Krzysztof Komeda - Krzysztof Komeda W Polskim Radiu Vol. 08 - Suplement (2019)

Krzysztof Komeda

Krzysztof Komeda - piano
and others

Krzysztof Komeda W Polskim Radiu Vol. 08 - Suplement

POLSKIE RADIO 2256




By Adam Baruch

This is the eighth and final installment in a new series of albums launched by the Polish Radio, which presents radio recordings by the Godfather of Polish Jazz, pianist / composer / bandleader Krzysztof Komeda. Komeda is of course the most familiar name associated with Polish Jazz and his legacy is of crucial importance to Polish and European Jazz. Considering the fact that Komeda's studio recordings are relatively scarce, the radio recordings are in fact the main source of his recorded legacy, as they include among others the Jazz Jamboree festival appearances by Komeda and his various ensembles over the years.

The music presented here portrays the early recordings made by Komeda and some bonus material. It includes six tracks recorded by the Komeda sextet at the Polish Radio in Poznań (probably in 1957); similarly to some of the tracks present on the first volume of this series, and feature saxophonists Stanisław Pludra and Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski, vibraphonist Jerzy Milian, bassist Józef Stolarz and drummer Jan Zylber. Four of these tracks are standard; one is by Milian and one by Komeda. One track recorded by the USSR Radio in Moscow in 1957 features also his sextet (exact lineup unknown). Another track was recorded by his trio (exact lineup unknown) in Warsaw in 1963. The last track is a song written by Komeda and sung by Kalina Jędrusik accompanied by a group led by him, recorded in Warsaw in 1967.

There are also three bonus tracks: a recording of a film theme by Komeda by the orchestra of Polish Radio in Łódź from 1989, a recording of a song from the soundtrack of "Rosemary's Baby" by pianist Mieczysław Kosz during the Jazz Jamboree Festival in Warsaw in 1971 and finally a fascinating interview with Komeda (twenty-six minutes long) from 1967 (about a year before his tragic death), in which he talks about his development as a musician and the unique character of Polish and European Jazz. Of course the interview is in Polish, which sadly makes it impossible for non-Polish speakers to enjoy it. Although somewhat uneven and historically hectic, this album offers previously unavailable material and is a must have for all Komeda completists.