Record Reviews

PIOTR FIGIEL ~ GDZIES, KIEDYS GAD 103 (Barcode: 5903068120428) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Pop Fusion Recorded: 1977 - 1979 Released: 2019 This is a reissue of an album by Polish keyboardist / composer Piotr FigielFind albums by this artist, recorded with his ensemble which included guitarists Winicjusz ChrostFind albums by this artist and Slawomir PiwowarFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Wlodzimierz WinskiFind albums by this artist, drummer Tomasz PilewskiFind albums by this artist and others, whose names disappeared into the void of history. Legendary vocal group NOVIFind albums by this artist and vocalist Krzysztof CugowskiFind albums by this artist contribute some background vocal parts. The album presented eleven original compositions, most of which were composed by Figiel, except one which was co-composed with Andrzej JanuszkoFind albums by this artist and another one composed by Januszko. This reissue adds eight previously unreleased tracks, which were intended as a soundtrack to a TV film. The music is a collection of stylistically diverse instrumentals, mostly Soul and Funk oriented, with a Jazzy feel. Several of these tunes were used in soundtracks by contemporary Polish movies and overall this album represents well the Polish incidental music of the late 1970s. Figiel plays electric piano and analog synthesizers, which he does excellently of course, but this music was not created to reflect the instrumental abilities of the musicians involved in its making but rather create certain specific moods and atmospheres. Overall the album is first and foremost a tribute to Figiel´s abilities as a composer and his instrumental performances are only secondary, in contrast to his debut alum "Piotr". However it is still a wonderful example of ambitious incidental music and a great document of Polish popular music history.

Updated: 10/03/2020Posted: 10/03/2020

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

PARADOX ~ DRIFTING FEATHER (POLISH JAZZ VOL.26) MUZA 926 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1971 Released: 2004 Only album by the excellent Polish Jazz ensemble ParadoxFind albums by this artist, founded and led by trombonist Andrzej BrzeskiFind albums by this artist, which also included cellist Michal GornyFind albums by this artist, guitarist Slawomir PiwowarFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Wlodzimierz SzlaskiewiczFind albums by this artist and bassist Stanislaw KulhawczukFind albums by this artist (note the absence of drums). The leader composed and arranged all the music, except one piece, which is an arrangement of "Malaguena" by the Spanish composer Isaac AlbenizFind albums by this artist. The ensemble´s instrumentation hints as to its originality, especially for the period when this album was recorded, and the resulting music is Chamber Jazz, which mixes elements of World Music, Contemporary Classical and Jazz. In retrospect this is one of the most interesting releases in the Polish Jazz series and deserves special attention. Ages ahead of its time, this music sounds as fresh today as it was at the time of its recording and should interest every serious Jazz connoisseur. Highly recommended!

CD 1 Digipak Oversampling Remastered Recommend To A Friend

SBB ~ WARSZAWA 1980 GAD 022 (Barcode: 5901549197280) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1980 Released: 2014 This is a live recording by the legendary Polish Jazz-Rock band SBBFind albums by this artist, capturing the group at the very last stage of the first phase in the group´s history, after they recorded the last studio album of that first phase ("Memento Z Banalnym TryptykiemFind albums with this title"). In many respects this recording is very special, not only because it finds the group in top form, but since it presents the short-lived double lead guitar lineup, with guitarist Slawomir PiwowarFind albums by this artist (ex-ParadoxFind albums by this artist, ex-Niemen AerolitFind albums by this artist) playing alongside guitarist Apostolis AnthimosFind albums by this artist, bassist / keyboardist Jozef SkrzekFind albums by this artist and drummer Jerzy PiotrowskiFind albums by this artist. It also marks Skrzek returning to the role of bass player, after years of concentrating on playing just the synthesizers. The addition of Piwowar was a much needed new blood transfusion for the band, filling it with new energies and revitalizing its show, but sadly did not save it from falling apart soon after. SBB, which of course exists to this very day (see side note below), is one of those phenomenal bands, which state almost everything they have to say on their first two / three albums, and everything recorded later is in one way or another musically based on the initial statement. The band, comprising of incredible musicians, had the advantage of being able to simply improvise freely for hours on end, quite in the same way early improvising bands like CreamFind albums by this artist or Allman Brothers BandFind albums by this artist did earlier on. Therefore an addition of another improvising musician, with superb instrumental skills, was exactly what the group needed at that time. As the album´s liner notes state, this Warsaw concert from April 1980, is definitely one of the best moments ever captured on tape by SBB. The sound, the energy, the inspiration are all there, contributing to this momentous occasion. The guitar exchanges between Anthimos and Piwowar are of course the pinnacle of the event, and guitar fans will definitely find them brilliant in every respect. But in fact the entire group plays simply superbly, with Skrzek playing his synthesizers less aggressively and very melodically, which balances the guitar solos perfectly. And of course Piotrowski, who is surely one of the best Fusion drummers on this planet, keeps this music together, with precision and incredible power. Overall this is probably the best archival live SBB album ever released, and iconic piece of Polish music history. Thanks to GADFind albums on this label Records for making this available to all of us, which, as usually in their case, is beautifully packaged, remastered and presented. Side Note: In April 2015 I had the pleasure to attend a concert by SBB, which took place in a very unusual concert hall, which is situated 320 meters under the surface in an old coal mine called Guido, in the Silesian town of Zabrze. This phenomenal cultural temple hosts both classical and popular music concerts in a completely unique acoustic ambience and cultural atmosphere. SBB played in their classic Skrzek / Anthimos / Piotrowski trio format to a packed audience, mostly older fans that followed the group since its inception. Nor surprisingly they played mostly their old material, which seemed to delight the audience. And a good time was had by all (me with tears-filled eyes of course included)!

CD 2 Remastered Recommend To A Friend