Record Reviews

JAROSLAW BOTHUR ~ LILLA CHEZQUIZ JAZZ FORUM 050 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2009 - 2010 Released: 2010 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Jaroslaw BothurFind albums by this artist, recorded with his quartet, which also includes pianist Kuba PluzekFind albums by this artist, bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz MaslowskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents six original compositions by the leader and one composition by the American pianist / composer Phil MarkovitzFind albums by this artist. I somehow missed this album at the time it was released, but now, having listened to it, I am again completely blown out of my socks by the audacity of these criminally young musicians to produce such a brilliant debut album, a phenomenon happening on the Polish Jazz scene repeatedly and mercilessly. Nobody in the world, who knows anything about Jazz, would have believed these players are in their twenties and still students in a music academy (at the time this music was recorded). From the first note it´s pretty obvious that this album is something "different", which already is significant, as many Jazz albums have a tendency to sound alike. Both the way the music is performed and the actual compositions as strikingly unique, with a very specific chord changes and tonality. Bothur has a wonderful sound in his tenor saxophone and the quartet sounds overall superbly European, somewhat between Scandinavian spacing and Polish melancholy, even on the fast tempo numbers. Pluzek plays some tasty solos and accompanies intelligently and gracefully. I´d love to hear him leading a piano trio. The rhythm section is there all the time behind the soloists, steady as a rock and flexible like molten lava. The original music (and also the choice of the Markovitz piece, which is relatively little known) proves that the leader has a highly developed pair of ears and excellent taste as far as writing new music is concerned. As already mentioned, the chord changes he uses are intrinsically unlike most others found in other Jazz compositions, which is pretty cool. Overall a superb debut and another set of names to be added to the "watch" list for the future. Well done gentlemen!

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ESKAUBEI & TOMEK NOWAK QUARTET ~ BEDZIE DOBRZE FOR TUNE 0058 (Barcode: 5902768701456) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rap Fusion Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is a very interesting album, which amalgamates Rap and Jazz; a concept that has been attempted many times before, but rarely turned out to be a success. Polish rapper Bartlomiej SkubiszFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. EskaubeiFind albums by this artist) combines forces with a Jazz quartet led by trumpeter Tomek NowakFind albums by this artist, which also includes keyboardist Kuba PluzekFind albums by this artist, bassist Alan WykpiszFind albums by this artist and drummer Filip MozulFind albums by this artist. A few guests appear on selected tracks. The album presents eleven original songs, all composed by Nowak (with the exception of one tune which includes music composed by Pluzek) and with lyrics by Eskaubei (with the exception of two song lyrics written by the a.m. guests). The album also includes the radio edit of the title song as a bonus track. Rap and Jazz are seemingly two completely contrasting Art Forms. Rap focuses on the spoken word, which attempts to deliver a message, and which uses music as a background stimuli, mostly rhythmically, with the melody part being usually pretty limited, repetitive and ornamental rather than substantial. Jazz on the other hand is all about complex melodic and harmonic structures and unlimited improvisation. The Jazz & Poetry idiom successfully managed to combine spoken word and Jazz music since the 1950s but Rap & Jazz, as already mentioned above, has been much less consistent and successful in trying to present a contemporary artistic attempt of amalgamating spoken word and Jazz. When analyzing a Rap & Jazz project, like the one here, I usually try to separate the contents into two separate planes and than estimate the level of correlation between them. In this case my feelings are as follows: The Rap part, i.e. the strength of the lyrics and their delivery (sadly limited to Polish speaking audiences only) is cohesive, intelligent and moving. The subject matter touches upon many of the problems we all encounter in our lives, like social injustice, personal relationships, morality, hypocrisy of the media and the pitiful state of music industry. The delivery is emotional, clearly understandable and above all classy. The music is also quite excellent: funky, melodic, uplifting and intelligent. The performances are excellent with Nowak´s trumpet delivering many scorching solos and Pluzek playing a beautiful soulful electric piano, like a true pro, also delivering several heartwarming solos. The rhythm section is the backbone of this music, keeping the beat and pushing the groove rolling. This music could have easily stand on its own (without the Rap on top), producing an excellent Funk-Groove-Soul-Jazz album. But of course most importantly these two layers placed upon each other produce the best Polish Rap Jazz effort so far. This result is hardly accidental, in view of one of the album´s songs, in which Eskaubei tells about the deep influence of Miles DavisFind albums by this artist on his artistic creation. Overall this is a most enjoyable, aesthetically pleasing piece of music, which puts a smile on the listener´s face. Warmly recommended!

