Record Reviews

JERZY MILIAN ~ CUTTING GAD 123 (Barcode: 5903068120985) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1971 - 1977 Released: 2020 This is the ninth installment of the archival series released by GADFind albums on this label Records, which presents the work of Polish Jazz vibraphonist / composer / bandleader Jerzy MilianFind albums by this artist. This chapter is dedicated to Milian´s recordings from 1970s, done in East Berlin (then DDR) with the Rundfunk Tanzorchester BerlinFind albums by this artist, conducted by Gunter GollaschFind albums by this artist, which included the best East German musicians, such as saxophonist Ernst-Ludwig PetrowskyFind albums by this artist, trumpeter Joachim GrasswurmFind albums by this artist, trombonist Hubert KatzenbeisserFind albums by this artist, saxophonist / clarinetist Werner SchmidtFind albums by this artist, pianist Horst PawliczakFind albums by this artist, bassist Klaus KochFind albums by this artist, drummer Wolfgang WinklerFind albums by this artist and others. The orchestra performs sixteen compositions by Milian, also arranged by him. The music is typical orchestral Jazz, based on the wonderful compositions and brilliant arrangements by Milian, which offer a mixture of relatively easier pieces with some Funk, Swing and even Big Beat inclinations, but also more advanced ones bordering on Anat-Garde, altogether a wonderful example of modern European Jazz, reflecting Milian´s fascination with the Third Stream idiom. These orchestral pieces are obviously more "well behaved" in comparison to the music Milian composed for small combos, but still complex enough to rise a brow fifty years later. The orchestra included many excellent instrumentalists (Petrowsky among them), who performed the difficult music without a hitch, and therefore the result is still awe inspiring Milian´s compositions are absolutely brilliant and remain completely valid, often sounding as if composed today. Sophisticated, elegant, clever and beautifully structured, this music is alive and kicking as it was at the time it was created. Overall this is an incredible piece of Polish / European Jazz history, which absolutely deserves to be heard and studied. With Milian´s passing it is even more important to document his work and bring it to the public. For orchestral Jazz and East European Jazz enthusiasts this album and all the albums released in this archival series are an absolute must!

Updated: 16/09/2020Posted: 16/09/2020

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

JERZY MILIAN ~ STIGMA GAD 107 (Barcode: 5903068120480) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 1970 Released: 2019 This is the eighth installment of the archival series released by GADFind albums on this label Records, which presents the work of Polish Jazz vibraphonist / composer / bandleader Jerzy MilianFind albums by this artist. This chapter is dedicated to Milian´s recordings from 1970, done in Berlin (then DDR) with the Ensemble Studio 4Find albums by this artist, a septet led by saxophonist Ernst-Ludwig PetrowskyFind albums by this artist and including trumpeter Joachim GrasswurmFind albums by this artist, trombonist Hubert KatzenbeisserFind albums by this artist, saxophonist / clarinetist Werner SchmidtFind albums by this artist, pianist Eberhard WeiseFind albums by this artist, bassist Klaus KochFind albums by this artist and drummer Wolfgang WinklerFind albums by this artist. The septet performs four compositions by Milian, also arranged by him. Additional three compositions by Milian are performed by the Rundfunk Tanzorchester BerlinFind albums by this artist, conducted by Gunter GollaschFind albums by this artist, a cooperation that would continue for the next fourteen years. Milian plays vibraphone on five tracks, both with the septet and the orchestra. The music is a wonderful example of modern European Jazz, with both the septet and the Big Band pieces reflecting Milian´s fascination with the Third Stream idiom. The septet included some of the most important East German Jazz players at the time, many of which founded the Avant-Garde / Free Jazz scene in East Germany, which was known by its adventurous explorations and radical approach, which for some reason where tolerated by the State censorship, often considered as the sternest behind the Iron Curtain. Therefore it is quite natural that the tracks with the septet are quite challenging and free spirited, and the fact that this music was strictly composed often seems to be lost in the heat of the execution. The orchestral pieces are obviously more "well behaved", but still complex enough to rise a brow fifty years later. The orchestra included many excellent instrumentalists (Petrowsky among them), who performed the difficult music without a hitch, and therefore the result is not surprising, but still awe inspiring Milian´s compositions are absolutely brilliant and remain completely valid, often sounding as if composed today. Sophisticated, elegant, clever and beautifully structured, this music is alive and kicking as it was at the time it was created. Overall this is an incredible piece of Polish / European Jazz history, which absolutely deserves to be heard and studied. With Milian´s passing it is even more important to document his work and bring it to the public. For orchestral Jazz and East European Jazz enthusiasts this album and all the albums released in this archival series are an absolute must!

Updated: 12/03/2020Posted: 12/03/2020

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend