Gniewomir Tomczyk - perkusja, produkcja muzyczna Mateusz Smoczyński - skrzypce Krzysztof Lenczowski - wiolonczela Jan Smoczyński - fortepian Kuba Dworak - kontrabas Kuba Kotowicz - wibrafon, dzwonki Rafał Dubicki - trąbka, flugelhorn Szymon Klekowicki - puzon, tuba Jarek Kaczmarczyk - flet Ewelina Hajda -marimba Julianna Kamila Siedler-Smuga ksylofon, marimba
Album: "Perpetus"
Wydawca: Perpetus (2025)
Tekst: Robert Kozubal
Gniewomir Tomczyk to pierwszy muzyk na świecie, który konsekwentnie i na tak wysokim poziomie improwizuje ze sztuczną inteligencją (AI). Choć nie ma to bezpośredniego związku z konkretnymi nutami na tej płycie, sądzę, że definiuje jej autora. Tomczyk nie tylko używa AI, ale aktywnie prowadzi działalność popularyzującą ten mariaż technologii i sztuki. W ten sposób udowadnia, że zaawansowana technologia może być przyjacielem artysty, a nie konkurentem. To artysta, który w pojedynkę, a czasem wbrew własnemu środowisku, przesuwa granice muzyki. Nie mogłem zapomnieć o tym słuchając "Perpetus". Słuchałem albumu artysty świadomego, który - mam takie wrażenie - dobrze wiedział, jaki efekt chciał osiągnąć. Efekt: klasycznego innowatora.
This is the debut album by
young Polish Jazz trumpeter Paweł Palcowski recorded in a quintet setting with
saxophonist Jakub Łępa, pianist Bogusław Kaczmar, bassist Maciej Kitajewski and
veteran drummer Arek Skolik. Trombonist Szymon Klekowicki guests on one track.
The album presents seven original compositions, all by Palcowski.
As the album's title suggests,
it pays tribute to the classic mainstream Jazz period of the 1950s and 1960s,
when Bebop, Hard Bop and Cool Jazz ruled and the foundations and most
mannerisms of modern Jazz were "carved in stone". Palcowski
deliberately tries to reconstruct not only the typical compositions of the era
but also the sound and feel of the period, utilizing the most popular setting
of the time – the classic Jazz quintet.
Although re-visiting that
period, especially among the young generation of European Jazz musicians, is
definitely less popular these days, and often even considered less ambitious,
Palcowski manages to create a wonderful piece of music, which offers not only a
nostalgic trip down the memory line but a bona fide mainstream Jazz album,
which sounds as if it was a "lost" Blue Note treasure, found in the
vaults.
All the compositions on this
album as every bit as solid, coherent and spirited as anything that can be
heard on the albums recorded at the time, which is truly remarkable. A young
musician, decades later and thousands of kilometers away is able to crack the
genetic code of this music perfectly and make it his own, not copying but
creating new tunes which have the same magic feeling. The performances are also
perfect and ideally suiting this particular music. There is no spectacular
soloing but a series of well structured solo performances by the trumpet, saxophone
and piano, supported by the entire quintet and the steady rhythm section which
does a perfect job.
Overall this is a splendid
debut album, which proves that the young generation of European Jazz musicians
is not only aware of the tradition and the history, but is also able to embrace
it lovingly. I had the pleasure to hear Palcowski many times live during his
student years at the Katowice
Music Academy
and it was obvious that he is going places. Well done Sir!
This is the debut album by young
Polish Jazz trombonist/flugelhornist Szymon Klekowicki, recorded in a sextet
setting with saxophonist Jakub Łępa and Marcin Dąbrowski, pianist Adam Jarzmik,
bassist Tymon Trąbczyński and drummer Michał Dziewiński. The album presents
seven original compositions, five by Klekowicki and two by Jarzmik.
The music is conventional melody
based contemporary European Jazz, with solid compositions and arrangements,
which create ideal opportunities for the members of the sextet to show their
chops. The two compositions by Jarzmik are more rounded and mature, similarly
to his excellent work presented on his two earlier album releases. Klekowicki's
music is somewhat Bebop oriented, but by no means outdated and full of great
ideas. All the compositions are coherent and interesting, creating a wonderful
musical flow that seems to be over way too soon, leaving the listener wishing
for more.
The level of execution is of
course nothing short of excellent all the way through and these
"youngsters" sound like Jazz veterans, which never ceases to amaze. The
saxophone unisono parts are a neat and effective arrangement trick, which
produces a "big" sound of the entire sextet and wonderful harmonic
"colorization". Klekowicki seems to be proficient both on trombone and
flugelhorn, thus adding sonoric diversity to the entire album. Jarzmik is of
course also a terrific piano player and his superb melodic phrases ale balsam
on the ears. The rhythm section plays exactly what is expected of them, keeping
strict time and not being obtrusive, which is what this music needs the most,
being already dense enough, but they get an opportunity to shine as well.
Overall this is a first class
debut effort, which gives Klekowicki a solid head start of his career. He joins
the ranks of the young generation of European Jazz musicians, who proudly keep
the idiom alive and kicking, making us, the elders, smile with hope that not
all is lost. Albums like that one are heartwarming and obviously highly
recommended. Already waiting for the next one!
