Jakub Paulski – gitara
Cyprian Baszyński – trąbka
Wojciech Lichtański – saksofon altowy i sopranowy
Mateusz Śliwa – saksofon tenorowy
Tymon Trąbczyński – kontrabas
Maksymilian Olszewski - perkusja
Album's Title: „Free’odde”
V Records (2024)
Review author: Viačeslavas Gliožeris
For an alien like me, Olsztyn is associated with great summer blues nights - open air between red-brick gothic ruins. Can't remember if I ever heard any jazz artists or bands based in Olsztyn. So, when knowledgeable Google told me that guitarist Jakub Paulski, a leader of the „Free'Odde” band and author of the album of the same title, is a teacher at Olsztyn University, I expected to listen to something like … Robben Ford or Joe Bonamassa music. With catchy melodies, heavy rhythms, and prolonged guitar riffs, right in a place you expected them to happen...
I was totally wrong. Warsaw-based Jakub plays no blues at all. His sextet is a true jazz combo with rich sound and respect to the tradition (telling “tradition” I mean Mingus, not Dixieland). That's true – there are some heavier moments and a rock energy, as well as citations from fusion aesthetics. Still, in reality, the Jakub Paulski band plays true jazz from the perspective of classically trained musicians.
“New Minor”, the opener, is a tightly composed song, with rich brass arrangements, balancing somewhere between the third stream and progressive big bands area. “New Major” is a logical continuation, with almost baroque-like tunes and complex but a bit dry orchestration. “Italian Sketches p.1” starts as a big band trying to play 70s fusion, but continues as a well-composed neoclassical piece. Relaxed guitar-bass-drums insert transfers the listener to the jazz ground, but a bit of a conservative one. “Italian Sketches p.2” opens with a jumping double bass, and the guitar's shredding is coming soon. Reeds are coming with a lot of energy, and in a moment, one can expect there to be the culmination of sorts, but all combo returns to a more controlled and less adventurous sound. Still, this song has some blood and flesh in it. I really like Jakub's extended guitar solos here.
“2 Listopada p.1” starts as an orchestrated ballade, an early autumn melancholic movie soundtrack, but somewhere in the middle, the music becomes freer and adventurous, with a lot of space for personal soloing. It's up similarly as it was started, by big orchestral sound. “2 Listopada p.2” from the very beginning sounds like a modern big band playing in the town's central park during an important event – well-played, well-known big sound, people usually like it. It smells like a family's feast. “Okolo Pierwszej” is another nice, slightly melancholic “early autumn's” ballad. “Sketches From 315” is a tuneful and well-composed song with richer orchestration.
Guitar in jazz isn't a main instrument, nor too rare either. Speaking about more mainstream jazz artists (and I count Bill Frisell here), they usually produce moody and attractive music, beloved by listeners with very different tastes. Jakub Paulski's music can be placed under this category of recordings. Still, I would be interested to hear not-so-safe musicianship from the young artists' album, titled “Free'Odde”.
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