Record Reviews

JAROSLAW BOTHUR ~ LILLA CHEZQUIZ JAZZ FORUM 050 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2009 - 2010 Released: 2010 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Jaroslaw BothurFind albums by this artist, recorded with his quartet, which also includes pianist Kuba PluzekFind albums by this artist, bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz MaslowskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents six original compositions by the leader and one composition by the American pianist / composer Phil MarkovitzFind albums by this artist. I somehow missed this album at the time it was released, but now, having listened to it, I am again completely blown out of my socks by the audacity of these criminally young musicians to produce such a brilliant debut album, a phenomenon happening on the Polish Jazz scene repeatedly and mercilessly. Nobody in the world, who knows anything about Jazz, would have believed these players are in their twenties and still students in a music academy (at the time this music was recorded). From the first note it´s pretty obvious that this album is something "different", which already is significant, as many Jazz albums have a tendency to sound alike. Both the way the music is performed and the actual compositions as strikingly unique, with a very specific chord changes and tonality. Bothur has a wonderful sound in his tenor saxophone and the quartet sounds overall superbly European, somewhat between Scandinavian spacing and Polish melancholy, even on the fast tempo numbers. Pluzek plays some tasty solos and accompanies intelligently and gracefully. I´d love to hear him leading a piano trio. The rhythm section is there all the time behind the soloists, steady as a rock and flexible like molten lava. The original music (and also the choice of the Markovitz piece, which is relatively little known) proves that the leader has a highly developed pair of ears and excellent taste as far as writing new music is concerned. As already mentioned, the chord changes he uses are intrinsically unlike most others found in other Jazz compositions, which is pretty cool. Overall a superb debut and another set of names to be added to the "watch" list for the future. Well done gentlemen!

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TOMASZ DABROWSKI ~ TOMASZ DABROWSKI & THE INDIVIDUAL BEINGS APRIL 093 (Barcode: 5709498109329) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2021 Released: 2022 This is the debut album by Polish (resident in Denmark) trumpeter / composer Tomasz DabrowskiFind albums by this artist and his new septet called Individual BeingsFind albums by this artist, which also includes Danish saxophonist Fredrik LundinFind albums by this artist and Norwegian drummer Knut FinsrudFind albums by this artist and Polish saxophonist Irek WojtczakFind albums by this artist, pianist Grzegorz TarwidFind albums by this artist, bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and drummer Jan MlynarskiFind albums by this artist. Several members of the septet utilize also electronic. The album presents eight tracks, all by the leader. The music is a brilliant example of modern European Jazz, which borders on Avant-Garde, and witch beautifully combines tradition with modernism, melody with freedom and diverse rhythmic approaches, creating a hypnotic journey through the listener’s mind. Dabrowski plays homage to the iconic Polish trumpeter Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist on several layers, playing on an instrument that belonged to him, coining the name of the ensemble from a Stanko quote from his biography, but most importantly by being inspired by Stanko’s approach to Jazz composition in his most interesting period between 1970s and 1990s. The septet members are all highly experienced musicians with impressive individual careers under their belts, which of course enables a high density of imagination and expression, which the septet is able to use while creating this music. The constantly changing dialogues and individual soloing are all superbly weaved and the music engulfs the listener completely. The double drums provide the possibility of polyrhythmic time scales and multifocal pulsations, which are highly unusual and fascinating. Although everything Dabrowski recorded in the last ten years or so since he arrived on the scene – an astounding number of forty albums as a leader / co-leader and sideman – he still manages to innovate and reinvent himself time after time, constantly pushing the boundaries. He always seems to be able to inspire his fellow musicians to follow him in his quests. Overall, this is a stunning, highly unusual album full of wonderful music, atmospheric tension and beautiful aesthetics, which hold the listener mesmerized for the duration. It also serves as a great example of contemporary international musical collaboration which borderless Europe can offer to its young generation. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 16/02/2022Posted: 16/02/2022

