 2018 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz ensemble Bossa NorkahFind albums by this artist, led by vocalist Honorata KozuchowskaFind albums by this artist, which also includes some of the top Polish Jazz instrumentalist: pianist Andrzej JagodzinskiFind albums by this artist, guitarists Rafal SarneckiFind albums by this artist / Piotr AleksandrowiczFind albums by this artist, bassists Wojciech PulcynFind albums by this artist / Michal JarosFind albums by this artist, drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist and several other guests appearing on selected tracks playing brass and a plethora of percussion instruments. The album presents thirteen songs (two of which appear twice in alternate versions), all of which were written by Polish songwriter / poet Antoni MurackiFind albums by this artist. The music has a distinct Bossa Nova flavor, which is the main climate of all the songs. On the other hand the album is also clearly a Jazz & Poetry project, since Muracki´s songs are all deeply lyrical and evocative. The songs are kept in pretty reticent attire, featuring the vocals clearly in the center of the attention and the instrumental work kept to a bare minimum, with the piano providing the steady accompaniment and the rhythm section keeping the rhythm in check. There are only a few instrumental solos, which is a pity as those might have added a spark to the proceedings. Kozuchowska handles the vocals well, which is not an easy task in this case for many reasons; the lyrics are complex and often difficult to express in rapid succession and admittedly South American rhythms are hardly native to East European singers. The vocals therefore lack the sensual and often plainly erotic sensitivity of Bossa Nova, which are native and natural to Brazilian vocalists. But all things considered, the album works fine and offers a pleasant listening experience with an added value of excellent texts (sadly relevant to Polish-speaking listeners only). Overall this is an album floating between Pop and Easy Jazz, which can be enjoyed by a wide range of listeners, offering both musical and lyrical values combined with highly professional musicianship.

Updated: 21/02/2019Posted: 21/02/2019

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ILONA DAMIECKA ~ HOPE SOLITON 1032 (Barcode: 5903684230327) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2020 Released: 2020 This is the second album as a leader by Polish Jazz pianist / vocalist / composer Ilona DamieckaFind albums by this artist, this time recorded in a trio setting with bassist Pawel UrowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original pieces, all composed by Damiecka. One of the tracks is a song featuring lyrics in English. The music is a mixture of pretty straightforward melody based mainstream Jazz and some more open compositions, which offer irregular time signatures and shifting melody fragments. Somehow I found it rather difficult to make a coherent whole of this music despite the obvious effort and it all sounds to some extent ragged and disconnected to me. Damiecka plays a lot of notes and strong chords, which create quite a bombastic effect of singular sounds with missing dots combining it all into a sensible statement. The presence of the excellent veteran rhythm section helps tremendously to create somewhat more orderly effect of the whole, but not enough to make the music soar. The closing vocal track is not able to save the album, to say the least. Overall, sadly this album does not work for me, which of course means nothing more than my very personal opinion. Other listeners might be able to enjoy this music of course and are welcome to ignore my opinion entirely.

Updated: 27/10/2020Posted: 27/10/2020

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DOORS NOT SHUT ~ LUTY AUDIO CAVE 2018/013 (Barcode: 5905669566674) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2018 This is the debut album by the sextet Doors Not ShutFind albums by this artist, which comprises of five veteran Polish Jazz musicians: clarinetist Waclaw ZimpelFind albums by this artist, pianist Krzysztof DysFind albums by this artist, bassists Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and Ksawery WojcinskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. They are joined by Australian percussionist Philip SouthFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original compositions by the sextet members, mostly co-composed by several of the musicians. The concept of the sextet is pretty loosely conceived, since only Szmanda and South play on all the ten tracks, Swies plays on nine tracks, Dys plays on just three tracks and finally Zimpel and Wojcinski play on five tracks. As a result the entire sextet does not play together on any of the tracks. The music is an interesting amalgam of Ambient Music and Free Jazz, with strong World Music influences, especially on the rhythmic plane. The overall sound and approach are quite minimalist and the music mostly flows slowly, rarely displaying any strictly melodic contents. The bass pulsations (either electric or acoustic) and the ethnic / polyrhythmic drumming are the constant elements of the music, with the piano and clarinet being the only melodic anchors. The entire concept definitely works well, displaying a lot of originality and fascination with rhythm, being quite unique in that area. The drummers get most of the exposure, followed by the bassists, with Dys and Zimpel adding spice and color to the proceedings, but not dominating the concept. The three quartet tracks with Dys are closest to Jazz, while the five tracks with Zimpel are Ambient Improvised Music which listeners familiar with other recordings by Zimpel should find quite recognizable. The remaining two tracks featuring only drums and percussion (with some vocal and spoken word ornamentation) are perhaps the roots of the music. Overall this is a bold and highly innovative concept album, which offers originality and excellent musicianship, as well as intellectual challenge, which is often missing from less ambitious Jazz oriented recordings. This album is recommended for the more adventurous and open-minded listeners, who are ready to embrace new concepts. Although Zimpel plays only on half of the tracks, this album presents some of this most moving work, which is an absolute must to his followers. Highly recommended!

Updated: 29/12/2018Posted: 29/12/2018

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DYS / JORGENSMANN / MARCUS ~ ELEMENTS IN CANDOR FOR TUNE 0086 (Barcode: 5902768701869) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is an album by a Jazz quintet fronted by Polish pianist Krzysztof DysFind albums by this artist, German clarinetist Theo JorgensmannFind albums by this artist and American clarinetist Michael MarcusFind albums by this artist, with a Polish rhythm section: bassist Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. Together they perform thirteen original pieces, four composed by Marcus, three by Jorgensmann and one by Dys and the remaining five were co-composed by various combinations of the quintet members. Although based on some pre-composed phrases, the music is predominantly freely improvised and belongs to the radical Improvised Music idiom, which of curse is loved by a tiny group of enthusiasts but fails to reach a wider audience. Although the double clarinet front line has a wonderful potential of interplay between these two players, that potential is not realized herein and the music simply makes little if any aesthetic impact. As already stated many times, Improvised Music might make sense when listened to live, due to the emotional involvement and interaction between the players and the listeners, but only very rarely it is able to carry over that interaction into a recorded document, like an album. This album is a typical case where the music simply fails to communicate and remains remote and cold, as if the musicians were playing to each other, leaving the rest of the world outside. Even the fact that the clarinet is an instrument I truly love and the musicians involved have all made formidable recordings earlier on, this album simply does not cut it for me. Of course this is only my opinion and others might be able to enjoy this music. Dys, who is one of the most talented and important young Jazz musicians on the Polish scene plays very little on this album, which is another reason why this is a missed opportunity. If the whole album was anything like the last track, the story would have been completely different. Oh well, you can´t win them all.

Updated: 10/05/2016Posted: 10/05/2016

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KRZYSZTOF DYS ~ TOYS FOR TUNE 0115 (Barcode: 5906395808199) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2016 This is the debut album in the classic piano trio format by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Krzysztof DysFind albums by this artist, recorded with his usual cohorts: bassist Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. The trio performs eleven classic modern Jazz compositions by famous American Jazz musicians / composers, except for one track which was composed by Antonio Carlos JobimFind albums by this artist and in addition one original composition by Dys is also included. Although not mentioned anywhere on the album´s artwork, this is the first Polish Jazz album dedicated to re-composition or de-composition of music composed by others, which does what other albums claimed to do but didn´t. It is of course a speculation on my part if this was the intended procedure by Dys and his colleagues, but the treatment of the well known compositions offered by the trio is very radical and most listeners will have a very hard time to identify these compositions simply by listening to the music, which seems to support my guesswork. As a result this is definitely one of the most intellectually challenging Polish Jazz albums released lately and a true masterpiece, which deserves but the highest praise. The sublime balance between the hidden melodies and the Free Improvisations is magical and truly fascinating. The superb technique and virtuosity displayed by all the members of the trio clearly puts them in the high echelons of the Polish Jazz scene, which is no surprise to people following that scene closely Dys gradually earns the respect and the position of "musician´s musician", which sadly does not always go in parallel to his popularity with the critics and Jazz listeners, and this album is an excellent example of such dilemma. It is simply to "witty" to be loved by the average Jazz fan. On the other hand considering his versatility and proficiency, Dys should sooner or later reach the level of popularity he truly deserves. His recorded legacy so far definitely proves his abilities beyond any shadow of a doubt. Overall this is a excellent piece of highly sophisticated European Jazz, even if it is based on music written by American composers, which although challenging and demanding is very much worth the effort of several listening sessions, which should suffice to let the music sink deeply and be appreciated in full. Great stuff!

Updated: 27/01/2017Posted: 27/01/2017

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INTUITION ORCHESTRA ~ SUMMA INTUITIVA AUDIO CAVE 2021/010 (Barcode: 5908298549438) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is the fifth album by Polish Improvised Music ensemble called Intuition OrchestraFind albums by this artist, which comprises of a core trio: saxophonist Ryszard WojciulFind albums by this artist, keyboardist / cellist Boleslaw BlaszczykFind albums by this artist and drummer Jacek AlkaFind albums by this artist. They are joined by no less than seven distinguished guest musicians from different musical idioms, including legendary bassist Krzysztof MajchrzakFind albums by this artist, World Music tsarina Maria PomianowskaFind albums by this artist, guitarist Wojciech BlazejczykFind albums by this artist, electronics wizard Krzysztof KnittelFind albums by this artist, drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist and others. The album presents nine tracks, which as usual in such circumstances, are rather arbitrary parts of the continuum, all being collective improvisations. The music offers a distinctly “younger” (unrelated to the musicians’ age) feel and groove, with Fusiony touches created by Majchrzak and Blazejczyk and contemporary electronics, in addition to the traditional acoustic instruments. As a result, the music is also a touch more approachable to wider audiences this time, perhaps not intentionally, but definitely de facto. All the instrumental and vocal performances, especially those by Wojciul, are exceptional. As I have already stated previously, Intuition Orchestra is able to create genuinely Improvised Music, without sounding completely senseless, self-indulgent and artistically empty. This music has a wonderful natural flow, a feel of continuity and coherent direction, which makes listening to it an uplifting experience. Overall, it is great to witness a continuous growth and development of this ensemble, which is able to rejuvenate its sound and retain its creative powers for many years, without giving up an iota of their conceptual freedom of expression. As far as Improvised Music is concerned, this is one of the relatively few examples where it is able to create a lasting aesthetic experience, which continues to satisfy beyond the moment of its creation. Hats off my friends!

Updated: 17/12/2021Posted: 17/12/2021

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KAMASZ ~ EIGHT ROCKS FROM GRANDMA´S BOX MULTIKULTI MPI 041 (Barcode: 5907529223772) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2015 Released: 2019 This is the debut album by Polish Improvising Music trio KaMaSzFind albums by this artist comprising of guitarist Marek KadzielaFind albums by this artist, bassist Jacek MazurkiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions / improvisations co-credited to all three members of the trio. Despite the fact that this album firmly belongs to the Improvised Music idiom, the music is relatively well "organized" and accessible, including melodic fragments and logical harmonic developments, wrapped up in minimalistic low key, spaced-out ambience, which overall is remarkably listenable. For one reason or another, this music remained unreleased for five years and only now sees the light of day. In the meantime the musicians involved in creating it recorded intensively, so this album allows a glance into the past, as well as comparison with their recent work. Whatever the reason, it is great to have this music out in the open. All three musicians contribute not only cohesive and sympathetic collaborative statements as a trio, but also interesting individual statements. Kadziela offers a diverse palette of sounds, often returning to his Rock roots, Mazurkiewicz keeps the music on track with excellent bass lines and Szmanda masterly plays in and around the rhythms, still able to swing al all times. Overall this is a highly enjoyable album, full of great playing and despite the open improvisations sounding organized and structured enough for most Jazz listeners to be able to have fun, giving it some slack. Recommended!

Updated: 05/01/2020Posted: 05/01/2020

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MACIEJ KOCINSKI ~ PROVERBS 3:5 ALLEGRO 026 (Barcode: 5901157049261) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2012 This is the debut recording by the trio led by Polish saxophonist / composer Maciej KocinskiFind albums by this artist, who is primarily known as the leader of the SoundcheckFind albums by this artist quartet, which received a lot of positive attention on the local scene in the last few years. The other members of the trio are bassist Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist, who are also Soundcheck members. Vocalists Kuba BadachFind albums by this artist and Patrick JiyaFind albums by this artist appear as special guests. The album consists of ten original compositions, all by Kocinski. The trio serves as another vehicle for the leader and his cohorts to present music, which does not fit within the framework of the Soundcheck quartet, moving into areas like atmospheric / ambient / contemplative music influenced by folkloristic motifs and to some extent by contemporary Classical music. The usage of electronics and electric bass takes the music further away from purely acoustic Jazz mainstream. There is also an atmosphere of deep emotional expression, enhanced by the album´s beautiful artwork, title and of course its subject matter. Naming an album after a Biblical quote (and even printing the original Hebrew text on the cover) is surely no accident. The music is quite an unusual amalgam, which makes sense only after listening to the whole album, preferably more than once. It involves many different techniques, from "conventional" acoustic saxophone trio to purely improvised passages, electronic soundscapes, vocal chanting, recitation and others. And yet all these different elements fit together perfectly against all odds, creating truly exciting and emotional sonic experiences. Kocinski uses the EWI skillfully to produce a plethora of different sounds, enhancing the overall instrumental range. The element of melody is vital to this music and reoccurs repeatedly, with beautiful lyrical themes, which later serve as the basis for improvised excursions. The album and the music are obviously a team effort, and although the leader is the primary soloist, his partners get ample opportunity to contribute. Swies is brilliant, as always, with his bass (acoustic and electric) being the backbone of this excellent music. Szmanda fills the blanks and supports delicately, which is exactly what this music needs. His intelligence and good taste are obvious all the way through. All in all this is a superb musical effort, which keeps the listeners on their toes for the entire duration, leaving them wishing for more of the different same. The Polish Jazz scene seems to be a bottomless pit of great music and talented musicians. It is always a great pleasure to discover yet another example of the above and this album certainly stands out as one of the most interesting releases of 2012. Wholeheartedly recommended to all those lionhearted connoisseurs of exciting, surprising and adventurous music!

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MACIEJ KOCINSKI ~ 14 SHORT STORIES ALLEGRO 046 (Barcode: 5901157049469) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2022 Released: 2022 This is the second album as a leader by Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Maciej KocinskiFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Maciej Kocin KocinskiFind albums by this artist), recorded in an intimate trio setting with bassist Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist, same as the debut album “Proverbs 3:5Find albums with this title”, recorded a decade earlier. The album presents fifteen tracks, mostly original compositions by Kocinski except one standard, one traditional melody and one composition by Swies. Kocinski is definitely one of my favorite Polish Jazz Artists, and although he appears as a sideman on some albums from time to time, the fact that we were destined to wait for so long for his next solo album is a great pity, especially in view of his talent. This album offers an up-to-date sonic ambience, with Kocinski playing the EWI and utilizing some electronic layers, and the concise, mostly relatively short tracks, with a strong electric bass upbeat and dynamic drumming. This trio goes back almost twenty years as a three-fourth of the fabulous Soundcheck quartet, and their telepathic communication is absolutely phenomenal, which enables them to achieve a maximal result from the difficult saxophone trio setting. As usual with Kocinski’s music, it is very expressive and stimulating, always telling a story, which of course can be freely interpreted by every listener. Although melody based, the music offers advanced freely improvised passages, with Kocinski displaying his excellent technique and imagination, which never ceases to amaze. Despite the fact that these musical “stories” are relatively short, they are deeply absorbing and offer a first class musical experience from start to finish, seamlessly and excitingly performed by the trio. It is plainly obvious that Kocinski is a mature, fully developed Artist, who needs to prove nothing anymore, and can concentrate on what is important rather than build up camouflage. This album is simply a concentrated, wholehearted musical delivery. Overall, this is a beautiful, deeply moving Jazz album, elegant in its minimalism and full of touching, lyrical melodies. Hopefully we won’t be exposed to such extended period of silence until the next album by Kocinski comes around, and in the meantime we can enjoy this little gem of an album to the max.

Updated: 06/01/2023Posted: 06/01/2023

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LOMZA CHAMBER PHILHARMONIC ~ POLISH IMPRESSIONS DUX 2023 (Barcode: 5902547020235) ~ POLAND ~ Classical Recorded: 2024 Released: 2024 This is an album by the Polish Lomza Chamber PhilharmonicFind albums by this artist, conducted by Jan Milosz ZarzyckiFind albums by this artist, performing three contemporary Classical pieces composed by Polish composers: “Polish Suite” (four parts) composed by Mateusz SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist (usually associated with the Polish Jazz scene), “Venetian Concerto” (three parts) composed by Slawomir CzarneckiFind albums by this artist and “Rhythm Games” (five parts) composed by Mikolaj MajkusiakFind albums by this artist. On “Polish Suite” for flute, violin, baritone violin and string orchestra flautist Jadwiga KotowskaFind albums by this artist and Smoczynski perform the solo parts. On “Venetian Concerto” for clarinet and string orchestra clarinetist Artur PachlewskiFind albums by this artist performs the solo parts. On “Rhythm Games” for cello, accordion, strings and percussion cellist Karolina JaroszewskaFind albums by this artist, accordionist Klaudiusz BaranFind albums by this artist and the orchestra’s percussionist Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist (also associated with Polish Jazz) perform the solo parts. All three pieces are examples of delightful contemporary Classical music, which stays within the tradition, rather than exploring modernist or avant-garde directions, with strong melodic basis and often incorporating Polish folkloristic themes. The pieces are quite different from each other, which makes listening to the album and adventure and avoiding the danger of falling asleep, which is often associated with listening to albums with Classical music. Of course I strongly recommend to listeners to get acquainted with more works by these three composers, all quite different, but all brilliant. The importance of albums like this one is presenting lesser known and often young composers and their works, which often find it very difficult to find exposure in the repertoire performed by big Philharmonic Orchestras, which often stick to “the obvious” crowd pleasing material and avoid “adventurous” material, making themselves almost obsolete in time. Overall, this is a wonderful presentation of fresh Polish Classical repertoire, which is definitely worthy of being performed and listened to by music lovers the world over. These three relatively short pieces are a breath of fresh air, and a delightful listening experience.

Updated: 31/01/2025Posted: 31/01/2025

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NIKA LUBOWICZ ~ NOC NAD BETLEJEM FOR TUNE 0114 (Barcode: 5906395808144) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is second Christmas album I am writing about this year, which is highly unusual, as I mostly keep away from Christmas albums as far as I can, not that I have anything against Christmas per se, but because Christmas albums are usually pretty atrocious musically. However, for the second time it turns out that Christmas albums can be artistic and musically fulfilling. Polish Jazz vocalist Nika LubowiczFind albums by this artist, a member of the famed Lubowicz clan, gathered her two brothers: violinist Dawid LubowiczFind albums by this artist and keyboardist Jakub LubowiczFind albums by this artist, her husband accordionist Sebastian ZajacFind albums by this artist, bassist Marcin MurawskiFind albums by this artist, drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist and a couple of guests, and together they perform ten Christmas Carols, six of which were composed by Nika´s father Stanislaw LubowiczFind albums by this artist, one by Waclaw Geiger and three are traditional Carols newly arranged for this album. The music carries the Christmas spirit, as expected, but it is also rich in wonderful arrangements, some more Jazz oriented and others less so, and of course features Nika´s lovely vocals, which are always a pleasure to listen to. Everything is kept in relaxed, almost blessed atmosphere, with the music and instrumental passages working perfectly together to create a coherent, highly aesthetic message. The music also includes some Folklore elements, related to the Polish Highlanders, who live near the southern border of the country in the Tatra Mountains and the town of Zakopane, which of course is Nika´s home ground. Overall this is a gorgeous, moving album, which although Christmas oriented, is perfectly listenable any day of the year, and which emphasizes the diversity and beauty of the Polish Culture.

Updated: 28/11/2016Posted: 28/11/2016

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MAD SHIP ~ FLASH YEARS KOLD 0003 (Barcode: 5706274010480) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the debut album by the Polish Jazz ensemble Mad ShipFind albums by this artist, which comprises of saxophonist Tomasz LicakFind albums by this artist, guitarist Kuba WojcikFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Grzegorz TarwidFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, all by Wojcik. The music presents a highly charged, soaked in synthesizer and electronic effects sound, with an eerie ambiance and very atypical overall approach, surely as far as Jazz is concerned. The pieces range between atmospheric, slow developing vistas a la New Age and energetic up-tempo dense explorations, almost Heavy Metal in nature, surely not something one would expect from a Jazz album, but on the other hand a reflection of a steady trend in contemporary Polish Jazz to increasingly involve electronics within the genre. But pushing these convoluted descriptions aside, this album definitely offers an interesting listening experience, which keeps surprising and keeps the listener at his toes. All four players are experienced and talented musicians and therefore the performances are highly effective. Licak, in spite of his harsh tone, plays highly lyrically and melodically for the duration, spicing the proceeding with some superb Free Form improvisations. Wojcik concentrates on electronics and his guitar contributions are mostly riffs and background chords, with occasional soloing, Tarwid, nor surprisingly, steals the show completely with his brilliant synthesizer parts, which provide most of the content and finally Szmanda keeps the entire havoc together with his excellent versatile and solid drumming. Overall this is a superb debut effort, perhaps still not completely focused but offering a lot of very interesting music, with a strong emotional impact resulting in a dense, demanding listening experience. As usual, the most important factor is the effort to leave conventional approach behind and keep exploring, which this music surely represents. I am already waiting for the next album, but in the meantime this one is certainly worth investigating!

Updated: 15/07/2020Posted: 15/07/2020

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MAD SHIP ~ TIME SHIFT OFFCZART 001 (Barcode: 0606707447485) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2023 Released: 2023 This is the second album by Polish Jazz quartet Mad ShipFind albums by this artist, which comprises of guitarist Kuba WojcikFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Tomasz LicakFind albums by this artist, pianist Grzegorz TarwidFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. The album presents twelve tracks, ten of which were composed by Wojcik and two by Tarwid. Six of the tracks are basically improvisations, based on “concepts” by Wojcik. The music continues where the debut left off, this time somewhat less experimental perhaps with more clear melodic themes and less electronics, but keeping the mystery in the air, with a central theme of time clicking steadily. Wojcik offers some impressive guitar parts, sometimes almost Rock oriented, Licak is the steady link to Jazz and free spirit, Tarwid, as usual, ornaments everything with stunning keyboards parts and Szmanda is in perfect command of the rhythmic layers, all cooperating towards the common goal of keeping the listener in constant anticipation of the next move. The music is again only marginally Jazz oriented, at least as far as mainstream Jazz listeners are concerned, but the amalgam of cross-genre vistas creates a tapestry of sounds, which is fascinating and stimulating for the entire duration, expanding the Jazz idiom towards uncharted territory. Overall, this is another highly successful effort by the quartet, which passes the sophomore release test with ease and high hopes for the future. Of course these four musicians take part in many other projects parallel to their work herein and establish the next generation of the Polish Jazz scene with class and obvious talent. Well done Sirs!

Updated: 20/03/2024Posted: 20/03/2024

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WOJCIECH MAJEWSKI ~ NIE BYLO LATA MTJ 11769 (Barcode: 5906409117699) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2015 - 2017 Released: 2017 This is an album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Wojciech MajewskiFind albums by this artist, dedicated to poetry written by the relatively esoteric Polish poet / playwright Stanislaw GrochowiakFind albums by this artist. This ambitious and complex project involves an ensemble of Polish Jazz instrumentalists, a string quartet, a brass / woodwind section, six vocalists and two persons reciting poems. Some of the well known musicians appearing on this album are: saxophonist Henryk MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist, bassists Slawomir KurkiewiczFind albums by this artist and Pawel PantaFind albums by this artist, drummer Michal MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist, percussionist Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist and vocalists Janusz SzromFind albums by this artist and Stanislaw SoykaFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Stanislaw SojkaFind albums by this artist). The entire list is simply way too long to be listed. The album presents twenty one relatively short pieces, all linked together into a Jazz & Poetry suite. The music is a collection of Jazz songs which use the poems as lyrics and background / incidental music played under the recitation of the poems or between the songs. Mostly deeply melancholic and often outright gloomy, the music does ideally suit the texts, which of course is the essence of this project. As such it is a brilliant collaboration of music and words, which expresses the spirit of Grochowiak´s complex poetry. The songs are superbly performed by the vocalists invited by the composer and are all a continuation of the Polish lyrical Jazz & Poetry tradition. There is no doubt that Polish Jazz musicians create more Jazz & Poetry projects than any other country on earth, which reflects their sensitivity to Art Forms other than music. Music and words are of course both expressions of the innermost human feelings and the combination of the two is probably the most powerful means of human creativity. The love of the Polish language and Polish literary tradition is a strong characteristic of this and other similar projects. Although the language barrier seemingly limits the potential audience to Polish Language speaking listeners, the overall wealth and powerful musical content this album offers should be also of interest to people who do not know the language but can enjoy the music and absorb the Artistic atmosphere. Overall this is a wonderful piece of music artistry, clever, intelligent, sensitive and dazzling in its complexity. It will take a while for the listener to comprehend the multi-layered intricacy of this music and its many hidden treasures, but every effort invested in the listening process will pay back with hefty interest. Definitely most wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 10/02/2018Posted: 10/02/2018

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MARCIN OLAK ~ BESSARABIAN JOURNEY FSR 2016/02 (Barcode: 5905279364073) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is a live recording by a quartet led by guitarist Marcin OlakFind albums by this artist, which also includes violist Patryk ZakrockiFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej SzczycinskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. They perform nine pieces, seven of which are traditional Jewish tunes originating from the region of Bessarabia (Moldova today) and arranged by Olak, one is co-composed by Zakrocki and Olak and the final one is composed by Olak. The project was initiated by Miron ZajfertFind albums by this artist, the creator / director of the wonderful New Jewish Music Festival in Warsaw. Bessarabia, which existed as a Governorate for over a hundred years, was home to many Jews, who amalgamated their ancient traditions with Ottoman / Turkish, Romanian / Balkan and Russian / Slavic cultural influences, creating a unique East European Jewish sub-culture, which had its musical facets also combining a wide range of musical influences. This attempt to mix the music originating in Bessarabia with Jazz sadly does not grab me at all. The resulting music loses most of its original spontaneity and the guitar, which simply does not belong organically to that music at all, treats it completely wrong. Bessarabia is definitely not Spain! With the element of improvisation and a lack of steady meters applied here the original music is simply completely lost. But most importantly Bessarabian music is characterized by very specific rhythmic approach, which is mostly based on odd meters, something most musicians not born into those specific realms have a great difficulty to handle. As a result applying simplistic Rock or Jazz rhythms to that music simply does not work well. As much as I appreciate any attempt to create ambitious projects, cross-cultural meetings and new discoveries, this project, as far as I am concerned, simply does not cut it. At some moments listening to the CD was simply unbearable and I even considered stopping it, which happens to me very rarely. Even the hidden track did not manage to save the day. Of course it´s only me and if anybody enjoys this music, my opinion is completely immaterial.

