Record Reviews

JAN BOKSZCZANIN ~ KOMEDA INSPIRATIONS ARMS 09 (Barcode: 5900238791082) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2010 Released: 2010 This magnificent album is an astonishing tribute to the music of the great Polish composer Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, the Godfather of Polish Jazz and one of the most important figures of the European Jazz scene. Organist Jan BokszczaninFind albums by this artist, born in Russia and living in Poland, famous for his Church Organ performances and recordings of Classical Music, undertakes here an unprecedented project of presenting the music of Komeda in a completely new light, transposing it into contemporary Chamber-Jazz, quite afar from it´s Jazz origins. Of course Komeda´s music is often played by Jazz musicians (sadly mostly only in his native country), but such ambitious undertaking, as presented here, has never been attempted so far. In retrospect, this project proves the true greatness and depth of Komeda´s music, which transpires as being beyond and above any genre classification. The album includes thirteen pieces of music, eight of which are original Komeda´s compositions and the rest are new pieces composed by contemporary composers, who were inspired by him and his music. Bokszczanin carefully assembled a group of instrumentalists, mostly Jazz players, which consists of trumpeter Robert MajewskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Pawel GusnarFind albums by this artist and Tomasz SzukalskiFind albums by this artist and flautist Ryszard BorowskiFind albums by this artist. Four of the tracks include vocals, performed by the excellent Grazyna AuguscikFind albums by this artist, who not only sings the song´s lyrics (written by Polish poetess Agnieszka OsieckaFind albums by this artist) but also adds some vocalese a la early Urszula DudziakFind albums by this artist. The album was recorded at the Reformed Evangelical Church in Warsaw, with the majestic sound of the organ serving as the base element of all the music, with the other instruments playing on top of this basic sound layer. The sensitive and intelligent arrangements were written partly by the participating musicians and partly by other contemporary Polish composers / arrangers. Overall this is obviously a work of love, admiration and respect, a tribute in the true meaning of the idiom. For people familiar with Komeda´s music, this is a revelation, for those unfamiliar with it; this is a heavenly gate which marks a great entry point towards it. It is a rare occasion indeed that an album gave me so much pleasure upon first listening and I´m sure to return to it repeatedly in the future. It goes without saying that I recommend this music to anyone with a pair of ears and some gray matter between them. If anything is essential, this is it!

CD 1 Gold Essential Recommend To A Friend

CUP OF TIME ~ MODERN TANGOS REQUIEM / LYDIAN 2020/15 (Barcode: 5906874951354) ~ POLAND ~ Classical Recorded: 2020 Released: 2020 This is an album by Polish quartet Cup Of TimeFind albums by this artist, comprising of four classically trained musicians: flautist Ryszard BorowskiFind albums by this artist, violinist Agnieszka CyprykFind albums by this artist, accordionist Rafal GrzakaFind albums by this artist and cellist Krzysztof LenczowskiFind albums by this artist. This time the quartet picked the Tango as the theme of their album, and presents lesser known facets of the passionate Argentinean dance, mostly taken from Classical music, composed by the Czech / Jewish composer Erwin SchulhoffFind albums by this artist, who died in a Nazi concentration camp, French composer Charles-Camille Saint-SaensFind albums by this artist, Russian composer Igor StravinskyFind albums by this artist, Czech composer Bohuslav MartinuFind albums by this artist and Argentinean composer Alberto GinasteraFind albums by this artist. In addition, one piece composed by the American Jazz pianist / composer / arranger / bandleader Gil EvansFind albums by this artist and another one composed by Borowski are also included. Many Tango lovers will be obviously surprised by these glimpses of their favorite music appearing in such broad spectrum of chameleonic exposures, often very different to what is usually taken for granted when Tango comes to mind. And since broadening one’s horizons is always something people should strive to do, listening to this album can be quite educational, as well as enjoyable. Of course the music is highly professionally performed, and offers a broad spectrum of modern Classical Music, which is relatively little known to most listeners. Although I find the albums by Cup Of Time a bit of a hit-and-miss sometime, this one is definitely worth exploring and offers many nice surprises, and as such welcome and recommended!

Updated: 03/03/2022Posted: 18/04/2021

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CUP OF TIME ~ PLAYS NAMYSLOWSKI DUX 1101 (Barcode: 5902547011011) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2013 Released: 2014 This album by Polish ensemble Cup Of TimeFind albums by this artist, which comprises of four classically trained musicians: flautist Ryszard BorowskiFind albums by this artist, violinist Agnieszka CyprykFind albums by this artist, accordionist Rafal GrzakaFind albums by this artist and cellist Krzysztof LenczowskiFind albums by this artist (of the Atom String QuartetFind albums by this artist fame), is a tribute to one of the Godfathers of Polish Jazz, saxophonist / composer Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist. The ensemble, founded in 2008, is associated with the Jazz-Classical Fusion, or what they describe (incorrectly of course) as "third stream", which tries to incorporate classical music approach with Jazz compositions, but is involved with other types of music as well. This album presents thirteen compositions, eight of which are by Namyslowski, including some of his iconic tunes, representing his career over time. Of the five additional compositions, two are folk tunes, one is composed by Polish composer Grazyna BacewiczFind albums by this artist and the remaining are one each by Lenczowski and Borowski. Namyslowski himself plays saxophone on those five tunes, which are not his compositions, transforming the quartet into a quintet. Although personally I´m quite fond of Jazz-Classical projects, this one sadly falls into the category of good ideas that eventually simply fail to deliver. It is difficult to pinpoint exactly why, but the beautiful music of Namyslowski, which is magical in the Jazz environment, loses most of its magic and charm when transformed into seemingly elegant and polished classical setting. This newly created version of the music simply lacks the essential qualities which characterize Jazz, even when combined with other musical genres, the most important of which is of course swing. This music simply does not swing at all, and if it ain´t got that swing… Of course the quartet members are all first rate musicians and the album is well recorded, but even Namyslowski´s saxophone parts, which are wonderfully played as usual, don´t manage to break the spell of estrangement and certain sterility that dominates these proceedings. Even a glass of red wine did not help – this music, as far as I am concerned, if not fun to listen to nor is it intellectually challenging enough to be enjoyable. But of course other listeners might think differently.

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

PIOTR DOMAGALA & MAREK TOPOROWSKI ~ MUSIC FOR JAZZ GUITAR AND HARPSICHORD DOX 2010 (Barcode: 5902547020105) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2022 Released: 2023 This is the debut album by the duo comprising of Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Piotr DomagalaFind albums by this artist and keyboardist Marek ToporowskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine tracks, eight of which are original compositions by Domagala and one is by flautist / composer Ryszard BorowskiFind albums by this artist. The music offers a highly unusual combination of two instruments rarely heard together and offers an exciting, novel sound and conceptual approach, which is truly exciting and aesthetically pleasing. Musically somewhere between Bossa Nova and Baroque Music, with everything in between, the highly melodic tunes serve as basis to extended improvisations, and as already stated the result is absolutely unique. I admit to be unfamiliar with Toporowski’s accomplishments, which of course is my bad, hopefully to be corrected soon, but he certainly is a Master of the harpsichord, one of my favorite instruments, able to produce a plethora of sounds one would never except to hear from that instrument, which sound absolutely contemporary, if not avant-garde. I am, however, well acquainted with the superb work by Domagala, who is obviously one of the greatest Polish guitarists, but who is also mostly underappreciated by his peers and the Polish Jazz scene as one. His recording legacy speaks for itself and the usual “being too good for his own good” definitely applies, as far as he is concerned. Overall, this is a wonderful piece of music, very unusual and unconventional, but which is accessible to a large audience of music connoisseurs, if brought to their attention. Hopefully that will happen, and I can only contribute my wholehearted recommendation. Listeners looking for originality and thinking out of a box, should grab this album unquestionably!

Updated: 12/04/2024Posted: 12/04/2024

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MODERN BLUES QUARTET ~ BLUES ON BACH REQUIEM / LYDIAN 2020/08 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2020 Released: 2020 This is the debut album by a Polish Jazz quartet called Modern Blues QuartetFind albums by this artist, which comprises of flautist / composer Ryszard BorowskiFind albums by this artist, violinist Mateusz SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Rafal SarneckiFind albums by this artist and bassist Michal JarosFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Borowski. As the title suggests, the music is "inspired" by compositions of Johann Sebastian BachFind albums by this artist, and follows many similar Jazz projects mentioned in the album´s liner notes. The liner notes also state that there is very little of Bach´s music as such on this album, and the proximity is mostly associative, which is quite correct. The resulting music is easy on the ear and quite entertaining, obviously meant for wider audiences. The musicians are of course some of Polish Jazz top instrumentalists, as their individual performances attest, providing plenty of excellent solo showcases. The delicate sound of a drumless quartet works very well and the excellent bass parts manage to keep the music swinging, even without percussive support. Smoczynski´s parts take the music into the Gypsy Jazz idiom and are (for me) the highlights of this project. Sarnecki plays some tasty swinging guitar parts, but is less dominant. Overall this is a nice amalgam of Jazz-Classical Fusion and Smooth Jazz, which many listeners on the lighter side of the Jazz idiom can enjoy immensely.

Updated: 09/01/2021Posted: 27/09/2020

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MODERN BLUES QUARTET ~ ELLINGTONIAN SUITE REQUIEM / LYDIAN 2024/37 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2023 Released: 2024 This is the third album by Polish Jazz ensemble called Modern Blues QuartetFind albums by this artist, led by flautist / composer Ryszard BorowskiFind albums by this artist, which features a changeable lineup around the leader, this time featuring violinist Mateusz SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Rafal SarneckiFind albums by this artist and bassist Michal JarosFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine tracks, all credited as compositions by the leader, but as the title suggests, the music was heavily “inspired” by the music of Duke EllingtonFind albums by this artist, including the track titles, which are all puns of titles of well-known pieces by Ellington. The almost completely acoustic sound of the quartet offers a nice, relaxed and almost playful atmosphere, offering a mixture of the hinted Ellingtonian themes with semi-classical arrangements and elegant improvised soli by the four musicians, all of which are true Masters of their trade. This is definitely an “out of the box” approach to the music of the great composer, but the result certainly does not offend or belittle the seriousness of the origin. Borowski has strong ties to Classical music, which are more than evident in all his recordings, but he certainly knows the Jazz idiom well enough to tie the two together skillfully and intelligently, despite the possible criticism of taking the liberties too far. Nevertheless, the music, although somewhat stiff at times, is beautifully performed and both Smoczynski and Sarnecki (both among my favorite Polish Jazz musicians) show their respective virtuosic abilities at all times, with the solid and rhythmic support by Jaros. Overall, this is a very nice, highly entertaining and perhaps even educational exercise in the Jazz aesthetic, probably intentionally meant not be taken too seriously to start with, with a wink of humorous homage to the great Ellingtonian tradition. I had a great time listening to this album, but admittedly the music did not leave a lasting impression.

Updated: 18/05/2024Posted: 18/05/2024

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PIOTR RODOWICZ ~ RAZEM NA TEJ ZIEMI SOLITON 1008 (Barcode: 5903684230082) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is an album by veteran Polish Jazz bassist / composer Piotr RodowiczFind albums by this artist recorded with a bunch of "friends" like pianist Bogdan HolowniaFind albums by this artist, flautist Ryszard BorowskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Jaroslaw BothurFind albums by this artist, guitarist Mark WaggonerFind albums by this artist and drummer Kazimierz JonkiszFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original pieces (one in two versions), seven composed by Rodowicz and three by Holownia. The music is all strictly melodic mainstream Jazz, on the lighter side of the idiom, but the compositions are solid and well crafted, and in the hands of these veteran performers they are all also splendidly executed. Although this is not the kind of Jazz I tend to listen to on an everyday basis, I firmly believe that it is a legitimate part of the genre, especially since it is accessible to a much wider audience than just the hardcore Jazz buffs. As long as the music has an intrinsic artistic value, is honest and professionally executed, it is fine with me, regardless of what the Jazz snobs my say. Overall this is a lightweight, pleasant listening experience, with Jazzy flavor and a solid entertainment value. Recommended for listeners with such inclinations!

Updated: 10/09/2020Posted: 10/09/2020

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PIOTR RODOWICZ ~ ZAPOMNIENI KOMPOZYTORZY POLSCY SOLITON 1325 (Barcode: 5903684233250) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2021 Released: 2023 This is an album by Polish Jazz bassist / composer Piotr RodowiczFind albums by this artist, recorded with pianist Bogdan HolowniaFind albums by this artist, flutist Ryszard BorowskiFind albums by this artist and guitarist Mark WaggonerFind albums by this artist. It is the 2nd release in a series, which commemorates the legacy of Polish / Jewish composers, who perished during the Holocaust and their work is sadly mostly forgotten. The album presents eight tracks, composed four each by Artur GoldFind albums by this artist and Leon BorunskiFind albums by this artist, both of which were highly active in the early Polish Jazz scene. During the period between the two World Wars, Polish Jews contributed a vast share of the Polish Culture, in Poetry, Literature, Theatre, Cinema and of course Music. Tragically, all those who did not manage to escape the Holocaust, perished with the rest of Polish Jewry, with most of their legacy lost forever. The music presents Jazzy interpretations of the original music, elegantly recorded in an intimate acoustic quartet by experienced musicians, and the result is a highly melodic, pleasant listening experience on the lighter side of the Jazz spectrum, but full of respect to the original compositions. Overall, this is a wonderful tribute to forgotten heroes of the Polish / Jewish composers / musicians, who are truly worthy of being remembered. The life story and musical legacy of both these composers, whose music is included here, is a fascinating part of Polish Cultural legacy, and I am thankful to Piotr Rodowicz for keeping the flame alight.

Updated: 04/01/2024Posted: 04/01/2024

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TRIO PBP ~ SCHUBERT WINTERREISE REQUIEM / LYDIAN 2020/12 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2020 Released: 2020 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz Trio PBPFind albums by this artist comprising of young (fifteen years old when the project commenced) pianist Stanislaw PantaFind albums by this artist, flautist Ryszard BorowskiFind albums by this artist and bassist Pawel PantaFind albums by this artist. As the title suggests, the trio plays ten interpretations of songs from the Winterreise song cycle by Franz SchubertFind albums by this artist, with the music being credited to Borowski (?). The music is rather predictable, with the original themes clearly audible and the improvisations kept within the strictly mainstream Jazz idiom, resulting in a pleasant, easy going Jazz-Classical Fusion outing, which can be easily enjoyed by a wide audience, not necessarily associated with Jazz. Pawel Panta is an excellent bassist with an impressive recording legacy and his work on this album is the key element which keeps the music together, being in charge of the pulse (especially in a drumless setting) and providing the music with some sense of swing. Stanislaw Panta is still very young of course, but he plays nice harmonic structures and accompanies the flute work amicably, soloing modestly, but displaying talent and obvious understanding of the Jazz principles. Borowski, who is a Classical flautist, arranger, composer and educator, has been involved with Jazz for years, as a performer, educator and recording artists, always combining the cross-genre attitude, with various degrees of success. Overall, this is a pleasant, but hardly challenging piece of easy Jazz-Classical Fusion, which borders on Smooth Jazz.

Updated: 20/09/2021Posted: 20/09/2021

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