Record Reviews

WOJCIECH KONIKIEWICZ / TRANSTECHNOLOGICAL ORCHESTRA ~ FUTURE JAZZ GAD 355 (Barcode: 5903068127953) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2003 Released: 2025 This is an archival 2CD live album by Polish Jazz keyboardist / composer / bandleader Wojciech KonikiewiczFind albums by this artist and his TransTechnoLogical OrchestraFind albums by this artist, an octet, which also included the legendary trumpeter Andrzej PrzybielskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Mariusz MielczarekFind albums by this artist, guitarist Dariusz SliwaFind albums by this artist, bass guitarist Marcin LamchFind albums by this artist, drummer Marek SurzynFind albums by this artist, percussionist Piotr WolskiFind albums by this artist and turntablist DJ Pedro GonzalesFind albums by this artist. The album presents three tracks, all composed by Konikiewicz, the first two around half an hour each (on CD1) and the third almost an hour in duration (on CD2). There is also a half minute intro featuring Przybielski vocalizing a short improv, which brings tears in the eyes of everybody who knew this Genius in person. Konikiewicz is one of the most unique personas on the Polish Jazz scene, operating always outside of the recognized mainstream, full of wild ideas, fearless, unconventional and a natural avant-gardist. His entire career, which spans decades, is characterized by projects, like the TransTechnoLogical Orchestra, Tribute To Miles OrchestraFind albums by this artist, Green RevolutionFind albums by this artist, the iconic Free CooperationFind albums by this artist and many others, which introduced cross-genre music, always ahead of its time and always completely unconventional, which sadly always remained unrecognized and often even opposed by the Jazz establishment, but which often created some of true Polish Jazz gems. Deeply influenced by the revolutionary music of Miles DavisFind albums by this artist, which was completely unconventional in the late 1960s, when Davis recorded “Bitches BrewFind albums with this title” and a long series of albums which followed, and which shaped the nature of Jazz for decades to come, Konikiewicz was also always driven by the urge to think “out of the box”, ignoring the usual motivation to achieve popularity and commercial success. He obviously paid a price for following his aesthetic convictions, but earned respect and recognition by a minority of open-minded music lovers. Personally, I’ve always loved the music he was involved in and I am proud to call him a friend. The music on this album follows the patterns of several Miles Davis live recordings, which present a steady hypnotic groove and basic melody, which serve as a basis for the extended improvisations by the participating musicians. The stable pulsating layer created by the rhythm section is padded by ambient background created by the keyboards and turntablism, and the trumpet / saxophone / guitar soloing, both individually and collectively, create the icing on top. The music develops slowly, layer after layer, trancelike, and keeps the listener mesmerized for the entire duration. The trumpet parts by Przybielski (who sadly died in 2011) are some of the most astounding sounds he ever recorded, and they alone are a good enough reason to get the album. Overall, this is an astounding document of the Polish Jazz history, which luckily was recorded at the time and now brought back to life by GADFind albums on this label Records, who do a great job of documenting Polish Culture. Jazz fans around the globe, especially those who love the electric Jazz period of Miles Davis, should find this music absolutely fascinating. This is truly beyond recommendation, simply a must!

Updated: 15/12/2025Posted: 15/12/2025

CD 2 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

TRIBUTE TO MILES ORCHESTRA ~ LIVE WARNER MUSIC POLAND 039842388922 (Barcode: 039842388922) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1998 Released: 1998 This is the only album by Polish Jazz ensemble Tribute To Miles OrchestraFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. TTMOFind albums by this artist), led by keyboardist / composer Wojciech KonikiewiczFind albums by this artist, which also featured trumpeter Andrzej PrzybielskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Mariusz MielczarekFind albums by this artist, guitarist Janusz Yanina IwanskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Marcin PospieszalskiFind albums by this artist, drummer Radek MacinskiFind albums by this artist and percussionist (usually keyboardists) Piotr IwickiFind albums by this artist. The album, which was recorded live at the legendary Akwarium club in Warsaw, presents six compositions, five of which are by Miles DavisFind albums by this artist and one is by Konikiewicz (dedicated to Davis). Musically the album presents the style Miles Davis utilized during the last period of his career, when he switched to Warner Bros. and released the world shattering "TutuFind albums with this title", presenting a combination of Funk and electronic music, which at the time was as innovative as every other giant step Davis took during his career. The Polish Jazz musicians handle the Funk rhythmic challenge formidably and paraphrasing on the "white man can´t jump" - white man definitely can Funk! There are plenty of superb solos and passionate moments, as well as interesting arrangements of earlier Davis compositions transcribed into the Funky style. The remarkable bass playing, which is the basis upon which this music is built, is the core element of its success. But all the participants are contributing extraordinarily and the overall result is way beyond what one might expect. The most thrilling and astonishing facet of this album is the presence of trumpeter Andrzej Przybielski, who is ordinarily associated with the Free / Avant-Garde Polish scene. This is surely the most "conventional" recording that Przybielski ever took part in and his sound and imitation of the Miles Davis phrasing are simply marvelous. The invitation of Przybielski to participate on this album was a prophetic and bold move by Konikiewicz, who is therefore credited for showing us a face of the legendary trumpeter that we never knew about and is preserved here for posterity. There is no doubt that the idea behind this album was influenced by the two Miles Davis visits in Poland, in 1983 and in 1988 (I attended that concert), which are generally accepted as life changing experience for the Polish Jazz scene, both collectively as a community and individually as directly influencing the local musicians. The second visit, which happened shortly before Poland was finally released from the grip of the Socialist regime, was a symbol of a changing reality, which at the time was just around the corner (pun intended). The album suffers from some minor sound quality problems due to the recording conditions, but those are completely negligible in view of the musical contents and the historic significance of this album. The fact that this album disappeared from the shelves almost immediately after it was released and was never reissued is a crying shame.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend