Record Reviews

BIG BAND MALOPOLSKI ~ LIVE AT MLYN JAZZ FESTIVAL II HEVHETIA 0176 (Barcode: 8588005258210) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2018 During the recent HevhetiaFind albums on this label Showcase in Kosice I had the opportunity to talk at length to Ryszard KrawczukFind albums by this artist, the leader / conductor of the Big Band MalopolskiFind albums by this artist, one of the very few active Polish Jazz Big Bands. As usual the conversation revolved around the logistic / financial aspects of keeping a Big Band together these days – a complicated and frustrating task by any standard, and more often than not completely underappreciated. But with all hardships set aside, the Big Band Malopolski is a smooth and mean, well oiled music machine, which can easily look straight in the eye of any other European Jazz Big Band. The lineup of the Big Band, based partly on the students of the Academy of Music in Krakow, includes some of the best young and upcoming Polish Jazz players, like saxophonists Wojciech LichtanskiFind albums by this artist and Slawomir PezdaFind albums by this artist, trombonist Bartosz PernalFind albums by this artist and many others, who play along older and seasoned musicians. Guest artists are often invited to play and record with the Big Band. The current lineup includes also the vocalist / rapper / beat box performer Andy NinvalleFind albums by this artist, who spices up the Big Band´s performances with incredibly energetic and up to date glimmer. This, the Band´s second album, presents the current repertoire, which is a mixture of compositions by Polish Jazz veterans, like Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist, Jan Ptaszyn WroblewskiFind albums by this artist and Marek BalataFind albums by this artist, American Jazz standard and a composition by the Italian saxophonist / composer Rosario GuilianiFind albums by this artist, all together six wonderful pieces of mainstream Jazz, superbly arranged and ideally suited to the Big Band environment. Polish Jazz vocalist Lora SzafranFind albums by this artist guests on one of the tracks. The performances are perfectly executed, with plenty of space for some excellent soloing and the above mentioned tasty beat box ornamentations, which were enthusiastically received by the audience during the concert I was happy to attend. Overall this is an excellent Jazz Big Band album, which should satisfy connoisseurs all over the world, especially in view of the fact that Big Band albums are a rarity these days, especially those that are able to keep this Art Form up to date. Warmly recommended!

Updated: 14/09/2019Posted: 14/09/2019

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

CRACOW JAZZ COLLECTIVE ~ NO MORE DRAMA FOR TUNE 0093 (Barcode: 5902768701692) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2016 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz ensemble Cracow Jazz CollectiveFind albums by this artist, an octet led by pianist / composer Mateusz GawedaFind albums by this artist, one of the most notable upcoming Polish Jazz musicians in recent years. The rest of the ensemble consists of other young and upcoming Polish Jazz musicians: trumpeters Cyprian BaszynskiFind albums by this artist and Dominik MietlaFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Marcin SlusarczykFind albums by this artist, Slawomir PezdaFind albums by this artist and Bartlomiej PrucnalFind albums by this artist, bassist Piotr PoludniakFind albums by this artist and drummer Dawid FortunaFind albums by this artist. The album presents three expanded compositions, all originals by Gaweda. The music embodies an amazing amalgam of contemporary Modern Jazz, which moves stylistically between swinging melodic themes and collective group improvisation with elegance and grace. The sound of the octet is typical of much larger ensembles and is no less powerful than a Big Band at times. The arrangements, which call for unisono brass parts and almost Rock like rhythmic riffs, create a fat sound, which is extremely effective. All these contribute to the fact that this is one of the most quite recordings on the Polish scene lately. The extended pieces offer plenty of opportunity to show the individual talents of the ensemble members, which are all very impressive, but also emphasize the ability of the musicians to sub-divide the lineup into sections, which play in a variety of combinations from unisono to individual improvised statements. The majority of the music is however very "well behaved" and follows strictly wonderfully arranged scenarios. This album reveals a much lesser known side of Gaweda, who so far is mostly known as a piano virtuoso of highly individual style, who plays mostly Free Jazz and Improvised Music, whereas here he symbolizes the Jazz tradition not only as the composer and arranger but also as a player, which can be followed through out this album. Perhaps the fact that this music was recorded a couple of years before it was released, portrays Gaweda at that time, which is not what he does now, but I certainly hope he will make more music as majestic and skillfully arranged as this one in parallel to his explorations of the Free realms. There is little doubt as to the fact that music is such complexity on one hand and perfect execution on the other is the proof of the incredible level of the young generation of Polish Jazz musicians, who are slowly taking over the local scene into their capable hands. In fact it is so good that it should studied by other young musicians as a model of what Jazz is all about. Definitely a shining gem of an album!

Updated: 15/07/2016Posted: 15/07/2016

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

FLASH! ~ BUJAKA W GUMIAKACH HEVHETIA 0211 (Barcode: 8588005258944) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the second album by Polish trio The Flash!Find albums by this artist, founded by saxophonist / composer Slawomir PezdaFind albums by this artist with bassist Jakub DworakFind albums by this artist and drummer Maksymilian OlszewskiFind albums by this artist. On this album they are joined by Boston based guitarist Dustin CarlsonFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven pieces, six of which were composed by Pezda and one is by the American duo Lightning BoltFind albums by this artist. The music is a further exploration of the concepts described in my review of the debut album "SilaFind albums with this title" and manages to produce a completely original "wall of sound" Punk Jazz, which is as much controversial as it is fascinating. It is difficult to decide if the musicians are mocking contemporary Pop, Rock, and even Jazz in its ridiculous crudeness and oversimplification, or they are just pissed off and want to relieve some bad vibes, but the overwhelming effect is certainly achieved. Of course it is plainly obvious that these guys are brilliant musicians, no kidding there. To make things clear everything here is perfectly planned and executed with the attention to the minute details, so obviously nothing was left to chance. The sheer audacity and the amount of ideas are simply staggering. In any case any attempt do describe this music in words is simply futile and nothing will replace the exposure to the actual aural content. The attitude brings fond memories of the early experiments of Polish Yass movement, when quite a few of such original creations were produced, but on today´s Polish music scene The Flash! are sadly almost completely lonesome. It is remarkable to see (or rather hear) how well Carlson fits within this madness; he is truly a spiritual kin to the members of the trio and manages to complete and expand the diversity of the sound without changing the basic attitude and direction, which is truly amazing. Obviously not for everyone, but personally I love this music to bits, every second of it. The Rock genes in my musical personality are vibrating happily and my Zappaesque aesthetics of "don´t care what you think" are fully satisfied! This is brilliant stuff!

Updated: 07/11/2020Posted: 07/11/2020

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

FLASH! ~ SILA HEVHETIA 0144 (Barcode: 8588005258012) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the debut album by Polish trio The Flash!Find albums by this artist, which consists of saxophonist Slawomir PezdaFind albums by this artist, bassist Jakub DworakFind albums by this artist and drummer Maksymilian OlszewskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eleven original compositions, all by Pezda. The music is a very surprising twist of Punk / Rock / Jazz power trio approach, very similar to the stuff done by Scandinavian trio The Thing. Pezda´s solid tunes are structured and melodic enough to be easily followed and serve as a basis for his lengthy improvisations. The bass uses electronic fuzz and distortion to produce a very thick and loud sound and the drums are primarily used to supply a straightforward steady beat. The overall idea is to sound as loud and uncomplicated as possible, providing a hypnotic and easy to follow grove, although the saxophone improvisations are far from simplistic. It is difficult to guess if the band recorded this album as a cynical exercise to ridicule some of the contemporary directions in Jazz, which tend to castrate the music from its artistic values and its power, or perhaps this is a serious protest against the musical establishment, hypocrisy of the Art world and other social dilemmas. Whatever the motivation might be, this is a very strong statement, which is difficult to be ignored. Some of the Polish musicians who established the Yass movement in the 1990s might smile and say to themselves "we have already tried this ages ago", but in all fairness this music has perhaps some of the Yass attitude, but musically it is quite different and often much more ambitious. Pezda´s performances on this album are a unique example of treating the saxophone as a Rock instrument, similar to what was quite natural in the early 1960s as part of the Rhythm And Blues and Big Beat music, and than completely disappeared. This album is definitely worth hearing and experiencing (watch the volume!) and it is difficult to predict how it will be accepted by the Jazz audiences, but it´s pretty easy to guess that the young generation should love it, as it usually loves everything that is loud and projects anti-establishment (in music this time). Congrats to the band for being unconventional! I had a great fun listening to this stuff!

