Record Reviews

MAREK JAKUBOWSKI ~ COLORS ALLEGRO 037 (Barcode: 5901157049377) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2019 This is the third album as a leader by Polish Jazz drummer / composer Marek JakubowskiFind albums by this artist. The first two albums, recorded in a classic piano trio format, were recorded in 2013 (i.e. six years ago) and this debut album in a quartet setting was recorded in 2017 (i.e. two years ago), which means that Jakubowski is certainly taking his time to create new music for his releases, not like many other musicians who somehow feel obligated to release albums in an almost obsessive paste. The quartet includes saxophonist Marek KonarskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Jacek SzwajFind albums by this artist and bassist Damian KostkaFind albums by this artist, all members of the young and upcoming generation of the Polish Jazz scene. The album presents ten original compositions, all by Jakubowski. The music is all well within the modern mainstream Post-bop mold, but the compositions are all very well weaved and complex enough to serve as excellent vehicles for the quartet members to show their chops. The ballads display the characteristic Polish melancholy, which of course is expected. As usual with Jakubowski´s albums, the focus is certainly on the compositions rather than on the performances, which of course does not mean that those are inferior in any way. In many ways Jakubowski is almost a class of his own as far as Jazz compositions on the Polish scene are concerned, and deserved a much wider recognition than he enjoys today. Both Konarski and Szwaj offer excellent soloing, showing deep empathy with the compositions and Kostka stands shoulder to shoulder with the leader to keep the music well on track rhythmically, also soloing superbly on the way. This is European mainstream Jazz at its finest hour and a delightful listening experience to all fans of this idiom. It is good to see (hear) Jakubowski back on the track, hoping he will not keep us waiting so long next time, as he is certainly is one of the most talented Polish Jazz composers with a deep love and respect to all that is characteristically Polish in music, going back to Frederic ChopinFind albums by this artist´s legacy. A true beauty warmly recommended!

Updated: 15/11/2019Posted: 15/11/2019

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MAREK JAKUBOWSKI ~ MY OWN ... RECART 0007 (Barcode: 5908285287060) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2013 This is a beautiful debut album by young Polish Jazz drummer / composer Marek JakubowskiFind albums by this artist, who leads a classic piano trio with pianist Adam BieranowskiFind albums by this artist and bassist Piotr Max WisniewskiFind albums by this artist. The album comprises of eleven original compositions, all by Jakubowski, three of which are short (a minute or less) interludes, i.e. there are eight full scale compositions altogether. The focus of this album is the level of the compositions, which are all simply outstanding. Deeply rooted in Jazz tradition, they mange to present a fresh look at composition, which amalgamates a myriad of influences, starting with the intrinsically Polish melancholy and including odd meters, subtle World Music themes, vamping and repeated riffs, extra slow tempo and countless other tricks of the trade, which probably partly come about subconsciously. Nevertheless this music is first class – a fresh breath of air within the "mainstream" approach, which so often tends to be simply boring. Combined with the superb level of execution by the trio, these compositions achieve full bloom and turn into a most pleasurable listening experience. All three musicians show a great level of respect towards each other and even though the drummer is the trio´s leader there are no unnecessary solo spots just to prove it. In fact there is a perfect balance between the instruments, with the piano obviously stating the melody and harmony, as well as most of the improvised parts and the rhythm section supports it with a solid and empathetic embrace. The strength of a piano trio is never just a total of the individual talents of its members, must above all the level of cooperation and mutual interplay they are able to generate, as is splendidly shown here. As usual in such cases my heart fills up with pride and joy every time a representative of the young generation of the Polish Jazz scene comes up with a project, which clearly shows that the heritage will be continued in the years to come. Those young musicians grow up musically much faster than decades earlier and by the time they graduate from music academies they are already accomplished musicians with a level of maturity that never ceases to amaze. Overall this is an admirable debut, which immediately points out to keep the names of these musicians on the "watched" list, hoping to hear from them again. Every piano trio connoisseur in the world should be able to enjoy this music to the fullest, as I did. Well done indeed!

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MAREK JAKUBOWSKI ~ PATIENT AND STUBBORN RECART 0011 (Barcode: 5908285287107) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2014 This is the second album by the fabulous young Polish Jazz drummer / composer Marek JakubowskiFind albums by this artist, recorded with the same trio that recorded the sensational debut ("My Own…Find albums with this title") just a few months earlier, which includes pianist Adam BieranowskiFind albums by this artist and bassist Piotr Max WisniewskiFind albums by this artist. The album comprises of eleven original compositions, all by Jakubowski, two of which are short interludes and the rest are fully developed pieces. Everything I already wrote in my review of the debut applies yet again to this album. Jakubowski´s compositions are all little gems, beautifully melodic and harmonic and yet completely non-trivial and full of twists and turns. The strength of the material is consistent and diverse, which makes listening to this album a real pleasure. This compositional attitude is a wonderful example of how mainstream Jazz can still be creative and inventive. The level of execution is also excellent from start to finish with Bieranowski displaying incredible lyricism and delicate touch, which result in elegant and intelligent delivery. Wisniewski is supportive and his solos are beautifully modest and concise. Jakubowski is a very versatile drummer, using an array of different sounds produced by his sticks and brushes, always at the appropriate volume and fitting the music ideally. This trio is emerging as one of the classic piano trios on the Polish scene, following in the footsteps of the established leaders like RGGFind albums by this artist or Marcin WasilewskiFind albums by this artist´s trio. The album is very well recorded and its sonic quality contributes greatly to the overall result, creating is a superb piano trio achievement, which many listeners around the world could enjoy. It is great to see that Jakubowski and his trio managed to repeat their success yet again and hopefully thy will continue to do so in the future. I can´t wait to hear more of this music!

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LESZEK ZALESKI ~ MY SONGS QBK 022 (Barcode: 5901549204247) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by Polish guitarist / composer Leszek ZaleskiFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet setting with pianist Dawid TroczewskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Piotr SypienFind albums by this artist and drummer Marek JakubowskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original compositions, all by Zaleski. The music is a melodic mainstream Jazz, very clean and straightforward and yet elegant and aesthetically appealing. The melodic themes, which as Zaleski states in his liner notes, were composed over a period of several years, are all solid and coherent, presenting a gifted composer, obviously influenced by contemporary guitar superheroes but stating his own ideas. The instrumental performances are excellent, as expected, no big surprises but solid professional playing and a lot of joy for guitar fans. Zaleski plays both acoustic and electric guitars and his clean tone and imaginative solos are very pleasing. Troczewski also deserves attention, as his piano work here is every bit as strong as the leader´s guitar, beautifully enriching the overall sound. The rhythm section is proficient, but does not step beyond the expected support needed by the soloists, simply doing what is needed in this case. The recording quality is top notch, which results in a well balanced sound and perfect clarity, which are essential to ensure full enjoyment of the music. The album as a whole should satisfy all guitar loving music connoisseurs, who are not looking for experimentation or groundbreaking excursions, but who love to sit back and enjoy a set of beautifully melodic tunes played exactly the way they should be. I hope to hear more from Zaleski and his team in the future, and in the meantime enjoy this little gem to the max!

Updated: 26/01/2018Posted: 26/01/2018

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