Record Reviews

KRZYSZTOF DZIEDZIC ~ TEMPO FOR TUNE 0120 (Barcode: 5906395808182) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Funk Fusion Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is the debut album as a leader by the veteran Polish Jazz drummer / composer Krzysztof DziedzicFind albums by this artist. Surrounded by a formidable team, which includes keyboardist Piotr WylezolFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Kuba WiecekFind albums by this artist, guitarist Apostolis AnthimosFind albums by this artist, bassist Robert KubiszynFind albums by this artist and Michal BajFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. DJ EpromFind albums by this artist), who is in charge of turntablism, Dziedzic presents nine original compositions / improvisations, all credited to him. The music, as described in the album´s liner notes, is all about tempo measured in beats per minute, or BPM, which changes here from one tune to another from the very slow 25 BPS to the extremely fast 207 BPM. The melodic content is quite limited on this album, with the drums being the anchor instrument, which leads the proceedings. Bass guitar parts turn some of the tunes into improvised Funk and Groove. The piano takes most of the solo parts and the saxophone and guitar play only on selected tracks, but deliver excellent contributions, especially the Anthimos parts which are Fusion heaven, as usual. The drums dominate the proceedings of course all the way through. This album is mostly about drums and drumming and fans of rhythmic grooves should find this music delightful. For others, especially those looking for straightforward Jazz might find this music somewhat less approachable, except for some excerpts. Overall this is a bold and quite unique statement, which deserves to be heard and hopefully will conquer hearts in the process. Dziedzic already proved that he is one of the top Polish Jazz drummers over the years and now is time to discover his less obvious qualities.

Updated: 12/04/2017Posted: 12/04/2017

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EVENT HORIZON ~ EVENT HORIZON SJ 017 (Barcode: 5912596066191) ~ POLAND ~ Smooth Jazz Recorded: 2013 - 2016 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by Polish duo Event Horizon, which comprises of drummer Gniewomir TomczykFind albums by this artist and keyboardist / bassist Andrzej MikulskiFind albums by this artist. A plethora of guest musicians, some form the echelons of the young Polish Jazz circles and others from different areas, add their contributions, including Piotr SchmidtFind albums by this artist, Aga DerlakFind albums by this artist, Krzysia GorniakFind albums by this artist, Mateusz SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, Kuba WiecekFind albums by this artist, Marek KadzielaFind albums by this artist and many others. The album presents ten original compositions (one repeated twice), recorded over a period of several years, five of which were co-composed and arranged by Tomczyk and Mikulski, others composed either individually by one of the duo members or co-composed with others, improvised or being arrangements of Classical themes, in short a very diverse collection of ideas. Three of the pieces feature texts / lyrics in English. The music is strongly melody based and rooted in Jazz, but emphasizes production and sound at least as much as improvisation, creating wonderful contemporary vistas, which feel completely cross-genre and can be liked by a very wide spectrum of listeners, predominantly belonging to the younger generation. The music is intelligent and wonderfully coherent, offering a superb selection of melodies and harmonies, which often are absent in the so called "serious Jazz" recordings. Although this music can be categorized as Smooth Jazz for lack of a better definition, based on the "cool" and seemingly "smooth" approach, it is full of excellent musicianship and masterly music production. Overall this is a classic example of "don´t judge a book by its cover" (here both metaphorically and directly, as the album´s cover art is rather bleak, completely uncharacteristic of its contents). What might be considered as a youthful experiment turns out to be a solid piece of excellent music, which stands its own ground, regardless what the Jazz purists might say. In many respects this album represents what the new generation of Jazz players feels about Jazz, respecting the tradition but reaching out to electronics, new sounds and original approach, which attempts to discover new ground, which after all is the most important aspect of music making. This is definitely one of the most interesting releases so far in 2017, as far as I am concerned. Well done Wonder Kids!

Updated: 07/04/2017Posted: 07/04/2017

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KUBA WIECEK TRIO & PAULINA PRZYBYSZ ~ KWIATECZKI (POLISH JAZZ VOL. 87) WARNER MUSIC POLAND 190296481222 (Barcode: 190296481222) ~ POLAND ~ Pop & Rock Recorded: 2021 Released: 2021 This is an album by Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Kuba WiecekFind albums by this artist and his trio, with bassist Michal BaranskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Lukasz ZytaFind albums by this artist with vocalist Paulina PrzybyszFind albums by this artist. The album offers twelve songs, based on a twelve poems cycle by Polish 16th Century poet Jan KochanowskiFind albums by this artist. All the songs were co-composed by Wiecek and Przybysz. Although seemingly a Jazz & Poetry project, in reality this album has almost nothing to do with Jazz even in the most liberal definition of the term. It is a Pop album, and a bad one at that, with many elements that dominate contemporary Pop, such as simplistic melody themes, strong bass & drums sound, layers of ambient and electronics sounds that don’t add anything to the music, New Wave, Hip hop, Rap and many other elements, which results in a mishmash that is quite difficult to swallow, surely for a Jazz listener. There is a faint improvisational element hidden deeply in the background, which basically is completely out of context. The vocals are theatrical and full of mannerisms, which have no connection whatsoever to the original poetry. To put the record straight, I love Wiecek’s music within the Jazz idiom and of course I completely respect his Artistic freedom, which allows him to explore any avenue he chooses, but I don’t have to approve automatically of everything he does. Baranski and Zyta are brilliant musicians, which can be heard even here. Sadly, this album is beyond my tolerance and inserting it as part of the Polish Jazz series is nothing short of sacrilegious, even in my extra-liberal terms of reference. Overall, this is just a boring, badly conceived album, which often offends my basic aesthetic values. Of course this is only my highly personal view, but I am never keen to criticize work by Artists, that I respect and love. Well, shit happens… Side Note The iconic "Polish Jazz" series of recordings, originally released between 1965 and 1989 by the Polish state owned record company Polskie NagraniaFind albums on this label, which used the MuzaFind albums on this label label as its moniker, consists of seventy six LP albums. It presents the history of Polish Jazz recordings during that period, which includes some of the most important Polish / European modern Jazz milestones and reflects the extraordinary development of Jazz music behind the Iron Curtain. It is one of the most important historic documents of Polish Music and of course Polish Culture in general. The series had an eminent logo designed by Roslaw Szaybo and the albums were numbered sequentially from Vol.1 to Vol.76 accordingly. The album's artwork was wonderfully stylish and modernist, featuring the brilliant photographs and characteristic design by the legendary Polish Artist Marek Karewicz. Stylistically the series presented all Jazz genres, from Traditional Jazz to Avant-Garde / Free Jazz, which was extraordinarily liberal considering the cultural censorship imposed by the Socialist Regime. It suffered from some inconsistency, as far as the musical quality and aesthetics were concerned, as well as the internal "politics" of the Polish Jazz scene at the time, but in retrospect it achieved a spectacular overall result, unparalleled as far as consistently documenting a national Jazz scene is concerned. After the Polskie Nagrania catalogue was bought by Warner Music PolandFind albums on this label, the new owner started a reissue process of the Polish Jazz series, carefully remastered, repackaged and including extensive liner notes, which keeps the artwork as close to the original design as possible. So far forty four volumes of the original series were reissued. In 2016 Warner Music Poland decided to continue the original series by releasing new contemporary Polish Jazz recordings under the same format and even to continue the sequential numbering starting with Vol.77 – a decision I personally consider almost sacrilegious. Some things are simply untouchable, and the "Polish Jazz" series is surely one of those things. If Warner Music Poland wants to produce Jazz albums, which is always more than welcome, they could have started a new series, under a new title, rather than exploiting the reputation of the historic series. As a result, some artist whose albums are released as part of the new series might be led to expect instant gratification, fame and stardom, just for being an artificial part of a prestigious past, which of course is as bogus as it is sad.

Updated: 23/04/2023Posted: 23/04/2023

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JERZY MACZYNSKI ~ JERRY & THE PELICAN SYSTEM (POLISH JAZZ VOL.83) WARNER MUSIC POLAND 190295475895 (Barcode: 190295475895) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 This is the debut album as a leader by young Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Jerzy MaczynskiFind albums by this artist, recorded with his quintet which also includes trumpeter Marcin ElszkowskiFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Marcel BalinskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Franciszek PospieszalskiFind albums by this artist and drummer / flautist Wiktoria JakubowskaFind albums by this artist. Hindu violinist Apoorva KrishnaFind albums by this artist guests on one track. The album presents eight original compositions, two of which are in three parts and one in two parts – together thirteen tracks. The music was beautifully recorded at the Monochrom Studio, engineered by Ignacy GruszeckiFind albums by this artist. Maczynski is an archetypical representative of contemporary young European Jazz musician: musical education from early age, academic studies in Poland, then Odense in Denmark, then Berklee in Valencia, Spain, recordings, concerts and festivals, a biography that reflects the borderless Europe which allows its young musicians to get exposed to diverse education systems, meet musicians from many different places and cultures and develop their personal styles in a span of just a few years, something that usually took decades to achieve in the not so distant past. It is not surprising therefore to see these young musicians to show characteristics such as diversity, openness and multi-genre / multi-cultural approach to the music they create. The music on this album is exactly like that – an amalgam of influences which encompasses such radically different genres as Rock, Yass (a Polish variety of Jazz rebellion with a strong Punkish attitude), Jazz-Rock Fusion, Free Jazz and even Avant-Garde, spiced with beautifully melodic, almost Popish balladry - a multi culti heaven on earth. One can not avoid an immediate feeling of likeness to the music created by Kuba WiecekFind albums by this artist, who after all is of almost identical age and biographical background, and who is another proud representative of the young Polish Jazz generation. The musical approach that this album reflects has one imminent danger, however. The diversity, as blessed as it is, can, and in this case does, create a slight sensation of lack of musical focus. Perhaps it is the highly emotional debut album responsibility, perhaps the untamed youthfulness, but this music creates an impression that Maczynski tries to say a bit too much in the scope of one album. Strangely (or perhaps not really) the two albums by Wiecek suffer from the same slight predicament. But all things considered, this is by all means a splendid debut effort, full of potential, great promises, exciting musical ideas and superb playing by all the participants. As already stated earlier, many Jazz musicians of older generations had to wait for years to produce an album as rich in contents and talent as this one, which means that congratulation are in order. Since I am writing these words exactly on Jerzy´s birthday (completely accidentally BTW) I can only wish him many future achievements, which will surely outshine this one, surely after such an outstanding liftoff! Side Note The iconic "Polish Jazz" series of recordings, originally released between 1965 and 1989 by the Polish state owned record company Polskie NagraniaFind albums on this label, which used the MuzaFind albums on this label label as its moniker, consists of seventy six LP albums. It presents the history of Polish Jazz recordings during that period, which includes some of the most important Polish / European modern Jazz milestones and reflects the extraordinary development of Jazz music behind the Iron Curtain. It is one of the most important historic documents of Polish Music and of course Polish Culture in general. The series had an eminent logo designed by Roslaw Szaybo and the albums were numbered sequentially from Vol.1 to Vol.76 accordingly. The album's artwork was wonderfully stylish and modernist, featuring the brilliant photographs and characteristic design by the legendary Polish Artist Marek Karewicz. Stylistically the series presented all Jazz genres, from Traditional Jazz to Avant-Garde / Free Jazz, which was extraordinarily liberal considering the cultural censorship imposed by the Socialist Regime. It suffered from some inconsistency, as far as the musical quality and aesthetics were concerned, as well as the internal "politics" of the Polish Jazz scene at the time, but in retrospect it achieved a spectacular overall result, unparalleled as far as consistently documenting a national Jazz scene is concerned. After the Polskie Nagrania catalogue was bought by Warner Music PolandFind albums on this label, the new owner started a reissue process of the Polish Jazz series, carefully remastered, repackaged and including extensive liner notes, which keeps the artwork as close to the original design as possible. So far forty four volumes of the original series were reissued. In 2016 Warner Music Poland decided to continue the original series by releasing new contemporary Polish Jazz recordings under the same format and even to continue the sequential numbering starting with Vol.77 – a decision I personally consider almost sacrilegious. Some things are simply untouchable, and the "Polish Jazz" series is surely one of those things. If Warner Music Poland wants to produce Jazz albums, which is always more than welcome, they could have started a new series, under a new title, rather than exploiting the reputation of the historic series. As a result, some artist whose albums are released as part of the new series might be led to expect instant gratification, fame and stardom, just for being an artificial part of a prestigious past, which of course is as bogus as it is sad.

Updated: 17/03/2020Posted: 17/03/2020

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EMIL MISZK / THE SONIC SYNDICATE ~ ARTIFICIAL STUPIDITY ALPAKA 013 (Barcode: 308175527811) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the second album by Polish Jazz trumpeter / composer / bandleader Emil MiszkFind albums by this artist and his octet called The Sonic SyndicateFind albums by this artist, which also includes saxophonists Piotr CheckiFind albums by this artist and Kuba WiecekFind albums by this artist, trombonist Pawel NiewiadomskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Szymon BurnosFind albums by this artist, guitarist Michal ZienkowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Konrad ZolnierekFind albums by this artist and drummer Slawomir KoryznoFind albums by this artist, same lineup as on the debut. The album presents six original compositions, which strangely are not credited on the album´s artwork and are therefore assumed to be all by the leader. The total playing time of the album is just below thirty-five minutes, which is closer to an EP than a full album. The brilliant debut album released a couple of years earlier created enormously high expectations from the sophomore release, which are almost impossible to be fulfilled. Considering the fact that the music on this album is significantly different from that on its predecessor, any attempt to compare the two is practically fruitless. Combined with loosing the element of surprise, the resulting effect is somewhat less exciting. Nevertheless this is still brilliant music, beautifully performed by some of the best young generation Polish Jazz musicians. The compositions are complex and combine several melodic and rhythmic themes within each of the pieces. They are all carefully designed, ordered and planned, cerebral and refined, oriented towards the "big sound" the octet is able to create, at times offering up-to-date Big Band mannerisms. There is no doubt that Miszk and his Sonic Syndicate offer some of the cleverest music on the Polish Jazz scene, which can eventually lead to some level of estrangement with the audience. This album, as already mentioned, has a short playing time, but is so intensive and demanding that perhaps any additional material might have been simply over the top. Miszk obviously gives up almost completely his role as an instrumentalist and is completely absorbed by his role of a composer and arranger. Overall this is a dazzling piece of music, which concentrates on highly complex, sophisticated compositions, which are difficult to follow but highly rewarding to advanced Jazz listeners. The (almost) orchestral arrangements are devilishly tricky and must have been a real challenge to perform and record, which makes me wonder if this music is possible to be played live. In any case Miszk is surely an Artist to be watched closely, as he obviously is just worming up.

Updated: 21/07/2022Posted: 17/07/2020

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EMIL MISZK / THE SONIC SYNDICATE ~ DON`T HESITATE! ALPAKA 005 (Barcode: 191924149736) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is the debut album as a leader by young and upcoming Polish Jazz trumpeter / composer Emil MiszkFind albums by this artist, who has made a significant mark on the local scene lately. On this album he leads an impressive octet, called Sonic SyndicateFind albums by this artist, which also includes saxophonists Piotr CheckiFind albums by this artist and Kuba WiecekFind albums by this artist, trombonist Pawel NiewiadomskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Michal ZienkowskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Szymon BurnosFind albums by this artist, bassist Konrad ZolnierekFind albums by this artist and drummer Slawomir KoryznoFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, all by the leader. The stunning music consists of some of the most original Jazz compositions I have heard in many years. Miszk uses brilliantly the power of the octet, which has almost the strength and possibilities of a Big Band / Orchestral scale, to express his complex, suite like compositions, which are all multilayered, with twisted melody lines and constant tempi changes, but which in spite of their devilishly clever intricacy sound completely coherent and complete. The music moves between melodic statements of the composed themes and almost Free Form mini-improvised passages, presenting a fresh and invigorating approach to Jazz composition, which is simply phenomenal. At times the music ventures into the Brass Rock approach, fondly remembered from the work of ensembles like ChicagoFind albums by this artist and ChaseFind albums by this artist (and many more), but of course is completely brought up to date and modernized. All the members of the octet are of course radiant instrumentalists, who are able to execute the convoluted and challenging twists and turns of the music spotlessly. The music calls mostly for an ensemble / orchestral sound and presentation, which means that individual soloing, is not the focus of this music, but rather creating sound vistas that require discipline and collaboration by all the participants; which of course does not exclude some blood-curdling solo work by the leader and others and surprising Rocky guitar statements by Zienkowski. This music is also the epitome of European Jazz, being completely open to all musical styles and influences, managing to amalgamate them in a perfect way. There is a lot of tradition here, some conscious and some subconscious, but absolutely no stagnation or repetition. This is exactly what European Jazz aesthetics is all about – experiment and elegance, good taste and talent. This kind of music can probably only be made in Poland. Any attempt to describe this beautiful piece of music is of course completely futile and does not replace the experience of listening to it, which of course I absolutely recommend. It is very rare that a debut album of this magnitude appears and usually it happens only once or twice in a given year, and for 2018 this is definitely it. Absolutely not to be missed!

Updated: 07/05/2018Posted: 24/04/2018

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PIOTR ORZECHOWSKI / KUBA WIECEK ~ THEMES OF DRACULA ANAKLASIS 021 (Barcode: 5907795211893) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2021 Released: 2022 This is a duo album by two of the most prominent representatives of the young contemporary Polish Jazz scene: pianist / composer Piotr OrzechowskiFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. PianohooliganFind albums by this artist) (born 1990) and saxophonist / composer Kuba WiecekFind albums by this artist (born 1994). The duo performs their take on the music composed by the Polish Classical Music / Cinematic Music composer Wojciech KilarFind albums by this artist, which served as the soundtrack of Francis Ford CoppolaFind albums by this artist film “Bram Stoker’s Dracula”, hence the title. The album was released by the prestigious Polish AnaklasisFind albums on this label label as part of its “Revisions” series. The music was recorded at the excellent Monochrom Studio and engineered by Ignacy GruszeckiFind albums by this artist, with the usual subline sound quality. Although Kilar’s music received already quite a few Jazz readings over time, this album goes far beyond just interpreting the original notes, and offers an entirely new musical universe, way beyond the source. Both Orzechowski and Wiecek are able to add their very personal and highly unusual / unique vistas, both as composers of the newly created music and performers, often applying novel / innovative techniques utilized on their relative instruments. The level of the performances by both musicians is absolutely phenomenal. The resulting music is completely fascinating and totally unexpected, even for listeners familiar with earlier recording by these two musicians. It becomes a wonderful example of the “Art of the Duo”, not only on the physical / audible plane and even more importantly on the metaphysical plane, which drives them to play they was they do. Although the music is complex and demands total submission from the listener, it rewards the audience by inspiring the intellectual processes it manages to invoke and the aesthetic pleasures generated it stimulates. Overall, this is another excellent addition to the “Revisions” series and an important step forward in the recording legacy of both these young and highly talented musicians, who are open to new vistas and don’t shun difficult challenges. This is not stress-free music, but a highly rewarding visit to new musical worlds, which does not happen that often these days. Beautifully done – hats off my young Friends!

Updated: 02/02/2023Posted: 02/02/2023

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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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FRANCISZEK POSPIESZALSKI ~ 1ST LEVEL FOR TUNE 0123 (Barcode: 5906395808250) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz bassist / composer Franciszek PospieszalskiFind albums by this artist, recorded in a sextet setting with his fellow Polish students at Copenhagen´s Rhythmic Music Conservatory, which is very popular among the young generation of Polish Jazz musicians in the last decade. The other members of the sextet are: saxophonists Kuba WiecekFind albums by this artist and Jedrzej LagodzinskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Grzegorz TarwidFind albums by this artist and drummers Szymon GasiorekFind albums by this artist (who also plays electronic vibraphone) and Albert KarchFind albums by this artist. Trumpeter Szczepan PospieszalskiFind albums by this artist plays on one tune. The album presents seven original compositions, all by Pospieszalski, and one arrangement of a Classical piece. The music, which is absolutely beyond any known systematic classification, moves constantly between modern Jazz, group improvisation, contemporary Classical and a myriad of other not yet invented labels, and is utterly stunning in its inventiveness and complete disregard of stylistic or mental limitations. It is an extension to what the Love And Beauty SeekersFind albums by this artist trio (Pospieszalski / Lagodzinski / Gasiorek) brilliantly started on their debut album a year earlier, with the additional power and possibilities intrinsic to the larger sextet lineup. In short this is perhaps a beginning of a new Jazz genre, which appears here for the first time, and which is new and separate from anything else known in the past. It is mindboggling to hear what these young people manage to achieve here, which is more revolutionary and prophetic that what most Jazz musicians achieved in their lifetimes. As hard as it is to believe, this music is a quintessential expression of the Jazz exploration and development, which is the genre´s most important quality, especially in view of the fact that most other musical forms are simply dying or exist in a state of deep lethargy. Listening to this music reveals perhaps the last threads of hope for human Culture, which is still alive and kicking. Although the album is extremely short (just over thirty six minutes in duration), it is so extremely condensed and full of intellectual charge, that its unadulterated contents means more that dozens of other albums put together. As a result it stays apart from most other albums released in Poland this year, and is by far the most interesting release so far in 2017. It will perhaps take time for the listeners to fully understand the meaning and significance of this music, but the musical prophecy conveyed herein is bound to create a major impact. My deepest thanks go to these young Lions for keeping my faith in humanity afloat.

Updated: 18/07/2017Posted: 18/07/2017

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DANIEL TOLEDO ~ FLETCH AUDIO CAVE 2020/002 (Barcode: 5908298549018) ~ ECUADOR ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2020 This is the third album by Ecuadorian bassist / composer Daniel ToledoFind albums by this artist, recorded in a classic quartet setting with all Polish team consisting of saxophonist Kuba WiecekFind albums by this artist, pianist Piotr OrzechowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, all composed by Toledo. The music was recorded at the excellent Monochrom Studio and engineered by Ignacy GruszeckiFind albums by this artist. Toledo´s steady output of albums, starting in 2014 and offering a new recording every couple of years (I had the pleasure of writing the liner notes for his second album "AtriumFind albums with this title"), as well as his cooperation with Orzechowski, follow a steady course of development as a composer and player. The music on this album significantly departs from the earlier melody based conventional modern Jazz into a way more spacey, free spirited ventures and complex odd meters based rhythmic background. The metamorphosis is quite dramatic and presents Toledo in a completely new perception. Orzechowski, who plays both acoustic and electric piano, and who is the focal soloist, takes upon himself a major role in voicing this new approach, playing of course as brilliantly as always, but again quite differently from his usual environment, and listeners familiar with his impressive output as instrumentalist will have an opportunity to hear him from a different point of view. Wiecek steps in boldly and this music seems to suit his stylistic preferences ideally. Although his statements are relatively limited they are all right on the money. Miskiewicz, one of Poland´s most versatile and experienced drummers, handles the difficult rhythmic challenges without a hitch, as expected. Toledo´s solid bass parts are of course the spinal chord which connects all the ingredients together. Overall this is a difficult, serious piece of music, which although demanding, can be a source of great musical enjoyment, as long as the listener allows it the required attention and time needed to penetrate the external crust. Full of great ideas and superb performances, this is definitely something worthy of serious investigation.

Updated: 19/03/2020Posted: 19/03/2020

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WIECEK & GAWEDA QUINTET ~ BERRY AUDIO CAVE 2019/011 (Barcode: 5905669566841) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2019 This is the debut album by a quintet co-led by two of the most noticeable upcoming Polish Jazz musicians in the last decade: saxophonist / composer Kuba WiecekFind albums by this artist and pianist / composer Mateusz GawedaFind albums by this artist. The quintet also includes veteran American trumpeter Ralph AlessiFind albums by this artist, Polish bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and German drummer Moritz BaumgartnerFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, all co-credited to Wiecek & Gaweda. The music is typical American Post-bop based on sketchy melodic themes and open to extensive improvisations by the quintet members. The outcome of such approach is totally dependent on the musical chemistry that develops between the musicians and their ability to offer group improvisation, which is more important than the individual improvisations each of the participants is capable of. This quintet is a collection of very strong musical personalities, each and every one of which is an accomplished performer, leader and composer on his own right. The question arises of course if this specific grouping of musicians works well in total, which as far as I am concerned remains undetermined. There is certainly a lack of balance as far as soloing is concerned, with Alessi, who in my opinion is definitely not the most interesting soloist herein, playing most of the soli whereas Wiecek is almost completely silent except for the unisono intros, outros and a few brief solos. Gaweda and the rhythm section manage to hold their ground all in all and the piano trio parts are the highlight of this album. There is also the basic stylistic dissonance that hinders the quintet´s unity, with Alessi pushing the music into the Bebop schematics whereas the four young Europeans are trying to break away into the freedom zone, time after time. Having said all that, this is still a very interesting album, which offers some great playing and joyful, spirited music, which is very enjoyable to listen to. The four young Europeans have the whole life ahead of them and this album proves their incredible talents, which surely will bring us all a lot of superb music in the future.

Updated: 15/11/2019Posted: 09/11/2019

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KUBA WIECEK ~ MULTITASKING (POLISH JAZZ VOL.82) WARNER MUSIC POLAND 190295475918 (Barcode: 190295475918) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 This is the second album by the young Polish Jazz saxophonist Kuba WiecekFind albums by this artist recorded with the same trio like the debut released two years earlier, which includes bassist Michal BaranskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Lukasz ZytaFind albums by this artist. Keyboardist Marcin MaseckiFind albums by this artist guests on one track. The album presents ten original compositions, all by Wiecek. Wiecek "exploded" on the local Jazz scene with the release of his debut album, which was released as part of the legendary "Polish Jazz" series, same as this one (see below). Immediately hailed as a wunderkind, youngest ever Jazz prodigy and the "darling" of the local scene and hyped by the media to ridiculous proportions, Wiecek never had a true chance to be seriously analyzed and evaluated as a player and composer. The debut album had its moments, but was recorded way too early before the material had a chance to be polished and mature during live performances and in retrospect was no more than a promise of better things to come in the future. This album is undoubtedly a much more accurate document of Wiecek´s many talents with the emphasis on his compositions, which are obviously unique and innovative. This album is in fact a collection of short ditties, ingenious and full of humor, masterly conceived and consistently fascinating. But the short duration of these ten pieces, lasting together under forty minutes, allows only to present the melodic / rhythmic ideas, but there is not enough time left to allow for any extended improvisations, which after all is expected from a Jazz album. Strangely, although this album was recorded at the best Polish recording studio (Monochrom Studio, with Ignacy GruszeckiFind albums by this artist presiding) it offers a muddy and thin sound, which does not help at all. Happily I have had the opportunity to hear the trio live many times in the last two years and can gladly testify that this material and the trio sound infinitely better on stage than on this album. Wiecek and his cohorts are stage animals and they put up a superb live show, taking this material places hardly imaginable, when listening to the studio album. I have also heard Wiecek play many times in jam sessions, where his adaptability and diversity was tested to the max, and which he always survived like a true knight in shining armor, without any hype miles around. Wiecek is undoubtedly one of the most ingenious, talented and promising upcoming young Polish Jazz musicians in addition to his charming personality. He is definitely destined to go places and the world is at his feet. I am happy to see that the hype around him did not manage to spoil and hurt him as much as it could have done and it was just an episode better left behind. He is still to record his defining album though. Side Note The iconic "Polish Jazz" series of recordings, originally released between 1965 and 1989 by the Polish state owned record company Polskie NagraniaFind albums on this label, which used the MuzaFind albums on this label label as its moniker, consists of seventy six LP albums. It presents the history of Polish Jazz recordings during that period, which includes some of the most important Polish / European modern Jazz milestones and reflects the extraordinary development of Jazz music behind the Iron Curtain. It is one of the most important historic documents of Polish Music and of course Polish Culture in general. The series had an eminent logo designed by Roslaw Szaybo and the albums were numbered sequentially from Vol.1 to Vol.76 accordingly. The album's artwork was wonderfully stylish and modernist, featuring the brilliant photographs and characteristic design by the legendary Polish Artist Marek Karewicz. Stylistically the series presented all Jazz genres, from Traditional Jazz to Avant-Garde / Free Jazz, which was extraordinarily liberal considering the cultural censorship imposed by the Socialist Regime. It suffered from some inconsistency, as far as the musical quality and aesthetics were concerned, as well as the internal "politics" of the Polish Jazz scene at the time, but in retrospect it achieved a spectacular overall result, unparalleled as far as consistently documenting a national Jazz scene is concerned. After the Polskie Nagrania catalogue was bought by Warner Music PolandFind albums on this label, the new owner started a reissue process of the Polish Jazz series, carefully remastered, repackaged and including extensive liner notes, which keeps the artwork as close to the original design as possible. So far forty four volumes of the original series were reissued. In 2016 Warner Music Poland decided to continue the original series by releasing new contemporary Polish Jazz recordings under the same format and even to continue the sequential numbering starting with Vol.77 – a decision I personally consider almost sacrilegious. Some things are simply untouchable, and the "Polish Jazz" series is surely one of those things. If Warner Music Poland wants to produce Jazz albums, which is always more than welcome, they could have started a new series, under a new title, rather than exploiting the reputation of the historic series. As a result, some artist whose albums are released as part of the new series might be led to expect instant gratification, fame and stardom, just for being an artificial part of a prestigious past, which of course is as bogus as it is sad.

Updated: 02/01/2020Posted: 02/01/2020

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