Updated: 08/05/2023Posted: 13/01/2017

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

THOMAS KOLARCZYK ~ HALBTRAUME CHALLENGE 71194 (Barcode: 608917119428) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2018 This is the debut album as a leader by Polish, resident in Berlin, Jazz bassist / composer Thomas KolarczykFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quintet setting with clarinetist Viktor WolfFind albums by this artist, saxophonist / flautist Otto HirteFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Slawomir PezdaFind albums by this artist and drummer Kuba GudzFind albums by this artist. Kolarczyk and Gudz were members of the excellent Tone RawFind albums by this artist quartet, which recorded a superb single album back in 2012. The album presents nine compositions, seven of which are originals by Kolarczyk, one is by Gudz and one is an arrangement by Kolarczyk of a traditional tune. The music is a wonderful modern European Jazz, mostly based on melodic themes, but very open to improvised passages and folkloristic, mostly Middle Eastern and Balkan influences. The quintet´s lineup, which features three woodwind instruments and a rhythm section and no harmonic instrument, creates w beautifully transparent sound with each and every note perfectly audible. The music reflects perfectly the European Jazz esthetics, which has grown infinitely beyond the American Jazz tradition over time, preserving the basic convention of improvisation, but expanding the barriers of the musical possibilities and amalgamating European values and World traditions, revitalizing and constantly pushing the idiom further into the unknown. The individual performances are all stellar and the album is a constant source of amazement and discovery. The unique and daring music making presented herein is way beyond what one can find on "standard" Jazz recordings, and reflects the specifics of the new, Berlin based Jazz school, which managed in the last decade or so to build a Jazz sub-culture, which is reflected by numerous recordings made by Berlin based musicians, producing definitely some of the most interesting contemporary European Jazz. The sublime balance between melody and Free Form, straight time and no time, soloing and group improvisation are all present on this album, and add up to an irresistible sonic and intellectual experience, which has but a few equals. As such it is a must have for all modern European Jazz connoisseurs, who are open-minded and embracing enough to face and enjoy the challenge. Overall this is a tremendous debut album, which marks a giant step in the leaders career and hopefully will be followed by many more recordings, as music of such beauty and sophistication is always a revelation. Stunning stuff!

Updated: 27/06/2018Posted: 27/04/2018

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

MIKE PARKER / TRIO THEORY ~ ALIVE OUT THERE NOT ON LABEL ~ USA ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the third album by American bassist / composer Mike ParkerFind albums by this artist, who spends much of his time in Eastern Europe playing and recording with Polish Jazz musicians, as documented on his previous album. This album, recorded live in Czech Republic and Serbia, documents a tour by Parker´s trio, which also includes Polish Jazz saxophonist Slawomir PezdaFind albums by this artist and American (resident in Poland) drummer Frank ParkerFind albums by this artist. Together they perform six compositions, four by Mike ParkerFind albums by this artist, one co-composed by him and Bartlomiej PrucnalFind albums by this artist and one composed by Bryson BarnesFind albums by this artist. The music is mostly improvised, except for short melodic intros which immediately develop into a frantic Free Form extended blowing sessions. Pezda, who is definitely one of the most impressive young Lions among the Polish Jazz saxophone players, performs incredibly on this album; even more remarkably than on several earlier recordings he participated in. The intimate setting and the live atmosphere, as well as the excellent work of the rhythm section, allow him to soar and shine, which he does from start to finish. But of course this is a trio effort and the overall result is successful thanks to the interplay and mutual respect these three players share among them. Saxophone trios are an extremely difficult environment to create impressive music, but this trio is definitely blessed with the ability to make it work. If course Parker´s music also adds to the success of this music. Although seemingly aggressive and certainly very intensive, this music displays a lot of elegance and intrinsic beauty. The "beast" is definitely tamed and the improvisations and far out excursions are apparently well planed ahead. The wonderful tension between the intensity of this music and its underlying structure is one of the strongest assets. This is definitely one of the strongest statements I have had the pleasure to listen to in the last months and it truly deserves to be discovered by as many Jazz lovers as possible. A strange thought passed through my head; since this great album was created by two American practically living in Poland and a Pole, playing in Eastern Europe, perhaps the only way to save American Jazz before it disintegrates completely is to move it to Eastern Europe?

Updated: 30/05/2016Posted: 27/05/2016

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

MIKE PARKER / TRIO THEORY ~ SHINY OBJECTS, DARK PLACES NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is the fourth album by American (partly resident in Poland) bassist Mike ParkerFind albums by this artist and his second album with the Trio TheoryFind albums by this artist, which also includes Polish saxophonist Slawomir PezdaFind albums by this artist and American (also partly resident in Poland) drummer Frank ParkerFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original compositions, all by Mike Parker. The music is melody based modern Jazz, which in contrast to the preceding album with the trio, which was recorded live and presented mostly Free Jazz approach, is much more organized and structured. Of course there is still plenty of improvisation herein, which dominates Pezda´s superb performances, but the overall approach is much more relaxed and "disciplined". The album develops on two separate planes: the energetic and highly complex improvised saxophone parts and the hypnotic rhythmic background created by bass and drums. When combined, these two planes overlap splendidly and the resulting music amalgamates rhythm and melody into one cohesive unity, which is highly emotional and moving. All three players demonstrate highly developed technical skills and understanding of the Jazz idiom. The rhythm section is mostly very powerful and carries the strong beat in a manner closely related to rhythms originating in African Cultures. Pezda is naturally more related to the European approach but his saxophone playing is also strongly related to early Free Jazz Masters like Albert AylerFind albums by this artist and Eric DolphyFind albums by this artist. He certainly emerges on this recording as one of the leading Polish Jazz saxophonists of the young generation. The music on this album is quite different from most other Polish Jazz recordings, which mostly follow a much mellower, melancholic and lyrical trends, whereas here the main tendency is more raw and penetrating, facing the listener right in his face rather than appealing to his intellectual antennae. Mike Parker deserves praise for the wonderful compositions he created for the trio. Overall this is a splendid outing, which is definitely worth being discovered and admired and an important step in the career of the musicians involved. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 14/12/2018Posted: 14/12/2018

