Adam Makowicz Trio – Interface (1987)

Adam Makowicz Trio

Adam Makowicz - piano
Palle Danielsson - bass
Jon Christiansen - drums

Interface

SONET 963




By Adam Baruch

This is an album by Polish Jazz pianist/composer Adam Makowicz, who left Poland in the late 1970s and lived first in NY and later moved to Toronto, Canada. This album, recorded in Sweden, on which Makowicz is accompanied by one of the most celebrated European rhythm sections: Swedish bassist Palle Danielsson and Norwegian drummer Jon Christensen, presents eight original compositions, all by Makowicz.

The album is a wonderful testimony both of the technical brilliance of Makowicz as a pianist and his superb talents as a composer. His seemingly endless arpeggios and other impressive ornamentations are a continuous joy to the listener and the wonderful melodies float one after another with ease and charm. The rhythm section obviously enjoys this session as much as the leader and both musicians support him amicably and elegantly.

Sadly this album managed to pass under the radar of most Polish Jazz fans and is today quite difficult to find. I definitely recommend getting a copy as long as it is still possible, as no Polish Jazz discography is complete without this album!

Adam Makowicz - Naughty Baby (Novus, 1987)

Adam Makowicz - piano

Charlie Haden - bass

Dave Holland - bass

Al Foster - drums

Naughty Baby (Novus, 1987)

Recorded in 1987, with Charlie Haden (bass) and Al Foster (drums) on 5 tracks, and Dave Holland (bass) added on the other 6. This is quite simply a supreme piano album. The album's subtitle "Honoring George Gershwin" is substantiated by the witty arrangements of material ranging from "They All Laughed" to "Rhapsody in Blue", as well as by the playing of all four participants.

The album is included in "The Essential Jazz Records vol. 2" by Max Harrison and others, [my reason for seeking it out] where Harrison gives a full review and places it in relation to the pianist's other early recordings. To summarise, Makowicz is usually credited with phenomenal technique, but with little discussion of the use to which he puts it, but this of course is to miss the point. To quote Harrison, "Nowhere does the individuality of expression arise solely from complexity of method, as the toccata-like "Fascinatin' Rhythm" shows. This is close to a straightforward trio performance, at least at first; but as it unfolds this gesture towards conventionality serves to emphasise the personal nature of Makowicz's ideas in themselves and of the pianistic forms in which he casts them."

Track listing: 1 Somebody Loves Me (DeSylva, Gershwin, MacDonald) 4:30; 2 They All Laughed (Gershwin, Gershwin) 5:53; 3 Prelude, No. 2 (Gershwin) 5:47; 4 Maybe (Gershwin, Gershwin) 5:57; 5 Fascinating Rhythm (Gershwin, Gershwin) 3:15; 6 Naughty Baby (Gershwin, Gershwin) 4:24; 7 Oh Bess, Oh Where's My Bess? (Gershwin, Gershwin, Heyward) 2:35; 8 Embraceable You (Gershwin, Gershwin) 6:07; 9 Rhapsody in Blue (Gershwin) 6:13; 10 My Man's Gone Now (Gershwin, Gershwin, Heyward) 4:20; 11 Summertime (Gershwin, Gershwin, Heyward) 4:00

By T. A. King

Jaroslaw Smietana – Sounds & Colors (Polish Jazz Vol.73, 1987)

Jaroslaw Smietana – electric guitar, acoustic Fender guitar, keyboards, voices

Jacek Pelc – premier drums, paiste cymbals, percussions
Antoni Debski – Fender bass, synthesizer
Piotr Baron – Selmer Mark VII tenor saxophone, soprano, clarinet, keyboards

 Sounds & Colors (Polish Jazz Vol.73, 1987)

This is an excellent album by Polish guitarist / composer Jaroslaw Smietana, his first recording under his name in the legendary Polish Jazz series, although he already released two albums with his group Extra Ball a decade earlier. Undoubtedly the best Polish Fusion guitar player, Smietana is also a great tunesmith; this album includes six of his wonderful compositions (and one standard), performed by a superb quartet, which includes side by side with the leader saxophonist Piotr Baron (one of future best Polish sax players), bassist Antoni Debski and drummer Jacek Pelc. The music is very similar to what one might expect from the best Fusion groups around at the time, especially Weather Report, which is a clear model. The guitar (and occasional keyboards) - sax exchanges could be very easily mistaken for another Joe Zawinul / Wayne Shorter dialog. But there is enough originality here, both in the compositions and the performances, to dismiss any accusations of plagiarism. These excellent musicians are not to be taken for granted and overall this album is as good, if not better, that any other Fusion album recorded anywhere on this planet. Fusion fans will definitely enjoy this album with no reservations, but the general Jazz loving public should be able to have a great time with it as well. It lost nothing of its charm over time!

Tracj listing: 1 Sounds And Colours; 2 Okapi, Pekari, Karibu; 3 Flashing Dance; 4 Every Day Niagara; 5 Turtle Song; 6 Days Of Wine And Roses; 7 Try To Make It Belter

By Adam Baruch

http://adambaruch.com/

Zbigniew Namyslowski – Open (Polish Jazz Vol.74, 1987)

Zbigniew Namysłowski - alto & sopranino saxophones

Kuba Stankiewicz - piano, keybords
Dariusz Oleszkiewicz - bass
Jerzy Głód - drums
Jose Torres - percussion

Open (Polish Jazz Vol.74, 1987)

This is a superb album by Polish Jazz veteran, saxophonist / composer Zbigniew Namyslowski, recorded with a great quintet which includes pianist Kuba Stankiewicz, bassist Dariusz Oleszkiewicz, drummer Jerzy Glod and percussionist Jose Torres. All the music, except for one standard, was composed by Namyslowski, who seems to be completely untouched by time, full of creative and performing powers and always at the edge of latest Jazz developments. It is his music, which is the true magic here, and although his performances as well as those of the other players are all excellent, the music is immediately recognizable as Polish Jazz, which is hardly surprising when coming from one of the Godfathers of the genre. It was always Namyslowski's ability to create a perfect link between the Jazz tradition and Polish folklore, which is deeply embedded in his cultural background, which made him a model for a new breed of European Jazz players, those who would stand proudly and say that they can contribute something new and fresh to the already established tradition of American Jazz and make it their own. In retrospect this is another milestone recording in the long and glorious recorded legacy that Namyslowski managed to bestow upon us, and hopefully will be also enjoyed by future generations. A must!

Track listing: 1. Double Trouble Blues; 2. Cuban Tango Mohito; 3. Bop-Berek; 4. 3xSpagetti; 5. Rachitic March; 6. Who Can I Turn To; 7. Very Sad Bossa; 8. Cy To Blues, Cy Nie Blues

(Editor) Based on Polish folk dance oberek "Bop-Berek" may be also translated as "bop hide-and-seek". Typical Namysłowski sense of humour... This tune is featured on this album although here played in different casts and few years later...

By Adam Baruch

http://adambaruch.com/

Tomasz Stanko – Live At The Montreux Jazz Festival 1987 (Polonia, 1987)

Tomasz Stańko - trumpet

Janusz Skowron - Yamaha DX7, grand piano
Witold E. Szczurek - electric and double bass
Tadeusz Sudnik - synthi AKS and electronics

Live At The Montreux Jazz Festival 1987 (Polonia, 1987)

This live recording at the Montreux Jazz Festival is the last of the glorious 1980s albums by the polish trumpet virtuoso / composer Tomasz Stanko and his Freelectronic ensemble, here consisting of keyboardists Janusz Skowron and Tadeusz Sudnik and bassist Witold Szczurek. Stanko is in top form and in a great mood, which is evident by the happy atmosphere captured herein. His trumpet soars to incredible heights and the brilliant improvisations chase one another. In retrospect this is a perfect moment captured for posterity, just before the ever-changing Stanko would embark on yet another musical journey with the onset of the 1990s. The 1980s Stanko's Jazz-Rock period was about to be abandoned and replaced by a return to the Jazz tradition and the new (again) Stanko, which would capture worldwide audiences with his ECM recordings. But the 1980s period firmly remains as one of Stanko's most productive and expressive periods and this album is an integral part of that legacy. A must to every Stanko fan!

1. Lady Go; 2. Asmodeus; 3. Sunia; 4. Too Pee; 5. Switzerland; 6. Ha ha ha

By Adam Baruch
http://adambaruch.com/

Kazimierz Jonkisz - Top Six Outsider (Polish Jazz Vol. 71, 1987)

Volume nr 71 in great Polish Jazz series (which i got thanks to welovepolish.blogspot.com) brings us music which sounds as fresh now as it did on the day of its recording 25 years before. A bunch of then young players: Kazimierz Jonkisz (drums), Witold Szczurek (bass), Krzysztof Popek (flute), Piotr Adamski (piano), Maciej Strzelczyk (violin) and Henryk Gembalski (violin) showed such an energy and enthusiasm on this record that it was obvious that they had to become key players on Polish jazz scene in 80ties and 90ties. 

As far as leader of this band is concerned, Kazimierz Jonkisz started his career by taking taking part in recording of famous Zbigniew Namysłowski album "Winobranie" in 1973 and since then was very active playing with most important players in those times like Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski, Tomasz Szukalski, Włodzimierz Nahorny etc. From 1974 until 1976 he was playing in Jazz Carries group with Henryk Miśkiewicz among others with whom he recorded album titled "Jazz Carriers: Carry On!" in 1973. Finally in 1978 he set up his own band which with different personel carried on for quite long time recording such interesting albums as "Tiri Taka" in 1980, "Top Six" in 1986 and "XYZ" in 1987. 

In musical terms this is mainstream jazz owing a lot to hard bop era with delicate Polish folk accents. It rocks as hell but presence of both violins and flute make music sound so original and Polish, unmistakably one of great recordings of serious players in Polish jazz.

PS. Please note a very interesting album cover which is a joke directed toward communist regime hated by most of Polish jazzmen: lap decorations containing portraits of musicians remind medals of Soviet heroes ;-)))

Check this link for a composition by Krzysztof Popek "Polinelia" from this record.

By Maciej Nowotny
http://kochamjazz.blox.pl/html