Record Reviews

LENA LEDOFF ~ KOMEDA CHOPIN KOMEDA MTJ 10956 (Barcode: 5906409109564) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2011 Released: 2011 This is a stunning album by pianist Lena LedoffFind albums by this artist, who was born in Russia and lives in Poland since the mid 1990s. She combines the music by two Polish iconic composers, Frederic ChopinFind albums by this artist and Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, creating an amalgam by playing their compositions intertwined into unique medleys on solo piano. Born 121 years apart (Chopin 1810, Komeda 1931), the former a virtuoso pianist and composer of Classical music and the latter a virtuoso pianist and composer of Jazz music, these two geniuses might have nothing in common to a naked eye. And yet they share so much, even the fact that both of them died tragically at a ridiculous young age before they reached 40. But of course what unites them is their passion for music and their common roots in the heritage of Polish music, its melancholy, lyricism and intrinsic sadness. Chopin´s music has been performed by many Polish Jazz musicians since many years. One might even say that it has been abused to a certain extent, as some of these Jazz interpretations were completely senseless and in the worst cases simply ridiculous. Ledoff´s idea to combine the music of these two composers rather than transform Chopin´s music into something Komeda might have written is exactly the right thing to. Her intellectual and artistic integrity remains intact, as her treatment of both composers is deeply respectful and her courage to look for the common ground between them is simply inspiring. For people, who are familiar with the music by both composers these mixed medleys are simply orgasmic. Ledoff keeps switching between the respective composition, playing a few phrases form Chopin and moving to Komeda´s enchanted melodies and so back and forth. The listener is unable to predict (at least initially) what her next move will be and therefore this emotional seesaw between expectations and familiarity is absolutely brilliant. This is definitely one of the most ambitious, ingenious and satisfying recordings of the last few years. Original, daring and brilliantly executed, the music is simply overwhelming from start to finish. Ledoff deserves out thanks for enabling us to discover with her the infinite connections between Chopin and Komeda. I, for one, am eternally grateful. This album is an absolute must for every connoisseur of Classical-Jazz Fusion, those who love Chopin and dare to hear him in a new setting and those who love Komeda and are intrigued to discover, where he comes from – in short all lovers of Polish music at its best. A wonderful gem, a Godsend!

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VARIOUS ARTISTS ~ TRIBUTE TO KOMEDA NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2011 Released: 2012 There is no doubt that the legendary figure of pianist / composer / bandleader Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, the Godfather of Polish Jazz, is still very much present on the local scene, more than forty years after his untimely and tragic death. Komeda´s charisma, mystique, prophetic vision and above all his extraordinary talent as a composer keep his legacy alive generation after generation, with his musical heritage being passed on to the upcoming young Polish Jazz artists, as an integral part of the modern Polish Culture. In the scope of those forty plus years since Komeda´s death the Polish Jazz scene produced a plethora of recordings, concerts, festivals and other events dedicated to his memory. As a result the idea of commemorating Komeda has been overexploited and often even abused by lesser quality attempts, which result in blemishing his memory rather than uphold it. Fortunately this album is definitely not one of those damaging efforts; on the contrary, it offers many new and fascinating discoveries, as well as thrilling interpretations by excellent musicians, which treat the music with respect and obvious admiration. The album includes ten Komeda compositions, performed by several different ensembles: pianist Janusz OlejniczakFind albums by this artist with Atom String QuartetFind albums by this artist, bassist Zbigniew WrombelFind albums by this artist and his quintet (drummer Krzysztof PrzybylowiczFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Maciej FortunaFind albums by this artist, pianist Piotr WrombelFind albums by this artist, vibraphonist Karol SzymanowskiFind albums by this artist) with actor Kamil MackowiakFind albums by this artist, the duo of saxophonist Andrzej OlejniczakFind albums by this artist and pianist Wladyslaw SendeckiFind albums by this artist, the duo of tuba player Zdzislaw PiernikFind albums by this artist and synthesizer player Tadeusz SudnikFind albums by this artist and finally solo piano performances by Lena LedoffFind albums by this artist. Such diverse settings are an ideal vehicle to present the diversity of Komeda´s music and the endless possibilities, in which it can me expressed and interpreted. All the performances are truly superb, moving and deeply engaging and pay a fitting homage to Komeda´s heritage. My personal preferences are the trumpet pats by Maciej Fortuna, the incomparable piano playing of my friend Wladyslaw Sendecki and the solo piano pieces by Ledoff. But each and every musician participating in this recording deserves full admiration and respect. The quality of these live recordings in not ideal, but neither is life, so true music lovers can certainly live with it and enjoy it immensely. The most interesting two pieces on this album are the early Komeda Jazz & Poetry compositions to poems by Jerzy S. Sito, known mainly for his work as translator, who died in 2011. Komeda´s involvement with the Jazz & Poetry movement, presented by him during the 1960 Jazz Jamboree festival, is one of the most fascinating, but sadly neglected, milestones of his career. The two pieces were restored from Komeda´s notes by the great vibraphonist / composer Jerzy MilianFind albums by this artist, who was a member of Komeda´s group in the late 1950s. Honestly that entire program simply screams for proper restoration work. Overall this is a superb piece of music, which is worthy of an honorable place in any serious Polish Jazz music collection and should be of interest to the many Komeda followers all over the world. Brilliant stuff!

Updated: 01/01/2016Posted:

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