Record Reviews

JERZY MILIAN ~ CUTTING GAD 123 (Barcode: 5903068120985) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1971 - 1977 Released: 2020 This is the ninth installment of the archival series released by GADFind albums on this label Records, which presents the work of Polish Jazz vibraphonist / composer / bandleader Jerzy MilianFind albums by this artist. This chapter is dedicated to Milian´s recordings from 1970s, done in East Berlin (then DDR) with the Rundfunk Tanzorchester BerlinFind albums by this artist, conducted by Gunter GollaschFind albums by this artist, which included the best East German musicians, such as saxophonist Ernst-Ludwig PetrowskyFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Joachim GrasswurmFind albums by this artist, trombonist Hubert KatzenbeisserFind albums by this artist, saxophonist / clarinetist Werner SchmidtFind albums by this artist, pianist Horst PawliczakFind albums by this artist, bassist Klaus KochFind albums by this artist, drummer Wolfgang WinklerFind albums by this artist and others. The orchestra performs sixteen compositions by Milian, also arranged by him. The music is typical orchestral Jazz, based on the wonderful compositions and brilliant arrangements by Milian, which offer a mixture of relatively easier pieces with some Funk, Swing and even Big Beat inclinations, but also more advanced ones bordering on Anat-Garde, altogether a wonderful example of modern European Jazz, reflecting Milian´s fascination with the Third Stream idiom. These orchestral pieces are obviously more "well behaved" in comparison to the music Milian composed for small combos, but still complex enough to rise a brow fifty years later. The orchestra included many excellent instrumentalists (Petrowsky among them), who performed the difficult music without a hitch, and therefore the result is still awe inspiring Milian´s compositions are absolutely brilliant and remain completely valid, often sounding as if composed today. Sophisticated, elegant, clever and beautifully structured, this music is alive and kicking as it was at the time it was created. Overall this is an incredible piece of Polish / European Jazz history, which absolutely deserves to be heard and studied. With Milian´s passing it is even more important to document his work and bring it to the public. For orchestral Jazz and East European Jazz enthusiasts this album and all the albums released in this archival series are an absolute must!

Updated: 16/09/2020Posted: 16/09/2020

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

JERZY MILIAN ~ RIVALEN GAD 037 (Barcode: 5901549197471) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 1968 - 1974 Released: 2016 This is the fifth installment of the archival series released by GADFind albums on this label Records, which presents the work of Polish Jazz vibraphonist / composer / bandleader Jerzy MilianFind albums by this artist. This chapter is dedicated to Milian´s ballet music, and presents four of his works, three of which were choreographed for the stage by the pioneering Polish choreographer Conrad DrzewieckiFind albums by this artist. One piece was recorded by the Poznan Opera OrchestraFind albums by this artist, which featured saxophonist Zdzislaw NowakFind albums by this artist, and the other three by the excellent East German Rundfunk Tanzorchester BerlinFind albums by this artist conducted by Gunter GollaschFind albums by this artist, which featured the legendary saxophonist Ernst-Ludwig PetrowskyFind albums by this artist and trumpeter Joachim GrasswurmFind albums by this artist. The composition entitled "Tema Con Variazioni", which was released on Milian´s album "Muzyka Baletowa I FilmowaFind albums with this title" appears here in its full version for the first time. The music is completely visionary, as usual in Milian´s case, floating somewhere between Third Stream, Duke Ellington´s Jazz suites and contemporary Classical Music. Considering the fact he was only in his thirties, when this music was composed, he already had a tremendous experience and vision, which only very few of his contemporaries shared. The recording with the Poznan Opera Orchestra is a bit stiff (except for the excellent saxophone parts), as these were classically trained musicians and Milian´s intricacies must have been straining for them, but the three Berlin recordings are all spectacular and awe inspiring, especially in retrospect. Nobody today dares to write and perform such complex and farsighted music and perhaps we should be grateful to the Socialist Era, which enabled projects that in today´s economic reality would be completely impossible to realize. This is unquestionably one of the strongest albums in this series, which of course has a tremendous historic value, but first and foremost presents some incredible music, which absolutely has to be preserved for posterity. For Polish Jazz connoisseurs this is an essential piece of the puzzle and a must in every serious record collection. Brilliant stuff!

Updated: 12/03/2020Posted: 27/02/2016

CD 1 Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend

JERZY MILIAN ~ STIGMA GAD 107 (Barcode: 5903068120480) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 1970 Released: 2019 This is the eighth installment of the archival series released by GADFind albums on this label Records, which presents the work of Polish Jazz vibraphonist / composer / bandleader Jerzy MilianFind albums by this artist. This chapter is dedicated to Milian´s recordings from 1970, done in Berlin (then DDR) with the Ensemble Studio 4Find albums by this artist, a septet led by saxophonist Ernst-Ludwig PetrowskyFind albums by this artist and including trumpeter Joachim GrasswurmFind albums by this artist, trombonist Hubert KatzenbeisserFind albums by this artist, saxophonist / clarinetist Werner SchmidtFind albums by this artist, pianist Eberhard WeiseFind albums by this artist, bassist Klaus KochFind albums by this artist and drummer Wolfgang WinklerFind albums by this artist. The septet performs four compositions by Milian, also arranged by him. Additional three compositions by Milian are performed by the Rundfunk Tanzorchester BerlinFind albums by this artist, conducted by Gunter GollaschFind albums by this artist, a cooperation that would continue for the next fourteen years. Milian plays vibraphone on five tracks, both with the septet and the orchestra. The music is a wonderful example of modern European Jazz, with both the septet and the Big Band pieces reflecting Milian´s fascination with the Third Stream idiom. The septet included some of the most important East German Jazz players at the time, many of which founded the Avant-Garde / Free Jazz scene in East Germany, which was known by its adventurous explorations and radical approach, which for some reason where tolerated by the State censorship, often considered as the sternest behind the Iron Curtain. Therefore it is quite natural that the tracks with the septet are quite challenging and free spirited, and the fact that this music was strictly composed often seems to be lost in the heat of the execution. The orchestral pieces are obviously more "well behaved", but still complex enough to rise a brow fifty years later. The orchestra included many excellent instrumentalists (Petrowsky among them), who performed the difficult music without a hitch, and therefore the result is not surprising, but still awe inspiring Milian´s compositions are absolutely brilliant and remain completely valid, often sounding as if composed today. Sophisticated, elegant, clever and beautifully structured, this music is alive and kicking as it was at the time it was created. Overall this is an incredible piece of Polish / European Jazz history, which absolutely deserves to be heard and studied. With Milian´s passing it is even more important to document his work and bring it to the public. For orchestral Jazz and East European Jazz enthusiasts this album and all the albums released in this archival series are an absolute must!

Updated: 12/03/2020Posted: 12/03/2020

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

JERZY MILIAN ~ WHEN WHERE WHY GAD 005 (Barcode: 5901549197044) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1972 - 1979 Released: 2012 The Polish GADFind albums on this label Records label has become a treasure chest of archival recordings by Polish Jazz and Rock artists and in the short period of time since 2010, when the label released its first album, it established its position on the market as a dedicated and reliable source of interesting material. This album follows the already established pattern and is the first volume of archival material by legendary Polish Jazz vibraphonist / composer Jerzy MilianFind albums by this artist, one of the forefathers of modern Polish Jazz. The material collected here was recorded over a period of several years in the 1970s by the East German Rundfunk Tanzorchester BerlinFind albums by this artist conducted by Gunter GollaschFind albums by this artist, which included many excellent players, some known also internationally like the legendary saxophonist Ernst-Ludwig PetrowskyFind albums by this artist. Milian worked with the orchestra for many years, writing and recording a lot of quite diverse music with them. The music presented here, all composed by Milian, consists of fifteen relatively shorter pieces, which exemplify the "lighter" side of his composer´s milieu, which of course does not mean the music is of lesser quality or sophistication. The melodies are all quite superbly crafted and the orchestral arrangements are all splendid and interesting. It is less adventurous material than some of Milian´s other compositions, but lacks nothing as far as compositional skills, flair and elegance are concerned. The orchestra performs the music spotlessly and with grace and as a result this is a wonderful Big Band / orchestral album, which reflects well on Milian´s talent and vision. It is also a great example of European Big Band / orchestral sound and style, which varies considerably from its American counterparts. In retrospect these recordings are a sad reminder of the Big Band form, which is almost extinct today in comparison to its hay days. With the impossible economics behind keeping a Big Band performing and touring and a dwindling public funding, most Big Bands, including the one present here, were eventually disbanded, an omen of a disappearing Culture. They also present a little known facet of European Jazz, which bloomed under the surface behind the Iron Curtain, even in the DDR and East Berlin, which were always considered as the epicenter of Socialist conservatism, cultural and otherwise, and oppression of "forbidden" Western influences. And yet the wide open eyes of the censorship often missed some truly daring escapades happening just under its nose. This is definitely one of such cases. With remastered and restored sound and informative booklet (including text in English), this album is definitely worth checking out by any connoisseur of European Jazz, looking for another perspective.

Updated: 27/02/2016Posted:

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend