Record Reviews

WOJTEK MAZOLEWSKI QUINTET ~ BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE WMQ 09 (Barcode: 5908252861705) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2023 Released: 2024 This is the 6th album by Polish bassist / composer / bandleader Wojtek MazolewskiFind albums by this artist and his quintet, which current lineup includes Slovak trumpeter Oskar TorokFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Piotr CheckiFind albums by this artist, pianist Marcel BalinskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Tymoteusz PapiorFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Tymek PapiorFind albums by this artist). The album presents ten tracks, nine of which are original compositions by Mazolewski and one is co-credited to all the members of the quintet. Two of the compositions are repeated twice in different versions and the last track is annotated as a “bonus track” (bonus to what?). The music follows the established pattern of the quintet’s previous albums, with solid melodic compositions and excellent performances by the quintet members, but in the long run the album, as nice as it sounds, adds nothing new to the cumulative output, which means that a strong déjà vu feeling is in the air, for listeners who faithfully follow the quintet’s output. That said, this is still a very pleasant listening experience and for Polish Jazz lovers, who enjoy the melancholic lyricism and the acoustic Jazz sound, this is as good as it gets. Overall, this is another well played and pleasing Jazz experience, which can be universally enjoyed, without being groundbreaking or innovative.

Updated: 05/01/2025Posted: 05/01/2025

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

ALAN WYKPISZ PROJECT ~ CITY JUNGLE AFRO VIBE 005 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2021 Released: 2022 This is the debut album as a leader by prominent young generation Polish Jazz bassist / composer Alan WykpiszFind albums by this artist, recorded with an excellent team of musicians, which includes guitarist Jakub MizerackiFind albums by this artist, keyboardists Pawel KaczmarczykFind albums by this artist and Dawid LachFind albums by this artist and drummers Maksymilian OlaszewskiFind albums by this artist and Tymoteusz PapiorFind albums by this artist. DJ Wojciech DlugoszFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Mr. KrimeFind albums by this artist) performs turntablism on the title track. The album presents nine original compositions, all by the leader. The music is absolutely delightful, from start to finish, quite diverse and surprising, fresh and enchanting. The melodic content is lyrical and well put together and the performances by the leader and ensemble members are electrifying. Wykpisz is not shy and offers many brilliant solo parts, both acoustic and electric, and his firm pulsations dominate the music quite noticeably, but the open character of the compositions and the ensemble format allows all the members to solo extensively. The double drums create a dense and complex rhythmic support, which fits the music ideally. The album offers a unique atmosphere, highly electric and sonically charged. Despite the electric guitar, keyboards and bass, the music is distinctly non-Fusion oriented, and offers somewhat nostalgic sense of early electric Jazz. There is a strong dimension of freedom and space, which at some moments is close to Free Jazz, but then the music moves suddenly into a sweet Swing / Funky mode, only to become something completely different soon after. Despite this rapid changes of mood and tempo, the music makes perfect sense at all times, which is truly amazing. The modern, somewhat unusual ambience as far as Jazz recordings are concerned, with a lot of dark bottom layers and sparkling synthesizers, might keep back some of the more conservative listeners, and I hope serious Jazz lovers will be able to overcome prejudice and primal fears. This music is bold and distinctly different, but it is immensely intelligent and enthralling, so please make an effort to embrace it. After all the history of Jazz is full examples, where sublime albums were recognized only decades later. Hopefully this will not be the fate of this great piece of music. Overall, this is an amazing album, one of the most unique Polish Jazz recordings in 2022, and to be honest probably one of the best Jazz albums that landed on my desk worldwide that year. There is absolutely nothing obvious or trivial for the entire duration and the matchless amalgam of all the elements creates a magical piece of music, which left me awestruck. Great to see Wykpisz finally in full blown blossom of his talents after hiding for so long behind his massive instrument. Respect!

Updated: 16/01/2023Posted: 16/01/2023

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend