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Pokazywanie postów oznaczonych etykietą Nahorny Włodzimierz. Pokaż wszystkie posty
Pokazywanie postów oznaczonych etykietą Nahorny Włodzimierz. Pokaż wszystkie posty

środa, 1 maja 2024

Zespół Perkusyjny J. Bartza - "Ostryga Pustyni"

Zespół Perkusyjny Jerzego Bartza 

Włodzimierz Nahorny - sax, fl
Janusz Sidorenko - g
Jacek Bednarek - g
Jerzy Bartz - dr, perc
Sergiusz Perkowski - dr, perc
Józef Gawrych - dr, perc, marimba
Jerzy Woźniak - dr, perc, marimba

Tytuł albumu: Ostryga pustyni

Wydawca: GAD Records (2023)

Autor tekstu: Maciej Nowotny

Michał Wilczyński, szefujący wytwórni GAD Records, niezmordowanie przeczesuje archiwa i znajduje nagrania, które w wielu przypadkach każą przemyśleć historię polskiego jazzu na nowo. W przypadku tego pochodzacego z roku 1969 nagrania jednak... tak nie jest. Z jednej bowiem strony mamy tutaj - co jest intrygujące - kawałek rzadko granego jazzu ala exotica zagrany przez nieczęsto spotykany skład, w którym spotkało się aż czterech perkusistów czyli obok lidera Sergiusz Perkowski, Józef Gawrych i Jerzy Woźniak. Z drugiej strony nasz ewentualny zachwyt tą estetyką trwać będzie tylko do momentu, gdy przypomnimy sobie nagrania Lesa Baxtera i skonstatujemy, że polskie wersje są niemal wierną kopią oryginałów pióra tego klasyka muzyki "easy listening".

Czy zatem płyta ta jest zupełnym rozczarowaniem? Ale oczywiście nie! Po pierwsze udowadania ona jak uważnie polscy muzycy słuchali tego co się na świecie dzieje i jak eksperymentowali próbując jakoś wpleść różne wymyślone głównie za ocenanem estetyki w polską wrażliwość muzyczną. Dzięki takim próbom, tu podjętym przez Bartza i jego zespół, mozolnie i powoli przeszczepiane były na grunt polski nowe idee, szczególnie w obszarze rytmiki, oczywiście insprowane tradycją afrykańską i mające po kilku dekadach zupełnie odmienić język współczesnej polskiej muzyki improwizowanej (chociaż autor jest zdania, że ten proces ciagla trwa i mógłby postępować szybciej).

Po drugie, muzycy naprawdę świetnie się bawili grając te muzykę, której i dzisiaj słucha się przyjemnie, a horyzont kołysze się nam jakbyśmy płynęli transatlantykiem (gdzie zresztą ta muzyka też była grana) i wciagnęli już parę daiquiri. A wisienką na tym niekiedy aż za słodkim ciastku jest obecność na płycie Włodzimierza Nahornego, grającego o dziwo na flecie i saksofonie, zreszta świetnie. Nahornego, który ponadto dołożył tutaj jedną kompozycję o znamiennym tytule "Namiastka", która jest tak dobra i tak się wyróżnia spośród pozostałych na płycie, że przez chwilę można nawet ulec złudzeniu że ta muzyka to coś więcej niż dobre na wakacyjną kolację pitu pitu. Złudzenia ulegają rozwianiu szybko, ale pobłażliwy uśmiech nie znika nam z twarzy, bo muzycy włożyli w tę muzykę naprawdę sporo serca, to słychać, to cieszy i niech nam to wystarczy.

piątek, 19 stycznia 2024

Włodzimierz Nahorny - „Freedom Book/Echoes of Heyday (Plaża Rozstań)”

Włodzimierz Nahorny

Włodzimierz Nahorny – fortepian
Mariusz Bogdanowicz – kontrabas
Piotr Biskupski – perkusja
Piotr Schmidt – trąbka

„Freedom Book/Echoes of Heyday (Plaża Rozstań)” (2022)

Wydawca: SJRecords 

Tekst: Paweł Ziemba

Włodzimierz Nahorny to muzyk pamietający czasy sekstetu Trzaskowskiego. Doskonale porusza się w obszarach muzyki freejazzowej, melodyjnych piosenek jak i nostalgicznych radiowych przebojów („Jej Portret „). Charyzmatyczny, pełen wigoru artysta, zaskakuje nas po raz kolejny płytą, która w mojej ocenie, jest pewnym przełomem w jego dotychczasowej twórczości.

Po serii koncertów z 2021 roku (zagranych wspólnie z: Schmidt, Nahorny, Bogdanowicz i Biskupski) Nahorny decyduje się na zaproszenie Schmidta do studia i zarejestrowanie w składzie poszerzonym do kwartetu sesji, której efektem jest płyta „Freedom Book/Echoes of Heyday”.

Album został wydany na kompakcie oraz w wersji winylowej - uboższej o trzy kompozycje i zmienionej kolejności utworów. Oba wydawnictwa zostały opublikowane przez SJ Records. Tym samym działające ponad 30 lat trio Nahornego z kontrabasistą Mariuszem Bogdanowiczem i perkusistą Piotrem Biskupskim urosło do formatu kwartetu. Mam nadzieję, że nie będzie to jedyna płyta nagrana w tym składzie.

Nie jest to takie oczywiste, aby starzy MISTRZOWIE nadal pozostawali aktywnymi muzykami, komponowali, jeździli w trasy koncertowe, zapraszali do współpracy muzyków o kilka dekad młodszych od siebie. Co prawda Włodzimierz Nahorny nie jest jedynym MISTRZEM, wyłamującym się wielu regułom. Mamy szczęście nadal móc słuchać i oglądać występy kwartetu Jana Ptaszyna Wróblewskiego, który w ubiegłym roku ukończył 87 lat.

Nie jest moja intencją porównywanie obu Panów ani pisania laurki dla Pana Włodzimierza. Natomiast myślę, że fakt posiadania tak ogromnego bagażu doświadczeń życiowych i artystycznych oraz wiek artysty uprawniają mnie do spojrzenia na tę płytę z innej perspektywy.

Kwartet Nahornego stworzył jedną z najbardziej melodyjnych płyt jakie ukazały się na naszym rynku. To przykład nagrań, które należy cenić za melodyjne szczegóły i strukturę; Za śmiałe otwarcie na nowe brzmienia i interpretacje; Połączenie młodości, żywiołowości i wyobraźni muzycznej Schmidta z lirycznym, refleksyjnym, grającym gdzieś nadal głęboko w duszy freejazzowym feelingiem Nahornego - muzyka pełnego energii i nowatorskich koncepcji.

„Freedom Book /Echoes of Heyday” to podróż przez świat melodii, struktur, fraz do której zaprasza nas Nahorny wraz z kolegami z zespołu. Jak w słowach znanego standardu jazzowego Stardust: „Miłość jest teraz gwiezdnym pyłem, muzyką lat, które minęły…” Nahorny rozsypuje na słuchaczy swój „pył” emocji, umiejscowionych na obu końcach, gdzieś między radością a smutkiem, które nigdy nie puszczają, nawet w ciszy.

To co czyni tę płytę inną od poprzednich nagrań tria to gra Piotra Schmidta, który (może z racji różnicy pokoleniowej, doświadczeń, potrzeby ducha) wyraźnie odmiennie interpretuje kompozycje Nahornego. Fakt ten tworzy interesujący kontrast między muzykami, a chropowate, czasami ostre brzmienie trąbki, ku mojemu zadowoleniu, dodaje albumowi drapieżności i pikanterii.

„Freedom Book / Echoes of Heyday” jest stylistycznie spójna. Muzyka zawarta na krążku oferuje dużo powietrza i pomimo czasem ostrej gry Schmidta na trąbce, jest kojąco spokojna, pełna refleksji i nostalgii. Nahorny nie rozczarowuje ani na moment. Jego kompozycje to istna poezja i słowiański romantyzm, pełne spontanicznych, zaskakujących zwrotu akcji.

Muzyka urzeka nastrojem, melodyjnymi, leniwie przeplatającymi się improwizacjami trąbki i fortepianu. Nahorny to pianista o niespotykanej wrażliwości. Przemawia do nas osobistym, sobie tylko właściwym głosem. Ciekawe frazowania, rozbudowane harmonie nie pozbawione jednak melodyjności robią wrażenie i utrzymują słuchacza w ogromnej bliskości muzycznego przekazu. Muzyka jest komunikatywna, co nie znaczy łatwa. Natomiast sposób w jaki jest nam słuchaczom podana sprawia, że trudno się od niej oderwać.

Album otwiera „Childhood Memories”. Kompozycje tę znamy z poprzedniej płyty Nahornego „Ballad Book”. Piękna kompozycja zagrana bardzo spokojnie. Przebija z niej nostalgia i pewien żal za minionymi czasami. Delikatnie grane dźwięki fortepianu uzupełnione kontemplacyjną grą trąbki Schmidta wprowadzają nas w klimat całego albumu.

Bardzo ciekawą kompozycją jest „No Bossa”, która ma w sobie coś magicznego. Utwór utrzymany w latynoamerykańskim klimacie, mnie osobiście kojarzy się z melancholijną muzyką Hawany. Myślę, że każdy z Państwa w tych brzmieniach odnajdzie swoje obrazy pasujące do nastroju i klimatu tego nagrania.

Zwracam uwagę na sposób frazowania Nahornego - piękny, spokojny, liryczny.

„Riders of Destiny” – to energiczna kompozycja, a to za sprawą samego Nahornego, który gra rytmicznie, tworząc przestrzeń do pełnego wybrzmienia trąbki Schmidta.

Można oczywiście zarzucić Nahornemu, że tym albumem nie wnosi zbyt wiele jako kompozytor, bo przecież osiem z jedenastu utworów to kompozycje znane niejednokrotnie z wcześniejszych jego nagrań. Jednak dodanie trąbki Piotra Schmidta wniosło wiele nowego do brzmienia i interpretacji tych utworów.

Dodatkowo, na krążku pojawiają się trzy kompozycje o otwartej formule grania i tym samym tytule „No Dance Game” (numery od 1 do 3). Są one dowodem nadal żywej, niczym nie ograniczonej freejazzowej natury Nahornego. Utwory przypominają ecm-owski styl lat 70-tych i demonstrują umiejętności i otwartość wszystkich członków kwartetu na prowadzenie zbiorowej improwizacji.

Pozycją całkowicie premierową na płycie jest kompozycja „Prime Time”, w której Piotr Schmidt w swojej nastrojowej grze na trąbce prowadzi dialog z fortepianem Nahornego. Znakomita gra sekcji rytmicznej spina całość, tworząc tło dla poszczególnych solistów. W utworze tym możemy posłuchać pięknego sola w wykonaniu Mariusza Bogdanowicza na kontrabasie.

Wielkość tej płyty to wielkość Nahornego – kompozytora, pianisty, saksofonisty, muzyka kompletnego; Dojrzałego i świadomego swoich możliwości; Przez wielu krytyków nazywanego Chopinem jazzu. „Freedom Book/Echoes of Heyday” pomimo faktu, że zawiera wcześniej znane kompozycje, jest albumem ciekawym, śmiałym, pełnym ciekawych, zadziornych momentów a jednocześnie charakterystycznej dla pianisty delikatności. To również doskonały przykład projektu łączącego muzyczne pokolenia. Piotr Schmidt z wyczuciem i szacunkiem podszedł do kompozycji Nahornego, wnosząc świeżość, kreatywność oraz nieoczywistość muzyki. Brakuje na naszym rynku takich projektów, a efekty mogą być znakomite. Wielkie brawa i gratulacje dla muzyków!

piątek, 1 lutego 2019

Nahorny Trio – Ballad Book (2018)

Nahorny Trio

Włodzimierz Nahorny - piano
Mariusz Bogdanowicz - bass
Piotr Biskupski - drums

Ballad Book

CONFITEOR 011




By Adam Baruch

This is a wonderful piano trio album by veteran Polish Jazz pianist/composer Włodzimierz Nahorny with bassist Mariusz Bogdanowicz and drummer Piotr Biskupski. The album presents eleven original compositions, all by Nahorny.

Nahorny is one of the original great Masters of Polish Jazz and one of the last few Mohicans, who are still fully active and continue to perform and compose new music. He is not only a great Artist, but also a wonderful human being, warm and friendly, as I have had the pleasure to experience personally since many years. Nahorny and his two companions have been playing uninterruptedly together for almost three decades and are probably one of the oldest Polish Jazz ensembles which exist without any personal changes since its inception. As a result the trio functions as a three-headed body in perfect unity, harmony and coordination, rarely achieved elsewhere.

The music composed by Nahorny is in many respects the epitome of Polish Jazz, as it embodies the typical Polish lyricism and melancholy, which characterizes the distinctive sound and feel of the Slavic elements of Polish Jazz. He has been called the Frederic Chopin of Polish Jazz, which is perhaps a bit inappropriate in the strict musical terms, but conveys the spirit of things. The music on this album was influenced by a somewhat nostalgic trip to his hometown of Kwidzyn and reminiscences of his childhood memories, which are both inspiring and emotional. The music is certainly very personal and introvert, but Nahorny's exquisite melodies and superb touch of the keyboards turns everything into immediate feeling of warmth and kindness.

Overall this is a beautiful piece of Artistry in every respect, wonderfully, composed, perfectly executed, excellently recorded and elegantly packaged in a digibook format with many photographs and a very personal short essay by Nahorny. This is obviously an absolute must have for the many Nahorny's fans and admirers, but all Polish Jazz connoisseurs the world over should definitely grab a copy ASAP, as Jazz rarely come in better doses than this. Thank you my Friend and may God bless us all with many more years of your health and creativity.

niedziela, 16 września 2018

Dorota Miśkiewicz – Piano.pl (2016)

Dorota Miśkiewicz

Dorota Miśkiewicz - vocals
12 pianists
Atom String Quartet

Piano.pl

UNIVERSAL MUSIC POLSKA 602557206852



By Adam Baruch

This is a live recording of a gigantically ambitious project conceived by Polish Jazz vocalist Dorota Miśkiewicz, which pays tribute to the Polish Jazz piano school, which spans several generations and is a sublime example of Polish/European Jazz tradition. The album presents twelve songs, one original by Miskiewicz and eleven "Polish standards" composed and written by the best Polish composers and lyricists, each performed by Miśkiewicz accompanied by a different pianist and on eight of them also accompanied by the renowned Atom String Quartet.

The list of the pianists reads like the who's who of Polish Jazz: Michał Tokaj, Andrzej Jagodziński, Lutosławski Piano Duo, Bogdan Hołownia, Leszek Możdżer, Piotr Orzechowski, Tomasz Kałwak, Marcin Wasilewski, Krzysztof Herdzin, Dominik Wania, Grzegorz Turnau (who also briefly sings) and Włodzimierz Nahorny. Saxophonist Henryk Miśkiewicz (Dorota's Father) guests on one song. The DVD (filmed during the concert), included in the package, adds the concert's intro, outro and a couple of songs not included on the CD.

I am happy to say that I managed to have a more modest (with just three pianists) version of this project perform at the 2018 Singer Jazz Festival, which was extremely successful. As expected, all the performances are absolutely wonderful, a typical example of European haute Culture, where music, words and stage performance are combined to deliver an overall experience, which is more than just a sum of its ingredients. The album moves between Jazz & Poetry and highly lyrical popular music, all expertly arranged and brilliantly executed, especially in view of the fact that it was captured live.

This album delivers exactly what it promises: an extraordinary panorama of Polish Jazz piano, full of elegance, virtuosity and flair. Miśkiewicz moves with ease from one song to another, with a chameleonic change of moods and emotions, as appropriate for a great performer.

For lovers of Polish Jazz in general and Polish Jazz piano in particular, this album is a superb introduction to the subject. Even for listeners beyond the Polish language sphere, this music easily penetrates and language barriers and should be completely accessible to every music lover.

środa, 15 listopada 2017

Czwartek Jazzowy z Gwiazdą - Włodzimierz Nahorny & Tomasz Mucha - Gliwice, 16.11.2017


Włodzimierz Nahorny - fortepian
Tomasz Mucha - skrzypce

16.11.2017, Klub Muzyczny 4art, Gliwice
Bilety: 20 zł przedsprzedaż / 25 zł w dniu koncertu


Propozycja koncertowa, łącząca jazzmanów dwóch różnych pokoleń. Ciekawy dialog pomiędzy muzykiem mającym swoje miejsce w historii polskiego jazzu i wysoką pozycję w środowisku muzycznym, a młodszym artystą mającym już pewne osiągnięcia w dziedzinie muzyki improwizowanej.

Włodzimierz Nahorny – pianista, kompozytor, przez krytyków nazywany Chopinem Jazzu. Studiował grę na klarnecie w Państwowej Wyższej Szkole Muzycznej w Sopocie. Już w czasie studiów w 1959 założył własny zespół – kwartet „Little Four”. W tym samym roku zaczął występować również z formacją „North Coast Combo”, z którą współpracował przez 2 lata, oraz jako klarnecista z zespołem jazzu tradycyjnego „Tralabomba Jazz Band”. Grał także w Orkiestrze Filharmonii Bałtyckiej. W 1962 zadebiutował na festiwalu Jazz Jamboree w Warszawie jako solista-saksofonista w big-bandzie Jana Tomaszewskiego. Od tego czasu występował tam wielokrotnie prawie przez 15 lat, głównie z sekstetem Andrzeja Trzaskowskiego (1962-77). Jako pianista współpracował również z zespołami Ryszarda Kruzy i Alojzego Musiała (1963-64).

W 1965 założył własne trio, z którym po raz pierwszy wystąpił na festiwalu Jazz nad Odrą we Wrocławiu, podczas którego zespół otrzymał I nagrodę, a Włodzimierz Nahorny - I nagrodę indywidualną i wyróżnienie za kompozycję "Zbyszek". W 1966, podczas Światowego Konkursu Jazzu Nowoczesnego w Wiedniu, został uhonorowany II nagrodą, a w 1967 na 6. Festiwalu Jazzu Amatorskiego w Wiedniu odebrał z rąk Duke'a Ellingtona I nagrodę indywidualną oraz II nagrodę dla swojego tria. Ponadto dwukrotnie otrzymał nagrodę podczas Krajowego Festiwalu Piosenki Polskiej w Opolu: w 1972 Nagrodę Ministra Kultury i Sztuki za piosenkę "Jej portret" (do słów Jonasza Kofty), w 1973 – I nagrodę na koncercie Premiery za "Tango z różą w zębach" (do słów Kofty). Jest kompozytorem muzyki filmowej (m.in. „Znaki na drodze”, kultowa „Rewizja osobista” z Zdzisławem Maklakiewiczem, „Zapach psiej sierści”) i teatralnej . Spod jego pióra wyszły znane tematy jazzowe i popularne piosenki.

Tomasz Mucha jest absolwentem Wydziału Jazzu Akademii Muzycznej w Katowicach w klasie skrzypiec. Występował ze znanymi muzykami polskiej (i nie tylko rodzimej) sceny jazzowej - Maciejem Sikałą, Zbigniewem Namysłowskim, Włodzimierzem Nahornym, Mariuszem Bogdanowiczem, Jarosławem Śmietaną, Pawłem Kaczmarczykiem, Arkiem Skolikiem, Johnem Zornem, Lasse Lindgrenem, Martinem Höperem, Locko Richterem, Siergiejem Dawidowem oraz tzw. “sceny yassowej” - Tomaszem Gwincińskim czy Tymonem Tymańskim. Prowadzi swoje autorskie składy. Gra również w zespołach: GaDMu Trio, Lipiny Syndicate, BoMuLeKo, udziela się także na śląskiej scenie hiphopowej (płyty Skorupa „Piękna Pogoda”, "Ludzie chmur" ). Wydał autorską płytę “Mulasta Trio – Live in Green Eye” (z udziałem fińskiego basisty Lasse Lindgrena).

środa, 15 marca 2017

Tadeusz Prejzner – Spacer Brzegiem Morza (2016)

Tadeusz Prejzner

Ewa Wanat - vocals
Tadeusz Prejzner - conductor
Włodzimierz Nahorny - piano, saxophone
Tomasz Stańko - trumpet
Janusz Muniak - saxophone
Janusz Sidorenko - guitar
Bronisław Suchanek - bass
Janusz Stefański - drums


Spacer Brzegiem Morza

GAD 046

By Adam Baruch

This is a reissue, first time on CD, of a cult Polish Jazz album, which presents music performed by an ensemble conducted by composer Tadeusz Prejzner, which included some of the top Polish Jazz musicians of the day, like vocalist Ewa Wanat, trumpeter Tomasz Stańko, pianist/saxophonist Włodzimierz Nahorny, saxophonist Janusz Muniak, guitarist Janusz Sidorenko, bassist Bronisław Suchanek, drummer Janusz Stefański and a nine piece string section. The ensemble performs thirteen original compositions, five of which were composed by Prejzner, two each by Stańko, Nahorny and Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski and two more by other Polish composers.

The music is an attempt to create a "lighter", more relaxed music, with strong ties to Jazz but which a wide range of listeners might enjoy – in short an early form of Smooth Jazz. However, as usual with Polish attempts of such projects, the result is quite spectacular and hardly deserves the dubious reputation of Smooth Jazz.

Considering the status of the musicians involved as well as the fact that Polish Jazz musicians did not develop the chaltura (look it up) attitude yet, the resulting music is simply wonderful in every respect. Not only are the compositions beautifully melodic and anything but trivial, but also the execution is stunning and includes many first rate solos which would make any Jazz album proud. Overall this is a wonderful obscure gem, which deserves to be remembered, which is why GAD Records decided to bring it back to life, which is as usual highly appreciated.

wtorek, 13 grudnia 2016

Various Artists – Polish Radio Jazz Archives Vol. 27 (2016)

Various Artists

Various Artists

Polish Radio Jazz Archives Vol. 27

POLSKIE RADIO 2059





By Adam Baruch

This is the twenty-seventh installment in the series of releases initiated by the Polish Radio, which presents archive Jazz recordings from the radio vaults. 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. The tracks presented here were recorded live in December 1965 during the eighth Jazz Jamboree Festival in Warsaw and are the second volume of a collection of tracks from that event.

The first two tracks present a trio led by one of the Godfathers of modern European Jazz, the German pianist/composer Joachim Kuhn with bassist Klaus Koch and drummer Reinhard Schwartz. They perform two original compositions by Kuhn and the performance is one of the earliest examples of European Free Jazz. Kuhn's performance here is absolutely stunning as everything he played at the time, before he moved from East German to West Germany. The fact that his Free Jazz playing was tolerated by the GDR regime is a fascinating story by itself. More details about his activity around the time this music was recorded can be found in the review of the Zbigniew Namysłowski's album "Live At Kosmos, Berlin", which was recorded just a month earlier.

The next four tracks present a quintet led by another Godfather of modern European Jazz, the German trombonist/composer Albert Mangelsdorff with saxophonists Gunter Kronberg and Heinz Sauer, bassist Gunter Lentz and drummer Ralf Hubner. They perform three original compositions by Mangelsdorff and one composition by the British trumpeter/composer Ian Carr, a great pioneer of modern British Jazz. Although the music performed by the Albert Mangelsdorff quintet is not as Free Jazz oriented as that by Joachim Kuhn, it is a superb of early modern European Jazz, which was already emancipated from the American Jazz influence and clearly showed the new direction being created in Europe. Both these performances show the importance of German musicians as co-creators of early European Jazz.

The last track present a sextet led by yet another Godfather of modern European Jazz, the Polish Jazz pianist/composer Andrzej Trzaskowski with American trumpeter Ted Curson (who was living in Europe at the time), saxophonists Janusz Muniak and Włodzimierz Nahorny, bassist Jacek Ostaszewski and drummer Adam Jędrzejowski. They perform one extended original composition by Trzaskowski. The music is again a stunning example of early modern European Jazz and a great precursor of the explosion of the Polish Jazz scene, which was happening at the time.

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.

czwartek, 10 września 2015

Krzysztof Sadowski – Na Kosmodromie (2015)

Krzysztof Sadowski

Krzysztof Sadowski - Hammond organ
Liliana Urbańska - flute, vocals
Eddie Engels - trumpet
Włodzimierz Nahorny - alto saxophone, piano
Paweł Dąbrowski - bass guitar
Józef Gawrych - congas
Tomasz Butowtt - drums


Na Kosmodromie

GAD 030

By Adam Baruch

This is a reissue (first time on CD) of the second album by Polish Jazz keyboardist/composer Krzysztof Sadowski recorded with an ensemble called Organ Group, which also included flautist/vocalist Liliana Urbańska, Dutch trumpeter Eddie Engels, saxophonist Włodzimierz Nahorny, bass guitarist Paweł Dąbrowski, drummer Tomasz Butowtt and congas player Józef Gawrych.

This album was not released at the time as part of the legendary "Polish Jazz" series, for reasons that are way beyond the scope of this text. The original album included only six tracks, the first of which gave the album its title and was a twenty minutes long six parts suite originally found on side A of the LP. The five tracks on side B were all much shorter. All the compositions were originals, four composed by Sadowski and one each by Nahorny and Engels. This remastered reissue adds three bonus tracks recorded at the Polish Radio.

By the time this album was released the Polish Jazz scene was in a state of upheaval, torn between two extremes: Free Jazz on one side and Jazz-Rock Fusion on the other. Strangely this album presents a bit of both, since although conceptually belonging to the Jazz-Rock Fusion genre it features a few Free Form solos. Obviously Sadowski was shifting his organ playing stylistics from the traditional influences (Jimmy Smith) towards (then) contemporary keyboard approach represented by Herbie Hancock or Weather Report's Joe Zawinul. The use of vocalese, which was one of the trademarks of Polish Jazz at the time, utilized extensively by Urszula Dudziak in Michał Urbaniak's ensemble, is only one of the parallels between these two pioneering Fusion bands active at the time.

The space exploration, which seems a bit strange as a subject matter of a Jazz album, was at the time one of the main pillars of the Socialist propaganda, which excitedly participated in the space race between USSR and USA, with an obvious winning side. Picking such a subject increased of course significantly the possibility to have one's music released by the State controlled solitary record company in existence at the time in Poland (Polskie Nagrania).

In retrospect the albums is a great document of the time at which it was recorded, proving that in spite of the relative separation from what was happing beyond the Iron Curtain, Polish Jazz was responding rapidly to the changes in the Jazz idiom, often with ferocity and ingenuity, which were impossible to hold back by the political regime. As usual it is my duty to thank GAD Records for taking care of the Polish Jazz heritage, who is sadly a lonely rider on that trail. This superb music definitely needs to be fondly remembered and discovered by new generations!

wtorek, 12 maja 2015

Nahorny Trio – Dolce Far Niente …I Nic Wiecej (2002)

Nahorny Trio

Włodzimierz Nahorny - piano
Mariusz Bogdanowicz - double bass
Piotr Biskupski - drums

Dolce Far Niente …I Nic Więcej

CONFITEOR 003


By Adam Baruch

This is a wonderful album by veteran Polish Jazz pianist/saxophonist/composer Włodzimierz Nahorny, recorded in a classic piano trio format with bassist Mariusz Bogdanowicz and drummer Piotr Biskupski. The album features twelve relatively short pieces, ten of which are original Nahorny's compositions, one is a folk song and the last is an arrangement of works by Polish Classical composers Frederic Chopin and Karol Kurpinski.

In addition to his Jazz activities Nahorny is also acknowledged for writing many popular songs, which became in time Polish evergreens. This album presents many of these songs in an instrumental version with Jazzy arrangements, performed affectionately and passionately by the composer and his cohorts. Nahorny's music is always full of typical Polish lyricism and melancholy, which come to light even in the seemingly happier, up tempo numbers. He loves the waltz and Polish folkloristic dances, all of those elements which are the cornerstones of what is considered Polish music, and he openly and lovingly embraces them in his compositions.

The way Nahorny plays the piano is completely unique; a mixture or Classical, Jazz and Blues strokes combined into one stylistic approach, which is specifically his and his only. Although distinctly melodic and seemingly simple, his piano often wanders away from the main melodic line into less charted territory, which more experienced listener will find fascinating and those less experienced won't mind or even notice.

The rhythm section sounds like an extension of the leader, following his every move elegantly and attentively. A few modest but excellent bass and drums solos are part of the proceedings, but the main role of the rhythm section remains, as appropriate, to accompany the leader, which it does with flair and zest.

This is timeless music, which remains classic regardless of what the contemporary trends may bring. Superb sonic quality ensures a complete listening pleasure and what remains is to relax and enjoy every moment of this delightful delivery.

niedziela, 3 maja 2015

Lora Szafran – Spiewnik Nahornego (2003)

Lora Szafran

Lora Szafran - vocals
Włodzimierz Nahorny - piano
Mariusz Bogdanowicz - bass
Piotr Biskupski - drums

Spiewnik Nahornego

CONFITEOR 004



By Adam Baruch

Polish Jazz vocalist Lora Szafran is active on the local scene since the mid 1980s, when she graduated from the Katowice Music Academy. She sings Jazz but is also active on the mainstream Polish popular music market. This is her sixth album as a leader and it is dedicated to songs composed by the legendary Polish Jazz pianist/saxophonist/composer Włodzimierz Nahorny, who is also known as the author of popular evergreens. The album includes twelve songs composed by Nahorny, with lyrics (in Polish) by some of top Polish lyricists. Szafran is accompanied by a trio which includes Nahorny on piano with bassist Mariusz Bogdanowicz and drummer Piotr Biskupski and a string sextet, with string arrangements by Andrzej Jagodziński and Krzysztof Herdzin.

The album is kept in the classic mainstream Jazz tradition, performed spotlessly and with flair by all participants. Nahorny's music is timeless and remains fresh and beautiful in complete disregard of passing fads and fashions. His compositions are as good as any American standards. The intelligent lyrics are a painful remainder that song's lyrics are supposed to tell a story in an intelligent way, as they do here in complete contrast to today's monstrosities called songs.

Szafran sings perfectly and superbly, with her charming mannerisms and vocal tricks, which she manages to use as effectively as always. She is able to pronounce every word clearly and accurately, with feeling and obvious sentiment to the context, an art that seems to be lost completely these days. Her warm and round voice and professional finesse are irresistible. The interplay between her and the trio is always impeccable, which turns the entire recording into a musical love affair. Nahorny and the rhythm section are of course a living example of knights in shining armor.

This is an "old fashioned" album, but in spite of that often misused classification it sounds fresh and alive in spite of its delicacy, fragility and sophistication. I must be old fashioned myself, as this stuff simply melts my heart.

piątek, 1 maja 2015

Nahorny Sextet - Chopin Genius Loci (2010)

Nahorny Sextet

Włodzimierz Nahorny - piano
Dorota Miśkiewicz - vocals
Henryk Gembalski - violin
Wojciech Staroniewicz - saxophone
Mariusz Bogdanowicz - bass
Piotr Biskupski - drums

Chopin Genius Loci


CONFITEOR 005

By Adam Baruch

The veteran Polish Jazz pianist/saxophonist/composer Włodzimierz Nahorny, one of the Godfathers of the post-WWII Polish Jazz scene, manages continuously to display a phenomenal vitality and unprecedented imagination, often much superior to those of his colleagues, often decades younger than himself. This album is a wonderful proof of exactly these qualities. Recorded in a sextet setting, with vocalist/violinist Dorota Miśkiewicz, violinist Henryk Gembalski, saxophonist Wojciech Staroniewicz, bassist Mariusz Bogdanowicz and drummer Piotr Biskupski, Nahorny presents a set of Jazz transcriptions of eight pieces by the Polish composer Frederic Chopin, three pieces by a lesser known 20th Century Polish composer Roman Maciejewski and one piece by Karol Szymanowski. In addition one original composition by Nahorny is also included.

Polish Jazz suffers terribly from overexploitation of Chopin's music, which varies in quality from brilliant (rarely) to completely banal (most of the time). Therefore another attempt to interpret Chopin in the Jazz context is always a perilous undertaking. Nahorny's bold and far fetching approach results in transcriptions, which although quote the original music, move very far away from the source during their execution, being in fact completely new and whole pieces of music, which Nahorny even names anew, giving the source as a reference only. Although such liberties might appear sometimes as to audacious, in Nahorny's case they are fully justified and simply brilliant.

The eleven transcriptions, spread over two CDs, are all fascinating musically and serve as wonderful vehicles for the musicians to display their respective talents. Miśkiewicz sings some great vocalese, at times even almost free form, using lyrics on just one piece. Gembalski plays some scorching violin passages and Staroniewicz, as always, charms with his beautiful saxophone tone. The rhythm section keeps the music together with flair and elegance, pushing it ahead with just the right amount of energy. And last but not least Nahorny's piano serves as glue between the Classical and the Swinging elements, bridging and bonding everything together.

Although seemingly positioned well within the mainstream Jazz boundaries (except for the Classical references of course), this music displays quite a lot of freedom and unexpected ventures into less programmatic areas, sometimes almost touching upon Free/Avant Garde idioms, which of course is nothing new as far as Nahorny's music is concerned. This album is a living proof that the Jazz-Classical Fusion can avoid pastiche, cliché and kitsch, and simply bite!

środa, 28 stycznia 2015

Nahorny Trio – Hope (2014)

Nahorny Trio

Włodzimierz Nahorny - piano
Mariusz Bogdanowicz - bass
Piotr Biskupski - drums

Hope

CONFITEOR 008




By Adam Baruch

This is a wonderful piano trio album by one of the Godfathers of Polish Jazz, pianist/composer Wlodzimierz Nahorny, and his partners: bassist Mariusz Bogdanowicz and drummer Piotr Biskupski. The album presents six original compositions by Nahorny and one mini-suite, which comprises of three folklore motifs arranged by him. In the accompanying booklet Nahorny tells the listener about the circumstances that brought each of these seven pieces of music to be created, as well as his deeply personal and moving memories of the panoramic view of the Holy City of Jerusalem, which always leaves a lasting impression on those who visit it. How blessed are we, who live nearby and are able to enjoy this breathtaking view more often than others.

