Record Reviews

PRZEMEK DYAKOWSKI ~ LUDMILA ALLEGRO 047 (Barcode: 5901157049476) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2022 Released: 2023 This is an album by veteran Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer / bandleader Przemek DyakowskiFind albums by this artist, recorded in a sextet setting with saxophonist Wojciech StaroniewiczFind albums by this artist, organist Artur JurekFind albums by this artist, vibraphonist Dominik BukowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Janusz MackiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Maksymilian KreftFind albums by this artist, and featuring the vocalist Joanna KnitterFind albums by this artist. The album is a tribute to the Polish vocalist Ludmila JakubczakFind albums by this artist, who died tragically in 1961, being just twenty-two years old, and presents Jazzed up interpretations of songs from her repertoire. The music is all within the mainstream Jazz / Swing idiom, perfectly executed by this excellent and highly experienced team. Knitter also delivers her usual soulful and warm vocals, which are always great fun to hear without being a tad pretentious. The main purpose of this album is to bring back some first class songs created by best Polish composers and lyricist at the time, which lost nothing of their charm and quality over time, emphasizing the old saying that “they don’t write songs like this anymore”, which is sadly more and more truthful as the time flows by. Overall, this is a nice, pleasant and somewhat educationally nostalgic album by a first class group of Polish Jazz musicians, which is a great fun to experience and reminiscence about the good old days. Warmly recommended to listeners who like their Jazz to Swing ;)

Updated: 10/08/2023Posted: 10/08/2023

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PRZEMEK DYAKOWSKI ~ SWING! ALLEGRO 032 (Barcode: 5901157049322) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is a live recording of a concert that celebrated the 80th Birthday Anniversary of the veteran Polish Jazz saxophonist Przemek DyakowskiFind albums by this artist. The music, recorded at Radio Gdansk, was performed by a group of Dyakowski´s friends, which included, in addition to him of course, vocalist Joanna KnitterFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Wojciech StaroniewiczFind albums by this artist, vibraphonist Dominik BukowskiFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Artur JurekFind albums by this artist (who also arranged all the songs), bassist Janusz MackiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Tomasz SowinskiFind albums by this artist. A few guest musicians also took part in the proceedings. The album presents eight songs (and a bonus track with vocalese by Hanna BanaszakFind albums by this artist), seven of which are originals: two each by Staroniewicz and Knitter, and one each by Dyakowski, Bukowski and Mackiewicz. Knitter also wrote the lyrics (in English) to all these original songs. The last song is a standard. The music is exactly what the album´s title promises: a set of songs kept within the mainstream Jazz tradition, all of which sound as if they were well known Jazz standards, which of course means that they are all beautifully crafted to the highest standard. The performances are also excellent, executed with flair and obvious professionalism, spiced with many beautiful solos. The relaxed atmosphere and good sound make the music flow smoothly from one song to another, with an overall effect of joyous occasion and great fun had by all the musicians present Knitter manages to pass the test of singing in English, which usually has a disastrous result on Polish Jazz albums. Her pronunciation, although obviously non-English, is charming enough and highly musical, which makes the overall result comparable to other great non-native English language singers. Her singing here and her warm timbre fit the general concept of the music like a glove. Her lyrics are also quite excellent, so she comes out of this recording definitely on the winning side. Overall this album is definitely as good, if not better, than most American mainstream / Swing albums, and the original music herein is way better, which of course means that Polish Jazz is not inferior anymore to anything from across the pond.

Updated: 12/02/2016Posted: 12/02/2016

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PIOTR LEMANCZYK ~ FOLLOW THE SOUL ALLEGRO 006 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2002 Released: 2003 This is the debut album as a leader by Polish Jazz bassist / composer Piotr LemanczykFind albums by this artist. It was recorded by several different lineups, mostly quartets, with the following participants: saxophonists Janusz MuniakFind albums by this artist, Przemek DyakowskiFind albums by this artist, Wojciech StaroniewiczFind albums by this artist, Maciej SikalaFind albums by this artist and Dariusz HerbaszFind albums by this artist, guitarist Maciej GrzywaczFind albums by this artist, vibraphonist Dominik BukowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Tomasz SowinskiFind albums by this artist. Of the seven tracks on the album, six are original compositions by Lemanczyk and one is a standard. The music is kept well within the modern Jazz mainstream, but the excellent compositions and performances create a superb piece of Jazz music, which should satisfy every sensitive listener. The use of the vibraphone instead of the usual piano gives the entire recording a "cool" ambience, which suits the music perfectly. The leader gets several solo spots, which emphasize his beautiful tone and sensitivity, rather than needless pyrotechnics. As usual with Polish Jazz albums, the music is the center of the attention, in spite of the truly excellent playing, which is beyond reproach from start to finish. The melodic content and the rhythmic structures are simply incredible and a source of real joy. Overall this album is a perfect example of what mainstream Jazz is all about and should be greatly enjoyed by any Jazz connoisseur anywhere in the world. Highly recommended!

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RAMA 111 ~ RAMA 111 (SWINGING TRICITY VOL.2) SOLITON 101 (Barcode: 5901549899733) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1968 - 1987 Released: 2012 This is the second installment in the excellent archival series documenting Polish Jazz created in the country´s Tricity on the Baltic Sea, one of the important centers where Polish Jazz thrives and over the years produced numerous first-rate musicians and superb bands. The series presents material, which in most cases never previously appeared in any form and therefore is of immense historic importance. This chapter presents the Rama 111Find albums by this artist ensemble, which is now almost completing five decades of musical activity, having toured extensively worldwide. The group was founded in 1966 and exists to this very day, but unfortunately never managed to record even one album under their name (they did record with the Polish Jazz vocalist Marianna WroblewskaFind albums by this artist), which sadly was the fate of many Polish Jazz artists during the Socialist regime. However they did record for the Tricity Polish Radio station in Gdansk, where all of the material included on this album comes from. Rama 111 changed musical directions over the years and in retrospect covered a wide range of styles, from modern mainstream, via Jazz-Rock-Fusion, Swing and even Dixieland. The recordings included on this album originate mostly in the early to mid-1970s, and present primarily their Jazz-Rock side, although the Jazzy side is much more dominant than the Rock elements. It was founded by keyboardist Jan RejnowiczFind albums by this artist and over the years featured the following musicians present on this album: saxophonists Przemek DyakowskiFind albums by this artist, Maciej FlontFind albums by this artist and Tadeusz PetrowFind albums by this artist, trumpeters Piotr NadolskiFind albums by this artist and Boguslaw SkawinaFind albums by this artist, pianist Andrzej NowakFind albums by this artist, bassists Eugeniusz KadyszewskiFind albums by this artist, Roman SkurzynskiFind albums by this artist and Aleksander SliwaFind albums by this artist and drummer Andrzej SliwaFind albums by this artist. The group performed both their original compositions, mostly by Rejnowicz, which were truly excellent, as well as their arrangements of Jazz standards, also mostly by Rejnowicz, which were unique and elaborate. The radio recordings have excellent sonic quality and the overall level of performances is superb. This is another great piece of Polish Jazz history, which should definitely be told and preserved as part of the country´s Cultural Heritage. Kudos to Marcin JacobsonFind albums by this artist for creating this series and keeping it going!

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SPECIAL JAZZ SEXTET ~ PROJEKT ELBLAG ALLEGRO 022 (Barcode: 5901157049223) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2010 Released: 2011 This is the debut album by a Polish Jazz sextet, which changed its lineup and name several times before settling with the name Special Jazz SextetFind albums by this artist, before this album was recorded. It is led by keyboardist Bartek KrzywdaFind albums by this artist and includes saxophonist Szymon ZuehlkeFind albums by this artist, trombonist Artur OlewniczakFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Marcin GawdzisFind albums by this artist, bassist Janusz MackiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz SyczFind albums by this artist. Saxophonist Przemek DyakowskiFind albums by this artist guests on five tracks and guitarist Jaroslaw SmietanaFind albums by this artist and violinist Jerry GoodmanFind albums by this artist each guest on one track. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Krzywda. The music is melodic mainstream Jazz bordering on Jazz-Rock Fusion. The brass section is skillfully used in the arrangements to support the keyboards / rhythm section passages and overall the sextet functions as a solid well synchronized unit, achieving a polished and highly professional effect. There are plenty of excellent solo parts by all the participants and the guests. The individual contributions by all the participants are truly outstanding and although these are not "famous" Polish Jazz musicians, their level of technical proficiency and skillful delivery are as good as those by musicians from the "premier league", which of course is a testimony of the incredibly high level of Polish Jazz in general. Overall this is a very well played mainstream Jazz album, which should be satisfying to all listeners the world over. It is fun to listen to and presents first-class musicianship and interesting compositions.

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WOJCIECH STARONIEWICZ ~ A`FREAK-AN PROJECT ALLEGRO 021 (Barcode: 5901157049216) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2010 Released: 2011 This is a very interesting concept album by veteran Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Wojciech StaroniewiczFind albums by this artist, dedicated to African music. Staroniewicz assembled an unusual lineup, fronted by a four-saxophone brass section: himself on tenor, Przemek DyakowskiFind albums by this artist on tenor, Dariusz HerbaszFind albums by this artist on baritone and Irek WojtczakFind albums by this artist on tenor and soprano saxophones. There are no keyboards, as appropriate for African music, which are replaced by typical African instruments like marimba and kalimba, with some vibraphone, all played by Dominik BukowskiFind albums by this artist. The rhythm section comprises of bassist Janusz MackiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam CzerwinskiFind albums by this artist and two percussionists complete the lineup: Larry Okey UgwuFind albums by this artist and Slawomir BernyFind albums by this artist. The album includes seven original compositions, all by the leader, and was recorded "live" in the studio. Rather than copying obvious African elements, Staroniewicz creates a set of compositions, which are African more in spirit than in form, a task which is most commendable and of course much more difficult. The brass arrangements sound similar to African Brass Bands, mostly those from Southern part of the continent, but what is most impressive, is that Staroniewicz presents Africa as a whole, with music influences originating from all the four corners of the Black Continent – North with its Middle-Eastern flavor, West with its typical rhythm signatures, East with its enchanting expressive melodies and South with its highly energetic, danceable spirit. The decision not to include keyboards, especially electronic ones, adds significantly to the authenticity and genuineness of the overall result. Although obviously a team effort, especially in light of the live recording circumstances, there are plenty of great solos by all the players involved. These are all experienced and talented musicians, mostly leaders of their own ensembles and the common strength of their conglomerated effort is quite impressive. One should note that although this is obviously a Jazz-World Fusion album, the ethnic elements are not dominating the basic Jazz feel and order of things here, which happens so often in this genre. After all these are European musicians, who grew up on European aesthetics and heritage, and for them pretending to be native Africans would be ridiculous. Therefore this subtle and intelligent approach is much more effective. In addition to the great musical content the album is also beautifully packaged and the graphic design of the digipak enclosure is simply wonderful and highly original, which proves how much thought and love went into making this album. Highly recommended to Jazz-World Fusion enthusiasts, who should enjoy this music wholeheartedly and repeatedly, discovering the many layers it has to offer. Nice stuff!

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WOJCIECH STARONIEWICZ ~ A`FREAK-KOMEDA PROJECT ALLEGRO 029 (Barcode: 5901157049292) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is the second album by veteran Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Wojciech StaroniewiczFind albums by this artist and his A`Freak-aN ProjectFind albums by this artist ensemble, which consists of a four saxophones front line: Staroniewicz on tenor, Przemek DyakowskiFind albums by this artist on tenor, Dariusz HerbaszFind albums by this artist on baritone and Marcin JanekFind albums by this artist on soprano. The extended rhythm section includes vibraphonist Dominik BukowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Janusz MackiewiczFind albums by this artist, drummer Roman SlefarskiFind albums by this artist and percussionist Larry Okey UgwuFind albums by this artist. As the title suggests, the album is dedicated to the music of Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist and four of the six tracks presented here were composed by Komeda, and the remaining two are original composition by Staroniewicz, who also arranged all the music. The African influences on this album, similarly to its predecessor, are relatively subtle and are wisely intertwined with the Jazz content, being felt primarily on the rhythmic plane and the overall atmosphere of the music. As a result this music is still very much mainstream Jazz, and not overtly a Jazz-World Fusion, although African spirit is present during the entire proceedings. The arrangements of Komeda´s tunes work all very nicely, which on one hand proves that Komeda´s music is completely universal, and on the other that Staroniewicz and his colleagues do a great job here, lovingly and respectfully treating the creations of the great composer. The two originals by Staroniewicz ale also first rate tunes, fitting the overall atmosphere of the album. The four saxophones section plays both superb ensemble arrangements and inspired individual solos, which are a true delight. Bukowski is also excellent, as usual, as is the solid rhythm section, which simply does a perfect job here. The level of instrumental work on this album is highly professional and full of joy and elegance. Altogether this is a superb mainstream Jazz album, which features great music, intelligent arrangements and perfect execution. The almost impossible task of saying something innovative in relation to Komeda´s music was successfully achieved here as well. Therefore hopefully as many Jazz fans as possible will decide to check out this beautiful little gem and share its gift of music. Once again I´d like to say that the graphic design of this album, which continues its predecessor´s idea, is among the most elegant and eye-catching album designs on the Polish Jazz market.

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WOJCIECH STARONIEWICZ / A`FREAK-AN PROJECT ~ LIVE IN GDANSK ALLEGRO 038 (Barcode: 5901157049384) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2016 Released: 2019 This is the third album by veteran Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer / bandleader Wojciech StaroniewiczFind albums by this artist and his A`Freak-aN ProjectFind albums by this artist ensemble, which is an octet featuring a saxophone quartet and an extended rhythm section: Staroniewicz on tenor, Przemek DyakowskiFind albums by this artist on tenor, Dariusz HerbaszFind albums by this artist on baritone, Marcin JanekFind albums by this artist on soprano, Dominik BukowskiFind albums by this artist on vibraphone, Janusz MackiewiczFind albums by this artist on bass, Roman SlefarskiFind albums by this artist on drums and Larry Okey UgwuFind albums by this artist on percussion. The album, which was recorded live at Radio Gdansk, presents seven compositions, two of which are originals by Staroniewicz, four are by Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist and one is by McCoy TynerFind albums by this artist, all arranged by Staroniewicz. This album is in fact a live version of the previous album by the ensemble from 2015, called "A`Freak-Komeda ProjectFind albums with this title", except for the Tyner track. Therefore basically everything I wrote about that album applies also here – just click on the link. As Staroniewicz says on the album´s artwork, this album is a great opportunity to compare the same music recorded in studio and live, which of course can be very different. The live concert setting offers much more dynamics and excitement and expanded improvisations, but is prone to minor "mishaps", which in retrospect are usually simply charming. Since the Komeda arrangements are really very special, I recommend to Polish Jazz enthusiasts to put their hands on this album as well and compare these versions with the studio ones, and enjoy a great live album with excellent musicians on board.

Updated: 14/01/2020Posted: 14/01/2020

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VARIOUS ARTISTS ~ ILLINOIS JACQUET IN MEMORIAM NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2005 Released: 2017 As the title suggests, this is a tribute album to the great American saxophonist Illinois JacquetFind albums by this artist, recorded live by top Polish Jazz musicians. The album presents eight tunes recorded over a period of one year at the Gdynia Jazz club UCHO and two bonus tracks recorded earlier at the NOSPR concert hall in Katowice. The album features ten Polish tenor saxophone players, whose ages span four generations: Piotr CheckiFind albums by this artist, Michal Jan CiesielskiFind albums by this artist, Przemek DyakowskiFind albums by this artist, Tomasz GrzegorskiFind albums by this artist, Dariusz HerbaszFind albums by this artist, Janusz MuniakFind albums by this artist, Maciej SikalaFind albums by this artist, Wojciech StaroniewiczFind albums by this artist, Irek WojtczakFind albums by this artist and Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist. They are accompanied by various rhythm sections comprised of organist Wojciech KarolakFind albums by this artist, vibraphonist Dominik BukowskiFind albums by this artist, guitarists: Maciej GrzywaczFind albums by this artist, Marcin WadolowskiFind albums by this artist and Michal ZienkowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Janusz MackiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummers: Eric AllenFind albums by this artist (an American in Gdynia who played with Jacquet´s quintet and Big Band) and Tomasz SowinskiFind albums by this artist. Two of the tracks are originals by Jacquet and the rest are standards. Although recorded live, the album offers excellent sound quality. The music is everything one might expect form a tribute album like this one: familiar tunes, superb playing and an obvious joy ride. This is Swing and Bebop at its best and the participants seem to have great fun but the performances are all professional and heartfelt. It is great to see four generation of Polish Jazz musicians cooperating on one stage and playing every inch as good as any American musician might do, again simply wiping out any inferiority complexes still present among Polish Jazz musicians and many Jazz fans in Poland. Mainstream classic Jazz fans all over the world should have a great fun with this music, as it is full of the Jazz spirit and offers a high standard of playing well beyond of what is present on similar album recorded over the pond. The entire project, including this superbly produced album with beautiful artwork and fabulous photography is an obvious labor of love and the people standing behind it deserve all the praise we can offer them, including buying the album. Great stuff!

Updated: 24/11/2019Posted: 31/07/2018

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