Record Reviews

KRZYSIA GORNIAK ~ MEMORIES NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 5903205111203) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the eighth (sixth as a leader) album by Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Krzysia GorniakFind albums by this artist, recorded in a classic quartet setting with keyboardists Michal WroblewskiFind albums by this artist or Piotr WrombelFind albums by this artist, bassist Michal JarosFind albums by this artist and drummer Marcin JahrFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, all by Gorniak. The music is all based on wonderfully melodic themes and kept elegantly within the mainstream Jazz idiom, but the use of synthesizers and contemporary arrangements effectively eschew unnecessary nostalgic tendencies, presenting an up to date sound and ambiance, which are delightfully embracing. Although obviously on the lighter side of the Jazz spectrum, this music is splendidly put together and aesthetically solid. Gorniak manages to keep her guitar playing strictly within the Jazz boundaries, successfully avoiding slipping towards Fusion, which would have ruined the effort. She skillfully combines playing notes and chords with the right balance between them, always with restrain and stylish distance, which results in a highly effective overall outcome. The beautiful guitar sound she manages to achieve also contributes to the result. The participating musicians are all skillful and highly professional musicians, which of course is immediately apparent. They support her amicably and add splendid solo parts of their own on the way. Considering the delicate and often quite intimate nature of this music, the mutual respect and interplay between the quartet members is a crucial element contributing to the successful result. Both keyboardist offer acoustic piano and synthesizer parts perfectly suited to the melodic continuity, Jaros glues everything together with his virtuosic bass parts and Jahr supplies elegant but firm rhythmic backbone. Overall this is a highly pleasurable, beautifully melodic, serene and relaxed guitar album, which can be enjoyed by a wide range of listeners, not only strict Jazz enthusiasts but also connoisseurs of guitar from other genres. This is a wonderful example of less is more, where the Artist uses only what is absolutely necessary to achieve the optimal result and eschews superfluous gimmickry. A wonderful album from start to finish, Milady!

Updated: 12/06/2020Posted: 12/06/2020

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LUKASZ JUZKO ~ FIRST BREATH SJ 027 ~ POLAND ~ Smooth Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by Polish saxophonist / composer Lukasz JuzkoFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet setting with pianist Michal WroblewskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Bartosz SwiatekFind albums by this artist and drummer Sebastian KuchczynskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, presumably all by the leader, although the album´s artwork does not state it. The album is beautifully recorded and the sound quality is truly remarkable. The music is a highly melodic mainstream Jazz, easy on the ear, romantic and basically belonging to the Smooth Jazz idiom, which of course does not mean, contrary to popular opinion, that the music is not ambitious or well played, far from it. The compositions are all very well structured and coherent harmonically and serve as perfect vehicles for the improvisations created by Juzko and Wroblewski. All four instrumentalist are excellent, playing as well as can be expected from these well educated and talented young musicians, who already have remarkable achievements behind them. Juzko has a nice tone, and his tenor saxophone performances sound highly professional and inspired. Wroblewski is a superb pianist and his chord structures and solos are simply perfectly suited for this music. The rhythm session also performs brilliantly, with a strong rhythmic signature, which gives the music quite a kick. Overall this is an impressive debut album, which presents Juzko as a mature composer and player, and which shows a lot of potential for his future endeavors. Highly recommended to connoisseurs of melodic Jazz and ageless romantics!

