Graal – Czarne 13 (2015)

Graal

Antoni Gralak - trumpet
Bronek Duży - trombone
Klaudiusz Kłosek - trumpet
Alek Korecki - saxophone
Marek Pospieszalski - saxophone
Locko Richter - bass
Ola Rzepka - drums
Arek Skolik - drums
Darek Sprawka - tuba
Jacek Szymkiewicz - vocals

Czarne 13

FOR TUNE 0059

By Adam Baruch

This is the sixth album by the cult Polish ensemble Graal, founded and led by the legendary trumpeter/composer/bandleader Antoni Gralak, who is also known for his involvement in such pivotal Polish ensembles as Free Cooperation, Young Power, Tie Break, Woo Boo Doo, Yeshe and others. This album, recorded four years before it finally gets to be released, presents ten songs, all composed by Gralak and the ensemble with lyrics by the ensemble's vocalist Jacek Szymkiewicz. Two radio edits of two of the songs on this album are added as bonus tracks. In addition to Gralak, who also plays tuba and Szymkiewicz, who also plays acoustic guitar, the other members of Graal are: trombonist Bronek Duży, trumpeter Klaudiusz Kłosek, saxophonists Aleksander Korecki and Marek Pospieszalski, bass guitarist Locko Richter, drummers Ola Rzepka and Arek Skolik and finally tuba and trombone player Darek Sprawka; altogether ten musicians.

The music of Graal is a strange amalgam of Rock and Jazz-Rock Fusion, with elements of cabaret and theatrics. The "songs" are often full of dramatic exclamations and theatrical displays of emotion, and the "free" lyrics add to the overall atmosphere of "controlled anarchy". The huge brass section sounds at times like a street marching band, or Balkan brass ensemble, or typical Brass-Rock section, constantly changing its ambiance. The sound is rather muffled and often creates an impression of a live recording. The rhythm section sets a groovy paste, with funky bass guitar in charge of the bottom parts and the drums keeping the mayhem in check. The lead vocals are always up front and the brass is always in the background, which makes the solo parts somewhat less prominent in the overall sound, but those are all well worth being discovered by careful listening.

The solitary instrumental piece on this album is perhaps the most powerful glimpse to the essence of this ensemble, with the multilayered brass parts creating a mini-suite which is both beautifully organized and free at the same time; a wonderful example of contemporary music. Gralak has a gift of creating stuff, which is always unique and exists outside of the Polish Jazz/Fusion scenes, being a typical Lone Ranger. This music simply creates a universe of its own, which is incomparable to anything else happing on the local scene or anywhere else for that matter. Since this is a typical ensemble project, there are few displays of Gralak's virtuosic ability as a trumpeter, but it is his leadership that holds this project together.

Whether one loves or hates this music, one thing is sure: it's impossible to say indifferent to it, which is already a huge achievement in comparison to most of the music created today. Gralak is one of those people who make the Polish music scene worth following and admiring!

Free Cooperation – Polish Radio Jazz Archives Vol.18 (2014)

Free Cooperation

Andrzej Przybielski - trumpet
Aleksander Korecki - saxophone
Wojciech Konikiewicz - keyboards
Janusz Yanina Iwanski - guitar
Wojciech Czajkowski - bass
and others

Polish Radio Jazz Archives Vol.18

POLSKIE RADIO 1668

By Adam Baruch

This is the eighteenth installment in the new series of releases initiated by the Polish Radio, which presents archive Jazz recordings. Radio recordings are always a fabulous source of remarkable material, and as far as Polish Jazz history is concerned, the Polish Radio, which was a state monopoly for 45 years, recorded over time a plethora of invaluable material, which apart from the albums released by the Polskie Nagrania record company (also a state monopoly), is the only available additional source of Polish Jazz recordings. For many years Polish Radio recorded concerts presented during Poland's most important Jazz venues, including the annual Jazz Jamboree Festival and many other festivals as well.

This album is perhaps one of the most important pieces of the Polish Jazz legacy issued so far as a part of this series. It presents the cult Free Cooperation ensemble, an informal gathering of top young Polish Jazz musicians active in the 1980s, which in retrospect turned out to be the next generation of the local scene, which carried on the tradition into the difficult next decade, after Poland finally received its political independence. The music of Free Cooperation was an eccentric amalgam of cross-genre explorations, moving between Reggae and Jazz-Rock, through the Jazz Big Band tradition and far out into collective improvisation and even some World Music influences. The music was composed by the ensemble's members, like keyboardist Wojciech Konikiewicz, flautist/saxophonist Aleksander Korecki, guitarist Janusz Yanina Iwanski and bassist Wojciech Czajkowski.

Among the ensemble members we find the legendary trumpeter Andrzej Przybielski, whose solos on this album are absolutely breathtaking. Other members include trumpeters Antoni Gralak and Mariusz Stopnicki, saxophonists Mateusz Pospieszalski and Marek Kazana, trombonist Bronislaw Duzy, electric bassist Marcin Pospieszalski, violinist Henryk Gembalski and drummers Michal Zduniak and Sarandis Juvanudis. Piotr Bikont recited poetry, which accompanied some of the compositions.

Listening to the music today, almost three decades after it was recorded, clearly points out how revolutionary and ahead of its time it was, not only as far as the local scene is concerned, but on the entire European Jazz scale. Free Cooperation came to the public attention thanks to their appearance at the 1985 Jazz Jamboree festival, which is documented here on one of the tracks; the other six tracks were recorded at the Polish Radio Studio in Poznan some months earlier. The ensemble was active between 1985 and 1988 and recorded two albums for the Poljazz label, which are still waiting to be reissued, which is a true shame. In April 2014 the remaining members reactivated Free Cooperation playing a gig in a club in Krakow.

The beautifully restored sound quality is excellent and the warm ambience of the analog recording is a true joy. As usual with this series, which is very reasonably priced, I miss the presence of "in depth" liner notes/booklet, which should convey the circumstances at which this music was recorded and its importance to the development of Jazz in Poland. Nevertheless this is an absolutely essential piece of Jazz history which every Jazz fan will surely consider an absolute must.

Side Note: In 1985 I returned to Poland for the first time after leaving the country in 1967, in order to record the now legendary "The Book Of Job" project (follow the link to read the entire story). Andrzej Przybielski was one of the musicians participating in that project and he told me about Free Cooperation, which I than saw in person a few days after the recording was over on the stage of the Sala Kongresowa during the a.m. Jazz Jamboree performance, which of course left me flabbergasted. This album is therefore especially dear to my heart.

Alek Korecki & Z Calym Szacunkiem Dzika Swinia - Freak Kiss (2012)

Alek Korecki & Z Calym Szacunkiem Dzika Swinia (band)

Alek Korecki - Sax, flute, guitars and vocals
Wojciech Ruciński - Stick bass
Tomasz Grochowalski - Bass
Karol Ludew - Drums

Freak Kiss (2012)

Well, this one will be short... I reached for this album on behalf of saxophonist Alek Korecki. I know him from excellent "Nucleon" (2007) and I also have heard that he recently collaborates with good young band High Definition led by very talented young pianist Piotr Orzechowski. So I expected some jazz but to my disappointment what I got is sad, VERY sad music...

Korecki's play seems to be influeced by David Sanborn or Kenny Garrett. As often on their albums his music is wheeling almost exclusively around his powerful blows. The rest of the band, Wojciech Ruciński on stick bass, Tomasz Grochowolski on bass and Karol Ludew on drums, all musicians with careers in rock and pop so far, form only a rather unimpressive background for the leader. There is no interplay, consequently no depth, no idea, no rhythm, no melody here. This is sad, really sad record. Perhaps it sounds better during concerts as these guys all have significant stage experience. But judging solely on the basis of music as recorded on CD this is simply awful...

By Maciej Nowotny

http://kochamjazz.blox.pl

Listen and make a judgement on your own...

Andrzej Sawik & Jakub Rutkowski - Nucleon (Tone Industria, 2007)

Andrzej Sawik - piano
Jakub Rutkowski - drums
Franz Hautzinger - trumpet
Aleksander Korecki - tenor bas
Dominik Strycharki - blockflutes
Tomasz Głuc - electronic percussion

Tone Industria, 2007

To my surprise I don't find any reviews in English for this excellent album, let me therefore first introduce players before I move to description of music itself. Two leaders, Andrzej Sawik and Jakub Rutkowski, are relatively young musicians, both born in 1976 in Cracow where they live and work. Andrzej Sawik is pianist, composer and arranger who started by playing within mainstream jazz and slowly moved towards free jazz and contemporary improvised music. In his play on piano resound influences of John Cage, Paul Bley or Matthew Shipp music. 

Jakub Rutkowski, drummer and composer, has a bit different background: he is associated mainly with  Polish rock scene since he plays with Maciej Maleńczuk and his well-known band Homo Twist. That's why his style is very energetic, extravertic, daring in which he reminds me a bit Jim Black. But Rutkowski never left jazz or avantgarde track for long and was playing in very good band called Pulsarus (check its album "FAQ") led by flutist Dominik Strycharski who also appears on this album along with Franz Hautzinger on trumpet, Aleksander Korecki on tenor sax and Tomek  Głuc on electronic percussion.

The sound of this band is very intriguing: intellectual, classical piano of Rutkowski fits unexpectedly well with rock pulse as supplied by Rutkowski while other players create enough space for fascinating meandering in typical free jazz style. All this sounds fascinating, every tune is challenge, musicians prove that improvisations may be very subtle, sublime, filigree (piano) yet full of almost kinetic energy (rhythm section).

But the best I left for now since after 4 years waiting a new record was issued by Nucleon this year! You should definitely check this album first before moving to this new one as this band creates one of the most interesting improvised music in Poland at this moment!  

Check first track from this album titled "Icebrg". Excellent!!!

Author of text: Maciej Nowotny

http://kochamjazz.blox.pl/html