Michael Kornas - After Darkness/Comes Light (2021)

Michael Kornas

Michael Kornas - piano
Kamila Drabek - bass
Bartłomiej Dybel - drums

After Darkness/Comes Light

SOLITON 1096

By Adam Baruch

This is the debut album by young German (resident in Poland) pianist/composer Michael Kornas, recorded in a classic piano trio setting with Polish rhythm section comprising of bassist Kamila Drabek and drummer Bartłomiej Dybel. The album presents seven original compositions, assumably by Kornas (no info on the artwork), lasting only slightly over half an hour, which is a bit short for a full album, especially a debut.

The music is pretty straightforward mainstream Jazz, based on rather simple melodic themes, which serve as basis for the trio’s performances. The music is mostly lethargic and develops sluggishly, which can be trying for the listener. Obviously these are early days for Kornas as a composer and his ideas need polishing and stylistic diversity, which hopefully will come with time.

The performances are fair, with Kornas concentrating on playing the chords rather than improvising extensively. The rhythm section supports the leader amicably, obviously being more experienced, trying not to disturb the flow of the music. Drabek takes a few bass soli, more than customary for a piano trio album, which are ornamenting the proceedings a bit.

Overall this album is more of a “teaser” than a full-blown offering, and should be probably treated as such. Perhaps recorded a bit to early the music might have been polished with more live performances, but obviously the pandemic prevented that. All the best in the future!

Ágnes Bazsinka - Things Look Different From Here (2020)

Ágnes Bazsinka

Ágnes Bazsinka - voice

Szymon Bora - vibraphone

Jan Jerzy Kołacki - double bass
Bartłomiej Dybel - drums

Things Look Different From Here

NOT ON LABEL


By Adam Baruch

This is the debut album by Hungarian (living in Poland) vocalist/composer  Ágnes Bazsinka  recorded with the las IIII quartet, which includes also Polish musicians: vibraphonist Szymon Bora, bassist J.J. Kołacki and drummer Bartłomiej Dybel. The album's artwork is mystically secretive about details, but the album presents one continuous piece of music "build up form larger units and intermezzo parts" composed by her and including her (I assume) lyrics (in Hungarian). The album is divided into eight tracks, (intro, three parts, each followed by an intermezzo and finally part four) which total in twenty-three minutes - way, way below album timing limit and in today's terms even below the accepted EP timing.

The music is very interesting, but not as experimental as claimed, based on repetitive riffs played by the vibraphone and occasional melodic fragments, and including some background sounds made by the bass and drums and only occasionally featuring the rhythm section in its traditional role. However, the music has a unique ambience, which manages to create tension and interest, and is most pleasing aesthetically, leaving the listener wishing to her more, in this case much more. 

Altogether the album offers a very minimalist musical content, fragmented and not entirely coherent, but obviously fascinating enough for me to want to hear more of these fresh ideas in the future. Accordingly, I'll refer to this "album" as a teaser and wait patiently for the real thing! Good luck with it!