Adam Wendt And Friends – Rhythm & Jazz (2018)

Adam Wendt And Friends

Adam Wendt - saxophone
Wojciech Niedziela - piano
Zbigniew Wrombel - bass
Marcin Jahr - drums

Rhythm & Jazz

SOLITON 862



By Adam Baruch

This is an album by veteran Polish Jazz saxophonist/composer Adam Wendt recorded in a quartet setting with pianist Wojciech Niedziela, bassist Zbigniew Wrombel and drummer Marcin Jahr. American trumpeter Randy Brecker guests on two tracks and guitarist Dean Brown on one track. The album presents nine original compositions, all by Wendt. The album was beautifully recorded at the RecPublica Studios and engineered by Lukasz Olejarczyk and offers a truly spectacular sound,

The music, as the title suggests, is all mainstream Jazz that emphasizes the Rhythm And Blues stream in American Jazz popular in the 1950s and 1960s. It is pretty astounding how American this music sounds, although it is completely "Made in Poland"! When blindfold tested this music might have been identified as a "lost" Cannonball Adderley album. For the Jazz cognoscenti the Adderley's great hit "Mercy, Mercy. Mercy" comes immediately to mind when this music plays, but we should remember it was written by Joe Zawinul, who was as European as they come. Niedziela's vamping on this album and his piano parts are a great tribute to Zawinul.

The execution is absolutely perfect in every respect – the sound, the beat, the feel and everything else sounds like top American musicians at work. But considering the fact that these are original compositions, one can only take the hat off in full respect and admiration.

Although this album does not overall offer anything new or unexpected, it presents a truthful reproduction and a tribute to the lighter side of American Jazz, with originally contributed music, which does hold its ground perfectly. For the many enthusiasts, who still love this kind of Jazz, this album is a true delight and an irrefutable proof that "White Man Can Jump", especially if they are Polish.