Mulasta Trio - Live In Green Eye (2009)

Mulasta Trio

Tomasz Mucha - violin
Lasse Lindgren - bass
Bartek Staromiejski - drums

Live In Green Eye

BCD 23




By Adam Baruch

This is a live recording by the Mulasta Trio, which consists of Polish Jazz violinist Tomasz Mucha, Finnish bassist Lasse Lindgren and Polish drummer Bartek Staromiejski. They perform seven compositions, four of which are originals by Mucha, one is a Finnish tune, one is a standard and finally the last one is a folk tune arranged by Lindgren.

The music is performed almost completely acoustically, which is very different from most contemporary Jazz violin recordings, which sound mostly electric. This acoustic approach is reminiscent of early Jazz violin recordings before violin was almost completely drawn into Fusion. Although improvised and swinging, the overall result is not exactly within the mainstream Jazz boundaries and includes also World Music elements. The atmosphere is very relaxed and the musicians obviously have a great fun playing together.

The essence of the music is based on the intimate exchanges between the violin and the bass, with both instruments playing alongside constantly. This wonderful dialogue is the absolute highlight of this recording. Both Mucha and Lindgren perform with virtuosity and finesse, which definitely deserves to be discovered. Staromiejski respectfully accompanies the two soloists trying not to interfere with their performances and does a perfect job in that respect. Mucha's compositions are all rounded and wonderfully lyrical, fitting elegantly this setting.

Overall this is a beautiful, graceful and delicate album, which is sadly little known and surely deserves a wider exposure. Although the Polish Jazz violin already holds a proud position in that music's history, this acoustic variety surely deserves also to be a part of that heritage. I'd surely love to hear more of this kind of music in the future.

Wojciech Majewski – Opowiesc (2009)

Wojciech Majewski

Wojciech Majewski - piano
Robert Majewski - trumpet
Tomasz Szukalski - saxophone
Jacek Niedziela - bass
Krzysztof Dziedzic - drums

Opowieść

4EVERMUSIC 130


By Adam Baruch

This is the third album by Polish Jazz pianist/composer Wojciech Majewski, recorded in a classic quintet format with trumpeter Robert Majewski (Wojciech's brother), saxophonist Tomasz Szukalski, bassist Jacek Niedziela and drummer Krzysztof Dziedzic. The album presents a solo piano piece which is followed by a seven-part Jazz suite performed by the quintet. It was recorded at the Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan Smoczynski, with superb sonic quality, as expected.

The music is all kept within the mainstream tradition, with certain Classical Music accents, but those are quite marginal. The melodic themes are basically vehicles for extended solos played by the quintet members. It is hard to follow the "suite" concept musically, as it lacks a clear coherence, but nevertheless the music is interesting and flows gently from one part of the suite to the next. There are the obvious Polish Jazz characteristics, like lyricism and melancholy, in which this music is completely drenched, clearly defining its origin and tradition.

The true forte of this album is the incredible musicianship, which is not surprising considering these are some of the best and most experienced second generation Polish Jazz musicians. Especially interesting is the presence of Szukalski as this is one of the last recordings in which he participated before his tragic death. The album is full of superb solos and ensemble performances, which are truly inspired. Majewski dedicates this album to the memory of his Father, the legendary Polish Jazz trumpeter Henryk Majewski, who died shortly before this music was recorded.

Overall this is an interesting experiment in composing an extended Jazz suite-like composition, beautifully performed by first class musicians, an effort which deserves to be heard by Jazz connoisseurs all over the world.

Pater/Kaminski/Urowski/Gorzycki – Dziki Jazz (2009)

Kamil Pater - guitar
Aleksander Kaminski - saxophone
Pawel Urowski - bass
Rafal Gorzycki - drums

MW 002





By Adam Baruch

This is an excellent album by a quartet of young generation Polish Jazz musicians: guitarist Kamil Pater, saxophonist Aleksander Kaminski, bassist Pawel Urowski and drummer Rafal Gorzycki. They have all appeared in different local ensembles since the turn of the Century and have an established reputation as some of the biggest hopes of the future Polish Jazz scene. The album presents eight original compositions, with two each by Pater, Urowski and Pater / Kaminski, one by Gorzycki and the remaining one by all four musicians.

The music is an interesting blend of modern Jazz and some Blues, Rock, Electronics and Contemporary Classical influences. The overall atmosphere is contemplative and relaxed and the up-tempo passages are usually brief and serve as a contrast to the low-key attitude, which dominates this recording. There are clear melodic themes stated in each of the compositions, but there is also a lot of freedom and individual expression herein. The two main soloists (i.e. guitar and saxophone) play some beautiful duets and the level of interplay between the four musicians is simply phenomenal.

It is great to see musicians finding new ways to express their talents and innovate, rather than follow the beaten path of mainstream Jazz, which has been over-exploited for decades. This music is original, fresh, fascinating and stylistically diverse to keep the listeners on their toes time and time again. Three of the musicians playing here recorded another splendid album entitles "A-Kineton" with saxophonist Irek Wojtczak replacing Kaminski, which is also a "must have" for all Polish Jazz connoisseurs.

Mateusz Kolakowski / Dave Liebman – Live At Jazz Standard, New York (2009)

Mateusz Kolakowski - piano
Dave Liebman - soprano saxophone, wooden flute

FENOMMEDIA 009






By Adam Baruch

This is a live recording captured at the NY Jazz Standard club by a duo comprising of young Polish Jazz pianist Mateusz Kolakowski and legendary American saxophonist Dave Liebman. Although Kolakowski and Liebman were email buddies for quite a while, they actually met in person just a few moments before this music was recorded, which explains why the majority of the material is based on Jazz standards. Of the six pieces on this album, five are standards (one is even repeated twice, taken from two different sets) and the remaining one is a free on the spot improvisation.

Kolakowski was at the time a Classical Music student and his Jazz tendencies were all self cultivated, which is quite apparent when listening to the music. He not only quotes Classical music themes but his entire approach to harmony and rhythm is strongly based in Classical music. This dichotomy between Classical music and Improvised music has certain charm, but is also a hindrance, which is hard to ignore. Liebman, on the other hand, is Godly, as always, with every note just in the right place and his virtuosity, taste and spirit of cooperation being impeccable.

Since this is a duo album, the decisive factor is the way the two musicians perform together, rather than their individual statements. It seems that the fact this music works out one way or another is due only to the enormous experience and musicality of Liebman, who is able to cope with Kolakowski's limitations, rather than the duo's spiritual unity. Nevertheless the overall result is certainly entertaining and worth being listened two, especially in view of its "one of its kind" setting, which can also be educational. The fact that Liebman is always open to work with young and less experienced musicians is truly commendable.

Artur Dutkiewicz – Niemen Improwizacje (2009) ****

Artur Dutkiewicz - piano
Darek Oleszkiewicz  bass
Sebastian Frankiewicz - drums

PIANOART 5907760035011






By Adam Baruch

This is the third album as a leader by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Artur Dutkiewicz, recorded in a classic Jazz piano trio setting with bassist Darek Oleszkiewicz (bassist Daniel Biel plays on one track) and drummer Sebastian Frankiewicz as his partners. The music, as the title suggests, is a tribute to the legendary Polish singer / songwriter Czeslaw Niemen and presents ten instrumental arrangements of songs from Niemen's repertoire, eight of which were also composed by him and two which were composed by others. The album was recorded at the excellent Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan Smoczynski with spectacular sonic results.

Niemen was always associated with Jazz and was a pioneer of the Polish Jazz-Rock Fusion movement, but he actually never quite crossed over into Jazz, and this album does it for the first time. Niemen's songs, stripped of their dramatic vocals and poignant lyrics, can be hear here for what they really were; a superb amalgam of Blues soaked Rock, Rhythm & Blues, Soul, Groove and Folkloristic themes, which are all obviously quite timeless.

Dutkiewicz took quite a risk here, as transforming Niemen's music into a swinging Jazz environment might have trivialized it or even turned it into grotesque muzak. Luckily all this was cleverly avoided by the intelligent arrangements and highly sensitive performance, which simply transformed the music into a completely different plane. Many musical Icons seem to be simply untouchable, and most attempts, which try to utilize or update them, fail miserably. This is a rare example of a successful attempt of transplanting iconic music to a new environment without destroying the original.

The trio's performance is of course spotless, as nothing less should be expected from musicians of such class. The players concentrate on playing the music and there are no lengthy individual solo sports, which would be quite inappropriate here, but a wonderful togetherness and concise delivery. Intelligence, sensitivity and grace are the name of the game and the music is never trivial or banal.

Listeners familiar with Niemen's original performances of these songs will find this album quite fascinating of course, when trying the find the parallels and the divergences. But even people who never heard of Niemen (obviously beyond Poland's borders) should find this to be an excellent piano trio album worthy of repeated listening.

Oles Brothers / Rob Brown – Live At SJC (2009) ***1/2

Marcin Oles - bass
Bartlomiej Brat Oles - drums
with
Rob Brown - saxophone

FENOMMEDIA 008





By Adam Baruch

This is a trio album by Polish Jazz heroes, brothers Marcin Oles (bass) and Bartlomiej Brat Oles (drums) collectively know as Oles Brothers, joined by American saxophonist Rob Brown, one of the most prolific and active NY scene Free Jazz players. The album comprises of seven original compositions, the opening three being parts of a three-part suite. All the music was composed by Bartlomiej except for one tune composed by Marcin. The album was recorded live and is a part of the "Live Series" of releases on the Oles Brothers owned Fenommedia Records.

The music is typical contemporary Jazz, which allows for a large degree of freedom and extended improvisation but stays within the pre-composed melodic framework. Brown dominates the album with his very busy way of playing, and the rhythm section supports him marvelously, easy changing tempi back and forth between medium to fast, like true professionals.

Although the cooperation between the musicians and the individual statements are without doubt all excellent, personally I enjoy more the moments when the rhythm section plays alone rather than when the saxophone is up front. That laborious wall of sound effect, which is typical of most American Free Jazz players and which unfortunately did not evolve an inch in the last few decades, is already exhausted as far as I am concerned. I mean is anybody able to express more emotion in their music by imitating the prophets like John Coltrane or Albert Ayler or Eric Dolphy? Brown belongs to a large group of American improvisers, which simply is unable to rejuvenate the idea and move forward. Therefore during the moments when Brown plays sparingly and melodically, as he does on the one before last track, he is truly excellent but when he erupts into the extended, aggressive improvisations, my defense mechanism is fully deployed.

All things considered this is a fine modern Jazz album, mostly due to the excellent work done by the rhythm section, which emphasizes the fact that the language of Jazz knows no geographic or political boundaries and it's all up to people to make music together regardless of their origins. Not very innovative and sometimes a bit unnerving, but something Free Jazz fans should definitely enjoy immensely.

Wojciech Jachna / Jacek Buhl – Pan Jabu (2009) ****

Wojciech Jachna - trumpet
Jacek Buhl - drums

MONOTYPE







By Adam Baruch

This is the debut album by Polish Jazz duo consisting of trumpeter Wojciech Jachna (Contemporary Noise Sextet, Sing Sing Penelope) and drummer Jacek Buhl (Syfon, Glabulator). It presents eleven original compositions, all co-composed by the duo members.

The music is beautifully innovative and embodies a new sub-genre of the thriving Polish Jazz scene, which combines the tradition of trumpet / drums duos combined and expanded here with electronic and ambient sound vistas. A somewhat similar approach to music was also adopted a few years later by the An On Bast / Maciej Fortuna duo, which shares many sonic similarities with this duo. This music consists of expanded melodic themes developed by the trumpet and accompanied harmonically and rhythmically by the ambient electronic background and the drum parts. This approach seems to offer a wide plane of new possibilities, with are just being discovered lately.

Such recordings like this one emphasize the vitality and the constant drive of the young Polish Jazz musicians to innovate and discover new possibilities, rather than stay on the beaten track of mainstream Jazz, which is probably the most important characteristic of the entire scene. Of course Jachna and Buhl already demonstrated their creativity and pioneering spirit as members of other ensembles they played with, but their work in this duo is the most impressive in that respect. Their next album as a duo ("Niedokonczone Ksiazki"), recoded a year later, brought this wonderful concept to perfection.

Sadly this album is relatively quite anonymous and known mostly to a small number of Polish Jazz avant garde fans, which is a pity. It is definitely worth searching for and deserves an honorable place in any serious Polish Jazz collection, especially for people following new trends and bold pioneering progress.

Jazz Construction – Jazz Construction (2009) ****

Marcin Kania - saxophone

Krzysztof Lenczowski - guitar

Wawrzyniec Prasek - piano
Jacek Kaliszewski - bass
Wojciech Bylica - drums

MTS 014





By Adam Baruch

This is the debut album by the young Polish Jazz quintet Jazz Construction, which comprises of saxophonist Marcin Kania, guitarist Krzysztof Lenczowski, pianist Wawrzyniec Prasek, bassist Jacek Kaliszewski and drummer Wojciech Bylica. Lenczowski also plays cello in the string quartet, which accompanies the group. The album presents eight original compositions, five of which were composed by Lenczowski and three by Prasek. The album was recorded at the wonderful Studio Tokarnia with Jan Smoczynski at the console, which of course is immediately audible, as the sound quality is gorgeous.

Although the music is quite diverse stylistically, the overall ambience presiding is that of melodic Jazz-Rock Fusion. The guitar, which stands out as the most effective solo instrument, is sonically very close to the classic early Pat Metheny sound, round and slightly melancholic, but always very effective. Each of the guitar solos on this album is a masterpiece of construction and a perfect example of showmanship by Lenczowski. But his colleagues are not far behind and they all display formidable technique and feel for the music. As usual with young Polish Jazz groups one keeps wondering how it's possible for such young players to sound so mature.

The group displays its Jazz roots by offering a couple of tunes, which are clever tributes to Jazz Giants like John Coltrane and Miles Davis and their overall approach is also Jazzier than most Fusion groups. The individual contributions of all the band members are truly praiseworthy. Overall, although hardly groundbreaking, this is a very solid debut effort, which features excellent original music and first-class performances, which are as good if not better from most similar material released anywhere in the world.

For some strange reason this album slipped under my radar at the time of its release, but it's never too late to acknowledge a worthy effort. Very well done gentlemen!

Dominik Bukowski – Vice Versa (2009) ****

Dominik Bukowski - vibraphone

Joonatan Rautio - saxophone

Piotr Lemanczyk - bass

Ville Pynssi - drums

SOLITON 125

By Adam Baruch

This is the third album as a leader by Polish Jazz vibraphonist / composer Dominik Bukowski recorded in a quartet format with two Finnish musicians: saxophonist Joonatan Rautio and drummer Ville Pynssi and his faithful companion since many years bass virtuoso Piotr Lemanczyk. The album presents seven original compositions, three each by Bukowski and Rautio and one by Lemanczyk.

Although well within the Jazz mainstream, this album simply fulfills all the basic requirements expected from a superb Jazz production: beautiful melodies, excellent improvisations, superb teamwork and a crystal clear sound quality. Bukowski, as evident from his numerous other recordings, is the top vibraphone player on the Polish scene and his eloquence is simply astounding, as are his composing skills. Lemanczyk, one of my favorite Polish Jazz bassists, is also perfect all the way through. His sense of melody and understanding of the role of bass in a Jazz ensemble is second to none. The two Finns, although still relatively young, display here first class musicianship and in the case of Rautio also great compositional talent. Overall this is a first-class mainstream album, which makes no compromises whatsoever, keeping the music swinging and melodic and yet full of elegance and flair.

This music has, perhaps unintentionally, a certain "retro" flavor, taking an experienced listener back to the 1950s and the Cool era, when the music was all about good taste and beautiful ladies. Of course any Jazz connoisseur should simply love this stuff to bits, as this music is so likeable that it makes you press the "repeat" button of your player instantly. Thank you guys for this little gem!

This album is now four years old and one can only hope that we won't have to wait much longer for another Bukowski recording, what do you say Dominik?

Michael J. Smith – Geomusic III-PL (2009) ***1/2

Michael J. Smith - piano

Zbigniew Namyslowski - saxophone, cello, flute

Jacek Bednarek - bass

ANEX 313






By Adam Baruch

This is one of the most unusual (at the time) albums recorded in Poland and one of the first Free Jazz / Improvised Music recordings. It was recorded during a tour in Poland by American born (resident also partly in Europe) Jazz / Contemporary Music composer Michael J. Smith, who was accompanied by Poland's top Jazz personality, saxophonist Zbigniew Namyslowski and bassist Jacek Bednarek. Namyslowski surprisingly plays not only saxophone but also cello and flute, which of course is quite surprising. The album consists of seven original compositions, all by Smith.

At the time of the recording Smith was in the early stages of developing his musical ideology, which he called "Geomusic" and several of his recordings were entitled using this idiom. Later on he would become a well known music scholar, composer and innovator, mostly in the fields of electronic music. He is still active today.

The music included here is a wonderful example of early Improvised Music, involving minimal melodic notation and based on careful interaction between the musician, mutual respect and virtuosity of the participants. Namyslowski, who usually played much more conventional music as far as form and structure were concerned, is the focal personality here and his cello playing is simply outstanding and outrageously original. The music lost absolutely nothing of its originality and pioneering spirit over the years.

Although Free Jazz and Improvised Music are today a substantial part of the Polish Jazz scene, almost four decades earlier it was quite rare and the fact that this music was released at all at the time is a miracle. The new generation of Polish improvisers should dig this album out and give it a proper listen, as it certainly is worth studying, as much as listening today.

Side Note: The Poljazz label, which originally released this album, was active for 20 years (between 1972 and 1991) and was owned by the Polish Jazz Society. Considering the fact that the music industry in the Socialist State was centralized and totally controlled, with just one State owned music company producing all the albums, the possibilities to record and release Jazz albums were extremely limited. Poljazz was conceived and founded in order to allow for many more Jazz (and other) albums to be released independently from the State owned Polskie Nagrania / Muza and as such revolutionized the music industry at the time, being the only such enterprise in Eastern Europe. The Polish label Anex reissued many of the original Poljazz albums on CD, bringing this fabulous music back to life.

Slawomir Kulpowicz – Three Etudes / Prasad In Mangalore (2009) ***1/2

Slawomir Kulpowicz - piano

Jarooslaw Smietana - guitar

Witold Szczurek - bass

Krzysztof Przybylowicz - percussion

Jerzy Bartz - percussion

Jose Torres - percussion

ANEX 319

By Adam Baruch

Following the demise of The Quartet, Polish Jazz pianist / composer Slawomir Kulpowicz founded a new ensemble, which he called In-Formation. Over time several different versions of In-Formation existed, including a duo, a piano trio, quartet and even sextet. In-Formation recorded two albums and later took part in the recording of this album, which was eventually released as a Kulpowicz solo album. The album consists of three solo piano pieces recorded for the Polish Radio and three pieces recorded live by In-Formation during the Jazz Jamboree Festival with guitarist Jaroslaw Smietana, bassist Witold Szczurek (a.k.a. Vitold Rek) and percussionists Krzysztof Przybylowicz, Jerzy Bartz and Jose Torres.

All the music was composed by Kulpowicz and is a direct continuation of his John Coltrane / McCoy Tyner influenced style presented earlier by The Quartet. But in time the music becomes more contemplative and also more personal, as evident mostly on the solo piano pieces. In parallel the Indian and other World Music influences are trickling in steadily and can be already clearly heard herein. The In-Formation pieces are truly superb and present the group as a great vehicle for the Kulpowicz compositions. They also expose Smietana as the first rate player he always was, regardless of the setting.

In retrospect this is a great document of the Polish Jazz scene in the early 1980s and an important part of the legacy Kulpowicz left behind him, which should serve as an endless source of inspiration to new generations of Polish Jazz players. Definitely worth investigating!

Side Note: The Poljazz label, which originally released this album, was active for 20 years (between 1972 and 1991) and was owned by the Polish Jazz Society. Considering the fact that the music industry in the Socialist State was centralized and totally controlled, with just one State owned music company producing all the albums, the possibilities to record and release Jazz albums were extremely limited. Poljazz was conceived and founded in order to allow for many more Jazz (and other) albums to be released independently from the State owned Polskie Nagrania / Muza and as such revolutionized the music industry at the time, being the only such enterprise in Eastern Europe. The Polish label Anex reissued many of the original Poljazz albums on CD, bringing this fabulous music back to life.

Quartet – The Quartet (2009) ****1/2

Tomasz Szukalski - saxophone
Slawomir Kulpowicz - piano
Pawel Jarzebski - bass
Janusz Stefanski - drums

ANEX 302






By Adam Baruch

The Quartet was formed by the rhythm section of Zbigniew Namyslowski's so called "third quartet", i.e. pianist Slawomir Kulpowicz, bassist Pawel Jarzebski and drummer Janusz Stefanski, with the addition of saxophonist Tomasz Szukalski, one of Poland's all-time greatest Jazz musicians and a spectacular player of rare quality. Although Szukalski naturally dominated the sound of the ensemble, it was Kulpowicz who was the spiritual leader and the sole composer of all the original material they performed. Spiritually the music was soaked in the John Coltrane legacy, with Szukalski playing lengthy "wall of sound" solos, supported passionately by the rhythm section, with Kulpowicz vamping a la McCoy Tyner, Jarzebski delivering virtuosic bass parts and Stefanski raising all hell behind it all, which engulfed the overall effect with incredible power and overwhelming strength of expression, similar in character to the Coltrane late period recordings.

In spite of the fact that The Quartet was undoubtedly the most important Polish Jazz ensemble in the late 1970s, their recorded legacy is truly pitiful and includes this live album recorded in 1978 and their sole studio album, recorded in Finland in 1979 and released by the tiny independent Finnish label Leo Records (which released also two albums by Tomasz Stanko from the same period). Therefore the double CD full of superb archival radio and concert recordings by this ensemble, also entitled simply "The Quartet", released in 2013 by Polskie Radio is an absolute marvel and a must have for every Polish / European Jazz connoisseur.

Following the ensemble's breakdown in mid-1980, the Polish Jazz scene will never again experience this kind of music, so close in spirit, sound and emotion to the epicenter of Modern Jazz created by Coltrane. The Quartet's brief three and a half years period was the closest ever moment in which Polish Jazz would become very close to American Jazz of a decade earlier, both in spirit and in practice. The Quartet somehow managed to put aside the omnipresent Polish melancholy and lyricism, which dictates most of the unique music created under the Polish Jazz banner. Usually, when Polish Jazz musicians try to imitate their idols from across the pond, they fail rather miserably, with The Quartet being the only exception, which proves the rule.

Young Polish Jazz musicians should study this music note by note – this is universally sublime document of human expression, freedom and power of creation, which happens rarely. Inspired by Coltrane's music, this creation sparks a life of its own, which stands shoulder to shoulder with the original, without any inferiority complexes whatsoever. It is not a copy of the source; it is a thankful gratitude for the inspiration itself.

Side Note: The Poljazz label, which originally released this album, was active for 20 years (between 1972 and 1991) and was owned by the Polish Jazz Society. Considering the fact that the music industry in the Socialist State was centralized and totally controlled, with just one State owned music company producing all the albums, the possibilities to record and release Jazz albums were extremely limited. Poljazz was conceived and founded in order to allow for many more Jazz (and other) albums to be released independently from the State owned Polskie Nagrania / Muza and as such revolutionized the music industry at the time, being the only such enterprise in Eastern Europe. The Polish label Anex reissued many of the original Poljazz albums on CD, bringing this fabulous music back to life.

Janusz Muniak – Crazy Girl (2009) ***

Janusz Muniak - saxophone

Wojciech Puszek - piano

Zbigniew Wegehaupt - bass

George Buckner - drums

ANEX 322

By Adam Baruch

This is the third album as a leader by the veteran Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Janusz Muniak, recorded live with his quartet, which also included pianist Wojciech Puszek, bassist Zbigniew Wegehaupt and American drummer George Buckner. They play only four compositions, one of which is an original by Muniak, another is by the Godfather of Polish Jazz, Krzysztof Komeda (the title track) and the remaining two are standards.

Although well played the album offers no innovation whatsoever and is simply one more Be Bop set, which is quite forgettable. The leader plays some mighty solos, which are, as always in his case, quite incredible and virtuosic, but the overall effect remains pretty unremarkable.

The album also suffers from a pretty amateurish sound quality, which often victimized live Polish Jazz recordings, with mobile recording equipment in the Socialist country being sadly sub-standard. Nevertheless it is a document both of the times and of Muniak's legacy, and therefore definitely worth listening and enjoying his bravado performances.

Side Note: The Poljazz label, which originally released this album, was active for 20 years (between 1972 and 1991) and was owned by the Polish Jazz Society. Considering the fact that the music industry in the Socialist State was centralized and totally controlled, with just one State owned music company producing all the albums, the possibilities to record and release Jazz albums were extremely limited. Poljazz was conceived and founded in order to allow for many more Jazz (and other) albums to be released independently from the State owned Polskie Nagrania / Muza and as such revolutionized the music industry at the time, being the only such enterprise in Eastern Europe. The Polish label Anex reissued many of the original Poljazz albums on CD, bringing this fabulous music back to life.

Jaroslaw Smietana – From One To Four (2009) ****

Jaroslaw Smietana - guitar

Janusz Muniak - saxophone

Piotr Baron - saxophone

Krzysztof Scieranski - bass

Antoni Debski - bass

Jacek Pelc - drums

APEX 328

By Adam Baruch

This is the second album as a leader by the fabulous Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Jaroslaw Smietana, who died recently tragically prematurely, succumbing to cruel illness. Smietana was one of the most active players on the local scene and contributed enormously to its development over the years. This album presents him, as the title suggests, in different settings: solo, duo, trio and quartet, playing with some of the best Polish Jazz musicians active at the time: saxophonists Janusz Muniak and Piotr Baron, bassists Krzysztof Scieranski and Antoni Debski and drummer Jacek Pelc. They perform eleven compositions, five of which are originals: three by Smietana and one each by Scieranski and Pelc, and the rest of the material is all standards.

This is one of the Jazziest albums recorded by Smietana, with fewer Fusion ventures, and his beautiful Jazz sensitivity is especially apparent herein. But all the other players also contribute very fine examples of intelligent, intimate musical conversations with the leader. Scieranski's bass and Baron's saxophone are simply delightful. Smietana experiments with the guitar synthesizers and performs on three quite distinctly sounding guitars, with his delicate touch being definitely one of the finest ever. Also the three duets with veteran saxophonist Janusz Muniak are among the album's most enchanting moments.

In retrospect this is a very strong album from start to finish with no weak moments or unnecessary "fillers", and a superb legacy which Smietana left for all of us to enjoy. A must for all Polish Jazz fans!

Side Note: The Poljazz label, which originally released this album, was active for 20 years (between 1972 and 1991) and was owned by the Polish Jazz Society. Considering the fact that the music industry in the Socialist State was centralized and totally controlled, with just one State owned music company producing all the albums, the possibilities to record and release Jazz albums were extremely limited. Poljazz was conceived and founded in order to allow for many more Jazz (and other) albums to be released independently from the State owned Polskie Nagrania / Muza and as such revolutionized the music industry at the time, being the only such enterprise in Eastern Europe. The Polish label Anex reissued many of the original Poljazz albums on CD, bringing this fabulous music back to life.

Karolak / Urbaniak / Bartkowski – Moving South (2009) ****

Wojciech Karolak - keyboards

Michal Urbaniak - violin

Czeslaw Bartkowski - drums

ANEX 314






By Adam Baruch

This is the only album recorded by the fabulous Polish Jazz trio, comprising of keyboardist / composer Wojciech Karolak, violinist / saxophonist / composer Michal Urbaniak and legendary drummer Czeslaw Bartkowski. In many respects this is a companion album to the groundbreaking album by the Michal Urbaniak Constellation, which was released as part of the Polish Jazz series ("In Concert", Vol.36) and recorded the same year as this album. Both Karolak and Bartkowski were members of Constellation and therefore it's hardly surprising that stylistically the music is very similar.

The album includes five compositions (one is a three-part suite), four by Karolak and one by Urbaniak, which can be roughly categorized as Jazz-Rock Fusion, but they are so unique and eons ahead of their time that simplistic labeling is not doing them justice. This is truly visionary music, capturing all three musicians at the peak of their creative powers. Although Karolak composed most of the music on this album, Urbaniak's concept of Fusion / Funk are the primary forces at work here. His use of electronics to enhance the sound of his violin is simply brilliant and completely innovative. Karolak plays also brilliantly, with his Hammond ripping the sound-space to shreds. Bartkowski is driving the music forward like mad, being the Jazziest element of the music, busy but not intrusive, with fantastic polyrhythmic feel and incredible technique.

In retrospect this is one of the most important Polish Fusion albums, which sadly remains mostly unknown even to the local fans and especially so abroad. This reissue creates another chance for this album to be re-discovered, and I recommend to all the Fusion diehard fans to start looking for this gem ASAP!

Side Note: The Poljazz label, which originally released this album, was active for 20 years (between 1972 and 1991) and was owned by the Polish Jazz Society. Considering the fact that the music industry in the Socialist State was centralized and totally controlled, with just one State owned music company producing all the albums, the possibilities to record and release Jazz albums were extremely limited. Poljazz was conceived and founded in order to allow for many more Jazz (and other) albums to be released independently from the State owned Polskie Nagrania / Muza and as such revolutionized the music industry at the time, being the only such enterprise in Eastern Europe. The Polish label Anex reissued many of the original Poljazz albums on CD, bringing this fabulous music back to life.

Marek Blizinski – Wave (2009) ***

Marek Blizinski - guitar

Pawel Jarzebski - bass

Zbigniew Wegehaupt - bass

Janusz Stefanski - drums
Czeslaw Bartkowski - drums

ANEX 327




By Adam Baruch

This is the only album as a leader recorded by Polish Jazz guitarist Marek Blizinski, who was one of the first Jazz guitar players on the local scene. He was a very in-demand session player and participated in many recordings as well as recording with several groups of which he was a formal member, led by such Polish Jazz luminaries like Michal Urbaniak, Wojciech Karolak, Zbigniew Namyslowski and Jan Ptaszyn Wroblewski. He was a brilliant improviser and had a wonderful tone, which ornamented many important Polish Jazz recordings.

His solo career, however, never really took off and this was the only album he managed to release as a leader, before his untimely and tragic death at the age of 42. The album consists of two radio sessions, with Blizinski playing on both in a trio format, first with bassist Pawel Jarzebski and drummer Janusz Stefanski and then with bassist Zbigniew Wegehaupt and drummer Czeslaw Bartkowski. Both these rhythm sections are considered to be among the best ones ever active on the local scene. The album includes seven compositions, all of which are standards.

Although well played, both by Blizinski and the rhythm sections, this album does not present his true abilities and sensitivities and in retrospect is unfortunately much less impressive than it could have been. Playing these standards, which present no true intellectual challenge for these experienced musicians, was a poor decision. His numerous recordings with other artists are much more impressive.

Guitar enthusiasts will obviously find here many beautiful moments of mainstream Jazz, with are every bit as good as those recorded across the pond. Definitely worth remembering!

Side Note: The Poljazz label, which originally released this album, was active for 20 years (between 1972 and 1991) and was owned by the Polish Jazz Society. Considering the fact that the music industry in the Socialist State was centralized and totally controlled, with just one State owned music company producing all the albums, the possibilities to record and release Jazz albums were extremely limited. Poljazz was conceived and founded in order to allow for many more Jazz (and other) albums to be released independently from the State owned Polskie Nagrania / Muza and as such revolutionized the music industry at the time, being the only such enterprise in Eastern Europe. The Polish label Anex reissued many of the original Poljazz albums on CD, bringing this fabulous music back to life.

Jazz Trio – For The Future (2009) ****

Janusz Brych - saxophone
Marek Piatak - piano
Michal Zduniak

POLJAZZ/ ANEX 320







By Adam Baruch

This album features the Polish Jazz trio called simply The Jazz Trio (probably the most unreasonable name one can adopt in such circumstances), which consisted of saxophonist Janusz Brych, pianist Marek Piatak and drummer Michal Zduniak. The pianist composed four of the five compositions present here and co-composed the fifth with the saxophonist. Although little know and mostly forgotten, this is, in retrospect, quite an excellent and unusual album, which Polish Jazz connoisseurs should definitely seek out.

The music is a very strange amalgam of melodic, pre-composed intriguing music, mixed with excellent saxophone improvisations, which are very Free Jazz oriented and superbly executed. Sometimes the saxophone parts are overdubbed, which creates an even stronger "wall of sound" effect, common in Free Jazz. Also the absence of bass, which dramatically influences the sound of the music, contributes to the "strangeness" and of course transfers the responsibility of keeping time towards the piano player and the drummer, who is quite unusual as well. The overall result is definitely fresh and surprising, quite different from what was happening on the local scene at the time. Perhaps it was an early precursor of the Yass scene, which was about to explode in Poland shortly after this album was recorded.

The overall level of individual virtuosity as well as the interplay between the three musicians makes this album a hidden gem, which simply begs to be discovered. It is a pity they never recorded together again (as far as I know) as the trio certainly had the potential of becoming one of the hottest groups on the Polish Jazz scene. But, alas, we'll never know what might have happened. In the meantime let's enjoy what we can hear!

Side Note: The Poljazz label, which originally released this album, was active for 20 years (between 1972 and 1991) and was owned by the Polish Jazz Society. Considering the fact that the music industry in the Socialist State was centralized and totally controlled, with just one State owned music company producing all the albums, the possibilities to record and release Jazz albums were extremely limited. Poljazz was conceived and founded in order to allow for many more Jazz (and other) albums to be released independently from the State owned Polskie Nagrania / Muza and as such revolutionized the music industry at the time, being the only such enterprise in Eastern Europe. The Polish label Anex reissued many of the original Poljazz albums on CD, bringing this fabulous music back to life.

Jan Ptaszyn Wroblewski – Skleroptak (2009) ****

Jan Praszyn Wroblewski - saxophone / composer / arranger

with

BRT Jazz Orchestra

POLJAZZ / ANEX 301




By Adam Baruch

The material presented on this album was recorded in Belgium but presents the great veteran Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer / arranger / bandleader Jan Ptaszyn Wroblewski, who contributed his beautiful compositions and arrangements and plays as the principal soloist. He is accompanied by the Belgian (Radio & TV) BRT Jazz Orchestra, directed by Etienne Verschuerena, which includes many wonderful players, including internationally known keyboardist Bob Porter and drummer Bruno Castelucci.

Wroblewski, who was also the director of the Polish Radio Jazz Studio Orchestra during the years 1968-1978, recorded these compositions earlier with that orchestra, but these new renditions sound quite different from the earlier versions, being more "polished" and "rounded". The Polish orchestra was in fact a collection of top soloist whereas the Belgian orchestra is a full-fledged professional Big Band, which is much more about the overall band sound than individual solo spots. As a result the music captured here is a beautiful example of European Big Band sound, which is quite different from the American counterparts.

Overall this is a splendid Big Band album playing excellent music, interesting arrangements and featuring some great solo spots. Although pretty mainstream, this is elegant music, full of European aesthetics, which is completely ageless and sounds now every bit as great when it did at the time of its release. Big Band enthusiasts should have a field day with this excellent piece of music, which is again back in circulation.

Side Note: The Poljazz label, which originally released this album, was active for 20 years (between 1972 and 1991) and was owned by the Polish Jazz Society. Considering the fact that the music industry in the Socialist State was centralized and totally controlled, with just one State owned music company producing all the albums, the possibilities to record and release Jazz albums were extremely limited. Poljazz was conceived and founded in order to allow for many more Jazz (and other) albums to be released independently from the State owned Polskie Nagrania / Muza and as such revolutionized the music industry at the time, being the only such enterprise in Eastern Europe. The Polish label Anex reissued many of the original Poljazz albums on CD, bringing this fabulous music back to life.

S.P.P.T Chalturnik / Polish Radio Jazz Studio Orchestra – S.P.P.T Chalturnik / Polish Radio Jazz Studio Orchestra (2009) ***1/2

Jan Ptaszyn Wroblewski - saxophone / composer / arramger / bandleader
Janusz Muniak - saxophone
Zbigniew Namyslowski - saxophone
Tomasz Szukalski - saxophone
Wojciech Karolak - keyboards
Jan Jarczyk - piano
Bronislaw Suchanek - bass
Czeslaw Bartkowski - drums

POLJAZZ / ANEX 312

By Adam Baruch

The material presented on this album originates from two separate LPs released by the Poljazz label, each contributing one side of the original LP. The logic behind it is that the original Poljazz releases often included two sides of completely unrelated material, artificially combined for a variety of reasons, mostly economic. These two sides of two separate LPs are connected by the central personality behind the music, the Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer / arranger / bandleader Jan Ptaszyn Wroblewski.

Wroblewski was the founder and leader of the band S.P.P.T Chalturnik, which was formed in order to present Jazz with a humorous and tongue in cheek attitude, featuring well known standards as well as original material by the leader. The band included the absolute crème de la crème of the Polish Jazz scene: saxophonists Janusz Muniak, Zbigniew Namyslowski and Tomasz Szukalski, keyboardist Wojciech Karolak, bassist Bronislaw Suchanek and drummer Czeslaw Bartkowski. The wonderful arrangements and whimsy performances are all brilliant, especially in view of the fact that they show that Jazz doesn't have to be treated always so seriously.

Wroblewski was also the director of the Polish Radio Jazz Studio Orchestra during the years 1968-1978, which was one of the most important incubators and places of refuge for the young Polish Jazz musicians under the Socialist regime, providing them with a steady income. The orchestra performs a very ambitious piece of music composed by the young pianist Jan Jarczyk called "A Double Concerto For Five Soloists And Orchestra", which features as soloists top Polish Jazz players of the time: violinist Zbigniew Seifert, saxophonist Tomasz Szukalski and Janusz Muniak and trumpeter Tomasz Stanko. Legendary American drummer Stu Martin also participates in the recording. The music is a very interesting example of early Orchestral Jazz works, which combine contemporary Classical techniques with Free Jazz improvisation.

Side Note: The Poljazz label, which originally released this album, was active for 20 years (between 1972 and 1991) and was owned by the Polish Jazz Society. Considering the fact that the music industry in the Socialist State was centralized and totally controlled, with just one State owned music company producing all the albums, the possibilities to record and release Jazz albums were extremely limited. Poljazz was conceived and founded in order to allow for many more Jazz (and other) albums to be released independently from the State owned Polskie Nagrania / Muza and as such revolutionized the music industry at the time, being the only such enterprise in Eastern Europe. The Polish label Anex reissued many of the original Poljazz albums on CD, bringing this fabulous music back to life.

Janusz Muniak – Placebo (2009) ***1/2

Janusz Muniak - saxophone
Wojciech Puszek - piano
Andrzej Cudzich - bass
Krzysztof Zawadzki - drums

POLJAZZ / ANEX 325






By Adam Baruch

Polish saxophonist / composer / bandleader Janusz Muniak was one of the most important Polish Jazz figures during the early post WWII period, which flourished in the 1960s / 1970s. He was part of the emerging revolutionary movement of Polish Jazz, where he played along such legendary pioneers as Andrzej Trzaskowski, Krzysztof Komeda and Tomasz Stanko. Since the late 1970s Muniak leads his own groups and records as a leader. This is his second album as a leader and since then he continued to record a plethora of albums over the years, both as a leader and sideman. He also owns his own Jazz club in Krakow, called "U Muniaka", which is one of the oldest continuously active Jazz venues in the country.

This album presents Muniak in a quartet setting, with pianist Wojciech Puszek (playing the Fender Rhodes electric piano), bassist Andrzej Cudzich and drummer Krzysztof Zawadzki. They perform four lengthy originals, all by Muniak, which allow for extended improvisations, mostly by the leader. The presence of the electric piano sets the overall ambience of this recording, pushing it slightly towards Jazz-Rock Fusion, but the leader keeps the situation in check and well within the modern mainstream bounds. Muniak's performances on both the soprano and tenor saxophones are first rate as are those by the rhythm section, creating together some excellent, but not very innovative modern Jazz, which most Jazz listeners should enjoy.

Side Note: The Poljazz label, which originally released this album, was active for 20 years (between 1972 and 1991) and was owned by the Polish Jazz Society. Considering the fact that the music industry in the Socialist State was centralized and totally controlled, with just one State owned music company producing all the albums, the possibilities to record and release Jazz albums were extremely limited. Poljazz was conceived and founded in order to allow for many more Jazz (and other) albums to be released independently from the State owned Polskie Nagrania / Muza and as such revolutionized the music industry at the time, being the only such enterprise in Eastern Europe. The Polish label Anex reissued many of the original Poljazz albums on CD, bringing this fabulous music back to life.