Mark Lotz Trio – The Wroclaw Sessions (2019)

Mark Lotz Trio

Mark Alban Lotz - flutes
Grzegorz Piasecki - double bass
Wojciech Buliński - drums

The Wroclaw Sessions

AUDIO CAVE 2019/006




By Adam Baruch

This is the debut album by a trio led by veteran German (resident in Netherlands) flautist/composer Mark Alban Lotz with Polish bassist Grzegorz Piasecki and drummer Wojciech Buliński. The music was recorded during an impromptu recording session, organized while Lotz gave master classes in Wroclaw. The album presents nine tracks, six of which were recorded by the trio and three by a duo of Lotz and Piasecki due to Buliński's illness. Two of the tracks are composed/co-composed by Lotz, two others are co-composed by Lotz and Piasecki and five are Jazz/Pop standards.

Although by and large based on composed themes, the music is mostly improvised and offers an informal, free spirited atmosphere, which is quite enjoyable in view of the tendency to take Jazz way too seriously and in a cerebral fashion, forgetting about the intrinsic spontaneity it is supposed to be based on. Despite the obvious age and experience differences between Lotz and the two Polish Jazz youngsters, the trio manages to achieve a coherent and quite inventive cooperation and the result is surprisingly pleasing.

The flute is a sadly neglected instrument in Jazz and therefore hearing great flute performances is always a joyful experience for yours truly, especially since it happens to be one of my favorite instruments. The album's liner notes mention the legendary Dutch flautist Chris Hinze, one of the great European Jazz pioneers since the late 1960s and a superb player/composer, which of course bring on fond memories. Lotz has an impressive recorded legacy, which sadly I am not all too well familiar with, but his biography and interest in World Music is certainly reflected in the music present on this album.

Overall this is a document of a moment captured in the studio, which is definitely worth investigating, even if it does not offer any grandiose revelations. It is honest, well played and interesting Jazz music, spirited and enjoyable, which obviously deserves to be captured for posterity. An absolute must for Jazz flute connoisseurs, obviously!

Mark Lotz Trio - The Wroclaw Sessions - premiera 26.04.2019

Mark Alban Lotz – flety
Grzegorz Piasecki – kontrabas
Wojciech Buliński – perkusja

Kiedy wybitny holenderski flecista Mark Alban Lotz zgodził się na propozycję rejestracji wspólnego materiału z Grzegorzem Piaseckim (kontrabas) i Wojciechem Bulińskim (perkusja) niewiele wskazywało na to, że spontanicznie zorganizowana sesja okaże się tak owocna. Rejestracji materiału dokonano podczas jednego dnia w marcu 2018 roku we wrocławskim Damnrich Studio. Lotz miał już za sobą kilka dni warsztatów i występów, natomiast Buliński w połowie nagrań był zmuszony opuścić studio ze względu na wysoką gorączkę. Okoliczności nie były więc specjalnie sprzyjające.

Niezależnie od tego, pomimo mocno incydentalnego charakteru, "The Wroclaw Sessions" to wzorcowy przykład muzycznej chemii i istoty jazzowego brzmienia. Czujna, a przy tym niesamowicie żywa perkusja Bulińskiego i mięsisty, swingujący kontrabas Piaseckiego budują bogatą rytmiczną podstawę dla gry Lotza. Ten z kolei ma okazję zaprezentować bardzo szeroki wachlarz swoich możliwości. Jego inspiracje nie ograniczają się jedynie do jazzu – w jego grze da się wyczuć mocny pierwiastek world music czy nawet folku. Bogate doświadczenia i umiejętności tria, zróżnicowany repertuar i klimat kameralnego jam session to elementy, których połąecznie pozwoliło na nagranie płyty mogącej zachwycić zarówno krytyków, jak i osoby, które dopiero zaczynają odkrywać fascynujący świat jazzu.

Karolina Pernal Quintet - Claridad (2018)

Karolina Pernal Quintet

Karolina Pernal - tenor & soprano saxophones
Achille Succi - alto saxophone, bass clarinet
Kuba Płużek - piano
Jakub Olejnik - double bass
Wojciech Buliński - drums

Claridad


SJ 033

By Adam Baruch

This is the debut album by Polish Jazz saxophonist/composer Karolina Pernal recorded in a quintet setting with Italian saxophonist/clarinetist Achille Succi and Polish pianist Kuba Płużek, bassist Jakub Olejnik and drummer Wojciech Buliński. The album presents six tracks, five of which are original compositions: three by Karolina Pernal and two by her spouse trombonist Bartosz Pernal and one is a Sam Rivers composition arranged by Bartosz Pernal. The album was recorded at the Monochrom Studio and engineered by Ignacy Gruszecki with the usual excellent sound quality.

The music is all kept within the melodic mainstream Jazz idiom, with solid original compositions by the Pernals, which are mostly ballads with typical Polish melancholic streak. It is easy on the ear but eventually rather uneventful, although professionally performed by the quintet members with Płużek being the most interesting soloist by far. Having said that, this album offers a pleasant listening experience to mainstream Jazz connoisseurs and can be enjoyed in full, like many similar other albums in that vein.

Karolina Pernal is one of relatively few female Polish Jazz instrumentalists, and as such she deserves support and encouragement to achieve an equal footing with her many male cohorts. This debut offering is surely just a first step on the way to a hopefully wonderful musical career.

Tomasz Wendt Trio & Atom String Quartet – Behind The Strings (2016)

Tomasz Wendt Trio & Atom String Quartet

Tomasz Wendt - saxophone
Grzegorz Piasecki - bass
Wojciech Buliński - drums
Łukasz Damrych - piano
Magdalena Zawartko - vocal
Atom String Quartet

Behind The Strings


SJ 018

By Adam Baruch

This is the debut album as a leader by Polish Jazz saxophonist/composer Tomasz Wendt presented in a trio setting with bassist Grzegorz Piasecki and drummer Wojciech Buliński. The trio is accompanied on several tracks by the excellent Atom String Quartet (violinists Dawid Lubowicz and Mateusz Smoczyński, violinist Michał Zaborski and cellist Krzysztof Lenczowski). Vocalist Magdalena Zawartko guests on two tracks and pianist Łukasz Damrych guests on three tracks. The album presents eight original compositions, all composed and beautifully arranged by Wendt.

What might appear on the surface as another "Sax & Strings" Smooth Jazz project turns out to be a brilliant musical enterprise, which offers superb Mainstream Jazz music, which has depth and meaning. The compositions are all wonderfully solid and coherent, full of typical Polish melancholy and lyricism, and all skillfully arranged for this unusual setting. The music is diverse and rich in harmonic layers and rhythmic patterns, providing a fascinating journey to the listener, which is moving from one climax to another.

Wendt plays expressively and his improvisations perfectly suit the musical boundaries, being interesting and complex but not crossing the line into becoming too intricate for a mainstream Jazz enthusiast. The rhythm section supports the leader amicably, with Piasecki filling the bottom pulsations which make this music swing and Buliński setting the pace with his skillful and highly original drum parts. The Atom String Quartet does exactly what it is famous for, i.e. plays some superb string ornamentations and in the process produces breathtaking violin solos.

The album is a wonderful example of good taste and elegance. The proportions between the saxophone, rhythm section and the string quartet are beautifully balanced, magnificently recorded at the RecPublica Studios and engineered by Łukasz Olejarczyk. Overall this is a gem of an album for fans of sophisticated mainstream Jazz, which offers an unusual instrumental setting and great compositions, superb arrangements and perfect execution; in short some of the best Polish Jazz has to offer. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Monika Lidke Quartet i Szymon Łukowski Quintet na festiwalu "jazz & literatura" !!!

Monika Lidke Quartet - Chorzów, MDK Batory - 06.10.2017, godz. 19.00

Szymon Łukowski Quintet feat. Hannes Riepler - Chorzów, CHCK - 07.10.2017, godz. 19.00

Monika Lidke, znakomita polska wokalistka jazzowa i kompozytorka mieszkająca na stałe w Londynie, jest porównywana artystycznie do Stacey Kent i Norah Jones. Jej piękny, subtelny głos, dar budowania wspaniałego nastroju i umiejętność nawiązywania fantastycznego kontaktu z publicznością, to kwintesencja kobiecego jazzu. Artystka wystąpi na festiwalu z materiałem z nowej płyty "Gdyby każdy z nas" do poezji Andrzeja Ballo, utrzymanej w konwencji współczesnej piosenki poetyckiej wzbogaconej elementami jazzu, bluesa, popu, rocka i folku.

"Muszę dozować sobie płytę Moniki, gdyż moje serce nie wytrzymuje tylu wzruszeń na raz. Jej wyrafinowane eleganckie kompozycje, idealnie oddające poezję pięknych słów, Monika śpiewa wspaniałym krystalicznym głosem, którego słucham codziennie, gdyż wtedy życie wydaje się lepsze" - Basia Trzetrzelewska.

Szymon Łukowski Quintet feat. Hannes Riepler to nowy projekt saksofonisty, kompozytora i aranżera związanego z trójmiejską i bydgoską sceną muzyczną uwieńczony wydanym w maju 2017 wyśmienitym albumem "Hourglass". Stylistyka zespołu oscyluje wokół nowoczesnego jazzu. Rolę instrumentu harmonicznego powierza się tu naprzemiennie wibrafonowi oraz gitarze, co w połączeniu z saksofonami odświeża formułę klasycznego kwintetu i otwiera nowe przestrzenie brzmieniowe, niemożliwe do uzyskania w składzie, w którym instrumentem harmonicznym jest fortepian.

Charakterystyczna barwa współdziałającego wibrafonu i gitary, modernistyczne melodie i nieszablonowe aranżacje, żywiołowe sola, rozszerzona tonalność i odcinki kolektywnej improwizacji inspirowanej współczesną muzyką kameralną tworzą jedyny w swoim rodzaju muzyczny konglomerat, w którym tradycja przenika się z nowoczesnością, improwizacja z precyzyjną aranżacją, liryczność z dynamizmem.

Tomasz Pruchnicki Quartet – Gnomonika (2015)

Tomasz Pruchnicki Quartet

Tomasz Pruchnicki - tenor & soprano saxophones, ocarina, electronics
Marek Kądziela - guitar, electronics
Grzegorz Piasecki - double bass
Wojciech Buliński - drums

Gnomonika


JB 018

By Adam Baruch

This is the debut album as a leader by Polish Jazz saxophonist Tomasz Pruchnicki, recorded in a quartet setting with guitarist Marek Kądziela, bassist Grzegorz Piasecki and drummer Wojciech Buliński. It presents ten selections, five of which are original compositions by Pruchnicki, four are his arrangements of Polish Folk songs and one is a "paraphrase" on a standard.

The music is modern mainstream Jazz, with focus on the re-working of folkloristic themes in a Jazz form, which is a distinct Polish Jazz sub-genre, usually producing very interesting results, like the ones herein . Even in the original compositions by Pruchnicki it is possible to discover some basic Slavic elements and the typical Polish melancholy, which has almost no parallels anywhere else. Overall the level of the music is very high; both as far as the original compositions or the arrangements are concerned, full of stylish melodic and harmonic vistas and aesthetic elegance.

The personal performances are all excellent, with the leader being up front most of the time and the guitar staying respectfully in the background, which works very well for this specific music. In addition to his saxophone parts Pruchnicki also uses very effectively the ocarina, which plays the traditional role of the flute, and adds some electronic effects, which bring the sound of the album up to date. The guitar adds a supportive harmonic layer and manages to fill the space effectively. The rhythm section does a fine job supplying the steady base and supporting the soloists amicably and capably. Some of the rhythmic patterns are quite tricky, but the rhythm section has no trouble taking care of them.

It is a pity we had to wait for so long for the debut album by Pruchnicki, as he definitely has his very personal approach and voice, which is absolutely worth following. This is a very mature, balanced and excellently executed debut album, which hopefully will be followed by more recordings in the not too distant future. In the meantime we can savor this solid and inspired musical offering. Well done indeed!

Rutkowski & Kossowska – Blues On The Bridge (2016)

Rutkowski & Kossowska

Miłosz Rutkowski - vibraphone
Krzysztof Puma Piasecki - guitar
Beata Kossowska - vocals, harmonica
Grzegorz Piasecki - bass
Wojciech Buliński - drums

Blues On The Bridge



LUNA 395

By Adam Baruch

This is an album by Polish Jazz vibraphonist/composer Miłosz Rutkowski and vocalist/harmonica player Beata Kossowska. They are supported by bassist Grzegorz Piasecki and drummer Wojciech Buliński. Guitarist Krzysztof Puma Piasecki appears as guest artist. Together they perform eleven compositions, all of which are originals by Rutkowski except for one Pop standard and one Polish Pop song.

The music is a nice amalgam of Jazz and Blues, pretty unusual these days as the two genres have grown apart despite their common roots. The original compositions by Rutkowski are all excellent, with strong melodic content and perfect harmonic structure, as well as internal Groove and Funky feeling. The basic sound of the album is very Jazzy and the Blues seasoning is emphasized mostly by the harmonica and guitar parts and the vocals.

The instrumental performances are all excellent from start to finish and the album is a great fun to listen to, beautifully balancing the sophistication of the Jazz ingredients and the emotional influx of the Blues. Personally I'm not really excited by the vocals and would have preferred this album in purely instrumental version, which would have made it truly exceptional, buy hey, that's just me. Kossowska does however contribute some breathtaking harmonica parts. The young rhythm section does a perfect job and Piasecki burns with his electrifying solos. Overall this is a very enjoyable album, which maintains a classy approach to the Blues along with the basic Jazz attitude, which should easily satisfy connoisseurs of both genres. Wholeheartedly recommended!