Updated: 27/10/2016Posted: 13/06/2016

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PANTA / DYS / SZMANDA ~ PLAY BACH / BEETHOVEN / CHOPIN / MALECKI NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 5902249020519) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2012 - 2013 Released: 2015 This is a tribute album dedicated to the memory of the Polish Jazz pianist / composer Marcin MaleckiFind albums by this artist, who died in 2008 after losing the battle with cancer. The material on this album was intended to be recorded by Malecki on his second album, but sadly that recording never materialized. This album recreates the ideas from the remaining scores and the piano parts are played by Krzysztof DysFind albums by this artist, together with the original members of Malecki´s trio, bassist Pawel PantaFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. As the title suggests, the album includes two original compositions by Malecki and five arrangements of classical pieces. The music was fabulously recorded at the Studio Tokarnia with Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist at the helm, as always. The music is everything one might expect from a Jazz-Classical Fusion album, with clever arrangements of well known Classical pieces beautifully performed by first class musicians, who are amongst the best on the Polish Jazz scene. Kept well within the mainstream Jazz conventions, the music manages to keep the listener on his toes mainly due to the virtuosic performances by all three members of the trio. Dys reveals his Classical roots and his wonderful ability to swing, Panta plays complex yet natural bass lines and Szmanda vigorously keeps things swinging, with a great drums solo displaying his abilities. This is as good a classic Jazz piano trio album as they come and every fan of piano trio should enjoy this to the max, especially those people who like Jazzy interpretations of Classical music. It is also a beautiful example of friendship and honoring a friend´s memory, which is commendable, especially in a world where every man for himself seems to be the leading motto. Well done Gentlemen!

Updated: 22/02/2017Posted: 22/02/2017

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DARIUSZ PETERA ~ FLASHOVER REQUIEM / LYDIAN 2019/4 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is the debut album as a leader by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Dariusz PeteraFind albums by this artist recorded in a sextet setting with some of the top Polish Jazz musicians: trumpeter Emil MiszkFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Maciej KocinskiFind albums by this artist, cellist Krzysztof LenczowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original compositions, all by Petra. The music was recorded at the excellent RecPublica Studios and offers a superb sound quality. It also offers a highly aesthetic packaging. The music is a wonderful example of contemporary Polish / European Jazz, which combines melodic themes with open structures, which enable the music to spread freely in many different directions not being limited by traditional Jazz pre-conceptions, resulting in many unexpected manifestations of the compositional palette. Petera certainly arises as a new talent on the local Jazz scene and the fact that the last time he took part in recording an album happened six years ago is very intriguing. But the long wait was certainly worthwhile, as the compositions on this album are all perfectly rounded and coherent, mature and most importantly present unique personal stylistic idiosyncrasies, characterized by the dominant role of the rhythmic pulse, which stands on the same level as the melodic and harmonic contents. The performances are all absolutely stellar, which of course is hardly surprising. Kocinski, Swies and Szmanda, who together with Krzysztof DysFind albums by this artist at the piano played together for many years as the sublime SoundcheckFind albums by this artist quartet, one of my favorite Polish Jazz ensembles which sadly dropped off the horizon, are of course Masters of the trade. Lenczowski, who made a spectacular career with the Atom String QuartetFind albums by this artist and recorded superb solo albums, is a Superstar. And finally Miszk, who is the most in demand young generation upcoming Polish Jazz trumpeter. In short Petera might have as well called this ensemble All Stars. Of course Petera also plays excellently, but respectfully shares the spotlight more or less evenly with the rest of the sextet members. Overall this album is undoubtedly a notable event on the Polish Jazz scene, especially in view of the incredibly high competition that scene generates. It is also a splendid debut effort, which hopefully will be followed by many similar achievements of the same significance and Artistic scale. Well done indeed!

Updated: 30/05/2019Posted: 30/05/2019

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DARIUSZ PETERA ~ WLADZA ALGORYTMOW AUDIO CAVE 2023/005 (Barcode: 5908298549582) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2022 Released: 2023 This is the second album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Dariusz PeteraFind albums by this artist, recorded with the same sextet lineup that appears on the debut album “FlashoverFind albums with this title”, with trumpeter Emil MiszkFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Maciej KocinskiFind albums by this artist, cellist Krzysztof LenczowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. Brothers Mateusz SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist on violin and Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist on synthesizer appear as guests. The album presents seven tracks, which are said to be mostly improvised during the recording sessions, with three tracks partly based on pre-composed themes by Petera. The album was recorded at the excellent Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan Smoczynski, with the usual splendid sonic result. The music is a powerful display of group improvisation, brilliantly executed by these highly talented musicians. The sound of the sextet (and at times octet) is dense and complex, and despite the fact that the music is improvised, offers a wonderful continuity and coherence. Although large group improvisation is not new in Jazz (what is?), it is relatively quite rare in contemporary Polish Jazz, making this album especially interesting and refreshing. In comparison to Petera’s debut album, recorded four years earlier, this album climbs to a whole different level and is a Milestone in his musical development. The concept of group improvisation is a double-edged sword, in a sense that in some cases the music offers a collection of individual improvised statement by the musicians in a group, not necessarily corresponding to each other, whereas in this case the individual improvisations serve a purpose of creating an ensemble statement, not ignoring individual contributions of course, but rather combining them into a whole new collective amalgam, which this album manages to do remarkably well. Overall, this is an outstanding achievement by Petera and his cohorts, a powerful, beautifully played musical statement, offering unconventional approach and preferring the common musical good over individual statements, not by ignoring them, but by unifying them into a greater whole. This album is quite a surprise, and I love surprises, as we all should. Well done my Friends – respect is due!

Updated: 30/04/2023Posted: 30/04/2023

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LENA PIEKNIEWSKA / SOUNDCHECK ~ KOLYSANKI NA WIECZNY SEN NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2012 Released: 2012 This most unusual album presents the music, which is a part of a multi-media show by singer / songwriter Lena PiekniewskaFind albums by this artist, dedicated to the memory of the Polish Jewry, which was annihilated during the Holocaust. Piekniewska is accompanied by the excellent Polish Jazz quartet SoundcheckFind albums by this artist, which comprises of saxophonist Maciej KocinskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Krzysztof DysFind albums by this artist, bassist Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist and violinist / vocalist Maciej FilipczukFind albums by this artist. The album includes fourteen tracks, some including vocals and other being instrumental only. Piekniewska wrote all the lyrics (in Polish, and those were later translated into Hebrew) except in two cases, where traditional lyrics or a biblical text are utilized. The music is a mixture of traditional melodies and new compositions by Piekniewska, Kocinski and Dys. As far as Soundcheck are concerned, this is their fifth album. This is neither the place nor the time to discuss the actual concept behind this album. The incredible renaissance that Jewish Culture enjoys in Poland in the last two decades is a very complex and not entirely clear matter. Practically there are almost no Jews living in Poland any more and therefore the entire resurgence of interest in Jews and their Culture is inexplicable rationally but in many respects quite wonderful. Sadly it is accompanied by a parallel growth of Polish Nationalism and revolting anti-Semitism. Musically the album presents a mixture of Jewish (mostly Klezmer) music and Jazz, which is not a new concept and has been explored many times before. Luckily for her, Piekniewska enlisted one of the best Polish Jazz ensembles to stand by her side, which ensures at least that the music is performed formidably. Kocinski, who plays mostly the traditional Jewish clarinet, plays wonderfully and so do all three other members of Soundcheck. The rhythm section has a really tough job, as they can´t apply the usual Jazz formats here, but they overcome the challenge with flying colors. The pianist is wonderfully sensitive and deeply lyrical, playing equally well the traditional and the Jazzy parts. Overall the instrumental part of this album works well, with the music providing the intended tonal reference to the subject matter, being mostly sentimental, melancholic and contemplative. The music is mostly kept low key, which is exactly what the concept needs. As far as the vocal parts are concerned, I´m afraid that I find them somewhat misguided. The biggest problem for me is the usage of the Hebrew lyrics. Firstly Hebrew was not the language spoken by Polish Jews before the Holocaust, it was Yiddish. Therefore perhaps it would have been better to translate the Polish lyrics into Yiddish and sing them in that language? On the other hand if these memories are by descendants of the victims, Hebrew makes sense in a way. Secondly, the same way I severely criticize Polish vocalist when they sing in English, the same criticism applies here; Piekniewska obviously is not a native Hebrew speaker and her accent and pronunciation are simply inacceptable (at least to people who speak Hebrew). Perhaps a better idea would have been to invite an Israeli singer and record this album in a duet setting with Piekniewska singing in Polish and the other singer in Hebrew. In a way I´m sorry I wasn´t there to suggest this solution, but it probably was meant to be this way. That said, I must emphasize that Piekniewska does an excellent job as a vocalist, with a delicate, dramatic and clear voice and an obvious sensitivity. All in all her concept certainly works out as intended, in spite of the minor weaknesses and is a moving and honest tribute to the memory of those no longer with us. As someone, who lost almost all of his ancestors in the Holocaust, this album certainly gets my full blessing. People who are interested in Jewish heritage and unusual musical ventures should find this album fascinating!

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KAMIL PIOTROWICZ ~ POPULAR MUSIC HEVHETIA 0134 (Barcode: 8588005257916) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is the second album by young Polish Jazz pianist / composer Kamil PiotrowiczFind albums by this artist, this time recorded in a sextet setting with trumpeter Emil MiszkFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Kuba WiecekFind albums by this artist and Piotr CheckiFind albums by this artist, bassist Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, all by Piotrowicz. The music is a superb collection of modern Jazz compositions, brilliantly arranged for the sextet, using all the power and interplay possibilities of the relatively large ensemble. The compositions are diverse and quite complex, changing styles and tempi rapidly and displaying an incredible maturity relative to the age of the composer. In spite of the complexity and multilayered structure the compositions are completely coherent and deeply moving emotionally. Stylistically the music moves between contemporary Classical oriented pieces and large ensemble compositions, firmly based on the tradition developed in the late 1950s and 1960s by such Jazz mavericks like George RussellFind albums by this artist and Charles MingusFind albums by this artist. Adorned with typical European harmonies this music reaches peaks rarely heard before. The level of execution of this difficult music is also exceptional. All the participants play amazing solo parts and cooperate brilliantly in the ensemble parts, with the rhythm section firmly holding the intricate musical construction in place. Nothing is taken for granted here and these wonderful musicians keep surprising the listener again and again, with a bag of virtuosic tricks that never ceases to amaze. Most of the individual statements are concise and perfectly suited to the musical setting at the moment of their execution, This album is a giant step forward for Piotrowicz and although his debut album, released a year earlier, showed a lot of potential, nothing prepared the listeners for this masterpiece following up so soon. This is definitely one of the best Polish Jazz albums released in 2016 and a very strong contender for the top of the heap. If Piotrowicz is able to create music of such profound impact today, what will happen next? This is an absolute must for all Polish Jazz connoisseurs around the world and an exquisite example of the fact that Jazz is alive and kicking and progressing and exciting and intensely beautiful! Hats off!

Updated: 28/10/2016Posted: 28/10/2016

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KAMIL PIOTROWICZ ~ PRODUCT PLACEMENT HOWARD 1 (Barcode: 5903420785937) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is the third album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer / bandleader Kamil PiotrowiczFind albums by this artist recorded with the same sextet lineup which recorded the previous album a couple of years earlier. Besides Piotrowicz the sextet also includes trumpeter Emil MiszkFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Kuba WiecekFind albums by this artist and Piotr CheckiFind albums by this artist, bassist Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Piotrowicz, one of which is an epic multipart eighteen and a half minutes long piece and another is a short bonus track closing the album. The music on this album makes a bold step towards Free Jazz and other less constrained musical forms in comparison to the two earlier albums, with the traditional sense of composition almost completely lost in the process. Of course the music has a coherent continuum and sense of direction, but there are almost no melody lines or steady rhythmic passages. As a result the music simply flows propelled by its intrinsic drive and allows the instrumentalists to create the sound on the fly. It is often very difficult to distinguish between the "composed" and the improvised ingredients of this music, not that it really matters, as the end result is what counts, similarly to an attempt to analyze an abstract painting and try to find in it the pre-designed and the spontaneous smears of paint. The album is a stupendous exhibit of ensemble work, without which the entire creation would have simply collapsed on itself. The level of conversation and mutual influence, as displayed by the sextet members, is simply phenomenal. Obviously they are all superb instrumentalists, as is clearly heard all along the way, but this music is all about fusion of individual statements into an amalgam, which is way grander than just a sum of its ingredients. Piotrowicz obviously plays a central role in the entire process and his piano lines and synthesizer parts serve both as the glue and the backbone of the entire musical structure, strangely playing more a role of a conductor rather than a soloist. In spite of the devilish complexity, multi-layered and multi-directional structure, unusual approach and even eerie sound at times, this music is remarkably lucid and comprehensible and as a result accessible. In complete contrast to most Avant-gardish statements of such scope, this album is a true pleasure to listen to, which hopefully will help this music to reach as wide an audience as possible. Overall this is another brilliant album made by young Polish Jazz musicians and another pretender to the title of one of the best albums of 2018. It is also another statement of quality, which puts the Polish Jazz right at the very top of the European level. By now Piotrowicz has entered the "serious" league of contemporary European Jazz Artists, well earned and praiseworthy by any standards. Personally I already can´t wait for the next album. Well done messieurs and hats off high!

Updated: 08/11/2018Posted: 08/11/2018

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KAMIL PIOTROWICZ ~ WEIRD HEAVEN HOWARD 6 (Barcode: 5903689818278) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2021 Released: 2022 This is the fourth album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer / bandleader Kamil PiotrowiczFind albums by this artist, recorded in a sextet setting, almost identical to the sextet which recorded the previous album except for the trumpeter, with trumpeter Tomasz DabrowskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Kuba WiecekFind albums by this artist and Piotr CheckiFind albums by this artist, bassist Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten tracks, all original compositions by the leader. The music continues faithfully the direction set by the previous album “Product PlacementFind albums with this title”, released four years earlier, moving even further into experimental music, which although composed, includes many elements of Free Improvisation. Piotrowicz manages, despite the obvious complexity, multi-layered structures and weird time signatures, to create music which is listenable and even enjoyable to a relatively wide spectrum of Jazz connoisseurs. The album is an incredible example of ensemble playing, with individual statements, however significant, which are completely lost in the general scale of things, being simply building blocks of the “bigger picture”. It takes musicians of the highest echelon to perform this music and of course the team Piotrowicz assembled is able to escape the challenges without a hitch. It is quite obvious that Piotrowicz consistently emerges as one of young Lions od the Polish Jazz scene, and my enthusiasm about his earlier recordings, both those as a leader and his other projects, was fully justified. Overall, this is a brilliant example of contemporary Polish Jazz at its best, which proves the vibrancy and incredible creative power of the scene, which sadly often remains unrecognized outside the country’s border. This music doesn’t try to be nice or pretty, but takes no prisoners in its power of expression, deserving the attention of those looking for something truly remarkable and challenging.

Updated: 13/09/2023Posted: 11/09/2023

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GRZEGORZ ROGALA PROJECT / SAGIT ZILBERMAN ~ POEZJAZZ SOLITON 382 (Barcode: 5901571093826) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2014 This is the second album by the Polish / Israeli ensemble, co-led by Polish trombonist Grzegorz RogalaFind albums by this artist and Israeli saxophonist Sagit ZilbermanFind albums by this artist. The ensemble includes also pianist Witold JaniakFind albums by this artist, bassist Wojciech PulcynFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. Two vocalists also take part in this recording: Barbara RogalaFind albums by this artist, who sings (in Hebrew) on one track and Malgorzata HutekFind albums by this artist, who sings (in Polish) on two other tracks. The album presents seven original compositions, five of which were composed by Rogala, two were composed by Zilberman and the remaining track is a traditional melody arranged by Rogala. The lyrics of two of the vocal tracks are by the Polish / Jewish writer Bruno Schultz, murdered during the Holocaust, and the third vocal track uses the Biblical text taken from the "Song of Songs". The album was recorded at the excellent Studio Tokarnia, with Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist presiding, which of course is a trademark of excellent sound quality. The album´s title is misleading, as it implies that the entire album belongs to the Jazz & Poetry sub-genre, which of course is more popular in Polish Jazz than anywhere else on this planet. However since only the three vocal tracks fall within the idiom´s boundaries, this extrapolation is unjustified and confusing. The album presents a series of fine mainstream compositions, mostly well built and quite interesting, all very well executed by the musicians, who are all professional and talented. Rogala is the main soloist and his trombone parts are always a pleasure to listen to, displaying sparks of virtuosity and highly personal stylistic approach. The rest of the instrumental parts are, as already stated, well done, but somewhat lack a flicker of inspiration or luster, which would make this music truly exciting. The vocal parts don´t work very well, as the singers struggle with the text trying to fit it within the complex melodic and harmonic structure of the songs or with a language (Hebrew) they are not familiar with, but of course are by and large acceptable. In short this is a nice album, which many listeners will find satisfactory, but considering the incredible high level of albums released in Poland these days, it certainly does not reach the level of excellence one would hope for.

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KARI SAL ~ BETESDA HEVHETIA 0153 (Barcode: 8588005258135) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Pop Fusion Recorded: 2015 - 2016 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by Polish singer / songwriter Kari SalFind albums by this artist, recorded with a dream-team backup group consisting of top Polish Jazz musicians: violinist Adam BaldychFind albums by this artist (Sal´s husband), violist Michal ZaborskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Piotr CheckiFind albums by this artist, pianist Pawel KaczmarczykFind albums by this artist, bassist Michal KapczukFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. Finnish trumpeter Verneri PohjolaFind albums by this artist also guests on several tracks. The album presents seven original songs, five of which were composed by Sal, one was co-composed by Sal and Baldych and one was co-composed by Sal, Baldych and Kaczmarczyk. Sal wrote the lyrics to five of the songs and two songs have lyrics based on Biblical texts. There is also one track featuring wordless vocalese with music by Baldych. The music is a mixture of many diverse influences, which include Polish Folklore roots, Scandinavian Alternative Pop and others; altogether close in spirit to the Polish sung poetry idiom. The arrangements add a distinct Jazzy flavor, but the music is not rooted in Jazz per se. Sal´s songwriting is full of typical Polish lyricism and melancholy, both on the musical and textual planes. Influenced by her visit to Island, the music also encompasses the Nordic characteristics, which are not that far away from the Slavic sources, which perhaps explains why Polish and Scandinavian musicians feel so much affinity towards each other. The biblical sources and Sal´s own lyrics reflect deeply religious / spiritual involvement, which is rarely present in contemporary Art. Sal´s compositions are all remarkably mature, harmonically coherent, stylistically consistent and aesthetically rounded, which of course deserves praise and admiration. As expected, the performances by all the instrumentalist present on this album are nothing short of stellar. There are numerous exquisite solos and the accompaniment by the basic violin / piano / rhythm section quartet is superbly and consistently executed. But of course the vocal parts by Sal are the focus of this album. She has a wonderfully clear, steady and colorful voice, which she uses wisely and cleverly. Both her lyrics and vocalese parts are moving and fascinating, and although she demonstrates self-confidence and clear musical vision, she is not over-confident and respectfully cooperates with the band members. The decision to sing in Polish is also extremely important and it´s encouraging to see that some Polish vocalists are free of the "singing in English" complex, which is a plague and keeps Polish vocalists in many cases back from achieving its full potential. Overall this is a beautiful and most impressive debut album, which proves that determination and talent conquer all. Obviously Sal received a lot of support and help from the musicians playing on this album, but it is first and foremost her own achievement, both as a songwriter and performer and she deserves every bit of our gratitude for creating this sensitive, intelligent music. I already can´t wait for the next album… Thank you, Milady!

Updated: 04/11/2017Posted: 04/11/2017

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SOUNDCHECK ~ MARTIN LUTHER: SUITE FOR JAZZ QUARTET AUDIO CAVE 2019/012 (Barcode: 5905669566865) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2019 This is the fifth (although by my count the sixth) album by the excellent Polish Jazz quartet SoundcheckFind albums by this artist led by saxophonist / composer Maciej KocinskiFind albums by this artist with pianist Krzysztof DysFind albums by this artist, bassist Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. It presents a six-part suite dedicated to the great reformist Martin LutherFind albums by this artist and one additional bonus tracks, all composed by the leader. The album marks the return to "active duty" by the quartet, which was almost completely absent from the scene in the last seven years of so, with their last recordings dated 2012 (including also Kocinski´s debut solo album recorded and released that same year). Since their formation in 2002 and the release of their debut album on 2005, Soundcheck experienced a meteoric rise to stardom, reaching the status of one of the very best young Polish / European Jazz ensembles, and therefore their disappearance from the scene was as mysterious as it was heartrending. I was glad to see Kocinski´s name popping up on two Polish Jazz albums recorded in 2018, and this album under the quartet´s moniker is a happy occasion, although the music was recorded back in 2015 and was a part of Kocinski´s Ph.D. thesis rather than a planned full fledged release. In the liner notes Kocinski talks about his emotional and intellectual involvement with Luther´s ideas and teachings, both those about the religious and the social ideology behind the reformation. Musically the album is noticeably more reflective and reserved that the quartet´s earlier work, full of lyrical melodic themes, which are slowly developed by the quartet. It is also more constrained and allows less free improvisation, mostly staying on a firm melodic ground. The individual performances by the quartet members, although as brilliant as always, are less extrovert and flashy, displaying mostly concentration and elegance. Make no mistake, these are some of Polish Jazz best players today, but this recording in definitely not intended to show off and speaks strongly to true connoisseurs rather than Jazz adventurers. Personally I love this music, but considering the rapid progress and the incredible level of contemporary Polish Jazz scene, its density, competitiveness and incredible overflow of superb recordings, this album could be endangered by the tendency to be overlooked. Seven years in such circumstances could be significant and Jazz "critics" / listeners unfamiliar with the quartet´s legacy and Artistic scope could probably miss the point, as it happens way too often. Hopefully that will not happen in this case. Glad to see you back, hoping for a real new album to be recorded and released ASAP and wishing you all the best, as always. What a great soundcheck this is ;)

Updated: 07/11/2019Posted: 07/11/2019

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SOUNDCHECK ~ SOUNDCHECK JAZZ FORUM 041 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2005 Released: 2005 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz quartet SoundcheckFind albums by this artist, which comprises of saxophonist Maciej KocinskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Krzysztof DysFind albums by this artist, bassist Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. It includes seven original compositions, four of which are by the saxophonist, two by the drummer and one by the bassist. In retrospect this is definitely one of the strongest and most impressive debuts released on the Polish Jazz scene in the first decade of the 21st Century. Both the level of personal and collective ability by these young musicians and the incredible compositions are simply outstanding. Of course the quartet members gained already some experience playing with various Polish Jazz ensembles earlier on, but their combined talents and abilities as reflected by this album are a classic example of a unit which is much more than a sum of its parts. But the real revelation is of course the music, which sounds incredibly mature and profound, certainly much more so than what one might expect from such young musicians. It is full of the typical Polish Jazz melancholy and lyricism, which is emphasized here to the max, even in the up-tempo pieces. There is also a great deal of dynamics, with compositions starting off as relaxed and dreamy and gradually getting more intensive, ending up in a crescendo. There are also traces of folkloristic influences, both melodic and rhythmic, such as Jewish and Oriental music as well as contemporary Classical motifs. Kocinski, who is the quartet´s principal composer, soloist and driving force, performs splendidly on all counts. His playing is simply perfect throughout and never stops to please aesthetically and challenge intellectually. His soprano saxophone is especially impressive and most effective, often sounding as if trying to charm a snake. The pianist, who is obviously an excellent musician, keeps a low profile soloing sparingly, which is commendable as modesty is a very rare quality nowadays. The rhythm section is solid as a rock on one hand and forward thinking on the other. Swies is one of my favorite young Polish Jazz bass players and his performances here as first class. The problem with debut albums like this one is that they are incredibly difficult to follow with something, which fulfills the promise made here. Considering the strength of their output here it seems they´ll be able to deliver after all. This album easily enters to pantheon of recordings, which represent everything that is good about Polish Jazz and should not be missed by any true Polish Jazz connoisseur!

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SOUNDCHECK ~ SOUNDCHECK II BCD 15 (Barcode: 5906881885147) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2007 Released: 2007 This is the second album by young Polish Jazz quartet SoundcheckFind albums by this artist, which comprises of saxophonist Maciej KocinskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Krzysztof DysFind albums by this artist, bassist Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. It includes ten original compositions, six of which are by the saxophonist, one by the drummer and three are co-credited to the quartet. Following up the exceptional debut album was no easy task, but the quartet managed to overcome the famous "second album crisis" with flying colors. This album again presents a series of excellent compositions, which are superbly executed, being much more thought-out, with the three tracks (intro-interlude-outro) enclosing the entire musical content under a unified concept. The music is intended to represent the quartet´s search for the meaning of their music, as much as meaning of life. It also reflects their musical inspirations and discloses their influences, like the music of John ColtraneFind albums by this artist, to whom the longest track on the album is dedicated. Several changes between this album and the debut are evident, all being a verification of the quartet´s rapid development and refining process, all of them for good. The music is definitely more relaxed, with a lot of space and less strict melodic dependency, showing a lot of freedom and allowing much more expanded improvisations. The quartet becomes also more unified, as far as interplay and group performances are concerned. Dys is heard soloing much more often than on the debut album and the rhythm section is much more part of the entire music-making process rather than mostly providing just the rhythmic support. Swies, as usual plays some amazing bass lines. The music is again the focal point with a series of brilliant compositions, which simply scream "Polish Jazz" time after time, emphasizing the finest qualities of it. Sophistication, lyricism and this time even almost Scandinavian composure. There is less World Music influence this time, but perhaps the quartet will return to that path again in the future. Overall this is another triumphant achievement for the quartet and for young Polish Jazz, which is alive and kicking like never before. Every true lover of Jazz on this planet will find this music as much enjoyable as it is fascinating. Great stuff!

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SOUNDCHECK ~ SOUNDCHECK III - DRUGLUM BCD 24 (Barcode: 5906881885246) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2009 Released: 2010 This is the third album by Polish Jazz quartet SoundcheckFind albums by this artist, which comprises of saxophonist Maciej KocinskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Krzysztof DysFind albums by this artist, bassist Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. It includes eleven original compositions, eight of which are by the saxophonist and three by the drummer. For the third consecutive time Soundcheck manages to create an excellent piece of modern Jazz full of sophistication and lyrical power, which has little competition both on the local Polish scene and even worldwide. This is a perfect amalgam of melodic themes with artistic freedom and virtuosic abilities, which simply makes the quartet to stand out as one of the most interesting Polish Jazz ensembles in the first decade of the 21st Century. Stylistically this album continues the path the quartet travelled on during their two previous albums. The same elements of melodic modern Jazz, which focuses on the compositions rather than on spontaneously improvised themes, are all here. The strength of the compositions steadily grows, with Kocinski clearly achieving a status of an important Jazz composer in view of his collected works on the three albums the quartet released so far. A watchful listener will also notice the personal development of the quartet members as Jazz improvisers. Although Kocinski fronts the quartet unequivocally, the contributions by all three remaining quartet members are an absolutely integral part of the full sound of the group and the effect it entails on the listener. Listening to the albums quickly becomes one of those rare moments, when the listener wishes for it to go on forever. Tune after tune, instant after instant the music flows engulfing the mind totally, leaving the listener completely defenseless. Albums, which are able to achieve such effect, are very rare indeed. It´s also worth to note that the music more and more often flows beyond the Jazz conventions into contemporary Classical music, with the artificial barriers between genres melting away completely. This album should be heard by every Jazz connoisseur as an example of what modern Jazz should sound like, at its most refined form. The perfect balance between aesthetic beauty and intellectual excellence is what this music stands for. Brilliant!

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SOUNDCHECK / AGA KIEPUSZEWSKA ~ SOUNDCHECK IV – MARYSIA – WIERSZE Z KAZACHSTANU BCD 27 (Barcode: 5906881885277) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2011 Released: 2011 This is the fourth album by Polish Jazz quartet SoundcheckFind albums by this artist, which comprises of saxophonist Maciej KocinskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Krzysztof DysFind albums by this artist, bassist Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. It includes eleven original compositions, all of which were composed by Kocinski to the poems written by Maria KocinskaFind albums by this artist. Vocalist Aga KiepuszewskaFind albums by this artist sings the lyrics and recites parts of the poems, except for one case where the vocals are performed by child Antosia KocinskaFind albums by this artist. Several of the pieces also feature string quartet arrangements performed by the Dell`Arte String QuartetFind albums by this artist. The album belongs to the Jazz & Poetry genre, which is utilized often in Polish Jazz, certainly more so than in any other country. However, this time the lyrics are not by a well-known Polish poet, but by the Aunt of Soundcheck saxophonist Maciej Kocinski. These beautiful poems were written between 1942 and 1946 in Kazakhstan, where she and her family were exiled by the Soviet authorities after the Soviets accused her Father of anti-Soviet conspiracy. USSR invaded Poland in 1939, just a couple of weeks after the invasion from the west by Nazi Germany, and as a result Poland was divided between the Nazis and the Soviets according to the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact. This very personal history of one young woman, as told by these poems, is a painful memory of the fortunes of very many Poles, who shared her fate. These poems, although perhaps lacking the glitter of famous lyricists, are no less convincing and certainly no less moving. They are deeply lyrical, full of sadness, pain, longing, despair, hope, love and faith. Now, endorsed by the wonderful musical veil, they were brought back to life, enhanced and revitalized. The music is perfectly suited not only to accompany the poems but also to paint a perfect soundtrack for the story behind them. The entire album sounds like a continuous musical suite, with the songs, recitation and interim instrumental pieces interwoven into a complete conceptual piece, with is not only highly emotionally effective, buy also aesthetically sublime. The execution is also exceptional, which is not surprising, as Soundcheck have already established a strong position on the Polish Jazz scene in the last few years. Naturally this music is less adventurous or freely improvised than their instrumental albums recorded previously, but that does not mean it is any less ambitious or complex or beautiful. The limitations involved with incorporating lyrics and music obviously did not present a serious challenge neither to the composer not to the players, and as a result they managed to create an uplifting, awe-inspiring, intelligent piece of music. The vocals, which are somewhat restrained and delicate, are also perfect in this framework. Anything spectacular would have simply spoiled the perfect balance achieved here. Of course the vocalist sings beautifully and her ability to restrain herself is admirable. Kocinski plays several breathtaking solos and his playing seems to grow from one album to another. The rest of the group just do what they do best: play their hearts out. This is definitely one of the most outstanding albums recorded in 2011, an admirable addition to the Polish Jazz legacy and the Polish Jazz & Poetry movement. As long as there are young Jazz musicians on the local scene, capable of producing music of such quality, the faith of Polish Jazz is in good hands. Wholeheartedly and most warmly recommended!

Updated: 01/01/2016Posted:

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DOMINIK STRYCHARSKI CORE 6 ~ CZOCZKO FOR TUNE 0072 (Barcode: 5902768701708) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 In the last couple of years the burgeoning Polish Jazz / Improvised Music scene re-discovered Polish Folklore and a long series of albums, which amalgamates these two genres into contemporary Jazz-World Fusion, have been recorded. As usual in such circumstances some of these albums are truly phenomenal and others are distinctly less so. On this album Polish flautist / recorder player Dominik StrycharskiFind albums by this artist presents a series of nine compositions inspired by Kashubian folk songs, arranged and transformed into the Jazz / Improvised Music environment. Three of these pieces are performed by a duo comprising of Strycharski and clarinetist Waclaw ZimpelFind albums by this artist and the remaining six pieces are performed by a sextet which features a double rhythm section: bassists Zbigniew KozeraFind albums by this artist and Ksawery WojcinskiFind albums by this artist and drummers Hubert ZemlerFind albums by this artist and Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist; all of them are top representatives of the Polish Improvised Music milieu. As much as I respect all these musicians, it is completely beyond me why they would invest time and energy into this project, which honestly is simply completely banal and meaningless in my opinion. None of the aims expected form the amalgamation of World Music and Jazz are achieved here; the folkloristic themes remain bare and simple and the Jazz additions plainly don´t stick to them. The double rhythm section is bombastic and overbearing, being mostly contra productive and the overall proceedings are simply pointless and boring. Polish Folklore and Jazz have a proven record of working together wonderfully, both in the early Polish Jazz history in the 1960s and 1970s and currently with brilliant projects, many of which were released by For TuneFind albums on this label Records. This one is sadly a miss. Of course this is only my personal view and others might disagree with me, as usual. The musicians will probably not like these words either, but hey this is what I hear…

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SZMANDA / NUBIOLA / MAZURKIEWICZ ~ TEN PLAGUES NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the debut album by a trio consisting of Cuban (resident in Poland) saxophonist Luis NubiolaFind albums by this artist and Polish bassist Jacek MazurkiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. Percussionist Philip South guests on a couple of tracks. The album present five original pieces co-credited to the participating musicians. The very short total playing time (under half an hour) makes this an EP rather than a full album. Nubiola, who is usually associated with Cuban / Latin Jazz, fits perfectly with the two veteran improvisers, creating an interesting series of spontaneous free pieces, which sound natural. His wonderfully worm saxophone tone is a nice twist, and manages to create just the right kind of interplay with the rhythm section. The music is completely improvised, but has a strict melodic sub context, which makes it easily accessible to a wide range of listeners. It is also quite minimalist and subdued, which creates a delicate, emotional mood. All three musicians play wonderfully, being veterans of the trade, and the intimate setting enables their individual contributions to be heard clearly. Overall this sounds like a friendly experiment, which hopefully will lead to a bona fide full album soon. In the meantime we can enjoy this short foreteller and wait for the next one.

Updated: 30/07/2020Posted: 30/07/2020

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JANUSZ SZROM / ZBIGNIEW WROMBEL ~ SPIEWNIK NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 9788393067480) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2010 Released: 2012 This is quite an unusual project, which transfers fifteen Pop / Rock songs written in Poland in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s into modern Jazz arrangements. The songs are performed by Jazz vocalist Janusz SzromFind albums by this artist and a piano trio which consists of pianist Piotr WrombelFind albums by this artist, bassist Zbigniew WrombelFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist (see SoundcheckFind albums by this artist). All the songs have been intelligently arranged for the Jazz environment, sounding as if they were taken from the Standards songbook. Of course for listeners, who are familiar with popular music originating in Poland at that period and performed by local superstars like Czeslaw NiemenFind albums by this artist, BreakoutFind albums by this artist, Niebiesko-CzarniFind albums by this artist, Czerwone GitaryFind albums by this artist and other legendary performers, this album has also a strong nostalgic angle, which is not a priori negative. Most people living outside of Poland have very little knowledge about the incredible musical scene that flourished there during the dark days of the Socialist regime, State censorship and bureaucratic dictatorship, which often saw in Pop & Rock music the enemy of the "People" and much as a subversive force that endangered the very fabric of society. And yet, against all odds, Polish musicians and writers managed to produce an incredible amount of wonderful music, which sadly gets often forgotten these days, where instant success is the name of the game. Projects such as this one are a blessing, bringing this music back into life and showing how timeless true Art really is. Of course the Jazzy arrangements and execution change the original environment, in which these songs were born. However, due to the intelligent and careful approach demonstrated by this album´s creators these songs still sound magnificently up to date, losing absolutely nothing of their original power and intrinsic beauty. As far as individual contributions are concerned, this album is full of simply splendid musicianship. Szrom sings with his usual confidence and expressiveness, Piotr Wrombel masterfully states the melodic themes and accompanies the vocals with exceptional sensitivity. Zbigniew Wrombel is a virtuosic bassist and his warm and full sound is the platform upon which the entire music stands. Szmanda, as usual manages to combine freedom of expression and a sixth sense of rhythm. Overall this is a wonderful album in every respect. Superb music, excellent performances, great sound quality and most importantly an obvious love and respect towards the subject matter. One can only salute these musicians for carrying this project out and for adding one more brick to the pedestal of Polish Cultural heritage. Hats off!

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VAS / BUKOWSKI / SZMANDA ~ OPEN-CLOSED PRINCIPLE SJ 068 (Barcode: 5902596066994) ~ HUNGARY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2021 - 2022 Released: 2022 This is the debut album by the trio comprising of Hungarian (resident in Poland) organist / composer Bence VasFind albums by this artist and Polish vibraphonist Dominik BukowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Vance. The music was recorded at the excellent Studio Tokania and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, who owns the studio and is a fabulous organist himself, which of course guarantees a fabulous sound quality. The trio offers a unique aural experience and the unusual instrumental lineup, despite its minimalist setting, offers an almost orchestral sound, much denser and elaborate in textures than one might expect. Both the organ and the vibraphone are among my favorite instruments, so I obviously have no complains in that department, although aurally the matching of these two instruments might prove difficult. The compositions are less exciting and the feeling is that the music tends to linger somewhat longer than necessary, not really developing much after the melodic theme was introduced. Also the compositions are quite similar to each other, which offers little dynamics over the playing time of the album. Of course all three musicians are highly professional and capable of playing the music without a hitch, with most of the inventive soloing is taken over not surprisingly by Bukowski, who is a true Master of the trade. Szmanda, as usual, keeps the music swinging at all times. Overall, this is a nice, melodic Jazz album, which offers a rather unusual sound and instrumental blend, in a chamber like atmosphere, often close to Classical music. For fans of organ Jazz, this is certainly something they might like to look into.

Updated: 16/01/2023Posted: 16/01/2023

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WOJCINSKI / SZMANDA QUARTET ~ DELUSIONS FSR 2016/06 (Barcode: 5905279364066) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2014 Released: 2016 This is a debut album by the Wojcinski / Szmanda QuartetFind albums by this artist, which comprises of trumpeter Maurycy WojcinskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Szymon WojcinskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Ksawery WojcinskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. It presents eight original compositions, which are not credited on the album´s cover and are therefore assumed to be co-composed by all the quartet members. The Wojcinski brothers are quite known on the Polish scene, each of them active in a separate setting, and this more or less spontaneous meeting of their respective talents is quite a surprise. They claim that the participation of Szmanda was the decisive factor, which turned the four individuals into a bona fide Jazz quartet. The music, which is very difficult to describe as it eschews most of the Jazz conventions, is a form of conversation, which allows space and freedom for the individual players, but is coherent enough to create an aesthetic whole, which also makes a musical sense, although definitely does not try to make it easy to be absorbed. It develops slowly, often from an individual sound, changing into a duet and then being joined by the others, to eventually reach an ensemble form, with all four musicians contributing with equal intensity. Although all four musicians are obvious masters of their personal instruments, the true hero of this album is beyond the doubt Ksawery Wojcinski, who serves as the binding, driving and steering element, without which this music would have simply fallen apart. His virtuosity and self-confidence construct the spine on which the other performances relay for balance and guidance. Nevertheless the other musicians contribute formidably, with Maurycy producing several scorching solos and Szymon playing many brilliant phrases and laying the harmonic base for the improvisations. Szmanda brilliantly does not attempt to play any straightforward rhythms and turns his contributions into Baroque ornamentations, which simply emphasize the basic beauty of the musical structures created by the brothers. Overall this is a brilliant Free Jazz / Improvised music album, bold, adventurous and interesting, which should make the participants proud of their work. There are endless little gems in this music that are worth being discovered and as such turn this album into a potentially repeated listening experience. It is also a superb example of music, which in spite of the strong element of freedom it is based on, does not venture into chaos and introvert expression that limits communication with the listener. This is definitely one of the strongest statements on the Polish Free Jazz / Improvised Music scene in 2016 (although recorded two years earlier) and another excellent release on the Fundacja Sluchaj Records (FSRFind albums on this label).

Updated: 29/10/2016Posted: 29/10/2016

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WOJCINSKI / SZMANDA QUARTET ~ WITH ALL DUE RESPECT KANSAS ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is the second album by the Polish Avant-Garde Jazz ensemble Wojcinski / Szmanda QuartetFind albums by this artist, which comprises of the brothers: trumpeter Maurycy WojcinskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Szymon WojcinskiFind albums by this artist and bassist Ksawery WojcinskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. The album presents four lengthy compositions co-credited to all four members of the quartet. The music was recorded live as part of the "Quality Jazz Live!" series of concerts at the Quality Studio in Warsaw and offers an excellent sound quality and clarity. The music is less surprising this time, as it continues the direction the quartet developed on the debut recording, but it is by all means no less powerful and expressive. The four strong musical personalities are perfectly merged together to create a flawlessly tuned Improvised Music ensemble, which functions based on just about telepathic communication between the participants. The modus operandi of the quartet remains unchanged and is basically a series of conversations involving two, three or four musicians, often happening simultaneously on two or more parallel planes, which of course does not make it easy for the listener to follow everything that is happening and requires skill and concentration. Although the four pieces, which all last on average for about fifteen minutes, might seem a bit excessive, the result is quite the opposite. The intrinsic structure of these pieces is fascinating and offers a coherent build up of tension and musical scope. Starting with a few single notes, these improvisations fork (Unix users will get this) into several threads existing in parallel and yet cooperating to create a greater whole. One of the most interesting aspects of this music is the treatment of the traditional role of the rhythm section, which is almost completely discarded here. The bass and the drums are assigned totally equivalent credence to the trumpet and the piano and as a result become true partners of the entire process. The beautiful bass parts and the superbly inventive drumming are every bit as important in this music as are the scorching trumpet soli and the intriguing piano parts. Overall this is an amazing piece of music, which is a beacon for the entire Avant-Garde / Free Jazz / Improvised Music idiom, which sadly more often than not misses the "music" part in its essence. It is the epitome of contemporary European / Polish Jazz at its best, which proves again that great Avant-Garde music can be communicative due to its intrinsic power of expression. These fabulous musicians don’t mess around, as so many other representatives of this idiom constantly do, and simply play music. Hats off Gentlemen!

Updated: 15/06/2019Posted: 15/06/2019

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RYSZARD WOJCIUL UNITED ORCHESTRA ~ ZORZA PRZESLICZNA WYNIKA FILMOTEKA NARODOWA (Barcode: 5908259554495) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2022 Released: 2023 This is an album by Polish Jazz saxophonist / clarinetist / keyboardist / bandleader / producer Ryszard WojciulFind albums by this artist, recorded by a large ensemble of some of the best Polish musicians from various stylistic associations. The list is way too long to be included here, but includes vocalists Grazyna AuguscikFind albums by this artist and Dorota MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist, multi-instrumentalist Maria PomianowskaFind albums by this artist, hurdy-gurdy player Joachim MencelFind albums by this artist, guitarist Marcin OlakFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej SzczycinskiFind albums by this artist, drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist and many others. The album presents twenty-three tracks, twelve of which are short solo vocal cantos providing the continuity to the entire musical concept of this album, and eleven are Polish Folklore Easter songs, which served as inspiration to the new, much extended songs Wojciul and his team create, preserving the traditional lyrics but taking quite a lot of liberty with the instrumental and vocal arrangements. In his liner notes Wojciul explains that despite the beautiful and extremely rich Polish Folklore Easter songs tradition it remains mostly unknown, which prompted him to produce this wonderful album, and which I of course second wholeheartedly. Wojciul manages to transform the highly sacral / religious character of the original material into completely universal / modern musical environment, which is accessible to a much wider audience and succeeds to open up the little know beauty of these songs to general audience. His arrangements, general concept, choice of material and the participating musicians is absolutely perfect, creating an uplifting, highly spiritual and moving musical experience, which is breathtakingly beautiful. Overall, this is a very unique and highly sophisticated musical undertaking, creating a bridge across styles, cultures, genres and emotional frames, producing a superb piece of music, which has a universal aesthetic value, beyond its original source. This is a truly inspired piece of music and the producer and the entire team can be proud of their achievement, which is absolutely heartfelt and artistically inspired. Hats off!

Updated: 05/04/2023Posted: 04/04/2023

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