Record Reviews
6 Reviews Found. Use search to find more reviews or follow the links in the review text.
  | MAREK GRECHUTA ~ DROGA ZA WIDNOKRES
POMATON 724352574322 (Barcode: 724352574322) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 1972 Released: 2000
This is the third album by Polish singer / songwriter / poet Marek GrechutaFind albums by this artist, one of the most iconic figures on the Polish popular music scene and the most important representative of the Music & Poetry movement in Poland. This is also his first album with the group WIEMFind albums by this artist (an acronym of the Polish phrase "W Innej Epoce Muzycznej"), which Grechuta formed after he left his previous group AnawaFind albums by this artist. The new group comprised initially of guitarist Pawel ScieranskiFind albums by this artist, brilliant bassist Pawel JarzebskiFind albums by this artist and three drummers / percussionists Jozef GawrychFind albums by this artist, Bogdan KulikFind albums by this artist and Tadeusz KalinowskiFind albums by this artist. Later on the group was expanded with some personnel changes and included among others violinist Piotr MicheraFind albums by this artist, guitarist Antoni KrupaFind albums by this artist and drummer Kazimierz JonkiszFind albums by this artist. The album includes eight tracks, all composed by Grechuta, who wrote lyrics to only one of the songs and the remaining lyrics are by some of the Polish poets Grechuta admired: Jan ZychFind albums by this artist, Tadeusz NowakFind albums by this artist, Tadeusz SliwiakFind albums by this artist and others.
Musically the album marks a dramatic change in comparison to the acoustic World Music / Psychedelic atmosphere of his previous albums and moves into Jazz-Rock Fusion / Progressive Rock, which is quite understandable considering that all the new band members were previously active in these areas. But the music also amalgamates the lyrical elements dominating Grechuta´s music and the intrinsic melancholy of the poetic lyrics. The instrumental work is rather intimate, with the guitar being the only soloing instrument, playing sweet Bluesy / Jazzy riffs. The absolutely sublime performances on the (acoustic) bass are the album´s backbone, upon which the entire musical contents is completely dependent. The later, expanded version of the group, included much more developed instrumental support to Grechuta´s lyrics, as can be heard on the bonus tracks.
Grechuta is a master of his trade and his vocal delivery is simply sublime. Always somewhere in between singing and reciting, his interpretation of the lyrics is exquisitely intelligent and insightful. The band performs also divinely, displaying obvious talents and sensitivity. Such combination of beautiful music performed as perfectly as here is indeed extraordinary. Therefore in retrospect this is one of the best Rock / Prog albums ever recorded in Poland, although less innovative and shocking musically that its predecessor. It stands the test of time beautifully and is an absolute must have for every lover of Polish music. This expanded and remastered edition includes seven bonus tracks recorded by the Polish Radio, all of excellent quality, both sonically and musically. One of the tracks is an extended almost all instrumental version of the epic title track of the previous album, which is truly brilliant. A gem worth having!
| | | CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | LABORATORIUM ~ ANTHOLOGY 1971-1988
METAL MIND 001 (Barcode: 5907785028173) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 1971 - 1988 Released: 2006
This Box Set compiles all the albums released by the Polish Jazz-Rock Fusion ensemble LaboratoriumFind albums by this artist, which was without a shadow of a doubt one of the best and most important Fusion outfits in Eastern Europe before the fall of the Iron Curtain. Over the years the band managed to release ten albums, an unprecedented achievement at the time, of which seven were studio recordings, two were recorded live and the last one was a compilation of previously unreleased tracks. Two of the studio albums were released on the legendary Polish Jazz Series (Volumes 49 and 58). All the ten albums were remastered for this Box Set release and expanded with a plethora of bonus tracks, which include studio outtakes, radio and live performances and mini-sleeved. The booklet includes a detail history of the band and reflections about the albums by the band´s founder / leader keyboardist / composer Janusz GrzywaczFind albums by this artist.
