Record Reviews

LENA PIEKNIEWSKA ~ COS PRZYJDZIE: MILOSC LUB WOJNA POLSKIE RADIO 2265 (Barcode: 5907812247256) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 This is a live recording at the Polish Radio of a wonderful Jazz & Poetry project by vocalist Lena PiekniewskaFind albums by this artist and her quartet, which includes clarinetist / saxophonist Michal GorczynskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Jacek KitaFind albums by this artist, bassist Wojciech PulcynFind albums by this artist and drummer Sebastian FrankiewiczFind albums by this artist. It presents ten songs composed by Pawel SkorupkaFind albums by this artist with lyrics by Jewish / Polish poets, mostly children, who all bar one perished during the Holocaust. They were Abram CytrynFind albums by this artist from Lodz, who died in Auschwitz at the age of seventeen, Zuzanna GinczankaFind albums by this artist (real name Sara GinzburgFind albums by this artist), who was executed in Krakow at the age of twenty seven, Janka HeschelesFind albums by this artist (today Janina AltmanFind albums by this artist), who is the only survival now living in Israel and finally Abramek KoplowiczFind albums by this artist from Lodz, who died in Auschwitz at the age of fourteen. One poem is by an unknown author, found in Auschwitz after liberation. This project was premiered during the third edition of the Singer Jazz Festival (2016) in Warsaw, of which I am the Artistic Director. It is impossible to describe the emotional upheaval involved in listening to this song cycle, especially to people like myself, who have a direct Holocaust involvement. Everything connected with the memory of the Holocaust, and in this case also Holocaust children, is always immeasurably painful and this is why when I was first introduced to this project I did not hide my skepticism. I am very happy to say that Skorupka, Piekniewska and her team managed to shatter my skepticism completely and when the music was over my eyes were full of tears but my heart was full of joy upon realizing that this project certainly does not trivialize the memory of the Holocaust victims and pays a loving tribute to the loss and the bitter destiny of Polish Jews, being an important document of times and souls lost but not forgotten, as well as the integration of Polish Jews in creating Polish Culture. Of course this project can be also viewed on pure aesthetic ground, detached from its historic legacy. Skorupka composed truly beautiful melodies, full of the typical Polish Jazz melancholy, which suit the often extremely difficult lyrics absolutely ideally. The instrumentalists, some of Polish Jazz finest of course, stand up to the challenge with flying colors, as expected. Gorczynski is the absolute star of the evening as his brilliant soloing expresses simply magnificently the anguish and suffering inherent in these songs, sometimes only indirectly, emphasizing the dichotomy between some of these poems and the circumstances in which they way created, which is often astounding and heartwrenching. And finally Piekniewska, with her delicate, as if reserved delivery, manages to create the magic atmosphere of this project. She beautifully eschews theatrics and unnecessary boastfulness, which might have hurt the essence, deciding to take the "less is more" path, with grace and elegance as well as full of deep emotion. I would like to thank all the people involved in this project for creating such an important tribute to the tragedy and pointing towards hope. It is wonderful to see this project finally available on record, better late than never of course. This is an absolute must have for every Polish Jazz connoisseur and Jazz & Poetry lover, wherever they might be.

Updated: 01/11/2019Posted: 01/11/2019

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

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