Record Reviews

ESKAUBEI & TOMEK NOWAK QUARTET ~ TEGO CHCIALEM FOR TUNE 0117 (Barcode: 5906395808205) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rap Fusion Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is the second album by Polish Rap and Jazz ensemble which finds rapper Bartlomiej SkubiszFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. EskaubeiFind albums by this artist) combining forces with a Jazz quartet led by trumpeter Tomek NowakFind albums by this artist, which also includes pianist Kuba PluzekFind albums by this artist, bassist Alan WykpiszFind albums by this artist and drummer Filip MozulFind albums by this artist. This time they are also supported by DJ Wojciech DlugoszFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Mr. KrimeFind albums by this artist) who performs turntablism, saxophonist Mateusz SliwaFind albums by this artist and vocalist Patrycja ZarychtaFind albums by this artist. A couple of guest musicians appear on one track. Together the ensemble performs ten original songs, seven of which were composed by Nowak, two by Pluzek and one by Mozul (an instrumental intro). Skubisz wrote the lyrics to all nine songs and was helped out by the guest on one of them. This album continues the direction set by its predecessor, which combines Funky / Groovy Jazz tunes with Rap. In contrast to most attempts of such amalgamation, in which the musical content is rather limited and mostly very sketchy not to say primitive, this album offers a series of excellent full fledged compositions, which easily hold their own ground musically. This is even more emphasized on this album with the addition of Sliwa and expanding the quartet into a quintet on about half of the tunes. The Rap elements, although occupying a separate plane, are fully integrated within the musical structures. The turntablism, courtesy of Mr. Krime, who is prominently featured on the album, brings this album up to date with updated sound trends The instrumental work by the quartet / quintet is excellent from start to finish. Nowak plays superb soulful / funky phrases, Sliwa adds strength creating a brass section feel and soul when he plays solo, Pluzek plays absolutely wicked keyboards, using a plethora of sounds and groovy touches, Wykpisz, who is a wonderful Jazz bassist, turns here into a wizard of Funk and Groove and finally Mozul takes care of the rhythmic continuum, steady as a rock and devilishly inventive; in short a dream team! The Rap, which in fact is more a form than contents, turns out to be a recitation of Poetry, which deals with a wide range of subject matter, which Skubisz and his generation are facing in this strange and cruel world, which is consistently becoming less human. The lyrics are often bitter and frustrating, but from time to time also touch upon dreams and hope. They are a great example how one can express protest and anger without using even one four (or in Polish five) letter word. Overall this is another great album by Skubisz and his cohorts, proving that their debut effort was not just a lucky coincidence. The Rap and Jazz concept is again proven to be valid and creatively sound and the execution is once more just right on the money. Hopefully the Artists involved in this project will develop the idiom further in their future recordings, and in the meantime we are happy to enjoy this excellent effort. Well done again!

Updated: 31/01/2017Posted: 31/01/2017

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HIGH DEFINITION ~ HOPASA EMARCY 602537434725 (Barcode: 602537434725) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2013 This is the debut album by High Definition QuartetFind albums by this artist, a young Polish Jazz outfit comprising of saxophonist Mateusz SliwaFind albums by this artist, pianist Piotr OrzechowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Alan WykpiszFind albums by this artist and drummer Patryk DoboszFind albums by this artist. Polish Jazz connoisseurs are of course familiar with Orzechowski (a.k.a. PianohooliganFind albums by this artist), who made a meteoric entrance on the scene as a solo performer and recorded one of the most interesting Polish Jazz albums a year earlier, which presented his interpretations of music written by Maestro Krzysztof PendereckiFind albums by this artist. Here we have the occasion to hear him finally as a part of an ensemble, which of course is quite different than performing solo. Dobosz is also somewhat familiar as a member of the phenomenal Magnolia Acoustic QuartetFind albums by this artist, which released a brilliant live album shortly before this album was released. The quartet performs six pieces (well, five actually, as the first one is just a brief intro), four of which were composed by Orzechowski and one is a Wayne ShorterFind albums by this artist composition. The album offers a sublime sound quality and ambiance, which not surprisingly is a result of it being recorded at the Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist. Musically High Definition is a quintessence of Modern Jazz in every respect. The musicians are all masters of their trade, which is absolutely amazing considering their tender ages, who perform with virtuosic sophistication, superb intelligence and brilliant feel; and yet these strong individuals are able to collaborate seamlessly to create a whole, which is stronger than the sum of its parts. The music they play is completely contemporary and yet it plays a loving tribute to all the traditional Jazz sub-genres, with humorous hints of Swing, Bebop, Hard Bop, Cool Jazz and of course Free Form, switching from one to another like a butterfly hopping from flower to flower. All that Magic is being performed completely effortless, elegantly and almost nonchalantly, which of course is a sign of true Artistry. They are able to switch tempi, keys and approach several times within a very short span of time, doing it in perfect harmony and unison, which is nothing short of stunning. There is no doubt the Orzechowski is the most dominant personality behind this album, both as a composer and a player. This is not as much a question of solo exposure, but the overall feeling one gets listening to the music, with the piano chord obviously leading the way and stating (or emphasizing) the melodic content. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that of course, as Orzechowski is very charismatic and his musical personality is obviously very extrovert. On this album he is exposed, both as a composer and a player, showing his deep lyricism and even romanticism without any attempt to hide it behind false facades. Here it is, all in the open and in its full glory for us to enjoy. Overall this is undoubtedly one of the strongest releases on the Polish Jazz scene this year, which is even more astounding as this has been a truly amazing year for Polish Jazz. And again, being a debut it is absolutely a miracle. Even more of a miracle is the fact, that it was released on a Major label, which usually releases less ambitious music. Perhaps even they can be converted? Heaven on earth!

Updated: 12/06/2018Posted:

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HIGH DEFINITION QUARTET ~ BUKOLIKI FOR TUNE 0074 (Barcode: 5902768701760) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is the second album by the Polish Jazz outfit called High Definition QuartetFind albums by this artist, which comprises of saxophonist Mateusz SliwaFind albums by this artist, pianist Piotr OrzechowskiFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. PianohooliganFind albums by this artist), bassist Alan WykpiszFind albums by this artist and drummer Dawid FortunaFind albums by this artist (who replaced Patryk DoboszFind albums by this artist). The album presents five pieces related to the five piano miniatures by contemporary Polish Classical composer Witold LutoslawskiFind albums by this artist based on Polish Folklore tunes from the Kurpian region and called "Bukoliki". Orzechowski, rather than using the pieces by Lutoslawski, found the original Folk tunes that Lutoslawski used as his inspiration and rearranged them into his own version of "Bukoliki", later transforming it into the Jazz quartet version heard here. As the year 2015 swiftly approaches its ending it becomes apparent that the Polish Jazz scene this year was dominated by two parallel trends: the re-discovery of Polish Folklore and the re-discovery of Polish contemporary Classical Music by Polish Jazz musicians / composers. The most impressive releases by Polish Jazz artists in 2015 are either related to one or another of these trends and in some cases, like this album, to both of them simultaneously. Orzechowski, who is obviously the most dominating personality in this team, has already a rich history of tackling with Folklore ("15 Studies For The OberekFind albums with this title") or Classical Music ("Experiment: PendereckiFind albums with this title") and this album is a natural development as far as his musical path is concerned. What is less natural and much closer to "supernatural" is of course his immense talent to transpose pieces of music between genres or rather to transform them into his own universe, which is completely unique and unparalleled by anybody else. But it takes a team work, like the one presented here, to make this transformation complete. Sliwa, Wykpisz and Fortuna, all brilliant representatives of the young generation of Polish Jazz musicians, play along Orzechowski completely free of any inferiority complexes and sound like young semi-Gods performing in Pieria at the foot of the Olympus Mountain with Zeus and the rest of the Godly pack grinning madly and the Muses dancing along as if possessed by the sounds floating in the air. From the very first notes heard on this album it becomes immediately apparent that this is one of the best pieces of music produced in the Jazz sphere this year, not only in Poland, but worldwide. The intensity, elegance, flair and above all European aesthetic is omnipresent here, creating a true artistic masterpiece. I am not going to name it the "best" album of 2015, not because it does not deserve the title, but simply because I don´t believe art is a competition. It is brilliant and deserves to be heard by every music connoisseur on this planet, before the barbarians take the world over or our idea of Culture implodes upon itself. Absolutely essential!

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HIGH DEFINITION QUARTET ~ DZIADY ANAKLASIS 007 (Barcode: 5907795208732) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Ambient Fusion Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is the third album by Polish Jazz ensemble High Definition QuartetFind albums by this artist, which comprises of saxophonist Mateusz SliwaFind albums by this artist, pianist / composer Piotr OrzechowskiFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. PianohooliganFind albums by this artist), bassist Alan WykpiszFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz PalkaFind albums by this artist (each of the three albums features a different drummer). On this album the ensemble collaborates with five electronic music composers: Polish veteran / pioneer of the idiom Krzysztof KnittelFind albums by this artist, Igor BoxxFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Igor PudloFind albums by this artist), Americans William BasinskiFind albums by this artist and Robert RichFind albums by this artist and Austrian Christian FenneszFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original compositions, five of which are performed by the ensemble and were composed by Orzechowski and five shorter pieces, each composed and performed by one of the above listed electronic music composers (except for the Knittel piece which was co-composed with Orzechowski and co-executed with the ensemble), which are sandwiched between the ensemble pieces. The album´s title "Dziady" ("Forefathers´ Eve") refers of course to the epic poetic drama by the Polish national poet Adam MickiewiczFind albums by this artist, considered as one of the greatest works of European Romanticism and a source of controversial interpretations throughout the convoluted Polish political history, famous for its role in the 1968 Polish Political crisis, but retaining its prophetic actuality to this very day. The drama was staged many times over the years of course and one could speculate that this music could be considered as a possible soundtrack / stage music to an imaginary / future spectacle. Combining Jazz with electronic / ambient music is of course quite fashionable these days and this year´s (2019) Polish Jazz recording harvest offers several such outings. In most cases the electronic / ambient music is closely amalgamated with the Jazzy content, whereas on this album, with the exception of the opening Knittel / Orzechowski track, the rest of the electronic / ambient tracks stand on their own musically, which raises a basic speculation as to their integration within the album´s musical fabric and its continuity. Personally I feel that their absence would not have changed the album´s overall effect dramatically. The Jazz part of the album is however absolutely brilliant, as one might expect. Orzechowski´s dramatic music, rich in texture and full of imagination, is delightful from start to finish. The five seemingly separate themes constitute a coherent whole, which is perfectly executed by the quartet. Orzechowski´s piano playing is radiant as always, and he proves to be on top of the heap, in spite of the fact that his recording output is sadly way too infrequent for my liking. Sliwa manages to keep his unique personal style, which sets him apart from most contemporary young Polish Jazz saxophonists, and who sadly also does not record frequently enough. Big Bear Wykpisz is amazing as always, a monster bass player in every bone and muscle of his body – he does play constantly and is omnipresent on the local scene, being probably the most sought after bassist around these days. Palka integrated with the three founding members without a hitch, which is completely natural in view of his achievements lately. Together they are able to carry a tune as well as open up and improvise, supporting each other amicably and offer a superb listening experience. The album was released by a new record label on the Polish market called AnaklasisFind albums on this label Records. I must admit that I was quite taken aback by the primitive / simplistic cover design; perhaps this is some kind of new sophisticated graphic aesthetics, but it looks plain ugly to me. This music surely deserves a better packaging. The album includes an extensive booklet, which offers a bilingual version of an essay by Polish music journalist Jaroslaw SzubrychtFind albums by this artist. Overall this is a brilliant piece of music, ambitious and searching, which stands up to the highest echelon of contemporary European Jazz and which is consistent with the earlier work by High Definition. Hopefully the listeners won´t be discouraged by the cover and reach out to embrace this exquisite music, as it truly deserves it. Well done Gentlemen!

Updated: 12/12/2019Posted: 12/12/2019

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WOJCIECH PULCYN ~ TRIBUTE TO CHARLIE HADEN FOR TUNE 0125 (Barcode: 5906395808274) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is the debut album as a leader by veteran Polish Jazz bassist Wojciech PulcynFind albums by this artist, dedicated as the title suggest, to the great American bassist / composer Charlie HadenFind albums by this artist. The music was recorded live at the Polish Radio studio by a group of Pulcyn´s cohorts, which include trumpeter Tomasz DabrowskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Mateusz SliwaFind albums by this artist, pianist Kuba StankiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Sebastian FrankiewiczFind albums by this artist. Vocalist Grazyna AuguscikFind albums by this artist and Pulcyn´s eight years old son Piotr PulcynFind albums by this artist (who plays cello) appear on one track each. The album presents nine pieces, six of which were composed by Haden, two by Ornette ColemanFind albums by this artist and one is a traditional tune. Over the years I have had the immense pleasure to hear Pulcyn live many times and his performances were always impeccable and inspiring. His affinity with his instrument is as close as humanly possible and his humility and kind manners are an example of musical chivalry. Therefore this album, which finally puts the spotlight on his musical skills, is a long overdue opportunity to pay dues to his talents and personality. The music should be pretty familiar to serious Jazz listeners, in particular those who follow the long and impressive career of Haden from his early days as a member of the revolutionary Ornette Coleman quartet, which changed the face of the Jazz idiom, to his work as a leader of his own ensembles. It is modern, often groundbreaking music, which remains completely relevant to this very day, and to be honest it is still on the forefront of the genre, despite the years that have passed sine it was originally composed. The really fascinating aspect of this album is the fact that this music, created and performed originally by American musicians, is treated here with a completely new and more importantly European approach, which sets new meaning to the music and invigorates it immensely. I am tempted to say that this specific treatment of the music is more fascinating than the original in many respects, and for sure it is as far from imitation as can be imagined. The performances are all stellar, as expected from the participating musicians. Dabrowski, who consistently earned a position of one of the top European Jazz trumpeters, fondly fits the shoes of the great Don CherryFind albums by this artist, again displaying his personal style and approach rather than imitating the Master. Sliwa, a young and upcoming player, stands shoulder to shoulder with the veterans, playing like a pro. Stankiewicz, a marvelous pianist, is a symbol of lyricism and never misses a note, always knowing when to touch the keyboard ever so delicately and Frankiewicz, a faithful companion in endless rhythm sections, supports the bassist amicably and telepathically. From the opening solo bass track to the very last moment of this album Pulcyn´s bass is prominently featured in many diverse roles and intonations, always perfectly in accord with the music and the rest of the band, a true silent hero behind the scenes, who makes everything perfect. This album is definitely a superb tribute to Haden´s genious, but at the same time it is a tribute to Pulcyn´s legacy as one of the top Polish Jazz bassists and an icon of stability, perfection and personal standing. Thank you Wojtek for all those beautiful moments!

Updated: 21/10/2017Posted: 21/10/2017

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VEHEMENCE QUARTET ~ ANOMALIA FOR TUNE 0078 (Barcode: 5902768701791) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is the debut album by a Polish Jazz ensemble called Vehemence QuartetFind albums by this artist, which recently managed to draw a lot of attention on the local scene by winning a couple of prestigious competitions. The ensemble comprises of young and highly talented musicians, who have been active in the last few years and recorded assorted albums over time: saxophonists Wojciech LichtanskiFind albums by this artist and Mateusz SliwaFind albums by this artist, bassist Alan WykpiszFind albums by this artist and drummer Szymon MadejFind albums by this artist. I had the privilege of hearing the group live just a few weeks ago. The album presents six compositions, five of which are originals (three by Lichtanski and two by Sliwa) and the remaining one is a Wayne ShorterFind albums by this artist standard. The unusual double-saxophone front line of the quartet creates immediately an unusual sound effect, which turns out to be working in their favor. The wonderful harmonies achieved by the alto and tenor saxophones are a true revelation. In reality the quartet works shifting between a double saxophone trio and a quartet, which offers a much wider range of possibilities. Both the individual performances and the collective interplays work like a dream, being evidently highly professional and inspired. The original compositions are all first-rate modern Jazz pieces, which combine the Polish Jazz "streak" of melancholy and lyricism with well developed rhythmic layers, resulting in a most enjoyable and at the same intellectually challenging feast for the ears. Even the interpretation of the standard is original and innovative, which happens rather rarely these days. Vehemence Quartet is a "classic" example of the young Polish Jazz scene, which boasts with talent and creativity, combining the modern Jazz tradition with contemporary developments, freedom of expression and the drive to push the music forward into terra incognita, a drive that is rarely present these days anywhere else beyond the borders of Poland. Overall this is a very strong debut effort, worth of respect and admiration, and heartwarming considering the future possibilities it holds. Wholeheartedly recommended!

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PAWEL WSZOLEK ~ FAITH FOR TUNE 0106 (Barcode: 5906395808083) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is a second album by young Polish Jazz bassist / composer Pawel WszolekFind albums by this artist, which follows his debut album, released just a year earlier. This time the music is recorded by a quintet, which includes all the players present alongside the leader on the debut effort, i.e. guitarist Lukasz KokoszkoFind albums by this artist, pianist Sebastian ZawadzkiFind albums by this artist and drummer Szymon MadejFind albums by this artist, and adds saxophonist Mateusz SliwaFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Wszolek. Musically the album marks a significant step forward towards compositional maturity, and continues the excellent level of execution present on the debut. The tunes are significantly less straightforward than those on the predecessor, with more complex harmonic structure and melodic diversity, which results in an overall aesthetic aura, which projects seriousness and depth. Wszolek is lucky to have these talented players as members of his quintet, as their individual contributions lift the music to a connoisseur level, which of course serves the compositions very well. The album is full of great solo statements by the participants, but manages to maintain a calm, relaxed atmosphere of melancholy, typical of Polish Jazz recordings. Wszolek plays the bass parts with confidence and determination, obviously leading the quintet all the way through. His beautifully melodic and round sound is an excellent anchor that keeps the music in check. Zawadzki´s statements are, again, the most impressive as far as soloing is concerned, and in spite of his young age he is slowly emerging as a significant pianist on the very crowded Polish Jazz scene, still waiting for his definitive album to be released. Overall this is a very solid release, full of great tunes and excellent performances, which proudly represents the state of contemporary Polish Jazz and compares favorably to anything in the similar vein recorded anywhere in the world. All these musicians are part of the next generation of Polish Jazz, slowly taking over the center stage from the aging (albeit hopefully slowly) current residents. Well done!

Updated: 31/12/2016Posted: 31/12/2016

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