Foton Quartet - Zomo Hall (2010) by Maciej Nowotny

This time it will be very short because it's simply must-have. Would this record arrive a little earlier, not just at the end of the last year, it could very well be a winner in Best Polish Free Jazz album of 2010. But who cares about all this Grammy-like nonsense-talk: good music is good music so trust me and go for this one without hesitation! 

Recorded in some post-industrial production hall among piles of garbage, rubble and twisted reinforcing steel it sounds like. Deep breath. Like 50 or more years ago Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Julian Cannonbal Adderley, Paul Chamber and Jimmy Cobb in "Kind of Blue" when they laid foundations for what was to became cool jazz. As Marcin Kiciński noted in his Polish review it is impossible to describe what music on this album is but it very easy say what it is not: jazzy playing imitating hundreds times over reproduced cliches invented more than half century ago. This is JAZZ as Miles defined it: "any kind of music in process of discovery something new". 

So please remember those names: Gerard Lebik (tenor saxophone, contra alto clarinet), Asrtur Majewski (trumpet), Jakub Cywiński (double bass), Wojciech Romanowski (drums). If you do not know them from bands like Mikrokolektyw, Robotobibok, Slug Duo, Ziemia Planeta Ludzi, it is now the highest time for Foton Quartet or some extraordinary music would pass you by. Let me end this post with word of stef as posted in English review of this record on his blog: "Extremely beautiful! The year has only just begun, and this is to me already a strong contender for the best of the year lists".

Please, it is OBLIGATORY now for you to check this video! Enjoy :-)

PS. The disc was recorded for best Polish recording label Not Two and is available worldwide through its catalogue.

foton zomo hall record session 2008 from gerardlebik on Vimeo.

Author of text: Maciej Nowotny
http://kochamjazz.blox.pl/html