Record Reviews

BIG BAND SLASKI ~ A WIDE SPECTRUM TEATR ROZRYWKI 002 (Barcode: 5902596066819) ~ POLAND ~ Big Band Jazz Recorded: 2022 Released: 2022 This is the debut album by a new Jazz Big Band on the Polish scene, appropriately called Big Band SlaskiFind albums by this artist (Silesian Big Band), as it was founded in Chorzow (the town where I was born) and includes many of the musicians who graduated from the Katowice Music Academy, like trumpeter Pawel PalcowskiFind albums by this artist or saxophonist Jaroslaw BothurFind albums by this artist, to mention just a few. The Big Band is led by its Artistic Director, trombonist / composer Grzegorz NagorskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven compositions, one by Nagorski, one by trombonist / composer Michal TomaszczykFind albums by this artist, one by pianist / composer Pawel TomaszewskiFind albums by this artist, who appears as a special guest on the album, two by American trumpeter / composer Tim WaltersFind albums by this artist and the remaining two by another American trumpeter / composer / arranger Michael Philip MossmanFind albums by this artist. The music was recorded at Radio Katowice and offers a splendid sound quality and separation, which makes the music resound clearly and brightly. The music is all strictly within the mainstream Jazz idiom, offering melodic compositions arranged skillfully for the Big Band and performed spotlessly by all the musicians, featuring many splendid solo parts. Most of the music is pretty straightforward, except for the closing track by Tomaszewski, and is obviously dominated by the American Big Band tradition, which sounds somewhat outdated today, despite its slick and professional glamor. I would have expected from a contemporary Polish Jazz band to be somehow more aligned with the European approach to Jazz Big Bands, which is more daring and innovative, but all things considered and in view of the fact that Jazz Big Bands are such a rare phenomenon today, we should rejoice every time some new Big Band music is being created. Overall, this is a very pleasing and entertaining, almost danceable, Jazz Big Band album, which should make many enthusiasts of the genre happy. The music is accessible and the performances are highly spirited, which results is a most enjoyable listening experience. Hopefully the Big Band Slaski will be able to continue its activity in the uncertain, economically and otherwise, atmosphere that surrounds the music scene these days.

Updated: 28/12/2022Posted: 28/12/2022

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