Updated: 03/04/2018Posted: 03/04/2018

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MICHAL URBANIAK ~ FOR WARSAW WITH LOVE AGORA 5903111493684 (Barcode: 5903111493684) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rap Fusion Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 "Jazz is (*) the music of the oppressed black working class in capitalist America". This is the slogan that enabled Polish Jazz musicians to play and flourish behind the iron curtain, when the above definition was softened following Stalin´s death (1953) from its original form, which also included "the product of the degeneration presented as" in the place of the asterisk above. Expression of solidarity by the Polish working class with the "black working class in capitalist America" was allowed by playing Jazz. Of course Polish Jazz musicians – including our hero saxophonist / violinist Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist – were never a part of the working class, but that was the beauty of the whole thing. Polish intelligentsia and the artistic bohemian class in particular, which included filmmakers, Jazz musicians, actors, poets and other undesirable riffraff, were absolute Masters in fooling the system and its censorship apparatus into believing in their legitimacy as representatives of the working class and their conformity with the official Socialist Party policies. Urbaniak and a few of Polish Jazz pioneers visited the US in 1962 and he fell head over heels in love with the "original" American Jazz. From that moment on his primary life´s desire was to move to NY and become part of the local scene, which he consistently pursued and eventually achieved in 1973, together with his wife at the time, vocalist Urszula DudziakFind albums by this artist. His NY residency was crowned by a recording contract with Columbia and release of several brilliant and groundbreaking albums and a brief stint with the legendary Miles DavisFind albums by this artist. His talent and intensive work schedule earned him many friends among the American (and not only) musicians, which explains how he managed to get on this album a string of stars like drummer Lenny WhiteFind albums by this artist, bassist Marcus MillerFind albums by this artist, pianist Herbie HancockFind albums by this artist, guitarist David GilmoreFind albums by this artist, rapper Walter WestFind albums by this artist and others. Eventually Urbaniak, like many other Polish Jazz musicians who tried their luck in the US, returned to Poland, which in the meantime managed to free itself from the shackles of the Socialist regime, and resumed his activity on the local scene, retaining of course his NY ties. His keen senses and sharp ears enabled him to select some of the best Polish Jazz musicians, mostly members of the young generation, and invite them to take part in this project, like pianist Michal TokajFind albums by this artist, keyboardists Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, Michal WroblewskiFind albums by this artist and Marek PedziwiatrFind albums by this artist and others. Formally this album is a tribute to the city of Warsaw, commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the tragic Warsaw Uprising against the Nazi German occupation and the album was issued by the Warsaw Uprising Museum. To be honest I completely fail to see any connection and for me this is not a tribute to Warsaw but a tribute to NY and contemporary American music scene. It offers a mixture of Rap, Hip-Hop, Groove, Blues and a bit of Jazz, with a distinct Afro-American feel, which to people familiar with Urbaniak´s current activity is hardly surprising. Most of the music is attributed to Urbaniak, but there are also two classic Jazz standards dressed up to fit with the rest of the album. And yes, it offers a lot of superb playing on the way. The album proves that Urbaniak wishes to stay relevant and up to date with contemporary trends, which is certainly more than other musicians of his group age are doing. It has a strong Jazz tinge, but certainly is not meant as a Jazz album per se; and why not? Urbaniak does not have to justify his musical choices to anybody, and his extensive legacy proves that he paid his dues and can do whatever he wants to do. The "critics", who dismissed this album outright, fail to see the point here – it is up to the musician to play what see thinks is right and it is up to the listener to decide if he wishes to listen / buy the album. Urbaniak is simply well beyond scrutiny by self proclaimed "critics" – he has been around for long enough to ignore this bullshit. It was a pleasure to meet Michal again a couple of month ago at the after party of the Singer Festival, where he gave me an autographed copy of this album. Nigel KennedyFind albums by this artist, the star of the final concert and an accomplished musician by all standards, looked at Michal with love and admiration deserved by an older Master… certainly good enough for me. Even if this music is not exactly my glass of vodka, if this is what he wants to play, who am I to tell him otherwise? Respect!

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

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MICHAL WROBLEWSKI ~ CITY ALBUM ELLITE 5903111529024 (Barcode: 5903111529024) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2014 This is the third album by the young and very gifted Polish Jazz pianist / composer Michal WroblewskiFind albums by this artist, which sees him returning to the piano trio format with bassist Michal JarosFind albums by this artist and drummer Pawel DobrowolskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, all but one by Wroblewski, with the exception being a piece based on the music by Frederic ChopinFind albums by this artist and arranged by Wroblewski. The music was recorded (same as his debut album) at the now legendary Studio Tokarnia, with Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist doing his usual sound magic with spectacular results. The music, as stated by Wroblewski, was influenced by playing a concert tour in 2013 with American superstar trumpeter Terence BlanchardFind albums by this artist, but the experience influenced also the trio´s approach to music, which became much more focused and intense. As a result this album is remarkably stronger and vital than the two earlier efforts, even though those two were already first class achievements, and places Wroblewski just a notch higher on his way to fame and fortune. His compositions, as usual, combine the right amount of melodic substance with lyrical contents and harmonic beauty, very much like many Jazz standards do. Listening to this album is a true delight from start to finish, with time passing by in a breeze. Of course a piano trio is only as strong as all three musicians involved and Wroblewski is extremely lucky to find two partners who fulfill him completely, match his sensibilities, his virtuosity and his elegance. This piano trio is a classic example of what a piano trio should sound like in the mainstream Jazz milieu. Yes, this music does not make any groundbreaking discoveries as far as Jazz is concerned, but we need to keep the legacy alive and this trio is just perfect in that capacity. It is difficult to predict how Wroblewski´s career will develop from this point on, but he certainly already made his mark both as a pianist and a composer. I am certainly keeping my eye, or rather ear, on his moves, as he managed to impress me for the third time in a row. Jazz fans who love the piano trio format will have a field day with this one. Well done indeed!

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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 WROBLEWSKI ~ JAZZ I ORKIESTRA ELLITE 5903111529017 (Barcode: 5903111529017) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2013 Released: 2013 Following his debut recording with his piano trio, released a year earlier, Polish Jazz pianist / composer Michal WroblewskiFind albums by this artist returns with a new and much bolder project involving a Jazz quartet playing with a symphony orchestra. The album includes eight compositions, all originals composed and arranged by Wroblewski. Seven of the compositions were recorded by a quartet comprising of Wroblewski, saxophonist Maciej ObaraFind albums by this artist, bassist Michal JarosFind albums by this artist and drummer Michal MiskiewiczFind albums by this artist and accompanied by the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra in Katowice conducted by Szymon BywalecFind albums by this artist. The eighth track was recorded live at the Polish Radio Three, without Obara and with drummer Pawel DobrowolskiFind albums by this artist replacing Miskiewicz and the Gorzow (Wroblewski´s home town) Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Krzysztof SwitalskiFind albums by this artist. The amalgam of Jazz and contemporary Classical music is quite a common phenomenon on the Polish Jazz scene, definitely more so than anywhere else in the entire world. There are many reasons contributing to this reality: the classical music education that many young musicians are exposed to during their studies, the openness of classical orchestras and their conductors to cooperate with Jazz musicians, the "higher" status of Classical music, which challenges Jazz musician to prove they can embrace the format and improve their standing in the music community and many others. Regardless of the motivation behind them, such projects are very popular and often result in excellent achievements. This particular project presents the "easier" side of the Jazz-Classical Fusion, with a series of beautifully melodic pieces, excellently performed by the quartet and with the orchestra staying mostly in the background, playing the "second fiddle" (pun intended). One can speculate that this music would have sounded great without the orchestra being present; therefore the role of the orchestration seems a priori to be relatively limited. This is not to say that the overall result suffers from the orchestral arrangements, but on the other hand their contribution remains relatively restricted with little synthesis between the two elements, except perhaps for the last piece on the album, which is the most successful on that front. The individual contributions by the players are all splendid, especially those by Obara, who exhibits a truly magical touch and heartbreakingly beautiful, soulful sound of his alto saxophone. Wroblewski plays also very well, with a both elegant, delicate solos and lively up tempo arpeggios, but concentrating mostly on stating the melodies. The rhythm section drives the music steadily and provides the basis, which holds the music together. Overall the album is great fun to listen to and is accessible to a large audience, including music lovers with little Jazz familiarity or those listening mostly to Classical music.

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MICHAL WROBLEWSKI / RADIOSTATIK ~ LUCID DREAM – LIVE AT FILHARMONIA SZCZECIN FILHARMONIA SZCZECIN 007 (Barcode: 5903111493431) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Pop Fusion Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is the fourth album by Polish Jazz keyboardist / composer Michal WroblewskiFind albums by this artist recorded live with his ensemble called RadiostatikFind albums by this artist and the Szczecin Philharmonic OrchestraFind albums by this artist. Radiostatik was originally formed in NY in 2015, when Wroblewski was invited by trumpeter Terrence BlanchardFind albums by this artist to record an album, which resulted in the studio version of "Lucid Dream", and which sadly remains so far unreleased. The American-Polish lineup of Radiostatik, which was created to perform the material live, includes two American vocalists: singer Andre WashingtonFind albums by this artist and rapper Raashan AhmadFind albums by this artist, the leader on Fender Rhodes, guitarist Andrzej GondekFind albums by this artist, bassist Michal KapczukFind albums by this artist and drummer Sebastian KuchczynskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents twelve original compositions, all by Wroblewski and arranged by him, with lyrics by him and Ahmad. The music is a exactly what it promises to be, a Jazz-Pop Fusion with orchestral arrangements, based an excellent melodic themes, which sounds as American as American goes, the kind of stuff which usually gets nominated for Grammy over the pond. It is catchy, groovy, smooth and easy on the ear, but in this case it is also highly musical and truly excellently put together. If it proves anything, it is the fact that European composers and musicians can easily beat the Americans at their own game. Except for a few instrumental soli, the music has very little to do with Jazz, which means that the Polish Jazz lost the talents of Wroblewski for a while, but personally I am quite convinced he will be back to his musical roots again. In the meantime he can pursue other goals and there is absolutely nothing wrong with this as long as the music is well done and does not deteriorate to the normal level of contemporary Pop, which is killing us mercilessly. The orchestral parts are the real surprise of this album, ideally suited to the music and performed with great taste and skill. Such class of Pop instrumentation is almost completely absent from contemporary Pop music, probably because it is simply too expensive. But the album proves that a real orchestra can not be replaced by synthesizers. Overall this is a highly entertaining and classy Pop album with some Jazzy features and orchestral ornamentation, beautifully executed and accessible to a wide music loving audience, which should satisfy every true popular music connoisseur. Definitely worth investigating!

Updated: 21/06/2019Posted: 21/06/2019

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