Record Reviews

ZBIGNIEW NAMYSLOWSKI ~ NICE & EASY ITM 14125 (Barcode: 4250079711253) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2008 Released: 2009 This superb album by Polish saxophonist / composer Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist was recorded with a quintet comprising of young musicians including his son trombonist Jacek NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, pianist Slawomir JaskulkeFind albums by this artist, bassist Andrzej SwiesFind albums by this artist and drummer Grzegorz GrzybFind albums by this artist. It presents ten new original compositions by Namyslowski. It was recorded at the excellent Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan SmoczynskiFind albums by this artist – a guarantee of sonic fidelity. At the time of the recording Namyslowski was almost seventy years old, being one of the few remaining last Mohicans of the first post-WWII Polish Jazz generation still active on the local scene. There is absolutely no evidence on this recording of Namyslowski´s age, surely not in the negative sense. He seems to be completely confident both as a composer and a performer and stands hip to hip with the "youngsters" not giving up an inch. It is hard to believe that the same person took part in the legendary 2nd Sopot Jazz Festival in 1957 and was a member of the Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist quintet that recorded "AstigmaticFind albums with this title" in 1965, and yet these are just a few of Namyslowski´s amazing career milestones. Namyslowski´s compositions were always his forte, as he manages consistently to present a completely unique musical signature, which includes many different characteristics, like the odd meters he so often uses or the unexpected tempo changes, all those on top of beautifully structured melodies, which are simply magnificent. Therefore the musicians playing with him are supplied with a perfect vehicle for their respective solos. Although the music conceptually belongs to mainstream Jazz, it always comes with a twist which makes it anything but predictable or simplistic. On the contrary these tunes take a while to get used to and have a wonderful quality of growing on the listener with every listening session. The quintet performs like a dream, obviously inspired and directed by the Master. These young and extremely talented musicians keep the splendid tradition of the Polish Jazz alive and kicking, this time also learning from the best. Namyslowski continues his tradition to lead groups comprising of young musicians, which keep him invigorated and at the same time serve as a hothouse growing generation after generation of new players. The album was released on the German ITM label and the album´s booklet includes liner notes by the excellent Jazz critic Bert Noglik, who is familiar with Namyslowski´s music since many years. All in all this is a superb modern Jazz album, which should keep happy even the sternest Jazz connoisseurs, and of course deserves a honorable place in any serious Jazz collection alongside the earlier albums by this great Artists. A must!

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GEORGIE FAME / USCHI BRUNING / ALAND SKIDMORE QUARTET ~ A DECLARATION OF LOVE ITM 9200020 (Barcode: 4250317473738) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 2008 Released: 2015 This is an archival release of a live concert which features the British Jazz singer / keyboardist / songwriter Georgie FameFind albums by this artist and the German Jazz singer Uschi BruningFind albums by this artist accompanied by the quartet led by the legendary British Jazz saxophonist Alan SkidmoreFind albums by this artist, which also includes pianist Steve MellingFind albums by this artist, bassist Geoff GascoyneFind albums by this artist and drummer Ian PalmerFind albums by this artist. The album presents ten tracks, of which five feature Fame, three feature Bruning, one is a Fame / Bruning duet and one is an instrumental performance by the quartet. The music is mostly Jazz standards, except the title tracks which is a Fame original and one standard which has lyrics written by Fame. Recorded at the Berlin Philharmonic, the album´s sound quality is impeccable. Fame has been my favorite Jazz vocalist since I have heard him live in London in the late 1960s, and I have been fortunate to hear him perform many times over the years in very diverse circumstances ranging from intimate solo appearances to his concerts with Big Bands, always delivering the absolute top performances. Regardless if he sang Jazz, Blues, Rhythm And Blues or even Pop, his absolutely unique intonation and heartfelt articulation are simply magical. Now in his sixth decade as a performer, he is still a formidable Artist. Bruning is a German Jazz icon, who started her career in the dark days of the DDR period, which paradoxically produced some of the most interesting European Jazz. Her work with the legendary saxophonist Ernst-Ludwig PetrowskyFind albums by this artist is one of the most interesting vocal recordings made at the time behind the Iron Curtain. She is still active today on the German scene and definitely worth following. Skidmore needs no introduction of course, being one of the world top saxophonists and one of the most important Jazz musicians keeping the John ColtraneFind albums by this artist legacy alive. His enormous contribution to British / European Jazz is unprecedented. Overall this is a wonderful vocal Jazz album, full of great singing, superb instrumental work and good taste, rarely present on contemporary recordings. Great fun from start to finish and of course warmly recommended!

Updated: 08/05/2023Posted: 21/07/2019

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ZBIGNIEW NAMYSLOWSKI ~ LIVE AT KOSMOS, BERLIN ITM 920007 (Barcode: 4250079750061) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1965 Released: 2008 This is an iconic recording by the Polish Jazz quartet led by saxophonist Zbigniew NamyslowskiFind albums by this artist, with German pianist Joachim KuhnFind albums by this artist, bassist Janusz KozlowskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Czeslaw BartkowskiFind albums by this artist. Recorded live on November 30, 1965 at the East Berlin Kosmos cinema, this is a quintessential piece of Polish and European modern Jazz history. Of the eight compositions present on this album, seven are by Namyslowski and one is by Kuhn. In order to fully comprehend the meaning of the music captured here, one must in fact look at (and hear) three separate recordings by the Zbigniew Namyslowski quartet spanning a mere one and a half year period, which fully present the history of the Polish Jazz in the making. Starting with the album "LolaFind albums with this title", recorded in August 1964 in London, which was the first Jazz album recorded and released beyond the Iron Curtain by an East European artists, followed by this album from late 1965 and finally by the album "Zbigniew Namyslowski QuartetFind albums with this title" recorded in January 1966, which was Namyslowski´s first recording released as part of the legendary "Polish Jazz" Series. In the liner notes accompanying this album German critic / historian Bert NoglikFind albums by this artist describes the historic background and the enormous significance of the modern Polish Jazz, which developed independently, almost isolated from the sources of information and influences, reliant only on sporadic radio broadcasts, few LPs trickling illegally and played till they were flat and ever rarer visits abroad. The fact that the Polish Jazz scene was so incredibly vibrant, inventive and beyond all revolutionary is one of the greatest miracles, which escape any attempt of logical or sociological explanation. But the fact remains that Namyslowski and many other Polish Jazz musicians spontaneously re-invented modern Jazz by daring to go where nobody ventured before. The presence of the German pianist / composer Joachim Kuhn is another fabulous bonus. Kuhn would of course become one of the great leaders of the German Jazz scene in the years to come, but first he drifted where the great East European Jazz revolution was happening, living in 1964 in Czechoslovakia and playing with the legendary SHQFind albums by this artist led by Karel VelebnyFind albums by this artist and then moved to Poland, where he lived in 1965 and met Namyslowski, only to be invited to sit in the piano chair of his quartet. The following year Kuhn, like many other fellow East German musicians, would move over to the West and develop a fabulous musical career of his own. The music is, of course, absolutely brilliant and the live setting allows for a considerably less constrained treatment of the themes, allowing for truly expanded improvisations, one of which goes beyond the half hour mark, something which was completely unthinkable earlier on. Again, when examining the three a.m. albums, it is interesting to see how the same compositions developed, which of them survived and which were dropped and most interestingly noting Namyslowski´s fascination with odd meters, which would become his trademark. Drummer Bartkowski, who is the only musician present on all the three a.m. recordings alongside Namyslowski, is an outstanding example of how these young musicians developed rapidly, almost overnight. His contribution is an integral part of the music. Bassist Kozlowski, who plays on this album, was also present on the studio album recorded a few months later. His performance is also absolutely top notch. Surprisingly enough, the sound quality is very decent compared to other archival recordings of that period, which enhances the overall experience of listening to these fabulous recordings. In all honesty there have been very few other archival Polish Jazz discoveries, if any at all, which are comparable to this monumental document. The fact that this music was buried for over forty years is a crime, but now that it finally sees the light of day, all serious music connoisseurs should be absolutely delighted. Such gems are as rare as the Koh-i-Noor and should be treated accordingly. Absolutely essential!

Updated: 18/07/2020Posted:

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HARRY BECKETT ~ MAXINE ITM 920010 (Barcode: 4250079750108) ~ UK ~ Jazz Recorded: 1987 - 1995 Released: 2011 This is an album by British Jazz trumpeter / composer Harry BeckettFind albums by this artist, released shortly after his death. It presents a compilation of seven tracks, recorded between 1987 and 1995 with five different lineups, ranging between a quintet and a duo. In fact, it is a reissue of the 1993 album “Les Jardins Du CasinoFind albums with this title” with two tracks form the 1996 album “Compared 2 What?Find albums with this title”. Two tracks were recorded by a quintet with trombonist Annie WhiteheadFind albums by this artist, flautist / saxophonist John BurgesFind albums by this artist, bassist Marco CastronariFind albums by this artist and drummer Winston CliffordFind albums by this artist. Another two tracks were recorded by a trio with German pianist Joachim KuhnFind albums by this artist and French bassist Jean-Francois Jenny-ClarkFind albums by this artist. One track was recorded by a duo with pianist Django BatesFind albums by this artist, another one by a duo with pianist Chris McGregorFind albums by this artist and finally one track by a quintet with saxophonist Courtney PineFind albums by this artist, McGregor, bassist Fred Thelonious BakerFind albums by this artist and drummer Clifford JarvisFind albums by this artist. The music in incredibly diverse stylistically, from mainstream balladry to intense modern Jazz improvisation, but the focus is on Beckett’s superb trumpet / flugelhorn performances, which are consistently breathtaking, despite the changing lineups and stylistic variations. Personally, my favorite tracks are those with Joachim Kuhn, but all the music is truly delightful and should make every Jazz enthusiast happy. It would be a crime to leave these tracks unreleased, so it’s great to see them available, for us to enjoy and cherish. Warmly recommended.

Updated: 05/08/2023Posted: 05/08/2023

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TOMASZ STANKO ~ TOO PEE NEW EDITION 87025 (Barcode: 614511738224) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 1993 Released: 2005 This is a reissue of the album originally released under the title "Suite TalkFind albums with this title" on the ITMFind albums on this label label, which captures the wonderful meeting between the Polish Jazz trumpet virtuoso / composer Tomasz StankoFind albums by this artist and two German Jazz players: reedman Michael RiesslerFind albums by this artist and bassist Manfred BründlFind albums by this artist. The trio performs a set of eight original compositions in a wonderful atmosphere of mutual respect, conversation and above all listening to each other. Stanko´s "sharp" trumpet and Riessler´s "soft" bass clarinet harmonize beautifully, with Bründl´s bass providing the pulsating rhythmic support. These players are all completely open to every musical possibility, that the music they make is a magnificent expression of freedom, without being chaotic or messy. After all this is Free Jazz and Improvised Music, but with an openness towards melody and self-imposed restriction toward form. Stanko is in top form, with renewed energies, which characterize his early 1990s output, revitalized and as always exceptionally creative. It´s excellent to have this superb album back in circulation and anybody who missed it the first time around should definitely avoid the same mistake again. Brilliant stuff!

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