Record Reviews

HURRA ~ IN SEARCH OF WAVES V 023 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2022 Released: 2022 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz septet HurraFind albums by this artist, led by guitarist / composer Grzegorz DoroszenkoFind albums by this artist, which also includes second guitarist Jakub KlimiukFind albums by this artist, Swedish saxophonist Jonas KulhammarFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Jakub KurekFind albums by this artist (a member of EABSFind albums by this artist), keyboardist Dominik KisielFind albums by this artist (the most experienced Polish musician in the lineup with several albums as a leader and member of other ensembles under his belt), bassist Paul RutschkaFind albums by this artist and drummer Wojciech WarmijakFind albums by this artist (member of Immortal OnionFind albums by this artist). The album presents seven original compositions, all by the leader. The music offers an excellent collection of well-constructed tunes with clear melody lines, which are executed with obvious technical proficiency and a dose of freshness, which has been missing from the local scene since a while. Although the music has a distinct Fusiony tinge, it is not Fusion per se and could be (if one must) classified somewhere between Brass-Rock and Electric Jazz; styles that sadly almost completely disappeared from the contemporary Jazz scene. The septet offers a fat / big sound, Funky beats and a lot of fun in general, and despite a contemporary sound it does bring sentimental memories of the 1970s, which of course is meant here as a compliment. It also resembles to some degree the music of EABS, at its best. Overall, I truly enjoyed the music from start to finish, as it flows smoothly, caressing the ears with great melody lines, shakes the ass with a danceable rhythmic patterns and tingles the brain with impressive instrumental improvisation by the septet members. In short, this is a truly rare phenomenon of an album, which is as plangent as it is stimulating. Highly recommended!

Updated: 09/01/2023Posted: 08/01/2023

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KRYSTYNA STANKO ~ EURODYKA STM 009 (Barcode: 5906489287343) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2023 Released: 2023 This is the 11th album by Polish Jazz vocalist / songwriter Krystyna StankoFind albums by this artist, recorded with a fabulous team of old and new friends, which include vibraphonist Dominik BukowskiFind albums by this artist, bass guitarist Paul RutschkaFind albums by this artist, bassist Michal BakFind albums by this artist and drummer / percussionist Mikolaj StankoFind albums by this artist. Norwegian trumpeter Arve HenriksenFind albums by this artist guests on three tracks, which he also arranged. Other guests include Portuguese vocalists Joao de SousaFind albums by this artist, Ukrainian vocalist Laura MartiFind albums by this artist and Hungarian clarinetist Daniel MesterFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten tracks, four composed by Stanko, one co-composed with Bukowski, four composed by Bukowski and finally one composed by Rutschka. Stanko also wrote all the lyrics for the vocal tracks, in two cases co-written by her vocal partners. The album continues a strong shift towards Jazz-World Fusion, with familiar Latin undercurrents, and even more remarkably towards vocalese, which is featured extensively on most of the tracks, to my personal delight. Since each of the songs is dedicated to a different European city, and combined with the album’s title, this is an obvious tribute to the European Culture, without any geographic / political boundaries, emphasizing the vast diversity on one hand and the common ground, on the other, which generates such a wonderful congruence. The music is perfectly suited for the purpose of the message, and amalgamates many Folkloristic influences, all wonderfully intertwined within the Jazz envelope. As already stated earlier, Stanko choses to sing a brilliant wordless vocalese as much as possible, which overcomes any linguistic barriers, and even when she does sing in Polish, the phrasing and musicality fits the universal aura of the music perfectly. Bukowski, who is a faithful musical partner of Stanko since many years, leaves a distinct mark of his ingenious musicality on the album, but all the participants contribute wonderfully, to create a serene but deeply cutting aesthetic experience, which this music generates. I have been following Stanko since the beginning of her career and her remarkable ability to re-invent herself time after time, intelligently, gently and lovingly is absolutely marvelous. This album is built from an infinite number is little moments, sounds, notes and silences, woven carefully by Stanko and her team, like only she can. She has never disappointed my sensitive musical taste buds, and this album certainly fits perfectly my feelings of respect and adoration for her many talents, as much as her personality. Overall, this is another highly successful, tasteful, sensitive and remarkable achievement by Stanko, who in many ways is a class of her own on the Polish / European vocal Jazz scene. This music is so universal, that any language barriers become completely meaningless and this music should be highly appealing to and Jazz lover on this planet and perhaps the whole Universe. Love you, as always!

Updated: 23/03/2024Posted: 23/03/2024

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KRYSTYNA STANKO ~ KROPLA SLOWA STM 004 (Barcode: 5907592141010) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2012 Released: 2012 This is the sixth album by Polish Jazz vocalist / composer / lyricist Krystyna StankoFind albums by this artist, and her most ambitious undertaking to date, as it presents her in the Jazz & Poetry setting, which is always very demanding and perilous. The album comprises of ten songs; four of which have lyrics by the Nobel Prize laureate poetess Wislawa SzymborskaFind albums by this artist (who died in 2012), two with lyrics by poetess Halina PoswiatowskaFind albums by this artist (who died in 1967 at a ridiculous young age of 32), one with lyrics by poetess Dorota SzattersFind albums by this artist (a contemporary lyricist living in Silesia, the southern part of Poland), one with lyrics by the poet Tomasz JastrunFind albums by this artist (well-known for his involvement with the underground literary movement during the Socialist regime) and the last two with lyrics by Stanko herself. Of the ten songs, seven were composed by vibraphonist / composer Dominik BukowskiFind albums by this artist, two by Stanko and one by bassist / composer Paul RutschkaFind albums by this artist, who is Stanko´s nephew. The songs are performed by Stanko, who is accompanied by a core trio, which includes Bukowski and the wonderful rhythm section of bassist Piotr LemanczykFind albums by this artist and drummer Cezary KonradFind albums by this artist. In addition several excellent musicians participate as guests adding their contributions to one or two of the songs, those being: saxophonists Maciej ObaraFind albums by this artist and Irek WojtczakFind albums by this artist, guitarist Jacek KrolikFind albums by this artist, percussionist Miroslaw HadyFind albums by this artist, Indonesian pianist Sri HanuragaFind albums by this artist and bassist Paul Rutschka. A string quartet is also utilized on a couple of songs. The presence of so many musicians creates a much diversified album, with each of the songs being quite distinct and different sounding instrumentally, which enhances the listening experience and allows for unexpected vistas. Of course the diversity does not disturb the general atmosphere of the album, which is wonderfully lyrical and introvert, as are most Polish Jazz & Poetry albums. For listeners familiar with the Polish scene, this album immediately brings on a need to match it up against the recent work by Polish Jazz vocalist Aga ZaryanFind albums by this artist, which is conceptually and spiritually in the same aesthetic sphere of influence. In fact this album is incredibly akin to Zaryan´s latest album. One can only speculate as to how much of this proximity is intentional, but probably very little. It is more likely a result of the characteristics of both Polish Jazz and Polish Poetry being so dominant, with the distinctive rhythm of the language, its "playability" and inherent musicality, which contributed to this close encounter. Of course these albums are also wonderfully different, which creates a joyous opportunity to love them both. Stanko should be praised for sticking with her mother tongue, against the temptations of "international potential", which brings many Polish singers to try their luck with texts in English. Every music connoisseur understands that vocalists are at their best when singing in their natural language, and of course even more so in case poetry is used. Stanko´s interpretation and articulation of the poems is warm and wonderfully round, expressing her deep engagement with this project. The music is also excellent, and although melodic, it proves to be quite challenging at times, with twisted progressions and unusual harmonic structure. Listeners, who are not familiar with the Polish language, will still be able to enjoy this album immensely, just listening to Stanko´s vocals as another instrument in the ensemble, carrying the melody. The overall level of performances is truly amazing. The vibraphone and marimba are difficult instruments, especially for the less experienced listeners, but Bukowski manages to use them subtly, often staying low-key and wonderfully supportive towards the vocalist. Lemanczyk plays absolutely stunningly, with his virtuosic bass lines carrying the music like wind over water. Konrad, a well-respected veteran, is the ensemble´s chronometer, without actually playing the beat, masterfully ornamenting the music with his percussive touches. The guest musicians all contribute in their relative fields of expertise. The leading Lady is firmly expressing the lyrics and yet creating a brilliant atmosphere of fragility and insecurity, as appropriate in such context. A job well done indeed! I admit falling in love with this album immediately. Those sensitive, intelligent and brilliantly talented women always capture my musical heart filling it with passion and sweet delight. Age, experience and cynicism simply melt away. The only gentlemanly thing left is to thank Stanko for creating this heartwarming peace of musical delight and wish her God´s speed. I´m already longing for the next one!

Updated: 23/03/2024Posted:

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KRYSTYNA STANKO ~ POCIAG DO PIOSENKI NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Pop Fusion Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is an "informal" album by Polish vocalist / songwriter Krystyna StankoFind albums by this artist, her overall tenth release, which was recorded live in Radio Gdansk. The album celebrates the third Anniversary of the Metropolitan train system connecting the Baltic Tricity with the Kaszubia region. Stanko is accompanied by a quintet of excellent young musicians, which include: keyboardist Arek KrawielFind albums by this artist, guitarist Boris MogilevskiFind albums by this artist, violinist Jan GalachFind albums by this artist, bassist Paul RutschkaFind albums by this artist and drummer Mikolaj StankoFind albums by this artist. The album presents twelve songs, all written (music and lyrics) by Stanko, which originate from her early recordings: the album "KobietyFind albums with this title" released under the For DeeFind albums by this artist moniker in 1995 and her fourth album (first album as a leader) "Uslysz MnieFind albums with this title" released in 2008. The informal, relaxed atmosphere of this live concert suits this material ideally, which is only marginally Jazz oriented, but is absolutely delightful from start to finish. These invigorated versions of the early songs by Stanko sound in many respects way better than the original versions, missing perhaps the naivety and youthfulness, but are enhanced by the maturity and experience gained over the years. The music is mostly kept in a Jazz-Rock Fusion mood, but without excessive instrumental soloing, concentrating on the melodies and the vocal parts. Stanko´s delivery is absolutely delightful, as expected, which makes listening to this album an absolute unadulterated pleasure. The decision to revisit the old songs was a very smart move, as they all prove to stand the test of time admirably, and are definitely worth being remembered. Overall this is a very enjoyable piece of Pop / Jazz music, excellently performed and full of great music, which should make the many fans of Stanko´s talents very happy indeed!

Updated: 04/04/2019Posted: 04/04/2019

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