Record Reviews

MICHAL URBANIAK ~ JAZZ LEGENDS 1 UBX 1013 (Barcode: 5905912551907) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rap Fusion Recorded: 1980 Released: 2014 This is a reissue of the album by Polish Jazz violin virtuoso / composer / bandleader Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist, originally released in the US in 1981 as "Music For Violin & Jazz QuartetFind albums with this title" and credited to the one time ensemble called NY5Find albums by this artist, which included Urbaniak and four distinguished American Jazz musicians: guitarist Ted DunbarFind albums by this artist, pianist Kenny BarronFind albums by this artist, bassist Buster WilliamsFind albums by this artist and drummer Roy HaynesFind albums by this artist. The album was released on the short-lived JAMFind albums on this label (Jazz America Marketing) label, founded by Richard SpringFind albums by this artist, and was the label´s first release with catalogue number 001. The album was produced by the legendary Jazz producer Michael CuscunaFind albums by this artist. The album was recorded on December 17 & 18, 1980 following a week´s residency by the quintet at the renowned NY Village Vanguard club, where the music was polished live and readied to be recoded. The album presents eight tracks, three of which are original compositions by Urbaniak and five are standards For Urbaniak, who arrived in NY from Poland in 1973, this album was an important milestone in his life-long quest to be recognized as a bona fide Jazz musician by his American idols and playing and recording with such luminaries was definitely a seal of approval. Although he recorded a stream of revolutionary albums earlier on, both in Poland and in the US, he was playing a unique Jazz-World Fusion / Funk, which was brilliant but not exactly recognized as "pure" American mainstream Jazz as such. Therefore this album was practically his first mainstream Jazz recording, symbolizing Urbaniak becoming a part of the "pack", or at least his hope to achieve that status, which in retrospect proved to be an impossible dream. Listening to this album from a forty years perspective proves a few interesting aspects. Urbaniak was at his peak an absolutely amazing violin player, way better that any other violinist on the US scene at the time. His technique, impeccable aesthetics, superb groove and Swiss clock precision timing, combined with a natural feel for Jazz, improvisation and harmony set him apart from other Jazz musicians on the NY scene. He was also an absolutely brilliant composer, which is why his original compositions on this album are way more interesting than the rest of the material. As for the contributions by the quartet; well they are exactly what one would expect from highly experienced and professional players – they do their job. They keep time, they solo adequately and they play the same way they have been playing always, regardless what gig was on, in short they play American Jazz. Despite the effort, Urbaniak, even on this album, stays faithful to his basic instincts. The Polish melancholy, the childhood melodies and the European aesthetics are all still there for all see (and hear). Thank God for that! Not surprisingly the original album sold poorly and was ignored by American media, soon to be deleted from the market. It is great to see it reissued by Urbaniak on his own UBXFind albums on this label label, as it surely deserves to be remembered and enjoyed!

Updated: 14/06/2020Posted: 14/06/2020

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MICHAL URBANIAK ~ BODY ENGLISH UBX 1017 (Barcode: 5099902839325) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock-World Fusion Recorded: 1976 Released: 2014 This is a reissue of the only album by Polish Jazz violinist / composer Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist released originally on the AristaFind albums on this label label in 1976. Following Urbaniak´s departure from ColumbiaFind albums on this label after recording three albums for the label, he released just one album on the AtlanticFind albums on this label label in 1975 with a group called Funk FactoryFind albums by this artist (not bearing his name for contractual reasons) and moved on to Arista. The team that recorded the album included also his wife at the time, vocalist Urszula DudziakFind albums by this artist and excellent young American players: keyboardist Harold WilliamsFind albums by this artist, guitarist Joe CaroFind albums by this artist, bassist Basil FearringtonFind albums by this artist and drummer Steve JordanFind albums by this artist and a few guests. The album presents nine original compositions, all by Urbaniak. Musically the album continues the direction of the Columbia and Atlantic albums, offering a unique blend of Jazz-Rock Fusion, which includes strong Polish Folklore influences in its melodic motifs. The sound is much more influenced by synthesizers than on any of the previous albums and Dudziak´s voice is much less prominent, but the stylistic similarity is consistent and easily recognizable. Urbaniak´s ability to combine Funk, Groove, Fusion and World Music influences set him apart from his contemporaries and in retrospect this album still sounds refreshing and fascinating. The most intriguing aspect of this and the earlier albums mentioned above is the fact that Urbaniak, who arrived in the US just a short while ago, is more genuinely Funky, Groovy and Swinging than any of his US contemporaries, paving the way for Jazz-World Fusion more boldly than the "natives". As such he surely deserves the credit and appreciation for his innovative spirit. For Funk and Fusion fans, this is an absolute must, a timeless album that keeps kicking the butt as forcefully as it at the time of its release over four decades ago.

