Andrzej Kurylewicz – Trio (Polskie Radio, 2007)

Andrzej Kurylewicz - piano

Paweł Pańta - double bass
Cezary Konrad - percussion

Trio (Polskie Radio, 2007)

(Editor) Recorded on 2001.

The legendary Polish Jazz pianist / composer Andrzej Kurylewicz is one of the godfathers of the great Polish Jazz movement, starting from the 1950s. Sadly his role is often almost forgotten and certainly much less appreciated that that of his counterpart pianist / composer Krzysztof Komeda, who managed to achieve some international exposure and prominence. Kurylewicz is a formidable force and his skills as pianist / composer / arranger / conductor are truly admirable. He also composed music for cinema, theatre and TV as well and contemporary classical music. 

Unfortunately his recorded legacy of Jazz performances is rather limited and therefore the outmost importance of this superb album, which documents his return to Jazz piano after several years of absence, with his brilliant trio with bassist Pawel Panta and drummer Cezary Konrad. These absolutely stunning recordings present the trio playing a set of original compositions and standards, played with finesse and taste completely unmatched. Of course the age and experience of the veteran musician have a lot to do with this (he was almost 70 by the time of this recording) but the talent and above all his incredible feel for Jazz, melody and improvisation, which are simply beyond what most other musicians have to offer. In his own compositions Kurylewicz is deeply rooted in the Polish musical tradition, which incorporates folklore and Classical music. His interpretation is typically European; elegant, sophisticated, clever and moving and this music simply uplifts the listener to another plane. The album also includes several video clips taken during the recording sessions of this album, which are also a great pleasure to watch. In short this is a great example of Polish (and European) Jazz at its finest moments, which should be treasured by Jazz connoisseurs around the world. A must!

Track listing:

CD 1
1. Polskie drogi / The Polish Pathways
2. My Bonnie...
3. Juz kocham Cie tyle lat / I've been loving you for so many years
4. W cieniu Szymanowskiego / In the Shadow of Szymanowski
5. Czulosc / Tenderness
6. All The Things You Are - in up tempo
7. Sophisticated Lady
8. Przybyli ulani / The Cavalry Have Knocked on the Window
9. The Autumn Leaves

CD 2
1. Laura i Filon / Laura and Filon
2. Body and Soul
3. Bye, Bye Blackbird
4. The Man I Love
5. La Valse Minime
pliki filmowe video / video files:
6. Polskie drogi / The Polish Pathways
7. W cieniu Szymanowskiego / In the Shadow of Szymanowski
8. Rozmowa w studiu podczas nagran / A conversation during the studio recording




By Adam Baruch

http://adambaruch.com/