Record Reviews

BACKSPACE ~ AD_DA HEVHETIA 0188 (Barcode: 8588005258616) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 This is the debut album by Polish experimental / Avant-Garde duo BackspaceFind albums by this artist, which comprises of violinist Lukasz CzekalaFind albums by this artist and accordionist Zbigniew ChojnackiFind albums by this artist, who both also employ extensively live electronics in their music. On this album the duo was expanded (or "augmented") to a trio with the addition of cornetist Marcin Albert SteczkowskiFind albums by this artist. The album, recorded live (and unedited), presents four extensive pieces, which are not specifically credited and are assumably spontaneously co-created by the participants. Chojnacki appeared like a comet on the Polish Jazz / Avant-Garde firmament just a few years ago, but his extraordinary talent and virtuosic performances on the accordion, a sadly much neglected instrument in Jazz and experimental music, earned him an almost instant stardom, despite his youthfulness. I have followed closely his development both as a recording artist and live performer from the onset of his career and invited him to perform a solo concert during the Singer Jazz Festival in 2017. In the process I witnessed his rapid metamorphosis from a timid wunderkind to a full blown and mature sound magician. Another aspect of his development over time was the growing involvement with electronic sound devices, which gradually overshadowed the acoustic sound of the accordion and become almost completely a wall of synthesized sound effects, often completely detached from any straightforward melodic substance. And yet this accordion / electronics fusion, which might have caused some of his early admirers to stay behind, developed into a new phantasmagoric instrument that places Chojnacki right along the leaders of the pack. However, in the company of Czekala and Steczkowski, who create a plethora of exquisite melodic passages, both brief and prolonged, his role as integrator and supplier of the sound layers behind the violin and cornet "soloing" is absolutely stunning. Listeners expecting to hear any unambiguous accordion on this album will be obviously disappointed, but there are plenty of brilliant passages created by Chojnacki. The performance of the trio is absolutely mesmerizing and offers a perfect model of what one might expect from contemporary electro-acoustic music. For the entire duration of the album there is an intimate closeness between the performers and the listener and a calm, wonderful warmness of co-existence. The interplay and coordination between the trio members is nothing short of being telepathic. I hope my attention to the role of Chojnacki in this recording does not overshadow the contributions of Czekala and Steczkowski, which are of course equally important. Overall this is an absolute brilliant piece of contemporary music, cross-genre and beyond classification, which shows the way and explores uncharted territory, offering a non-aggressive, cohesive and aesthetically pleasing piece of modern sound Art (since calling it just music might not do it justice). There is almost nothing else I could recommend as warmly as this gem!

Updated: 28/10/2019Posted: 28/10/2019

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ZBIGNIEW CHOJNACKI ~ ELEKTROTROPIZM FOR TUNE 0076 (Barcode: 5902768701784) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2015 Released: 2015 This is the debut album by Polish accordionist / composer Zbigniew ChojnackiFind albums by this artist, which presents him playing solo accordion with some use of electronics. The album comprises of six tracks, all composed by Chojnacki, four of which are part of a suite and the other two are unrelated. From the very first moments of this album it becomes immediately apparent that Chojnacki presents a completely unconventional and novel approach to accordion as far as playing the instrument is concerned, as well as making music in general. The fascinating sounds he is able to produce are absolutely stunning, but even more so is the music, which takes the listener on a transcendental journey toward new and unchartered sound vistas. This music is so different and so engulfing that when listening to it for the first time the listener is completely left to his own frame of reference, as nothing is able to prepare him to what this music has to offer. A deeper analysis and later reflection allows one to understand the path this music takes, from the traditional role of the accordion in European music towards its influence in World Music, Jazz and other areas, via such notable accordion and bandoneón players like Astor PiazzollaFind albums by this artist, Dino SaluzziFind albums by this artist, Art Van DammeFind albums by this artist and others. We use the terms "groundbreaking" and "innovative" way too often, but his music truly deserves to be described in these terms. It presents a completely new frame of reference as far as accordion is concerned and by the time this music reaches the audience the meaning of this term will be completely transferred. Breakthroughs of this magnitude are way too far apart and it is a privilege to witness one of them in real time. The way Chojnacki plays his instrument brings fond associations of the 1960s, when the great Jazz pioneers were taking bold steps like those taken on this album. Sadly, half a Century later, musicians are ready to push the boundaries of known universe only very rarely. This album is one of such rare occasions.

