Record Reviews

SZYMON MIKA ~ TOGETHERNESS HEVHETIA 0175 (Barcode: 8588005258425) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is the second album by the Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Szymon MikaFind albums by this artist, recorded, same as the debut album, in an intimate trio format with bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and Israeli drummer Ziv RavitzFind albums by this artist. Three guest musicians appear on selected tracks: vocalist Basia DerlakFind albums by this artist, who also contributed the lyrics to the four songs she appears on, Joachim MencelFind albums by this artist who plays the hurdy-gurdy on three tracks and pianist Mateusz PalkaFind albums by this artist, who plays on five tracks. The album presents eleven original compositions, all by Mika. It album was beautifully recorded at the Monochrom Studio and engineered by Maciej StachFind albums by this artist. The music on this album is decidedly more diverse and shows a more searching attitude than the excellent debut album, which is very encouraging and promising development. There are obvious World Music influences present in this music, but also openness and noticeable reach beyond mainstream Jazz, which was still the core of the debut album. Mucha and Ravitz are ideal partners in this quest for new identity, both of them being unconventional in their approach to music and exceptionally gifted, providing exquisite support to Mika´s lead parts and building a solid, but adventurous, rhythmic layer behind him. The four vocal tracks are also quite surprising and show another facet of Mika´s talent. Derlak sings in Polish, which is already a good starting point, and handles the relatively complex music with ease and obvious flair. Her Folksy mannerisms are a nice addition to the Jazz setting and I´d love to hear more of her in such setting. The tracks with Mencel and Palka, when the ensemble becomes a quintet (or even sextet with the addition of vocals) are somewhat different form the trio tracks, offering more conventional melody lines and ambience and adding to the overall diversity and fluency of the album as a whole. Overall the album is a clear and elegant step forward for Mika in many respects: as a composer, a bandleader and a guitarist. He joins the ranks of the new generation of Polish Jazz musicians, who are gradually taking over the center of the stage both in Poland and in Europe. Kudos are also due to the Slovak HevhetiaFind albums on this label label, which is rapidly becoming one of the most important, open minded and active record labels in Europe and manages to expand its roster of artist to include many of the young generation´s top artists, including neighbors from across the Tatra Mountains, and support them loyally. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 11/08/2018Posted: 11/08/2018

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MATEUSZ PALKA ~ SANSA EMME 1704 (Barcode: 850869006145) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz pianist / composer Mateusz PalkaFind albums by this artist and his trio which also includes bassist Piotr PoludniakFind albums by this artist and drummer Patryk DoboszFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine compositions, seven of which are originals by the leader, one is composed by Poludniak and one is a standard. The album was beautifully recorded at the RecPublica Studios and engineered by Maciej StachFind albums by this artist. The album´s title and artwork obviously hint as to someone´s adoration of the "Game Of Thrones" imagery. The album was released by an Italian label, which means that the young Poles age definitely going places! The music is deeply melodic and typical of contemporary mainstream European Jazz idiom, with emphasis on the Polish lyricism and melancholy, which are almost omnipresent on recordings by Polish Jazz musicians / composers. The themes are developed gradually and lingeringly, which adds to the tension this music creates and keeps the listener on edge. The overall level of composition is excellent and composition is the focus of this album. The trio plays very well together, with the piano clearly dominating the proceedings, but the rhythm section being audible and leading the music amicably. Dobosz displays a wide array of percussive trickery, which suits the music perfectly, while Poludniak keeps his bass lines down to earth and solid like a rock. The overall sound and attitude of the trio is fresh and innovative, especially in view of the fact that it rarely swings in the traditional meaning of the term, but allows for a large degree of rhythmical space, which is intriguing and very effective. Overall this is a stunning debut effort, as surprising as many other debut efforts by young Polish Jazz musicians, who seem to have found the formula to keep Jazz alive and kicking and intellectually challenging. These young lions are the hope of European Jazz, and in the not to distant future should achieve the acclaim they so well deserve. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 14/09/2017Posted: 14/09/2017

