Record Reviews

SAMECH ~ QUACHATTA TZADIK 8169 (Barcode: 702397816928) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2011 Released: 2012 This is a debut album by the Polish Jazz-World Fusion quartet SamechFind albums by this artist, which consists basically of a string trio: Anna OstachowskaFind albums by this artist who plays voila, Magdalena PlutaFind albums by this artist who plays cello and Marek LewandowskiFind albums by this artist, who plays double bass with percussionist Robert SztorcFind albums by this artist (who in his distant past was a member of the Prog outfit T.A.O.Find albums by this artist). The quartet plays acoustic music, which to some extent is based on Jewish and Klezmer music elements, but takes the music much further into Medieval European music, Turkish swirling rhythms, Sephardic, rather than Ashkenazi musical tradition and the Iberian Peninsula Moorish heritage. The album consists of ten wonderful pieces, seven of which are written by Ostachowska or co-written / co-arranged with Agata KrauzFind albums by this artist, one is by Krauz herself, one is co-written by Pluta and Lewandowski and the remaining one is by the DavkaFind albums by this artist ensemble (another great Jewish Music ensemble, from US, which also records for the TzadikFind albums on this label label). The incredible sound of the viola and cello combined with the bass pulsations and mostly Oriental percussion is simply stunning and completely unique, which immediately places Samech in a class of its own. The performances are all very exciting and manage to keep the listener on his toes through the entire duration of the album. The overall sound is well balanced with all four instruments clearly audible, which is such a relief opposite the much cluttered sound one comes across so often in contemporary recordings. This is a perfect example of innovation rather than imitation, which of course is highly commendable. The album should delight many quite diverse audiences, as it speaks to World Music, Classical and Jazz connoisseurs alike and is of course highly recommended. Hopefully the ensemble will follow the superb debut effort with additional future achievements. Well done indeed!

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

T.A.O. ~ THE ABNORMAL OBSERVATIONS UNICORN 5034 (Barcode: 777078913463) ~ POLAND ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2005 Released: 2006 Excellent debut album by Polish Prog band T.A.O.Find albums by this artist, comprising of vocalist / guitarist Adam JurewiczFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Kamil UrbanskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Lukasz AdamczykFind albums by this artist and drummer Robert SztorcFind albums by this artist, which includes some great music, quite different and unique in comparison to most other Prog bands. Although somewhat influenced by Prog Metal bands like Dream TheatreFind albums by this artist, the band goes deep into the Prog history and uses phrasing developed earlier by groups like Gentle GiantFind albums by this artist and the Canterbury movement. Some heavy guitar riffs do appear occasionally, but the group is definitely at its best when playing quiet, often acoustic music, with splendid piano work by the keyboardist. The music is full of surprises, tempo changes and nice “eccentricity”, often synonymous with the best Prog heroes. Some slight Jazz influence is also present, making the entire musical experience an interesting musical journey. So far there is no sign of a follow up, so this might be their solitary effort, which would be a pity. In the meantime, this is definitely worth investigating, the sooner the better!

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend