Record Reviews

ENTROPY ~ WELL, WHAT DO YOU KNOW, IT WAS FEAR AFTER ALL… NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 5707471030066) ~ DENMARK ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2012 Released: 2013 This is the debut album by the young Danish / Polish Jazz-Rock Fusion quartet EntropyFind albums by this artist, one of the numerous ensembles formed by students at the Academy of Music in Odense, Denmark. Many Polish students choose to attend the Odense school as it is quite close to Poland and much more affordable than for example Berklee Collage of Music in Boston. Entropy comprises of three Danish musicians: saxophonist Andreas Moller BottigerFind albums by this artist, guitarist Buster JensenFind albums by this artist and bassist Martin BuhlFind albums by this artist, and one Polish musician: drummer Radek WoskoFind albums by this artist. The album includes nine original compositions, four by Jensen, three by Wosko and two by Bottiger. The music is pretty conventional, with well defined structures, melodic statements and improvisations, all neatly put together and without any major surprises or unexpected twists. The overall atmosphere is quite melancholic and some of the compositions move at a very slow paste and with little intrinsic dynamics. The personal statements by the musicians are also quite restricted, lacking any signs of virtuosity or exceptional abilities, except for the drummer, who displays a clearly defined personal style and manages to keep the music flowing, as well as provides the best compositions on the album. Nevertheless, the album has its moments and altogether is quite listenable, but lacks the sparkle and magic, which so many albums by young musicians are blessed with these days. Perhaps these young musicians need to play together a bit longer and clarify the musical direction before embarking on a next recording project. I´m sure they can do better next time.

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TOMASZ LICAK / RADEK WOSKO ~ ENTRAILS UNITED RECART 0012 (Barcode: 5908285287114) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2014 This is the debut album by a quartet co-led by two young Polish Jazz musicians: saxophonist Tomasz LicakFind albums by this artist and drummer Radek WoskoFind albums by this artist. As students of the Carl Nielsen Academy of Music in Odense, where many other Polish musicians study lately, they completed their quartet by adding two Danish players: pianist Carl WintherFind albums by this artist and bassist Martin BuhlFind albums by this artist Staunstrup (who appears on albums as Martin Buhl only). The album comprises of nine original compositions, four by Wosko, three by Winther and two by Licak. In many respects this album is quite typical of the new generation Polish (and Polish / Danish) Jazz bands, which display mostly an incredible level of musicianship and artistry. These bands sound professional and flawless from day one, which is pretty amazing. The individual statements are all excellent, as is the interplay between the band members. In short this is really an excellent Jazz album, with solid original compositions and inspired performances, which would not shame much older and more experienced professionals. The music is spiced with the European Jazz elements, like melancholy, lyricism and elegance, which are often emphasized by the original compositions. Winther is in charge of the more melodic / delicate elements while Licak plays slightly more expressive, yet still mostly very melodically. The rhythm section is perfect at what it does, with Buhl being the pillar of strength and order, balanced by Wosko who plays with a significant degree of freedom. Together they sound like one organic body making music. If I could suggest anything it would be for Winther, Buhl and Wosko to record an album as a piano trio, which I think could be simply sensational. Over time there appears to be a tendency among the Polish / Danish bands to be significantly more conventional / mainstream oriented than similar bands in the same age bracket, which arise in Poland. Most probably this has something to do with the teaching at Odense, or the atmosphere at the Danish Academy, which influences its alumni, which strangely enough emphasizes individuality and courage in its formal agenda. As a result this album, as excellent as it is, lacks a certain degree risk taking, adventure and unexpectedness. Everything here is simply just right, but alas often just "too right". However, considering the talents of these musicians one can hope that time will work in their favor. This is definitely an excellent debut, which should make the participating musicians very happy and the potential listeners even happier. Listeners who love modern mainstream based on melodic themes and played with flair and elegance should enjoy this music immensely. Well done gentlemen!

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IGOR OSYPOV ~ I UNIT 4582 (Barcode: 7640114795824) ~ UKRAINE ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is the debut album by Ukrainian (resident in Berlin) guitarist / composer Igor OsypovFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quintet setting with American saxophonist Logan RichardsonFind albums by this artist, Austrian pianist Elias StemesederFind albums by this artist, Danish bassist Martin BuhlFind albums by this artist and alternating drummers: American Jesus VegaFind albums by this artist and Polish Kuba GudzFind albums by this artist. All these musicians, except for Richardson, are students at the Jazz Institute Berlin. The album presents nine original compositions, all by Osypov. The music is typical modern Jazz, basically pretty mainstream, with some unusual rhythmic patterns, but other than that quite straightforward. The melodies are a bit thin and forgettable, but the idea here is to play as many notes as possible by everybody on board, so the improvisation and soloing are at the centre. These are very talented, but also very young players, which becomes immediately apparent. The quintet has some sync / timing problems and everything starts to sound a bit alike after the third tune or so. The guitar sound is a bit to sharp and Pat MethenyFind albums by this artist like, the pianist seems to live in a separate universe and the only thing that sounds truly coherent is the bass. In short parts of this album are really difficult to listen to. Overall this album was perhaps recorded a bit too early, before the music and the quintet matured enough, to be able to achieve the effect they deserve. Better luck next time!

Updated: 27/04/2018Posted:

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