Record Reviews

BARTEK HALICKI ~ ETNOGRAF SOLITON 853 (Barcode: 5901571098531) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz trombonist / composer Bartek HalickiFind albums by this artist recorded with his septet which also includes trombonist Jacek NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Maciej KadzielaFind albums by this artist and Dariusz StanislawskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Marcel BalinskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Rafal RozalskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Karol SzczygielFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven compositions, the first four of which are grouped together into a Jazz Suite. Although not specifically mentioned on the album´s artwork, the compositions and arrangements are assumed to be all by Halicki. The music is an ambitious project amalgamating many stylistic Jazz elements, starting with traditional Jazz from the early 20th Century, Bebop and modern European Jazz, as well as Folkloristic themes and Big Band / Orchestral arrangements. The result, although kept well within the mainstream Jazz idiom, is fresh and full of youthful energy and offers a most pleasant musical experience. The septet performances and the excellent arrangements are able to achieve a big orchestral sound, which creates an illusion of a much bigger group of musicians being involved in the process. With solos played in parallel by several musicians and multilayered melodic division skillfully intertwined, the music makes a potent impression and forces the listener to pay attention to the many details happening at once. In spite of the young age of most of the musicians involved in this project, it is immediately obvious that they are all well educated and schooled, and most importantly enjoy the opportunity to play music together, which evidently influences the end result. Their fluency and knowledge of the Jazz tradition and its many sub-genres is impressive indeed. But as usual it is the cooperation between the septet members which is the most important factor leading to the success of this music. Since larger Jazz ensembles become less and less popular over time, for a variety of reasons: economic, logistic and artistic, it is a real joy to see a successful septet doing such a splendid job. Hopefully Halicki will be able to continue his large ensemble passion in the future as well. Overall this is an impressive debut album, which offers both excellent compositions and exciting performances, as appropriate for the young Lions of Polish Jazz, and which should keep Jazz connoisseurs happy anywhere on this planet. Warmly recommended!

Updated: 28/10/2018Posted: 28/10/2018

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JAZZ FORUM TALENTS ~ JAZZ.PL VOL.1 POLSKIE RADIO 2382 (Barcode: 5907812242411) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2021 Released: 2022 This is the debut album by a septet of young Polish Jazz musicians collected under the auspices of the veteran Polish Jazz magazine Jazz Forum and called appropriately Jazz Forum TalentsFind albums by this artist. It includes pianist Katarzyna PietrzkoFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Maciej KadzielaFind albums by this artist, guitarist Jakub MizerackiFind albums by this artist, violinist Tomasz ChylaFind albums by this artist, harmonica player Kacper SmolinskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Roman ChraniukFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam ZagorskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, one each by all the septet members. The album was recorded live by Polish Radio during a series of concerts entitled Jazz.pl, hence the title. Despite the relatively young age of the members of the septet, each of them has already gained significant experience on the local scene, as well as recording legacy as a leader and / or sideman. Therefore, the septet has more of a representative significance of the young Polish Jazz scene than an artistic collaboration. As a result, this CD is exactly that, a calling card presenting the individual talents of the septet members rather than a coherent artistic effort by the ensemble. The compositions vary significantly in quality and style, all deeply rooted in mainstream Jazz and / or Fusion, but sadly hardly representative of the typical Polish Jazz qualities of lyricism and profound introspection. Overall, this is a sort of a “sampler” meant to introduce listeners to explore the contemporary Polish Jazz scene, which presents the lighter / more conventional facet of the incredibly varied and gorgeous phenomenon called Polish Jazz, which encompasses everything from traditional Jazz to experimental Avant-Garde. The music is very well performed by able musicians and is certainly entertaining.

Updated: 08/12/2023Posted: 27/02/2023

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MACIEJ KADZIELA ~ THE TASTE OF THE WORLD MULTICULTI MPJ 014 (Barcode: 5907796319796) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the second album by young Polish Jazz saxophonist Maciej KadzielaFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet setting with pianist Artur TuznikFind albums by this artist and Swedish rhythm section: bassist Johannes VahtFind albums by this artist and drummer Olle DernevikFind albums by this artist. Polish saxophonist Grzech PiotrowskiFind albums by this artist guests on two tracks. The quartet was formed in Copenhagen, where these musicians studied together at the local Music Academy and summarizes Kadziela´s experiences during his stay in Denmark. The album presents ten original compositions, all by the leader. The album immediately strikes the listener as a mature and serious offering, which presents Kadziela playing with remarkable fluidity and confidence, completely uncommon among Jazz musicians of his age group. The rest of the quartet members stand shoulder to shoulder with the leader, supporting him amicably and intelligently all the way through. Beautifully lyrical piano by Tuznik, solid and virtuosic bass layer keeping the music on solid ground at all times by Vaht and explosive but always at the right measure percussive ornamentation by Dernevik are an excellent examples of what team work is all about. The music is typical modern European Jazz, dancing elegantly on the verge of mainstream melodic lines and free vistas, creating a wonderful tension and keeping the listener on edge throughout the entire duration of the album. The melodic layer tends to be filled with typical Polish melancholy, but the energetic performances by the musicians save it from being overtly lethargic. Some Scandinavian elements are also clearly audible, which of course makes perfect sense considering the quartet´s lineup and common history. Some references to the compositions of Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist and the playing of John ColtraneFind albums by this artist are inevitable, but those are subtle and Kadziela will soon find his very own original voice as a composer and saxophonist. Overall this is a most impressive album, full of wonderful playing, searching and experimenting, as appropriate for Jazz. Definitely one of the best Polish Jazz releases so far in 2016, and beyond. Hopefully more of such splendid music will follow suit in not too distant future. I can´t wait already!

Updated: 26/10/2016Posted: 23/09/2016

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MAREK KADZIELA ~ JAZZ ENSEMBLE AUDIO CAVE 2021/004 (Barcode: 5908298549254) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2021 As hard as it is to believe, this is only the second album as a leader by Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Marek KadzielaFind albums by this artist, this time recorded in a quintet setting with his brother saxophonist Maciej KadzielaFind albums by this artist, trombonist Jacek NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Pawel PuszczaloFind albums by this artist and drummer Radoslaw BolewskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Marek Kadziela. During the second decade of the 2000s Kadziela participated in numerous recordings and co-led several Polish and international ensembles, as diverse as Hunger PangsFind albums by this artist, JazabuFind albums by this artist, K.R.A.N.Find albums by this artist and KaMaSzFind albums by this artist as well as his own ADHDFind albums by this artist. These recordings present a restless, searching spirit, who is constantly trying to re-invent himself and drive towards uncharted territory, crossing genres with ease and competence. Over the years I have had the pleasure to listen to him live as well, which often exposed other aspects of his wide-ranging musical personality. There is no doubt that during that time he established himself not only as one of the leading Polish guitarists, but also as an important leader and trendsetter. In many respects this album (as Kadziela himself states on the album’s liner notes) is an amalgamation of his experiences up to now, with an emphasis on composition, as much as on his guitar playing skills. The rather unusual sounding ensemble highlights his originality as a sound creator, which enhances the acoustic quintet with skillful use of electronics, creating a modern, somewhat rough and toothed exterior, which hides the melodic contents, without damaging it. The individual performances are all absolutely stunning, with the leader moving between Wes MontgomeryFind albums by this artist and Jimi HendrixFind albums by this artist and back in an instant, always being himself. Namyslowski is a surprise as his playing is more open and daring than usual and the rhythm section does a wonderful job driving the music forward and filling the blanks. Overall this is a wonderful modern Jazz album, full of great music and intricate individual performances, not easy on the ear and demanding attentive listening, but highly rewarding. Although Kadziela made a giant step forward in his career, deep down he is still a Blues / Rock kid who loves to show his guitar licks, which I personally love as much as all the serious stuff he is playing. Having said that, this album is almost completely free of any Fusion accents, announcing the leader’s full commitment to the Jazz idiom. Hats off!

Updated: 10/04/2021Posted: 10/04/2021

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LOPEZ & KADZIELA ~ AUGMENTATION JAZZ ACTIVIST 05 (Barcode: 8428353600524) ~ SPAIN ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by the young European quartet co-led by Spanish (Galician) drummer Carlos LopezFind albums by this artist and Polish saxophonist Maciej KadzielaFind albums by this artist, with Spanish (well, Galician again) pianist Xan CamposFind albums by this artist and Swedish bassist Johannes VahtFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, four composed by Lopez, three by Kadziela and one by Vaht. The music is a wonderful example of young contemporary European Jazz, full of vigor and flare, based on melodic compositions but including an extensive degree of freedom, which enables novel improvisation and unexpected time signatures. The melodies are well structures and coherent harmonically, diverse stylistically and often include World Music influences, with some Iberian motifs clearly distinguishable. The individual performances are all excellent, as expected form these well schooled and already quite experienced musicians. Fiery and inspired soloing and superb team work contribute to the overall result, which is a genuine pleasure to listen to. Although most of these ensembles are created ad hoc in the burgeoning environment created at the Copenhagen´s Rhythmic Music Conservatory, where many excellent European musicians study, hopefully this quartet will come together to record and tour, as it is unquestionably too good to be a one time affair. Definitely worth investigation and highly recommended for modern European Jazz connoisseurs!

Updated: 30/03/2018Posted: 30/03/2018

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JERZY MALEK ~ FOREVELLE KAYAX 103 (Barcode: 5907678818645) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is the seventh album as leader by Polish Jazz trumpeter / composer Jerzy MalekFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quintet setting with keyboardist Dominik KisielFind albums by this artist, guitarist Krzysztof LochowiczFind albums by this artist, bassist Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and drummer Slawomir KoryznoFind albums by this artist. Saxophonist Maciej KadzielaFind albums by this artist guests on one track. Together they perform seven original compositions, all by Malek. The music is typical melodic mainstream Jazz, full of distinctive Polish Jazz characteristics, like melancholic ballads, Slavic folkloristic harmonies and the overall atmosphere of poignancy, even on the up-tempo numbers. All the seven originals are solid compositions, elegant, well structured and aesthetically pleasing, especially so the ballads, which seem to be Malek´s forte. The execution is also top notch, with evident class and talent displayed by the musicians involved. Malek is an excellent trumpeter, with steady clear tone and brilliant phrasing, and his playing is a great example of the classic approach to Jazz trumpet, which is sadly not very appreciated these days. Kisiel plays beautiful piano lines both on the acoustic and electric instruments, contributing several nice solos and supporting the leader amicably. Lochowicz is a mystery as I could only hear him on one tune and there he was so back in the mix that he was totally lost. Swies, a veteran and brilliant bassist, is one of the top Polish players and every recording featuring his talents is already ahead just by his presence. Koryzno plays also very well, supporting the steady rhythmic patterns with confidence and skill, staying respectfully in the background. Overall this is a classic mainstream album, which features superb tunes and excellent execution, which should make every Jazz connoisseur in the world happy. There is no innovation or groundbreaking here, but not every Jazz album has to be about these elements. Playing solid, excellent mainstream Jazz like the one here is still Art.

Updated: 19/11/2016Posted: 19/11/2016

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MOONBOW ~ WHEN THE SLEEPING FISH TURN RED AND THE SKIES START TO SING IN C MAJOR I WILL FOLLOW YOU TO THE END ILK 264 (Barcode: 5706274007374) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is the debut album by a European septet MoonbowFind albums by this artist consisting of musicians based in Copenhagen. It includes Polish saxophonist Maciej KadzielaFind albums by this artist and bassist Tomo JacobsonFind albums by this artist, Norwegian saxophonist Danielle DahlFind albums by this artist, Danish saxophonist Mads EgetoftFind albums by this artist and drummer Kresten OsgoodFind albums by this artist, German pianist Lucas LeidingerFind albums by this artist and Swedish guitarist Anton JanssonFind albums by this artist. The album presents six original compositions, all by Jacobson. The album´s artwork also presents a poem written by the legendary American Improvised Music giant William Parker, who wrote it in response to the music. The music, mostly freely improvised, displays the infinite possibilities of a large ensemble, which allows encounters which range from solo performances to the entire septet involved in group improvisation. It is very engaging and fascinating, bold and free-spirited, but at the same time completely coherent. The melodic themes are briefly stated and later disappear into the subconscious plane beneath the improvisations. In spite of the incredible power of a large ensemble, the music is completely devoid of conflict and wonderfully illustrates the concept of collective improvisation, based on mutual respect and almost telepathic communication between the players. There are many superb individual statements by the musicians involved, but the collective result is definitely more that just a sum of its ingredients. Although the album is relatively short (under forty minutes), it is full of emotion and tonal beauty, which should be highly appreciated by fans of Improvised Music. Hopefully this ensemble will make another album, as they surely have much more to say musically. Well done!

Updated: 02/06/2017Posted: 02/06/2017

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GNIEWOMIR TOMCZYK ~ PIECES OF MY JOURNEY SOLITON 1038 (Barcode: 5903684230389) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Pop Fusion Recorded: 2020 Released: 2020 This is the third album by Polish Jazz drummer / composer Gniewomir TomczykFind albums by this artist, recorded with a core quartet including vocalist MIN tFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Martyna KubiczFind albums by this artist), saxophonist Maciej KadzielaFind albums by this artist and keyboardist Zdzislaw KalinowskiFind albums by this artist. A long list of guests appears on selected tracks. The album presents nine original compositions, eight composed or co-composed by Tomczyk and one by Kadziela. There are also six bonus tracks which are either remixes or radio edits of the album’s tracks. The music shows clearly the path Tomczyk has been following since the start of his career, moving gradually away from the traditional concept of Jazz into contemporary Pop. Although his music still carries some marginal Jazz accents, the emphasis is on production, contemporary sound and highly melodic contents. Although not exactly my cup of poison, the music is professionally put together and Tomczyk knows exactly what he is doing. Make no mistake, he is quite an accomplished Jazz drummer is he wants to be, but obviously his current desire is to produce elegant and quite sophisticated Pop music, which is every iota as good as the best accomplishments in this area over the pond and anywhere else around the globe, without being disgusting and plainly primitive, as most Pop productions are these days. Large parts of this music are instrumental and there are some nice solo parts by Kadziela and the guest artists, with makes the music shift between Jazz-Pop Fusion and Smooth Jazz, with a bit of Avant-Garde touch for good measure, which awaits the listener just when he is blissfully floating towards the horizon. As already said earlier, this is not “strictly” Jazz, but at least it does not pretend to be so. It operates within clearly defined cross-genre borders, offering its own rules and production values, which are highly effective. I really enjoy this music, here it is, I admit it! It has its time and its place and does not replace my love for Jazz or Classic Rock or anything else, but I do appreciate the effort and talent put into it and completely non-snobbishly enjoy it. And as usual I don’t give a damn what others think ;) Well done!

Updated: 30/03/2021Posted: 30/03/2021

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GNIEWOMIR TOMCZYK / PROJECT LIVE ~ QUALITY JAZZ LIVE SJ 034 (Barcode: 5912596066672) ~ POLAND ~ Smooth Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is the second album by Polish drummer / composer Gniewomir TomczykFind albums by this artist, this time recorded live and presenting some of the compositions included on the debut album recorded with keyboardist Andrzej MikulskiFind albums by this artist and new original compositions by Tomczyk intended to appear on the next studio album. The album consists of seven tracks recorded live and five additional bonus tracks recorded in various locations either live or in studio. Tomczyk is accompanied by an impressive group of young Polish musicians, which includes keyboardist Zdzislaw KalinowskiFind albums by this artist, cellist Anna FurkalowskaFind albums by this artist, violinist Robert SeniutaFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Maciej KadzielaFind albums by this artist and others, with several people providing the rap and vocal parts. The music is a sophisticated amalgam of Jazz roots with contemporary Pop / electronic / Avant Rock / Rap excursions, melody based but allowing plenty of space for improvisation and individual statements by the participating musicians, which works quite well and definitely explores new horizons as far as Jazz music is concerned, bringing it much closer to contemporary popular music trends, without loosing any of the intellectual and artistic quality. The album is a very refreshing listening experience and although it is a compilation of available recordings rather than a coherent and well planed album, it still works out well and offers plenty of diverse and at times even fascinating music. For the young generation of Jazz musicians and listeners, such cross genre excursions sound completely natural. For the Jazz purist my advice is to take the stick out of their rectum and let go – this is fun music and is to be treated as such. Personally I am already waiting to hear the next album by Tomczyk, which promises to be an exciting journey.

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

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ZK COLLABORATION ~ DOUBLE UNIVERSE FPJ ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz quartet called ZK CollaborationFind albums by this artist, co-led by drummer Adam ZagorskiFind albums by this artist and saxophonist Maciej KadzielaFind albums by this artist, which also includes pianist Mateusz GawedaFind albums by this artist and bassist Damian KostkaFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original compositions, five of which were composed by Zagorski (three of them are combined into a triptych), four were composed by Kadziela and one was composed by Gaweda. The music is modern melody based Jazz and offers excellent compositions and first class performances by the quartet members. A modest use of electronic effects is employed to spice the acoustic sound of the quartet, but does not dramatically alter the overall mainstream Jazz orientation of the music as a whole. But the music does offer a unique and characteristic sound, with the busy drums and the strong bass pulsations being often up front rather than behind the soloists, which creates a somewhat heavy and eerie effect. This music is quite different from the "usual" young Polish Jazz efforts, since it completely lacks any of the typical Polish melancholy and romanticism, which most Polish Jazz musicians employ almost involuntarily. Here the music tends more towards harsh, almost industrial motifs, which are often challenging and provocative. This creates an element of tension and unrest, which of course keeps the listener on edge as long as the music is playing. All four members of the quartet are well seasoned musicians, which of course is evident throughout the entire album. Gaweda tends to focus the listener´s attention on himself, whenever given a chance, as his brilliant piano parts are indeed extraordinary and neck-breaking even when he is not soloing. He is balanced by the well structured and full bodied saxophone parts by Kadziela. Zagorski makes sure that the listener is aware of the fact that the drummer is the boss here, but all in all he drives the music safely and securely towards its goal, shoulder to shoulder with Kostka, who makes sure nobody misses a beat. Overall this is an excellent debut effort, which offers highly original music and sound, different from most of what the Polish Jazz scene has to offer, excellent musicianship and first class compositions. Definitely worth being discovered and highly recommended!

Updated: 24/11/2018Posted: 24/11/2018

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ZK COLLABORATION ~ SLOW FOOD (POLISH JAZZ VOL.86) WARNER MUSIC POLAND 190296508127 (Barcode: 190296508127) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2021 Released: 2021 This is the second album by Polish Jazz outfit ZK CollaborationFind albums by this artist co-led by drummer Adam ZagorskiFind albums by this artist and saxophonist Maciej KadzielaFind albums by this artist, this time expanded to a quintet with original pianist Mateusz GawedaFind albums by this artist and new members: guitarist Jakub MizerackiFind albums by this artist and bassist Roman ChraniukFind albums by this artist (the last two are members of the Skicki-SkiukFind albums by this artist quartet). The album was recorded at the Warsaw Jasmine Jazz Club, but not live, and presents eight original compositions, seven of which were co-composed by the two leaders and one by Marek KadzielaFind albums by this artist, Maciej’s brother. The music is deeply soaked in Fusion and the guitar is the most dominant instrument in the proceedings, which remind the humorous “Heavy Metal Be-Bop” moniker almost perfectly. The compositions are all solid, but contrary to the statement in the liner notes, are completely mainstream oriented and bring nothing new to the table. The recording suffers from a murky / muddy sound, which makes listening to the album an effort and requires the volume knob to be turned down. The balance between the instruments is also heavily influenced, with the saxophone and piano often disappearing in the mix. Of course one can assume all this was done purposely and was the choice of the musicians. The members of the group are all experienced and talented musicians of course and there are many potentially enjoyable moments on this album, like the baritone saxophone parts and the more relaxed guitar soli, but this album sounds like something recorded in the 1970s, which might have worked well than, but sound rather outdated today. Overall, this is a rather mundane effort, which does not exploit the tremendous potential these musicians have to offer, and which suffers from some bad decisions involving the recording process. A pity but not a tragedy ;) 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: 06/01/2022Posted: 06/01/2022

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