Vistula River Brass Band – Entertainer (Polish Jazz Vol.51, 1978)

Vistula River Brass Band

Stefan Wozniakowski - tp
Bohdan Styczynski - co
Edward Strak - cl, ts
Lech Szprot -cl,as
Marek Wachowiak - tb
Wojciech Ciarkowski - tb
Waldemar Wolski - tb
Jerzy Zebrowski - p
Andrzej Jarzebski -tu
Andrzej Uminski - bj
Jerzy Wieckowski - dr, leader

Entertainer (Polish Jazz Vol.51, 1978)

This album by veteran ensemble Vistula River Brass Band presents the versatility of the Polish Jazz scene, which at all times presented the entire scope of Jazz music, from Ragtime to Avant-Grade, all of them on a very high artistic level. The ensemble was formed in the late 1960s by drummer Jerzy Wieckowski, who remained the leader for many years. They were basically an amateur ensemble, as most of the nine members had regular jobs, but they played like pros, winning many traditional Jazz competitions and recording two albums for the Polish Jazz series, of which this is the first. Stylistically they remained close to the very early days of Jazz, playing mostly music associated with New Orleans and Chicago in early 20th Century. The material on this album comprises only of standards, except for the bonus track, which was composed by the pianist of the band Jerzy Zebrowski. The level of performance is absolutely excellent all the way through and every Jazz fan should be able to enjoy this music for what it stands for: quality and fun! Recommended!

Track listing: 

1. The Entertainer (S. Joplin)
2. Panama Rag (W. Tyers)
3. Over The Waves (trad.)
4. Cleole Love Call (Ellington)
5. Tiger Rag (N. La Rocca)
6. St. James Infimary (C. Williams)
7. Buddy's Habit (C. Williams)
8. Liza (R. McKenzie)
9. Wujek chrzestny (J. Żebrowski)

By Adam Baruch
www.adambaruch.com