Record Reviews

PIOTR DAMASIEWICZ / POWER OF THE HORNS ~ POLSKA ASTIGMATIC 011 (Barcode: 5902860142300) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is the second album by Polish trumpeter / composer Piotr DamasiewiczFind albums by this artist and his Power Of The HornsFind albums by this artist ensemble and their first studio recording. It features a nonet version of the ensemble which also includes saxophonists Maciej ObaraFind albums by this artist, Adam PindurFind albums by this artist and Gerard LebikFind albums by this artist, trombonist Pawel NiewiadomskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Dominik WaniaFind albums by this artist, bassists Ksawery WojcinskiFind albums by this artist and Jakub CywinskiFind albums by this artist and Australian born drummer Samuel HallFind albums by this artist. The album presents four (one in two parts) original compositions, all by Damasiewicz. The debut album "AlamanFind albums with this title", recorded live in 2012 (i.e. six years earlier), was the first release of the now legendary For TuneFind albums on this label Records label, and created quite a stir at the time. It was recorded by an eleven-piece version of the ensemble, which included only five of the musicians present on this new recording and presented just three expanded tracks, characterized by extensive improvisations. The raw power of the horns and super-sized rhythm section combined with the youthful excitement associated with the occasion managed to create some magic moments, which the recording certainly reflected, but which did not prove to have a long-lasting value. In retrospect the status of "…one of the most captivating albums in the history of Polish jazz…" is certainly a hype rather that an objective statement. The new album is a complete about face and presents perfectly well-behaved, modern mainstream Jazz, with smooth performances but limited level of enthusiasm. Of course this is a perfectly legitimate approach; considering the time that passed since the debut; maturity, age and experience certainly have their influence. Yet Damasiewicz seems to cling to the past by including on this album older material, like the title tune which originates from 2014 and even one composition already presented on the debut, which perhaps indicates a shortage of new material. But regardless of the past connections, the music on this album is based on rather basic melodic elements, repeated continuously with little variations, except for the ensemble dynamics. The "wall of sound" approach of the debut is now replaced by a more chamber like approach typical of Polish Jazz from the 1960s, and a retro sound and ambience. Damasiewicz dedicates the compositions on the album to the Godfathers of Polish Jazz: Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist and Tomasz SzukalskiFind albums by this artist and to his teacher Piotr WojtasikFind albums by this artist, all of whom obviously influenced his musical path, which is well reflected within the music on this album, and which, as already stated, often ventures into the climates invented and developed by his Mentors and which characterize Polish Jazz or at least its early days. The album´s title seems to suggest that the music on this album is the continuation of that magic "Polishness" that Polish Jazz offers at its core; a daring statement by all means, which will be judged by history alone. The individual performances by the leader and the ensemble members are, as expected, highly professional, but if not for the excellent, as always, contributions by Wania, who in the period separating these two recordings made one giant step after another, the music would have became almost banal, a déjà vu of sorts. Considering the astonishing level of the musicianship on the Polish Jazz scene, something more spectacular would have been needed in this music to become "…sublime and unique…". The album´s liner notes, from which all the above quotes are taken, is fascinating, full of hints, allegories and references – definitely worth reading!

Updated: 22/12/2019Posted: 22/12/2019

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EMIL MISZK / THE SONIC SYNDICATE ~ ARTIFICIAL STUPIDITY ALPAKA 013 (Barcode: 308175527811) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the second album by Polish Jazz trumpeter / composer / bandleader Emil MiszkFind albums by this artist and his octet called The Sonic SyndicateFind albums by this artist, which also includes saxophonists Piotr CheckiFind albums by this artist and Kuba WiecekFind albums by this artist, trombonist Pawel NiewiadomskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Szymon BurnosFind albums by this artist, guitarist Michal ZienkowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Konrad ZolnierekFind albums by this artist and drummer Slawomir KoryznoFind albums by this artist, same lineup as on the debut. The album presents six original compositions, which strangely are not credited on the album´s artwork and are therefore assumed to be all by the leader. The total playing time of the album is just below thirty-five minutes, which is closer to an EP than a full album. The brilliant debut album released a couple of years earlier created enormously high expectations from the sophomore release, which are almost impossible to be fulfilled. Considering the fact that the music on this album is significantly different from that on its predecessor, any attempt to compare the two is practically fruitless. Combined with loosing the element of surprise, the resulting effect is somewhat less exciting. Nevertheless this is still brilliant music, beautifully performed by some of the best young generation Polish Jazz musicians. The compositions are complex and combine several melodic and rhythmic themes within each of the pieces. They are all carefully designed, ordered and planned, cerebral and refined, oriented towards the "big sound" the octet is able to create, at times offering up-to-date Big Band mannerisms. There is no doubt that Miszk and his Sonic Syndicate offer some of the cleverest music on the Polish Jazz scene, which can eventually lead to some level of estrangement with the audience. This album, as already mentioned, has a short playing time, but is so intensive and demanding that perhaps any additional material might have been simply over the top. Miszk obviously gives up almost completely his role as an instrumentalist and is completely absorbed by his role of a composer and arranger. Overall this is a dazzling piece of music, which concentrates on highly complex, sophisticated compositions, which are difficult to follow but highly rewarding to advanced Jazz listeners. The (almost) orchestral arrangements are devilishly tricky and must have been a real challenge to perform and record, which makes me wonder if this music is possible to be played live. In any case Miszk is surely an Artist to be watched closely, as he obviously is just worming up.

Updated: 21/07/2022Posted: 17/07/2020

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EMIL MISZK / THE SONIC SYNDICATE ~ DON`T HESITATE! ALPAKA 005 (Barcode: 191924149736) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is the debut album as a leader by young and upcoming Polish Jazz trumpeter / composer Emil MiszkFind albums by this artist, who has made a significant mark on the local scene lately. On this album he leads an impressive octet, called Sonic SyndicateFind albums by this artist, which also includes saxophonists Piotr CheckiFind albums by this artist and Kuba WiecekFind albums by this artist, trombonist Pawel NiewiadomskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Michal ZienkowskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Szymon BurnosFind albums by this artist, bassist Konrad ZolnierekFind albums by this artist and drummer Slawomir KoryznoFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, all by the leader. The stunning music consists of some of the most original Jazz compositions I have heard in many years. Miszk uses brilliantly the power of the octet, which has almost the strength and possibilities of a Big Band / Orchestral scale, to express his complex, suite like compositions, which are all multilayered, with twisted melody lines and constant tempi changes, but which in spite of their devilishly clever intricacy sound completely coherent and complete. The music moves between melodic statements of the composed themes and almost Free Form mini-improvised passages, presenting a fresh and invigorating approach to Jazz composition, which is simply phenomenal. At times the music ventures into the Brass Rock approach, fondly remembered from the work of ensembles like ChicagoFind albums by this artist and ChaseFind albums by this artist (and many more), but of course is completely brought up to date and modernized. All the members of the octet are of course radiant instrumentalists, who are able to execute the convoluted and challenging twists and turns of the music spotlessly. The music calls mostly for an ensemble / orchestral sound and presentation, which means that individual soloing, is not the focus of this music, but rather creating sound vistas that require discipline and collaboration by all the participants; which of course does not exclude some blood-curdling solo work by the leader and others and surprising Rocky guitar statements by Zienkowski. This music is also the epitome of European Jazz, being completely open to all musical styles and influences, managing to amalgamate them in a perfect way. There is a lot of tradition here, some conscious and some subconscious, but absolutely no stagnation or repetition. This is exactly what European Jazz aesthetics is all about – experiment and elegance, good taste and talent. This kind of music can probably only be made in Poland. Any attempt to describe this beautiful piece of music is of course completely futile and does not replace the experience of listening to it, which of course I absolutely recommend. It is very rare that a debut album of this magnitude appears and usually it happens only once or twice in a given year, and for 2018 this is definitely it. Absolutely not to be missed!

Updated: 07/05/2018Posted: 24/04/2018

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EMIL MISZK / THE SONIC SYNDICATE ~ SCRATCHES FOR 8 MUSICIANS ALPAKA 023 (Barcode: 3663734142964) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2021 Released: 2022 This is the third album by Polish Jazz trumpeter / composer / bandleader Emil MiszkFind albums by this artist, recorded live with his octet called The Sonic SyndicateFind albums by this artist, which comprises of top young Polish Jazz musicians: saxophonists Piotr CheckiFind albums by this artist (tenor) and Jakub KlemensiewiczFind albums by this artist (baritone), trombonist Pawel NiewiadomskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Michal ZienkowskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Mikolaj BasiukiewiczFind albums by this artist, bassist Konrad ZolnierekFind albums by this artist and drummer Slawomir KoryznoFind albums by this artist. The album presents four extended pieces, which are uncredited on the album’s artwork (open for speculation). The music is essentially improvised, with just very few sketchy melodic themes and coherent continuity, at some occasions being more about a sonic atmosphere than music, as most people conceive it. It is fascinating to compare this album with Miszk’s earlier recordings since he first appeared on recording scene in 2014, including the two previous albums with the Sonic Syndicate, which shows a radical estrangement from melodic modern Jazz, gradually moving towards Improvised Music and Avant-Garde. Of course Miszk has every right to experiment and develop his music any way he sees fit, and his qualities are clearly obvious here, as they were in his earlier work. The album, although being more about the ensemble sound that individual soloing, which is typical of European larger ensembles, allows all the members of the octet to show their chops, even in the highly unconventional environment of this music. At best, the ensemble sounds like a Big Band, but during the intimate improvisation moments the ensemble sound gets lost obviously, which is a pity. As a result, the music is very uneven and depends largely on the listener’s attention span and patience. Overall, this is a courageous experiment, exposing the more experimental / searching facets of the young Polish Jazz scene, which refuses to stand still. The music might prove to be trying to an average Jazz listener, but the more open-minded and searching Jazz fans should find this album worth of their attention.

Updated: 16/07/2022Posted: 16/07/2022

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PAWEL NIEWIADOMSKI ~ INTRODUCTION FOR TUNE 0085 (Barcode: 5902768701906) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is the debut album by Polish trombonist / composer Pawel NiewiadomskiFind albums by this artist recorded in a quartet setting with saxophonist Jakub SkowronskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Ksawery WojcinskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Wojciech RomanowskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents six original compositions, all by Niewiadomski. Trombone-led Jazz ensembles are relatively rare and therefore every time one of those lands on my lap it receives special attention. In this case the attention turned out to we well justified, as this album is definitely a surprising gem. The music, although based on melodic themes stated at the beginning, develops into a Free Form group improvisation, which are full of passion and imaginative approach to the expanded Jazz idiom. Although still relatively young, these musicians are all experienced improvisers and excellent instrumentalists, with skills, technique and evident talent. These qualities, combined with the obvious camaraderie and mutual respect between the quartet members enables a creative atmosphere which results in very effective musical achievements. The resulting music is cohesive, highly passionate and aesthetically just right, which is a pleasure to listen to. The individual statements by the quartet members are all top notch: Niewiadomski pushes the limited trombone possibilities into the realm of physically impossible, Skowronski adds his convoluted saxophone statements, Wojcinski holds the entire album together with his superb bass pulsations, which are nothing short of sheer virtuosity and finally Romanowski adds fire and brimstone to the proceedings, topping the overall sound with condensed rhythmic ornaments. The trombone / saxophone unisono parts, which later develop into fiery exchanges, are the highlights of this album, but the overall level of performances is incredibly high. This is definitely a most impressive debut, introducing another player on the Polish Improvised Music scene, which is worth being followed, expecting only the best to come. This album will be very hard to beat, so I´m already waiting to hear the follow up, but in the meantime this is something the trombone connoisseurs and Polish Jazz fans will definitely not want to miss. Magnificent playing!

Updated: 26/02/2016Posted: 26/02/2016

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