Bartosz Hadala – The Runner Up (2010)

Bartosz Hadala - Piano, Composer, Producer

Noriko Ueda - Double Bass, Bass (Acoustic)
Antonio Sanchez - Drums
Ada Rovatti - Saxophone
Dave Anderson - Bass (Electric)
Kevin Garcia - Percussion
Bartosz Hadala - Piano, Composer, Producer
Randy Brecker - Trumpet

The Runner Up (2010)

This is the debut album (in the Jazz field) by Polish pianist / composer Bartosz Hadala, currently residing in Canada. The album was recorded with the help of six excellent Jazz musicians, playing in different settings: trumpeter Randy Brecker, saxophonist Ada Rovatti, bassists Dave Anderson (electric) and Noriko Ueda (acoustic), drummer Antonio Sanchez and percussionist Kevin Garcia. The album includes nine original compositions by Hadala and one standard.

The music is mainstream modern Jazz, with clear melody lines and classic instrumentation approach, which clearly places the album in the American rather than European Jazz category. It is perfectly executed, with many excellent solos and professionalism evident at every step. The compositions are truly first-rate, and are the strongest asset of this album. Hadala's piano playing is absolutely wonderful, elegant and expressive but perhaps slightly too conventional for more advanced listeners. Nevertheless the overall level of the music and especially the compositions are praiseworthy.

The album's versatile settings, from a classic piano trio to a sextet, and the interesting compositions, which are excellent vehicles for the musicians' improvisations, make it a pleasurable listening experience, highly recommended to mainstream Jazz connoisseurs. Hopefully Hadala will record another album soon, as his music is too good to be undiscovered.

By Adam Baruch

http://www.adambaruch.com/

Tracklisting: 1. Salt Water 4:14 2. The One Call Behind 5:50 3. Another You 5:00 4. The B-files 6:10 5. A Night In Tunisia 3:34 6. Steve Wonders Why 9:13 7. Madame 6:38 8. The Runner Up 7:15 9. A Sunday Walk 7:33 10. Any Way