Janusz Zdunek – Numery (2017)

Janusz Zdunek

Janusz Zdunek - trumpet, synth
Bogumiła Ludwińska - alto saxophone
Mariusz Godzina - tenor saxophone
Tomasz Glazik - baritone saxophone
Jarosław Ważny - trombone, voice


Piotr Wróbel - tuba
Ireneusz Kaczmar - bass
Rafał Baca - drums

Numery

SP 0217

By Adam Baruch

This is an album by Polish trumpeter/composer Janusz Zdunek, recorded in an octet setting with six brass players (Zdunek on trumpet, trombonist Jarosław Ważny, saxophonists Bogumiła Ludwińska, Mariusz Godzina and Tomasz Glazik and tuba player Piotr Wróbel) and rhythm section: bassist Ireneusz Kaczmar and drummer Rafał Baca. The album presents eleven original compositions, all by Zdunek. One of the tracks features Rap style lyrics. The musicians on the album are old Zdunek's cohorts from his Yass ensembles 4 Syfon and Marienburg and Rock group Kult.

The music is consistent with earlier albums by Zdunek, presenting more or less the same mixture of Jazz, Rock, Yass and Funk influences, which are almost danceable, played with great feeling of Groove and a Funky approach, but basically adding very little to the musical arsenal, which Zdunek presented already in the past, except perhaps for a few Klezmer influenced pieces.

The large brass section could have been used to create a much richer and multilayered environment, but sadly it is mostly limited to playing long unisono lines behind Zdunek's trumpet solos, which are not interesting enough to keep the listener on his toes. The rhythm section keeps the music moving forward in a hypnotic Funky Groove, which is really excellent, but after a while becomes somewhat repetitious.

Overall this is a nice, listenable album with a lot of brass sounds and Groovy/Funky rhythms, which many listeners should be able to enjoy and perhaps even dance to. More entertainment that Art, but nevertheless definitely worth investigation!