Record Reviews

CEZIK ~ AMBIWALNIETY SJ 035 (Barcode: 5903111492809) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Pop Fusion Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is the debut album by Polish singer / songwriter CeZikFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Cezary Zenon NowakFind albums by this artist), active on the local scene since the mid 2000s. A decision to record a full album of his songs led to the meeting between CeZik and Polish Jazz pianist / composer Michal CiesielskiFind albums by this artist, who agreed to write the Jazzy arrangements to CeZik´s songs, which are executed by some of the best young Polish Jazz players: Ciesielski on piano, bassist Pawel UrowskiFind albums by this artist, drummer Adam GolickiFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Pawel PalcowskiFind albums by this artist, trombonist Szymon KlekowickiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Wojciech LichtanskiFind albums by this artist and percussionist Sylwester MalinowskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eleven original songs written by CeZik (lyrics and music), one co-composed with Ciesielski, all arranged by CeZik and Ciesielski. Despite the Jazzy arrangements, the songs are basically Pop oriented, somewhat of cabaret / vaudeville character, especially due to the satiric lyrics, which are full of bitter humor and sarcasm (naturally being in Polish they are sadly only perceivable to the Polish speaking audience). CeZik´s vocal delivery is frivolous and theatrical rather than strictly musical, but it suits the overall character of the project ideally and works out perfectly. Some of the melodies are beautifully lyrical, sometimes delivered with exaggerated pathos, bringing recollections of the Polish popular songs created in the 1920s and 1930s. The album flows beautifully and delivers the intended atmosphere of a cabaret show. The musicians are all highly professional and play with gusto and elegance, emphasizing the Jazzy atmosphere without being overtly assertive, staying respectfully in the background. The arrangements are perfectly suited to the music and create a coherent and highly graceful flow and continuity. Overall this is a brilliant album from start to finish, entertaining, but educational, splendidly performed and masterfully sung, dripping with painfully sardonic messages, wrapped in sweet and soothing melody lines and superb vocal delivery by CeZik. This is definitely a highly unusual and unique project, which deserves praise and admiration, and one can only hope that it will be cherished by the listeners, who are able to appreciate its many values. Bravo!

Updated: 13/04/2019Posted: 11/01/2019

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MICHAL CIESIELSKI ~ BETWEEN BLACK & WHITE BCD 30 (Barcode: 5906881885338) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2013 This is the debut album by the young Polish Jazz pianist / composer Michal CiesielskiFind albums by this artist, which presents thirteen compositions, twelve of which are his own original compositions and one is a standard. Ciesielski performs the music on solo piano, which is a very bold and courageous statement quite unusual for a debut. Although Ciesielski is a very eloquent pianist, the real surprise here are his delightful compositions; a collection of impressions, miniatures and other ditties, which are all quite charming even if seemingly simplistic. Perhaps a great melody line and an elegant harmony is exactly what we need in times like these, when we are being smothered with overwhelming racket. This album is like a breath of fresh air or a whiff of women´s perfume in a malodorous environment. To be perfectly honest this music is only marginally associated with Jazz. The compositions, or at least most of them, have a distinct Classical music influence, folkloristic touches, Ragtime memories and Broadway classic songwriting qualities, which of course is all perfectly acceptable. Ciesielski will surely find his own language in time, which seems pretty evident judging his achievements so far. The piano playing is a bit too "pretty" as far as my personal taste is concerned, perhaps due to the influence of pianist Leszek MozdzerFind albums by this artist, who seems to be hovering in the background, but again time will surely cure this sooner or later. And pretty or not, it is definitely excellent and enjoyable. Overall this is an impressive debut, well within the conventional Jazz mainstream, which usually offers little originality, which this album is awash with. Ciesielski is definitely on my radar from now on, destined to go places. Well done indeed!

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MICHAL CIESIELSKI ~ RACING THOUGHTS DAYMUSIC (Barcode: 198025026775) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2023 Released: 2023 This is the third album as a leader and again a solo piano recording by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Michal CiesielskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight tracks, seven of which are original compositions by Ciesielski and one is a standard. Ciesielski, also known as the leader of the Confusion ProjectFind albums by this artist trio, with whom he recorded three albums, returned to Poland after several years of teaching Jazz in China, and this is his first release following his homecoming. The music continues the direction set on the two previous solo piano albums, presenting beautiful compositions, which have a relaxed, almost romantic tinge, and obvious proximity to Classical Music, superbly performed by Ciesielski, showing great sensitivity and obvious love of Jazz, which is most prominent on his interpretation of the standard. This music will be probably most appreciated by listeners who love Jazz-Classical Fusion projects. There are many moments herein, which are clearly Chopinesque, and which Polish listeners will recognize immediately, but many other, subtler hints are dispersed throughout the album. Listeners looking for a straightforward swinging Jazz would probably feel out of place. Overall, this a truly enjoyable piece of music, especially for piano and Jazz-Classical Fusion enthusiasts. Ciesielski is a very proficient instrumentalist and gifted composer, and personally I enjoy his work, despite the fact that at times it is quite detached from the Jazz core ingredients. Nevertheless, it is a superbly crafted piece of music, which deserves to be heard, and gets my full-hearted recommendation.

Updated: 08/08/2023Posted: 08/08/2023

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MICHAL CIESIELSKI ~ SHARE LOCATION SOLITON 986 (Barcode: 5901571099866) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 This is the second album under his name by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Michal CiesielskiFind albums by this artist and also his second solo piano outing, same as his debut recorded in 2012. The album presents nine original compositions, all by Ciesielski. The music offers a melodic journey inspired by the places in the composer´s life and telling an autobiographical story about his road to maturity. The youthful and full of enthusiasm compositions present on his debut album are replaced by a much more serious and insightful explorations. Although still beautifully melodic, the music is more complex and requires attentive listening in order to be fully appreciated. Polish folkloristic motifs are also strongly present in the music, which seem to be an organic part of many Polish Jazz compositions one way or another. Same can be said about the piano playing, which is much more concentrated and even minimalist at times, often closer to Classical Music than Jazz. Obviously Ciesielski does not need to prove himself as a talented pianist any more after playing and recording extensively over the years, and this recording enables him to concentrate on his own Artistic expression at its most intimate naked truth. Overall this is a splendid collection of wonderful compositions, which offer highly melodic themes and lyrical atmospheric vistas, beautifully performed by the composer. The entire album is coherently put together and presents an opportunity to get familiar with the work of one of Poland´s promising young composers, who is making a constant progress on his musical path. It is best to leave the music to speak for itself.

Updated: 25/11/2019Posted: 25/11/2019

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CONFUSION PROJECT ~ HOW TO STEAL A PIANO? BCD 34 (Barcode: 5906880885292) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2014 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz trio called Confusion ProjectFind albums by this artist, led by pianist / composer Michal CiesielskiFind albums by this artist with bassist Piotr GierszewskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam GolickiFind albums by this artist. The album comprises of nine compositions, eight of which are original compositions by Ciesielski and the last one (a bonus track) is a standard. Gierszewski plays electric bass, so the overall sound of the classic piano trio is somewhat updated here to sound quite Fusion-like at times. The music is a mixture of up tempo numbers and ballads with clear melodic themes stated usually at the onset of each piece, followed by solos, all quite ordinary except for the rhythm section playing much more aggressively and stridently than in a typical Jazz setting. The compositions are all nice, well developed and rounded, creating a pleasant atmosphere easily accessible for mainstream Jazz listeners. The whole thing is perhaps to pretty altogether, lacking an edge that would turn it from pleasant into fascinating, but considering the fact that it is a debut album, these young musicians have done a splendid job herein. Ciesielski shows off his technique and knowledge of many different stylistic mannerisms, but most of it is derivative and we´ll have to wait for his original statement to arrive sometime in the future. The rhythm section is a bit too busy at times, but all in all it does the job of accompanying the piano shoulder to shoulder vigorously. The sound quality of the album is quite excellent, which Hi-Fi enthusiasts will appreciate enormously. In short this is a nice debut, which is pleasant to listen to and sounds good, a set of qualities that satisfy most contemporary listeners. Hopefully next time these young musicians with try to produce a more profound statement. In the meantime bon chance mes amis!

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CONFUSION PROJECT ~ LAST DAYMUSIC 03 (Barcode: 198002160188) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is the fourth album by Polish Jazz trio called Confusion ProjectFind albums by this artist, led by pianist / composer Michal CiesielskiFind albums by this artist with electric bassist Piotr GierszewskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam GolickiFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, six by the leader and one co-composed with Golicki. The music, although still deeply melodic, presents a significant stylistic change in comparison to the earlier recordings, moving from Fusion oriented ambience into more Classical oriented one, even if only hinted rather than specifically emphasized. The compositions are longer and more extensively developed and the atmosphere is definitely more reflective, sometimes even somewhat somber, perhaps reflecting the times we live in. The album is a wonderful example of an alternative approach to the classic Jazz piano trio, with the rhythm section radically different, but definitely not less significant, than in the traditional approach. Gierszewski plays some amazing bass lines and solos frequently, which manages to contribute both to the melodic layer and the rhythmic layer of the music and Golicki keeps a tight ship without being intrusive or dominating, displaying a wonderful respect towards the music. Ciesielski has plenty of opportunities to show his piano chops, but stays mostly in a romantic, meditative mood and concentrates on the delivery. Overall, this is an excellent and interesting album and a significant step in the trio’s process of development and maturity, which I had a pleasure to follow over the years. For traditional Jazz piano trio fans this might be quite an eye (ear) opener and for listeners, who like a slight touch of Fusion in their Jazz dish, this is definitely something worth checking out. Of course we all hope this is not the “last” outing together by these talented musicians.

Updated: 19/11/2021Posted: 16/11/2021

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CONFUSION PROJECT ~ PRIMAL SOLITON 800 (Barcode: 5901571098005) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is the third album by Polish Jazz trio called Confusion ProjectFind albums by this artist, led by pianist / composer Michal CiesielskiFind albums by this artist, with electric bassist Piotr GierszewskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam GolickiFind albums by this artist. The album presents an eleven part suite, which is based on a concept story of Naturalist motif, composed and arranged by the leader. The album, which was recorded at the Monochrom Studio and engineered by Ignacy GruszeckiFind albums by this artist, offers a superb sound quality, which should delight the Hi-Fi enthusiasts. The music is deeply melodic and only marginally belongs to the mainstream of the Jazz idiom, although it does include a substantial element of improvisation. It could be also considered as Progressive Rock, Fusion or contemporary Classical Music and better yet an amalgam of all these genres. Since the music is performed by a piano trio the obvious focus is on the leader, who dictates the dynamics and the flow of the suite and is also the principal improviser. The rhythm section stands shoulder to shoulder with the leader, providing the harmonic and chronometric basis of the music, but also soloing quite effectively, although sparingly. The smooth electric bass lines are ideally suited to the music, at times providing a very effective Groovy, almost Funky feel. The trio is perfectly matched up and synchronized up to the tiniest detail and sounds like one perfect musical unit. Overall this is a most enjoyable piece of music, which can be appreciated by a wide range of listeners. It is full of wonderful melodic themes and offers a coherent development of the themes, which constitute the entire suite. Although on the lighter side of the music spectrum, it is honest and elegant and above all highly professional and definitely inspired. It seems that Confusion Project found a niche they wish to operate within, which offers beautifully crafted and highly melodic music, which offers to please rather than challenge the listener, without compromising an iota of their musical integrity. This is definitely a legitimate and highly rewarding modus operandi. Enjoy!

Updated: 28/04/2018Posted: 28/04/2018

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CONFUSION PROJECT ~ THE FUTURE STARTS NOW BCD 37 (Barcode: 5906881885376) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is the second album by young Polish trio called Confusion ProjectFind albums by this artist, which comprises of pianist / composer Michal CiesielskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Piotr GierszewskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam GolickiFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven tracks, six of which are original compositions by Ciesielski and one is the trio´s interpretation of a John ColtraneFind albums by this artist tune. This album continues the modus operandi presented on the trio´s debut from a couple of years earlier; piano trio with electric bass, playing mostly original music in a Fusion oriented manner with strong Classical music influences recognized in the pianist´s approach to the instrument. There is no real progress from the debut and it sounds mostly as "more of the same". The performances by all the trio members are accomplished and technically excellent in every respect: Ciesielski is a very skillful player and writes nice tunes, Gierszewski plays a great Funky bass guitar barrage and Golicki keeps the time like a chronometer. The only problem is that this music is not really going anywhere… Once it is over, at least in my case, it is easily forgotten. I´m sure that these talented young musicians have a lot of potential and it is only a matter of finding the right formula which will take their music to the next level. It has not happened on this album, but it surely will happen one day. Overall this is a nice Fusion album with a lot of interesting solos, especially by the bass player and some inspired moments, which should keep the average Fusion listener happy. Mind you this album is way better that most other contemporary Fusion albums, which have no musical contents whatsoever except for excessive and repetitious doodling, so here we are: quality is relative.

Updated: 11/02/2016Posted: 11/02/2016

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ADAM GOLICKI ~ AD SHAVE BCD 36 (Barcode: 5906881885369) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz drummer / composer Adam GolickiFind albums by this artist, recorded with a core trio, which also includes keyboardist Michal CiesielskiFind albums by this artist and bassist Piotr GierszewskiFind albums by this artist. This same trio released an album under the Confusion ProjectFind albums by this artist moniker a year ago. Eight guest musicians appear on selected tracks, among them saxophonist Maciej SikalaFind albums by this artist. The album presents six original compositions, all composed by Golicki (although the album´s packaging includes also a conflicting line claiming the compositions were co-composed by Golicki and Ciesielski). The music is a nice collection of melodic tunes performed excellently by all the musicians involved in a Funky / Fusion mainstream style. This music swings and the musicians are all professionals, so nothing negative can be said about this album, except for the fact that it is derivative and introduces absolutely no innovation as far as music is concerned. On the other hand not every album innovates (in fact only very few do) so this album is at least as good as most other albums released in the same musical milieu and parts of it are even brilliant. I had an entertaining time listening to this music, not trying to analyze it any more than need be and having a good time in the process. Perhaps not music for brainiacs, but this is a solid piece of music in every respect and very many people who like the lighter side of Jazz should have a great time listening to it. Hopefully Golicki will continue his musical path further and will grace us with more ambitious projects in the future. His potential as a composer certainly ignites high hopes.

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AGNIESZKA MACIASZCZYK ~ A BRIEF INSIGHT INTO LIFE SJ 082 (Barcode: 5905489721000) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2024 Released: 2024 This is the 2nd album by Polish Jazz vocalist / composer Agnieszka MaciaszczykFind albums by this artist, recorded with the same quartet which recorded her debut six years earlier: pianist Michal CiesielskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Michal BakFind albums by this artist, drummer Przemyslaw JaroszFind albums by this artist and saxophonist / flautist Szymon LukowskiFind albums by this artist. Marta BuschmannFind albums by this artist adds backing vocals. The album presents eight tracks, four of which were composed by Maciaszczyk and the other four co-composed with Ciesielski. She wrote also all the lyrics. I have been very impressed by the debut album by Maciaszczyk, and this new outing preserves many of its good qualities, especially the extensive use of vocalese rather than singing lyrics. This approach to Jazz vocals is sadly seldom utilized by singers, which is a great pity, since the human voice is after all the mightiest instrument. This time, however, Maciaszczyk does also sing lyrics (in English – and you know what I think about that) on three tracks, and on these tracks the vocalese becomes mostly secondary, which is somewhat disappointing, at least for me. Also the music on these tracks is definitely less Jazz and more Pop oriented. An attempt to reach new audiences? The instrumentalists are obviously more experienced than last time and more expressive, performing their duties as perfectly as one might expect from Polish Jazz players, which means that the performances are all excellent and their involvement and dedication to the project is as complete as one might wish for. Overall, this is again quite an unusual vocal Jazz album, with wonderful extended vocalese parts and excellent instrumental accompaniment, which is a pleasure to listen to from start to finish. The only minor snag is the fact that is takes off exactly where the debut landed, without moving much forward in the meantime. I am not so sure if it will be possible to do that again in the future?

Updated: 10/02/2025Posted: 10/02/2025

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AGNIESZKA MACIASZCZYK ~ IN SEARCH OF NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz vocalist Agnieszka MaciaszczykFind albums by this artist recorded with a quartet comprising of pianist Michal CiesielskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Szymon LukowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Michal BakFind albums by this artist and drummer Przemyslaw JaroszFind albums by this artist - all four prominent upcoming representatives of the young Polish Jazz scene. The album presents seven original compositions, all co-credited to Maciaszczyk and Ciesielski, although in a short online conversation I conducted with her Maciaszczyk credited the entire crew for arranging and co-creating the music, except the one song, which she composed and wrote the English lyrics for and one other track which was entirely composed by Ciesielski. All the six compositions, other than the song, feature wordless vocalese by Maciaszczyk. The music was recorded at the excellent Monochrom Studio and engineered by Ignacy GruszeckiFind albums by this artist, with usual as always superb sound quality. The music and the entire artistic concept of this album is quite unusual and unique, since as already stated, the focus here is on wordless vocalese rather than on songs, which use lyrics (with one exception). As I have already stated repeatedly, most young Polish Jazz vocalist make the tragic mistake of insisting to sing in English, which in most cases ends up in a fiasco. I also often say that it would have been better if they used wordless vocalese instead. I have no idea if Maciaszczyk ever read any of my record reviews and took my advice or arrived at this conclusion on her own, but the result is exactly what I had in mind and now I can use this album as an example. The vocalist uses her voice like an instrument and becomes an integral part of the resulting quintet, something great Jazz vocalist, including the sublime Polish vocalist Urszula DudziakFind albums by this artist, pioneered already five decades ago. I was a bit surprised that Maciaszczyk decided to use only acoustic vocals and chose not to use electronic enhancements, but that is of course entirely her own decision and a future option. The courage to choose the path less travelled by is of course admirable. The four instrumentalists all perform superbly here, as expected. Ciesielski builds up most of the melodic and harmonic layer, accompanying the vocalist amicably and with great sensitivity. Lukowski is less dominant but adds some hair-rising parts, especially those played on the bass clarinet. The rhythm section is also absolutely first class, handling the often devilishly tricky odd rhythmic patterns and quirky tempi changes with flair and elegance. The ensemble performance is absolutely second to none. Overall this is a stunning debut, full of intelligent music and superb performances by these excellent musicians. The music might be a tad difficult at first hearing, but open minded listeners are sure to fall in love with this music at some point, as it offers a new perspective on vocal Jazz in contemporary young European Jazz, an event that happens only very rarely. Wholeheartedly recommended to all serious vocal Jazz connoisseurs and thanks to the talented minds behind this music! Chapeau bas!

Updated: 28/09/2019Posted: 28/09/2019

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ALICJA SEROWIK ~ DO SE SAJD NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is a stunning debut album by Polish Jazz vocalist Alicja SerowikFind albums by this artist, accompanied by pianist Michal CiesielskiFind albums by this artist, who also arranged all the music, accordionist Arek CzernyszFind albums by this artist, bassist Krzysztof SlomkowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam GolickiFind albums by this artist. A string quartet is also present on some of the songs. The album presents nine folk songs from the Kurpie ethnic region in Poland, which has a specific musical tradition and linguistic dialect. One of the songs is repeated in two different versions. One piece composed by Ciesielski and featuring wordless vocalese, is also present. The lyrics of one of the songs are missing from the otherwise beautifully and tastefully designed album´s packaging. The album also offers a superbly recorded sound. The music, based on the original Kurpie songs, is smoothly transformed into the Jazz idiom, creating an ideal amalgam of old and new, which sounds completely organic, coherent and natural. Thanks to the skillful arrangements and inspired execution, the music retains it folkloristic character, with the specific melancholy and lyricism typical of core Polish music, but also swings and potently projects the Jazz feel and quintessence. Serowik and her vocal performances are without a doubt the epicenter of this album. She manages to achieve a perfect balance between the original texts, which represent the folklore, and the Jazzy vocalese, which transforms her into the Jazz universe. Amazingly she also manages to sound equally convincing in both of these seemingly away from each other worlds. The vocals are clear and lucid, powerful yet delicate and always in perfect pitch with the harmonic background. Her overall performance on this album is nothing short of virtuosic. Ciesielski not only did a splendid job arranging the music, but also plays beautifully throughout the album, with many splendid solos and considerate accompaniment. Slomkowski and Golicki both do a perfect job required from the rhythm section, and considering the complexity of this material they both pass with flying colors. Czernysz, who plays only on the last track of the album, is also sensational and I´d definitely love to hear more of his playing. Overall this album is a splendid example of how Culture can be preserved from generation to generation, without losing its vitality and relevance. The Polish Culture incorporates a plethora of ethnic and regional sub-cultures, which are full of treasures, not only in music, but also in dance, plastic Arts, customs and literature / poetry. Serowik, like many other young Polish musicians, makes the conscious effort to dig into the tradition and bring it up to date, for which they deserve our respect and admiration. What a wonderful way to start a new musical year (2018) with this being one of the first releases this year that land on my desk. Very well done Milady and crew ;)

Updated: 17/02/2018Posted: 17/02/2018

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