Marek Pędziwiatr - piano, synth, percussion
Olaf Węgier - tenor saxophone, percussion
Paweł Stachowiak - bass, percussion
Marcin Rak - drums
Erozje
ASTIGMATIC 013
By Adam Baruch
This is the debut album by
Polish quartet Błoto, which is a classic "Son of Godzilla" type of offshoot
of the popular EABS ensemble, comprising of keyboardist Marek Pędziwiatr
(a.k.a. Latarnik), saxophonist Olaf Węgier (a.k.a. Książę Saxonii), bassist
Paweł Stachowiak (a.k.a. Wuja HZG) and drummer Marcin Rak (a.k.a. Cancer G).
The quartet and its music are a result of an incidental gathering of these
musicians in a studio, during a short break in the EABS tour, which resulted in
a spontaneous recording session undertaken without any preparation whatsoever. The
well oiled EABS PR machine as well as the contemporary sound and attitude
managed to create a stir on the local market and even the COVID-19 pandemic did
not manage to halt the viral reaction. The album presents ten tracks, which
were cut from the ninety minutes of music that was recorded, lasting just above
forty minutes.
The music is indeed fresh,
vibrant and a great fun to listen to, but it is not that much different from
the improvised passages played during EABS live performances, which of course
is not very surprising. Hypnotic groove, synthesizer soundscapes, dynamic
rhythms and almost Free Jazz solos on top are a well oiled formula that EABS
perfected over time and this session basically offers nihil novi sub sole.
The album's title and the PR
material allude to a parallelism between this album and the iconic recording
"Korozje" by Polish Jazz legends Andrzej Kurylewicz and Tomasz
Stańko. Personally I find nothing in common between these two albums and the
unnecessary references to the Polish Jazz history are more damaging than
useful. EABS are not like any of the Polish Jazz past icons, and they don't
need to be. They are an excellent ensemble living in a different era and playing
music that has five decades of additional musical influences to absorb, which
they indeed do all the time.
Overall this album offers many
great moments and an ambience that brings young generation of listeners closer
to Jazz, which by itself is a great success. It is first and foremost oriented
towards the wide circle of the EABS fans base, but being less visceral that the
EABS albums, it also appeals to new listeners, which again is a good thing.
These guys are excellent musicians and they still have a lot of youthful
enthusiasm and creativity, so let's enjoy them as long as that lasts. Is it
Jazz?... Frankly, my dears, I don't give a damn!
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