Record Reviews

ADAM BALDYCH ~ LEGEND ANAKLASIS 020 (Barcode: 5907795211855) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2021 Released: 2022 This is an album by Polish Jazz violinist / composer Adam BaldychFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quintet setting with saxophonist Marek KonarskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Lukasz OjdanaFind albums by this artist, bassist Michal BaranskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Dawid FortunaFind albums by this artist, and Polish Classical violinist Agata SzymczewskaFind albums by this artist. The album presents compositions inspired by the music of Polish Classical violinist / composer Henryk WieniawskiFind albums by this artist, nine of which are original compositions by Baldych and one is variation on a composition by Wieniawski. The album was released by the prestigious Polish AnaklasisFind albums on this label label as part of its “Revisions” series. I have followed Baldych’s career closely since his arrival on the scene over a decade ago and even had the pleasure of writing the liner notes for one of his early albums, always believing in his extraordinary talent and proudly watching his amazing achievements over time. His participation in this prestigious series is therefore not surprising at all. The meeting of Jazz and Classical violins is not a completely novel idea of course, but in the past this happened mostly on the lighter side of the music spectrum (see kitsch), whereas here we witness a true connubiality of the two with no concessions whatsoever to the aesthetic meritum of the entire concept. Baldych’s compositions are sublimely melodic, absolutely soaked in the Polish lyricism and melancholy, not far in spirit from the music of this album’s patron. Therefore, the “inspired by” relationship is perhaps the most vivid of all the albums in this series. Even when the music ventures into a more Avant-Garde territory, it still firmly relates to the subject matter, not losing any of its melodicism of even lyricism. The members of the quintet stand up to the challenge with flying colors, providing a full-fledged harmonious base for the two violinist to play solos and duets at lengths. Ojdana, a brilliant Jazz pianist by any standard, is absolutely instrumental to the success of the whole project, showing wonderful restraint and profound understanding of his supportive role, but soloing with class and exceptional fluidity. Konarski adds his saxophone parts also extremely carefully and delicately, sounding somehow like another violin, as outlandish as this might sound. The highly proficient rhythm section is also completely enlisted to the cause, providing the ever so delicate Jazzy heartbeat to the proceedings. Almost anything said about the two violinist might sound completely superfluous, as they are both already established as Masters of their Art. It is very comforting that the initial fears and reservations proved to be completely baseless and everything worked out magnificently well. One can only hope that this duet will meet again soon, and judging by Baldych’s love of the duet idiom, my hopes are high. Overall, this is an absolutely marvelous album, one of the most natural amalgamations of Jazz and Classical Music I have encountered over the years. Everything here breathes music, elegance, dedication, good taste and impeccable performances. What a coincident that I should write these words on Valentine’s Day, as this album is so Romantic it simply melts one’s heart away. Thank you my Friends for another sublime gift of Music!

Updated: 14/02/2023Posted: 14/02/2023

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ADAM BALDYCH ~ POETRY ACT 9939 (Barcode: 614427993922) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2021 Released: 2021 This is the seventh album on the prestigious German ACTFind albums on this label label by Polish Jazz violinist / composer Adam BaldychFind albums by this artist recorded with his Polish quintet, which comprises of saxophonist Marek KonarskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Krzysztof DysFind albums by this artist, bassist Michal BaranskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Dawid FortunaFind albums by this artist. Italian Master trumpeter Paolo FresuFind albums by this artist expands the quintet into a sextet. The album presents eleven tracks, ten of which are original compositions by Baldych and one is an arrangement of a song composed by the enigmatic BjorkFind albums by this artist. The music was recorded at the fabulous Monochrom Studio and engineered by Ignacy GruszeckiFind albums by this artist, with the usual exceptional sound quality. Following a dazzling career, which developed over the last decade, Baldych emerges as a pillar of the Polish Jazz violin tradition, joining the ranks of the Giants of the generations that preceded his era. This album sets also Baldych’s status as a composer, perhaps more clearly and distinctly than any of his earlier recordings. The collection of his compositions on this album presents a remarkable stylistic clarity and coherence, which, at least for me, sound completely his own, with specific characteristics, which are now clearly distinguishable. The music is beautifully melancholic, brilliantly melodic and superbly lyrical, following the Polish musical tradition on every level, from Polish Folklore, Classical Music and of course the Polish Jazz tradition. There is an elegant restrain and easy pace inherent in all the pieces, which perhaps is a result of the fact that Baldych does not need to prove anything anymore, as far as his violin virtuosity is concerned, and creating music is his only concern. Despite the fact that the music offers seemingly unrelated pieces, the album sounds remarkably as one aesthetically logical continuum. Although Baldych is surrounded here by first class instrumentalists, the album offers very limited soloing, except for the violin parts of course and occasionally subdued trumpet or saxophone soli. The fact that Fresu agreed to take part in this project, with his personal profile barely audible, speaks highly of his respect towards the essence of the music. Nevertheless, the contributions of all the participants are absolutely brilliant, as expected. Sonically the most surprising accent is a very unusual sound produced by the drums, which sound completely different to what one expects in the Jazz environment. Overall, as someone who had the honor to write the liner notes for Baldych’s debut album more than ten years ago, I feel a great satisfaction as a result of following his career closely and witnessing its splendid progress. The music offers a deeply spiritual sonic experience of rare quality and the album is wholeheartedly recommended as one of the most significant Polish Jazz outings of 2021.

Updated: 11/11/2021Posted: 11/11/2021

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ADAM BALDYCH QUINTET ~ PORTRAITS IMAGINARY MUSIC 003 (Barcode: 5905817210039) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2023 Released: 2024 This is the 2nd album by Polish Jazz violinist / composer / bandleader Adam BaldychFind albums by this artist, released on his Imaginary MusicFind albums on this label label. The album was recorded in a quintet setting with pianist Sebastian ZawadzkiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Marek KonarskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and drummer Dawid FortunaFind albums by this artist. Vocalists Kari SalFind albums by this artist and Piotr OdoszewskiFind albums by this artist guest on one track, which uses the lyrics written by poet Krzysztof Kamil BaczynskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents sixteen tracks, all but one composed by Baldych and one composed by Zawadzki. The album’s extended booklet features a liner note by Jacek SolkiewiczFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. MirrormanFind albums by this artist). In his liner note Baldych states his reflections about the meaning of music in human life, especially in face of brutal reality. He refers to the fate of the Polish Jewish violinist / composer / author Szymon LaksFind albums by this artist, who is known for his role as the head of the inmate’s orchestra in the Auschwitz concentration camp, which Laks described in his memoirs. The absurdity and inhuman cruelty of the orchestra performing twice a day in the midst of the Auschwitz inferno is definitely something to ponder about, especially as the Holocaust Remembrance Day is just four days away. The music is full of deep melancholy and reflection, gently intertwining Jazz and Classical (mostly Medieval) as well as World Music influences, with profoundly lyrical and even at times gloomy themes. Baldych’s renaissance violin fits perfectly to the tonal structures and his virtuosity of expression is able to project the entire aesthetic atmosphere clearly and vividly. I have followed the work of Baldych since his early steps on the music scene and I am happy so he that he matured extremely well, as his recent work, and this album in particular, takes him to the pedestal of exemplary musical personalities, well beyond just the Jazz scene. All the music on this album sounds like one coherent continuity, and the division into tracks is simply a technical matter, as I can’t imagine listening to any part of this music separately. Baldych’s team comprises of some of the best Polish Jazz musicians, so the ensemble performances are, not surprisingly, sublime. There is limited soloing herein, not because of lack of ability, but obviously since this music is an ensemble effort, not a showcase of individual abilities, other than those by the leader of course. But when solos do appear, they are truly brilliant, albeit being relatively short. Overall, this is a true Masterpiece of an album in every possible sense: the compositions, the performances, the team effort of the ensemble, the interplay, the dynamics, in short everything just fits perfectly in place. It is Baldych’s most mature work so far, which will be extremely hard to follow, but he has proven time and again that he can be full of surprises. Congratulations are in order!

Updated: 23/01/2025Posted: 23/01/2025

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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 KONARSKI ~ KONARSKI & FOLKS NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 5904067067905) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is the debut album as a leader by Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Marek KonarskiFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet setting with pianist Artur TuznikFind albums by this artist, bassist Damian KostkaFind albums by this artist and drummer Kuba GudzFind albums by this artist. Vocalist Ania RybackaFind albums by this artist guests on one track. The album presents nine tracks, seven of which are original compositions by Konarski and two are his arrangements of Polish Folk songs. Konarski spent several years studying and playing in Denmark and Finland and upon his return to Poland he formed this quartet with musicians he met over the years, all of which are by now experienced representatives of the young Polish Jazz scene. The music is all well within the strict Jazz mainstream idiom, with some Folkloristic influences. As expected, it is highly melodic and offers beautiful themes, which ideally suit Konarski’s saxophone performances, which feature a wonderful sweet, soulful tone. The rhythm section supports the leader superbly, with Tuznik excellent piano playing supplying the continuity and flow that keeps the music tightly together. I find Konarski’s treatment of the Polish Folklore motives rather dated, to be honest, somewhat similar to what Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist already perfected over five decades earlier, and many other Polish Jazz musicians handled way more successfully and innovatively over the, but of course it still has a lot of charm. Overall this is a very pleasant and wonderfully performed Jazz album, with excellent playing by all the participants and a wide appeal to Jazz listeners across the entire range of the genre. It firmly proves the strength of the local scene and is definitely worth to be explored.

Updated: 14/05/2021Posted: 14/05/2021

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BARTOSZ PERNAL SEXTET ~ INTO THE WILD BCD 47 (Barcode: 5906881885475) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2020 This is the debut album as a leader (as far as I know) by Polish Jazz trombonist / composer Bartosz PernalFind albums by this artist recorded in a pianoless sextet setting with trumpeter Dominik GawronskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Wojciech LichtanskiFind albums by this artist and Marek KonarskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Jakub OlejnikFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz PalkaFind albums by this artist. The album presents six original compositions, including the title track three part suite, all by Pernal. The album was recorded at the excellent Monochrom Studio and was engineered by Ignacy GruszeckiFind albums by this artist, offering a wonderful sound quality, as expected. The music is typical modern Jazz, based on melodic compositions and skillfully arranged for the Brass dominated sextet, which has a very unique sound due to lack of harmonic support. The extended pieces offer plenty of opportunity for all the participants to solo at length and the first-rate rhythm section keeps the music moving forward on secure ground. Despite their relative young age all the members of the band are seasoned and experienced instrumentalists, as evident by their performances herein. The outstanding drumming by Palka is an absolute highlight and definitely worthy of special attention. The album is not trying to be flashy or dazzling, but it offers solid, well developed musical ideas, superbly performed and coherently put together, which turns it into a most enjoyable and rewarding listening experience, worth returning to, especially for enthusiasts of Brass sections and multi-part expanded Jazz compositions. Overall this is a great piece of music, perhaps more in the "musician´s musician" mold, as it offers many tricks of the Jazz trade on different levels, starting with the compositions and then almost orchestral arrangements, the delicate balance between the instruments and crowned by the wonderful execution. Definitely well done!

Updated: 25/12/2020Posted: 25/12/2020

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TONE RAW ~ TONE RAW SOS 12012 (Barcode: 5901694110127) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2012 This is a phenomenal debut album by a young (very young) Polish Jazz quartet Tone RawFind albums by this artist, which consists of saxophonist Marek KonarskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Sebastian ZawadzkiFind albums by this artist, bassist Thomas KolarczykFind albums by this artist and drummer Kuba GudzFind albums by this artist. All four are music students, two of them in Berlin and two others in Odense, Denmark (where many Polish young musicians set out to study Jazz at the local Academy of Music). The album consists of nine tracks, five of which were composed by the pianist, one each by the saxophonist and the drummer, one by a fellow Danish student and one by the godfather of Polish Jazz Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, which is performed solo by the pianist. The album was recorded at the Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, with the usual spectacular sonic result. It is truly impossible to guess the age of these musicians just from listening to the album, as they project incredible maturity both as performers and composers. The music, which although is based on solid melodic themes, is full of space and freedom, allowing the players and the listener to float willingly somewhere in the vicinity without being constrained in any way. The melodies have a subtle, but recognizable ethnic influence, which encompasses such diverse (culturally) areas as Eastern Europe, Middle East or Scandinavia. But in spite the different influences, the music presents quite a recognizable stylistic unity, which is extremely rare among young ensembles. Zawadzki, who is the most prominent composer on this album, and who also plays the solo piano piece, is perhaps at the focal point herein, but it seems that the teamwork and mutual respect shift the focal point towards the cooperative effort rather than individual statements. The overall effect of the album is typical European Jazz aesthetics, which not only refuses to be forgotten, but keeps pushing the envelope of the genre further and further away from its 20th Century sources, traditions and limitations. These youngsters understand subconsciously that Jazz, Classical Music and Folklore are simply different manifestations of the same Cultural asset, a resource, which one can explore at will, guided only by one´s intrinsic sense of beauty, intelligence and above all talent. And there is certainly a lot of talent on this album. These players and their music deserve the attention of Polish Jazz enthusiasts, as they certainly have a lot of potential, which they have just started to explore. If this is their starting point, one might only wonder what they are capable of creating in the not too distant future. Definitely a striking debut effort!

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