Record Reviews

MODERN BLUES QUARTET ~ BLUES ON BACH REQUIEM / LYDIAN 2020/08 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2020 Released: 2020 This is the debut album by a Polish Jazz quartet called Modern Blues QuartetFind albums by this artist, which comprises of flautist / composer Ryszard BorowskiFind albums by this artist, violinist Mateusz SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Rafal SarneckiFind albums by this artist and bassist Michal JarosFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Borowski. As the title suggests, the music is "inspired" by compositions of Johann Sebastian BachFind albums by this artist, and follows many similar Jazz projects mentioned in the album´s liner notes. The liner notes also state that there is very little of Bach´s music as such on this album, and the proximity is mostly associative, which is quite correct. The resulting music is easy on the ear and quite entertaining, obviously meant for wider audiences. The musicians are of course some of Polish Jazz top instrumentalists, as their individual performances attest, providing plenty of excellent solo showcases. The delicate sound of a drumless quartet works very well and the excellent bass parts manage to keep the music swinging, even without percussive support. Smoczynski´s parts take the music into the Gypsy Jazz idiom and are (for me) the highlights of this project. Sarnecki plays some tasty swinging guitar parts, but is less dominant. Overall this is a nice amalgam of Jazz-Classical Fusion and Smooth Jazz, which many listeners on the lighter side of the Jazz idiom can enjoy immensely.

Updated: 09/01/2021Posted: 27/09/2020

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MODERN BLUES QUARTET ~ ELLINGTONIAN SUITE REQUIEM / LYDIAN 2024/37 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2023 Released: 2024 This is the third album by Polish Jazz ensemble called Modern Blues QuartetFind albums by this artist, led by flautist / composer Ryszard BorowskiFind albums by this artist, which features a changeable lineup around the leader, this time featuring violinist Mateusz SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Rafal SarneckiFind albums by this artist and bassist Michal JarosFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine tracks, all credited as compositions by the leader, but as the title suggests, the music was heavily “inspired” by the music of Duke EllingtonFind albums by this artist, including the track titles, which are all puns of titles of well-known pieces by Ellington. The almost completely acoustic sound of the quartet offers a nice, relaxed and almost playful atmosphere, offering a mixture of the hinted Ellingtonian themes with semi-classical arrangements and elegant improvised soli by the four musicians, all of which are true Masters of their trade. This is definitely an “out of the box” approach to the music of the great composer, but the result certainly does not offend or belittle the seriousness of the origin. Borowski has strong ties to Classical music, which are more than evident in all his recordings, but he certainly knows the Jazz idiom well enough to tie the two together skillfully and intelligently, despite the possible criticism of taking the liberties too far. Nevertheless, the music, although somewhat stiff at times, is beautifully performed and both Smoczynski and Sarnecki (both among my favorite Polish Jazz musicians) show their respective virtuosic abilities at all times, with the solid and rhythmic support by Jaros. Overall, this is a very nice, highly entertaining and perhaps even educational exercise in the Jazz aesthetic, probably intentionally meant not be taken too seriously to start with, with a wink of humorous homage to the great Ellingtonian tradition. I had a great time listening to this album, but admittedly the music did not leave a lasting impression.

Updated: 18/05/2024Posted: 18/05/2024

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