Record Reviews

SHOFAR ~ SHOFAR KILOGRAM 014 (Barcode: 5907577284121) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock-World Fusion Recorded: 2007 Released: 2007 Shofar is an ancient Jewish instrument, usually made of ram´s horn, which has been part of the Jewish tradition since its origins. It is mentioned in the Bible frequently and was used to announce holidays and other special events, but later on the sound of the shofar has been also associated with Jewish mourning for the destruction of the Temple and the Diaspora. Hearing the intense and deeply moving sound of the shofar is a mitzvah for any Jewish person. In the contemporary Hebrew language the word Shofar has an additional meaning, referring to a means of communication spreading ideology, bearing news and expressing the opinion of a group of people. It can be a person (announcer, spokesman, representative) or a medium (newspaper, radio station, etc.). Regardless of the motivation, which stood behind naming the Polish ensemble ShofarFind albums by this artist, in retrospect it somehow encompasses both of the meanings of the idiom. Founded by guitarist Raphael RoginskiFind albums by this artist, who also leads the excellent ensemble CukunftFind albums by this artist, the trio also includes the iconic musician Mikolaj TrzaskaFind albums by this artist and drummer Marcio MorettiFind albums by this artist. This is their debut recording, which consists of their unique interpretations of six pieces taken from the enormous collection of the great Jewish ethnomusicologist Moshe BeregovskyFind albums by this artist and two famous Jewish liturgical pieces. The sound of the trio amalgamates several quite diverse backgrounds: Roginski´s guitar and Moretti´s drums have a distinct Rocky feel whereas Trzaska is deeply embedded in Jazz and Improvised Music. However, there is no clash whatsoever here and the musicians manage to create a unique and quite specific ambience, which transforms the traditional Jewish music into contemporary world of musical expression, without trivializing it in the process, which is often done by the numerous Polish so called Klezmer ensembles, which often never go anywhere beyond being a chaltura (i.e. a worthless and artistically insignificant enterprise). The onset of Shofar, which followed in the footsteps of Cukunft, announced (like a shofar does) the Renaissance of the contemporary Jewish music in Poland, that in retrospect turned out to be a most fruitful and fascinating development on the local scene, which is exploding with activity in many other musical areas as well. Is spite of the fact that there are practically only very few Jews living in Poland these days, the Jewish Culture, which bloomed on the Polish soil for almost a thousand years, has been apparently implanted into the local cultural fabric so deeply that even the Holocaust didn´t manage to destroy it. The seeds planed in that soil are now breaking out with an astonishing vitality. Both Roginski and Trzaska were about to create many other Jewish-related projects later on, including a second album together. But beyond the historical significance of this album, this is also superb music. The vitality and intrinsic joy of the Eastern European music passes over with full glory to the world of sound created by Shofar, which is also full of reflection, mystery and melancholy, mixed with the humor and ecstasy eminently present in Jewish music. The individual statements by these three musicians are of course first-rate but their magic exists primarily as members of the collective ensemble. This album, although recorded only less than a decade ago, is already a part of a classic statement made on the Polish Jazz scene, opening a new chapter of the convoluted Jewish-Polish cultural (and otherwise) relationships, made in memory of the countless shofar blasts that reverberated over the Polish soil in the past Millennium.

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MIKOLAJ TRZASKA ~ DOM ZLY (SOUNDTRACK) KILOGRAM 018 (Barcode: 5907577284169) ~ POLAND ~ Soundtracks Recorded: 2009 Released: 2010 Polish musician / composer Mikolaj TrzaskaFind albums by this artist is an iconic figure on the local scene and one of the most influential trend setters in the last two decades. Starting with the pioneering ensemble MiloscFind albums by this artist, which defined the concept / genre called Yass, shaking the local scene profoundly and making many musician to re-examine their paths and return to experimentation and exploration, which was always associated with the Jazz idiom. In time Trzaska became one of the leaders of the Polish musical Avant-Garde / Free Jazz / Improvised Music movement and by mid-2000s he shifted his attention again discovering the Jewish musical tradition and incorporating it in his milieu. The music included on this album was created as a soundtrack of the sinister thriller directed by Wojciech SmarzowskiFind albums by this artist and called "Dom Zly" or "The Dark House" in English. Therefore listening to the music separated from its cinematic reference is a priori problematic or at least should be judged by completely different set of parameters. The album includes ten tracks most of which are sub-divided into several sub-motifs, which together create a collage of short themes following each other rapidly. The music was created by a quintet with Trzaska playing saxophones, clarinets and keyboards, with cellist Clementine GasserFind albums by this artist, pianist Tomasz SzwelnikFind albums by this artist, bassist Clayton ThomasFind albums by this artist and drummer Michael ZerangFind albums by this artist. Not all the players participate on all the tracks and Trzaska is the primary performer as well as the composer of all the pieces. Stylistically the album covers a wide range of diverse sub-genres, like Musique concrète, Ambient, Free Jazz, Experimental, Industrial and other Avant-Garde soundscapes. There is very little melodic content per se or conventional soloing or playing for that matter. Like with abstract painting, where the Artists uses patches of shapes and colors combining them on a canvas and playing with their aesthetic relationships on a two-dimensional plane, Trzaska plays with sounds and tones and time, to create a sonic "picture" in the listener´s brain, which either works of doesn´t, depending on the listener, his momentarily moods and reflections. It works for me, but it might not work for others. This music is obviously not for everybody, not even for most people who listen to music on a regular basis. Many listeners might enjoy this as part of a cinematic experience, heard in the background, but might find this extremely difficult on its own. This does not mean, of course, that Trzaska is not entitled to experiment and do his own thing – au contraire he should be praised for doing just that. A healthy Culture has always space for being different and the ability to embrace those who are different. Life would be simply unbearable if everybody would just play the same music.

Updated: 19/02/2020Posted:

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IRCHA ~ WATCHING EDVARD KILOGRAM 022 (Barcode: 5907577284206) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2011 Released: 2011 This is the second album by Polish clarinet quartet IrchaFind albums by this artist, founded and led by Mikolaj TrzaskaFind albums by this artist, which also includes Waclaw ZimpelFind albums by this artist, Pawel SzamburskiFind albums by this artist and Michal GorczynskiFind albums by this artist. The quartet members play a range of different instruments belonging to the clarinet family and create a completely unique sonic experience, which is unparalleled and completely original. This album consists of sixteen short pieces, which include original compositions by the entire quartet or by individual band members. The pieces vary in length from a minute and a half to over six minutes and could be conceived together as a continuous improvised suite. Although obviously a part of the Polish Improvised Music camp, Ircha is quite unique in many respects. Seemingly limited by the fact that the musicians use only clarinets, an instrument usually not associated with highly developed improvisational environment (with few remarkable exceptions of course), the group proves that limitations are only present in humans, not in the instruments, and with dedication, talent and virtuosic ability all limitations can be simply triumphed over. Together the quartet offers such a depth of sonic layers and emotional vistas, that the listener completely forgets the fact that there are only clarinets involved. The music firmly belongs to the Improvised scene, but there is an element of obvious careful planning involved, which defines the ground rules and the overall order of things. The purely melodic element is of course deeply hidden beneath the improvisational approach, but it is there for those who listen carefully. The level of cooperation between the quartet members is their innermost strength, upon all this music is firmly based. This is not four individuals making music together, but a higher-class group spirit of combined consciousness, which presides herein. Since this is a studio recording, there is no interaction with the audience, which in Improvised Music is often essential. Nevertheless this album, as opposed to many other of its kind, works very well under these circumstances, perhaps because the overall atmosphere of serenity, relaxation and above all mutual respect. There are no attempts to prove who can outplay anybody else, who can play the fastest or the most astounding solo, etc. on the contrary almost all of the music is a dialog, trialog or a quatrolog, and therefore a cooperative effort. Overall this is an excellent piece of Free Jazz / Improvised Music, which should fully satisfy even the sternest connoisseurs of the genre, and yet at the same time be accessible to many open-minded listeners beyond any specific genre classification.

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IRCHA ~ ZIKARON LEFANAI KILOGRAM 024 (Barcode: 5907577284220) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2011 Released: 2012 This is the third album by Polish clarinet quartet IrchaFind albums by this artist, founded and led by Mikolaj TrzaskaFind albums by this artist, which also includes Waclaw ZimpelFind albums by this artist, Pawel SzamburskiFind albums by this artist and Michal GorczynskiFind albums by this artist. The quartet members play a range of different instruments belonging to the clarinet family and create a completely unique sonic experience, which is unparalleled and completely original. This album was recorded live and consists of seven pieces, which combine original compositions by the entire quartet or individual band members with traditional folkloristic themes from different cultural backgrounds, like Gypsy, Armenian and of course Easter European Jewish music. Ircha is one of several different ensembles that Trzaska leads or participates in, which in the last decade greatly contributed to the so called "New Jewish Music" which is being created in Poland, being also a part of a general Renaissance of the Jewish Culture in Poland. This quite surprising phenomenon seems to sweep the Polish cultural landscape like a tsunami, but a highly productive, rather than destructive one. Many of these attempts to create a new, contemporary face of the Jewish Culture is created by Jazz and Improvised Music Artists, like Trzaska, and many are released by the KilogramFind albums on this label Records label, owned by Trzaska and his charming wife. It is quite difficult to imagine that just four clarinets can create such complex and emotionally overwhelming music. I had the pleasure to attend a concert by Ircha recently and the experience was simply awe-inspiring and spiritually enlightening. Of course Improvised Music is usually easier to absorb live than by listening to records, as the presence of the musicians and the visual element contribute to the immediate contact between the musicians and the audience. A concert recording is, after all, only a "second hand" experience. And yet sometimes the strength of the performance can overcome the barrier of lack of personal contact and reach the listener directly and powerfully, with this album being a perfect example of this. Although mostly improvised, this music is based on very strong melodic elements, as well as atmospheric ventures, which make it much more accessible and immediate to a much wider audience than the usual Improvised Music crowd, which is a priori quite limited. With deeply melancholic and lyrical melodies and delicate, mostly quite low-volume performances, this music embraces the listener and extends a warm welcome, inviting and enchanting. Of course there are many levels by which the listener can relate to this music; it can be enjoyed on the purely emotional level, or the aesthetical level, or the intellectual level or perhaps all the levels simultaneously. The fact that this music is able to work on so many level is what makes it so remarkable, special and unique. This album is a beautiful bridge between many artistic directions undertaken by Jazz and Improvised Music creators. It has a fair amount of many different elements, like melody, collective and individual improvisation, folkloristic influences, spontaneity and premeditation, innovation and tradition. This wonderful amalgam, which only happens quite rarely, is fully achieved here, making it an exceptional piece of High Culture.

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SHOFAR ~ HA-HUNCVOT KILOGRAM 026 (Barcode: 5907577284244) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock-World Fusion Recorded: 2009 Released: 2013 The Polish ensemble ShofarFind albums by this artist, founded by guitarist Raphael RoginskiFind albums by this artist, who also leads the excellent ensemble CukunftFind albums by this artist, is a trio which also includes the iconic saxophonist / clarinetist Mikolaj TrzaskaFind albums by this artist and drummer Macio MorettiFind albums by this artist. This is their second album, which consists of eleven pieces, eight of which are original compositions co-credited to the trio and three are their unique interpretations of traditional Hasidic melodies. The album was recorded a couple of years following their debut, but was actually released only four years later. Musically it is a logical development of the approach established on the debut, which mixes pre-composed themes and improvisations, with strong influences originating in Eastern European Jewish music. Together with Cukunft and quite a few other ensembles the New Jewish Music emerges as one of the most interesting musical development on the Polish scene. Shofar creates a very distinct sound, with the electric guitar sounding seemingly in conflict with the delicate clarinet, but strangely they somehow complete each other, and together with the percussive ornamentation create a wonderful amalgam, which proposes a new aesthetic. The various pieces represent many different moods, like anger, aggression, despair, peace, love and meditation, always playing just what is necessary and avoiding any meaningless excess. Overall the music is deeply engaging and has a direct impact, regardless if the listener has any Jewish roots or not. This is the real strength of this music. There are, of course, also the individual talents of these musicians to be considered, in addition to their group performances, which deserve the listener´s attention. Roginski, deeply rooted in rocky riffs, expands his vocabulary with ambient accompaniments and wall-of-sound strumming in the most intense moments. Trzaska, relatively restrained, sounds wonderfully mellow and melodic, but underneath his volcanic explosions simply wait for an opportunity to erupt. Moretti keeps a relatively low profile, although his contributions are quite essential to keep the entire creation together and are all performed with great fluency and confidence. This music is truly beyond category and has little parallels in Poland or in the entire world for that matter. Although firmly clinging to the Improvised Music formulas, this music has a "soul" ("neshume" in Yiddish), which is simply absent in most improvised environments. This is perhaps New Jewish Music, but it also is a bridge between the past and the future in all musical areas for people who are willing to listen.

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OLBRZYM I KURDUPEL ~ WORK KILOGRAM 028 (Barcode: 5907577284275) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 Released: 2014 This is the third album by Polish Avant-Garde / Improvised Music duo Olbrzym I KurdupelFind albums by this artist, or saxophonist Tomasz GadeckiFind albums by this artist and bassist Marcin BozekFind albums by this artist. It captures a live performance by the duo at the legendary Alchemia club in Krakow, which is edited into six separate parts, but the entire performance can be seen as a musical continuum. Although not specifically attributed as such, the music is obviously co-created by the duo members. Gadecki is a very active and prolific member of the Polish Avant-Garde scene and takes part in several other small experimental ensembles, like 250 KGFind albums by this artist, TRC TrioFind albums by this artist and SambarFind albums by this artist. The duo has been playing together for about six years now, a period of time which was definitely sufficient for them to develop their own specific stylistic mannerisms and approach to collective improvisation, which by now is pretty recognizable. This is quite an achievement, as Improvised Music may sound pretty undistinguishable in most cases. The staccato bass pulsations and dramatic saxophone cries are most effective tools to capture the listener´s attention and create an emotional upheaval. Improvised music is of course above all a team effort, and as a team they are simply "as one man", no pun intended. I have always admired the intimacy of their almost telepathic sharing of ideas and on this album it is more strongly evident than ever before. Additionally their music is completely non-aggressive, almost "romantic" at times, and as absurd as it might sound, it is pleasurable and comforting; definitely not a typical paradigm in Improvised Music. The Polish Avant-Garde scene is obviously quite en extensive field of activity, still growing against all odds. Dominated mostly by relatively young musicians, it is vital and impressively creative. I find Olbrzym I Kurdupel to be a perfect personification of that wonderful phenomenon, always looking forward to their new work. I can only wish that their music will be discovered by as many open-minded music listeners as possible, as it certainly deserves it.

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

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POLE ~ RADOM KILOGRAM 029 (Barcode: 5907577284282) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2014 This is the debut album by Polish Jazz trio PoleFind albums by this artist, which consists of clarinetists / flautist Michal GorczynskiFind albums by this artist (a member of Mikolaj TrzaskaFind albums by this artist´s quartet IrchaFind albums by this artist), guitarist / bassist / synthesizer player Piotr ZabrodzkiFind albums by this artist and drummer Jan Emil MlynarskiFind albums by this artist. The album presents five original pieces, all credited collectively to the three trio members. The music is mostly spontaneously improvised, with the clarinet stating some minor melodic motifs but most of the time the group improvisation is the name of the game. The clarinet´s sound and the melodic fragments it plays are clearly rooted in Jewish music, albeit more associatively so than deliberately. This of course anchors Pole as one of the ensembles taking part in the contemporary Jewish music renaissance, which is taking place in Poland today. Zabrodzki and Mlynarski are definitely less dominant, playing the role of a rhythm section, which of course in this setting has a completely different meaning than in conventional Jazz. The guitar provides mostly ambient background with no melodic contents, the base pulsations are in charge of the rhythmic progression, and the percussion sits on a separate musical plane, which develops in parallel to what the clarinet and guitar are doing, coming and going seemingly unattached. Overall the trio creates an interesting effect of togetherness, which strangely manages to manifest itself from the disjoined ingredients. It takes a while to get into this music, but in time it emerges as quite interesting amalgam of free improvisation, World Music motifs and rhythms and ambient background, which in most cases works out rather well. The album is rather short, running for just over half an hour, which either means the musicians consider this a complete statement or they ran out of steam. In any case it should be interesting to hear what they have to say next time around.

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IRCHA ~ BLACK BONES KILOGRAM 031 (Barcode: 5907577284305) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2013 Released: 2014 This is the fourth album by the iconic Polish clarinet quartet IrchaFind albums by this artist, led by Mikolaj TrzaskaFind albums by this artist and also including Michal GorczynskiFind albums by this artist, Pawel SzamburskiFind albums by this artist and Waclaw ZimpelFind albums by this artist. These four players are all ensemble leaders on they own right and are among the undisputed leaders of the Avant-Garde Polish Jazz / Improvised Music scene in the last decade. But above all they are superbly talented musicians and creative personalities, who turn Ircha into a supergroup of legendary proportions. This album is in fact a twin album, not a 2CD album, but two separately packaged albums recorded just three months apart, one in a studio and the other one live, presenting almost completely different musical material. The studio album presents thirteen pieces (collected into ten tracks), some traditional Sephardic and Hasidic Jewish songs, others composed by Trzaska and yet others composed by the quartet. The live album presents also thirteen pieces (collected into eight tracks), with just a few of them being the same ones as those on the studio album, also being traditional Jewish songs, others composed by Trzaska or by the quartet. The live album was recorded at the Falenica (a Warsaw suburb) train station, during a concert I had the immense pleasure to attend and meet Mikolaj and the quartet in person for the first time. My warm applause is therefore captured for posterity on that album. Although including only clarinets, Ircha is capable of producing an almost symphonic wall of sound, which can be immensely impressive. The various clarinets cover a wide range of the audible spectrum and compliment each other beautifully. The overall sound produced by Ircha is therefore a completely unique and incomparable sonic experience, which combined with the deeply spiritual music, has an overwhelming impression on the listener, reaching deeply into the soul and completely transfixing the mind. Of course the music of Ircha is also a symbol of the rebirth of Jewish music in Poland, where it originally existed for almost a millennium, before being eradicated by the Holocaust. The fact that Polish musicians, regardless of the fact if they have a Jewish background or not, take traditional Jewish music into the next millennium, and into a new dimension, is truly astounding and uplifting. The entire phenomenon, which involves a surprisingly large group of Polish musicians, many of them from the Jazz idiom, is simply miraculous. There is no doubt that Ircha is amongst the cream of the crop of these musicians / ensembles, and perhaps the most important amongst them aesthetically and artistically. The music of Ircha is a bridge between styles and cultures, freedom and discipline, emotion and intellect. Such a complex arsenal of stimuli is able to reach a diverse public, from many different backgrounds, ages and personal tastes, and this is its true forte. This is why each and every listener of their music receives a different input and generates a different reaction; exactly what great Art is all about.

Updated: 26/08/2020Posted:

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SLINA ~ SLINA KILOGRAM 038 ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2019 Released: 2019 This is the debut album by Polish Improvised Music quartet SlinaFind albums by this artist, which comprises of saxophonist Matylda GerberFind albums by this artist, guitarist Filip ZakrzewskiFind albums by this artist, bassist Mikolaj NowickiFind albums by this artist and drummer Stanislaw OlekFind albums by this artist. The album presents just one extensive improvised piece lasting about thirty six minutes, which was recorded in a cabin in the woods, assumed to be co-composed by the quartet members. The music is a continuous, meditative, trans-like piece, which starts in a very quiet, intimate level and very slowly increases in intensity, tempo and volume, reaching an emotional climax after about half and hour and then again get less intense until reaching silence. Electric guitar and energetic drums during the powerful mid section turn this music away from the Jazz oriented initial quiet section, reaching Rock intensity at its apex. This music is stylistically and spiritually quite similar to the experimentations created during the late 1960s by Psychedelic Rock ensembles, which showed parallel impact of Indian and other Far Eastern influences. The music is undoubtedly very original – at least in today´s standards – and offers a fascinating listening experience. For listeners able to embrace the trans-like submission to the sounds the complete effect of the music becomes even more intensive. Overall this is a very unusual and powerful piece of music that stands in a category of its own on the Polish scene, especially in view of the fact that this music is mostly acoustic as opposed to electronic music excursions of this kind. This album is definitely worth investigating and adding to the music library by open-minded connoisseurs, who are open to discovery of new sonic territories. Well done, and a very impressive debut effort!

Updated: 19/01/2020Posted: 19/01/2020

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MIKOLAJ TRZASKA ~ KLER (SOUNDTRACK) KILOGRAM 039 ~ POLAND ~ Soundtracks Recorded: 2017 - 2018 Released: 2019 The close cooperation between a film director and a cinematic music composer, which last for many years, is quite a common phenomenon in the Film industry, and of course has its long tradition in Polish cinema as well. Such famous couplings include Roman PolanskiFind albums by this artist – Krzysztof KomedaFind albums by this artist, Krzysztof KieslowskiFind albums by this artist – Zbigniew PreisnerFind albums by this artist and of course also Wojciech SmarzowskiFind albums by this artist – Mikolaj TrzaskaFind albums by this artist. Trzaska wrote the music for all the films by Smarzowski ("Dom Zly", "Roza", "Drogowka", "Pod Mocnym Aniolem", "Wolyn" and "Kler"), except for his debut film ("Wesele"). Trzaska, one of the leaders of Polish Free Jazz / Avant-Garde / Improvised Music scene, seems to find himself at ease with writing music for films, which of course works quite differently than his usual modus operandi on stage or in the studio, surrounded by other improvisers. The magic that happens when Smarzowski´s often harsh, shocking and deeply troubling visual expressionism gets combined with Trzaska´s music, and the two fit together perfectly, as if created in one mind. Trzaska, who plays saxophones and clarinets, involved in creating this music the "usual suspects", i.e. artists he worked with earlier, like clarinetist Pawel SzamburskiFind albums by this artist, Danish vibraphonist / drummer Peter Ole JorgensenFind albums by this artist, multimedia Artist / musician Marek RogulskiFind albums by this artist and The Sejny Theater Klezmer OrchestraFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine original compositions, all by Trzaska, which last together for almost thirty seven minutes, and served as a source of the incidental music incorporated within the film. As usual in the case of film soundtracks released as stand alone albums the crucial test is if the music is able to hold its ground on its own, without the presence of the visual element being involved. Trzaska managed to achieve this with his previous cinematic projects and he does not disappoint here as well. The album delivers a coherent, quite diverse series of atmospheric / ambient pieces, which are a fascinating journey, and the listener is able to create his own scenography and plot on the fly or simple accept the music on a purely emotional plane. Although not involved directly with Jazz per se, the spirit of improvisation is an integral part of this music, as appropriate for Trzaska and his usual sound environment. It takes a while to enter this enigmatic world of sounds, but the more one listens to this music the more addictive it becomes. I have but to agree with Smarzowski (who writes so on the album´s cover) that this album is very much different from the film, which of course is pretty obvious, but the overall effect of Trzaska´s music is absolutely phenomenal on its own. I am grateful to be able to call this great Artist a Friend!

Updated: 19/02/2020Posted: 19/02/2020

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