Record Reviews

MIKOLAJ TRZASKA ~ KLER (SOUNDTRACK) KILOGRAM 039 ~ POLAND ~ Soundtracks Recorded: 2017 - 2018 Released: 2019 The close cooperation between a film director and a cinematic music composer, which last for many years, is quite a common phenomenon in the Film industry, and of course has its long tradition in Polish cinema as well. Such famous couplings include Roman PolanskiFind albums by this artist – Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, Krzysztof KieslowskiFind albums by this artist – Zbigniew PreisnerFind albums by this artist and of course also Wojciech SmarzowskiFind albums by this artist – Mikolaj TrzaskaFind albums by this artist. Trzaska wrote the music for all the films by Smarzowski ("Dom Zly", "Roza", "Drogowka", "Pod Mocnym Aniolem", "Wolyn" and "Kler"), except for his debut film ("Wesele"). Trzaska, one of the leaders of Polish Free Jazz / Avant-Garde / Improvised Music scene, seems to find himself at ease with writing music for films, which of course works quite differently than his usual modus operandi on stage or in the studio, surrounded by other improvisers. The magic that happens when Smarzowski´s often harsh, shocking and deeply troubling visual expressionism gets combined with Trzaska´s music, and the two fit together perfectly, as if created in one mind. Trzaska, who plays saxophones and clarinets, involved in creating this music the "usual suspects", i.e. artists he worked with earlier, like clarinetist Pawel SzamburskiFind albums by this artist, Danish vibraphonist / drummer Peter Ole JorgensenFind albums by this artist, multimedia Artist / musician Marek RogulskiFind albums by this artist and The Sejny Theater Klezmer OrchestraFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, all by Trzaska, which last together for almost thirty seven minutes, and served as a source of the incidental music incorporated within the film. As usual in the case of film soundtracks released as stand alone albums the crucial test is if the music is able to hold its ground on its own, without the presence of the visual element being involved. Trzaska managed to achieve this with his previous cinematic projects and he does not disappoint here as well. The album delivers a coherent, quite diverse series of atmospheric / ambient pieces, which are a fascinating journey, and the listener is able to create his own scenography and plot on the fly or simple accept the music on a purely emotional plane. Although not involved directly with Jazz per se, the spirit of improvisation is an integral part of this music, as appropriate for Trzaska and his usual sound environment. It takes a while to enter this enigmatic world of sounds, but the more one listens to this music the more addictive it becomes. I have but to agree with Smarzowski (who writes so on the album´s cover) that this album is very much different from the film, which of course is pretty obvious, but the overall effect of Trzaska´s music is absolutely phenomenal on its own. I am grateful to be able to call this great Artist a Friend!

Updated: 19/02/2020Posted: 19/02/2020

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WILD MANS BAND ~ FREDENSBORG NINTH WORLD 050 (Barcode: 5709498212524) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2015 This is the sixth album by The Wild Mans BandFind albums by this artist, a conceptual trio, which invites other musicians to join them one at a time in turn, to create an ad hoc quartet. The trio consists of veteran European Free Jazz / Improvised Music musicians: German saxophonist / clarinetist Peter BrotzmannFind albums by this artist, Danish bassist Peter Friis NielsenFind albums by this artist and Danish drummer Peter Ole JorgensenFind albums by this artist. On this album they are joined by the great Polish saxophonist / clarinetist Mikolaj TrzaskaFind albums by this artist, who completes the quartet lineup. The quartet performs five original compositions, all co-composed by all the quartet members. The music is a fantastic explosion of raw energy and collective improvisation of the highest caliber, which hardly leaves a moment to gather one´s thoughts, simply taking the listener on a wild and reckless journey of imagination and emotional treasure hunt. The level of interplay and individual virtuosi statements is staggering and this music has something new to offer with every listening session. Brotzmann and Trzaska cooperate superbly together and the age and background differences seem to have no influence whatsoever on their incredible dialogues. With both of them having a very strong and unique personalities, their interplay is even more intense and eventually also more fruitful than other meetings of this kind. The rhythm section is also absolutely brilliant, standing shoulder to shoulder with the intense foreground action. Nielsen has an incredible flexibility and speed and his pulsation keeps the entire musical environment in check, saving it from chaos and anarchy. Jorgensen is very skillful in not barraging the proceedings with his drumming, which would have annihilated the overall sound, keeping his wonderful drum parts just at the right level to be audible but not dominating. On the more serene parts his drumming is very musical and even melodic, adding a new dimension to the entire outcome. In short this is a great example of Free Jazz / Improvised Music that is creative, surprising, emotional and engaging, which unfortunately does not happen too often in that idiom. Completely lacking any ego trips and the need to prove something, this music simply flows naturally, which makes it stronger and more influential than music that is trying to impress. This is a must have for all lovers of Free Jazz / Improvised Music, as recordings of such class, masterly execution and aesthetic beauty are rare indeed.

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