Record Reviews

LIPINY SYNDICATE ~ LIPINY SYNDICATE NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2014 Released: 2015 This is the debut album by Silesian quartet called Lipiny SyndicateFind albums by this artist, led by guitarist / composer Tomasz BienekFind albums by this artist with violinist Tomasz MuchaFind albums by this artist, bassist Simon NowakowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Ryszard RajcaFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven compositions, five of which are originals composed (in one case co-composed) by Bienek, one is a Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist composition and one is an off-shot of a BeatlesFind albums by this artist tune. The music played by Lipiny Syndicate is a surprisingly original mixture of Fusion, Folklore and Psychedelia, which is distinctly original from anything else currently being played on the Polish scene. Additionally the sound of the quartet is also completely unusual, full of reverb and echo, electric and yet full of acoustic ambience. This is some of the most bizarre sound I have heard in a long time and I absolutely love it. It is somewhat similar to the early violin-based Jazz-Rock ensembles, like Flock, Hands, Curved Air, It`s A Beautiful Day and others, which brings warm waves of nostalgia and longing to the times when music was music. Bienek´s compositions are all solid, with good melody lines, serving as ideal vehicles for the extended treatment they receive by the quartet. Mucha performs most of the Jazzy improvised parts, always playing with flair as appropriate for a virtuoso performer, with Bienek playing complex guitar chords behind him. The rhythm section sticks mostly to Rock patterns, which fit the music ideally, with the bass filling the bottom part of the spectrum with a solid foundation and the drums leading the music forward at a steady pace. There are many mini-quotations hidden within the music, taken from Silesian Folklore, Hassidic Klezmer tunes, Reggae songs and a myriad of other sources, which are delightful and humorous, proving that this music is meant to be fun. Overall this is a most likeable album, which can be listened to repeatedly and allows the listener to discover its hidden gems time after time. It is so different from most other stuff played today that it deserves to be discovered and enjoyed. Satisfaction guaranteed!

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JOLA LITERSKA ~ PROTEST SONGS (PIESNI LUTRA) NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Gospel Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is a wonderful and completely out of the ordinary album by Polish (well Silesian) vocalist Jola LiterskaFind albums by this artist, which as the title suggests presents her interpretation of eight songs composed and written by the 16th Century Protestant Reformation leader Martin LutherFind albums by this artist, who was also an accomplished composer. Literska´s concept is to interpret these songs as Protest Songs, which in many respects they were, considering the theological and social upheaval Luther´s teachings managed to create. Literska sings the songs in the Polish language and is accompanied by a small group of musicians, which includes guitarist Tomasz BienekFind albums by this artist, bassist Andrzej RusekFind albums by this artist and violinist Tomasz MuchaFind albums by this artist; all three also arranged the songs. Guitarist Stefan MalejkaFind albums by this artist and violinist Jacek DzwonowskiFind albums by this artist guest on a couple of tracks. Although the music has distinctive mediaeval characteristics, it sounds also amazingly contemporary, and turns out to be almost Bluesy. The arrangements, which are very delicate and minimalistic, are astoundingly effective and powerful. Literska´s beautiful vocals, which are kept within strict stylistic limitations, amaze with their simplicity and intrinsic gorgeousness. The instrumentalists make every note count and adorn the spiritual music with angelic beauty. This album is a superb example of great taste, intelligent treatment of the subject matter and divine esthetics, which combined together are simply irresistible. Even without the deeply theological layer, which is expressed by the song´s lyrics, the music has a spiritual nature and quality, which is almost never achievable by today´s musical standards. Personally I was completely smitten by this concept album, which proves the power of modesty and "less is more" approach, especially if the actual concept matter is as powerful as in this case. It takes a lot of courage to tackle such an unusual and ideologically challenging project and the fact that the result is as powerful and successful as in this case, is truly rewarding. This is definitely one of the most unusual recordings on the Polish scene in quite a while and I recommend to every music connoisseur, including those who do not know the Polish language, to try and get a copy of this gem. Silesia Rules!

Updated: 11/02/2018Posted: 11/02/2018

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MULASTA TRIO ~ LIVE IN GREEN EYE BCD 23 (Barcode: 5906881885222) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2007 Released: 2008 This is a live recording by the Mulasta TrioFind albums by this artist, which consists of Polish Jazz violinist Tomasz MuchaFind albums by this artist, Finnish bassist Lasse LindgrenFind albums by this artist and Polish drummer Bartek StaromiejskiFind albums by this artist. They perform seven compositions, four of which are originals by Mucha, one is a Finnish tune, one is a standard and finally the last one is a folk tune arranged by Lindgren. The music is performed almost completely acoustically, which is very different from most contemporary Jazz violin recordings, which sound mostly electric. This acoustic approach is reminiscent of early Jazz violin recordings before violin was almost completely drawn into Fusion. Although improvised and swinging, the overall result is not exactly within the mainstream Jazz boundaries and includes also World Music elements. The atmosphere is very relaxed and the musicians obviously have a great fun playing together. The essence of the music is based on the intimate exchanges between the violin and the bass, with both instruments playing alongside constantly. This wonderful dialogue is the absolute highlight of this recording. Both Mucha and Lindgren perform with virtuosity and finesse, which definitely deserves to be discovered. Staromiejski respectfully accompanies the two soloists trying not to interfere with their performances and does a perfect job in that respect. Mucha´s compositions are all rounded and wonderfully lyrical, fitting elegantly this setting. Overall this is a beautiful, graceful and delicate album, which is sadly little known and surely deserves a wider exposure. Although the Polish Jazz violin already holds a proud position in that music´s history, this acoustic variety surely deserves also to be a part of that heritage. I´d surely love to hear more of this kind of music in the future.

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