W styczniu tego roku miałem okazję być na koncercie duetu Jadwigi Kotnowskiej (flet) i Jarosława Bestera (akordeon), który odbył się w Sali Wielkiej Zamku Królewskiego w Warszawie.
Co mnie tam przyciągnęło? Na pewno nie pogoda. Tego dnia było bowiem bardzo mroźno. Temperatura odczuwalna spadła do około minus dwudziestu stopni Celsjusza, a przez nieszczelne ramy pięknych okien sali koncertowej polskich królów wiało niemiłosiernym chłodem.
Mimo to ani przez chwilę nie żałowałem tej wyprawy.
Dawid Lubowicz – skrzypce Mateusz Smoczyński – skrzypce Krzysztof Lenczowski – wiolonczela Michał Zaborski – altówka
"Universum"
Wydawnictwo: Warner Music (2024)
Tekst: Szymon Stępnik
Swego czasu Atom String Quartet byli moim ulubionym zespołem polskiej sceny muzycznej. Usłyszałem o nich po raz pierwszy w audycji Jana Ptaszyna Wróblewskiego w początkach mojej fascynacji jazzem. Pamiętam, jak musiałem przekonywać mojego tatę, który nie jest fanem tego typu dźwięków, by wybrał się ze mną na koncert w Filharmonii Częstochowskiej. Było to warte, ponieważ wieczór ten pamiętam do dziś. Poczułem, że dotykam sztuki, a muzyka urosła niemal do sfery sacrum. Był to okres, kiedy Atomowi wydali świetny album Places. Niestety, ich późniejsza kariera obfitowała w lekki zastój twórczy, ponieważ ostatnie wydawnictwa nawet nie umywały się do tego, co kwartet ten był w stanie nagrać na starcie kariery. Na szczęście Universum kładzie kres słabszej formie i staje się solidnym kandydatem do jazzowej płyty roku 2024.
Mam wrażenie, że nawet sami muzycy byli świadomi nie do końca udanych poprzednich nagrań. Trudno przecież nazwać reinterpretacje Seiferta i Pendereckiego czymś oryginalnym. Mocno przeciętne „Essence” tłumaczyło, czemu panowie tak niechętnie komponowali coś nowego. Kiedy przyszło zrobić kolejną płytę, któryś z nich chyba powiedział: „Basta! Tak dalej być nie może! Zróbmy w końcu coś świeżego, z czego będziemy dumni”. No i udało się. Universum to naprawdę nietuzinkowy i ociekający o wybitność krążek.
Album podzielony jest na cztery koncepcyjne części. Pierwsza, skomponowana przez Dawida Lubowicza, stanowi refleksję nad kosmiczną przestrzenią. Druga, autorstwa Krzysztofa Lenczowskiego, przenosi nas do świata baśni, gdzie możemy reflektować nad różnymi gatunkami motylów. W trzeciej, Mateusz Smoczyński zabiera nas na podróż po Warszawie, a longplay kończy suita o pasji, tańcu i miłości, której autorem jest Michał Zaborski.
Taki podział sprawia, że choć Universum jest stosunkowo długie, trudno się przy nim znudzić. Słychać, że każdy z kompozytorów miał konkretny pomysł i mógł dać upust swoim artystycznym ambicjom w przeznaczonym dla siebie segmencie. Łatwo przez to odczuć różnice pomiędzy podejściem poszczególnych członków zespołu, gdzie każdy odznacza się nieco inną wrażliwością. To wisienka (lub „truskawka”, jak to mawiał Tomasz Hajto) na torcie dla wszystkich długowiecznych fanów kwartetu – w tym mnie.
Smoczyński ze swoją wizją Warszawy odznacza się chyba największą wrażliwością. Nic dziwnego - to właśnie tam się urodził i studiował na Akademii Muzycznej im. Fryderyka Chopina. Nie zdziwiłbym się, gdyby niczym Sonny Rollins z saksofonem w czasach „The Bridge”, stał ze skrzypcami pod Mostem Poniatowskiego i tworzył kompozycje. Na przeciwległym biegunie jest Dawid Lubowicz, którego ścieżki są nieco bardziej zadziorne, efekciarskie – chyba najbardziej jazzowe spośród całej czwórki. Krzysztof Lenczowski jest z kolei najbardziej barwny i różnorodny (nieprzypadkowo jego segment nazywa się „Atlas Motyli”) i intryguje rozwiązaniami kompozycyjnymi. Część Michała Zaborskiego słusznie znalazła się na końcu, jako najbardziej elegancka oraz poważna. Jest jak kieliszek wytrawnego wina dodany do bardzo obfitego obiadu.
Biorąc pod uwagę powyższe, stwierdzić należy, iż na przestrzeni lat wszyscy z muzyków ewoluowali. Być może kompozycyjnie nie stanowią już tak zgranej paczki, jak kiedyś, aczkolwiek widać, że wzajemnie się inspirują i nakręcają. Nie wiem, czy utwory byłyby tak dobre, gdyby stanowiły części ich solowych albumów.
I oto całe „Universum”. Dzieło ocierające się o doskonałość, stanowiące jednocześnie wielki powrót Atom String Quartet. Przyznam szczerze, że kiedy płyta została przydzielona mi do zrecenzowania, bardzo się bałem. Nie chciałem, aby kolejna pozycja sygnowana nazwiskami ludzi, na których muzyce się wychowałem, mogła okazać się zawodem. Wolałem, aby naczelny fan instrumentów skrzypcowych w naszej redakcji, czyli Marcin Kaleta, mógł nakreślić mi jakiś ciekawe, inne spojrzenie. Na szczęście na obawach tylko się skończyło. Najnowsze dzieło najsłynniejszego kwartetu smyczkowego w Polsce to kunszt sam w sobie, którego słuchanie stanowi czystą przyjemność.
do małego sklepu muzycznego, który prowadzi znany wszystkim w mieście Człowiek Który Się Zna wchodzi młodzieniec o spłoszonym spojrzeniu, cały niewinny jak mazowiecki, wiosenny poranek. Wyjmuje z uszu dudniące słuchawki, uśmiecha się, bo spostrzega, że tym razem nie buszują tu stali, niemodnie odziani bywalcy, których się wstydzi, bo oni też się znają, toteż spieszy wprost do lady i dopadłszy jej stawia pytanie, które każdy raz w życiu zadać musi: ja bym chciał posłuchać dżazu lecz się nie znam i nie wiem od czego zacząć. Co pan poleci?
Człowiek Który Się Zna taksuje go z wyższością wzrokiem, potem pewnym ruchem wyjmuje płytę, lekko puka palcem jej tekturową, białą okładkę z piękną damą i powiada: to bym polecił. Zapada krępująca cisza, bo młodzieniec nie przygotował sobie żadnych pytań dodatkowych i właśnie je układa, gdy wyręcza go sprzedawca: to jest „Parallel” trzecia płyta Agi Derlak, fenomenalnej pianistki, kompozytorki parającej się edukacją muzyczną, którą nagrała ze swoim septetem i z Atom String Quartet.
Tyle trudnych słów na raz. Kwartet, septet, Derlak, atom i w dodatku string. Młody człowiek zapomniał języka w gębie. Właściciel to wie, bo niejeden gołowąs stawał przed nim z podobnym życiowym dylematem, więc zaczyna wygłaszać:
Po pierwsze, wydaje mi się, że to głęboko przemyślana muzyka, taka tip-top, akuratna w każdym dźwięku. Jest trochę tak, jakby cię ktoś prowadził za rękę po galerii i pokazywał najładniejsze obrazy. Po drugie, nie ma tam ani chwili odpoczynku, jest z dołu do góry i z góry na dół, głośno i cicho, szybko i wolno, mocno i łagodnie. Po trzecie - i to ci się może głównie spodobać - choć zmian tempa, zawrotów i zawijasów na płycie jest bez liku, to przecież klamrują się zawsze melodyjnie, do czego ucho samo się nadstawia. Po czwarte, masz tu jedenaścioro doskonałych fachowców, którzy wprawdzie odważnie i ochoczo używają swoich instrumentów, dzięki czemu na płycie raz przewodzi trąbka, innym razem saksofony, a ostatni dziewiąty utwór to prawdziwy popis sekcji rytmicznej, gdzie perkusja na koniec pięknie niesie cię w siną dal – jednak od pierwszego do ostatniego dźwięku nad wszystkim króluje fortepian liderki, co słychać już w pierwszym, tytułowym, dynamicznym utworze, który pokazuje też moc całego jej zespołu. Po piąte, posłuchasz kilku piosenek z tekstami autorki płyty, a zaśpiewanych wzorzyście przez jej siostrę, Basię Derlak – ale i one mają mnóstwo wariacji, zakrętów i improwizacji instrumentalnych. Po szóste, Atom String Quartet maluje wyśmienite tło tej muzyce, więc momentami dzięki niemu robi się tak po polsku, rzewnie, że wspomnisz tę muzykę, gdy tylko gdzieś w oddali ujrzysz pochylone przydrożne wierzby i słońce w zachodzie. Po siódme, Aga Derlak ściga się trochę ze swoim talentem – wszak jej pierwsza płyta dostała od razu „Fryderyka”, ale zapewniam, że się nie zawiedziesz, daje sobie doskonale radę z tym ciężarem. Po ósme, dość gadania, to po prostu świetna płyta, więc ją ci pakuję, taak?
- A nie, nie dziękuję panu, bo mam ją już tutaj w strimingu – odpowiada młodzieniec gmerając przy smartfonie. Szybko wciska słuchawki w uszy i jeszcze szybciej wychodzi, a w zasadzie uchodzi.
- O tempora, o mores – złorzeczy pod nosem Człowiek Który Się Zna odprowadzając jego plecy złym wzrokiem, po czym puszcza głośno z CD „Present Past”, ulubiony utwór z płyty Agi Derlak, gdyż uważa, że jest wybitny.
Jarosław Bester – accordion Dawid Lubowicz – violin, mandolin Maciej Adamczak – double bass Ryszard Pałka – drums, vibraphone
"Hustle and Bustle" (2022)
Wydawca: For Tune
Autor tekstu: Mateusz Chorążewicz
Że Bester Quartet to zespół z niezaprzeczalnym dorobkiem, podążający swoją własną ścieżką brzmieniowo-stylistyczną – wiadomo. Że sam lider bandu jest artystą z dość jasną koncepcją celu, który chce osiągnąć – wiadomo. Że poprzednia płyta pt. Piazzola Angels nie była specjalnie udana – to również wiadomo. Czy najnowsze dzieło Bester Quartet pt. Hustle and Bustle okaże się albumem godnym niepowtarzalnej okazji, jaką jest 25-lecie działalności grupy?
Nie ukrywam, że Piazzola Angels z 2021 roku to płyta niezbyt udana. Z tym większą ciekawością zasiadłem do odsłuchu Hustle and Bustle. Już po pierwszych dźwiękach pomyślałem „O, będzie dobre granie”. I faktycznie, nie zawiodłem się.
Nagrań dokonano w sierpniu 2022 roku w B&B Studio w Niepołomicach. Obok Jarosława Bestera na akordeonie usłyszymy tu także Dawida Lubowicza na skrzypcach i mandolinie, Macieja Adamczaka na kontrabasie oraz Ryszarda Pałkę na perkusji i wibrafonie.
Muzyka od pierwszego do ostatniego utworu utrzymuje zainteresowanie słuchacza. Mnogość zastosowanych środków kompozycyjnych sprawia, że album jest zróżnicowany, ale zarazem bardzo spójny. Wyraźnie słychać, że autor kompozycji (czyli lider we własnej osobie) dobrze wszystkie te aspekty przemyślał.
Oczywiście brzmienie zespołu samo w sobie jest wysoce zindywidualizowane. Wynika to z odpowiedniej instrumentacji – połączenie takich instrumentów jak perkusja, kontrabas, skrzypce i akordeon musiało wywołać taki efekt.
Niespecjalnie przekonuje mnie natomiast sama koncepcja albumu. Jest to bowiem pewnego rodzaju podsumowanie dotychczasowej działalności, patrzenie wstecz. W notce dołączonej do płyty czytamy, że poszczególne utwory odnoszą się bezpośrednio do lokalizacji, w których Bester Quartet miał okazję występować. Prawdę mówiąc, nie trudno było się tego domyśleć po tytułach kompozycji. Wolałbym usłyszeć zapowiedź czegoś nowego. Jest to jednak moja indywidualna preferencja.
Podsumowując, Hustle and Bustle nie jest płytą specjalnie odkrywczą. Jest to jednak naprawdę solidne granie i godne podsumowanie dotychczasowej działalności zespołu. Dla fanów album z całą pewnością będzie gratką.
Jeśli chodzi o Atom String Quartet, w skład którego wchodzą Dawid Lubowicz, Mateusz Smoczyński, Michał Zaborski i Krzysztof Lenczowski, to wyrobili oni już sobie na naszym rynku status właściwie instytucji. I jest to sukces w pełni zasłużony. Łączą bowiem najwyższy poziom wykonania z umiejętnością dotarcia do szerszej publiczności (nie tylko zresztą polskiej), a ponadto udaje im się w kolejnych projektach cały czas zaskakiwać tak wyborem tematów jak i podejściem do nich. Ta fuzja dotyczy także różnych gatunków muzycznych, o czym niech świadczy chociażby z jednej strony "Seifert" (2017) poświęcony naszemu legendarnemu skrzypkowi jazzowemu a z drugiej "Penderecki" (2019) stanowiący hołd dla mistrza polskiej muzyki poważnej (antyczne to już określenie) przełomów wieku XX i XXI. W tym kontekście nowy krążek dedykowany Karłowiczowi można widzieć jako kontynuację tego trendu polegającego na odświeżaniu muzyki dobrze znanej i osobiście cieszę się, że tak jest, bo w ich wykonaniu za każdym razem było to indywidualne i odkrywcze. Kiedy usłyszałem, że Atom "bierze na warsztat" Karłowicza uczułem jednak ukłucie w sercu, a powody tego zaraz wyjaśnię.
Karłowicz żył na przełomie wieków XIX i XX i jest jedną z tych wielu tragicznych, polskich historii o niespełnionych nadziejach. Oprócz pieśni, których słuchamy na tej płycie, skomponował jeszcze 6 słynnych poematów symfonicznych i garść innych utworów, znamionujących wielki talent, ale brzmiących raczej jak piękna obietnica niż jej spełnienie. Wszystko przerwała lawina w Tatrach - Karłowicz był ich miłośnikiem - która przecięła nić jego życia w wieku lat zaledwie 32.
Co więcej czas obszedł się z muzyką Karłowicza - to moja opinia - dość okrutnie. W stylu można ją określić jako postromantyczną i nawiązującą do języka Ryszarda Wagnera, który dziś brzmi cokolwiek ckliwie i pompatycznie. Niestety romantyzm bardzo się zdezaktualizował. Stąd to ukłucie w sercu. Czy Atomom uda się nadać tej muzyce bardziej aktualne brzmienia, czy znajdą odwagę by z Karłowicza wydobyć patos, ale bez niepotrzebnej czułostkowości, czy potrafią muzycznie z Karłowiczem się skonfrontować, by pokazać że może ciągle inspirować?
Po wielokrotnym wysłuchaniu płyty uważam, że im się to udało. Duża w tym zasługa towarzyszącego im kwartetu instrumentów dętych Szczecińskiej Orkiestry Symfonicznej (nadmieńmy, że Karłowicz jest patronem tej instytucji), którego brzmienie bardzo ciekawie komponuje się ze smyczkami, a który jednocześnie dał Atomom wystarczająco dużo przestrzeni by mogła pojawić się improwizacja, eksperymenty dźwiękowe, mógł dojść do głosu indywidualny charakter zespołu. Płyta szczególnie zyskuje przy kolejnych odsłuchach, na dobrych słuchawkach lub topowym sprzęcie grającym. Wybrzmiewają niuanse, można docenić jakość gry instrumentów, perfekcję wykonania i smaczki fuzji estetyk muzyki jazowej i klasycznej.
Ale ukłucie w sercu pozostaje. Jednak nie z powodu, że czegoś w tej płycie zabrakło, ani z tego że coś się nie udało, ale z tego powodu, że... romantyzm muzyki dotarł do mnie z całą siłą. Zrozumiałem, że wcale się nie zestarzał, że tylko czekał na powtórne odkrycie. Że delikatność, czułość, wrażliwość na przyrodę, innych, siebie i jej ekspresja w muzyce zawsze były, są i będą aktualne. Bo są częścią nas i są nam potrzebne by odczuwać pełnię życia, w tym pełnię artystycznych czy muzycznych wrażeń. Brawo dla artystów, tak dla Atomów jak wyśmienitych muzyków Szczecińskiej Filharmonii za odwagę, by Karłowicza przypomnieć, uaktualnić i dać szansę słuchaczom odkryć dźwięki, doznania, emocje dawno zdawałoby się zapomniane.
Shishani Vranckx - vocals, guitar
Kristjan Randalu - piano
Phil Donkin - bass
Bodek Janke - drums, percussion
with
Bill Evans - saxophones
Gilad Hekselman - guitar
Sebastian Studnitzky - trumpet
Atom String Quartet
This is an album by Polish
(resident in Berlin)
Jazz drummer/composer Bodek Janke recorded in an international quartet
setting with Namibian vocalist/guitarist Shishani Vranckx, Estonian pianist
Kristjan Randalu and British bassist Phil Donkin. The excellent Polish Atom
String Quartet provide the string parts and world class guests: American
saxophonist Bill Evans, Israeli guitarist Gilad Hekselman and German trumpeter
Sebastian Studnitzky appear on selected tracks. The album presents ten tracks,
five of which are originals (two by Janke and three by Vranckx) and the rest
are arrangements of Pop songs. As the title suggests, this album is a
continuation of its predecessor called "Song" released a couple of
years earlier.
Although basically a Jazz
album, the concept it presents is a mixture of inventive and ambitious
arrangements of well known Pop songs and original compositions, with the
emphasis on transforming the music into way more complex setting than its
origins. Not surprisingly, since the leader is a drummer, the most striking
feature of the music is a completely idiosyncratic rhythmic/polyrhythmic
approach, which takes the music into an entire new dimension.
The instrumental performances
by all the participants on this album are simply phenomenal. Bodek is the
rhythmic machine, which drives the entire ensemble, but the superb piano parts
and excellent support by the bassist create a most impressive ambience of
pulsating/vibrating musical unity, which sparks with originality. Vranckx
adds her warm and somewhat mystical vocals, which bring the depth of African
music into the proceedings. The guest stars add the proverbial cherry on top,
carefully trying not to steal the show and respectfully naturally expand the
ambience. The string arrangements deserve a special mention, not only because
they are brilliantly executed, which is hardly surprising, but mostly due to their
perfect fit to the core of the music, and not just an artificial ornamentation.
Overall this is a most unusual
and highly fascinating album, which requires repeated attentive listening
sessions in order to truly expose its hidden treasures. It offers strikingly
unusual arrangements and brilliant performances, full of aesthetic
sophistication and reflecting the best European Jazz has to offer. This music
should find a wide range of listeners, who are sure to enjoy its beauty, both
within the circles of Jazz connoisseurs and beyond. Wholeheartedly and highly
recommended!
Although her career goes back
over two decades, this is finally the debut album by Polish vocalist Małgorzata
Markiewicz. It was recorded with the vocals supported by a basic trio
consisting of keyboardist Nikola Kołodziejczyk, bass guitarist Maciej
Szczyciński and drummer Michał Bryndal. In addition a string quartet, which is
3/4 of the Atom String Quartet (violinist Dawid Lubowicz, violist Michał Zaborski (Małgorzata's husband) and cellist Krzysztof Lenczowski) and violinist
Marta Zalewska takes part in the recording as well as eight other musicians
playing/singing on selected tracks.
The album presents twelve original songs,
nine of which were composed by Markiewicz (two co-composed with others) and
three were composed by Gabriela Kapczuk. She also wrote three of the lyrics and
co-wrote one with the rest being by different authors. Six of the songs feature
lyrics in Polish language and the other six feature lyrics in English. The
album is elegantly packaged and offers the lyrics, arty photographs and stylish
design.
The songs are all typical
contemporary Polish Pop, very melodic and solidly written but slightly samey. The
album offers a modern production and sound, which I personally don't appreciate
very much. But the instrumental arrangements, with just a tinge of Jazz here
and there, and the playing / singing are absolutely perfect and professional.
If not for the Polish lyrics, this album might have been mistaken for an American
album, which proves that the Poles can beat the Americans at their own Smooth Jazz
production game, but as such does not offer much originality.
With that said, Markiewicz
proves she can write great tunes and sing them with true feeling, even in
English, which most of her local vocal colleagues fail at badly. It is obvious
that a lot of thought and work was invested into creating this album and the
result is highly entertaining and offers a great listening experience, which
Pop and Smooth Jazz listeners should enjoy immensely. Overall this is an excellently
produced and beautifully performed album, full of great tunes and typical
Smooth Jazz feel, which should make aficionados of that genre perfectly happy.
Despite the fact that the Atom String Quartet is one of the most household names on the Polish music scene in the last decade since their inception in 2010, this is surprisingly only the fifth album released under the quartet's moniker. However, the still relatively young members of the quartet: violinists Dawid Lubowicz and Mateusz Smoczyński, violist Michał Zaborski and cellist Krzysztof Lenczowski, already amassed a most impressive recording legacy of over thirty albums, covering a broad stylistic range, in which they participated either individually or collectively, and which is a most impressive achievement for just one decade by any standard.
The essence of the Atoms (as
the quartet is fondly referred to by the locals) is perhaps mostly
characterized by the dichotomy (imaginary of not) between their Classical roots
and other musical idioms, Jazz in particular, in which they were involved with
so far. This album is not their first encounter with contemporary Polish
Classical Music of course and followers of the Atoms are already familiar with
their treatments of works by Witold Lutosławski, but at the same time also with
their interpretations of music by Polish Jazz Giants such as Krzysztof Komeda or
Zbigniew Seifert, not ignoring the original compositions by the quartet
members, which often dance on the thin wire stretched over the chasm dividing
"serious" music from the rest of the world.
Polish Jazz and the musicians
involved with the genre display an obvious obsession with Polish Classical
Music, by far more evident and noticeable than any other local European Jazz
scene. One might speculate if this is a result of the inferiority complex,
which many Jazz musicians suffer from, cultivated by the music education establishment
ruled by Classical Music fanatics, or by the love of Polish musical tradition
(your guess is as good as mine), but the fact is that the amount of Polish Jazz
albums dealing with music of Frederic Chopin (just as an example) is staggering
if not to say ridiculous.
Maestro Krzysztof Penderecki is
of course quite a different pair of galoshes; his brilliant music is always
challenging and intricate, and the fact that some of the Polish Jazz musicians
are willing to tackle this difficult subject is a proof not only of their
phenomenal technical/virtuosic skills but more importantly their intellectual
faculties. The first serious and a most passionate treatment of Penderecki's
work was undertaken in the recordings by Polish Jazz pianist Piotr Orzechowski
(a.k.a. Pianohooligan), such as "Experiment: Penderecki" or "24
Preludes & Improvisations", and this album is a most welcome follow up
on the same ambitious path.
The music selected for this
album concentrates mostly on early works (from 1950s and 1960s but also more
recent compositions), chamber and solo pieces for wind instruments and the
lovely music composed for the 1965 Polish movie "The Saragossa
Manuscript" (which I remember seeing in the cinema accompanied by the
leading actor Zbigniew Cybulski, who smuggled me in – I was under aged then). All
the string arrangements were done by the quartet members of course.
The decision to concentrate on
the early works, which obviously are less Avant-Garde oriented than the
Maestro's later compositions, and also less grandiose, is one of factors
contributing to success of the project. Obviously the huge scale orchestral
works would have been almost impossible to transcribe onto the string quartet
format, or perhaps the Atoms plan further explorations of Penderecki's music,
which will cover later works. The future will tell.
One might ponder if this music
has any relationship to Jazz? Well, on the face of it, there is very little, if
anything, that might strike a Jazz fan as "familiar". The
arrangements are kept well within the Classical Music idiom, staying authentic
and close to the source, with no obvious improvisation element, which is
considered crucial for Jazz. But when examined more closely the music is
definitely Jazzy in spirit even if less so in body, which means that this music
crosses the genre boundaries in the listener's head rather than within the
recorded notes. Confused? Great!
Overall, this is definitely a
beautiful piece of Art, divinely conceived and executed by Masters of the
trade. Sublime music and musicianship of the highest class and above all
uncompromising and challenging and yet accessible to any open minded music
lover. Of course one expects nothing less from the Atoms these days, which is
the price to be paid for Fame and Glory. As somebody who stood behind
these wonderful musicians from day one and every step of the way, it is
enormously satisfying to see them being able to grow continuously and stay
forever restless. God speed!
This is an album by the Polish
(resident in Germany)
pianist/composer Vladyslav Sendecki, who is accompanied by the highly
esteemed Polish Atom String Quartet (violinists Mateusz Smoczyński and Dawid
Lubowicz, violist Michał Zaborski and cellist Krzysztof Lenczowski). The album
presents ten compositions, five of which are original composition by Sendecki,
two were composed by his brother Stefan Sendecki, one was composed by Krzysztof
Komeda, another one by Polish Classical composer Karol Szymanowski and finally
one was composed by the German composer Wolf Kerschek. Three of the
compositions were arranged by the great British composer/arranger Michael
Gibbs.
The music focuses on relatively
little known facet of Sendecki's activity and is mostly dedicated to
contemporary Classical music, with relatively limited Jazz references. The
piano/string quartet setting suits this musical direction ideally of course
and the chamber atmosphere prevails throughout. The piano concerto "My
Polish Heart" was composed especially by Kerschek for Sendecki and was
performed by him with the NDR Big Band, of which he is the resident pianist. The
intimate version of this wonderful piece present here includes only part of the
entire composition, but reflects the spirit of the work perfectly. All the
pieces on the album are full of the characteristic Polish melancholy and
lyricism, which can be found in all Polish music regardless of the genre: Classical,
Jazz, Rock or Folklore.
The most Jazz oriented piece on
the album is of course the "Komeda Hommage", which is a medley of two
Komeda's compositions, brilliantly combining the Jazz and Classical idioms
thanks to the unique arrangement by Sendecki and the Atoms and taking a form of
a beautiful suite.
This album requires very serious
listening with attention to details and patience, as it offers a wealth of
musical thrills in every aspect. The compositions, arrangements and
performances are all loaded with deeply emotional content and are full of
virtuosic performances, which are very difficult to be absorbed all at once.
Each listening experience promises new discoveries of course. Overall this is a wonderful
album full of great music, which offers a Jazz-Classical Fusion of the highest
caliber. Lovers of Polish music, regardless of style and fashion, should be
delighted by what this album has to offer.
This is the eagerly awaited and
highly anticipated debut album as a leader by Polish Jazz violinist Dawid
Lubowicz, primarily known as a member of the Atom String Quartet. The music was
recorded in a quartet setting with pianist Krzysztof Herdzin (who also plays
flute and accordion), bassist Robert Kubiszyn and drummer Łukasz Żyta. Vocalist
Jacek Kotlarski and keyboardist Tomasz Kałwak guest each on one tune. The album
presents nine compositions, eight of which are originals by Lubowicz and one is
by Polish Classical composer Karol Szymanowski.
Musically the album is quite
surprising, especially in view of extensive recorded legacy Lubowicz created with
Atom String Quartet and other projects. The compositions are all exquisitely
melodic, melancholic and delicate, seemingly "simple" in their scope,
leaving the complexity to be expressed via the performance layer rather than
making the music less communicative. Such honesty and straightforwardness is an
extremely rare quality among Jazz composers these days, which mostly adhere to
the notion that music has to impress by its "cleverness" and "intricacy",
neglecting the "simple is beautiful" ideal, which Lubowicz is able to
bring to perfection herein.
Another significant aspect of
this music is its strong connection, almost umbilical, to Polish Folklore, and especially
to the music of the Polish Highlanders, which is of course native land of Lubowicz. The ties to folkloristic themes
are quite subtle at times and need a trained ear to be recognized, but they are
preset almost continually as part of the aesthetic climate this album offers. The
inclusion of the Szymanowski composition also refers to the composer's
fascination with the music of the Highlanders.
The decision to use Herdzin as
part of the team might seem surprising at first, as Herdzin is rarely used as a
sideman these days and his role is usually much more dominant. But in
retrospect Lubowicz made the ideal decision, as Herdzin has very few equals
when playing "pretty" is in order. He is a master of sweetness and romanticism
and his work on this album is simply perfect in every respect.
Kubiszyn is a Master and every
album he is on is blessed by his presence. His acoustic bass pulsations and
fretless solos are all breathtaking. Żyta is the metronome man, always ideally
on time and with the right intensity, even if he is playing just in a duet
setting with Lubowicz. Kalwak transforms the single tune he is on into a gleaming
magic pearl, full of sensitivity and intrinsic beauty, using his unique
"touch".
And Lubowicz? Oh well Lubowicz
is a Monster, a quiet, gentle Monster, mind you, but a true virtuoso, who plays
music rather than showing his chops, always elegant, stylish and graceful,
creating an irresistible urge to embrace everything that his vibrating strings
are able to create. Overall this is a most
impressive debut album and the only regret about it is that we had to wait for
it for so long. But now, that it is finally out there, don't hesitate and grab
it ASAP and I guarantee you won't regret it. The album is exquisitely packaged
and offers a superb sonic quality, which should make the decision to get a copy
even easier. The album was released by the
Zbigniew Seifert Foundation, run by the unwearied Aneta Norek, who deserves our
gratitude for keeping the Polish Jazz violin tradition flourishing.
This is the fourth album by the prominent Polish string quartet called Atom String Quartet, which comprises of violinists Dawid Lubowicz and Mateusz Smoczyński, violist Michał Zaborski and cellist Krzysztof Lenczowski. As the title suggests, this is a tribute to the iconic Polish Jazz violinist/composer Zbigniew Seifert, presenting ten of Seifert's original compositions and one composition by Lubowicz, inspired by a Seifert composition. Of the eleven pieces on the album, eight are performed by the entire string quartet, one is a duo performance by Zaborski and Lenczowski and two are solo violin performances, one each by Smoczynski and Lubowicz.
The Polish Jazz violin school
is experiencing a tremendous renaissance in the last decade or so, with renewed
interest in the violin as a Jazz instrument and numerous young players popping
out like mushrooms after the rain, all in a frenzy of recording and concert
activity. The biennial International Zbigniew Seifert Jazz Violin Competition
also adds to the overall effect. The life and career of Seifert, tragically cut
short by illness, is an important founding stone of modern Polish/European
Jazz, and the admiration of his music is fully justified not only by its
legendary status, but most importantly by its superb musical depth.
For someone familiar with
Seifert's music, like me, the string quartet arrangements of his music sound
somewhat eccentric, at least at the first encounter. Hearing this music without
its rhythmic layer, which was always very important in Seifert's case, takes
time to get used to and requires patience and open mindedness. The intricate
aspects of the music and its aesthetic idiosyncrasies are far from being
trivial and in their transformed appearance are even more elusive and
multifaceted. In short the quartet's interpretation of Seifert's music is
definitely challenging and less immediately striking than the original, which
obviously enhances the entire experience of listening to this album.
As expected, the music is
executed with the outmost care and sheer virtuosity, which easily explains the
revered status of the quartet. Both individually and as an ensemble, Atom
String Quartet are simply magnificent from start to finish. This album, in view
of its challenges and rigorous outline, proves to be the quartet's best
recording to date as far as I am concerned. The limitations created by the
repertoire turned out to be an asset and the quartet emerges victorious from
the obvious challenge. Overall this is a magnificent
album, which deserves repeated listening and can definitely be considered as a
commendable tribute to Seifert's music and his legendary legacy, full of love
and respect beautifully combined. Hats off gentlemen!
This is second Christmas album I am writing about this year, which is highly unusual, as I mostly keep away from Christmas albums as far as I can, not that I have anything against Christmas per se, but because Christmas albums are usually pretty atrocious musically. However, for the second time it turns out that Christmas albums can be artistic and musically fulfilling.
