Record Reviews

SZYMON MIKA ~ TOGETHERNESS HEVHETIA 0175 (Barcode: 8588005258425) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2017 Released: 2018 This is the second album by the Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Szymon MikaFind albums by this artist, recorded, same as the debut album, in an intimate trio format with bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and Israeli drummer Ziv RavitzFind albums by this artist. Three guest musicians appear on selected tracks: vocalist Basia DerlakFind albums by this artist, who also contributed the lyrics to the four songs she appears on, Joachim MencelFind albums by this artist who plays the hurdy-gurdy on three tracks and pianist Mateusz PalkaFind albums by this artist, who plays on five tracks. The album presents eleven original compositions, all by Mika. It album was beautifully recorded at the Monochrom Studio and engineered by Maciej StachFind albums by this artist. The music on this album is decidedly more diverse and shows a more searching attitude than the excellent debut album, which is very encouraging and promising development. There are obvious World Music influences present in this music, but also openness and noticeable reach beyond mainstream Jazz, which was still the core of the debut album. Mucha and Ravitz are ideal partners in this quest for new identity, both of them being unconventional in their approach to music and exceptionally gifted, providing exquisite support to Mika´s lead parts and building a solid, but adventurous, rhythmic layer behind him. The four vocal tracks are also quite surprising and show another facet of Mika´s talent. Derlak sings in Polish, which is already a good starting point, and handles the relatively complex music with ease and obvious flair. Her Folksy mannerisms are a nice addition to the Jazz setting and I´d love to hear more of her in such setting. The tracks with Mencel and Palka, when the ensemble becomes a quintet (or even sextet with the addition of vocals) are somewhat different form the trio tracks, offering more conventional melody lines and ambience and adding to the overall diversity and fluency of the album as a whole. Overall the album is a clear and elegant step forward for Mika in many respects: as a composer, a bandleader and a guitarist. He joins the ranks of the new generation of Polish Jazz musicians, who are gradually taking over the center of the stage both in Poland and in Europe. Kudos are also due to the Slovak HevhetiaFind albums on this label label, which is rapidly becoming one of the most important, open minded and active record labels in Europe and manages to expand its roster of artist to include many of the young generation´s top artists, including neighbors from across the Tatra Mountains, and support them loyally. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Updated: 11/08/2018Posted: 11/08/2018

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SZYMON MIKA ~ UNSEEN HEVHETIA 0122 (Barcode: 8588005257770) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2015 Released: 2016 This is the debut album as a leader by Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Szymon MikaFind albums by this artist, one of the prominent representatives of the young generation of the Polish Jazz scene. It was recorded in an intimate trio setting with bassist Max MuchaFind albums by this artist and Israeli drummer Ziv RavitzFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine tracks with five original compositions by Mika (the opening and closing track are versions of the title track) and three standards. The fact that Mika is an exceptionally gifted guitarist becomes immediately apparent and the excellent level of musicianship continues until the very last notes. The music is kept well within the Modern mainstream, with no attempts to venture into the Free territory. The themes are clearly melodic and Mika plays brilliantly and although he improvises extensively he makes an effort to stay within the boundaries. This might be limiting in a long range, but luckily his partners contribute some amazingly supportive and elaborate musical structures, which carry the music forward at all times and sound truly refreshing. Mucha is also a superb player and his solid bass lines provide a safe foundation for the trio to stretch out. Ravitz is by now one of the top young World drummers and his prolific recording career proves that he is very much in demand, which is fully justified. His contributions on this album are an example of what inventive contemporary Jazz drumming is all about. Overall this is a beautiful piece of Jazz music, which all connoisseurs of the genre should enjoy immensely, "guitar heaven" for those listeners who love the sound of guitar and a strong example of how mainstream Jazz can be intelligent and aesthetically perfect. Wholeheartedly recommended! For Hi-Fi enthusiasts, this album has superb sound quality and one of the nicest, roundest guitar sounds I have heard in a long time – a true feast for the ears!

Updated: 22/04/2016Posted: 22/04/2016

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HADAR NOIBERG ~ JOURNEY BACK HOME NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 884502383195) ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2009 Released: 2009 2nd album by Israeli flautist Hadar NoibergFind albums by this artist, who lives, composes music and performs in NY, recorded with her trio, which consists of two other Israeli compatriots currently residing in NY: bassist Omer AvitalFind albums by this artist and drummer Ziv RavitzFind albums by this artist. Appropriately entitled "Journey Back HomeFind albums with this title", the album reflects Hadar´s Israeli / Middle Eastern cultural roots much stronger than her affiliation with American Jazz, which of course works in her favor. Evidently the longing for native shores and the sounds implanted in her mind when she grew up in Israel all floated up to the surface, when she wrote and arranged the music, which makes up this beautiful ode to her true homeland. Israelis, perhaps more that any other People on this planet, are seldom able to disconnect themselves from their true source, even after living abroad for extended periods of time. So here we have it: the sound of desert winds, see breezes, distant hills, Bedouin tents, camel caravans, herds of sheep tendered by lonely shepherds sending their tunes of solitude wrought on a wooden flute… all of these are reflected both melodically and rhythmically by Hadar´s music. With today´s omnipresence of World Music elements, these lovely tunes sound completely natural to anybody, who is true music connoisseur. Of course there is plenty of Jazz here, no need to worry about that; it is a Jazz album after all. Hadar´s cohorts are both well seasoned and exceptionally talented Jazz players. Avital, with his deep and steady bass pulsations is the ideal partner for Hadar´s flute, providing the earthly connection to her windy improvisations. Avital´s bass (and occasional oud) is the firm basis, carrying the music like a magic carpet, far away, but always exactly on track. Ravitz ornaments the music with endless percussive inventions, which make the music sparkle like a multicolored veil, rather that forcing the rhythms. He is blessed with the rare gift of being able to produce a feel of a rhythm rather that the actual rhythmic pattern itself, leaving the rest to the listener´s imagination. So here you have it: an album full of beautiful, moving, intelligent music performed masterly by exceptional musicians, who dedicate their lives to make our lives worth living. I must admit that listening to this music makes me proud to be an Israeli, which is not often an easy undertaking these days. Thank you Hadar, Omer and Ziv for this wonderful musical experience; may others enjoy it as much as I did!

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ZIV RAVITZ ~ IMAGES FROM HOME NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 884502258578) ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2009 Released: 2009 This is the debut recording as a leader by Israeli drummer / composer Ziv RavitzFind albums by this artist, who is one of several Israeli Jazz musicians, which managed to earn respect and admiration on the worldwide scene and become a highly sought after studio figure. His superb ability to play in highly versatile settings as well as his unusual open-mindedness and virtuoso performances justify his reputation completely. His numerous recordings with some of the Jazz most well known names, both in Europe and the US, are all excellent examples of his great talent. His drumming is perhaps the best ever synthesis of the Jazz tradition and the Middle East rhythmic heritage. This wonderful album presents Ravitz in an intimate setting with just two musicians: pianist Omer KleinFind albums by this artist and trumpeter Avishai CohenFind albums by this artist. Of the eleven tracks on the album, ten are Ravitz original and one is an Israeli standard. A female vocalist (Mika HaryFind albums by this artist) guests on the last track. The music is excellent from start to finish, as are the performances. Strongly influenced by his Israeli musical heritage, as the title suggests, Ravitz unwinds his melodies emphasizing the rhythmic patterns, which are absolutely thrilling and fascinating. The music is very subtle, presented in duo or trio format, which enables the listener to hear every note and leaves no margin for error. In retrospect this is one of the best Israeli Jazz albums recorded in the first decade of the 21st Century, which sadly slipped unnoticed under the radar, but it is not to late to discover it now – and discovering it is highly recommended for any connoisseur of great Jazz. Most highly recommended!

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TAQ ~ LIVE IN MINSK MAZOWIECKI RUBICON 001 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2005 Released: 2006 TAQFind albums by this artist is a superb international piano trio consisting of Polish virtuoso pianist / composer Marcin MaseckiFind albums by this artist, Canadian bassist / composer Garth StevensonFind albums by this artist and Israeli drummer / composer Ziv RavitzFind albums by this artist. The trio was formed in 2002 when all three were students at the Berklee College of Music in Boston as a result of an unusual rapport that developed between these young and highly talented musicians. Later the trio begun touring and during the 2005 tour in Poland recorded live this, their debut album. In the six years since this album was recorded all three musicians established their careers, which are all pretty unusual and extremely successful, especially in view of the difficult times Jazz is going through. This album clearly points out why: they are all simply different, unique and completely individual in their musical approaches. Masecki is a "crazy" genius, completely ignoring all rules and regulation, re-inventing scales and harmonies, Ravitz revolutionizes Jazz drumming by incorporating Middle-Eastern rhythmic patters and the use of hands rather that sticks or mallets as well as usage of additional percussion instruments. Stevenson is the most "conventional" of the three, which of course is a blessing, as without him the music might have crossed the chaos line easily. In retrospect this is a completely unknown little album, which shines more brightly than most of the other stuff that the promotional apparatus puts on the shelves – a pure gem of an album which should not be ignored under any circumstances!

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ZBIGNIEW WEGEHAUPT ~ TOTA POLSKIE RADIO 1020 ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2007 Released: 2007 Polish bassist / composer Zbigniew WegehauptFind albums by this artist is a late bloomer. Although his phenomenal bass performances have earned him the title of the best and most reliable player on the local scene and a job as sideman in the consistently best ensembles over the years – a status many players would be proud and honored to hold – his career as a leader took a quantum jump only about four years ago with the release of his second solo recording, the eponymous Zbigniew Wegehaupt QuartetFind albums with this title. His debut album SakeFind albums with this title was recorded in 1983 – 21 years earlier. Since his ability as a player is already well established, Wegehaupt now concentrates on his composing duties. Since the last album unearthed some of his work, which was sitting in the drawer for a while, this new album is all about presenting his new compositions. It’s a real pleasure for me to admit that he stands up to the challenge with grace and glory. The album includes a set of great tunes, quite different from each other, but all prime examples of contemporary Jazz at its best. They are interesting on both the melodic and the rhythmic planes, with clever structures, which leave space for solos but emphasize the ensemble unity. The quartet, which performs the music, is a perfect vehicle for this music: Wegehaupt on bass, Jerzy MalekFind albums by this artist on trumpet, Marcin MaseckiFind albums by this artist on piano and the new member, Israeli drummer Ziv RavitzFind albums by this artist. Each of these players excels in his area: Malek has a beautiful tone and deep lyricism, Masecki is a phenomenal pianist with outstanding technique (both play on the previous album as well) and Ravitz is completely unique with his complex polyrhythmic approach, which extends way beyond keeping time. Although Wegehaupt is my friend, I’m confident that my assessment of this album is fairly objective and therefore I can easily – and with a clear conscience – recommend it to every Jazz lover around. Give it a try and see that great music is still being made today. Tota(l) satisfaction guaranteed!

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