Record Reviews

GORCZYNSKI / PALMER / WIRACKI ~ A SOUL NOT ALL OF WOOD MULTIKULTI MPO 003 (Barcode: 5903068683299) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 This is the second album by the trio comprising of Polish Jazz clarinetist / composer Michal GorczynskiFind albums by this artist, British (resident in Warsaw) actor / vocalist Sean PalmerFind albums by this artist and Polish pianist Tomasz WirackiFind albums by this artist, which apparently decided to call the trio William`s ThingsFind albums by this artist after the name of their debut album. Same as with the debut, this is also a kind of Jazz & Poetry project, this time based on the writings of the American poet / philosopher Henry David ThoreauFind albums by this artist. The album presents eleven compositions, all by Gorczynski, to texts by Thoreau, a pioneering environmentalist and ecologist. In complete contrast to the debut album, the musical approach on this album is almost completely "conventional", with all the pieces being basically melodic songs, in most cases accompanied only by the piano and with minimal instrumental contributions by Gorczynski. Having said that, the music and the entire concept are excellent from start to finish and Gorczynski again proves to be a superb weaver of melodies and moods and an Artistic spirit of great importance on the local scene. The minimalistic approach is also present in Wiracki´s playing, which is devout of any improvisation and offers harmonic chord accompaniment to the singing only. As a result the focus of this album lands almost entirely on Palmer´s shoulders, and he uses his theatric training and abilities to express the deeply emotional charge of some of these pieces, although most of the songs are contemplative and calm. Overall this is a very powerful piece of music, even if most of it reserved and minimalist, exemplifying the "less is more" concept to the max. Even if the English texts somewhat limit the audience to English native speakers, which on the Polish scene is a bit problematic, as usual with Poetry & Jazz projects these limitations can be transcended by the sheer Artistic power of the music. The trio manages to create a distinct niche for its Artistic endeavors, which is highly commendable.

Updated: 05/11/2019Posted: 05/11/2019

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

GORCZYNSKI / PALMER / WIRACKI ~ WILLIAM`S THINGS MULTIKULTI MPO 002 (Barcode: 5907529223833) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is an amazing Jazz & Poetry album recorded by Polish clarinetist / composer Michal GorczynskiFind albums by this artist (playing the contrabass clarinet), British (resident in Warsaw) actor / vocalist Sean PalmerFind albums by this artist and Polish pianist Tomasz WirackiFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten original compositions by Gorczynski to poems by the celebrated British poet William BlakeFind albums by this artist. The music, although melody based to some extent, is a superb example of contemporary Avant-Garde exploration, which uses relatively intimate instrumental setting to produce entire landscapes of words and music, which are deeply moving and wonderfully expressive. The contrabass clarinet is seemingly a limited instrument, but when skillfully combined with the human voice and delicate piano stream, and enhanced by electronic looping, is able to create powerful and rich kaleidoscope of sounds. The atmosphere of the resulting framework often resembles minimalist music, but of course is not constrained only to that specific idiom. There are also elements of serial, sacral and neoromanic trends, some Jazz improvisation, folkloristic touches and even Rock; overall a bizarre but wonderful blend of ideas that works out surprisingly well and combined with the potent poetry is very striking. Gorczynski again proves that he is one of the most idiosyncratic Artists on the Polish scene, who does not stand still for a moment and manages to surprise the connoisseurs with new concepts on each of his relatively frequent releases. It is difficult to say much about the individual performances, as this project is all about close, almost symbiotic cooperation between the three partners. Palmer´s theatrical background is a great benefit herein, as his delivery of the vocals is based on his ability to play with his voice and other tricks of the trade. Wiracki is a master of the understatement, and his delicate melodic pointers are more suggestive than direct. Gorczynski is a virtuoso player of course but his contributions on this album are mostly atmospheric and background oriented. Having said that, this album is full of exquisite moments, which when added together creates a result way beyond just the sum of its ingredients. This is a very unique, wonderful piece of Artistry, wholeheartedly recommended to open-minded listeners anywhere on this planet. For other Jazz & Poetry projects involving William Blake the listeners should also check out the Mike WestbrookFind albums by this artist discography.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 19/10/2018

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend