Record Reviews

HURRA ~ IN SEARCH OF WAVES V 023 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2022 Released: 2022 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz septet HurraFind albums by this artist, led by guitarist / composer Grzegorz DoroszenkoFind albums by this artist, which also includes second guitarist Jakub KlimiukFind albums by this artist, Swedish saxophonist Jonas KulhammarFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Jakub KurekFind albums by this artist (a member of EABSFind albums by this artist), keyboardist Dominik KisielFind albums by this artist (the most experienced Polish musician in the lineup with several albums as a leader and member of other ensembles under his belt), bassist Paul RutschkaFind albums by this artist and drummer Wojciech WarmijakFind albums by this artist (member of Immortal OnionFind albums by this artist). The album presents seven original compositions, all by the leader. The music offers an excellent collection of well-constructed tunes with clear melody lines, which are executed with obvious technical proficiency and a dose of freshness, which has been missing from the local scene since a while. Although the music has a distinct Fusiony tinge, it is not Fusion per se and could be (if one must) classified somewhere between Brass-Rock and Electric Jazz; styles that sadly almost completely disappeared from the contemporary Jazz scene. The septet offers a fat / big sound, Funky beats and a lot of fun in general, and despite a contemporary sound it does bring sentimental memories of the 1970s, which of course is meant here as a compliment. It also resembles to some degree the music of EABS, at its best. Overall, I truly enjoyed the music from start to finish, as it flows smoothly, caressing the ears with great melody lines, shakes the ass with a danceable rhythmic patterns and tingles the brain with impressive instrumental improvisation by the septet members. In short, this is a truly rare phenomenon of an album, which is as plangent as it is stimulating. Highly recommended!

Updated: 09/01/2023Posted: 08/01/2023

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IMMORTAL ONION ~ OCELOT OF SALVATION REQUIEM 148 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz piano trio called Immortal OnionFind albums by this artist, which comprises of pianist Tomir SpiolekFind albums by this artist, bassist Ziemowit KlimekFind albums by this artist and drummer Wojciech WarmijakFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight original compositions, which are not credited on the album´s artwork. The music is quite original and surprising, stylistically resembling the early work by the Progressive Rock legends Emerson, Lake & PalmerFind albums by this artist, i.e. Classically influenced melodic themes featuring improvisation, odd meters and a basic Rocky attitude, emphasized by the rhythm section (electric bass and energetic drums work). But the music is diverse and offers a very interesting and pleasurable listening experience. Although only marginally Jazz related, this music, like most Progressive Rock and Jazz-Rock Fusion is also of interest to most Jazz enthusiasts. Although this album is based on the rich Progressive Rock legacy and other influences, it is not an attempt to copy or repeat these patterns but rather a courageous effort to innovate and develop. As such is deserves praise and attention as well as my worm recommendation to music lovers to seek out this little gem and give it a serious listen. Considering the young age of these musicians, one can only hope for more great music they will hopefully offer us in the future. Overall this is an excellent debut offer which deserves to be heard. Kudos to the superb Polish label RequiemFind albums on this label Records for consistently supporting music, which does not easily fit into established categories and supporting experimentation.

Updated: 19/01/2018Posted: 19/01/2018

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IMMORTAL ONION ~ OCELOT OF SALVATION LIVE IN SOPOT NOT ON LABEL ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is the second album by the young Polish Jazz piano trio called Immortal OnionFind albums by this artist, which consists of pianist Tomir SpiolekFind albums by this artist, bassist Ziemowit KlimekFind albums by this artist and drummer Wojciech WarmijakFind albums by this artist, The album was recorded live and presents the same eight compositions that appeared on the debut album and one bonus composition, which was released as a single before the debut. All the music is uncredited and is therefore assumed to be co-composed by all three musicians. These live renditions of the material from the debut album, which was recorded more than a year before this album was recorded; are basically quite similar to the original and therefore one can wander if they justify another release, but that is of course up to the musicians. The instrumentation on this album is expanded by the use of electric piano in addition to the acoustic piano and the use of Moog by the bassist, in addition to acoustic and electric basses, which basically means that the clean, purely acoustic sound of the debut was extended to include electronics, which more or less reflects the general trend among the new generation of young Jazz players these days. The music is already discussed in my review of the debut and there is not much I can add except of course that the Fusion and even Prog undercurrents of the music are even stronger and more explicit here. Overall this is quite unique music, which surely appeals to the younger generation of Jazz / Fusion listeners, and which offers ambitious music that easily defends its qualities in the live version, and builds up interest in new material and next album by the group. Definitely worth investigating!

Updated: 24/03/2020Posted: 24/03/2020

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IMMORTAL ONION ~ XD (EXPERIENCE DESIGN) U KNOW ME 079 (Barcode: 5902860143130) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2020 Released: 2020 This is the third album by the Polish trio Immortal OnionFind albums by this artist comprising of keyboardist Tomir SpiolekFind albums by this artist, bassist and moog player Ziemowit KlimekFind albums by this artist and drummer Wojciech WarmijakFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight tracks with the compositions uncredited (as usual) and assumed to be co-created by the trio members. The album was recorded at the excellent Monochrom Studio and engineered by Ignacy GruszeckiFind albums by this artist and offers the usual wonderful sound quality. The music follows closely the pattern initiated by the two earlier albums, creating an amalgam of instrumental Prog and Fusion, based on melodic sketches which are expanded into lengthy instrumental improvisations by the trio members. The sound and overall aura of this album is more electric, although the acoustic piano still dominates the proceedings. The music is interesting and offers surprising arrangements, sudden tempi changes, volume dynamics, odd meters and excellent soling, which should keep the listener captivated, but all this starts to sound repetitive after a while and it is difficult to see where, if at all, it is going. There is no doubt that the trio managed to create a unique niche as far as their sound and approach are concerned, but they need to find some new paths to explore in their future recordings, since the first three albums are way to similar to each other and show no real progress. Having said that, this album is still a solid listening experience for listeners who love Symphonic Prog and melodic Fusion, beautifully performed and offering a superb sound, which is more than most Prog / Fusion albums are able to offer these days.

Updated: 24/07/2020Posted: 24/07/2020

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