Record Reviews

DOROTA BAROVA ~ DOTYK ANIMAL MUSIC 100 (Barcode: 8594155997312) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2021 Released: 2021 This is the second album by Czech vocalist / cellist / songwriter Dorota BarovaFind albums by this artist, recorded with guitarist Miroslav ChyskaFind albums by this artist, bassist Milos KlapsteFind albums by this artist and vocalist Jan JakubecFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven original songs, all composed by Barova, five of which have also lyrics written her and one each features lyrics by Polish poetess Teresa DrozdaFind albums by this artist and poet Krzysztof Kamil BaczynskiFind albums by this artist. All the lyrics are in Polish language, a language Barova inherited from her Mother. The album continues the unique aesthetic climate of the beautiful Barova’s debut album, presenting minimalist approach which puts the vocals and their lyrics in the center of attention, with the instrumental accompaniment being somewhat subordinate, but absolutely not of lesser importance. Although the music is not Jazz oriented per se, it has a strong Jazz undercurrent and therefore it does belong, as far as I am concerned, to the Jazz & Poetry idiom. The music is very melodic, albeit the melody lines are often quite complex and quirky, which of course requires dedicated, attentive listening in order to follow the twists and turns, those being further complicated by the instrumental accompaniment. However, despite all that complexity, the result is able to flow smoothly and often gently, letting the listener to absorb the lyrics as well. Barova clearly manages to create a consistent sonic environment, which suits her ideally. Preferring the “less is more” modus operandi, she is able to create music, which speaks strongly, even penetratingly, despite the low volume and subdued expressionist, which is masterly achieved by her and her companions. Overall, this is a beautiful album, which is a coherent follow up to her debut and establishes her as a musical figure worth being followed closely. As most Jazz & Poetry albums, this one can be enjoyed perfectly by audiences beyond the language barrier, with the lyrics serving as a bonus to native speakers of Slavic languages. This is an absolutely delightful piece of music, which seams as an island of sanity in this crazy world we live in. Thank you, Milady, for your talent and dedication!

Updated: 10/10/2022Posted: 10/10/2022

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DOROTA BAROVA ~ ILUZJA ANIMAL MUSIC 073 (Barcode: 8594155991365) ~ CZECH REPUBLIC ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is the debut album as a leader by Czech vocalist / cellist / songwriter Dorota BarovaFind albums by this artist, recorded with guitarist Jakub VejnarFind albums by this artist and bassist Miroslav ChyskaFind albums by this artist, who play on six of the album’s ten tracks. The album presents ten original songs, all composed by Barova except one composed by pianist Beata HlavenkovaFind albums by this artist, who also sings and plays on that track. The remaining three tracks are performed by Barova, using multitracked vocals and cello. Barova wrote the lyrics to four of the tracks, four other were written by Polish journalist and lyricist Teresa DrozdaFind albums by this artist and the last two by Polish poet Krzysztof Kamil BaczynskiFind albums by this artist. All the lyrics are in the Polish language and Barova sings them in Polish, crediting her love of that language to her Mother, who is Polish (although Polish and Czech languages have many similarities and both belong to the Slavic languages group, they are also quite distinct). The music is an obvious example of my beloved Jazz & Poetry idiom, and is definitely one of the finest examples of this Artistic genre that landed on my desk lately. Thy music is uniquely beautiful, full of intrinsic lyricism, but also quite complex, multilayered and intricate, despite the fact that it utilizes a limited instrumental range. The excellent sound recording (Milan CimfeFind albums by this artist again) enables listening to each and every little nuance, which this album is absolutely packed with. The album is full of ingenious trickery, using unconventional instrumentation and a complex multilayered combination of vocal and instrumental tracks, which turn the seemingly limited, almost minimalist range into a brilliant kaleidoscope of sounds, all fitting together brilliantly. Barova utilizes her vocal and instrumental abilities to the max, achieving an unprecedented harmoniously coherent result. Combined with the excellent lyrics, the overall result is simply irresistible. Overall this album is a wonderful example of intelligent, sensitive, inventive and highly aesthetic music making, which offers a distinctive statement, breaks new ground and challenges the listener both emotionally and cerebrally. Thank you, my Lady, for sharing your talent with us and Godspeed in future endeavors!

Updated: 06/03/2021Posted: 06/03/2021

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