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ERASE ~ NEW AND OLD DREAMS FOR TUNE 0014 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2013 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz quartet EraseFind albums by this artist, which consists of saxophonist Gerard LebikFind albums by this artist, bassists Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and Jakub MielcarekFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal TrelaFind albums by this artist. The album presents a live recording at Warsaw´s Pardon To Tu club, which in the last few years managed to establish an honorary position as the home of the Avant-Garde scene in the country´s Capital. The quartet performs five completely improvised pieces attributed to all the four musicians. The quartet presents music, which is naturally associated with the mid 1960s, when Free Jazz was at its artistic peak and musicians like Albert AylerFind albums by this artist, John ColtraneFind albums by this artist, Eric DolphyFind albums by this artist and others bravely broke the ties with Jazz conventions and stepped into uncharted territory to expand the Art Form beyond the known boundaries. However, keeping in mind that all this happened fifty years ago, playing Free Jazz today lost much of its originality, especially in view of the fact that its true pioneers are all dead by now. On the other hand, bands like Erase are needed today to shake up the somewhat stagnant Jazz scene, which often gravitates towards the dreaded retrograde mainstream. Therefore this total and uncompromising music is a welcome wake up call in that respect. Of course Erase has a lot to say on its own account, with the drenched saxophone wall-of-sound effect and the double bass lines and intensive drumming. It is a brutal encounter, which can leave no listener indifferent. Free Jazz is mostly an essence of a live performance and Free Jazz recordings suffer from the same problem that food suffers from, i.e. eating it is quite different than seeing pictures of it. Hearing this concert was probably a momentous experience for those lucky to be there at the time. The recording is only a secondary experience. That does not mean of course that the music is not worth being recorded, on the contrary For Tune made exactly the right decision to include it in their catalogue, simply for what it is: unadulterated explosion of musical energy, which pays tribute to the glorious past. And since nobody else is doing anything remotely similar, even more so! I don´t know if the album´s title is a tribute to the fabulous Old And New DreamsFind albums by this artist ensemble, which by itself was a tribute to Ornette ColemanFind albums by this artist; regardless if this is intentional or not, it is certainly most appropriate.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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GILLE / MUCHA / ARUTYUNYAN ~ LIGHTS & SHADOWS FOR TUNE 0130 (Barcode: 5906395808328) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by the European Jazz trio consisting of German saxophonist Sebastian GilleFind albums by this artist, Polish bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and Latvian drummer Ivars ArutyunyanFind albums by this artist. It presents eight tunes, seven of which are original compositions by the trio members, composed individually and collectively, and one is a Thelonious MonkFind albums by this artist standard. The album was recorded at the excellent RecPublica Studios and offers a beautiful, crystal clear sound quality. The music is a wonderful example of contemporary Modern European Jazz, floating elegantly between melody-based themes and free form improvisations, always unpredictable and exciting. The intimate saxophone trio format is an ideal environment for these three immensely talented players to expose their individual potentials and create a fully functional unit, which sounds as one organic music making body. All the original compositions are absolutely first class and the trio´s interpretation of the Monk standard should make most American Jazz players eat their hats. Gille is an exceptional and completely unique saxophone player, who is able to produce almost unearthly tones, which sound sometimes like violin or flute, and considering he is playing the tenor, this is absolutely amazing. His manner of slowing the tempo almost to a standstill is also extremely effective and creates enormous amounts of tension in the music, in spite of the fact that it is almost minimalistic. Mucha plays superb bass parts and is able to singlehandedly supply both the harmonic layer, upon which the saxophone parts are based, as well as the rhythmic pulsations, which are precise like a chronometer and at the same time dance around the time measures like an ice skater. Although he is rarely seeking a position in the Polish Jazz limelight, his consistently excellent work in the last few years definitely earned him an honorary position among the young lions of the European bass players. Arutyunyan stands shoulder to shoulder with his two partners playing the drums well beyond just keeping the time, which he actually does very rarely. His incredible dynamics and sensibility, not very often found amongst drummers, makes him an equal partner within this tight unit. He is certainly someone to keep an eye on in the future. Overall this is an astonishingly beautiful, intelligent and surprising debut album, which is an example what great Jazz means today, something that others should listen to in order to learn from it and of course a source of immense pleasure for Jazz lovers. An absolute must to every true Jazz connoisseur!

Updated: 22/01/2018Posted: 22/01/2018

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INNER SPACES ~ INNER SPACES JAZZ FORUM ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Jazz Recorded: 2010 Released: 2010 This is the debut album by Czech / Polish quintet Inner SpacesFind albums by this artist which comprises of Czech trumpeter Stepanka BalcarovaFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Lubos SoukupFind albums by this artist and pianist Vit KristanFind albums by this artist and Polish bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz MaslowskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, three composed by Balcarova and two each by Soukup and Kristan. It took me a while to get hold of a copy of this album (a mere decade – thank you Stepanka!), but it was definitely worth waiting for. The music is absolutely beautiful from start to finish, presenting wonderfully woven melodic themes, which serve as basis for impressive improvisations. Despite of the young age of the musicians (at the time of the recording) and their lack of experience, this is a most impressive debut in every respect. It is also great to see that the potential present on this album proved to be fully justified considering the achievements of these musicians during the decade that followed. The music, which is strictly within the modern European Jazz mainstream idiom, offers a lot of space for the instrumentalist to develop their individual statements without any conceptual limitations, including the rhythm section, which also displays a remarkable flexibility. The melodies display typical Eastern European melancholy and Romanticism, which are often inseparable from the very inner soul of musicians originating from Eastern Europe, regardless of their education and musical influences, which of course is a part of their collective charm. Many debut albums prove to be rather naïve in retrospect, but I am happy to say that this one lost absolutely nothing of its original magic and is completely immune to time. I had a delightful time listening to the album a few times in a row, which in my case happens rather rarely. Thanks to everybody involved and if anybody is able to find a copy of this little gem, don’t you dare to miss it!

Updated: 01/02/2021Posted: 01/02/2021

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INNER SPACES ~ JARNI / VERNAL AMPLION 172001 (Barcode: 8594179225576) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is the third album by Czech / Polish quintet Inner SpacesFind albums by this artist which comprises of Czech trumpeter Stepanka BalcarovaFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Lubos SoukupFind albums by this artist and pianist Vit KristanFind albums by this artist and Polish bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz MaslowskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, three composed by Balcarova and two each by Soukup and Kristan. The music was recorded live during a concert at the Czech Radio. The music is typical modern Eastern European Jazz, with excellent compositions full of melancholy and lyricism and a rather foggy atmosphere of contemplation and anticipation, personally for me evoking fond memories of Czechoslovak New Wave cinema, with the film noir influences and characteristic black and white imagery, also present in Polish cinema at the time. I don´t know why, but this music sounds to me like something that might have been recorded in the 1960s rather than 2010s, which is of course meant as a compliment. All the members of the quintet are seasoned players with considerable recording legacy behind them, and their performances on this album attest to their technical proficiency and artistic depth. The music is performed with a certain modesty and reserve, with the soloing being far from flashy displays of abilities and more a matter of elegance and good taste. Considering the fact that this music was recorded live, the final result is truly impressive. Although this music seems perhaps not very innovative or far reaching, it manages ideally to preserve the qualities of the Eastern European Jazz tradition, and by creating the retro atmosphere, also pay tribute to the decades during which Jazz functioned under an oppressive regime where it managed not only to prevail but also break the glass ceiling (or the Iron Curtain). As a result this album is not only a superb piece of Jazz music, but also a time of reflection and remembrance of an era, that happened before any of these wonderful musicians were born, but which they inherited in their cultural genetic code. God bless for the music and for invoking the memories!

Updated: 08/11/2020Posted: 08/11/2020

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SLAWOMIR JASKULKE ~ ON NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 5908254159534) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is the seventh album by Polish pianist / composer Slawomir JaskulkeFind albums by this artist, which finds him returning to the classic piano trio format, following a series of solo piano recordings. The trio includes also bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof DziedzicFind albums by this artist; the latter was a member of Jaskulke´s trio a decade earlier. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Jaskulke. The music was excellently recorded and the album is packaged in a very unique design, being both very original and very impractical. Jaskulke is undoubtedly one the top Polish pianists since the onset of the millennium, but his recording legacy is in retrospect sadly less impressive that what it might have been. His solo piano recordings have taken him into New Age and other atmospheric music idioms, placing him away from the Jazz mainstream, where he feels most comfortably. This album, therefore, is definitely a move in the right direction. The compositions on this album present a reinvigorated, energetic Jaskulke, being mostly up-tempo if not neck-breaking fast. This fresh approach is most welcome, but it might have been a bit more constrained and relaxed. Nevertheless the music is absorbing and certainly impressive. In my opinion it would have been more enjoyable if more ballad material was included, but that is of course a matter of taste. The strongest point of this album is the performance by the rhythm section, which is truly spectacular. Mucha keeps his bass lines shoulder to shoulder with the racing piano, with a feel and technical brilliance rarely experienced. Dziedzic produces a strong barrage on the drum set, which sounds very powerful, but brilliantly manages not to overpower the two other trio members. His drumming is a text book example of powerful "wall of sound" Jazz drumming par excellence. It´s great to see Jaskulke back on track, which of course gives us hope for more great recordings to follow. This album is definitely worth checking out, especially for those Polish Jazz followers, who gave up on Jaskulke. It was definitely worth waiting for.

Updated: 19/02/2016Posted: 19/02/2016

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SIMON KANZLER ~ DOUBLE IDENTITY WHYPLAYJAZZ 027 (Barcode: 4250459990377) ~ GERMANY ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the second album by German vibraphonist / composer Simon KanzlerFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quintet setting with pianist Elias StemesederFind albums by this artist, bassists Italian Igor SpallatiFind albums by this artist and Polish Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and drummer Max AndrzejewskiFind albums by this artist. A chamber ensemble consisting of eight additional players also participates in the recording. The album presents six pieces and a three-part suite which gives the album its name, all composed by Kanzler. The music is a contemplative form of Improvised Avant-Garde, very introvert and minimalistic, which deals mostly with the relationships between sound and silence, and the exchanges between the participating musicians. There is no melodic stream in the conventional form, but there is continuance and development. The music happens on three juxtaposed planes, created by the vibes / drums conversation, the piano contributions, which are the only link this music has with the conventional Jazz idiom, and lastly the double bass conversations. By bringing these planes closer or further away from each other and by changing the focus on the specific plane is where the dynamics of this music fluctuates. Volume and emotional wise the music stays almost on the same level throughout the entire duration, which obviously makes this music quite challenging and difficult to follow. But regardless of the intellectual effort this music demands from the listener, it definitely has its merits, expanding the boundaries of contemporary music. There are many innovative and imaginative moments, which will surprised even the most experienced connoisseurs of contemporary music, and those should find this music as much entertaining and aesthetically pleasing, as educational. There is no doubt that this music derives a lot of its content and form from contemporary Classical music, especially the suite. In the expanded instrumental form the music keeps its basic characteristics, but becomes much more impressive and evocative, and as such sounding much more emotional than the quintet pieces, which tend to be a bit chilly. Overall this is another piece of music created by young European musicians, who keep searching for new forms of expression, boldly ignoring limitations and traditionalism, which keeps music stagnant. Kudos to the WhyPlayJazzFind albums on this label label for serving as a faithful home to these visionary souls, spreading their musical gospel to the world.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 10/06/2016

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JOANNA KUCHARCZYK ~ MORE FISK 001 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2013 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz vocalist Joanna KucharczykFind albums by this artist, accompanied by a piano trio with Czech pianist / composer Vit KristanFind albums by this artist, bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and drummer Karol DomanskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original songs, four of which were composed by Kristan, three by Kucharczyk, one co-composed by them both and the remaining one by Domanski. Kucharczyk wrote (or in two cases co-wrote) the lyrics to all the songs, which are all in English (see the Side Note below). The songs are pretty straightforward mainstream efforts, where the ones composed by Kristan are significantly better and more eloquent that the others. Most of the material is soaked in the typical Slavic melancholy, which although deeply touching and beautifully atmospheric, tends to get somewhat repetitive and almost boring after a while. The trio performs the music with elegance and sensibility, again Kristan clearly arising as the most experienced and obviously talented player, deeply romantic and bringing to mind recollections of the young fellow Czech virtuoso Emil ViklickyFind albums by this artist when he was at the same age. The rhythm section does its job very well, with the firm bass pulsations and dynamic drumming perfectly suiting the music and pushing it forward, especially during the less exciting moments. Kucharczyk emerges sadly as a limited vocalist, not taking any risks and providing little, if any, excitement. She employs almost no vocal devices other than simple singing, which of course is not nearly enough considering contemporary vocal standards. She struggles desperately with the English texts (which she wrote herself), losing time after time... I´ll give Kucharczyk the benefit of the doubt, considering this is her debut album, and if she records her next album with Polish lyrics I´ll be ready to listen to "more". I truly pray she gets the message and wish her success with all my heart. Until then, adieu… Side Note: I find it really disturbing when vocal Jazz albums originating from Poland feature English lyrics, and even more so if these are original lyrics written by the vocalists themselves (as opposed say to Jazz standards where the lyrics are already out there as part of the original songs). In almost all such cases the results sound simply ridiculous, incomprehensible and sometimes are even plainly painful to listen to. Why on earth would anybody, who is not a natural English speaker, want to sing in that language is a total mystery to me? It is plainly obvious that the articulation, the pronunciation and the accent will be always against you no matter how hard you try, so why do it at all? For Polish vocalists singing in English is a challenge, which makes them concentrate on trying to pronounce the foreign language, rather than simply sing, as they would do when singing in their mother tongue. And then there is the question why write lyrics in English, a foreign language that the writer knows only to a degree, usually almost embarrassingly superficially? No wonder that most such lyrics are shallow, primitive and pitiful. The assumption that if one can sing (which in itself is often a question) gives one the right to suddenly write their lyrics is completely unjustifiable. Usually one should restrain from writing publically unless one has something significant to say. The Polish Cultural Heritage includes thousands upon thousands of superb poems written over time by magnificent masters of the language, old and new alike. Why not use that legacy in your own work, sing in Polish and forget all that "singing in English" folly? And if you don´t like your own language, sing wordless vocalese, shout, meow and scat, do anything but please don´t sing in English! It´s beyond my comprehension why nobody learns from the mistakes of others and why the people giving guidance to the singers (producers, managers, fellow musicians and most importantly teachers) don´t discourage these self-destructive decisions? Well, c´est la vie…

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JERZY MALEK ~ BLACK SHEEP NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is the eighth album by Polish Jazz trumpeter / composer Jerzy MalekFind albums by this artist, recorded in a classic Jazz quintet setting with saxophonist Radek NowickiFind albums by this artist, pianists Piotr WylezolFind albums by this artist or Aga DerlakFind albums by this artist, bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and drummer Sebastian FrankiewiczFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, all by Malek. Stylistically the music is all within melodic Jazz mainstream, close to the American Jazz tradition, quite atypical to the contemporary Polish Jazz scene, which is more modernistic and experimental. That said, the music is wonderfully crafted and perfectly executed by seasoned musicians and sound every bit as good as the best of what American Jazz has to offer, proving again that Polish Jazz deserves to be completely free from any inferiority complexes in comparison to what is happening across the pond. Malek has a brilliant ability to weave perfect tunes, all of which are well rounded and based on coherent melodic themes, especially so with his marvelous ballads. On the whole his compositions are truly classic examples of post Bebop idiom at its finest. Although not very innovative, this kind of music is still perfectly valid and has many followers the world over and albums like this are a perfect fit to their bill of fare. Of course Malek is also a wonderful trumpeter, with perfect skills and intelligence, which guides him to avoid empty flashy displays of technique. His playing is always soulful and heartfelt, and a true pleasure to listen to. The other quintet members are all seasoned veterans and even the young Aga Derlak, who plays on two tracks, does an excellent job and showcases the next generation of the Polish Jazz stars. Overall this is a perfect mainstream Jazz album in every respect, full of wonderful music and perfect musicianship, which should completely satisfy all connoisseurs of that idiom regardless of their geographical location. It is also an excellent example of the quality of Polish Jazz and the abilities of Jerzy Malek as a composer and a trumpeter, which he earned fair and square by hard work and a heap of talent. Well done!

Updated: 26/05/2019Posted: 26/05/2019

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SZYMON MIKA ~ TOGETHERNESS HEVHETIA 0175 (Barcode: 8588005258425) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is the second album by the Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Szymon MikaFind albums by this artist, recorded, same as the debut album, in an intimate trio format with bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and Israeli drummer Ziv RavitzFind albums by this artist. Three guest musicians appear on selected tracks: vocalist Basia DerlakFind albums by this artist, who also contributed the lyrics to the four songs she appears on, Joachim MencelFind albums by this artist who plays the hurdy-gurdy on three tracks and pianist Mateusz PalkaFind albums by this artist, who plays on five tracks. The album presents eleven original compositions, all by Mika. It album was beautifully recorded at the Monochrom Studio and engineered by Maciej StachFind albums by this artist. The music on this album is decidedly more diverse and shows a more searching attitude than the excellent debut album, which is very encouraging and promising development. There are obvious World Music influences present in this music, but also openness and noticeable reach beyond mainstream Jazz, which was still the core of the debut album. Mucha and Ravitz are ideal partners in this quest for new identity, both of them being unconventional in their approach to music and exceptionally gifted, providing exquisite support to Mika´s lead parts and building a solid, but adventurous, rhythmic layer behind him. The four vocal tracks are also quite surprising and show another facet of Mika´s talent. Derlak sings in Polish, which is already a good starting point, and handles the relatively complex music with ease and obvious flair. Her Folksy mannerisms are a nice addition to the Jazz setting and I´d love to hear more of her in such setting. The tracks with Mencel and Palka, when the ensemble becomes a quintet (or even sextet with the addition of vocals) are somewhat different form the trio tracks, offering more conventional melody lines and ambience and adding to the overall diversity and fluency of the album as a whole. Overall the album is a clear and elegant step forward for Mika in many respects: as a composer, a bandleader and a guitarist. He joins the ranks of the new generation of Polish Jazz musicians, who are gradually taking over the center of the stage both in Poland and in Europe. Kudos are also due to the Slovak HevhetiaFind albums on this label label, which is rapidly becoming one of the most important, open minded and active record labels in Europe and manages to expand its roster of artist to include many of the young generation´s top artists, including neighbors from across the Tatra Mountains, and support them loyally. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 11/08/2018Posted: 11/08/2018

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SZYMON MIKA ~ UNSEEN HEVHETIA 0122 (Barcode: 8588005257770) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the debut album as a leader by Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Szymon MikaFind albums by this artist, one of the prominent representatives of the young generation of the Polish Jazz scene. It was recorded in an intimate trio setting with bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and Israeli drummer Ziv RavitzFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine tracks with five original compositions by Mika (the opening and closing track are versions of the title track) and three standards. The fact that Mika is an exceptionally gifted guitarist becomes immediately apparent and the excellent level of musicianship continues until the very last notes. The music is kept well within the Modern mainstream, with no attempts to venture into the Free territory. The themes are clearly melodic and Mika plays brilliantly and although he improvises extensively he makes an effort to stay within the boundaries. This might be limiting in a long range, but luckily his partners contribute some amazingly supportive and elaborate musical structures, which carry the music forward at all times and sound truly refreshing. Mucha is also a superb player and his solid bass lines provide a safe foundation for the trio to stretch out. Ravitz is by now one of the top young World drummers and his prolific recording career proves that he is very much in demand, which is fully justified. His contributions on this album are an example of what inventive contemporary Jazz drumming is all about. Overall this is a beautiful piece of Jazz music, which all connoisseurs of the genre should enjoy immensely, "guitar heaven" for those listeners who love the sound of guitar and a strong example of how mainstream Jazz can be intelligent and aesthetically perfect. Wholeheartedly recommended! For Hi-Fi enthusiasts, this album has superb sound quality and one of the nicest, roundest guitar sounds I have heard in a long time – a true feast for the ears!

Updated: 22/04/2016Posted: 22/04/2016

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MAREK NAPIORKOWSKI ~ STRING THEORY AGORA 5903111498719 (Barcode: 5903111498719) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2021 Released: 2022 This is an album by celebrated Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Marek NapiorkowskiFind albums by this artist, recorded in a trio setting with bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal BryndalFind albums by this artist and accompanied by the AUKSO Chamber OrchestraFind albums by this artist conducted by Marek MosFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original pieces, all composed and arranged by the leader, with orchestrations by Nikola KolodziejczykFind albums by this artist. The music is mostly highly melodic and the guitar has a strong Fusiony tinge, but the orchestral arrangements take the music all over the place, which creates a somewhat confusing general impression. As a result, the album leaves the listener with more questions than answers, both musically and aesthetically. Napiorkowski is of course a great guitarist and writes beautiful tunes, earning a lot of respect over time, but this highly extravagant experiment might have proved just one step too far. I wonder how this album might have sounded without the orchestral parts. Mucha is one of the best Polish bassists today and his pulsations are the main reason this music is listenable and somewhat coherent at all. Bryndal keeps the groove rolling, which also helps, and the fragments when the trio plays without the orchestral accompaniment (or when that accompaniment is kept in the background) the music sounds great. But when the ambitious arrangements take over, the charm is gone. It is no secret that I have had a problem with Kolodziejczyk’s methodology towards Jazz since he arrived on the scene, although I tried to approach every new recording he was involved with, with no prejudice (I swear). But sadly I find his over-ambitious arrangements simply way overboard. But that of course is just my personal opinion, which can be ignored at will. Overall, this might have been a great guitar trio album, which gets lost in the orchestral arrangements. This takes none of the great talents Napiorkowski and his cohorts have to offer away, and despite my reservations many people might love and enjoy this album, and probably will.

Updated: 11/01/2023Posted: 11/01/2023

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IGOR OSYPOV ~ DREAM DELIVERY FOR TUNE 0091 (Barcode: 5902768701920) ~ UKRAINE ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the second album by Ukrainian (resident in Berlin) guitarist / composer Igor OsypovFind albums by this artist recorded in a quartet setting with German saxophonist Wanja SlavinFind albums by this artist, Polish bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and German drummer Moritz BaumgartnerFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight tunes (one is repeated twice in different versions), six of which are original compositions by Osypov and two are co-credited to all four members of the quartet. The music is floating somewhere between mainstream Jazz and Fusion, dominated mostly by guitar sounds. The compositions are stylistically diverse, and somehow lack a coherent direction, and as a result the album sounds confusing and uninviting. The musicians are much more professional this time than those on Osypov´s debut album, but sadly their abilities are not potent enough to save this album from the fate of its predecessor. Slavin is a formidable player and his parts are absolutely stunning, but Osypov´s guitar, which sounds out of tune all the time, really stands in the way to enjoy them. Mucha and Baumgartner try their best to keep this music together and often play some wonderful parts, but alas again not being able to save the overall result. I am sorry that for the second time Osypov´s playing is simply painful to my ears. I tried my best to approach this album without predetermination, but alas I failed again to discover its beauty. As cruel as it might sound, I think that this music with the guitar parts removed could produce a great trio album.

Updated: 17/08/2024Posted: 10/07/2016

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KUBA PLUZEK ~ CREATIONISM FOR TUNE 0138 (Barcode: 5906395808519) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is the fourth album as a leader by the young (born 1988) Polish Jazz pianist / composer Kuba PluzekFind albums by this artist and his third recording with the same quartet, which also includes saxophonist Marek PospieszalskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and drummer Dawid FortunaFind albums by this artist. The album presents fifteen relatively / untypically short compositions, nine of which were composed by Pluzek, three were co-composed by him with Pospieszalski and another three were co-composed by all the members of the quartet, although "composed" has to be taken with a grain of salt, as in fact all except two of the pieces on the album are improvised and Pluzek "admits" to composing only two of the pieces, which appear towards the very end of the album. Pluzek, who first appeared on the Polish Jazz scene as a sideman in 2010 and recorded his debut album as a leader in 2012, took part in more than a dozen recordings since, which offer a chameleonic stylistic diversity, which could only mean either a complete lack of focus of an exceptional multi-layered musical talent, which in his case is definitely the latter. Even if one follows only his recordings as a leader, there is clear evidence that Pluzek is trying to cover an unlimited (stylistically) ground in his search for the genius loci of his musical universe. It is therefore not really surprising that Pluzek should arrive in his quest of exploration to the very source of music, as the album´s title suggests. The "primitivism" of sound before melody, harmony and rhythm took over, as he suggests in his comments about the music. One could of course say that the same process happened countless times before, when Jazz musicians abandoned the form in order to explore the source / spirit of music, moving from the traditional Jazz towards Free and Improvised Music, which in fact although commonly called Avant-Garde was in reality completely retro-garde. The music on this album offers the listener a sublime journey, which is propelled more by hints and suggestions rather than by actual directions. It is up to the listener to create the music in his head, based on the "primitives", supplied by the musicians, except, as already stated earlier, in the case of the two fully developed compositions appearing towards the finale, which could be envisaged as the "Let there be light" of the creation process. There is no doubt that Pluzek consistently paves his way towards a respected position on the crowded Polish Jazz piano scene and this excellent album is definitely a step in the right direction. Perhaps this is a closing chapter in the initial chapter of his career, which now passes towards the mature stage when he leaves the boisterous "twenties" behind. This album, recorded at the now already legendary Monochrom Studio, offers a spectacular sound quality in addition to the extraordinary music, and is of course wholeheartedly recommended to all Polish / European Jazz connoisseurs, who already know where truly great music comes from.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 19/02/2019

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KUBA PLUZEK ~ FIRST ALBUM V 003 (Barcode: 5903111377021) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2014 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz pianist / composer Kuba PluzekFind albums by this artist, recorded partly in a trio setting with bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and drummer Dawid FortunaFind albums by this artist and partly as a quartet which adds saxophonist Marek PospieszalskiFind albums by this artist to the trio. The album presents seven original compositions, all by Pluzek, three of which are parts of an extended three-part suite. After just a few moments it becomes immediately apparent that this is a very unusual album in every respect. The music is simply "different" from anything else one usually hears on a Jazz recording today. It is melodic, but the melody is often quite elusive; it is rhythmic, but the rhythm keeps changing constantly; it dresses up as modern mainstream, but in fact it is almost completely Free at times. All those factors create a confusing haze at the first exposure, but very soon it all begins to make a perfect sense. However, this music never rests and keeps an attentive listener on his toes at all times, as anything can and most probably will happen while this music evolves. The individual performances are all first rate, which is hardly surprising to people familiar with the Polish Jazz scene and previous recordings by the musicians involved, except the leader of course, who is a novice. Surprisingly it is the saxophonist that gets the most exposure and his convulsive solos fit the music perfectly. Pluzek plays along splendidly, arm in arm with the rhythm section, inserting complex chords and odd timed vamps, but he solos sparingly and when he does play solos, those are rather minimalistic as far as the number of separate notes present, being more chords oriented. Even on the trio pieces the bass and drums seem to bee actually often busier than the piano, which sort of "leads from behind". The bass / drums team plays a much more significant role in this particular music than usually in Jazz, as the music is mostly based on a vamping pattern that is held and driven by them. Both instruments are recorded with strong presence and high up in the mix, which also adds to the overall sonic "strangeness". They both do a splendid job for sure. It seems that the leader wanted to present a team effort rather than boast his ego, which is commendable and honorable. Overall this is a very impressive album, which of course is very rare these days, as it becomes more and more difficult to be unique, inventive and yes, impressive. Considering that we are talking about a debut, this is even more important. It is difficult to say if Pluzek will indeed become the great hope of Polish Jazz, as the PR material accompanying this album announces, but he certainly enters the ring with a bang; only time will tell, of course, but he deserves our best wishes. Well done indeed!

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KUBA PLUZEK ~ FROOTS FOR TUNE 0129 (Barcode: 5906395808311) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is the third album by young Polish Jazz pianist / composer Kuba PluzekFind albums by this artist, recorded in a classic quartet setting with the same musicians that played with him on his debut album: saxophonist Marek PospieszalskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and drummer Dawid FortunaFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original compositions, presented as two individual tunes, one two part composition and two three part compositions; definitely an unusual approach to presenting music in the Jazz idiom. The music is very difficult to classify and embraces a plethora of cross-genre influences ranging between Reggae to Free Jazz, with the majority of the tunes just about fitting the mainstream Jazz category. But obviously Pluzek is not much concerned with the classification of his music and is here to make a statement, which is highly unusual and original. Rhythmically the music is uneven, often on the verge of falling apart and than returning back to the beat, sometimes featuring a repeated drone pattern, close to ambient music, and sometimes swinging almost "normally". The aural aspect of this album is also very bizarre, with the distorted electric piano sound dominating the music, dense drum parts up front in the mix, deep bottom bass and out of focus (between the channels) saxophone somewhere as if on a different plane. Altogether this is a weird sonic experience, which adds wonderful tension to the proceedings. The individual contributions are all stellar, as expected. Pluzek freely moves between musical moods, falling in and out of the melody lines, managing to be quite unexpected for the entire duration of the album. Personally I prefer his work on the acoustic piano, but his electric piano parts are more challenging. Pospieszalski manages to hold back his Avant-Garde tendencies and stays pretty conventional, playing several wonderfully structured solos. Mucha is all over the music with his superb bass parts, inserting some arco passages but mostly plucking his bass to the Max (pun intended). Fortuna plays some highly unusual drum parts, polyrhythmic and dense which are only partly concerned with keeping time and become an integral part of the music. Overall this is a challenging, unusual album, definitely one of the most interesting recordings done in 2017, which firmly established Pluzek´s position on the Polish scene as one of the youngsters to reckon with in the immediate future. Pluzek, an outspoken young person, who openly voices his opinions in the social media, often as a voice of opposition, dedicates one of the three part compositions to music critics, calling the piece by a clever twist of the little known word wihajster (subtitled "Piece For Critics"), which expresses his attitude towards the all knowing "music critics", a generalization which hopefully does not include yours truly…

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 21/01/2018

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MAREK POSPIESZALSKI ~ GRA PIOSENKI, KTORE SPIEWAL FRANK SINATRA NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2015 Released: 2017 This is the debut album as a leader by Polish Jazz saxophonist Marek PospieszalskiFind albums by this artist, recorded in a classic quartet format with Austrian pianist Elias StemesederFind albums by this artist, Polish bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and German drummer Max AndrzejewskiFind albums by this artist. As the title suggests, the album presents eight songs, which are associated with Frank SinatraFind albums by this artist´s repertoire, all of them classic standards, which get a new interpretation herein. Pospieszalski, as followers of the Polish Jazz scene know, is associated with the Free Jazz / Improvised Music genre and this album follows these basic boundaries, as expected. Therefore the choice of the material is rather bizarre, to say the least. Having infinite possibilities including self composed or freely improvised music, re-inventing these almost "sacred" songs seems truly outlandish and misguided. Being intimately familiar with these songs and their wonderful interpretations by Sinatra, as much as appreciate freedom and exploration, this treatment seems to me as being disrespectful and unnecessary. A recent trend of re-composing, re-inventing, de-composing and otherwise transforming classic material is very interesting, but should have at least some self-constraint. The music itself is very interesting and well executed, with all participants being excellent musicians with an impressive record behind them. The music is full of wonderful freedom, which does not hinder the cooperation between the quartet members. It was wonderfully recorded at the RecPublica Studios by Lukasz OlejarczykFind albums by this artist and is an excellent example of contemporary European Free Jazz scene, which is flourishing and vital in every respect. Overall what might have been a great album with a different concept behind it turns out to be a wonderful chocolate cake with a mustard filling. Some things should stay untouchable…

Updated: 16/04/2017Posted: 16/04/2017

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TOMASZ SROCZYNSKI ~ PRIMAL FOR TUNE 0103 (Barcode: 5906395808038) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 It is the debut album as a leader by Polish Avant-Garde violinist / composer Tomasz SroczynskiFind albums by this artist, recorded in a trio format with bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and drummer Szymon GasiorekFind albums by this artist. The album presents a continuous twelve piece progression lasting thirty eight minutes. Since composing credits are not disclosed on the album´s liner notes I assume the music was co-composed by all three musicians based on basic ideas by the leader. The music moves along between Contemporary Classical, Free Jazz, Improvised Music and Ambient, which seems pretty arbitrary as there is no coherent structure or sequence, which could hint as to the ultimate goal. The diverse sonic vistas produced by the violin are interesting and so is the attempt to share responsibility by the other instruments, which play along amicably, but that is not enough to keep the listener fascinated for more that a few moments at a time. Sroczynski displays virtuosic technique, especially so in the longest track on the album, but the other pieces are much more minimalistic and less immediately attractive. However, there is no doubt that this is a courageous effort to produce original and ambitious music, and as such it deserves encouragement and support, like the release of this album. There is no way to foresee where Sroczynski might be heading in the long range, but based on his previous recordings and the one at hand he certainly is full of interesting ideas and opens new possibilities for the role of the violin in contemporary music. Lovers of adventurous Avant-Garde escapades, full of challenge and discovery, should find this music interesting and worth listening to. The question is if a repeated listening to this recording is something many listeners will be interested in.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 14/10/2016

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TOMASZ WENDT ~ DAILY THINGS SJ 072 (Barcode: 5905489720041) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2022 Released: 2023 This is the third album by Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Tomasz WendtFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet setting with guitarist Szymon MikaFind albums by this artist, bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist. The album presents thirteen original compositions, all by the leader. The music was recorded at the Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, with the usual splendid sound quality. The music on this album is quite different from his earlier recordings, putting the composition in the epicenter. The thirteen relatively short tracks present a series of wonderfully weaved melodies, each and every one of which is a little gem, and they all radiate beautiful melodic coherence and heartfelt romanticism soaked in melancholy. Thanks to this approach the listener is exposed to a massive influx of themes, which is more than double than what one finds on an average Jazz recording emphasizing the performance rather than the composition. But of course the delicate and intimate performances on this album are also absolutely marvelous, focusing on the saxophone, but also prominently featuring the superb guitar work by Mika and the excellent support of the rhythm section, which shines throughout the entire duration of the album. Wendt made a very intelligent decision with his choice of the musicians participating on this recording, each a great Master of his instrument, but also an amicable member of the quartet sound. Together they create an unusual and highly effective Jazz album. There is no doubt that with this album Wendt enters the “grown up” league of the Polish Jazz scene, which he fully deserves, following years of hard working apprenticeship and study of the idiom. I had the pleasure of following his progress over the years and its always satisfying to see a musician grow and achieve success in time. Overall, this is mature and highly satisfying album by Wendt, full of great music and marvelous performances by him and his companions, which offers universal beauty of the Jazz idiom and should be highly appreciated by every Jazz lover the world over. Congrats!

Updated: 29/03/2023Posted: 29/03/2023

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WIECEK & GAWEDA QUINTET ~ BERRY AUDIO CAVE 2019/011 (Barcode: 5905669566841) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2019 This is the debut album by a quintet co-led by two of the most noticeable upcoming Polish Jazz musicians in the last decade: saxophonist / composer Kuba WiecekFind albums by this artist and pianist / composer Mateusz GawedaFind albums by this artist. The quintet also includes veteran American trumpeter Ralph AlessiFind albums by this artist, Polish bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and German drummer Moritz BaumgartnerFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, all co-credited to Wiecek & Gaweda. The music is typical American Post-bop based on sketchy melodic themes and open to extensive improvisations by the quintet members. The outcome of such approach is totally dependent on the musical chemistry that develops between the musicians and their ability to offer group improvisation, which is more important than the individual improvisations each of the participants is capable of. This quintet is a collection of very strong musical personalities, each and every one of which is an accomplished performer, leader and composer on his own right. The question arises of course if this specific grouping of musicians works well in total, which as far as I am concerned remains undetermined. There is certainly a lack of balance as far as soloing is concerned, with Alessi, who in my opinion is definitely not the most interesting soloist herein, playing most of the soli whereas Wiecek is almost completely silent except for the unisono intros, outros and a few brief solos. Gaweda and the rhythm section manage to hold their ground all in all and the piano trio parts are the highlight of this album. There is also the basic stylistic dissonance that hinders the quintet´s unity, with Alessi pushing the music into the Bebop schematics whereas the four young Europeans are trying to break away into the freedom zone, time after time. Having said all that, this is still a very interesting album, which offers some great playing and joyful, spirited music, which is very enjoyable to listen to. The four young Europeans have the whole life ahead of them and this album proves their incredible talents, which surely will bring us all a lot of superb music in the future.

Updated: 15/11/2019Posted: 09/11/2019

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IREK WOJTCZAK ~ ROM TOM DADA FSR 2021/17 (Barcode: 5904441617016) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2021 Released: 2021 This is an album by veteran Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Irek WojtczakFind albums by this artist recorded with a quartet, which also includes trumpeter Tomasz DabrowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and drummer Jan MlynarskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine tracks, all of which are Polish Folk tunes from the Leczyca region, collected by the Polish ethnographer Oskar KolbergFind albums by this artist, arranged by Wojtczak. Wojtczak continues here his fascination with Polish Folk music, transforming it into contemporary Jazz / Avant-Garde setting, creating a truly fascinating amalgam, as already documented on his earlier recordings: “Folk FiveFind albums with this title” and “Play It AgainFind albums with this title”. This new quartet setting is much more focused and moves brilliantly between the original tunes and the improvisations. The saxophone and trumpet create beautiful duet dynamics and the rhythm section, with its dense / quirky intensity, drives the music strongly atop the odd rhythms and tempi changes. All the personal performances are absolutely top notch and Mlynarski surprises with his highly unusual drumming, feeling obviously at ease alongside these top Jazz instrumentalists, despite the fact that he usually operates in completely different musical environments. It is great to discover his alter ego here. Overall, this is an excellent album, which continues a highly interesting path of cross-genre creativity, as well as obvious love of Polish musical tradition, which obviously deserves to be cherished and remembered. Although clicking at only slightly over half hour in duration, this music is so intense and fulfilling that the timing has little significance. Brilliantly done, as always!

Updated: 31/01/2022Posted: 31/01/2022

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