Jaromir Honzak - Getting There Together (1995)

Jaromir Honzak - bass   

Piotr Baron - saxophones
Kuba Stankiewicz - piano
Peter Binder - guitar
Martin Zbrozek - violin
Pavel Zboril - drums

Getting There Together (1995)

Ties between Polish, Czech and Slovak jazz musicians are not so tight as between Poles and Scandinavians but in recent times are getting obviously stronger. Many young people from both Czech Republic and Slovakia study in excellent jazz faculty at Music Academy in Katowice. Among those some show themselves as very talented like Stepanka Balcarova or Vit Kristan and are already taking active part in Polish jazz scene (check Inner Spaces Quartet). Other like Nothing But Swing trio from Slovakia turn their attention to Polish jazz as source of inspiration which is evidenced by their fantastic album "Komeda". Finally there are already existing bands uniting best musicians from these countries of which Jaromir Honzak combo is very good example.

Jaromik Honzak is double bassist who apart from being trained in Teplice Conservatory studied for one year in famous Berklee College of Music in Boston. Since returning to Czech Republic he has recorded six albums as a leader with this one being his debut. He is versatile bass player and composer as he penned most of material for this album. He surrounded himself here with pack of young players form both countries in persons pf Kuba Stankiewicz playing on piano, Pawel Zboril on drums, Martin Zbrozek on violin and Peter Binder on guitar (outstanding performance). However all these musicians deserve praise this album owes much of its value to stunning performance of Polish veteran reedist Piotr Baron. His play transcends this music from very solid but typical mainstream to something simply very beautiful (at least in some moments). For example check this ballad titled "Boston Is Cool" from this record: 

Track listing: 1. Boston Is Cool (10:29); 2. October In Poland (7:12); 3. You And The Night And The Music (6:41); 4. Today (3:09); 5. Fossilized Tear (3:36); 6. Woman From "Na Maninach" Buffet (5:45); 7. Say Hello To Marc (6:16); 8. Getting There Together (7:47)

By Maciej Nowotny
http://kochamjazz.blox.pl