As all ensembles Laboratorium changed lineups over the years, but enjoyed relatively steady personnel for extended periods of time, which undoubtedly added to their success. Most of their material, which is covered by their second to sixth albums (and the compilation album), was recorded by a steady lineup, which included in addition to the leader also saxophonist / vocalist Marek StryszowskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Pawel ScieranskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Krzysztof ScieranskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Mieczyslaw GorkaFind albums by this artist. On the later albums the lineup includes Grzywacz and Stryszowski (who are the only musicians appearing on all the ten albums) with guitarist Ryszard StylaFind albums by this artist, bassist Krzysztof OlesinskiFind albums by this artist, drummer Andrzej MrowiecFind albums by this artist and percussionist Jan PilchFind albums by this artist. The debut recording, which initially occupied only one side of an LP, features the legendary Polish violinist Zbigniew SeifertFind albums by this artist and is stylistically quite close to Free Jazz in contrast to the Fusion direction adopted later.
The band performed only original music, which of course was a courageous decision, and with a singular exception, all the music enclosed herein was composed by Laboratorium members, mostly by the leader but also by others or co-composed by the band. Over the years Grzywacz emerged as a first rate tune-weaver with an excellent ability to write great melodies and riffs, which make the music accessible, even when it becomes quite complex. The music remains intelligent and ambitious throughout, with a remarkable consistency of high-level quality. But the most important factor of Laboratorium was its ability to constantly evolve and change, which is quite evident to anybody listening to the music in the proper historic order. Grzywacz slowly moved from acoustic to electric piano and then to synthesizers, but never indulged in mindless pyrotechnics which so many of his colleague keyboardists fell victim to during that period of time. Laboratorium managed to avoid that terrible, obnoxious 1980s cheesy synthesizer sound, which is a success in itself.
Although most of the music performed by Laboratorium is instrumental, they used the human voice time and again in an instrumental capacity. These vocalese experiments are all quite interesting and present another layer of the band´s musical range. It seems that Polish Jazz is particularly fond of such experimentation since its early days and it´s definitely interesting to hear how Laboratorium handled them.
There are endless moments of musical joy inside this Box Set; virtuosic performances by the musicians, especially those by Krzysztof Scieranski, who stands easily shoulder to shoulder with such bass heroes as Jaco PastoriusFind albums by this artist, beautiful melodies, funky grooves, superb guitar and keyboards solos, in short Fusion heaven for all connoisseurs of the genre. I can´t imagine any Fusion fan anywhere on this planet not being melted away by the beauty of this music.
The Box Set is an individually numbered limited edition and if you can put your hands on a copy, don´t you dare to hesitate even for a moment – it´s worth its weight in gold!
| | Updated: 26/01/2019Posted: | CD 10 Mini-Sleeve Box Set Oversampling Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
  | LABORATORIUM ~ MODERN PENTATHLON (POLISH JAZZ VOL.49)
MUZA 949 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 1976 Released: 2004
Polish Jazz-Rock Fusion band LaboratoriumFind albums by this artist was one of several great Polish bands (Extra BallFind albums by this artist for example) playing in that vein during the 1970s and 1980s. Founded by keyboardist Janusz GrzywaczFind albums by this artist, the band´s founding members included also saxophonist / vocalist Marek StryszowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Mieczyslaw GorkaFind albums by this artist. After an initial period of trying to find a musical identity, the band was joined by brothers Pawel ScieranskiFind albums by this artist on guitar and Krzysztof ScieranskiFind albums by this artist on bass (one of the greatest Polish bass players) and settled into the Fusion genre, with a musical approach and sound not far away from Weather ReportFind albums by this artist. This, their debut recording, presents them already in their full power and the recording is quite stunning in its sophistication and instrumental aptitude. The music includes the 20 minutes long suite in five parts, which gives the album its title and a few shorter pieces, all composed or co-composed by the leader. As opposed to most American Fusion at the time, which was mostly based on simplistic melodies and endless instrumental doodling, this music is atmospheric, intelligent, sophisticated, well developed and coherent, clearly well rooted in the European musical tradition. Fusion fans are well advised to try this out and explore this wonderful music, which is expanding the genre´s limitations to the max. Superb stuff!
