Record Reviews

ADAM BALDYCH ~ SACRUM PROFANUM ACT 9881 (Barcode: 614427988126) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is an album by Polish Jazz violinist / composer Adam BaldychFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet setting with Polish Jazz musicians: pianist Krzysztof DysFind albums by this artist, bassist Michal BaranskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Dawid FortunaFind albums by this artist. It is the first album recorded by Baldych with Polish musicians released on the prestigious ACTFind albums on this label label, which released several earlier albums by Baldych, recorded with international partners. The album presents ten tracks, five of which are original compositions by Baldych, three are medieval / baroque sacred music pieces arranged by Baldych and Dys, one is an ancient Polish hymn and one is by contemporary, deeply spiritual Tatar-Russian avant-gardist Sofia GubaidulinaFind albums by this artist. The album´s title refers to the "concept" which Baldych wishes to present to the listener, based on the philosophical / religious conflict between the sacred and the profane worlds, in which we, human beings, exist simultaneously. The trivial interpretation of that concept would be of course to consider the five sacred pieces as the Sacrum facet of the music and the original pieces as the Profanum, but the truth is way more complicated than such simplistic approach. Baldych obviously treats Classical Music and Jazz with the same measure of spirituality and his life and musical path so far are a classical example of the rite of passage between the diverse musical idioms, which results in his own compositions being certainly no less spiritual / sacred than those a priori designated as such. The entire musical contents of this album can be therefore considered as an amalgamation of the lofty, spiritual ingredients of music and its earthly embodiment, which we are able to actually hear; the notes, harmonies, pulses and melodies. The overall atmosphere is deeply lyrical and spiritual of course and since Baldych personifies the Polish melancholy more profoundly than most, the resulting music is both deeply Polish as it is Universal. The inclusion of the Gubaidulina piece will hopefully awaken interest in the work of this exceptional composer among new listeners, as it is truly amazing. Although obviously deeply involved in Jazz improvisation, this music should be of interest to a wide audience of music connoisseurs, those from the Jazz side of the spectrum, Classical and Sacred Music enthusiasts and all true lovers of great music. It is, as already stated, completely universal and boundless, and as such able to touch the listeners both spiritually and intellectually. Following Baldych´s musical path over the last decade has been a true revelation. Being blessed by enormous talent and unprecedented skill is often not quite enough to ensure an Artistic triumph, but in his case he is also hard working, disciplined and open minded, which enables him to achieve the two fundamental goals leading to Artistic accomplishment: consistency and constantly coherent course of progression. As a result his international career keeps blossoming and his collective recording précis to date is unblemished. Overall this is an amazing piece of Artistry, splendidly conceived, put together and executed by the finest musicians on the Polish Jazz scene, which should be an essential part of any serious music collection. Absolutely not to be missed!

Updated: 01/03/2019Posted: 01/03/2019

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BARTOSZ GLOWACKI ~ GENESIS DUX 1585 (Barcode: 5902547015859) ~ POLAND ~ Classical Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is the debut album by Polish (based in London) accordionist Bartosz GlowackiFind albums by this artist. Most of the music is performed on solo accordion, except for the last piece which also includes guitar and string orchestra. The repertoire includes works by such diverse composers as Domenico ScarlattiFind albums by this artist, Jean Philippe RameauFind albums by this artist, Vaclav TrojanFind albums by this artist, Sofia GubaidulinaFind albums by this artist, Arvo PartFind albums by this artist, Victor VlasovFind albums by this artist and finally Astor PiazzollaFind albums by this artist – from Baroque via Avant-Garde to Tango. The music is absolutely delightful and taking into account the fact that these compositions are very rarely performed and even more so get recorded, this is a wonderful opportunity to get exposed to some exquisite non-trivial music. Glowacki´s playing is also extraordinary, and he seems to overcome effortlessly the many challenges involved with performing this often difficult music. His tone follows the mood of the compositions, always with great taste and true artistry, placing the much neglected accordion in the center of the listener´s attention and paying tribute to its full glory as an instrument. For accordion connoisseurs this album is an absolute must, but any serious music lover should be able to discover these little known gems, which deserve to be cherished. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 16/01/2020Posted: 16/01/2020

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SILBERMAN QUARTET ~ ASANISIMASA AUDIO CAVE 2019/003 (Barcode: 5905669566728) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is the fifth album released under the "Silberman" moniker, this time recorded by a quartet of Polish Jazz musicians: keyboardists Dorota ZaziabloFind albums by this artist (who played on the debut album) and Mateusz GawedaFind albums by this artist (who played on the third and fourth albums), bassist Jakub MielcarekFind albums by this artist (who also played on the previous two albums) and drummer Lukasz StworzewiczFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. SilbermanFind albums by this artist). Together they perform seven compositions, four by Stworzewicz, one credited to all four members of the quartet, one of unknown origin and finally one based on a Classical piece by the Tatar-Russian composer Sofia GubaidulinaFind albums by this artist, which makes me happy that she is finally being discovered by young musicians. The music is a wild amalgam of stylistic influences, constantly moving between Avant-Garde Jazz, Improvised Music and mainstream Jazz. The double-keyboards lineup opens wide possibilities between the acoustic piano and the synthesizer sounds, which are fascinating and constantly changing. There are some very nice melodic themes scattered between the more open / improvised pieces, which helps to maintain a nice balance and coherent diversity. Both keyboards players manage to produce a kaleidoscope of sound vistas, which is quite innovative and more importantly they support and complement each other successfully. Mielcarek does a splendid job, both as a rhythmic, Jazz oriented player and as an improviser, including some surprising bow work. Stworzewicz is of course one of the most original drummers on the Polish scene and his work on this album emphasizes his maturity and stylistic freshness. The album not only offers some superb music and excellent execution, but also a musical and sound concept as a whole. The dark, often minimalist atmosphere and the atypical lineup, combined with the weird / atypical sound of the drums, offer to the listener a whole new experience, which happens relatively rarely. Although not specifically stated as such (except perhaps by the album´s artwork), this music definitely offers a musical parallel to the film noir, or perhaps an imaginary soundtrack to an imaginary movie created in that genre. The ambience of uncertainty, apprehension and ambivalence is certainly present within the music, although obviously echoes differently with each listener. In retrospect this is certainly the most coherent and mature album recorded under the "Silberman" moniker so far, and a truly unique piece of music, which stands out even on the extremely competitive Polish Jazz scene. It should be listened to not only by Jazz listeners, but by all open-minded music connoisseurs, who are always searching for new thrills. Hats off to the Silberman phenomenon ;)

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 12/04/2019

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