Mud Cavaliers & The International School Of Traditional Music Ensemble - Scenes Of Infinity (2012)

Mud Cavaliers & The International School Of Traditional Music Ensemble 

Kawalerowie Błotni & Zespół Międzynarodowej Szkoły Muzyki Tradycyjnej 

Krzysztof Knittel – composer and instrumentalist (electronic instruments),
Jerzy Kornowicz – composer and pianist,
Ryszard Latecki – alternative improviser - trumpeter,
Mieczysław Litwiński – composer, multi-instrumentalist and singer,
Tadeusz Sudnik – improviser (electronic instruments),
Tadeusz Wielecki - composer and double bassist.

Scenes Of Infinity (2012)

Sceny z bezkresu (2012)

By Maciej Nowotny

If we look at the present state of music which was once called "jazz" we come to the conclusion that its most vital elements are spontaneity and freedom expressing itself in improvisation. Since we find this element not only if jazz but also in folk music and, surprisingly, in contemporary classical music, all these genres more and more blend together creating one music of OUR time. This CD is based on Polish folk but it utilizes all kinds of modern tools to make it sound fresh and unexpected. It is a certain surprise how well it succeeds in this task. Surprise because young Polish musicians rather seldom dare take on Polish folk in such a forward-thinking and unorthodox manner. 

The ensemble named Kawalerowie Błotni (Mud Cavaliers) dates back to 2001 when it was founded on the initiative of Jerzy Kornowicz. Apart from the founder it now comprises Krzysztof Knittel, Ryszard Latecki, Mieczysław Litwiński, Tadeusz Sudnik and Tadeusz Wielecki - these guys has very mixed background. Most of them have some some experience in composition (Knittel being best known of all of them) but they are also excellent classical music instrumentalists and some of them are connected to jazz like for example Tadeusz Sudnik who is known from cooperation with Tomasz Stańko (check "Live At Montreux" or "Peyotl").

At the and of the day what we got here are old Polish folk songs transformed with refined tools of modern classical music enlivened with techniques and attitudes of free jazz. It is truly amazing that out of such an entangled background music so coherent and yet so fresh emerged! I can recommended it to anyone who looks in music for something creative and yet unheard. From this point of view it is definitely brilliant stuff...

Finally let me add that "Scenes Of Infinity" were commisionad by the famous International Festival of Contemporary Music – Warsaw Autumn and was record in collaboration with the International School of Traditional Music Ensemble based in Lublin and formed in 1991 by Jan Bernard and Monika Mamińska. Since then it is contribuiting to revival of musical inheretince of the Kresy (Eastern Poland, Belarus, Ukraine and Russia).