Updated: 31/01/2017Posted:

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ESKAUBEI & TOMEK NOWAK QUARTET ~ SWEET SPOT FPJ 56A-19-01 (Barcode: 5907558261905) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rap Fusion Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 This is the third 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 PluzekFind 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), saxophonist Bartlomiej PrucnalFind albums by this artist, vocalist Aleksandra TockaFind albums by this artist and a few additional vocalists also take part in the proceedings. The album present thirteen original compositions, nine of which were composed by Nowak, one by Pluzek and three are collective instrumental improvisations. Skubisz wrote all the lyrics except two which he co-wrote with other people. The album repeats the same basic concept that was used on the two 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 Pluzek play solo parts. After five 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. Skubisz manages to express his views, often very controversial, critical and bitter, with clarity and coherence, using well developed language and eschewing vulgarism and simplistic shortcuts. Although the resulting Rap is somewhat "soft" in comparison to the usual hardcore roughness that characterizes the genre, his messages are my no means less striking, penetrating of evocative. Of course his target public is probably quite different from the typical Rap followers, especially when combined with Jazz, but his consistent activity definitely managed to create a strong following over time. Overall this is another solid release by this ensemble, which maintains the same level of execution and musical ingenuity. The only point worth consideration for future releases might be the very close similarity of the three albums released so far, which perhaps should be refreshed / reconsidered in forthcoming projects.

Updated: 19/06/2019Posted: 19/06/2019

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ESKAUBEI & TOMEK NOWAK QUARTET ~ TEGO CHCIALEM FOR TUNE 0117 (Barcode: 5906395808205) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rap Fusion Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is the second 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 pianist Kuba PluzekFind albums by this artist, bassist Alan WykpiszFind albums by this artist and drummer Filip MozulFind albums by this artist. This time they are also supported by DJ Wojciech DlugoszFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Mr. KrimeFind albums by this artist) who performs turntablism, saxophonist Mateusz SliwaFind albums by this artist and vocalist Patrycja ZarychtaFind albums by this artist. A couple of guest musicians appear on one track. Together the ensemble performs ten original songs, seven of which were composed by Nowak, two by Pluzek and one by Mozul (an instrumental intro). Skubisz wrote the lyrics to all nine songs and was helped out by the guest on one of them. This album continues the direction set by its predecessor, which combines Funky / Groovy Jazz tunes with Rap. In contrast to most attempts of such amalgamation, in which the musical content is rather limited and mostly very sketchy not to say primitive, this album offers a series of excellent full fledged compositions, which easily hold their own ground musically. This is even more emphasized on this album with the addition of Sliwa and expanding the quartet into a quintet on about half of the tunes. The Rap elements, although occupying a separate plane, are fully integrated within the musical structures. The turntablism, courtesy of Mr. Krime, who is prominently featured on the album, brings this album up to date with updated sound trends The instrumental work by the quartet / quintet is excellent from start to finish. Nowak plays superb soulful / funky phrases, Sliwa adds strength creating a brass section feel and soul when he plays solo, Pluzek plays absolutely wicked keyboards, using a plethora of sounds and groovy touches, Wykpisz, who is a wonderful Jazz bassist, turns here into a wizard of Funk and Groove and finally Mozul takes care of the rhythmic continuum, steady as a rock and devilishly inventive; in short a dream team! The Rap, which in fact is more a form than contents, turns out to be a recitation of Poetry, which deals with a wide range of subject matter, which Skubisz and his generation are facing in this strange and cruel world, which is consistently becoming less human. The lyrics are often bitter and frustrating, but from time to time also touch upon dreams and hope. They are a great example how one can express protest and anger without using even one four (or in Polish five) letter word. Overall this is another great album by Skubisz and his cohorts, proving that their debut effort was not just a lucky coincidence. The Rap and Jazz concept is again proven to be valid and creatively sound and the execution is once more just right on the money. Hopefully the Artists involved in this project will develop the idiom further in their future recordings, and in the meantime we are happy to enjoy this excellent effort. Well done again!