Polish Jazz vocalist Nika
Lubowicz, a member of the famed Lubowicz clan, gathered her two brothers:
violinist Dawid Lubowicz and keyboardist Jakub Lubowicz, her husband
accordionist Sebastian Zając, bassist Marcin Murawski, drummer Krzysztof
Szmańda and a couple of guests, and together they perform ten Christmas Carols,
six of which were composed by Nika's father Stanisław Lubowicz, one by Wacław
Geiger and three are traditional Carols newly arranged for this album.
The music carries the Christmas
spirit, as expected, but it is also rich in wonderful arrangements, some more
Jazz oriented and others less so, and of course features Nika's lovely vocals, which
are always a pleasure to listen to. Everything is kept in relaxed, almost
blessed atmosphere, with the music and instrumental passages working perfectly
together to create a coherent, highly aesthetic message.
The music also includes some
Folklore elements, related to the Polish Highlanders, who live near the
southern border of the country in the Tatra Mountains and the town of Zakopane, which of course
is Nika's home ground. Overall this is a gorgeous,
moving album, which although Christmas oriented, is perfectly listenable any
day of the year, and which emphasizes the diversity and beauty of the Polish
Culture.
This is the debut album by Polish ensemble Atom Accordion Quintet, which comprises of accordionist Rafał Grząka and the renowned string quartet called Atom String Quartet (violinists Dawid Lubowicz and Mateusz Smoczyński, violist Michał Zaborski and cellist Krzysztof Lenczowski). Together they perform four contemporary Classical compositions by young Polish composers: Mikołaj Majkusiak, Piotr Wróbel, Krzysztof Lenczowski and Nikola Kołodziejczyk. While the works by the Majkusiak and Wróbel are single-piece compositions, the work by Lenczowski is a four-part Quintet and the work by Kołodziejczyk is three-part suite. The album was released simultaneously on two Polish labels: Requiem Records and DUX Records
As much as I appreciate the
need to expose young composers, which this album is all about, somehow I felt a
bit disappointed when the music was over. Contemporary Classical music can be,
and often is challenging and groundbreaking but this album has little of these
qualities. The sound of accordion and a string quartet works together well but
was already explored before, and although the musicians are top class, but the
music itself just fails to make a strong impression. Even the music by
Lenczowski, who writes wonderful music in the Jazz idiom, somehow does not present
his usual excellence here, being simply too conventional, even if it is beautifully
melodic and gracefully melancholic. An example of the lack of originality is
the very last track on this album (by Kołodziejczyk), which sounds almost
exactly like music by Astor Piazzolla with string quartet. Somehow the entire
album invokes a kind of a déjà vu symptom.
The album is supposed to offer,
according to the enclosed booklet, an amalgam of Classical Music, Folklore and
Jazz. There is Classical music in abundance, there are some Folkloristic
motifs, but there is certainly no Jazz at all, as there is obviously no
improvisation involved since all the music is strictly written. This of course
is not a problem by itself, but simply an unnecessary confusion.
Obviously the album has its
positive sides as well: a profound European aesthetics, wonderful performances
by all five musicians, who are obviously virtuosic players, an excellent
recording and sound quality and elegant packaging that includes informative
bilingual liner notes. Overall this is a well done and
original presentation of contemporary Polish Classical Music, which can be
enjoyed by many Classical Music connoisseurs anywhere in the world and serve as
a wonderful calling card of Polish Culture.
This album presents a meeting between Polish (resident in Belgium) saxophonist/composer Cezariusz Gadzina and Poland's premiere string ensemble, the Atom String Quartet, which comprises of violinists Dawid Lubowicz and Mateusz Smoczyński, violist Michał Zaborski and cellist Krzysztof Lenczowski. Together they perform eleven pieces, seven of which were composed by Gadzina, three are co-composed by all five participating musicians and one was composed by Lenczowski.
Gadzina
has been active for years on the Jazz-Classical Fusion field and therefore the
music on this album is exactly his "cup of tea". The association with
Atom String Quartet is of course ideal for such kind of project. The music,
which is beautifully melodic, mostly full of the archetypal Polish melancholy
and lyricism, is a superb example of the cross-genre approach to music,
combining elements of Classical harmony and arrangement, Jazz improvisation and
Folkloristic musical themes. Most importantly, this is one of the cases where
all these elements amalgamate completely naturally, in contrast to many similar
projects where they are forcefully and clashingly put together.
Gadzina
and the "Atoms", as they are often referred to on the Polish scene,
seem to be fused together into a symbiotic ensemble. The soprano saxophone is
tonally pretty close to the string instruments and fits the bill ideally. There
is also an obvious camaraderie between the musicians, which can be felt in the
relaxed and cooperative atmosphere, which is reflected by the music making. This
album is full of unexpected twists and turns, unusual sounds produced by the
instruments and above all by the obvious level of talent and dedication by the
participants. In many respects this is one of the highlights of the
"Atoms" recorded legacy so far, stronger and more cohesive than some
of their quartet recordings.
Whatever
the listener chooses to hear in this music: the contemporary Classical
elements, the fascinating musical layers or the Jazzy improvisations, or
perhaps all of those and more, this is definitely an excellent album which
should satisfy even the most demanding connoisseurs. I can therefore do nothing
else but to recommend it wholeheartedly!
This is the third album by the Polish string quartet called Atom String Quartet, one of the most unique and successful music ensembles on the local scene in the last half-decade, which comprises of violinists Mateusz Smoczyński and Dawid Lubowicz, violist Michał Zaborski and cellist Krzysztof Lenczowski. Recorded a couple of years after its predecessor, this album, spread over two CDs, presents twelve new original compositions (five by Lenczowski, two by Smoczyński, two by Lubowicz, two by Zaborski and one co-composed by all of them), two compositions by Polish contemporary Classical composer Witold Lutosławski (arranged by Lenczowski) and finally one by legendary Polish Jazz violinist Zbigniew Seifert (arranged by Smoczyński).
Musically this album more or
less follows the same pattern already established by its predecessors, with the
quartet walking the rope between Jazz influenced pieces and more
"serious" Classically influenced pieces, somehow managing to keep the
two quite diverse trends to merge and coexist. They are all obviously extremely
talented musicians and composers, virtuosi performers and great entertainers,
but at this point of their existence the question if their novelty and
extraordinary abilities are enough to keep them going?
Perhaps the decision to release
a double album was a bit hasty as the material, as good as it is, is certainly
not diverse enough to justify a two CD extravaganza. Perhaps a single CD of
more simmered down, distilled and self-censored material would have worked
better?
On the other hand these young
people have obviously a lot to say and feel an urge to share their musical
discoveries with a large audience, which is perfectly fine. They can, after
all, play extremely well and the string wizardry is always exciting. Personally after listening to
this double album several times I still can't grasp exactly why I feel a bit
disappointed? Perhaps the feeling of déjà vu is to blame; in any case I am sure
that many listeners will find this album very satisfying. I still hope these
young people have more in them that shown herein.
This is the debut album by Polish Jazz vocalist/composer Nika Lubowicz, who is accompanied by a very impressive group of musicians, which includes her siblings: violinist Dawid Lubowicz (Atom String Quartet) and keyboardist Jakub Lubowicz, cellist Krzysztof Lenczowski (also Atom String Quartet), bassist Marcin Murawski, drummer Marcin Ułanowski, percussionist Bogusz Wekka, guitarist Artur Gierczak and trumpeter Piotr Schmidt. Veteran pianist Andrzej Jagodziński guests on a couple of tracks. The album presents nine tracks, three of which are standards, two are by Dawid Lubowicz, another two by Krzysztof Lenczowski and yet another two by Nika Lubowicz herself. All songs feature English lyrics except for the last track which has lyrics in Polish.
From
the very first notes of this album it's plainly evident that this is no
ordinary vocal Jazz album. The arrangements, which in most cases feature either
the violin or the cello up front alongside the vocal parts, replace the usual "vocals
with piano trio" setting. The arrangements also include other unusual
lineups, keeping the listener on his toes at all times. The overall atmosphere
of this album is all about the essence of music, freely crossing genre
boundaries, comfortably and elegantly touching upon mainstream Jazz, ethnic
music, Pop and Soul with the same artistically predetermined frivolity. I even
have to agree with all the compliments listed in the album's liner notes
authored by Krzysztof Herdzin, which happens extremely rarely.
Nika
Lubowicz uses her vocal abilities wisely and intelligently, switching between
lyrics and vocalese with grace. Her vocalese parts are in fact way more
impressive than her actual singing lyrics, which as always in such cases suffer
from the English pronunciation, being far from ideal. The closing track sung in
Polish is a sore proof of this. Luckily her singing lyrics are altogether just
a minor part of the entire endeavor. I have not timed the album but about half
of the album's duration is instrumental, which is highly unusual for albums
involving vocals, and which is a very courageous and in this case extremely
tasteful decision.
This is
the second album in the "pink" (Jazz vocals) series by For Tune Records,
and it is again a big time winner. Albums of such quality and obvious aesthetic
approach are extremely rare and the fact that at least once a year they do
materialize makes life worth living, at least for people who love music. This
is definitely a most impressive debut and so far the best vocal Jazz album
released this year on the Polish Jazz scene. Well done girl!
This extraordinary album is a superb example of intelligent contemporary music, which is completely unlimited by the imaginary bounds set up by genres and other labeling concepts. Polish vocalist Grażyna Auguścik embarked on this ambitious project with the help of some of the most important musicians on the Polish scene, who cover a wide scope of stylistic spheres including Classical Music, Folklore and Jazz, all of which have been already visited by her during her prolific career.
The music combines Polish Folk
songs and the work of the esteemed Polish modern Classical composer Witold
Lutosławski, which were based on or inspired by Polish Folklore. Lutosławski,
like all the composers living and working behind the Iron Curtain, was forced
(directly or indirectly) by the regimes ruling Eastern
Europe at the time, to include folkloristic motives in his
compositions, often completely artificially and against all aesthetic or
compositional reasoning. The refusal to do so would effectively mean an
artistic ban by the authorities and in extreme cases political persecution. The
compositions included here were created by Lutoslawski in the 1950s, the most
oppressive period in the Socialist era, and for many years thereafter were
considered as his less important and definitely less appreciated works.
However, in retrospect the composer's genius obviously overcame the obstacles
and this music turns out to be a completely relevant component of his grand legacy.
Auguścik combined forces with
the brilliant keyboardist/composer/arranger Jan Smoczyński, who was
entrusted with the enormous task of arranging all the music, both the Classical
and Folklore pieces, and than participate in the recording, as well as being
the sound engineer, since the recording took place in his now legendary Studio
Tokarnia, with spectacular sonic results, as usual in his case. In many
respects this album is as much a credit to Auguścik as it is to Jan Smoczyński.
The research of the Polish Folklore as well as the leadership of the ensemble
performing the folk songs was left in the hands of violinist Janusz
Prusinowski.
Overall twelve musicians take
part in the entire project in addition to Auguścik, who sings the lead vocals:
the Jan Smoczyński Trio (with bassist Wojciech Pulcyn, drummer Tomasz Waldowski
and vocalist Sylwia Smoczyńska), the Janusz Prusinowski Trio (with clarinetist
Michał Żak, percussionist Piotr Piszczatowski and bassist Piotr Zgorzelski) and
Poland's most celebrated string quartet, the Atom String Quartet (violinists
Dawid Lubowicz and Mateusz Smoczyński, violist Michał Zaborski and cellist
Krzysztof Lenczowski).
The album comprises of twelve
pieces (and a radio edit bonus), ranging from "pure" folklore songs,
which were the original songs upon which Lutoslawski based his compositions, to
more arranged pieces of folk songs and Lutosławski's pieces performed by the
ensemble and finally to a quite Jazzy songs based on folkloristic motifs. In
spite of the variety and wealth of the musical material the album creates a
coherent and aesthetically pleasing outcome, which is a music connoisseur's wet
dream. The beautiful arrangements, passionate performance and depth of respect
for the Polish musical tradition and legacy are all combined herein with truly
spectacular results.
Auguścik takes a step back from
the limelight on this album, preferring to play the role of an integrator
rather than the leading person. She sings beautifully, as always, but with less
spectacular attitude, almost leaving out completely her Jazzy improvisations
and vocalese acrobatics, which are her trademarks. This is a very courageous
artistic decision, for which she deserves a lot of respect.
There is no doubt that this is
definitely one of the most important and beautiful albums released in Poland in
2014, a
"complete" multi-layered, multi-faced effort involving the talents of
many wonderful musicians and setting a golden standard for future projects,
which will be very difficult to match end even more so to rise above. Polish
music scene and Polish Culture is glorified by this project, which should make
all Poles proud. Being realistic, however, it will probably reach only e very
limited scope of listeners, which of course is tragic. My deepest thanks to
everybody involved in this project for the pleasure it causes to this humble
listener.
This is the second album by the Polish Jazz string quartet called Atom String Quartet, comprising of violinists Mateusz Smoczynski and Dawid Lubowicz, violist Michal Zaborski and cellist Krzysztof Lenczowski, which introduced a novel and revolutionary concept on the local scene combining the Classical Chamber music tradition and Jazz. Following the debut album recorded live, this is their first studio effort and it includes ten pieces, with just one originating outside the quartet (Chick Corea's "Spain"); the rest are all originals: four by Lenczowski, two by Zaborski, one each by Lubowicz and Smoczynski and the remaining one co-composed by Smoczynski and Lenczowski. The album was recorded at the Polish Radio studios in Warsaw and mastered by Jan Smoczynski at his Studio Tokarnia, as usual with spectacular sonic results.
Following the spectacular debut, which took the local scene by surprise, the approach on this album is quite different. This album is much more concentrated on the compositions rather that the virtuosic performances and the element of novelty which dominated its predecessor. The album presents a "concept" of the relationship between music and the place it originates from, trying to show the different and the similar at the same time. Therefore many folkloristic themes from all over Europe appear here as part of the milieu, including of course the beautiful Polish melancholy, which is omnipresent in music originating from Poland. This World Music tendency takes this album a bit further away from Jazz, at least conceptually.
As expected, the individual performances are nothing short of sublime, and the entire album is a deeply moving listening experience. However, listeners familiar with their debut might miss the "spark" and "spontaneity", which was so evident there and which were replaced here by careful planning, maturity and eloquent elegance. It is therefore almost impossible to compare these two albums, as they in fact present the different facets of the same group. Listeners longing for the lively approach of the debut will have to see the group live or perhaps wait for the next live recording.
For me the most important and meaningful aspect of this album is the progress in the quality and strength of the compositions, which start to become identifiable with the ensemble, which of course is an important step forward. Once the quartet develops its true individual musical identity (overcoming the fact that the music comes form four individual members), they will reach the apex of their development.
For now we are presented with another excellent album by one of the most intriguing music ensembles in contemporary music, which is definitely not only a great listening experience but also a victory of quality and intelligent music over our mundane "cultural" encounters in real life. Well done Gentlemen!
This is the debut album by the Polish Jazz string quartet called Atom String Quartet, comprising of violinists Mateusz Smoczynski and Dawid Lubowicz, violist Michal Zaborski and cellist Krzysztof Lenczowski, which introduced a novel and revolutionary concept on the local scene combining the Classical Chamber music tradition and Jazz. The violin has been used in Jazz over the years, although not nearly often enough as this noble instrument truly deserves, but a concept of a string quartet which plays improvised music is actually pretty rare and has but a few parallels worldwide. The album was recorded live at Polish Radio Katowice and presents ten compositions, one of which is a standard, two are arrangements of compositions by the Godfather of Polish Jazz Krzysztof Komeda and the rest are original compositions: two each by Lenczowski and Zaborski, one each by Lubowicz and Smoczynski and the remaining one co-composed by Lenczowski and Smoczynski.
The initial impact of this music is quite overwhelming, especially to listeners who are familiar with Classical music or Chamber music in particular, in parallel to their Jazz exposure. The string quartet is the "holy grail" of Classical music and such unconventional usage of the quartet as heard herein is truly surprising at first. But as the music takes the listener further and further into this unique world of sound, a transformation occurs from surprise and awe into joy and delight. Hearing a string quartet swing is an unearthly experience, recommended to every Classical music lover.
Of course all four individual members of the quartet display virtuosic abilities and their combined performance is nothing short of amazing. Since they don't play Classical Chamber music it is impossible and improper to compare them to those quartets which do so. Atom String Quartet is a class in itself and until another quartet arrives doing what they do, which is highly improbable, they are safe from comparisons.
Since the music is mostly original, the quartet also has a lot to offer on the compositional platform, which is yet another aspect of their strength. They manage to bring forward a diverse scope of musical influences in their original compositions, not only from Classical music but also from Jazz and even Rock (Lenczowski is also a gifted Jazz-Rock / Fusion guitarist), which make their program interesting and full of unexpected surprises.
There is no doubt that this is an exceptional album, which breaks new ground and opens new possibilities and yet comes from deep respect of existing musical tradition. Events like this are very rare and therefore they should be celebrated accordingly by all music connoisseurs. One can only hope that this music will reach listeners beyond the local Polish scene, as it so much deserves.
It takes a true musical "nut" (of the nicest sort), like The Polish pianist / composer / arranger / conductor Krzysztof Herdzin to come up with a project like this, which is designed to establish a new musical "genre" (or sub-genre) of chamber string music he defines as "string big band", a marriage between the European tradition of the string orchestra and the American Jazz Big Band. In order to prove his point, Herdzin took ten "classic" Jazz standards, some of which are closely associated with Big Band performances, others that aren't, and arranged them for a musical collective, which brings together the sensational Atom String Quartet (violinists Mateusz Smoczynski and Dawid Lubowicz, violist Michal Zaborski and cellist Krzysztof Lenczowski) with Sinfonia Viva orchestra to create a large string ensemble equivalent to the size of a Big Band. Bassist Robert Kubiszyn and vocalist Agnieszka Wilczynska (she sings on a couple of tracks only) also take part and the entire ensemble, conducted by Herdzin, which is appropriately named String Big Band.
I must admit that before I listened to the music, just by looking at the CD and reading the texts, I was absolutely sure I'm going to hate this thing with vengeance. Boy was I wrong! It turned out to be one of the most uplifting pieces of musical delight I have heard in a long time. Herdzin somehow managed the impossible: he turned a potentially kitschy and schmaltzy musical idiom into absolute magic. I felt transformed back in time, about ninety years or so back in time, watching a Broadway stage performance at the peak of the Great Gatsby's "Jazz Age", with tall women in tight lush dresses, glasses of champagne and all that Jazz! Pure Magic!
Of course a big part of the success goes also to the wonderful performers; Atom String Quartet emerges as one of the most intriguing discoveries on the Polish scene in the last decade and the Sinfonia Viva orchestra, which Herdzin utilizes repeatedly as part of his projects, is definitely a group of most talented and worthy of admiration musicians. But Maestro Herdzin is definitely the main honcho, the inspirer and the chief (or perhaps chef) of this whole crazy happening. It takes a lot of courage and self confidence to undertake such a perilous venture and to emerge triumphant and victorious is simply phenomenal.
This music can be enjoyed by almost anybody who has a working pair of ears on him, and it so multilayered and elegant that the more experienced and sophisticated the listener, the more pleasurable the experience becomes. Kudos Krzysztof, you really hit the jackpot this time!
The live recording at the Polish Radio studio #3 in Warsaw has an unusually excellent, clear and vibrant sound quality, which enhances the whole album tremendously. The stars were definitely smiling at that project!
