Record Reviews

MACK GOLDSBURY / POLISH CONNECTION ~ SALT MINERS BLUES FM 004 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2009 Released: 2010 This is a live recording by an American / Polish quintet featuring two veteran US Jazz musicians (both resident in Germany): saxophonist / composer Mack GoldsburyFind albums by this artist and pianist Reggie MooreFind albums by this artist with three young Polish Jazz players: trumpeter / composer Maciej FortunaFind albums by this artist, bassist Krzysztof CiesielskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Roman SlefarskiFind albums by this artist. They perform eight original compositions; four by Goldsbury, three by Moore and one by Fortuna. The music, although original, is pretty standard mainstream Jazz, undistinguishable from myriad of other similar tunes, with the exception of the sole composition by Fortuna, which is more ambitious and stands out as the only piece which is less constrained stylistically and even has a glimpse of freely improvised moments. After listening to the album for a while it becomes quite apparent that Fortuna is by far the best player in the quintet, with the two Americans simply being mundane and overall unimpressive. It is possible that the informal atmosphere of the recording and the proximity to New Year´s festivities made everybody less careful and attentive, as the entire set sounds a bit disorganized. The recording quality is also pretty lax, which does not improve the overall result. Obviously a learning experience for the young Fortuna, who in the meantime proved himself to be one of the most impressive young lions of Polish Jazz, this is definitely not one his finest moments.

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JAKUB HAJDUN ~ JAKUB HAJDUN TRIO SNJ (Barcode: 5903684230631) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz pianist Jakub HajdunFind albums by this artist recorded in a classic Jazz piano trio setting with bassist Janusz MackiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Roman SlefarskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents five tracks which are all Jazz standards, two of which combine two standards each. The music is completely within the classic Jazz mainstream idiom, sounding like many similar piano trio recordings, and yet at the time of hectic barrage of sounds we live in today it is like a miraculous oasis in a desert, delightful with its tranquility and familiarity. Hajdun is an excellent pianist, showing a great technique and feeling for the music. Perhaps not very original in his approach and interpretation, but certainly able to carry a tune in a most pleasant way, bringing joy and a smile, like all good music should. Supported by a superb rhythm section, which plays exactly as the doctor prescribed, staying in time and perfect sync with the leader, what else can one ask for? The obviously intentional retro sound and highly swinging approach sounds like honey to one´s ears after years of all that Avant-Garde katzenjammer ;) Yes, yes, I can already hear the critics saying this is something one can hear in a coffee house… Where I ask? Show me? I´d love to have my coffee (and cake mind you) in that coffee house every day while listening to this delightful music. Get lost, you snobs! In short if you like good, old, swinging Jazz piano trio, this is it. They don´t make music like this any more! The only critique I can think of is the fact that it lasts for only just over forty minutes ;)

Updated: 02/01/2021Posted: 02/01/2021

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JAKUB HAJDUN ~ UTWORY WLASNE SOLITON 1225 (Barcode: 5903684232253) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2021 Released: 2022 This is the second album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Jakub HajdunFind albums by this artist, recorded in the same classic Jazz piano trio setting like the debut released in 2020, with bassist Janusz MackiewiczFind albums by this artist and drummer Roman SlefarskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven tracks, all original compositions by the leader, which offer a suite-like structure with an intro, seven themes and an outro, strongly linked thematically and stylistically. The music is melody based mainstream Jazz, offering excellent compositions and spotless execution by Hajdun and the rhythm section, which develops coherently and intelligently throughout the duration of the album. Although there is no attempt to innovate or break any musical boundaries, the music flows gracefully from one track to another, taking the listener along on a ride, which is both entertaining and satisfying. As I have already stated in my review of the debut album, Hajdun manages to create a sparkling, eventful and enjoyable Jazz music, which combines some Classical influences and Polish lyricism, and is delightful in its simplicity and straightforwardness. Overall, this is an excellent follow up to the promising debut album, which continues the same musical direction. For Jazz piano trio lovers with melodic, often romantic music, this album is everything they may wish for. Within the boundaries of Jazz there is certainly place for musicians, who can weave a beautiful tune and play it a heartfelt manner. Not everything has to be groundbreaking.

Updated: 15/06/2022Posted: 15/06/2022

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JASKULKE SEXTET ~ KOMEDA RECOMPOSED NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 5900378715009) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is the debut album by a Polish Jazz sextet led by pianist / composer Slawomir JaskulkeFind albums by this artist, which also includes five excellent musicians of the young Polish Jazz generation: trumpeter Emil MiszkFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Piotr CheckiFind albums by this artist and Michal Jan CiesielskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Piotr KulakowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Roman SlefarskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions by Jaskulke, which were, as the album´s title suggests, "inspired by the creations" of Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, the Godfather of modern Polish Jazz. The titles of the eight compositions clearly define (for the Komeda erudite) the specific Komeda´s compositions which were the source of the related inspirations. To be perfectly honest I´ve just about had it with the various Polish Jazz Komeda related projects. Komeda has been mercilessly re-composed, de-composed, un-composed and mercilessly mutilated each and every possible and impossible way for decades and he really deserves some piece and quiet to be appreciated exactly for what he had to say by himself. Of course this is just my personal opinion, but hey, enough is enough! Having said all that, this album is by all means a nice piece of Polish / European Jazz, mostly due to the exceptional performances by these young musicians, who sound as if they have been at it since decades. The album offers many superb solos and extraordinary ensemble playing. The music, however, is pretty predictable and the Komeda quotations are a bit corny. Nevertheless it is a very pleasant listening experience altogether, but the somewhat pretentious title is not reflected in these pretty standard mainstream offerings. Overall this is a very pretty, melodic, easy on the ear Jazz album, which has very little to do with Komeda´s urgency and restlessness, but is very listenable and with Komeda´s name in the title will be highly praised by Polish "critics" and fans alike.

Updated: 24/11/2019Posted: 01/08/2018

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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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