Record Reviews

APOSTOLIS ANTHIMOS ~ 50 – LIVE IN NOSPR NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 5903068122774) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2021 Released: 2021 This is a 2CD album by Polish Jazz / Fusion guitarist / drummer / composer Apostolis AnthimosFind albums by this artist, recorded live at the fabulous NOSPR concert hall in Katowice, celebrating his 50 years of musical activity. The music was recorded by a core quartet with keyboardist Piotr MatusikFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Olaf WegierFind albums by this artist and bassist Robert SzewczugaFind albums by this artist and guests: French trumpeter Erik TruffazFind albums by this artist, Polish DJ Wojciech DlugoszFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Mr. KrimeFind albums by this artist) and Dutch drummer Yoran VroomFind albums by this artist. The album presents eighteen tracks, including a repeated (six times) theme called “For 50 Years”, all composed by the leader. Although primarily know as a founding member of the legendary Polish Prog / Fusion group SBBFind albums by this artist, Anthimos cultivated a solo career in parallel to his career with SBB, recording solo albums and participating in recording of many albums by various Polish and international artists / groups, constantly shifting between Jazz, Fusion and Rock. Although usually associated with playing guitar, he is also an accomplished drummer. The album reflects all the virtues Apostolis has to offer, as a guitarist, drummer and above all as a composer. The highly melodic and yet beautifully structured tunes are perfect vehicles for the musicians to show their chops and create a smooth continuity and highly pleasant and absorbing music. The inclusion of Truffaz adds a wonderful Jazz layer to these proceedings and are a fond reminder of Anthimos’ work with Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist. Apostolis is a highly imaginative guitarist, which of course is evident throughout his entire career, and has a unique sound, which amalgamates many different elements, including his affinity to Greek music, a highly developed Jazz sensibility and the Rock elements, creating together one of the most distinguished European Fusion voices. Overall, this is a wonderful Fusion album that no fan of the genre should miss in his collection, with great music and brilliant guitar playing rarely met elsewhere. Highly recommended!

Updated: 17/12/2021Posted: 17/12/2021

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APOSTOLIS ANTHIMOS ~ PARALLEL WORLDS METAL MIND 0786 (Barcode: 5907785039971) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is the fifth album by Polish (of Greek origins) guitarist / drummer / composer Apostolis AnthimosFind albums by this artist, mostly familiar as the lead guitarist of the legendary Polish power trio SBBFind albums by this artist, but also active in other music fields, as this album´s title perhaps suggests. On this album Anthimos plays guitar and drums and is accompanied by bassist Robert SzewczugaFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Piotr MatusikFind albums by this artist and saxophonist Olaf WegierFind albums by this artist. A couple of vocalists appear as guests on one track each. The album presents fourteen original compositions, presumably all by Anthimos, since nothing is explicitly stated on the album´s artwork. The music is quite different from what Anthimos is usually associated with, presenting mostly melodic Jazz, some Fusion and World Music, all very delicate and subdued. The focus of this album is fully directed on Anthimos the composer, especially in view of the fact that his guitar playing here is limited, and he plays drums on all tracks instead. The guitar is prominently featured mostly on the title track and sparingly on a few other tracks, which again points out, that the concept was to show a different facet of Anthimos´ Music. His fully blossomed composing skills result in a superb collection of wonderful melodies, all of which are skillfully weaved and harmonically coherent. The performances are all excellent and with the absence of Anthimos´ guitar, the soloing is mostly the responsibility of Matusik and Wegier, both of whom show exceptional skills and taste. Szewczuga lays exquisite layers of bass statements, which round up the sound of the quartet and Anthimos drives the rhythmic pulsations flawlessly. Overall this is a wonderful melodic, mostly Jazz album, with excellent compositions and outstanding performances, which should keep every Jazz connoisseur extremely happy. People used to Anthimos´ Rock and Fusion explorations might be surprised to hear this album but if they have any taste and music understanding they should accept this simply as another facet of their idol´s musical personality! Lakis ευχαριστώ for this great music!

Updated: 27/03/2018Posted: 27/03/2018

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BARTOSZ DWORAK ~ LIVE AT RADIO KATOWICE PRK 0130 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2014 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz violinist Bartosz DworakFind albums by this artist recorded live with his quartet which also includes pianist Piotr MatusikFind albums by this artist, bassist Jakub DworakFind albums by this artist and drummer Szymon MadejFind albums by this artist. They perform six compositions, two of which are original compositions by Bartosz Dworak, one is by Piotr Matusik, two are by Polish Jazz composers Slawomir KulpowiczFind albums by this artist and Zbigniew SeifertFind albums by this artist and the remaining one is by Joey CalderazzoFind albums by this artist. Bartosz Dworak is the winner of the 1st International Zbigniew Seifert Jazz Violin Competition, which took place in Poland in 2014 and is considered as one of the top young Polish Jazz violinists who continue the glorious legacy of Jazz violin in Poland established by such luminaries as Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist, Zbigniew Seifert, Krzesimir DebskiFind albums by this artist, Adam BaldychFind albums by this artist and others. From the very first notes of this record it is pretty obvious that Dworak is a Polish violinist, as he has the same unmistakable "Polish sound" that characterizes his predecessors and other contemporary Jazz violinist in the country. In his case this specific sound, which floats somewhere between Slavic folksy fiddle and virtuosic lyricism is clearly identifiable. And of course there is the individualism and the virtuosity, which are obviously in their early stages but already clearly noticeable. From the strength of the two original compositions it is immediately apparent that Dworak should concentrate on playing his own material. His interpretations of the compositions by other musicians are less impressive, except that of his band mate Piotr Matusik. The entire quartet plays smoothly and dynamically, with the rhythm section supporting the two soloists with taste and elegance. Matusik is one hell of a player and steals a significant part of the show in his favor, deserving every bit of it. I´m waiting anxiously to hear his first solo album. Considering that this is a debut recording one can simply envy these young musicians their talents and obvious musicality. Hopefully Dworak will develop his skills as a composer and engage in more ambitious / challenging adventures when his career takes off, which will inevitably happen. In the meantime this is definitely a most impressive calling card.

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BARTOSZ DWORAK ~ POLISHED HEVHETIA 0091 (Barcode: 8588005257336) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is the second album by Polish Jazz violinist / composer Bartosz DworakFind albums by this artist and his quartet, which also includes pianist Piotr MatusikFind albums by this artist, bassist Jakub DworakFind albums by this artist and drummer Szymon MadejFind albums by this artist. The quartet performs nine original compositions, four by Bartosz Dworak and five by Matusik. Several of these compositions already appeared on the quartet´s debut album, which was a live recording, and get here a more polished (tongue-on-cheek) version. Dworak proudly joins a long list of Polish Jazz violinists, which keeps growing as the years go by, and includes such luminaries as Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist, Zbigniew SeifertFind albums by this artist, Krzesimir DebskiFind albums by this artist, Adam BaldychFind albums by this artist and young lions like Mateusz SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist and Dawid LubowiczFind albums by this artist. This wonderful legacy can be of course quite overwhelming and daunting, but Dworak seems to have no inferiority complexes whatsoever and gallantly steps into their shoes, doing his own thing. Although Dworak is the leader of this quartet, the compositional and soloing duties are split quite equally between him and Matusik, who wrote about half of the music and plays superb piano parts, both supporting the violin parts and soloing himself. The rhythm section plays along with the two soloists supporting them amicably but staying mostly in the background, which in this specific music is probably all for the best. The music is all pretty straightforward melodic mainstream, although at some moments the quartet ventures, albeit only partly, into a less clearly defined set of parameters. Of course, as usual with Polish Jazz violinists, the music is soaked in melancholy and lyrical folkloristic undertones, which brings fond memories of the material recorded by those musicians listed in the second paragraph. All nine tunes are beautifully melodic, which surely opens this album to a very widespread range of audiences, even those beyond the Jazz idiom. In many respects this album could be considered as a debut, since the semi-formal live recording released earlier was really just a teaser of things to come. And as a debut it certainly is a very impressive effort, in every respect, which keeps the hopes for a new generation of Polish Jazz musicians in general and violinists in particular at their highest. Personally I simply can´t wait for the next album, which will be the decisive proof of maturity. In the meantime we can all enjoy this gem!

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BARTOSZ DWORAK ~ REFLECTION HEVHETIA 0171 (Barcode: 8588005258401) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is the third album by young and upcoming Polish Jazz violinist / composer Bartosz DworakFind albums by this artist, recorded with the same quartet that was featured on the two earlier recordings with pianist Piotr MatusikFind albums by this artist, bassist Jakub DworakFind albums by this artist and drummer Szymon MadejFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, four by the leader, two by Matusik and one co-composed by Dworak and Matusik. The music continues the path set by Bartosz Dworak´s earlier recordings, presenting highly melodic and very lyrical compositions, kept well within the mainstream Jazz convention, with strong Polish Folkloristic influences. The music is slightly more open this time, with a lot of breathing air, which allows the rhythm section to become fully involved in the improvisational process, and as a result enables the listener to appreciate the splendid bass parts played by Jakub Dworak and tasteful drumming by Madej. But the soloing and front position is of course reserved for Bartosz Dworak and Matusik, who take care of the melodic contents. Dworak uses the synthesized violin on a couple of tracks, which adds another variation to his sound. The compositions by Dworak are more up tempo and have a distinct Rocky character, whereas those by Matusik are more romantically inclined which balances the overall content of the album and keeps the listener interested. All these four young musicians perform splendidly throughout, which of course is quite usual for young Polish Jazz musicians, who are well schooled and experienced, today better that ever before. Overall the album is a very solid and well balanced effort, which offers beautiful music and superb execution from start to finish and should satisfy most Jazz enthusiasts, especially Jazz violin connoisseurs. It does not break any new ground as far as Jazz or Jazz violin is concerned, but offers a splendid listening experience, which is definitely worth investigating.

Updated: 27/04/2018Posted: 27/04/2018

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IMPROOPERA ~ IMPROOPERA REQUIEM / LYDIAN 2021/18 ~ POLAND ~ Pop-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2020 Released: 2021 This is the debut album by Polish duo ImprooperaFind albums by this artist comprising od mezzo soprano opera singer Aleksandra OpalaFind albums by this artist and Jazz keyboardist Piotr MatusikFind albums by this artist. The album presents six tracks, three composed by Polish Classical composer Karol SzymanowskiFind albums by this artist and one each by Maurice RavelFind albums by this artist, Pyotr TchaikovskyFind albums by this artist and Stanislaw NiewiadomskiFind albums by this artist, all arranged by Matusik. Most of the material is treated very closely to its original form, as composed, with Matusik employing some synthesizer parts in addition to his acoustic piano playing. There are just a few moments of instrumental improvisation by Matusik, and his arrangements of the original music are extremely respectful and delicate. The vocal parts are beautifully performed and Matusik already proved himself as an excellent keyboardist playing on several records in the past, which of course makes this album a true pleasure to listen to. Although personally I’d prefer to hear the duo taking a bit more risks and moving further away from the Classical core into open ventures, but I respect their choices. This album is closely linked to the “Stanislaw Moniuszko: Z Domowego SpiewnikaFind albums with this title” album, also featuring Opala and Matusik and following a similar musical concept, which I also liked very much. Overall this is a very unusual and stimulation album, definitely worth being discovered, and it might build another bridge between Classical Music and Jazz, or in this case Opera and Jazz to be more specific. Well done!

Updated: 15/07/2021Posted: 15/07/2021

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MATUSIK & GHOSTMAN ~ LIVE NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2013 This is a debut album by Polish duo, which pairs keyboardist / composer Piotr MatusikFind albums by this artist and vocalist GhostmanFind albums by this artist (Grzegorz LulekFind albums by this artist). The music was recorded live and it was the duo´s debut performance. The album presents nine original compositions / songs co-credited to both members of the duo. I have no idea why this album landed on my lap over two years after it was released, but better late than never. I must admit that I fell in love with this music from the first moment and I am still completely stunned by it. Mind you, it is only marginally Jazzy, but nevertheless it is one of the most original musical ventures on the Polish scene in the last few years. Matusik, who is a very gifted pianist and composer as evident from his other recording projects, uses a plethora of keyboards to accompany the vocalist and skillfully changes the sounds / samples / timbre of his instruments to support his partner amicably, playing on the way some truly beautiful solos. He manages to be a complete and sufficient "one man orchestra", utilizing a drum machine and other tricks of the trade, doing it all with taste and respect. But the real surprise for me is Ghostman, the vocalist. Not only is he blessed by a wonderful voice, which brings fond memories of the great Al JarreauFind albums by this artist, but he also manages to do something I never heard before and that is to improvise the songs´ lyrics inventing them in a gibberish language, which sounds as if spoken in a language, but in fact has no meaning whatsoever. The listener is convinced he is hearing Portuguese, Spanish, French or Italian but in fact this is all gibberish. Of course since most people do not speak many languages, they are convinced that they simply don´t understand the lyrics, but the devilish trick of fooling them all is Ghostman´s illusion. Honestly this can´t be accurately described by words and the only way to experience it is to hear it live, which I intend to do on the first opportunity arising. In the meantime listening to this superb music and absolutely stunning vocal shenanigans is all that I can do. If I´d received this album a couple of years earlier I´d have selected it among the top 10 albums of 2013, but alas this was no to happen. Buy I pay my respect now: hats off to both of you! And where is that studio album we all want to hear?

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PIOTR MATUSIK ~ INDEPENDENCE SOLITON 688 (Barcode: 5901571096889) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the second album by young Polish Jazz pianist / composer Piotr MatusikFind albums by this artist recorded in a piano trio setting with bassist Alan WykpiszFind albums by this artist and drummer Patryk DoboszFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, all by Matusik. Matusik debuted about five years earlier with an album dedicated to the music of Chick CoreaFind albums by this artist, which I sternly criticized at the time. In the meantime his career developed well as a member of the quartet led by violinist Bartosz DworakFind albums by this artist and participation in occasional other recordings and his music matured over time, as this album, which should be really considered as his artistic debut, clearly proves. His compositions offer melody based themes, which are laced wit the typical Polish Jazz melancholy and the execution is open enough to allow space for extended improvisations by all three musicians. The intimate piano trio format is perfect to expose the excellent interplay between the musicians, which is the strongest virtue of this album. As usual in a piano trio setting, Matusik is the prime soloist, performing lengthy piano parts, superbly supported by the rhythm section. It is however Wykpisz, who offers a truly refined musicianship on this album, with wonderful solo parts and sublimely sensitive accompaniment behind the piano. Dobosz is also excellent, keeping the time precisely and inventively, using a versatile arsenal of percussive trickery. Overall this is an ambitious effort, which shows a clear step forward in Matusik´s development. Jazz trio piano enthusiasts should find this album an educational experience as far as the role of the rhythm section is concerned. Definitely worth investigation!

Updated: 30/05/2020Posted: 30/05/2020

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PIOTR MATUSIK ~ TRIBUTE TO CHICK COREA REGIO 602547470744 (Barcode: 602547470744) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz pianist / composer Piotr MatusikFind albums by this artist, and as the title suggests it is dedicated to the music of Chick CoreaFind albums by this artist, featuring six Corea classic compositions. The album was recorded in a quartet setting, which includes also saxophonist Jakub ChojnackiFind albums by this artist, bassist Dariusz ZiolekFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam BuczekFind albums by this artist. Obviously it´s not difficult to understand why a young and aspiring pianist would choose Chick Corea as his role model; after all Corea is one of the greatest and most revered Jazz musicians in all times and a brilliant, often visionary pianist / composer. However, recording an album consisting entirely of Chick Corea´s compositions as a young pianist´s debut album is a hazardous and honestly a questionable decision. It takes years of experience to understand and than tackle the complexity and depth of Corea´s compositions, way beyond the sheer ability to play them. The easiest way to look at it would be to compare each of the compositions featured on this album with the original initial versions of the same compositions as recorded by Corea himself. The album starts with "Now He Sings, Now He SobsFind albums with this title" from the album by the same name recorded by Corea in March 1968, shortly before he started playing with Miles DavisFind albums by this artist. It was recorded by a trio with Miroslav VitousFind albums by this artist on bass and Roy HaynesFind albums by this artist on drums and marked the beginning of Corea´s most Avant Garde, adventurous and experimental period. At the time of its release the album was completely revolutionary, original and groundbreaking. Now the version of the same composition heard on this album sounds like lounge Smooth Jazz, easy on the ear and of course completely trivializing the original music, which hardly goes well with the "tribute" intention. A similar analysis of all the rest of the album reveals sadly more or less a similar pattern. Let´s get something straight here: these four musicians can play well, even exceptionally well. They are schooled and trained and they know their notes and chords and harmonies. And yet it all comes to nothing as far as creative, ambitious music making is concerned. This album is a terrible mistake, a waste of energy and a lack of direction. Playing someone else´s music in a watered down version is definitely not a way to go by a young and aspiring musician. Of course the future is still very much ahead of these musicians, and anything can happen. It is my duty to point them in a right direction, even if this is a seemingly cruel and painful way to do it. Better luck next time.

Updated: 17/12/2018Posted:

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VARIOUS ARTISTS ~ STANISLAW MONIUSZKO: Z DOMOWEGO SPIEWNIKA REQUIEM / LYDIAN 2020/13 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2020 Released: 2020 This is one of many albums recorded by Polish Jazz artists as part of the birthday bicentenary celebrations of the Polish Classical composer Stanislaw MoniuszkoFind albums by this artist (1819-1872). This album presents Jazzed up arrangements of eight songs taken from his "Home Songs" collections, performed by mezzo-soprano operatic singer Aleksandra OpalaFind albums by this artist, pianist Piotr MatusikFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Marcin ZupanskiFind albums by this artist and accordionist Wojciech GolecFind albums by this artist. The approach is quite original, and offers a direct contrast between the Classic songs performed by Opala and the improvised / Jazzy parts by the three instrumentalists, which harmonize beautifully, even when they "clash" stylistically when the instrumental parts are almost Free Jazz oriented. As a result this is definitely one of the most interesting Moniuszko related Polish Jazz projects the "Moniuszko year" produced. As magnificent and interesting as the Polish Jazz scene is, easily topping the European scene in the last two decades or so, it suffers from local "obsession" when dealing with its National Musical heritage. A huge part of Polish Jazz recordings is related either to Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist (the Godfather of Polish Jazz) or Frederic ChopinFind albums by this artist (the National composer), and lately Moniuszko – all totally out of proportion and in complete contrast to the need to respectfully leave the past behind and look ahead. Of course such projects find support more easily from the Ministry of Culture and other financial support bodies, but such opportunism should be kept at bay as much as possible. Having said all that, this project is definitely "forgiven" for riding on the Moniuszko wave, due to its originality and overall splendid music it offers and for being quite different from most Jazz-Classical Fusion offerings the world over. Personally I enjoyed this music immensely, as weird as it sound at first – well done Lady and Gentlemen!

Updated: 15/07/2021Posted: 04/01/2021

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