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

MIKE PARKER / UNIFIED THEORY ~ EMBRACE THE WILD NOT ON LABEL ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2015 American bassist / composer Mike ParkerFind albums by this artist spent a period of a year and a half living in Krakow and playing with local young Polish Jazz musicians. He was a member of the NSI QuartetFind albums by this artist, together with trumpeter Cyprian BaszynskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Bartlomiej PrucnalFind albums by this artist and drummer Dawid FortunaFind albums by this artist, recording with them their excellent eponymous debut album. In parallel and with the addition of the saxophonist Slawomir PezdaFind albums by this artist they also recorded this album, Parker´s second recording as a leader so far, which is released only now. It presents eight original compositions, all by Parker (except one co-composed with Prucnal), three of which are parts of a suite. As already mentioned in my review of the NSI Quartet album, Parker had a huge influence on his Polish cohorts, taking them away from the European Jazz idiom into more traditional American approach. On this album this is even more perceptible, as the band is playing Parker´s compositions and not those by the Polish players, like on the a.m. album. Parker´s music is a great example of modern American Jazz, which keeps up with the changes happening in the music and manages to get itself free from the stagnation that characterizes most American mainstream. His compositions are all well structured and include melodic statements, which then are improvised on, but the freedom and breathing space present in the music allow the musicians to take off and express their individuality, before returning to the compositional structure. All of his pieces are a pleasure to listen to, and the three-part suite that concludes the album is a profound and very moving composition that proves his great talent as a composer. Of course Parker also plays some tasteful bass parts and his Polish colleagues, all of them superb musicians as well, make this music to come alive in its full splendor. These are after all some of the young lions that will represent the European Jazz scene in a few years. Overall an excellent effort, in every respect, definitely worth listening to, so get it ASAP and help Parker to move on and create some more great music for all of us to enjoy!

CD-R 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

PEGAPOFO ~ SWIEZOSC FOR TUNE 0053 (Barcode: 5902768701609) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2015 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz quartet PegapofoFind albums by this artist, which consists of saxophonist Slawomir PezdaFind albums by this artist, pianist Mateusz GawedaFind albums by this artist, bassist Piotr PoludniakFind albums by this artist and drummer Dawid FortunaFind albums by this artist. It presents six original compositions (the title track appears in two versions), five of which were composed by Gaweda and one is a group composition by all quartet members. From the first moment this album starts to play it becomes immediately obvious that this is the direction young Polish Jazz musicians should follow, as it portrays the essence of contemporary modern Polish Jazz at its best. With a miraculous balance of Freedom and discipline, cooperation and individualism, intensity and relaxation, this music simply overwhelms the listener from start to finish, driving hard into the heart of the Jazz idiom. Pegapofo is an unusual conglomerate of talent and visionary, uncompromising approach to music. There are no limitations, no conventions, no boundaries, just a passion to play what is on their minds, and doing it totally. I was lucky to hear these amazing musicians live and the ultimate test of creating on the spur of the moment seems to be completely effortless to them, which is a true wonder. Despite their young age they are all quite experienced already and God only knows where they´ll travel next. The music of Pegapofo is intense and engaging, and yet despite the obvious complexity and intellectual effort engaged in its comprehension, it sound completely "easy" and friendly, in complete contrast to its intrinsic nature. Perhaps they have found the magic formula of creating ambitious music, which is also accessible to the average listener. Whatever the reason, this phenomenal music simply wins the listener over mercilessly. Albums of such quality are extremely rare and even on the Polish Jazz scene, which is completely overrun by talent, a release like that happens once or twice a year. Therefore my recommendation is to get hold of this gem ASAP, as it is like bittersweet chocolate, a taste of which stays in your mind forever. The album´s title means "freshness" in Polish and this is a breath of fresh air indeed. Absolutely brilliant!

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

PEZDA / GAWEDA DUO ~ KILAR RECOMPOSED NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2022 Released: 2022 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz duo comprising of saxophonist Slawomir PezdaFind albums by this artist and pianist Mateusz GawedaFind albums by this artist. The album was recorded live and presents three interpretations of compositions by the Polish Classical / Cinematic composer Wojciech KilarFind albums by this artist, arranged by Gaweda. Although both musicians performed and recorded together many times in the past, this is the first time they are finally captured as a duo. They are both amongst the most prolific and talented representatives of the young Polish Jazz generation, with outstanding achievements to their credit. Tackling Polish Classical Music by Polish Jazz musicians seems to be a national sport, as recordings involving “recomposing”, “decomposing” or otherwise interpreting the music of Classical composers by Jazz players are numerous and vary in quality from brilliant pieces of imaginative music to total kitsch. This is a perilous ground to step on, by any measure, not to be taken carelessly. Fortunately, in this case the musical concept works wonderfully, perhaps mostly due to the minimalist approach of a duo rather than a larger ensemble. Both Pezda and Gaweda are brilliant performers and they have a close rapport, polished over many years of playing together, all of which works in their favor here. Although the Free Jazz / Avant-Garde approach to the compositions is bold and unconventional, it preserves the underlying melodic components of Kilar’s music, creating a unique atmosphere. I am pretty sure Kilar himself would have approved of this approach, if he could hear this music. Overall, this is a bold, complex piece of music, which manages to amalgamate the Classical and Jazz elements coherently and intelligently, avoiding the many traps such attempts often fall into. The brilliant performances clearly demonstrate to talents of these two exceptional; musicians and the album is a heartfelt, exhilarating emotional experience. Wonderfully done!

Updated: 23/07/2022Posted: 23/07/2022

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

SLAWOMIR PEZDA ~ TRIBUTE TO TENOR LEGENDS NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 5903819630053) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2022 Released: 2022 This is an album by Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer / bandleader Slawomir PezdaFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet setting with pianist Mateusz GawedaFind albums by this artist, bassist Alan WykpiszFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz PalkaFind albums by this artist – a formidable team indeed. As the album’s title suggests, it is a tribute to leading tenor saxophone Jazz players, seven Americans and one Pole: Joe HendersonFind albums by this artist, Wayne ShorterFind albums by this artist, Sonny RollinsFind albums by this artist, Pharoah SandersFind albums by this artist, John ColtraneFind albums by this artist, Albert AylerFind albums by this artist, David S. WareFind albums by this artist and Janusz MuniakFind albums by this artist, presenting one track each of their compositions. This highly ambitious undertaking of interpreting the entire modern American Jazz, from Bebop to Free / Avant-Garde, focusing on one instrument, might have proved to be a perilous task, a chutzpah of an unprecedented scale. I must confess that I placed the CD into the player with slightly trembling hands and heart, as I deeply respect the four musicians involved and would have hated to hear them ridiculing themselves. To my sheer amazement, this bold attempt not only works splendidly, but offers some of the best Jazz music I have come across in a long time. Obviously, the compositions by the eight Jazz Giants are a good starting point, but trying to impersonate the highly idiosyncratic expressionism of all eight performers, which in all cases continuously changed over time, is a momentous task. I must say that Pezda and his cohorts managed to capture the spirit not only of the compositions, but also of the eight Saxophone Colossi. The more experienced the listeners to this album are, the more they will be able to appreciate the depth of the perception Pezda and the quartet managed to achieve. But most importantly, this album manages to exemplify the process of Europeanization of this music, which is truly astounding. Whereas the American, original form of this music is full of fire and natural, raw, wild power of expression, the music on this album is transformed into elegant, precise, coherent and harmonic beauty, losing absolutely nothing of its strength of expression, depth or penetration. Of course this is not the first time such transformation of American music in the hands of European musicians happens, but this album is a perfect school example of the process, which should be taught in every Jazz institution. Of course it goes without saying that all these musicians are absolute wizards and already in this relatively early stage of their careers, offer a magnificent control of their relative instruments and superb level of knowledge and creativity. Overall, this is absolutely brilliant album from start to finish, a wonderful lesson in Jazz history and the fundamental differences between American and European Jazz idioms. Of course, as already stated above, the level of understanding of this music might relate to the level of knowledge of Jazz history and the musical worlds of the eight heroes, who are being paid a tribute herein. In any case, this extraordinary piece of music deserved an honorable place on the pedestal of the best Polish Jazz albums ever recorded. Respect!

Updated: 05/03/2023Posted: 05/03/2023

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend