Record Reviews

ADAM BALDYCH / BALTIC GANG ~ IMAGINARY ROOM ACT 9532 (Barcode: 614427953223) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2012 This is the first international release by Polish Jazz violinist / composer Adam BaldychFind albums by this artist. Recorded in Berlin, it features Baldych in a sextet / septet setting with some of the best Scandinavian musicians (hence the Baltic GangFind albums by this artist): trumpeter Verneri PohjolaFind albums by this artist (Finland), saxophonist Marius NesetFind albums by this artist (Norway), trombonist Nils LandgrenFind albums by this artist (Sweden) who plays on two tracks and co-produced the album, pianist Jacob KarlzonFind albums by this artist (Sweden), bassist Lars DanielssonFind albums by this artist (Sweden), and drummer Morten LundFind albums by this artist (Denmark). Baldych composed ten of the album´s twelve tunes and co-composed the remaining two (one with Karlzon and the other with Danielsson). The album was released on the German ACTFind albums on this label label, which already features several Polish Jazz artists on its recording artist roster. Baldych, just 26 years old at the time this music was recorded, has already a most impressive list of achievements behind him and is often referred to as the new hope of Polish Jazz violin, which has a remarkable tradition indeed, with such outstanding masters as Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist, Zbigniew SeifertFind albums by this artist and Krzesimir DebskiFind albums by this artist. With this album Baldych certainly earned his final seal of approval, joining the distinguished club of his predecessors. The music included on this album is a major step in the development of Baldych as a composer. There is a definite style and a personal signature on all the tunes, which share a remarkable tendency towards melancholy, romanticism and deep lyricism. Most of the music is delicate, low key and slow tempo, with long and winding melody lines, a manner quite typical to the great Polish composers, both Classical and Jazz. The presence of the Scandinavian musicians, who are also known for their specific tone, might have influenced the overall sound and atmosphere of the album, but that would be only marginal. Considering also the fact that the tracks are relatively short and the arrangements do not allow expanded improvisations, it is obvious that the focus of this album is the music (compositions) rather that the performances. The performances are, of course, stellar, which is not surprising considering the level of the musicians involved. Baldych plays superbly, as expected, but much less flashy and extrovert than on his earlier recordings. It is obvious that he reached a mental maturity, which turns him into a total musician, who does not need to prove his ability to the world, but to present a complete musical work of art, which includes composition, arrangement, performance and ambience as a whole. There are plenty of superb musical moments on this album, which of course will be revealed and discovered with repeated listening sessions. The album is definitely one of the finest recent Polish Jazz recordings and will become part of the Polish Jazz canon for years to come. Baldych, who is just making his first international steps, is destined for glory, which hopefully will be achieved gradually. In the meantime this music is his gift to us, to be enjoyed to the fullest. Chapeau!

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ELMA ~ AD REM HEVHETIA 0113 (Barcode: 8588005257657) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2016 This is the second album by Polish Jazz vocalist ElmaFind albums by this artist, but in fact it could be viewed as the second part of Elma´s debut album, as it presents material recorded at the same recording session as the material released on the debut. A conscious decision was made at the time to collect the "song oriented" material on the debut and the improvised material on this second album The album was recorded by a quartet, which features Elma with Finnish trumpeter Verneri PohjolaFind albums by this artist and Polish pianist Dominik WaniaFind albums by this artist and bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and was recorded at the Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist. The music on this album comprises of twelve improvised pieces; a prologue and then an eleven-part suite. Except for the first part of the suite which is credited to Elma and Pohjola, the rest of the music is credited to all four participants. Although the Improvised Music is enjoying a spectacular Renaissance in the last few years, it is almost always completely instrumental and does not involve the human voice. The glorious days of the vocal Improvised Music are sadly completely gone and pioneering vocalists like Jeanne LeeFind albums by this artist, Lauren NewtonFind albums by this artist, Urszula DudziakFind albums by this artist, Jay ClaytonFind albums by this artist, Bobby McFerrinFind albums by this artist and others are either forgotten or changed their field of interest. Therefore Elma can be considered as the torch bearer of this fantastic tradition into the 21st Century. Elma treats her voice as an instrument, which has always been the basic rule of great vocalists. Since the human voice is limited only by the vocalist´s imagination, it is the most versatile and virtually unlimited instrument, a fact which becomes plainly evident to anybody listening to this music. With the incredibly compassionate accompaniment Elma receives from her three partners, the resulting music is one of the most unique musical creations recorded in the last few years. The importance of this music is twofold; firstly it is breathtakingly beautiful, emotionally intense and aesthetically stunning and secondly it is intellectually courageous and fascinating. Elma is not regressing to the 1970s to create more of the same vocal Improvised Music created then, but takes the tradition right up to date, moving forward and updating the concept, adapting it to contemporary Jazz language, sound and vision. Her vocalese and other tricks of the trade, most of which she invented herself or expanded from earlier examples, is a completely new language in itself, which enables her to go where nobody went before; an extremely rare quality these days. The contributions of the three instrumentalists present here is simply outstanding. They all manage to contribute to the music without overshadowing the focus of the vocals and their empathy and ability to communicate with Elma almost telepathically is simply phenomenal. This is indisputably one of the most important albums released on the Polish Jazz scene in the last decade and as far as vocal Jazz is concerned, also on a world scale. There is no other vocal Improvised Music of this intensity and innovative authority anywhere else at the moment, which makes this album simply a one of its kind. To say the truth, this album should be studied by every vocalist in the world, Jazz and otherwise, just to make them aware of what the human voice (and mind) is capable of. This might of course make some of them stop singing, which would be of great benefit of course. Absolutely essential item in every serious record collection!

Updated: 29/02/2016Posted: 29/02/2016

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ELMA ~ HIC ET NUNC IMP 101 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2014 This is the debut album by female Polish Jazz vocalist, who hides behind the pseudonym ElmaFind albums by this artist, recorded with Finnish trumpeter Verneri PohjolaFind albums by this artist (son of the Finnish Jazz legend Pekka PohjolaFind albums by this artist) and two great polish musicians: pianist Dominik WaniaFind albums by this artist and bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents eleven original compositions, seven of which are by Elma, three by Garbowski and the remaining one by Pohjola. The album was recorded at the legendary Studio Tokarnia, with Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist presiding, and with spectacular, as usual, sonic results. To put things straight, vocals in this case mean vocalese, i.e. wordless vocal phrases, which basically represent the human voice as just another instrument, placing it on the same level as the rest of the musicians involved. Stylistically the music is much more organized and melodic than one might expect by reading the liner notes, which basically suggest a lot of spontaneous improvisation, which is definitely present here but does not dominate the proceedings. On the contrary the majority of the music consists of clearly defined musical themes, which must have been rehearsed before the actual recording. Of course there is nothing wrong with such approach. Musical birds tell me that large part of the recorded music stays unreleased, so perhaps this album includes the more melodic content and the forthcoming one will present the spontaneously improvised pieces? Elma seems to be more involved in vocalese than any other female Polish Jazz vocalist at the moment, most of which use vocalese sparingly and prefer singing lyrics. Personally I always preferred the instrumental approach to human voice and therefore this album is a breath of fresh air in that department. Elma uses a wide variety of vocal paraphernalia, moving between scat, modulation, syllables or simply singing notes. The actual tone of her voice is perhaps an acquired taste, but the overall result is very unique and enjoyable. The instrumentalists are all quite spectacular, which in their case is not surprising. Wania arises as one of the absolute best Polish Jazz pianists and everything he touches simply turns into the proverbial gold. Garbowski, who is one of my personal favorites since quite a while, also delivers some incredible bass lines, which keep this music afloat, especially in a drumless environment. Pohjola plays some tasty trumpet solos, but his input is a bit too predictable for me personally, although many listeners addicted to the Nordic Jazz sound will surely love it. This is definitely one of the most interesting debuts (so far) in 2014 and deserves a lot of love and attention, simply to show daring musicians that conventions mean very little as far as good Art is concerned. Of course similar attitude towards vocals was already displayed several decades ago, including those of Urszula DudziakFind albums by this artist in Poland, but hearing someone trying to revive such experimentation is truly refreshing. I´d love to hear more from Elma and this quartet, hopefully in a not too distant future. Well done indeed!

Updated: 29/02/2016Posted:

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LYYTINEN / GARBOWSKI / GRADZIUK ~ SWORDS FSR 2020/19 (Barcode: 5905279364776) ~ FINLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the debut album by the Improvising Music trio comprising of Finnish saxophonist Pauli LyytinenFind albums by this artist and Polish bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist. The 2CD album was recorded live at one session and presents eleven improvisations (one repeated twice) credited to all three participants. For Garbowski and Gradziuk this is not the first time they cooperate with a Finnish partner, as documented by the recordings they made with Finnish trumpeter Verneri PohjolaFind albums by this artist, which of course could not make happier, since my love of Finnish Jazz is second only to that of Polish Jazz ;) As the music included on this album shows, the cooperation proved to be as fruitful as one might wish for. Lyytinen is a highly experienced improvising musician and a prolific recording Artist, with a most impressive recorded legacy despite his relative young age (born in 1983), which combines his Finnish influences with exposure to World culture and music. Some of his recordings also involve the a.m. Verneri Pohjola, which connects the dots as far as forming of the trio on this album is concerned. Despite the spontaneous improvisation process which produced this music, the result is highly melodic, perhaps not in the traditional meaning of the idiom, but definitely very communicative and inviting, which makes listening to this music a truly pleasurable experience, without compromising the aesthetic depth and artistry involved. The rapport between the musicians is obvious and completely honest, which of course is fully reflected in the music itself, radiating relaxed creative forces rather than tension. For listeners familiar with the work of Garbowski and Gradziuk this album is a natural extension of their earlier recorded legacy and a most welcome addition. Each meeting with brotherly musical souls is a tremendous experience and it is lucky for everybody when such meetings are also documented and available for posterity. It is also worth mentioning the incredible sound quality this album offers, thanks to Grabowski´s recording at the tiny Institute of Music Performance in Katowice, which I know personally of course, and the incredible mix and mastering by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist at Studio Tokarnia – a magnificent aural experience in addition to the spiritual musical experience, i.e. the best of the two worlds!

Updated: 23/12/2020Posted: 23/12/2020

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POHJOLA / GARBOWSKI / GRADZIUK ~ GEMSTONES FSR 2018/14 (Barcode: 5905279364370) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 The blessed technology that enables us to capture a piece of music for "posterity" and later repeat the process of music creation as many times as we like is miraculous in every respect. For centuries music existed exclusively in the very moment of its performance and as soon as it was born it was immediately lost forever. Today we can capture the music making process and transform it into physical, tangible element, which can later on be replicated continually and transferred with the speed of light into the infinite space that surrounds us. Glorious times indeed. But technology always comes with a moral and aesthetic price tag. In just over a Century, which is but an infinitesimal fracture of human history in general and more specifically just a minuscule part of history of music, we have produced enormous amounts of recorded music, which mostly tragically hardly deserves to exist for "posterity", almost the same way that we, the human race, produced such enormous quantities of garbage that we physically endanger our very existence on this planet. Improvised Music, Free Jazz and other forms of Avant-Garde musical exploration often suffer from the almost intrinsic malady, that they do not survive well the process of transformation between live performance and recording. Only in very rare cases spontaneous music is able to retain the aesthetic quality, the spiritual force and the artistic value that one expects to be exposed to while listening to recorded music. Without the immediate eye contact with the musicians, the ambience of the venue and the excitement of a "live" interaction the captured sound more often than not loses its charm, meaning and becomes banal or in the worst cases simply unlistenable. It is therefore a great and rare pleasure to encounter music, which was spontaneously created and is highly improvised, and yet manages to withstand the transformation between live performance and recording with flying colors. These extraordinary musicians managed to transfer the metaphysical Gems into real Gemstones, which naturally are as close to "posterity" as only Gemstones can be. Music is as much about music as it is about people and therefore behind every manifestation of music one should always bear in mind the human factor behind it, especially so in the case of recorded music, which distances the listener from the immediate human interaction with the creators of the music itself. Verneri PohjolaFind albums by this artist, Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist are not only extraordinary musicians, but first and foremost beautiful human beings, blessed with talent and armed with consistency and invariable drive to explore and discover. I am proud and grateful to have encountered not only their sublime music, but also their personal charm and friendship. Side Note The above are my liner notes included on this album's artwork. I am honored when asked by the Artists to write liner notes for their albums, always hoping that my words reflect the true spirit of the music. This is also a symbol of our mutual respect and friendship developed over the years. The same is also true when Record Labels ask me to write liner notes for their releases, mostly in the case of reissues of archival albums, which is a symbol of their appreciation of my knowledge and historical perspective and my recognition of their dedication to the preservation of the history of recorded music and the effort to keep human Culture and Aesthetics alive.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 04/01/2019

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VERNERI POHJOLA ~ AURORA TEXICALI 094 (Barcode: 6417698090949) ~ FINLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2008 Released: 2009 This is the debut album as a leader by Finnish Jazz trumpeter / composer Verneri PohjolaFind albums by this artist conceived and recorded over an extended period of time by several lineups, which feature many top Finnish Jazz musicians, including Verneri´s father bassist Pekka PohjolaFind albums by this artist brother trombonist Ilmari PohjolaFind albums by this artist, as well as legendary flautist Juhani AaltonenFind albums by this artist and a string quartet. The album presents eight tracks, seven of which are original compositions by Verneri and one is an arrangement of "Concierto de Aranjuez" by Joaquin RodrigoFind albums by this artist (which trumpeters seem to favor). The album was released following Pekka´s death and is dedicated to him. The music is quite diverse and offers a wide range of moods and stylistic references, and accordingly also challenges for the trumpet performances. It encompasses Classical Music influences as well as Jazz in all its forms from deeply melodic and typically Nordic climates to free form vistas. Although the music does not focus on a specific concept, it consistently shows a coherent compositional ability and aesthetics, which is rate for musicians that young. The performances are, as expected, stellar in every way. Verneri´s trumpet soars high and confident throughout the proceedings and the accompanying musicians create an ideal environment to support the often complex ideas. There are so many details and individual touches on this album that it requires several listening sessions to discover them all, with each and every one of those being highly deserving. Overall this is an excellent debut outing, which was (in retrospect) a good omen of things to come. Finnish Jazz managed to sustain and develop its superb level of accomplishments for the last half a century, always being one of my favorites and proudly representing the European Jazz capabilities at their best. Although not new, this album surely deserves the effort of finding a copy and plunge into its music, as it is definitely timeless.

Updated: 22/01/2021Posted: 22/01/2021

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VERNERI POHJOLA ~ BULLHORN EDITION 1056 (Barcode: 5065001530609) ~ FINLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2014 Released: 2014 This is the fifth album as a leader by Finnish Jazz trumpeter Verneri PohjolaFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet setting with pianist Aki RissanenFind albums by this artist, bassist Antti LotjonenFind albums by this artist and drummer Teppo MakynenFind albums by this artist. Three additional musicians guest on selected tracks. The album presents ten original compositions, all by Pohjola. Pohjola (born 1977) was for many years considered as one of the most promising young Finnish Jazz musicians and started his recording career quite early. As he states in the liner notes of this album, he considers it to be a “rite of passage” into the musical adulthood as he approaches the age of forty. The music is all strictly melody based, full of typical Nordic atmosphere, melancholy and reflection. The tunes are all carefully crafted and arranged and perfectly performed by the quartet with an occasional help from additional players. The performances are very clear, transparent and somewhat minimalist, with most of the soloing done by Pohjola, as expected. But the piano accompaniment is also quite intensive, with occasional soli, and the rhythm section adds an important support layer, which fits the desired atmosphere impeccably. Overall this is a beautiful album in all respects, which offers enchanting listening experience, emphasized by the excellent sound quality of the recording and superb compositions. For lovers of the Nordic Jazz atmosphere this album is an absolute charm, with Pohjola impersonating the pied piper with his sensuous trumpet, being completely irresistible. People who know Pohjola’s Improvised Music facet, will be surprised by his deep melodic aesthetics, which he displays herein, proving his diversity as a musician. Absolutely not to be missed!

Updated: 13/02/2021Posted: 13/02/2021

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VERNERI POHJOLA ~ PEKKA EDITION 1092 (Barcode: 5060509790074) ~ FINLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is the sixth album by Finnish Jazz trumpeter / composer Verneri PohjolaFind albums by this artist recorded in a quintet setting with keyboardist Tuomo PrattalaFind albums by this artist, guitarist Teemu ViinikainenFind albums by this artist, bassist Antti LotjonenFind albums by this artist and drummer Mika KallioFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven compositions by legendary Finnish bassist / composer Pekka PohjolaFind albums by this artist, who was Verneri´s father. In the liner notes of the album Verneri explains the background of his decision to record his father´s music, despite the complex personal relationship with him as a result of his parents divorce when Verneri was just two years old, which resulted in him being raised by his mother with almost no contact with his father. Additional complexity arose from the "son of…" syndrome, from which many children of famous people suffer from, being constantly measured up to their parents, mostly completely out of context. As Verneri states, he decided to make this album only when he felt he could "make the music sound his own"; not surprisingly Verneri dedicates this album to his mother Inkeri. I feel particularly lucky to know personally both Pekka and his son Verneri. I met Pekka in London, when Finnish Progressive Rock fist managed to conquer the international scene and when his albums were released on VirginFind albums on this label Records. Later on I met him several times in Finland during my visits there. We kept in touch for years and he sent me his albums regularly. His death in 2008 at a ridiculous young age was a blow for me since I always loved both him and his music dearly. I met Verneri in Poland when he joined the Polish Jazz trio RGGFind albums by this artist and I was present at the concert hall where their live album "City Of Gardens" was recorded. The following year I invited RGG and Verneri to perform at my Singer Jazz Festival in Warsaw. Of course we are now in touch – life and music continue… The music Verneri chose to perform on this album was originally released on the following four brilliant albums by Pekka (his 1st, 2nd, 5th and 10th releases): "Pihkasilma Kaarnakorva (Resineye Barkear)Find albums with this title", "B The MagpieFind albums with this title", "Katkavaaran LohikaarmeFind albums with this title" and "Changing WatersFind albums with this title" released between 1972 and 1992 and presenting a wide spectrum of Pekka´s diverse compositions. Listeners familiar with the original recordings will be surprised by Verneri´s adaptations, which bring the music up to date and transform them stylistically into modern Jazz, but carefully preserve the original melody lines and the intrinsic melancholy that always characterized Pekka´s music. Verneri´s trumpet symbolically represents the second generation, whereas the guitar reflects the Rocky roots of the first generation. Whichever way one wants to look at it, the music is absolutely brilliant from start to finish and completely relevant on its own even to listeners oblivious of its origins. I am happy to see that Verneri managed to overcome his fears and psychological barriers, to create an exceptional example of cross-generation continuance. Overall this is a brilliant piece of music, bridging musical styles and concepts, which takes no prisoners and is completely overwhelming in every way. Verneri plays some sublime trumpet lines on this album and the rest of the quintet all contribute amicably and ably to create a timeless musical experience. As such I can only recommend this album to all true music lovers, young and old, everywhere in the world where great music is appreciated.

Updated: 13/02/2021Posted: 15/01/2021

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RGG / LYYTINEN / BLASER ~ CITY OF GARDENS VOL. 2 VOICE MUSIC 1011 (Barcode: 5906489287527) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2021 Released: 2024 This is an album by Polish Jazz trio RGGFind albums by this artist (pianist Lukasz OjdanaFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist), joined by Finnish saxophonist Pauli LyytinenFind albums by this artist and Swiss trombonist Samuel BlaserFind albums by this artist. The “Vol. 2” refers to the album recorded by a similar quintet, but with Finnish trumpeter Verneri PohjolaFind albums by this artist instead of Lyytinen, released in 2018. The album presents seven tracks, five of which are improvised by the quintet and two are composed by Garbowski. The album offers a stunning sound quality. The music reflects the steady shift of RGG towards Improvised Music, which happened gradually during the twenty plus years of their music making together, and is, in retrospect, one of the most fascinating musical journeys on the Polish Jazz scene. All three members of the trio are brilliant instrumentalists, capable of producing a mesmerizing flow of music, which never loses its coherence and melodic footing, even when it journeys into the Free Improvisation sphere, all of which is wonderfully documented on their impressive recorded legacy, carefully assembled over the last two decades. Another aspect of RGG’s musical journey is the openness towards other musicians from all over the world, which also yielded superb recordings, like the a.m. earlier “City Of GardensFind albums with this title” album or their cooperation with British improvisers, like Trevor WattsFind albums by this artist or Evan ParkerFind albums by this artist. The open-mindedness and empathy required in such circumstances is superbly documented on this album as well, which is a beautiful example of spontaneity and telepathic musical bonding at their best. Overall, this is a deeply moving, elegant and truly inspiring example of Improvised Music at its best, full of elegance and eloquence, coherency and aesthetics, which makes listening to music such a pleasure. An absolute gem!

Updated: 09/12/2024Posted: 09/12/2024

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RGG / POHJOLA / BLASER ~ CITY OF GARDENS FSR 2018/08 (Barcode: 5905279364318) ~ POLAND ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is a live recording by Polish Jazz trio RGGFind albums by this artist (pianist Lukasz OjdanaFind albums by this artist, bassist Maciej GarbowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist), expanded to a European quintet with the addition of the Finnish trumpeter Verneri PohjolaFind albums by this artist and Swiss trombonist Samuel BlaserFind albums by this artist. The music was recorded during the quintet´s concert at the XII Silesian Jazz Festival in Katowice, with yours truly present in the audience and therefore also, at least spiritually, a part of this recording. The album presents five original compositions, all by Garbowski. Although the Polish Jazz scene always had an abundance of excellent Jazz piano trios, RGG certainly deserve a special mention in every respect. Their quest for musical perfection and constant searching, their openness and uncompromising aesthetics, their ability to survive the change of the pianist and continue safe and sound in a natural progression and above all their personal charm are all truly unique. I have of course followed the trio´s development from day one, collectively and individually, and consider them to be a quintessential paradigm of the young post-Millennium Polish Jazz scene. The trio´s previous live recording, which placed them alongside the veteran British avant-gardist Evan ParkerFind albums by this artist and their recordings with Polish vocalist Anna GadtFind albums by this artist opened another chapter in their approach to music, namely their hunger to develop collaborations with musicians from outside the trio´s closed habitat. This led also to work first with Pohjola and then also Blaser, which we are able to hear on this album. Although credited to Gradziuk, the music is of course mostly improvised and the lengthy, between ten and fifteen minutes long tracks, are an orgy of controlled spontaneity and free fall, which is completely captivating. The quintet goes through all the possible iterations, with musicians playing solo or in duo, trio, quartet and quintet settings, all impulsively forming on the stage. But with all that openness and freedom, which can be heard throughout, there is also a magic coherency and discipline, which sets boundaries and defines the scope and form of the music at any given point. This miraculous ability to play free and at the same time show a clear direction is the most important ingredient, which makes this music what it is. The individual statements are all phenomenal, which is hardly a surprise. Pohjola is definitely stealing a lot of the attention, as his trumpet pyrotechnics are breathtaking, but at the same time his playing is incredibly melodic, lyrical and often purely romantic. Blaser, already a young veteran of the trombone scene, has an incredible technique and no lesser feel, and the sound he is able to produce with his instrument is a ceaseless box of wanders. RGG – oh well they are the locomotive which carries this music along, a stylish carriage full of chic and aesthetic beauty and a red Lamborghini which adds zest and gusto. This is definitely some of the best Jazz music one can listen to these days, and I wish it gets to as many people as possible, as it is unconditionally superb. I am happy to be friends with these guys and proud of their achievements – they are the kind of people that do not let you down – and that is so rare. Thanks for the music!

Updated: 08/06/2018Posted: 08/06/2018

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KARI SAL ~ BETESDA HEVHETIA 0153 (Barcode: 8588005258135) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Pop Fusion Recorded: 2015 - 2016 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by Polish singer / songwriter Kari SalFind albums by this artist, recorded with a dream-team backup group consisting of top Polish Jazz musicians: violinist Adam BaldychFind albums by this artist (Sal´s husband), violist Michal ZaborskiFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Piotr CheckiFind albums by this artist, pianist Pawel KaczmarczykFind albums by this artist, bassist Michal KapczukFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof SzmandaFind albums by this artist. Finnish trumpeter Verneri PohjolaFind albums by this artist also guests on several tracks. The album presents seven original songs, five of which were composed by Sal, one was co-composed by Sal and Baldych and one was co-composed by Sal, Baldych and Kaczmarczyk. Sal wrote the lyrics to five of the songs and two songs have lyrics based on Biblical texts. There is also one track featuring wordless vocalese with music by Baldych. The music is a mixture of many diverse influences, which include Polish Folklore roots, Scandinavian Alternative Pop and others; altogether close in spirit to the Polish sung poetry idiom. The arrangements add a distinct Jazzy flavor, but the music is not rooted in Jazz per se. Sal´s songwriting is full of typical Polish lyricism and melancholy, both on the musical and textual planes. Influenced by her visit to Island, the music also encompasses the Nordic characteristics, which are not that far away from the Slavic sources, which perhaps explains why Polish and Scandinavian musicians feel so much affinity towards each other. The biblical sources and Sal´s own lyrics reflect deeply religious / spiritual involvement, which is rarely present in contemporary Art. Sal´s compositions are all remarkably mature, harmonically coherent, stylistically consistent and aesthetically rounded, which of course deserves praise and admiration. As expected, the performances by all the instrumentalist present on this album are nothing short of stellar. There are numerous exquisite solos and the accompaniment by the basic violin / piano / rhythm section quartet is superbly and consistently executed. But of course the vocal parts by Sal are the focus of this album. She has a wonderfully clear, steady and colorful voice, which she uses wisely and cleverly. Both her lyrics and vocalese parts are moving and fascinating, and although she demonstrates self-confidence and clear musical vision, she is not over-confident and respectfully cooperates with the band members. The decision to sing in Polish is also extremely important and it´s encouraging to see that some Polish vocalists are free of the "singing in English" complex, which is a plague and keeps Polish vocalists in many cases back from achieving its full potential. Overall this is a beautiful and most impressive debut album, which proves that determination and talent conquer all. Obviously Sal received a lot of support and help from the musicians playing on this album, but it is first and foremost her own achievement, both as a songwriter and performer and she deserves every bit of our gratitude for creating this sensitive, intelligent music. I already can´t wait for the next album… Thank you, Milady!

Updated: 04/11/2017Posted: 04/11/2017

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EMMA SALOKOSKI & ILMILIEKKI QUARTET ~ LIGGER DU FORTFARANDE I SANGEN! SVART 179 (Barcode: 6430065585916) ~ FINLAND ~ Jazz & Poetry Recorded: 2018 Released: 2018 This is an album by celebrated Finnish Jazz vocalist / composer Emma SalokoskiFind albums by this artist recorded with the Ilmiliekki QuartetFind albums by this artist, which comprises of trumpeter Verneri PohjolaFind albums by this artist, pianist Tuomo PrattalaFind albums by this artist, bassist Antti LotjonenFind albums by this artist and drummer Olavi LouhivouriFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original songs, three by Salokoski, two each by Prattala, Pohjola and Louhivouri. The lyrics of the songs are poems by Finnish (and in two cases Swedish) poets, which of course makes this a Jazz & Poetry project, one of my favorite genres. The booklet includes all the poems in Finnish, Swedish and English languages. The Jazz & Poetry idiom has been strongly present on the Finnish Jazz scene since the 1960s and some of its manifestations proved to be amongst the finest Finnish Jazz albums over the years, drawing a parallel between Finnish and Polish Jazz, which also seems to be enamored with that specific Art Form. The music, although beautifully lyrical, as appropriate for this environment, is quite complex and convoluted, which of course means that it requires a lot of attention from the listener and refuses to be banal at any point. The quartet plays modern European Jazz, with a lot of intrinsic freedom and space, keeping the listener on the edge at all times. All the compositions are excellent and all serve the texts perfectly, which of course is the essence of Jazz & Poetry projects. The personal contributions by all the participants are, as expected, absolutely perfect. Salokoski is a superb interpreter of the texts and offers a crystal clear tone and fascinating approach to melody. Pohjola, who within a space of a few years managed to climb right on the pedestal of Finnish Jazz, demonstrating brilliant technique and wonderful feel for the intricacies of the Jazz universe, which I had the pleasure to watch closely personally, is at his usual superb form here, and although he is mostly an accompanist rather than the main voice, stands up to the challenge with flying colors and his contributions are an essential part of the project. Prattala and the rhythm section are perfect in their respective roles supplying the harmonic and rhythmic foundations with elegance and flair. Overall this is a wonderful album, full of delicate music and aesthetic pleasures, challenging but highly rewarding intellectually, in short a unique gift of music that should be cherished. Well done everybody!

Updated: 19/08/2020Posted: 19/08/2020

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend