Leszek HeFi Wisniowski – Lechoechoplexita (2006)

Leszek HeFi Wiśniowski

Leszek HeFi Wisniowski - flutes /saxophones

Lechoechoplexita

CM 1002




By Adam Baruch

This is the second album by the Polish Jazz flautist/saxophonist/composer Leszek HeFi Wisniowski, recorded solo using the multichannel technology, which allows him to overdub his playing many different instruments to produce the final result, which sounds often like an orchestral recording. The album comprises of fifteen tracks, thirteen of which are his original compositions, one is a folk tune and the remaining one if co-composed with one of the guest artists, who play on six of the tracks.

The music is a mixture of many different influences, like World Music, contemporary Classical and of course the Jazz tradition. The melodic element is very strong, which makes this music highly accessible to a wide audience. At times it crosses the delicate border between ambitious and elevator music, but that is of course a matter of taste. The overall sound of multilayered saxophones, flutes and other instruments is quite impressive and again very likeable.

Since this is not predominantly a Jazz recording, it should not be judged by Jazz criteria. As a piece of Jazz-World Fusion it is quite unique and interesting, albeit hardly innovative. If this album was made sometime in the 1990s it had a chance to become quite a hit with the New Age listeners, but now, with the New Age trend discarded and forgotten, it sort of falls in between the currently popular sub-genres. Still it is worth to be listened to just for the sake of the original approach to making music and of course flute enthusiasts might find it appealing.