Updated: 13/09/2019Posted: 11/09/2019

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MICHAL URBANIAK ~ SMILES AHEAD UBX 1018 (Barcode: 5099901531725) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock-World Fusion Recorded: 1976 - 1977 Released: 2012 This is a reissue of the first (of two) album by Polish Jazz violinist / composer Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist released on the legendary German MPSFind albums on this label label, which was produced by my Friend and Mentor Joachim BerendtFind albums by this artist, who had a deep understanding and love for Polish Jazz and who was instrumental in spreading the fame of Polish Jazz beyond the Iron Curtain. Of the eight tracks on this album, six were recorded at the famous Zuckerfabrik studio in Stuttgart / Germany in November of 1976 with vocalist (and Urbaniak´s wife at the time) Urszula DudziakFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Harold WilliamsFind albums by this artist, bassist Robert BunnFind albums by this artist and drummer Woody TheusFind albums by this artist (a.k.a. Transcending SonshipFind albums by this artist). Two additional tracks were recorded in NY in January of 1977, one of which was a duo with Urbaniak and Emmet ChapmanFind albums by this artist, the inventor of the Chapman stick, and the other was recorded by the same team that recorded the "Body EnglishFind albums with this title" album (i.e. Urbaniak, Dudziak, Williams, guitarist Joe CaroFind albums by this artist, bassist Basil FearringtonFind albums by this artist and drummer Steve JordanFind albums by this artist). Urbaniak composed or co-composed four of the pieces, Dudziak two and Williams and Bunn one each. Under Berendt´s supervision, the album moves back into the most experimental and musically advanced aura of Urbaniak´s exploration of Jazz-Rock Fusion, Electronic and World Music influences, leaving somewhat aside the American Funk and Groove influences, which stylistically resembles the early recordings with ConstellationFind albums by this artist and the three ColumbiaFind albums on this label albums. Berendt, who was a great admirer of Urbaniak´s vocal wizardry, managed to bring back her contribution to the music, giving her an equally prominent role in the proceedings, with two superb unaccompanied solo pieces, a duo with Urbaniak and a strong vocal presence on the rest of the tracks, which overall played a decisive part in the album´s final result. The duo track with Chapman proves Urbaniak´s deep interest in innovation and electronic music development. In retrospect this is surely one of the strongest Urbaniak´s recordings and a quintessential piece of Fusion history, which still remains unparalleled four decades later. The unique amalgam of musical influences combined with virtuosi performances and a freedom of expression rarely found in today´s music. For Urbaniak and Polish Jazz fans this is an absolute must of course, but Fusion connoisseurs the world over should be aware of the fact that their record collection is truly incomplete without this album in their possession.

Updated: 29/12/2023Posted: 13/09/2019

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MICHAL URBANIAK ~ INACTIN UBX 1020 (Barcode: 888174593128) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock-World Fusion Recorded: 1973 Released: 2014 This is a reissue of the second album recorded for the small German label SpiegeleiFind albums on this label by the ensemble headed by Polish Jazz saxophonist / violinist / composer Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist. The ensemble included also Urbaniak´s wife at the time, vocalist Urszula DudziakFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Adam MakowiczFind albums by this artist, bassist Roman DylagFind albums by this artist, drummer Czeslaw BartkowskiFind albums by this artist and Yugoslav percussionist Branislav KovacevFind albums by this artist. The album includes seven tracks, all composed by Urbaniak. This album has several similarities to the live album Urbaniak and his ensemble recorded in 1973 in Poland, released as part of the legendary Polish Jazz series (Vol. 36) and entitled "In ConcertFind albums with this title", which in retrospect was one of Polish Jazz most significant and pivotal recordings and a giant milestone towards the discovery of Jazz-Rock Fusion on the local scene. Those two albums share several of the compositions and almost identical core lineup and most importantly the unique stylistic approach, which mixed Jazz, Rock, Electronics and Free Jazz in a way never previously attempted. The Spiegelei contact, which also produced the album "Paratyphus BFind albums with this title" recorded a year earlier with the same lineup except for Pawel JarzebskFind albums by this artisti on bass, happened as a result of the success Urbaniak achieved in Europe touring there extensively in the early 1970s, which culminated with his appearance at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1971 and winning there a first prize as instrumentalist, at the time still playing the saxophone. The switch to violin, which was Urbaniak´s original instrument, changed his career dramatically and marked the new period in his career. The entire period marks a turbulent time for Urbaniak and Dudziak, with their dramatic emigration to USA soon after. The music Urbaniak´s group created was definitely one of the most innovative and adventurous experiments done at the time, surely by any musicians originating from behind the Iron Curtain. The freedom of expression, which originated in the Free Jazz, mixed with the use of electric instruments and electronic voice enhancements, emerged as some of the most exciting sounds then, and to same extent even today, almost four decades later. Urbaniak used Polish folk motifs and uneven meters to make things even more exciting and Dudziak´s visionary usage of the human voice was eons ahead of its time. In retrospect the two Spiegelei albums and the three albums Urbaniak recorded for ColumbiaFind albums on this label in the USA during the years immediately after his arrival there remain to this very day as his strongest statements, with the body of work created by him and his groups in the early 1970s being unsurpassed. The sonic quality of this album is rather Lo-Fi in today´s standards and it’s a pity that a proper remastering effort was not attempted. The album´s liner notes are pretty sketchy and such significant reissue surely deserves much better. Nevertheless this is an iconic piece of music and as such deserves to be listened to today, after being unavailable for a scandalously long period of time.

Updated: 01/06/2018Posted:

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MICHAL URBANIAK ~ ATMA UBX 1022 (Barcode: 884502405217) ~ POLAND ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 1974 Released: 2014 This is a reissue of the second US album by Polish Jazz violinist / composer Michal UrbaniakFind albums by this artist, released originally on the ColumbiaFind albums on this label label in 1974. It was recorded by the same group of Polish musicians, who played with Urbaniak since several years: his wife at the time, vocalist Urszula DudziakFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Wojciech KarolakFind albums by this artist, bassist Pawel JarzebskiFind albums by this artist and drummer Czeslaw BartkowskiFind albums by this artist. American percussionist Ray MantillaFind albums by this artist also took part in the recording. The album presents ten tracks, all composed by Urbaniak, including the three parts suite that gave the album its title. The music continues the development that Urbaniak presented on his recordings since the early 1970s, creating a unique Fusion of Jazz and Ethnic elements, mostly sourced from Polish Folklore. The distinctive instrumentation and the use of the idiosyncratic explosive vocals by Dudziak resulted in one of the most advanced Fusion albums of all times, which remains completely original and groundbreaking to this very day. Although Urbaniak authored all the music there is no doubt that Dudziak added a crucial element to the final result. Her vocal pyrotechnics are absolutely stunning and without those the music would have never reached the expressive power it offers. Her solo vocals / electronics track reveals her imaginative abilities, which were fully exposed on her solo album "Newborn LightFind albums with this title" recorded in 1972 and later also released in US on Columbia. There is no doubt that this music was light years ahead of its time, and being deeply based in European Jazz experimentation, which at the time of its release was almost completely misunderstood in the US, resulted in commercial failure on the US market, despite its superb musical achievement. In retrospect this album was undoubtedly the absolute peak of Urbaniak´s career, especially as a composer and pioneer of innovative music exploration. All three of the Urbaniak´s Columbia albums ("FusionFind albums with this title", "AtmaFind albums with this title" and "Fusion IIIFind albums with this title") can be combined as one of the most artistically successful album triptychs in Jazz / Fusion history. This is an absolute must to all Fusion fans the world over, now more than ever, as the genre proved to run out of steam decades ago and absolutely nothing comes even close to the quality and the electrifying powers of the music included here. Grab it as long as you can get hold of a copy! Beyond essential!

Updated: 08/09/2019Posted: 08/09/2019

CD 1 Digipak Remastered Essential Recommend To A Friend