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CLAMAN / STRYCHARSKI / CHOJNACKI / PRATS ~ QUARTETT NON LOCALITY MULTIKULTI MPSMT 015 (Barcode: 5903068683336) ~ SPAIN ~ Free Jazz / Improvised Music Recorded: 2018 Released: 2019 This is an album by international Improvising Music ensemble Quartett Non LocalityFind albums by this artist consisting of New Zealand (resident in Barcelona) violinist Sarah ClamanFind albums by this artist, Polish flautist Dominik StrycharskiFind albums by this artist and accordionist Zbigniew ChojnackiFind albums by this artist and Catalan drummer Ramon PratsFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven improvised pieces not attributed to specific composers. The album is a part of the "Spontaneous Music Tribune Series" dedicated to Iberian Free Improvised Music, curated by my friend and colleague Maciej LewensteinFind albums by this artist, who lives in Barcelona since many years and who is a passionate music lover in parallel to his scientific career. The music is a typical Improvised Music experience, which sadly suffers from the characteristic recorded Improvised Music malady, which haunts most albums of the genre. This music might have been highly interesting for the musicians to play, and perhaps might have been a fascinating live experience, but is much less interesting to listen to at home from a record and is unable, at least to me, to recreate that potential excitement, closed in a recorded time capsule. Sadly since making a recording and releasing albums have become accessible and inexpensive in the last two decades, there is a deluge of Improvised Music albums on the market, which only under rare circumstances make a lasting statement and deserve repeated listening. Strycharski and Chojnacki are both formidable musicians and have already created numerous excellent recordings, but sadly on this album one can hardly find significant evidence of their individual abilities. Although I painstakingly listened to this music, enjoying some fragments, I don´t envisage myself doing it again. Overall this is perhaps of interest to the hardened Improvised Music enthusiasts, who are deeply enthralled by the intricacies of the genre, but for listeners beyond that intimate circle it is most probably impenetrable.

Updated: 12/01/2020Posted: 09/01/2020

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ANNA GADT ~ RENAISSANCE HEVHETIA 0143 (Barcode: 8588005258005) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Classical Fusion Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is the fourth album by Polish Jazz vocalist Anna GadtFind albums by this artist, which presents her interpretations of Polish Renaissance music by such composers as Waclaw z SzamotulFind albums by this artist, Mikolaj GomolkaFind albums by this artist, Jan z LublinaFind albums by this artist and Mikolaj z KrakowaFind albums by this artist, who all lived and composed music in the 16th Century. The fourteen pieces presented on this album include also three short improvisations and three original compositions by Gadt. On the album Gadt is accompanied by only two musicians: accordionist Zbigniew ChojnackiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist (of RGGFind albums by this artist fame). The music was recorded at the fabulous Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, with the usually spectacular sonic quality. The music features mostly vocalese, with just a few fragments of lyrics, which of course means that Gadt´s voice is the centerpiece of this project. Her control of the vocal range and her improvisational abilities are astounding. The overall musical effect is not easy to be absorbed by the average listener, as it requires patience and understanding of both ancient music and Jazz, which is definitely far from being trivial. Those who can truly appreciate this highly unique undertaking will be rewarded by immense emotional and aesthetic gratifications. The conscious decision to appear with minimal instrumental support is also an extremely courageous one, but luckily Gadt found two most sympathetic cohorts. Chojnacki is a Master accordionist and his instrument is able to create sonic vistas which move between the mighty church pipe organ to a wooden flute. His virtuosity is simply completely exceptional. Gradziuk, who is one of the most versatile and sensitive drummers on the Polish Scene, also contributes formidable support to the vocal parts. Together the three musicians are able to create a much bigger effect than just the sum of their contributions. Overall this is a most ambitious and praiseworthy effort, which combines paying tribute to the Polish Culture from the past and its development in recent times. The obscure Renaissance Music, known only by a few selected scholars, gets an exposure, which hopefully will result in more people discovering it. Gadt´s contribution to the Polish Vocal Jazz School is fully noted and sealed by this release, being fully deserved. Well done Anna! Kudos to Jan SudzinaFind albums by this artist and his HevhetiaFind albums on this label label for supporting Polish Jazz so enthusiastically, which is of course very neighborly of him. Keep it up!

Updated: 23/02/2017Posted: 23/02/2017

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ANNA GADT ~ RENAISSANCE GESUALDO FSR 2021/13 (Barcode: 5905279364998) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2018 - 2021 Released: 2021 This is the sixth album by Polish Jazz vocalist Anna GadtFind albums by this artist, recorded in a trio format with accordionist Zbigniew ChojnackiFind albums by this artist and drummer Krzysztof GradziukFind albums by this artist. The 2CD album presents two separate projects, with a new studio recorded music based on her interpretations of the Italian Renaissance composer Carlo GesualdoFind albums by this artist on CD1 and a live recording by the trio from 2018, with a live and much transformed version of the music released on her fourth album called “RenaissanceFind albums with this title” on CD2. The music on CD1 was recorded at the fabulous Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist, with the usually spectacular sonic quality. Gadt is the only Polish Jazz vocalist using almost exclusively vocalese and her vocal performances can be considered as “instrumental” in every respect, which makes her a bona fide member of the trio, rather than a vocalist accompanied by instrumentalists. It is truly amazing to see (hear) how a minimalist setting can produce music with such diversity, dynamics and power. It would be quite difficult to find any quotes of the original music by Gesualdo in the pieces inspired by it, which appear here. Gadt used just partial names of the Gesualdo compositions to emphasize that distance, and the proximity is more associative, aesthetical and atmospheric than straightforwardly coloristic. The mysticism that surrounds Gesualdo’s music is taken here even further, into purely imaginary soundscapes, creating a world in itself. But despite this highly spiritual environment, the music is wonderfully embracing or even caressing, going immediately into the listener’s heart, rather than penetrating the cerebral hemispheres. The live recording, on the other hand, is a wonderful illustration of how the music on the studio album gets transformed, both by the live performance and the fact that it was captured a couple of years after it was first recorded, and like a living creature it keeps constantly evolving. The trio’s concerts, which I was fortunate to attend, offer a magical experience, which is faithfully captured herein. All three musicians are incredibly talented Artists, completely individual and unique, and the fact that they are able to create such a symbiotic coexistence musically is a wonderful human experience. Overall, this is an amazing and striking album, which shows how highly ambitious, completely unconventional musical explorations can offer coherent, wonderful aesthetic experience, which has few parallels, both on the local and the entire European scene.

Updated: 02/02/2022Posted: 02/02/2022

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WOJCIECH JACHNA / ZBIGNIEW CHOJNACKI ~ JACHO MELLOW YELLOW 1 ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz Recorded: 2016 Released: 2017 This is the debut album by the Avant-Garde Polish Jazz / Improvised Music duo comprising of trumpeter Wojciech JachnaFind albums by this artist and accordionist Zbigniew ChojnackiFind albums by this artist, two of the most interesting musical discoveries in the last two decades on the burgeoning local scene. The album presents seven improvised pieces, not credited on the minimalistic album´s artwork, and assumed being co-composed by both musicians, as usual in such circumstances. Although both players use electronics to enhance and expand the sonic capabilities of their instruments, the music is mostly acoustic, especially as far as the trumpet parts are concerned. As a result this album features Jachna more immediately and practically "naked" than most of his numerous other recordings, which of course is a splendid opportunity to get exposed to his virtuosic abilities. Chojnacki provides more of the ambient background and space layer of this music, soloing less prominently here, but his contributions are as much important for the overall result as are Jachna´s. Intimate dialogues often face the hazard of being too personal to reach a wider audience, but in this case the music created by the duo is completely universal and any open-minded listener should be able to identify with this music, even if it requires undivided attention and some intellectual and emotional effort. The Polish Avant-Garde Jazz / Improvised Music often excels in its lyricism and harmonic elegance, rather than in dense aggressiveness that characterizes American Avant-Garde. As a result listening to this music is able to bring the listener to a highly relaxed state of mind, almost a nirvana. During last year´s Singer Jazz Festival (2017) I invited Chojnacki to play a solo accordion concert on the intimate "small scene" of the Kwadrat Theatre. He arrived armed with his accordion, hooked up to a plethora of electronic devices and played an out of this world non-stop concert with the intensity of an interstellar journey. Of the hundred people who arrived for the concert about half left while he was playing, obviously dazed and confused by what they heard, but those who lasted till the end enjoyed a mind-blowing experience. In my closing statement I told the remaining audience that the fact that so many people left is the best possible proof of how superb the music was. Great music is definitely not for everybody and many sublime musicians were exposed to similar experiences at the early stages of their careers, before their fame became more important than their Art. This album is also not for everybody. It is exquisitely put together by two extraordinary musicians, who already accomplished so much in such a short time and those listeners who are able to comprehend and enjoy their greatness are always gratified and touched. This is a highly recommended album to all true music connoisseurs, who are able to "think out of the box". Brilliant stuff!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted: 05/01/2018

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JACEK KOCHAN / MUSICONSPIRACY ~ PARENTES HEVHETIA 0158 (Barcode: 8588005258210) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock-World Fusion Recorded: 2017 Released: 2017 This is an album by veteran Polish Jazz drummer / composer Jacek KochanFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet setting with young virtuoso accordionist Zbigniew ChojnackiFind albums by this artist, Italian guitarist Fabrizio BruscaFind albums by this artist and bassist Michal KapczukFind albums by this artist. Ten additional musicians (brass and string sections) play on some tracks. The album presents nine original compositions, all by Kochan. The music is dominated by odd meters and irregular rhythmic patterns as well as World Music motifs and Rock / Fusion excursions, with strong Jazz affiliations but not really Jazz per se; altogether pretty weird and intriguing mixture of styles and influences. The melodic content is ragged and difficult to follow for an average listener. The overall result is quite a challenge to the listeners, but also offers plenty of opportunities to find a connection with fairly uncommon music. The individual performances are all excellent with Chojnacki stealing the show with his incredible sensitivity and layers of melodic revelations. Brusca is more proficient in the Rock / Fusion environment than within the Jazz idiom. Kapczuk plays well and provides a solid bottom that holds the music together. The leader´s assertive drumming dominates the proceedings taking no prisoners. The occasional orchestral arrangements do not change the character and outcome of the music significantly. Overall this is an interesting and challenging album, which may require several listening sessions to win the listener over. Kochan does not stay still and constantly tries out new ways to express his musical ideas and doing his own thing, for which he deserves to be praised. This is not easy stuff, but definitely worth investigating.

Updated: 03/11/2017Posted: 03/11/2017

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