Record Reviews

MALGORZATA MARKIEWICZ ~ BRING THE LIGHT REQUIEM / LYDIAN 2020/07 ~ POLAND ~ Smooth Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 Although her career goes back over two decades, this is finally the debut album by Polish vocalist Malgorzata MarkiewiczFind albums by this artist. It was recorded with the vocals supported by a basic trio consisting of keyboardist Nikola KolodziejczykFind albums by this artist, bass guitarist Maciej SzczycinskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal BryndalFind albums by this artist. In addition a string quartet, which is 3/4 of the Atom String QuartetFind albums by this artist (violinist Dawid LubowiczFind albums by this artist, violist Michal ZaborskiFind albums by this artist (Malgorzata´s husband) and cellist Krzysztof LenczowskiFind albums by this artist) and violinist Marta ZalewskaFind albums by this artist takes part in the recording as well as eight other musicians playing / singing on selected tracks. The album presents twelve original songs, nine of which were composed by Markiewicz (two co-composed with others) and three were composed by Gabriela KapczukFind albums by this artist. She also wrote three of the lyrics and co-wrote one with the rest being by different authors. Six of the songs feature lyrics in Polish language and the other six feature lyrics in English. The album is elegantly packaged and offers the lyrics, arty photographs and stylish design. The songs are all typical contemporary Polish Pop, very melodic and solidly written but slightly samey. The album offers a modern production and sound, which I personally don´t appreciate very much. But the instrumental arrangements, with just a tinge of Jazz here and there, and the playing / singing are absolutely perfect and professional. If not for the Polish lyrics, this album might have been mistaken for an American album, which proves that the Poles can beat the Americans at their own Smooth Jazz production game, but as such does not offer much originality. With that said, Markiewicz proves she can write great tunes and sing them with true feeling, even in English, which most of her local vocal colleagues fail at badly. It is obvious that a lot of thought and work was invested into creating this album and the result is highly entertaining and offers a great listening experience, which Pop and Smooth Jazz listeners should enjoy immensely. Overall this is an excellently produced and beautifully performed album, full of great tunes and typical Smooth Jazz feel, which should make aficionados of that genre perfectly happy.

Updated: 09/01/2021Posted: 25/03/2020

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WOJTEK MAZOLEWSKI QUINTET ~ POLKA AGORA 9788326813801 (Barcode: 9788326813801) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 - 2014 Released: 2014 This is the third album by Polish Jazz bassists / composer Wojtek MazolewskiFind albums by this artist and his quintet, which also includes Slovak trumpeter Oskar TorokFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Marek PospieszalskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Joanna DudaFind albums by this artist and drummers Qba JanickiFind albums by this artist and Michal BryndalFind albums by this artist. The album presents twelve compositions (one repeated twice), six of which are originals by Mazolewski, two are originals by Duda, one is credited to the entire quintet and three are covers. The music on this album was written over a long period of time and reflects the personal life of the leader and the touring experiences by his quintet, as well as their musical preferences. It is a mixed bag of various influences, including Jazz but not necessarily strictly connected with Jazz, as usual with Mazolewski´s albums. His tap-dance between Jazz and more popular Pop & Rock idioms seem to work miracles during the quintet´s live shows, which are extremely well attended by enthusiastic audiences, but it does not translate that well into albums, like this one, which are a mixed, unfocused bag. Of course these are top-notch players, especially Duda, who displays a remarkable ability to adopt her playing to the various musical environments present herein and sets her own voice in her compositions. The sound is smooth and likeable as is the music and overall this album is a lot of fun to listen to, but leaves very little of an afterthought. The album is beautifully packaged in a fancy digibook format, with great photos and Mazolewski´s reflections about the music. BTW the work "Polka" has a double meaning: a Folk dance (of Czech origin) and a Polish female person; a dichotomy Mazolewski explores in detail. I had a lot fun listening to this album but at the same time, as with all albums by Mazolewski, I feel a bit cheated, always getting a bit less than I hoped for. Some music simply does sound better live…

Updated: 05/01/2025Posted:

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WOJTEK MAZOLEWSKI QUINTET ~ SMELLS LIKE TAPE SPIRIT MYSTIC (PL) 163 (Barcode: 5903427874627) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2010 Released: 2010 This is the debut album by a Polish Jazz quintet led by bassist / composer Wojtek MazolewskiFind albums by this artist, who is a well known figure on the local scene way beyond the Jazz circles, mostly as a member of several Rock groups and later a founding member of the top Polish group Pink FreudFind albums by this artist. Obviously, this album presents an attempt to create a “serious” Jazz album in the splendid tradition of the Polish Jazz heritage, which in fact is by and large quite successful. Carefully composed, arranged and beautifully played, the album is mostly melancholic and lyrical, very melodic and full of internal tension, which is extremely effective. The quintet includes Slovak trumpeter Oskar TorokFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Marek PospieszalskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Joanna DudaFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal BryndalFind albums by this artist, all excellent and very sensitive players. The music was mostly composed or co-composed by Mazolewski, with one track credited to the entire ensemble and two tracks composed by the pianist. In his liner notes Mazolewski makes clear how he longed to return to the double bass and play Jazz again (he mostly plays electric bass) and explains how this music was influenced by the arrival of his first-born son. He also credits his partners in the quintet for contributing to the final result, and so he should, as it definitely is a group effort. Overall it is a beautiful album, which gives the listener a truly satisfactory listening experience, at least until the last (bonus?) track of the album, which states the obvious: “White men can’t jump and they can’t play reggae either”. Highly recommended!

Updated: 05/01/2025Posted:

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WOJTEK MAZOLEWSKI QUINTET ~ WOJTEK W CZECHOSLOWACJI MYSTIC (PL) 195 (Barcode: 5903427875198) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2011 Released: 2011 This is the 2nd album by the Polish Jazz quintet led by bassist / composer Wojtek MazolewskiFind albums by this artist, who is a well known figure on the local scene way beyond the Jazz circles, mostly as a member of several Rock groups and later a founding member of the top Polish group Pink FreudFind albums by this artist. The quintet includes Slovak trumpeter Oskar TorokFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Marek PospieszalskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Joanna DudaFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal BryndalFind albums by this artist, all excellent and very sensitive players. The music was mostly composed or co-composed by Mazolewski, with four tracks credited to the entire ensemble and one track composed by the pianist. One additional track was contributed by Polish DJ Maceo WyroFind albums by this artist, who participates in the recording with his electronic effects and another one is by famous Jamaican reggae artist Max RomeoFind albums by this artist. In contrast to the quintet’s previous album (“Smells Like Tape SpiritFind albums with this title”) this one is quite confusing. The confusion starts right with the album’s title (the Czechoslovak connection being a mystery) and continues throughout the album’s content, which includes several re-makes of compositions already present on the last album and new compositions, which are stylistically quite remote from earlier material. Of course the album has its moments and such high-class musicians can definitely play well, but the overall disorder, lack of direction or aesthetic unity makes it more difficult to enjoy. Of course it’s entirely possible that Mazolewski knows exactly what he’s doing and it’s only me missing the point? Investigate at your own risk!

Updated: 05/01/2025Posted:

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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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NUDA ~ NUDA NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2020 Released: 2020 This is the debut album by Polish quartet NudaFind albums by this artist (Eng. Boredom), which includes cornetist Marcin Albert SteczkowskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Michal MilczarekFind albums by this artist, bassist Marcin JadachFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal BryndalFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, all co-credited to all four members of the quartet. The members of the quartet come from very different backgrounds, between almost mainstream Jazz, via Jazz-Rock Fusion to Avant-Garde Jazz, but the music on this album is mostly improvised and rather free, with limited melodic contents. The overall approach is very minimalistic and the music plays around with sound and silence, creating imaginary, almost ambient soundscapes. Although the cornet and guitar are at the front line, the quartet distributes equal weight between all four players, which is very effective. The rhythm section often plays in a completely different space-time continuum than the soloing instruments, and even creates polyrhythmic diversity between the bass and the drums. Therefore at times all four musicians play seemingly "inconsistently" between each other, but highly creatively and artistically. There is no doubt that the album manages to present a fresh, highly unconventional approach to music making and has a lot to offer together to an open-minded listener. The concept needs perhaps a bit of refining and the short playing time (just above half an hour) needs expanding, which can all bee achieved on the next album. Overall this is a splendid debut effort and a most welcome fresh breath of air. Well done!

