Record Reviews

JAZZ BAND MLYNARSKI - MASECKI ~ NOC W WIELKIM MIESCIE LADO ABC C/26 (Barcode: 9788326826047) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is a phenomenal album by the Polish ensemble called Jazz Band Mlynarski - MaseckiFind albums by this artist, co-led by vocalist / banjola player Jan MlynarskiFind albums by this artist and pianist Marcin MaseckiFind albums by this artist, which also includes three saxophonists / clarinetists: Tomasz DudaFind albums by this artist, Michal FetlerFind albums by this artist and Jaroslaw BothurFind albums by this artist, sousaphone player Piotr WrobelFind albums by this artist and drummer Jerzy RogiewiczFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine Polish songs, popular in the 1930s, predominantly composed and written by Polish Jews who were the core of popular music / cabaret / vaudeville in the swinging Warsaw, which had a large Jewish population at the time. All the songs were masterly arranged for the ensemble by Masecki. The music is a loving tribute to a period and a Culture that was wiped out off the face of the earth by the Holocaust, and later on by forgetfulness and ignorance, and as such it is an extremely important undertaking as far as preservation of the Polish / Jewish Culture is concerned. But of course the album is also a masterpiece of rejuvenation of musical tradition, bringing back to life the essence of early Swing, but also transforming the spirit of the music to contemporary idioms. Masecki´s arrangements, which are all far from being simplistic or trivial, brilliantly combine the tradition with modernism, and experienced Jazz connoisseurs will find plenty of unexpected hooks of his brilliance within the music. Mlynarski brilliantly revives the tradition of the crooners of the time, and his vocal theatrics are a delight, especially in view of the sense of humor his performances display. The rest of the musicians in the band all play brilliantly, bravely overcoming the seemingly simple music made devilishly difficult by the sophisticated arrangements. The use of the sousaphone in place of the bass is another bright idea, which contributes to the "vintage" sound aura. Since this album was released, the ensemble performs it live all over Poland with great success. I had the pleasure to hear one of the concerts and it was simply breathtaking and the reaction of the public was overwhelming. Evidently Culture is not dead yet, and people are still able to recognize it when they see / hear it face to face. Overall this is a superb album in every respect, taking the listener ninety years back into the past, using a musical time machine, into times long gone, but now not longer forgotten. This is a multilayered intellectual and emotional experience of rare quality and dedication. The album comes with extensive liner notes explaining the historical background of this music and a story about each of the nine songs. One can only wish that many such well prepared and devoted releases like this album could be made more often. Radiant stuff!

Updated: 31/03/2018Posted: 31/03/2018

CD 1 Digibook Recommend To A Friend

LIGHT COORPORATION ~ ABOUT RER LC03 ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2013 Released: 2013 This is the third (in three years) album by Polish Progressive Rock / Jazz-Rock Fusion ensemble Light CoorporationFind albums by this artist, founded and led by guitarist / composer Mariusz SobanskiFind albums by this artist. The ensemble is expanded to include twelve musicians, which more then doubles its size on their two earlier albums, and includes members from the earlier versions of the ensemble, like saxophonists Pawel RogozaFind albums by this artist, Michal PijewskiFind albums by this artist and Michal FetlerFind albums by this artist, violinist Robert BielakFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Marcin SzczesnyFind albums by this artist, bassist Tom StrukFind albums by this artist and drummer Milosz KrauzFind albums by this artist, as well as others who play here for the first time. They perform ten original compositions, all by Sobanski, who also arranged it. The album was again released on the prestigious British ReRFind albums on this label label, which stays faithful to its Artists. Musically this album shows yet another step forward for the group, which keeps changing like a chameleon, and yet retains a specific sound and feel, which by now are certainly their own. There is a shift from the earlier Prog and Ambient tendencies towards more Jazzy influences, which of course are emphasized by the expanded brass section and the appropriate arrangements. There is more of typical Jazz improvisation here, although rhythmically the music is still very much Rock based. The music is dark and moody as on the earlier albums, but also Funky and swinging at the same time. It appears that the ensemble is able to re-invent itself anew on every album, which is truly impressive. One can only hope that this can be repeated in the future. By now it is pretty obvious that Sobanski is a major force on the Polish music scene, which should not be ignored or dismissed haphazardly. He has proved not only his talents as player / composer / arranger but also as innovator and visionary, with a burning desire to create and develop further. His restlessness is a blessing and hopefully the harsh reality will not be able to block his creative powers. Having done a remarkable job third time in a row he truly deserves both recognition and support. This is the kind of music, which keeps my faith in aesthetics, intelligence and creativity in a world full of superficiality, banality and zero values. As already stated in my reviews of the two earlier albums, the music of Light Coorporation fails every attempt of categorization, since it is so original and unconventional on one hand and so encompassing on the other. As a result there should be something for everybody herein, regardless if the listener comes from Prog, Jazz or even contemporary Classical fields. This is simply great music, and as such needs no particular encouragement to be listened to. Just grab a copy of the album and listen – satisfaction guaranteed!

Updated: 31/03/2018Posted:

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

LIGHT COORPORATION ~ RARE DIALECT RER LC01 ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2010 Released: 2011 This debut album by Polish ensemble Light CoorporationFind albums by this artist is a stunning revelation of musical genius present among the new generation of European musicians. Led by guitarist / composer Mariusz SobanskiFind albums by this artist, who composed all the music, the ensemble also includes saxophonists Michal FetlerFind albums by this artist (baritone and alto) and Michal PijewskiFind albums by this artist (tenor), violinist Robert BielakFind albums by this artist, bassist Tom StrukFind albums by this artist (fretless bass) and drummer Milosz KrauzFind albums by this artist. Keyboardist Marcin SzczesnyFind albums by this artist sits in as a guest musician. The music is a completely unique brand of RIO / Avant-Garde Prog, which is deeply rooted in the beginning of the movement (Henry CowFind albums by this artist) but successfully updated to contemporary standards, both sonically and conceptually. Superbly matched and combined acoustic sounds of the reeds and electronic distortion from the guitar and keyboards, hypnotic rhythmic patters (similar to the Zeuhl movement) and dark melodic vistas create an overwhelming effect, which is completely fresh and unparalleled. Considering the fact that these are very young individuals and this is their debut recording one must wander about the possibilities of these gifted musicians in the future. No wander the prestigious ReRFind albums on this label label released this album worldwide, especially since this kind of material suits their catalogue as a glove. On the band´s site we can learn that their performances are usually accompanied by screening of video material, which seems highly appropriate, as this music has a very strong atmospheric / ambient content as well, which is usually ideal to be combined with visual material. But listening "only" to the music is also an immensely powerful and invigorating experience of rare magnificence and depth. I listened to the album for three consecutive times, being completely enchanted by it. I´m pretty sure the same will happen to most of the listeners. Of course such music requires repeated listening sessions to be discovered and uncovered in depth – as all great music does. It is rather obvious that this music is well beyond being recommended – it would (literally) be a crime if any serious music lover, regardless is he´s a Prog or Jazz or RIO or Zeuhl fan if he was to miss this album! Such gems are so rare, that we must make everything in our power to make the world listen, especially since I can´t recall hearing such great music in a very long time! This is a brilliant piece of intelligent music - chapeau Mariusz & co.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 1 Gold Recommend To A Friend

POLMUZ ~ DRZEWIEJ NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz ensemble PolmuzFind albums by this artist, led by saxophonist Michal FetlerFind albums by this artist, which also includes drummer Rafal IgielFind albums by this artist, bassist Ksawery WojcinskiFind albums by this artist and synthesizer / electronics specialist Rafal ZapalaFind albums by this artist, who uses a vintage Soviet made analog synthesizer called Polivox. The 2CD album presents contemporary interpretations of archival, over 100 years old recordings of Polish Folklore, which were accidently given to Igiel, who shared them with Fetler and the idea to re-interpret the music was born. Both CDs present the same six original archival pieces, interpreted in alternate versions. Although incorporation of Polish Folklore within Polish Jazz is a continuous and often very fruitful tradition, the interpretations on this album take the matter much further than usually attempted, with a more radical / Avant-Garde approach, which removes the music a long distance away from its original roots. The extensive use of synthesizes and electronics, an ambient sound environment and rhythmic freedom create a much denser soundscapes than those which are the usual result of Jazz / Folklore encounters. As such the music is much more interesting but at the same time also more challenging. It definitely requires attentive listening, with a deeper intellectual and emotional involvement. The idea to present alternate versions proves to be especially effective, as these versions differ dramatically from each other and expand the scope of the interpretations, achieving an enhanced result. Overall this is a very bold, interesting and adventurous musical experiment, which deserves to be heard and enjoyed by connoisseurs of Avant-Garde Polish / European Jazz, which never ceases to surprise. Although this album received very little exposure so far, it is definitely worth seeking out!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 20/02/2019

CD 2 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend