Record Reviews

RASM ALMASHAN ~ YEMENIA SOLITON 365 (Barcode: 5901571093659) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2018 - 2019 Released: 2020 This is the debut album as a leader by Polish (of Yemeni origin) vocalist Rasm AlmashanFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Rasm Al-MashanFind albums by this artist), recorded with an excellent group of musicians: percussionist Adeb ChamounFind albums by this artist, oud player Mateusz SzemrajFind albums by this artist, drummer Pawel DobrowolskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Bartozzi WojciechowskiFind albums by this artist and keyboardist Adam LemanczykFind albums by this artist. Saxophonist Grzech PiotrowskiFind albums by this artist, who is the musical producer of the album, guests on three tracks and violinist Stanislaw SlowinskiFind albums by this artist guests on one track. The album presents nine songs, six of which are composed by Almashan, two are co-composed by her and Piotrowski and one is a traditional Yemenite song, made world-famous by Israeli singer Ofra HazaFind albums by this artist as "Im Nin´alu", who also had Yemenite roots. Most of the lyrics (In Yemeni Arabic and English) were also written by Almashan, except for "Im Nin´alu" which has lyrics in Hebrew written by Rabbi Shalom ShabaziFind albums by this artist, and two songs with lyrics by the great Yemeni singer Abu Bakr Salem BelfqihFind albums by this artist. The music is an amalgam of Pop and Middle Eastern / African Folklore elements with a strong Jazz-World Fusion accompaniment, excellently put together and very entertaining. Melodically and rhythmically the music is mostly quite European, but the arrangements are strongly influenced by Ethnically sounding ornamentations and Jazzy improvisations. For a person like me, who is surrounded by Middle Eastern music every day, this music does not sound "authentic" enough, but for European listeners this might work out perfectly, especially in view of the fact that Middle Eastern scales and phrasing can sound very outlandish to a European ear. However, this music sounds great regardless of its distance from authenticity, thanks to the great melodies and superb performances by all the participants, mixing perfect doses of European melody and exotic Middle Easter spices. Almashan is an excellent vocalist, whom I have been lucky to hear live many times, with a wide range, great sensitivity and wonderful musicality. The Jazzy accompaniment suits her perfectly and personally I love most the songs on which she lets go of the strict melody and ventures into more improvised passages, which are the absolute highlight of this album. Listeners who love Pop songs with strong Ethnic elements and Jazzy accents, similar to the music of the lamented Ofra Haza, should be delighted by this album from start to finish, as it is full of great playing and superb vocal parts, offering new musical layers with each repeated listening session and bridges Cultures in a most accessible and heartfelt manner. Warmly recommended!

Updated: 05/03/2020Posted: 05/03/2020

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MILOSZ BAZARNIK ~ NEW MARKET KLAMKA MUSIC ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2022 Released: 2022 This is the second album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Milosz BazarnikFind albums by this artist, this time recorded in a quintet setting with saxophonist Krzysztof MatejskiFind albums by this artist, guitarist Szymon KozikowskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Marek DufekFind albums by this artist and drummer Lukasz GiergielFind albums by this artist. Violinist Stanislaw SlowinskiFind albums by this artist guests on three tracks. The album presents eleven tracks, ten of which are original compositions by the leader and one is an arrangement of a BeatlesFind albums by this artist song. The music was recorded at the excellent Monochrom Studio and engineered by Ignacy GruszeckiFind albums by this artist, with the usual excellent sound quality and clarity. The music is all based on beautiful melodic themes, full of lyricism and melancholy, as appropriate for classic Polish Jazz approach, but perhaps just a tad too “sweat” at times. Nevertheless, it offers a peaceful, relaxed listening experience, which a dreamy atmosphere, which is very enjoyable. The young musicians, who are (to me at least) anonymous so far, show great skills and vigor, as expected on the local scene, and nothing but praise can be said about their performances. The presence of the electric guitar has the usual Fusiony effect, but to be fair it is almost marginal, and the music is not trying to copy the 1970s Fusion tendencies, except for the aural similarity, and therefore manages to avoid that trap. Personally the melodic content of this album is its major forte, as there is not even one weak melody on the entire album (well except for the cover perhaps – just kidding), so it is a composing portfolio first and foremost, which Bazarnik can be proud of. Overall, this is a very pleasant, beautifully put together melodic Jazz album, which should keep many listeners perfectly happy. There is nothing groundbreaking or especially challenging herein, but the remarkable “simplicity” and straightforwardness turn out to be its strong suit. Time for some great heartfelt melodies in the midst of the mayhem that surrounds us all. Well done indeed!

Updated: 13/01/2023Posted: 13/01/2023

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J.A.S.S. TRIO ~ KOSMODROM INFRA ART ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2014 This is the debut album by the young Polish Jazz trio, called J.A.S.S. TrioFind albums by this artist, which consists of violinist Stanislaw SlowinskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Justyn MalodobryFind albums by this artist and drummer Adam StepniowskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, all credited collectively to the trio, and one arrangement of a Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist theme. The album is packaged in a round metal can, which is a nice, although definitely not a new gimmick. The music is mostly freely improvised, based on basic melodic themes, which serve as skeletons and reference points for the improvisations. The pieces created by the trio could be perceived as imaginary soundtracks created on the spot. The violin is obviously at the center of attention, but the excellent rhythm section is an integral part of the creation and keeps the music afloat. Together the trio members achieve a magical, eerie atmosphere, which sometimes sounds like electronic ambient music, but the rhythmic pulse keeps the listener on his toes and emphasizes the Jazz reference behind this music. They often use a drone / repetitive effect to create an unearthly ambience, which is both enchanting and scary. The individual contributions are all first rate, and as usual, considering the young age of the musicians, quite phenomenal. The entire concept and musical adventure undertaken by this trio is highly unusual and openly bold, which happens very rarely these days. Hopefully they will solidify and purify their musical ideas in time, to produce even more wonderful music than on this album, which has a few weaker moments, having an adverse effect, like the pretentious closing track which is thirteen minutes of white noise – who do they think they are after all? Overall this is a surprising debut, which shows tons of potential, to be explored in the future. Not bad at all!

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JOANNA SLOWINSKA ~ ZIELNIK POLSKI ROZSTAJA 116 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is an album which presents a live recording of a very grand musical undertaking, which brings together vocalist Joanna SlowinskaFind albums by this artist, a well known Polish World Music singer, with a Polish Classical orchestra Sinfonietta CracoviaFind albums by this artist and a Polish Jazz quartet led by young and upcoming violinist Stanislaw SlowinskiFind albums by this artist, which also includes pianist Katarzyna PietrzkoFind albums by this artist, bassist Justyn MalodobryFind albums by this artist and drummer Maksymilian OlszewskiFind albums by this artist. Together they perform twelve pieces, two of which are instrumentals and ten are songs featuring lyrics by Jan SlowinskiFind albums by this artist. In case you are wondering, Joanna and Jan are Stanislaw´s parents. Stanislaw Slowinski composed the music to eleven of these pieces and the last piece on the album was composed by Joanna Slowinska and arranged by Stanislaw. The album´s title ("Polish Herbarium"), the titles of the individual pieces and their subject matter clearly suggest that this is a concept album and the pieces are in fact a song cycle. The overall atmosphere, soaked in typical Polish melancholy, religious martyrology and solemn reflection is heavy and overbearing, and creates a piece of music that is definitely not easy to absorb or even listen to. The sound is mostly massive and daunting, often overdramatic and even cataclysmic, something which could easily be used as a horror movie soundtrack, rather than something listeners would chose to listen to voluntarily. The only piece, which is performed by just the vocalist and the Jazz quartet, is definitely the most coherent piece on the album. The music, although dominated by Classical influences, manages to amalgamate strong folkloristic themes and subtle Jazz sensitivity and shows talent and dedication by the composer and all the musicians involved. It seems Stanislaw Slowinski is trying to conquer the musical world a bit too aggressively and a bit prematurely, even for such talented young men as he is. It is worth to remember that less is often more, both in music and life in general. Having said all that, this is still definitely an unusual and ambitious album that deserves to be heard and appreciated. A little less intensity and drama next time should make everything just perfect.

Updated: 25/02/2017Posted: 25/02/2017

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STANISLAW SLOWINSKI ~ LANDSCAPES TOO EASY TO EXPLAIN HEVHETIA 0139 (Barcode: 8588005257978) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2016 This is the debut album by a quintet led by Polish Jazz violinist / composer Stanislaw SlowinskiFind albums by this artist, which also includes trumpeter Zbigniew SzwajdychFind albums by this artist, pianist Katarzyna PietrzkoFind albums by this artist, bassist Justyn MalodobryFind albums by this artist and drummer Maksymilian OlszewskiFind albums by this artist. Together they perform seven original compositions, all by the leader. The music is an excellent example of modern Polish Jazz, which although melody based and well within the mainstream convention, manages to maintain a very high level of compositions and performances. It is soaked with typical Polish melancholy and Slavic melodic motifs, and of course focuses on the violin as the leading instrument, and as a result one can hardly find a more spiritually "Polish Jazz" album than this one. The pairing of the violin and the trumpet as the two lead instruments proves to be extremely effective and harmonically attuned, in spite of its rarity. As usual with the new generation of the Polish Jazz musicians, Slowinski, despite his young age, has already an impressive list of accomplishments to his credit, which includes leading / membership in several projects, including as diverse directions as Improvised Music on one hand and Classical Music on the other. This album, which sits, as already mentioned, comfortably within the mainstream Jazz idiom, presents yet another facet of Slowinski´s versatility and is primarily dedicated to presenting his compositions. But of course his performances on the violin are full of beautiful sensitivity and technical excellence. It is worth mentioning that Slowinski is yet another representative of the Polish Jazz Violin School, which enjoys an incredible renaissance in the last decade, and places Poland in the leading position as far as violin artistry is concerned in the Jazz field. He joins the ranks of many of his colleagues, who proudly continue the traditional role of the violin as one of the most expressive instruments available to mankind. The rest of the quintet members are all of course excellent performers as well. Szwajdych delivers melodic accompaniment and excellent solo parts, Pietrzko lays out the harmonic layer upon which the tunes progress and fills the gaps with her delicate but solid statements, and hopefully will play more solo parts on future recordings. The rhythm sections provides admirable and flawless support to the soloists, and plays always at the right levels to make the music a whole bigger that the sum of its parts. This is definitely a very impressive debut, which comes with a firm recommendation to follow these wonderful young people in their future endeavors. Well done indeed!

Updated: 30/12/2016Posted: 30/12/2016

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STANISLAW SLOWINSKI ~ VISIONS – VIOLIN CONCERTO NO.1 NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2018 Released: 2020 This is the third album as a leader by young Polish Jazz violinist / composer Stanislaw SlowinskiFind albums by this artist, recorded with a Jazz septet comprising of musicians that took part in the recording of the two earlier albums: trumpeter Zbigniew SzwajdychFind albums by this artist, saxophonist / flautist Marta WajdzikFind albums by this artist, guitarist Szymon MikaFind albums by this artist, pianist Kuba PluzekFind albums by this artist, bassist Justyn MalodobryFind albums by this artist and drummer Dawid FortunaFind albums by this artist, as well as the AUKSO Chamber OrchestraFind albums by this artist conducted by Marek MosFind albums by this artist. The music, recorded live, presents a violin concerto in three movements, and includes both the audio (CD) and video (DVD) version of the premiere performance of the concerto. The music is a typical romantic Classical concerto, incorporating melodic themes strongly based on Polish folkloristic influences, full of melancholy and beautiful lyricism. The Jazz and Classical elements are loosely integrated, which causes the music to move between the Classical and Jazz worlds rather than present a unified / amalgamated approach, with the solo violin parts serving as a bridge between the two worlds. As expected, the performances, both by the septet members and the string orchestra, are excellent from start to finish, as are the violin solo parts by Slowinski. He joins the ranks of the young Polish violin stars, which are constantly growing, building the new generation of the Polish Jazz Violin School. This ambitious undertaking is perhaps a tad too tamed overall, with Slowinski taking no risks and following 19th Century Classical Music conventions and mainstream Jazz patterns, whereas contemporary listeners probably expect a little more experimentation these days. Having said that, this album is a solid, well structured and beautifully performed piece of music, which can be enjoyed by a wide range of listeners, both from the Jazz and Classical Music circles. Definitely worth investigating!

Updated: 11/01/2023Posted: 20/02/2020

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STANISLAW SLOWINSKI ~ VISIONS (BETWEEN LOVE AND DEATH) HEVHETIA 0163 (Barcode: 8588005258265) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is the second album by Polish Jazz violinist / composer Stanislaw SlowinskiFind albums by this artist, recorded in a sextet setting with two of the musicians who played on his debut: trumpeter Zbigniew SzwajdychFind albums by this artist and bassist Justyn MalodobryFind albums by this artist and three new players: guitarist Szymon MikaFind albums by this artist, pianist Kuba PluzekFind albums by this artist and drummer Dawid FortunaFind albums by this artist. Vocalist Joanna SlowinskaFind albums by this artist guests on one track. The album presents seven original compositions, six of which were composed by Slowinski and one is a collective improvisation. The music is a continuation of the approach initiated by the debut, with major emphasis on the compositions, which have a suite-like structure, such that the entire album could be considered as one continuous piece of music. Although clearly melody based, the music allows individual freedom of expression and personal interpretation by the sextet members. The melodic themes are again mostly very lyrical and somewhat melancholic, but at the same time dynamic and multi-layered enough to keep the listener at his toes. As expected form the sextet´s lineup, which consists of some of the most prominent representatives of the young Polish Jazz scene, the individual contributions are all fabulous. Szwajdych is the romantic element, Mika the Fusion oriented vigorous voice and the leader takes the role of a charmer, with his violin seductively swirling around the basic melody lines. With these three front-line players sadly there is very little solo space left for Pluzek, who is an excellent player but is limited here mostly (except for one track) to the role of an accompanist, which of course he fulfills perfectly. The dynamic rhythm section is an integral part of the sextet and steers the soloists safely across the sometimes troubled waters of the tricky compositions. Overall this is an excellent sophomore album, which definitely stands up to the expectations aroused by the debut. The Polish Jazz violin school is proudly developing before our very eyes, which is a source of joy, and albums like this one confirm that Polish / European Jazz is doing well and manages to avoid stagnation. Well done indeed!

Updated: 01/02/2018Posted: 01/02/2018

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