Record Reviews

DOMINIK BUKOWSKI ~ DOMINIK BUKOWSKI & PROJEKTOR ALLEGRO 010 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2004 Released: 2005 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz vibraphonist / composer Dominik BukowskiFind albums by this artist, recorded with an excellent ensemble which comprises of saxophonists Wojciech StaroniewiczFind albums by this artist and Lukasz PoprawskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Piotr LemanczykFind albums by this artist, drummer Hubert ZemlerFind albums by this artist and Pawel GrabowskiFind albums by this artist who employs live electronics. The album presents nine original compositions, all by Bukowski except for one track being co-credited to Grabowski, which is a soundtrack to a short film, which is also included as part of this enhanced CD. The music is absolutely stunning, typical melancholic Polish Jazz at its best, with beautifully woven melodies, which are then developed by the ensemble to form serene soundscapes, many of which could serve as soundtracks of imaginary movies, not only the last track on the album, which is a soundtrack in reality. Bukowski emerges from the very first moments of this album as an important composer, which of course would be reconfirmed time after time in the years that followed this recording. The personal contributions by the musicians involved in making this album are all first class. Bukowski deliberately takes a step back and solos rather sparingly, but when he takes the lead his performance is mesmerizing. Most of the solos are performed by Staroniewicz, who is definitely one of the best players in the country with an incredible melodic lyrical tone and virtuosic improvisational qualities. Lemanczyk, again one of the finest players in Poland, does his bass magic like a dream. Zemler plays carefully and intelligently in the background in order to keep the delicate balance this music so much depends on intact. The electronic / sampled ornamentations are all non-obtrusive and well suited to the atmosphere of the music, fitting very well into the overall ambience. Overall this is a superb debut and a fantastic Polish Jazz album, which is mostly overlooked in retrospect, definitely deserving an honorable place on the short list of best albums recorded during the first decade of the 21st Century. Those fans of Polish Jazz that missed getting it at the time: it´s never too late for great music!

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DOMINIK BUKOWSKI ~ TIMES GET CHANGED ECNALUMBA (Barcode: 5907476693314) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2007 Released: 2008 This is the second album as a leader by Polish Jazz vibraphonist / composer Dominik BukowskiFind albums by this artist, one of the most prominent representatives of Poland´s Baltic seashore scene. Bukowski´s output over the years is quite prolific and impressive, but stylistically it is mostly associated with lyrical and melodic Jazz, whereas on this album he presents a brass oriented Hard Bop setting with a distinct "retro" sound and brass dominated arrangements. The album consists of eight original compositions, all by Bukowski (assumedly as credits are not mentioned on the album´s cover). The music is performed by a sextet, which besides Bukowski includes also trumpeter Piotr WojtasikFind albums by this artist, trombonist Jacek NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Lukasz PoprawskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej SzczycinskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Sebastian FrankiewiczFind albums by this artist. It was recorded at the excellent Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist with excellent results, as usual. The music is dominated by the brass section and Bukowski plays solo sparingly, which altogether reflects his position as a leader of this session in the composer´s and arranger´s seats rather than upfront as an instrumentalists. That unselfish decision is of course praiseworthy and also creates a superb ensemble sound, which is after all one of the centerpieces of the Jazz experience. Needless to say the individual performances by all the participants are above reproach. The brass players perform numerous excellent solos, the vibraphone lays out the harmonic parts and the excellent rhythm section moves the music forward with considerable drive but without being overbearing. In retrospect this is a remarkable album, well worth discovering and re-visiting. It is sadly rarely mentioned among the important Polish Jazz recordings, although it definitely deserves an honorable mention, as it is quite different from most other albums recorded in Poland in the first decade of the 21st Century. It is definitely worthy a place in any Jazz connoisseur´s collection and a proud item in Bukowski´s already remarkable legacy.

Updated: 12/06/2018Posted:

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JACEK NAMYSLOWSKI ~ MODERATE HASTE BKQ 004 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2015 This is the debut album as a leader by Polish Jazz trombonist / composer Jacek NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, which comes rather late in his career as he has been active on the local scene for quite a while. He is a son of the legendary Polish Jazz figure saxophonist / composer Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, and since several years has been a member of his father´s ensemble, as well as several other projects. The album was recorded in a classic quintet lineup with saxophonist Lukasz PoprawskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Lukasz OjdanaFind albums by this artist, bassist Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel DobrowolskiFind albums by this artist. It presents seven original compositions, all by the leader (although the album´s packaging says nothing about this, I assume it is so). The album was recorded at the excellent Studio Tokarnia, engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, with spectacular sonic quality. The music is kept well within the mainstream Jazz milieu, which means solid melodic themes expanded to make room for solos by the ensemble members, with relatively steady rhythmic approach and no great surprises. The compositions are all well rounded and based on fine melodic themes, mostly lyrical and somewhat melancholic. This is definitely well crafted music, intelligent and subtle, which does not try to create flashy impressions but asks for attentive listening. In some respects it is somewhat similar to the music which Zbigniew Namyslowski wrote in the early days of his career, but does not venture into folkloristic influences, staying firmly within the well threaded Jazz path. The individual performances are all quite excellent, as these are first-class experienced and gifted musicians. Namyslowski plays beautifully and demonstrates a personal voice, which is not easy to achieve for such a difficult instrument as the trombone. Poprawski plays several fiery solos; the young Ojdana demonstrates his exceptional ability once again, turning every little solo of his into an instant gem. The rhythm section does a perfect job driving the music forward steadily and smoothly with flair and obvious sensitivity. Overall this is pleasant, well rounded mainstream Jazz album, with good music and excellent performances, which should make every Jazz fan happy. People looking for more adventurous outings might find this music somewhat "outdated", but honestly every candid and well played Jazz album has its place and its audience. Definitely worth investigating!

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PSM ~ LIS TMP 005 (Barcode: 0634065597276) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz trio PSMFind albums by this artist, which comprises of saxophonist Lukasz PoprawskiFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist. It presents eleven original compositions, five of which were co-composed by Poprawski and Smoczynski and six were co-composed / improvised by all three members of the trio. The album was recorded at the Studio Tokarnia, which is owned by Smoczynski, who also engineered the recording. The music is very difficult to classify, as it elegantly avoids any specific genre, perhaps due to the unique sound of the synthesizers, which dominates it. Smoczynski plays the classic analog synthesizer ARP Odyssey (or perhaps the new Korg reissue) and the vintage Roland JX-3P synthesizer, which were popular in the 1970s and 1980s (respectively), but are rarely used today. Listeners used to Smoczynski playing the piano will find his playing here completely different of course. Large parts of the music seem to be improvised, with the saxophone exploring the usual melodic plane while the synthesizer adds weird mechanical / industrial pulsing background. Overall the music is completely unique on today´s Improvised Music scene, incorporating elements of New Wave, Krautrock and other synthesizer oriented Rock movements from the 1980s transported thirty plus years forward in time towards today and overdubbed with almost Free Jazz saxophone improvisations. Of course my feeble attempt to describe this music verbally should be simply replaced by listening to the music. The overall result is intriguing and certainly unusual, but is definitely not easy to listen to, except for very open-minded and patient listeners. The synthesizers sound definitely weird and uninviting and their combination with the solo saxophone work on top is challenging. The rhythmic pulse provided by the drums keeps the music on track, and enables the listener not to loose track, but does not ease the effort needed to follow the music. Of course all the individual performances are absolutely top notch. Personally I admire Jan´s and his colleagues´ vision to make such a bizarre and challenging album, but I am afraid it will by way overhead of the average listener, even on the advanced and well educated Polish scene. Hopefully at least some people will find this album deserving their attention, as it is definitely worthy. As usual Jan proves he is one of the most interesting musicians / personalities on the Polish scene, who deserves to be followed closely.

Updated: 24/05/2017Posted: 12/11/2016

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RAFAL SARNECKI ~ A VIEW FROM THE TREETOP ART EVOLUTION 01/2022 (Barcode: 5903819630022) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2021 Released: 2022 This is the fifth album by Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Rafal SarneckiFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quintet setting with saxophonist Lukasz PoprawskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Piotr WylezolFind albums by this artist, bassist Wojciech PulcynFind albums by this artist and drummer Patryk DoboszFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, all by the leader. The music was recorded at Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, with the usual excellent sonic quality. I have been following Sarnecki’s musical path since his debut album from 2008, and he emerges as one of the most surprising and constantly developing artists on the Polish Jaz scene. His long stay in US obviously influenced his creative process, but luckily did not manage to destroy his European ancestry, and this album, his first since his return to Poland, is the best evidence of that. The music is extremely eclectic, with each of the compositions on the album being completely different, which potentially might have been enormously hazardous and chaotic, but surprisingly Sarnecki managed to develop a sonic coherence, which makes listening to this music not only an intellectual challenge but also a highly rewarding experience. This collection of highly unique and even weird tunes, is in my opinion absolutely delightful and stunning. Part of the success is undoubtedly due to the superb team of Polish Jazz musicians selected for this project, who are able to overcome the devilishly complex chord and rhythm changes without a hitch. Poprawski, who is relatively less recognized on the local scene, does a sublime job taking care of most of the soloing. Wylezol, one of my favorite Polish Jazz pianists, who also gets way less respect and recognition that he deserves, is also perfect for the job, as is the fabulous rhythm section. Most importantly, the leader plays rather sparingly, mostly participating in the ensemble sound rather than feature his guitar parts, which is way more typical of European Jazz that the American approach, which puts the soloing in the center of attention. Overall, this is a brilliant, highly unique album, which offers some of the most fascinating music I happened to listen to lately, and is probably the most interesting Polish Jazz album of 2022, so far. It leaves the listener with a longing to hear more, which happens so rarely these days. Congratulations, my Friend, this is definitely your best work so far and I wish you to uphold this path in the future!

Updated: 26/10/2022Posted: 26/10/2022

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MARTA ZALEWSKA ~ JAZZ.PL VOL.2 POLSKIE RADIO 2408-2409 (Barcode: 5907812243869) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2021 Released: 2022 This is an album by Polish Jazz vocalist / bass guitarist / violinist Marta ZalewskaFind albums by this artist, recorded in a septet setting (Orchestra is a bit overboard) with trumpeter Jerzy MalekFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Lukasz PoprawskiFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Piotr WylezolFind albums by this artist, guitarist Krzysztof ZagajewskiFind albums by this artist, drummer Michal PiotrowskiFind albums by this artist and percussionist Jose Manuel Alban JuarezFind albums by this artist. Violist Michal ZaborskiFind albums by this artist appears as special guest, and two backing vocalists are also present. The album presents Fusion arrangements of ten songs by the Polish Rock group DzambleFind albums by this artist, nine of which are taken from their only album entitled “Wolanie O Slonce Nad SwiatemFind albums with this title” released originally in 1971, and one is a non-album single. The album was recorded live by Polish Radio during a series of concerts entitled Jazz.pl, hence the title. The album also includes a bonus CD with radio recordings by the original group, captured between 1969 and 1971. The idea of reanimating this particular cult album in a Jazz / Fusiony setting is not farfetched, considering that on the original album Dzamble had top Polish Jazz musicians of that time: Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist, Zbigniew SeifertFind albums by this artist, Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist and Janusz MuniakFind albums by this artist, playing as guests. The music on this album suffers from a number of problems. The arrangements are rather trivial, the Funky / Brass Rock approach is a bit crude, the vocals are limited and the sound quality of the recording is somewhat muddy. But there are some bright points, like the brilliant solos by Wylezol, who never fails, and trumpet solos by Malek, who is a real pro. The biggest obstacle for me is that the new approach completely does not connect to the concept (musical and ideological) of the original. Altogether, I’d rather stick to the original album than listen to this, but of course each to his own. The bonus CD with the archival recordings is of course perfect, and emphasizes the gap between the source and the replica. Overall, this an attempt to revive a legendary classic Rock / Fusion album, which basically misses the target, but offers some nice performances by the musicians involved, but the 2CD package is worth its price just for the bonus CD with the archival material.

Updated: 28/02/2023Posted: 28/02/2023

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