Record Reviews

JOACHIM KUHN ~ UNIVERSAL TIME UNIVERSAL 044001667121 (Barcode: 044001667121) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz Recorded: 2001 Released: 2002 This is an album by German pianist / composer / bandleader Joachim KuhnFind albums by this artist, recorded in a trio setting with American bassist Scott ColleyFind albums by this artist and Cuban drummer Horacio HernandezFind albums by this artist. French saxophonist / bass clarinetist Michel PortalFind albums by this artist and American saxophonist Chris PotterFind albums by this artist guest on selected tracks. The album presents eleven tracks, nine composed by Kuhn and two by Ornette ColemanFind albums by this artist. Kuhn plays piano on nine tracks and saxophone on two tracks. The music is a brilliant example of modern European Jazz with a large degree of Freedom and Improvisation, but based on strictly and brilliantly composed themes. The lineup shifts between trio, quartet and quintet settings, and allows wonderful interplay between these exceptional musicians. Kuhn is undoubtedly one of the most unique and innovative European Jazz musicians, and this album, as in fact all of his recordings, clearly show why. Kuhn dominates the proceedings with his virtuosic piano parts, mostly played at a hyper-fast tempo, but all the musicians get a chance to solo and show their chops, and the excellent rhythm section manages to keep standard time most of the time. For me, Kuhn is one of the greatest and most talented weavers of wonderful melodies, and this album is full of these. Overall, this is a superb album and sadly one of the lesser known in the extensive recorded legacy by Kuhn, which is absolutely worth being discovered, although it is not easy to be found these days. The hair-raising virtuosity of Kuhn has but a few equals in modern Jazz and he never recorded an album, which is not worthy of an honorable place in a serious modern Jazz record collection.

Updated: 12/08/2024Posted: 12/08/2024

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JOACHIM MENCEL ~ BROOKLYN EYE ORIGIN 82806 (Barcode: 805558280627) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is an album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Joachim MencelFind albums by this artist, recorded in US with three American musicians: guitarist Steve CardenasFind albums by this artist, bassist Scott ColleyFind albums by this artist and drummer Rudy RoystonFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original compositions, all by Mencel. In addition to the piano, Mencel also plays the hurdy-gurdy, which is usually associated with Folk music in many European Cultures, and is very rarely used in Jazz, but not entirely unheard off. On the album´s lines notes Mencel describes the making of this album and the fact that it was recorded in America with American musicians as "the fulfillment of his long-standing dream" and "his dream come true". He also describes childhood memories and feelings about America and "American way of life", which of course are shared by many Poles who grew up behind the Iron Curtain during the Socialist regime (yours truly included), for whom America was a symbol of Freedom and prosperity. Some of us did grow up in the years that followed to witness that dream being shattered… The music is in part pretty straightforward mainstream Jazz, as appropriate for a Polish version of "American Jazz". Mencel writes nice, solid melodies, which serve as vehicles for the quartet´s performances. The musicians are all seasoned veterans and do everything that is expected of them. Mencel plays nice melodic piano phrases, as does Cardenas, and the music flows pretty uneventfully, with the rhythm sections counting the time. Some other pieces are however distinctly different, more open and less constrained by melodic continuity, which allows the musicians to stretch out and include some breathing space between the notes. In other cases the melodies include more Polish lyricism and even melancholy, taking the music into a more ambitious direction, both harmonically and rhythmically. The truly unusual moments arrive when Mencel switches to play the hurdy-gurdy, which sounds for a less trained ear like a violin or viola. He uses the instrument to improvise and play solo parts, which of course is, as already mentioned, pretty unique. As a result the music becomes much closer to the European aesthetics, with shades of folkloristic nuances. The delicate hurdy-gurdy / guitar duo piece is a wonderful example of a moment when the magic indeed happens. Overall this is a mixed bag with some wonderful moments and some less exciting ones, but all obviously very professionally performed and to some degree innovative, as far as the use of the hurdy-gurdy is concerned. Therefore if the mainstream pieces were replaced by more of the hurdy-gurdy / World Music explorations, the album would have been much more coherent and rewarding, as well as less "American"…

Updated: 18/09/2020Posted: 18/09/2020

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