Updated: 31/01/2017Posted: 31/01/2017

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GADABIT ~ DRZEWA FOR TUNE 0075 (Barcode: 5902768701845) ~ POLAND ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 2012 - 2015 Released: 2015 This is the second album by Polish mega-ensemble GadabitFind albums by this artist comprising of twenty two vocalists and musicians. It presents twenty relatively short Rap songs, most of which were composed by Przemek KawaFind albums by this artist and have lyrics mostly written by Lukasz IndykFind albums by this artist. Pianist Kuba PluzekFind albums by this artist appears on three tracks probably drafted after his participation on the excellent EskaubeiFind albums by this artist album "Bedzie DobrzeFind albums with this title" and the Classical mezzo-soprano singer Magda NiedbalaFind albums by this artist sings on three others. The tracks were recorded over a period of several years. The themes that serve as the background to the Rap lyrics cover a diverse ground of musical genres, from Alternative Rock, Pop, Blues, Jazz and Electronic Ambient, all quite solid and some of them even excellent. The Rap is overall very well done, using even multi-layered vocals parts. The lyrics are, as usual in Rap´s case mostly "against" everything, highly critical of the everyday reality of our life. Some of Rap music today serves the function of "protest songs" of the 1960s, which tried (in vain) to change the reality. Sadly it probably will be even less successful as a tool of social or political change. Personally I´m not a great fan of Rap, to put it very mildly, but this album has its intrinsic values, both musically and textually. The music is much more diverse and most albums in that genre, certainly those recorded across the Atlantic. The lyrics are intelligent and expressive, well written and using actual vocabulary rather than a string of vulgar swear and curse words. Overall this album deserves to be heard by people beyond the die-hard Rap sphere and many listeners who would never come near a Rap record might find it quite fascinating.

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MARIAN PAWLIK ~ OLD BASS LINE NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 5907222318409) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is the debut album as a leader by veteran Polish bassist / composer Marian PawlikFind albums by this artist, renowned as a member of the legendary Polish Jazz-Rock ensemble DzambleFind albums by this artist, which recorded just one cult album "Wolanie O Slonce Nad SwiatemFind albums with this title". This album, recorded in a quartet setting, finds Pawlik in the company of the young generation Polish Jazz players: pianist Kuba PluzekFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Bartlomiej NoszkaFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal HellerFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine tracks, five of which are originals: two by Pawlik and three by Pluzek and four are by celebrated Jazz bassists: two by Paul ChambersFind albums by this artist and one each by Ron CarterFind albums by this artist and Oscar PettifordFind albums by this artist. The music was excellently recorded and the up-front bass presence is a delight to the many enthusiast of the instrument. As the album´s title suggests, it is primarily a tribute to the double bass, its heroes and history, and as a result the music is mostly within the boundaries of American Bebop tradition, albeit the majority of it was composed by the Polish members of the quartet. There is no doubt that the three compositions by Pluzek are the most interesting musical endeavors, even if they are still closely related to the Bebop spirit, as they offer typical twists and turns Pluzek often employs in his compositions, which make the cognoscenti smile. The music is executed perfectly, with a lot of soloing space offered to the leader, who obviously displays first-class technique and feel for the music. Noszka and Pluzek solo extensively as well, always according to what is expected in this kind of music. Heller keeps the time like clockwork and stays mostly in the shadows. Personally I find this kind of music uninteresting, but listeners who still listen to Bebop should be able to enjoy this music and since this is an opportunity to listen to a legendary musician still in great form, it is a source of joy.

Updated: 10/12/2018Posted: 10/12/2018

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KAROLINA PERNAL ~ CLARIDAD SJ 033 (Barcode: 5912596066665) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Karolina PernalFind albums by this artist recorded in a quintet setting with Italian saxophonist / clarinetist Achille SucciFind albums by this artist and Polish pianist Kuba PluzekFind albums by this artist, bassist Jakub OlejnikFind albums by this artist and drummer Wojciech BulinskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents six tracks, five of which are original compositions: three by Karolina Pernal and two by her spouse trombonist Bartosz PernalFind albums by this artist and one is a Sam RiversFind albums by this artist composition arranged by Bartosz Pernal. The album was recorded at the Monochrom Studio and engineered by Ignacy GruszeckiFind albums by this artist with the usual excellent sound quality. The music is all kept within the melodic mainstream Jazz idiom, with solid original compositions by the Pernals, which are mostly ballads with typical Polish melancholic streak. It is easy on the ear but eventually rather uneventful, although professionally performed by the quintet members with Pluzek being the most interesting soloist by far. Having said that, this album offers a pleasant listening experience to mainstream Jazz connoisseurs and can be enjoyed in full, like many similar other albums in that vein. Karolina Pernal is one of relatively few female Polish Jazz instrumentalists, and as such she deserves support and encouragement to achieve an equal footing with her many male cohorts. This debut offering is surely just a first step on the way to a hopefully wonderful musical career.

Updated: 14/12/2018Posted: 14/12/2018

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KUBA PLUZEK ~ BOOK OF RESONANCE AUDIO CAVE 2021/002 (Barcode: 5908298549223) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2018 Released: 2021 This is the fifth album as a leader and the second solo piano album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Kuba PluzekFind albums by this artist. On this album Pluzek uses in addition to the acoustic piano also an electronic device called magnetic resonator piano, developed by Canadian musician / scientist Andrew McPhersonFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine pieces, six of which are original compositions by Pluzek, two are by Polish Classical composer Karol SzymanowskiFind albums by this artist and one is an arrangement of a traditional folk song. Pluzek’s extensive recorded legacy in the last decade presents him as a truly chameleonic figure, changing his style and musical approach with every new album and taking part on diverse projects by others. Of course this could be considered as a lack of focus, but in his case it is simply a reflection of his great talent, which is able to encompass many different facets of music. This album seems to be closer to contemporary Classical Music than all of his earlier work, closely resembling some mannerisms of early 20th Century solo piano works, including those by Szymanowski, which Pluzek included here. It is a mixture of Modernism and post-Romanticism, with a dash of contemporary Ambient influences, altogether very effective in creating cinematic vistas and atmospheric aura, all tastefully and intelligently put together. As much as I love innovation and search of new sounds, most electronic devices with mess with the acoustic piano rarely work for me, often creating a distinct nausea associated with music played out of tune. However, the magnetic resonator piano used here, manages to add some new dimensions to the piano sound without creating any associated “damage”. Pluzek uses the device sparingly and delicately, which is why the overall effect works well, in contrast to some musicians so overwhelmed with electronics that they lose the touch with reality. But his best virtues can be heard on the closing track of the album, with his treatment of the beautiful folk song, maintaining its wonderful simplicity and adding his superb ornamentations. Overall this is another splendid addition to Pluzek’s already well attested recorded legacy, definitely deserving an honorable position on the Polish Jazz piano scene. It might take a while to get into this music, but eventually it is a wonderfully rewarding listening experience, offering new horizons. Congratulations!

Updated: 15/03/2021Posted: 15/03/2021

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KUBA PLUZEK ~ CREATIONISM FOR TUNE 0138 (Barcode: 5906395808519) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is the fourth album as a leader by the young (born 1988) Polish Jazz pianist / composer Kuba PluzekFind albums by this artist and his third recording with the same quartet, which also includes saxophonist Marek PospieszalskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and drummer Dawid FortunaFind albums by this artist. The album presents fifteen relatively / untypically short compositions, nine of which were composed by Pluzek, three were co-composed by him with Pospieszalski and another three were co-composed by all the members of the quartet, although "composed" has to be taken with a grain of salt, as in fact all except two of the pieces on the album are improvised and Pluzek "admits" to composing only two of the pieces, which appear towards the very end of the album. Pluzek, who first appeared on the Polish Jazz scene as a sideman in 2010 and recorded his debut album as a leader in 2012, took part in more than a dozen recordings since, which offer a chameleonic stylistic diversity, which could only mean either a complete lack of focus of an exceptional multi-layered musical talent, which in his case is definitely the latter. Even if one follows only his recordings as a leader, there is clear evidence that Pluzek is trying to cover an unlimited (stylistically) ground in his search for the genius loci of his musical universe. It is therefore not really surprising that Pluzek should arrive in his quest of exploration to the very source of music, as the album´s title suggests. The "primitivism" of sound before melody, harmony and rhythm took over, as he suggests in his comments about the music. One could of course say that the same process happened countless times before, when Jazz musicians abandoned the form in order to explore the source / spirit of music, moving from the traditional Jazz towards Free and Improvised Music, which in fact although commonly called Avant-Garde was in reality completely retro-garde. The music on this album offers the listener a sublime journey, which is propelled more by hints and suggestions rather than by actual directions. It is up to the listener to create the music in his head, based on the "primitives", supplied by the musicians, except, as already stated earlier, in the case of the two fully developed compositions appearing towards the finale, which could be envisaged as the "Let there be light" of the creation process. There is no doubt that Pluzek consistently paves his way towards a respected position on the crowded Polish Jazz piano scene and this excellent album is definitely a step in the right direction. Perhaps this is a closing chapter in the initial chapter of his career, which now passes towards the mature stage when he leaves the boisterous "twenties" behind. This album, recorded at the now already legendary Monochrom Studio, offers a spectacular sound quality in addition to the extraordinary music, and is of course wholeheartedly recommended to all Polish / European Jazz connoisseurs, who already know where truly great music comes from.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 19/02/2019

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KUBA PLUZEK ~ ELEVEN SONGS V 007 (Barcode: 5903111377069) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is the second album by young Polish Jazz pianist / composer Kuba PluzekFind albums by this artist and his first solo piano outing. It presents, as the title suggests, eleven "songs", or rather compositions, treated in a very melodic way, two of which are his own compositions and the remaining nine are by Polish (Zbigniew WegehauptFind albums by this artist, Andrzej KurylewiczFind albums by this artist) and other (Brad MehldauFind albums by this artist, Michel PetruccianiFind albums by this artist, Dave HollandFind albums by this artist) Jazz musicians / composers or by non-Jazz cinematic composers (Hans ZimmerFind albums by this artist, Luis BacalovFind albums by this artist). From the very first notes of this album it becomes immediately apparent that Pluzek justifies all the high hopes expressed as a result of his debut album a couple of years earlier. His technique and touch are completely fluid and seamless, which is quite exceptional at his age. His choice of material seems to be no less intelligent and sophisticated than the actual performance, creating a roundness and sense of continuity, which only a few solo piano albums are able to achieve. The piano playing style Pluzek utilizes on this album is based on extended continuous left hand arpeggios and the right hand stating the melody lines and chord progressions, which is somewhat similar to early Keith JarrettFind albums by this artist solo piano work, and is equally effective. His ability to play around with the tempi and producing a wide range of dynamic shifts is also impressive. But beyond the technical facets of his playing, Pluzek expresses a beautiful lyricism and romance, which only the greatest piano players are blessed with. His interpretation of the classic ballad "Danny Boy", which has been performed countless times before, is a case in point. The entire experience of listening to this album is full of straightforward joy of music and of life, a rare moment of pure pleasure, which leaves the listener relaxed and deeply satisfied once the journey is over. Although this is one of the first Polish Jazz albums of 2015, it is already pretty sure to become one of the contenders of the annual competition of top albums for this year. Definitely a commendable successor to the exceptional debut, this album is everything a piano solo album is supposed to be – a spiritual experience!

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KUBA PLUZEK ~ FIRST ALBUM V 003 (Barcode: 5903111377021) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2014 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz pianist / composer Kuba PluzekFind albums by this artist, recorded partly in a trio setting with bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and drummer Dawid FortunaFind albums by this artist and partly as a quartet which adds saxophonist Marek PospieszalskiFind albums by this artist to the trio. The album presents seven original compositions, all by Pluzek, three of which are parts of an extended three-part suite. After just a few moments it becomes immediately apparent that this is a very unusual album in every respect. The music is simply "different" from anything else one usually hears on a Jazz recording today. It is melodic, but the melody is often quite elusive; it is rhythmic, but the rhythm keeps changing constantly; it dresses up as modern mainstream, but in fact it is almost completely Free at times. All those factors create a confusing haze at the first exposure, but very soon it all begins to make a perfect sense. However, this music never rests and keeps an attentive listener on his toes at all times, as anything can and most probably will happen while this music evolves. The individual performances are all first rate, which is hardly surprising to people familiar with the Polish Jazz scene and previous recordings by the musicians involved, except the leader of course, who is a novice. Surprisingly it is the saxophonist that gets the most exposure and his convulsive solos fit the music perfectly. Pluzek plays along splendidly, arm in arm with the rhythm section, inserting complex chords and odd timed vamps, but he solos sparingly and when he does play solos, those are rather minimalistic as far as the number of separate notes present, being more chords oriented. Even on the trio pieces the bass and drums seem to bee actually often busier than the piano, which sort of "leads from behind". The bass / drums team plays a much more significant role in this particular music than usually in Jazz, as the music is mostly based on a vamping pattern that is held and driven by them. Both instruments are recorded with strong presence and high up in the mix, which also adds to the overall sonic "strangeness". They both do a splendid job for sure. It seems that the leader wanted to present a team effort rather than boast his ego, which is commendable and honorable. Overall this is a very impressive album, which of course is very rare these days, as it becomes more and more difficult to be unique, inventive and yes, impressive. Considering that we are talking about a debut, this is even more important. It is difficult to say if Pluzek will indeed become the great hope of Polish Jazz, as the PR material accompanying this album announces, but he certainly enters the ring with a bang; only time will tell, of course, but he deserves our best wishes. Well done indeed!

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KUBA PLUZEK ~ FROOTS FOR TUNE 0129 (Barcode: 5906395808311) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is the third album by young Polish Jazz pianist / composer Kuba PluzekFind albums by this artist, recorded in a classic quartet setting with the same musicians that played with him on his debut album: saxophonist Marek PospieszalskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and drummer Dawid FortunaFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original compositions, presented as two individual tunes, one two part composition and two three part compositions; definitely an unusual approach to presenting music in the Jazz idiom. The music is very difficult to classify and embraces a plethora of cross-genre influences ranging between Reggae to Free Jazz, with the majority of the tunes just about fitting the mainstream Jazz category. But obviously Pluzek is not much concerned with the classification of his music and is here to make a statement, which is highly unusual and original. Rhythmically the music is uneven, often on the verge of falling apart and than returning back to the beat, sometimes featuring a repeated drone pattern, close to ambient music, and sometimes swinging almost "normally". The aural aspect of this album is also very bizarre, with the distorted electric piano sound dominating the music, dense drum parts up front in the mix, deep bottom bass and out of focus (between the channels) saxophone somewhere as if on a different plane. Altogether this is a weird sonic experience, which adds wonderful tension to the proceedings. The individual contributions are all stellar, as expected. Pluzek freely moves between musical moods, falling in and out of the melody lines, managing to be quite unexpected for the entire duration of the album. Personally I prefer his work on the acoustic piano, but his electric piano parts are more challenging. Pospieszalski manages to hold back his Avant-Garde tendencies and stays pretty conventional, playing several wonderfully structured solos. Mucha is all over the music with his superb bass parts, inserting some arco passages but mostly plucking his bass to the Max (pun intended). Fortuna plays some highly unusual drum parts, polyrhythmic and dense which are only partly concerned with keeping time and become an integral part of the music. Overall this is a challenging, unusual album, definitely one of the most interesting recordings done in 2017, which firmly established Pluzek´s position on the Polish scene as one of the youngsters to reckon with in the immediate future. Pluzek, an outspoken young person, who openly voices his opinions in the social media, often as a voice of opposition, dedicates one of the three part compositions to music critics, calling the piece by a clever twist of the little known word wihajster (subtitled "Piece For Critics"), which expresses his attitude towards the all knowing "music critics", a generalization which hopefully does not include yours truly…

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 21/01/2018

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STANISLAW SLOWINSKI ~ VISIONS – VIOLIN CONCERTO NO.1 NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2018 Released: 2020 This is the third album as a leader by young Polish Jazz violinist / composer Stanislaw SlowinskiFind albums by this artist, recorded with a Jazz septet comprising of musicians that took part in the recording of the two earlier albums: trumpeter Zbigniew SzwajdychFind albums by this artist, saxophonist / flautist Marta WajdzikFind albums by this artist, guitarist Szymon MikaFind albums by this artist, pianist Kuba PluzekFind albums by this artist, bassist Justyn MalodobryFind albums by this artist and drummer Dawid FortunaFind albums by this artist, as well as the AUKSO Chamber OrchestraFind albums by this artist conducted by Marek MosFind albums by this artist. The music, recorded live, presents a violin concerto in three movements, and includes both the audio (CD) and video (DVD) version of the premiere performance of the concerto. The music is a typical romantic Classical concerto, incorporating melodic themes strongly based on Polish folkloristic influences, full of melancholy and beautiful lyricism. The Jazz and Classical elements are loosely integrated, which causes the music to move between the Classical and Jazz worlds rather than present a unified / amalgamated approach, with the solo violin parts serving as a bridge between the two worlds. As expected, the performances, both by the septet members and the string orchestra, are excellent from start to finish, as are the violin solo parts by Slowinski. He joins the ranks of the young Polish violin stars, which are constantly growing, building the new generation of the Polish Jazz Violin School. This ambitious undertaking is perhaps a tad too tamed overall, with Slowinski taking no risks and following 19th Century Classical Music conventions and mainstream Jazz patterns, whereas contemporary listeners probably expect a little more experimentation these days. Having said that, this album is a solid, well structured and beautifully performed piece of music, which can be enjoyed by a wide range of listeners, both from the Jazz and Classical Music circles. Definitely worth investigating!

Updated: 11/01/2023Posted: 20/02/2020

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STANISLAW SLOWINSKI ~ VISIONS (BETWEEN LOVE AND DEATH) HEVHETIA 0163 (Barcode: 8588005258265) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is the second album by Polish Jazz violinist / composer Stanislaw SlowinskiFind albums by this artist, recorded in a sextet setting with two of the musicians who played on his debut: trumpeter Zbigniew SzwajdychFind albums by this artist and bassist Justyn MalodobryFind albums by this artist and three new players: guitarist Szymon MikaFind albums by this artist, pianist Kuba PluzekFind albums by this artist and drummer Dawid FortunaFind albums by this artist. Vocalist Joanna SlowinskaFind albums by this artist guests on one track. The album presents seven original compositions, six of which were composed by Slowinski and one is a collective improvisation. The music is a continuation of the approach initiated by the debut, with major emphasis on the compositions, which have a suite-like structure, such that the entire album could be considered as one continuous piece of music. Although clearly melody based, the music allows individual freedom of expression and personal interpretation by the sextet members. The melodic themes are again mostly very lyrical and somewhat melancholic, but at the same time dynamic and multi-layered enough to keep the listener at his toes. As expected form the sextet´s lineup, which consists of some of the most prominent representatives of the young Polish Jazz scene, the individual contributions are all fabulous. Szwajdych is the romantic element, Mika the Fusion oriented vigorous voice and the leader takes the role of a charmer, with his violin seductively swirling around the basic melody lines. With these three front-line players sadly there is very little solo space left for Pluzek, who is an excellent player but is limited here mostly (except for one track) to the role of an accompanist, which of course he fulfills perfectly. The dynamic rhythm section is an integral part of the sextet and steers the soloists safely across the sometimes troubled waters of the tricky compositions. Overall this is an excellent sophomore album, which definitely stands up to the expectations aroused by the debut. The Polish Jazz violin school is proudly developing before our very eyes, which is a source of joy, and albums like this one confirm that Polish / European Jazz is doing well and manages to avoid stagnation. Well done indeed!

Updated: 01/02/2018Posted: 01/02/2018

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SOPHIA GRAND CLUB ~ 4 A.M. AFRO VIBE 001 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rap Fusion Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is the debut album by the Polish ensemble Sophia Grand ClubFind albums by this artist, comprising of rapper EskaubeiFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Bartlomiej SkubiszFind albums by this artist), saxophonist Bartlomiej PrucnalFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Kuba PluzekFind albums by this artist, veteran bassist Vitold RekFind albums by this artist and drummer Maksymilian OlszewskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, four by Pluzek, three by Rek, one co-composed by Pluzek and Rek and one improvised piece credited to all members of the ensemble. Seven of the numbers feature lyrics by Eskaubei and one is an instrumental. Musically the album continues the formula set up by Eskaubei with his two albums recorded with Tomek NowakFind albums by this artist Quartet for the For Tune Label, i.e. Jazz tunes featuring Rap and spoken word amalgamating the genres into a new musical entity. Pluzek, who proves to be one of the most versatile players / composers on the young Polish Jazz scene, delivers again some fiery Jazz / Funk tunes and Rek adds his more melancholic contributions, together creating a wonderful collection of highly effective musical vistas. Eskaubei yet again delivers a set of meaningful texts, touching upon deeply troublesome problems of contemporary life, social relationships, loneliness, injustice and many others. It is a pity the lyrics were not included in the album´s artwork, as they are definitely worth reading on their own. These lyrics could be seen as contemporary revelation of what we once called "protest songs" fifty of so years ago, just to show that the world is nothing like a TV commercial, then or today. The instrumental work is also first rate, with Prucnal delivering some soulful solos and elegant accompaniment, Pluzek is master of the ceremony with his keyboards providing most of the melodic and harmonic framework, Rek plays wonderful bass parts, which are both very Jazzy and superbly Funky at the same time, and finally Olszewski adds his polyrhythmic Groove to keep things moving ahead. Overall this is another superb album by Eskaubei and his instrumental cohorts, which proves that Rap can be a meaningful idiom, both musically and textually. Highly recommended to open-minded listeners, who like to be told the truth straight in their faces, which even the Funk doesn´t make much easier to digest. Well done again!

Updated: 01/04/2018Posted: 01/04/2018

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IDA ZALEWSKA ~ STORYTELLING HEVHETIA 0118 (Barcode: 8588005257725) ~ POLAND ~ Blues Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the third album by Polish vocalist / songwriter Ida ZalewskaFind albums by this artist, recorded with a quartet comprising of pianist Kuba PluzekFind albums by this artist, who also arranged all the songs, guitarist Szymon MikaFind albums by this artist, bassist Jakub DworakFind albums by this artist and drummer Damian NiewinskiFind albums by this artist, all of them representatives of the young generation of the Polish Jazz scene. The album presents ten original songs, six of which were co-composed by Pluzek and Zalewska, three are by trumpeter Jerzy MalekFind albums by this artist and one is by pianist Bogdan HolowniaFind albums by this artist. Zalewska wrote the lyrics to seven of the songs and Joanna MajorkiewiczFind albums by this artist to the remaining three; five of songs have Polish lyrics and the other five have English lyrics. Although the album is somewhat jazzed up, mostly by the presence of the Jazz musicians, Zalewska is body and soul oozing the Blues, with her deep, sensual voice and vocal mannerisms all originating in the Blues idiom. There is none of the typical Polish lyrical melancholy and Slavic mysticism here (well almost); it is all one or another form of the Blues. Pluzek, as the composer, arranger and main accompanist took the bull by its horns and produced a diverse but consisted body of music, which is built around Zalewska´s capabilities. The instrumental work on this album is relatively modest, and except for Pluzek, who carries most of the weight on his shoulders, the rest of the quartet is rather subdued. Mika plays a few very nice solos, but on a Blues album one would expect a much more dominant guitar presence. The rhythm section has little more to do than to keep time, which they do pretty straightforwardly. Pluzek contributes some nice solo parts and serves the role of the accompanist amicably. Overall, although not really my cup of gumbo, this album is definitely something fans of Soul drenched American Blues will enjoy a lot. The biggest problem this album presents to me is with the lyrics: the English lyrics are fine but Zalewska´s pronunciation is a bit off, the Polish lyrics sound really unnatural in this environment and don´t fit the music very well. I guess Blues was not meant to be sung in Polish. Anyway these are minor points and I guess this music can do very well live, much better than in a sterile studio environment.

Updated: 28/02/2016Posted: 28/02/2016

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