| | | CD 1 Digipak Oversampling Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | LABORATOTIUM ~ QUASIMODO (POLISH JAZZ VOL.58)
POLSKIE RADIO 0532 (Barcode: 5901448115323) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 1979 Released: 2005
This is the 2nd album by Polish Jazz-Rock Fusion ensemble LaboratoriumFind albums by this artist, which was one of several great Polish bands (like Extra BallFind albums by this artist for example) playing in that vein during the 1970s. Founded by keyboardist Janusz GrzywaczFind albums by this artist, the band´s founding members included also saxophonist / vocalist Marek StryszowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Mieczyslaw GorkaFind albums by this artist. After an initial period of trying to find a musical identity, the band was joined by brothers Pawel ScieranskiFind albums by this artist on guitar and Krzysztof ScieranskiFind albums by this artist on bass (one of the greatest Polish bass players) and settled into the Fusion genre, with a musical approach and sound not far away from Weather ReportFind albums by this artist. This, their second recording, presents them in their full power and the recording is quite stunning in its sophistication and instrumental aptitude. The music includes pieces composed by all members of the group. As opposed to most American Fusion at the time, which was mostly based on simplistic melodies and endless instrumental doodling, this music is atmospheric, intelligent, sophisticated, well developed and coherent, clearly well rooted in the European musical tradition. Fusion fans are well advised to try this out and explore this wonderful music, which is expanding the genre´s limitations to the max. This music will also interest fans Prog fans, as it is close in spirit to the Canterbury genre. Superb stuff!
| | | CD 1 Digipak Oversampling Remastered Recommend To A Friend |
  | ZBIGNIEW LEWANDOWSKI ~ ZBIGNIEW LEWANDOWSKI
GAD 121 (Barcode: 5903068120770) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 1983 Released: 2020
This is a reissue of the debut album by Polish Jazz drummer / composer / bandleader Zbigniew LewandowskiFind albums by this artist, originally released on the legendary PoljazzFind albums on this label label. The music was recorded in 1983 during two sessions separated by several months, with two lineups. The first lineup was a quintet which included alongside Lewandowski also iconic trumpeter Andrzej PrzybielskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Piotr BaronFind albums by this artist, guitarist Pawel ScieranskiFind albums by this artist and bass guitarist Krzysztof ScieranskiFind albums by this artist. The second lineup was extended to an octet and included also saxophonist Andrzej OlejniczakFind albums by this artist, second bass guitarist Mieczyslaw JureckiFind albums by this artist and percussionist Jose TorresFind albums by this artist. The original LP presented six tracks but this remastered edition was expanded by two additional tracks from the first session, previously unissued. All the compositions were by the musicians participating in the recording except for one standard.
The music, influenced by the revolutionary work of Miles DavisFind albums by this artist, has a distinct Fusion tinge, but is very far from an attempt to copy the great Master. Przybielski, aged thirty-nine at the time of the recording, was already Poland´s most idiosyncratic Jazz musician and trumpet Genius. He displays the full range of his abilities, and the fact that the music is Fusion oriented, offers a rare opportunity to hear him in that specific idiom, rather than within his "usual" Avant-Garde environment. His performances on this album are amongst the most extensive documents of his playing, including his weird sense of humor. In retrospect this album emphasizes the devastating loss Polish Jazz suffered with his untimely death in 2011. I had the immense luck and pleasure to produce the album "The Book Of JobFind albums with this title", just a couple of years after this recording was made, which also featured Przybielski at his absolute best.
Baron, only twenty-two years old at the time, also contributes wonderfully to the album´s overall ambience, offering his compositions, most of the arrangements and excellent soloing. The rest of the players were already more experienced and their professionalism and obvious talents are clearly evident in the resulting music.
Overall this is a momentous recording, perhaps one of the most important Polish Jazz albums from the 1980s, and beyond. Polish Jazz / Fusion fans should be grateful to GADFind albums on this label Records for resurrecting this gem and saving it from oblivion. Brilliant stuff!
| | Updated: 23/09/2020Posted: 23/09/2020 | CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
|