Updated: 21/08/2020Posted: 21/08/2020

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GRZEGORZ ROGALA PROJECT ~ ENTHUZJAZZM SOLITON 030 (Barcode: 5901549899306) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2010 Released: 2011 The incredible Renaissance of Jewish Culture, which erupted in recent years in Poland, the country which hosted Jews for centuries and then witnessed their extermination during the Holocaust, is truly wondrous and unprecedented. The renewed interest in Jewish Culture and Tradition has its musical sides of course, like Jewish Music Festivals and smaller, more intimate projects like this one - a Jazz quartet which brings together three Polish and one Israeli Jazz musicians: trombonist Grzegorz RogalaFind albums by this artist, bassist Lukasz BorowieckiFind albums by this artist, drummer Michal BryndalFind albums by this artist and female saxophonist Sagit ZilbermanFind albums by this artist. An oud player and a rapper guest on one track each. Together they perform seven compositions, which combine Jazz with Jewish folklore (and Polish folklore as well) – not a new concept, but certainly one which is able to produce very interesting results. Of the seven compositions three are by Rogala, two by John ZornFind albums by this artist (the legendary pioneer of the Radical Jewish Jazz movement), one by Zilberman and one is a standard arranged by Zilberman. The overall sound and musical approach of the quartet is very original and unique, with the two soloists improvising on top of a very solid rhythmic background provided by the rhythm section. In fact the bass player holds the music together in a truly admirable way. The quartet is not trying to play another version of Klezmer / Hasidic Jazz mixture, which has already been explored by many other ensembles, but creates their own stylistic approach, which although not completely Free, has a lot of freedom and space, which allows individual expression. Overall the album sounds fresh, interesting and unique, which doesn´t happen too often these days. Definitely worth investigating!

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STRYJO ~ A VISTA SOCIAL CLUB NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 5904730933025) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz trio StryjoFind albums by this artist, which consists of pianist Nikola KolodziejczykFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej SzczycinskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal BryndalFind albums by this artist. Apparently the trio exists already for ten years, but only now releases its music in recorded form. The double CD includes seventeen original compositions, implicitly co-credited to all three members of the trio, as all the music is declared as spontaneously composed while being played. The recording dates and locations are not specified but this is a studio recording and the sound quality is excellent. The music is very melodic and well within the Jazz mainstream idiom, and therefore the fact that it is all spontaneously composed is very hard to believe, at least as far as pre-arranged themes and motifs are concerned, but of course I have no reason to disbelieve whatever the musicians claim to be true. The level of spontaneity and unexpectedness one would expect in case of such music is also almost completely absent herein, and the music sounds extremely well tamed and agreeable. The performances are all top-notch: Kolodziejczyk gently strokes the keyboard and streams one sweet melody after another, Szczycinski plays along admirably, with clear and amicable bass lines, and adds a few admirable mini-solos to the proceedings, and Bryndal adds groove and zest to the whole enterprise. The overall result is pleasing and enjoyable, easy on the ear and generally satisfying, but… The real question here is what is the purpose of this music? The melodies, as nice as they are, are not really very memorable and as far as piano trios, the Polish Jazz scene is blessed by a plentitude of those, most of them more stimulating, ambitious and artistically inclined. I am not denying the above mentioned virtues of this album, but a double CD? Oh well...that´s entertainment! I invite everybody to judge by themselves.

Updated: 03/10/2016Posted: 03/10/2016

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IGNACY JAN WISNIEWSKI ~ DUOS HEVHETIA 0221 (Barcode: 8588005259026) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is an album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Ignacy Jan WisniewskiFind albums by this artist, which presents a series of duos recorded with other Polish Jazz musicians: bassist Olo WalickiFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Olgierd WalickiFind albums by this artist), saxophonist Mikolaj TrzaskaFind albums by this artist, drummer Michal BryndalFind albums by this artist and vocalist Marcin JanuszkiewiczFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original pieces, all of which are freely improvised. For “freely improvised music”, the music on this album is at times remarkably melodic and returns to the formats used by Wisniewski in his earlier recordings, which amalgamate elements of Jazz and Classical music with Avant-Garde vistas, being this time perhaps somewhat more radical, since the earlier music was definitely largely pre-composed. In any case, if all Improvised Music was as coherent, sensible and aesthetically pleasing as what can be heard here, my general cautiousness about the genre would have been way less intensive. This music is simply beautifully expressive and inviting, in complete contrast to most contemporary Improvised Music, with constant challenges, strange twists and turns and quite unexpected performances by the participants, like almost romantic saxophone parts by Trzaska and Cecil TaylorFind albums by this artist staccatos by the leader. The biggest surprise for me are the vocal performances by Januszkiewicz, whose earlier work I admit to not being familiar with. Due to his contacts with the theatre circles, as composer of music for spectacles, Wisniewski uses actors rather that Jazz vocalist in his projects (see / hear Kamil DominiakFind albums by this artist in “Kantata JazzowaFind albums with this title”), proving his perfect instinct as far as making such decisions. Januszkiewicz is absolutely stunning in his unconventional vocal approach and his parts are, for me, absolutely climatic. But to be fair all the participants contribute heartfelt roles in the entire project. Overall, this is one of the absolutely most wonderful Polish Free Jazz / Improvised Music recordings lately, which is rather unusual in its tameness, which perhaps is the source of its success. Presenting great musicianship, firmly managed by the leader, it proves that Improvised Music can be lasting and still innovate, which is happening very rarely lately. An absolute must to listeners, who are ready to be challenged. Hats off to all participants!

Updated: 01/10/2021Posted: 01/10/2021

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MICHAL WROBLEWSKI ~ I REMEMBER ELLITE 5903292101217 (Barcode: 5903292101217) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2010 - 2011 Released: 2012 This is the debut album by the young Polish Jazz pianist / composer Michal WroblewskiFind albums by this artist, recorded with his trio with bassist Michal JarosFind albums by this artist and drummers Michal BryndalFind albums by this artist and Wojciech RomanowskiFind albums by this artist. The first version of this album was recorded by the trio with Bryndal and released as a promo. This, the final version of the album adds four more tracks recorded by the trio with Romanowski. Since both trios recorded the title track, the album´s nine tracks are in fact only eight distinct compositions, of which five were composed by Wroblewski, one by Jaros, one is an interpretation of a John ColtraneFind albums by this artist tune and the title track is a contemporary house composition, which proves that Wroblewski listens to other music than Jazz as well. Both trio sessions were recorded at the legendary Studio Tokarnia, with Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist behind the knobs, which is always a guarantee of superb sonic quality. The Polish Jazz scene seems to be an endless source of excellent piano players over the years, and the contemporary scene, which hosts both the veterans, the middle aged and the young pianist is simply exploding with talent and activity. Wroblewski is certainly one of the interesting newcomers, who still have to pay the dues and put forward their accomplishments before achieving an honorary position on the pedestal reserved for the Polish Jazz piano giants. Judging by this recording he´s certainly on the right track, as the music presented on this album is quite excellent, both from the point of view of the performance and the compositions. Both trios play elegantly and display individual skills as well as an ensemble spirit, carefully listening to each other. The compositions present a nice balance between the melodic themes, rhythmic progressions and harmonic structures, which are ideal vehicles for the improvised passages. There is a frequent usage of Classical quotes and neo-romantic mannerisms, which are probably mostly sub-conscious and quite understandable considering the pianist´s age. The overall level of performance is quite excellent, turning this album into an ideal type of piano trio experience, which many Jazz connoisseurs greatly enjoy. The album could have been slightly longer and more adventurous musically, but than again many listeners will probably wish to change absolutely nothing. One can only hope that future recordings by Wroblewski will show him striving to achieve an individual voice and unique style, which will surely come to fruition as he gets older and more experienced. Keeping things in the right perspective, this is definitely a most impressive debut, exposing a talent to be watched. This album is highly recommended to piano trio enthusiasts, but basically every Jazz lover should be able to deeply enjoy this music. Great stuff!

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MICHAL ZABORSKI ~ FEELING EARTH HEVHETIA 0189 (Barcode: 8588005258623) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2017 Released: 2019 This is the debut album as a leader by the Polish violist Michal ZaborskiFind albums by this artist, mostly recognized as a member of the Atom String QuartetFind albums by this artist, recorded with a quartet, which also includes pianist Nikola KolodziejczykFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej SzczycinskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal BryndalFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, all by Zaborski and the music was recorded at the excellent Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist. With the viola in the lead, the quartet produces a noticeably "different" sound than one expects from a Jazz recording, and indeed this music, although Jazz oriented, includes also strongly noticeable additional influences, such as Classical and Folklore music, which are immediately apparent from the onset. The compositions are all deeply melancholic and mostly low key, emphasizing a strong melodic presence, with the themes stated by the viola at the beginning of each piece and than gently carried on by the fragile piano and viola improvised parts. The piano is a tad too busy at times, but not extravagantly so. The rhythm section keeps things to bare minimum, with the bass pulsating in the background and playing a few beautifully melodic soli and the drums steady and barely audible at times. And yet the music has an irresistible charm to it, a magical flow that keeps the listener mesmerized for the duration of the album, taking him from one piece to the next as if hypnotized. In spite of the minimalist outcome produced by the musicians, the music does not seem to be missing anything and is perfectly rounded and whole. The music is kept mostly on a relaxed level with little dynamics displayed along the way, which could be considered a bit indistinguishable, but easily forgiven. Personally I really enjoyed the music, although I suspect some listeners will find it a bit "too pretty" and altogether lacking the "kick" Jazz enthusiasts expect to hear in the music. There is no doubt Zaborski is a virtuoso and his performances here as every bit as strong as on his numerous earlier recording. His compositions are heavily influenced by Polish Folklore music and his Classical Music background, which he openly admits in his music, not trying to make it sound more Jazzy than it rally is. Overall this is a very unique album, different from most of the output arriving on the Polish Jazz scene, and also different from the material Zaborski records with the Atoms, showing another facet of his musical personality. A Gentle Giant by all means, who can weave beautiful melodies and share them with his listeners with obvious love and modesty.

Updated: 07/10/2019Posted: 07/10/2019

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