Record Reviews

RAFAL SARNECKI ~ CAT`S DREAM BJU 045 (Barcode: 5908254159367) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2014 This is the third album by the Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Rafal SarneckiFind albums by this artist, who currently lives in NY. It presents eight original compositions, all by Sarnecki, which are performed by a sextet led by him, which also includes vocalist Bogna KicinskaFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Lucas PinoFind albums by this artist, pianist Glenn ZaleskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Rick RosatoFind albums by this artist and drummer Colin StranahanFind albums by this artist. One of the tunes uses lyrics by the great Chilean poet Pablo NerudaFind albums by this artist. The music is a beautiful blend of many influences, based on the Jazz tradition but incorporating various other influences, like World Music, Fusion, Progressive Rock and Contemporary Classical, creating a unique universe of sound. The compositions are very diverse and present a wide vista of Sarnecki´s inventions; also distinctly melodic, they are quite complex with frequent tempi changes and intertwined melodic themes, which keep developing, often unexpectedly. In fact this music requires quite an attentive listening in order to be properly comprehended. It is truly refreshing to hear such ambitious music being made today. The individual performances are all excellent and the album is above all an ensemble effort. But the talents of all the players are plainly exposed. Kicinska sings wordless vocalese (except for one case), using her voice as an instrument, which blends well with other instruments in the ensemble. Her presence is a stimulating factor, which adds to the overall success of this album. Pino plays some excellent solos throughout, which are fluent and expressive. Zaleski and the rhythm section keep the music moving ahead smoothly and elegantly, exactly as needed, obviously keeping their ears open and handling the tricky parts with ease and elegance. I´d love to hear them in a piano trio format. And of course Sarnecki and his guitar are, as always, the cherry on the cake. I´ve always liked his tone and phrasing, but his playing on this album is definitely stronger than ever. Overall this is an ambitious effort, splendidly performed and beautifully recorded, adding up to an album of true artistic value, so rare these days. Sarnecki shows a distinctive process of growing up and developing his talents, one of which is surrounding himself with great musicians. This is definitely one of the most interesting recordings released so far in 2014 and I hope it will be received open-mindedly both by the audiences and the critics, which for projects like these is, sadly, far from being self-understandable. This is the kind of aesthetic approach I´d personally love to hear in many other recordings, especially those originating in the US, but in the case of Sarnecki he simply managed to maintain his European qualities unblemished. Brilliant stuff!

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RAFAL SARNECKI ~ CLIMBING TREES OUTSIDE IN MUSIC 1804 (Barcode: 5908254159800) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is the fourth album by Polish (resident in NY) guitarist / composer Rafal SarneckiFind albums by this artist and the second album recorded with the same sextet, which includes vocalist Bogna KicinskaFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Lucas PinoFind albums by this artist, pianist Glenn ZaleskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Rick RosatoFind albums by this artist and drummer Colin StranahanFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original compositions, all composed by Sarnecki. The music is a continuation of the path paved by this album´s predecessor "Cat`s DreamFind albums with this title", which amalgamates a plethora of different influences, including modern mainstream Jazz, but also adding World Music influences and contemporary Classical approach. This album is significantly more open and Freely Improvised than his previous recordings, and as such is noticeably more difficult and complex than anything he recorded earlier on. All of the sextet members contribute significantly towards the overall result, each in his special way. Kicinska´s vocalese parts are a highlight of the music and she manages to handle the complex and neck breaking parts with stunning ease and elegance. Zaleski lays down the harmonic layers and plays splendid solos, Pino is the calm and cool cat, who adds almost romantic elements, before his improvisations wander into the Free vicinity. The rhythm section handles the tricky tempi and constantly changing beat with flair and obvious dedication and finesse. Sarnecki limits his guitar performances to the same level of presence as the rest of the band, definitely not dominating the music with his guitar parts, which are just one more voice of the sextet´s overall output. He is obviously a very gifted instrumentalist, but his role on this album concentrates on the compositional level, leadership of the sextet and production. Overall this is a strong, mature statement, which takes Sarnecki one step further towards his own voice as a composer and instrumentalist, with the music being certainly more ambitious and demanding. Some listeners might need several listening sessions before penetrating the depth of this music, but this ambitious music definitely deserves to be heard and admired. Well done!

Updated: 12/09/2018Posted: 12/09/2018

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