Record Reviews

KUBA BANASZEK ~ 2020 AFRO VIBE 007 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2021 - 2022 Released: 2024 This is the 2nd album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Kuba BanaszekFind albums by this artist, this time recorded with bassist Alan WykpiszFind albums by this artist and drummer Maksymilian OlszewskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents thirteen tracks, eleven of which are a classic Jazz piano trio pieces and two are solo piano pieces, one of which features vocalist Zuza BaumFind albums by this artist. The music is a superb example of modern Jazz, mostly delicate and introvert, elegantly played by Banaszek both on acoustic piano and the electric Fender Rhodes, which adds another layer of sound. The excellent rhythm section supports the leader amicably and unobtrusively, which is always a great strength in a piano trio. A pleasure to hear Wykpisz and his sophisticated bass lines, as he somewhat “went underground” lately and I missed his round bass notes, which appeared on many albums s few years ago. The album is very much a trio effort, despite the fact that the leader wrote all the music, as he solos sparingly, shifting the responsibility from his shoulders to the ensemble effort, which I appreciate very much. Especially when the music becomes very melancholic and almost lethargic, and the rhythm section is what keeps it afloat. The beautifully minimalist melodic themes weaved by Banaszek are truly magical. Although composed and recorded quite soon following the debut, this album proposes a huge step forward in the leader’s approach, showing a process of reflection and maturity. As such, the music becomes more difficult and less immediately likeable than the debut album, but offers a way more power of expression and determination, observing the “less is more” principle. Overall, this is a beautiful and highly rewarding piece of music, albeit definitely non-trivial and demanding, certainly at the initial contact. In retrospect, it definitely deserves to be counted as one of the best Polish Jazz efforts released in 2024.

Updated: 14/01/2025Posted: 14/01/2025

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KUBA BANASZEK ~ BAND OF BROTHERS SOLITON 0692 (Barcode: 5901571096926) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz pianist / composer Kuba BanaszekFind albums by this artist recorded in a classic quartet setting with saxophonist Marcin KonieczkowiczFind albums by this artist, bassist Tymon TrabczynskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Maksymilian OlszewskiFind albums by this artist – all three already with some recording experience on the young Polish Jazz scene (the lineup was sadly omitted from the album´s artwork). The album presents eight compositions, seven of which are by Banaszek and one is a standard. The music is excellent modern Jazz, with remarkable original compositions, full of typical Polish melancholy and lyricism, which make Polish Jazz what it is, but also clever usage of unusual time signatures and intrinsic cool, which sets them immediately apart from most of the competition. Even the unusual treatment of the standard is outstanding. The performances do not stay behind and these young Lions show superb skills despite their young age and relative lack of experience. Banaszek´s compositions are very open and allow unlimited freedom of expression both for the leader and the entire crew. Piano solos are the obvious centerpiece of the album, but the saxophone parts are no less impressive and the rhythm section is outstanding, playing the difficult odd time signatures, which seems to be the composer´s natural habitat, with ease and elegance. Trabczynski offers some really impressive bass support and Olszewski, who stays mostly in the shadows, shows some sublime drumming minimalism, which is way more effective than obsessive banging. Overall this is definitely one of the most impressive Polish Jazz debuts for 2020, especially since it is able to take the classic Jazz quartet so far away from its much ragged banality. It has been a while since I have been so deeply impressed with a piano quartet recording, simply playing Jazz – no shticks and no tricks – just pure music. This album certainly immediately makes the listener want to hear more, which hopefully won´t have to wait long to take place. This is brilliant stuff and I am grateful to its makers for keeping my desire for good music to prevail, as it often gets pretty desperate under the barrage of mundane bullshit. Respect!

Updated: 02/01/2021Posted: 02/01/2021

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ESKAUBEI & TOMEK NOWAK QUARTET ~ 10/10 NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rap Fusion Recorded: 2024 Released: 2024 This is the 5th album by Polish Rap and Jazz ensemble which finds rapper Bartlomiej SkubiszFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. EskaubeiFind albums by this artist) combining forces with a Jazz quartet led by trumpeter Tomek NowakFind albums by this artist, which also includes keyboardist Kuba BanaszekFind albums by this artist, bassist Alan WykpiszFind albums by this artist and drummer Maksymilian OlszewskiFind albums by this artist. DJ Wojciech DlugoszFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Mr. KrimeFind albums by this artist), vocalist Aleksandra TockaFind albums by this artist and a string quartet also take part in the proceedings. The album present ten original compositions, all of which were composed by Nowak. Skubisz wrote all the lyrics. As the title suggests, the album celebrates the 10th Anniversary of the ensemble’s existence. The album continues the same basic concept that was used on the previous albums, which sets the lyrics written by Skubisz against Jazz tunes, which serve at times as background / accompaniment to the lyrics but also take the front stage when Nowak or Banaszek play solo parts. After ten years of working together the Jazz-Rap Fusion is brought to perfection and seems as natural as any other cross-genre exploration and combined with the wonderful musicianship by the participants it offers its own aesthetic ambience, rather than a random opportunistic conglomerate of styles. The arrangements on this album are more elaborate than on early recordings, which adds another layer of interest. Overall this is another solid release by this ensemble, which maintains the same level of execution and musical ingenuity. As I already pointed out earlier on, the very close stylistic similarity of all the albums released so far, should perhaps be refreshed / reconsidered in forthcoming projects. But so far the formula works out splendidly, so on the other hand not trying to change something that works well is a better choice. I had a blast listening to this music, as usual!

Updated: 21/01/2025Posted: 21/01/2025

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