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MATEUSZ SOBIECHOWSKI ~ VITAL MUSIC CHALLENGE 73461 (Barcode: 608917346121) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2018 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz quintet led by pianist / composer Mateusz SobiechowskiFind albums by this artist with saxophonist Marcin KaletkaFind albums by this artist, guitarist Szymon MikaFind albums by this artist, bassist Adam TadelFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz PalkaFind albums by this artist, all representatives of the excellent young Polish Jazz generation. The album presents nine pieces, eight of which are original compositions by Sobiechowski and one is a standard. The album was released by the prestigious Dutch label ChallengeFind albums on this label Records, which recently entered the Polish Jazz realm. The recording was engineered my Maciej StachFind albums by this artist and offers a superb sound quality. The music is typical contemporary Polish / European mainstream Jazz, based on excellent compositions and performed with elegance and passion. Most of the themes are low key, full of characteristic Polish melancholy, which seems to be omnipresent on the majority of Polish Jazz recordings. The compositions are excellently structured, diverse and interesting enough to produce a fascinating continuity which keeps the listener on his toes. The performances are also top notch, obviously highly professional, but more importantly heartfelt, artistically inclined and highly aesthetic. All three front line players offer excellent soloing and the rhythm section does a perfect job all the way through, being supportive but not obtrusive. Personally I find the contributions by Mika to be slightly more focused and inspired than those of his peers, but that said, and as already stated, everybody plays splendidly. Sobiechowski solos relatively sparingly for a leader, which is much respected, as it contributes to the overall quintet´s team spirit and creates a coherent ensemble statement. Overall this is a very impressive debut, which offers both superb compositions and elegant execution, which would not shame veteran Jazz musicians anywhere on this planet. It is another manifestation of the strength of the Polish Jazz scene and its continuous development, which is now being recognized beyond the country´s borders. Warmly recommended to Jazz connoisseurs the world over!

Updated: 17/10/2018Posted: 17/10/2018

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MACIEK WOJCIESZUK ~ MWQ SJ 014 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the debut album by the young Polish Jazz quintet led by drummer Maciek WojcieszukFind albums by this artist, which also includes trumpeter Pawel PalcowskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Kuba LepaFind albums by this artist, pianist Paulina AtmanskaFind albums by this artist and bassist Adam TadelFind albums by this artist. Together they perform seven original compositions (presumably by the leader), while the album´s packaging gives no information whatsoever as to the authors of these compositions, which is careless not to mention unwise. The music is all pretty conventional, well within the Jazz mainstream and the Bebop tradition. The compositions are solid and mature, serving the quintet members well as vehicles for their ensemble parts and their individual solos. Considering the age of these musicians, this is definitely a very fitting display of their talents. The personal abilities of the quintet members might be a bit hesitant at times, but show a lot of promise, and again considering that these are their early professional steps, they deserve a lenient criticism. It is difficult to point out anyone specific from the quintet´s lineup, as they all perform formidably. Personally I think Atmanska stands out due to her unusual approach to the piano, which uses hard vamping a la McCoy TynerFind albums by this artist and displays more freedom in her playing than her colleagues. Tadel also deserves a special mention, as his sold bass lines and beautiful solos are some of the album´s highlights. But again this album is overall an impressive debut, which can make the leader and his cohorts proud of themselves. The sound quality of the album, recorded at the excellent RecPublica Studios and engineered by Maciej StachFind albums by this artist is another of this album´s strong points. Since I had the opportunity to hear these young musicians during their studies at the Jazz Department of the Katowice Music Academy, I am not surprised by their abilities, a phenomenon which characterizes the students at all the Polish Music Academies, where a young generation of Polish Jazz musicians is currently being groomed. The amount of talent among these young musicians is simply staggering, thus making sure that Polish Jazz is destined to flourish in the future as much as it does already now. Definitely an album worth investigating!

Updated: 09/07/2016Posted: 09/07/2016

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