It is truly invigorating to see (and hear) a musician, who seems to be completely unaffected by the tides of time and keeps bursting with ingenuity and talent despite his age. This album proves beyond any doubt that Nahorny is still a musician who is able to innovate and surprise even the strictest connoisseurs. His music is as beautiful as always with melodies full of romanticism and typical Polish melancholy, which he masterly and continuously molds into new musical jewels. His piano playing is nothing short of sensational with an astonishing level of space and freedom, which often bring fond memories of the early days of his career when he flirted with free form.

All the compositions on this album are quite remarkable. Although they are stylistically diverse and encompass many different Jazz sub-genres, they are all marked by Nahorny's personal touch, which has been his trademark since many years. The music is fresh and stimulating, fitting perfectly in the contemporary Polish Jazz scene, bursting with excitement and creativity.

The faithful rhythm section stands besides the Master at all times, providing the guidelines for his extended improvisations and ornamenting his performances with occasional short solos. Bogdanowicz and Biskupski are both veterans of the trade and they know exactly what is required of them under these circumstances: supporting the leader and not being obtrusive in any way. The many years that these musicians play together turns them into a well oiled unit, which is able to travel anywhere without a hitch.

Nahorny is a perfect representative of the Polish "old class" in the best positive meaning of that idiom. A Gentleman, an Artist and an Intellectual incorporated into one wonderful, warm person. Such class is very rare these days and therefore a figure like Nahorny is important as an example to be followed by the young generation, which definitely has the talent but sadly almost never such class. Thank you Maestro!

wtorek, 13 stycznia 2015

Wlodzimierz Nahorny – Zapach Psiej Siersci (2014)

Włodzimierz Nahorny

Włodzimierz Nahorny - composer/keyboards
Polish Radio Orchestra

Zapach Psiej Sierści

GAD 019




By Adam Baruch

This album presents the music by Polish Jazz saxophonist/pianist/composer/arranger Włodzimierz Nahorny, one of the Godfathers of modern Polish Jazz, which served as the soundtrack of the movie "Zapach Psiej Sierści" ("The Smell Of Dog's Fur"), which was based on a novel by Polish writer Wojciech Żukrowski. The movie was directed by Jan Batory, who died in August 1981 shortly after the film was completed and before it was belatedly released for screening in 1982, due to the Martial Law imposed in Poland in December 1981.

The original soundtrack includes thirteen, mostly short pieces of music, except for two longer and extended themes. Additionally there are two source music pieces and seven bonus tracks, previously unheard. All the music was composed, arranged and orchestrated by Nahorny and was performed by the Polish Radio Orchestra, conducted by the composer, which included some of the best Polish Jazz players, but who remain unnamed. Nahorny most probably plays the keyboards, although that is again not specifically mentioned in the liner notes.

The music is all masterly composed and arranged, showing Nahorny's versatility and sensitivity, which was always his trademark. On one hand Nahorny is able to write romantic and beautifully lyrical melodies and on the other his swinging pieces are always full of finesse and sparkling with incredible feel for the Jazz idiom. As a result the soundtrack fits ideally to the movie's plot, which combines romance and thriller characteristics.

In contrast to most soundtrack albums, which usually have little to offer as a standalone products, this music holds its ground superbly as an interesting collection of excellently performed musical themes, even when separated from the movie. Additionally it also withstands the tides of time without loosing any of its validity, similarly to the best soundtracks of similar category, like the archetypal "Last Tango In Paris" by Gato Barbieri.

Remastered from the original master tapes the album sounds spectacularly and is another great tribute to the legacy of Wlodzimierz Nahorny brought to us by GAD Records, for which we are, as usual, grateful.

niedziela, 23 marca 2014

Nahorny Trio - Hope (2014) ****1/2

Nahorny Trio

Włodzimierz Nahorny - piano
Mariusz Bogdanowicz - acoustic bass
Piotr Biskupski - drums

Hope (Confiteor, 2014)




By Maciej Nowotny

Włodzimierz Nahorny (born 1941) is one of those key figures without which such a phenomenon as Polish jazz would be simply unimaginable. Not only he cooperated with nearly all significant musicians on our scene with his collaboration with Andrzej Trzaskowski, Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski and Andrzej Kurylewicz being especially memorable. But as evidenced by his long and successful career his music embodies all constitutive qualities of Polish jazz as a unique combination of jazz, pop and folk music build upon strong base of classical music harmony. The outcome of such a melange, at least as delivered by Nahorny, is breathtaking: light, inspiring, joyous and dance-like. It resonates with the energy of debutante while offering the riches of the fully matured artist whose technical proficiency is awesome and whose musical language is entirely his own.

On this record as on other his projects in last decade we find along him a double bassist Mariusz Bogdanowicz who recently is quite active (check for example his last year "Syntonia") and drummer Piotr Biskupski. These two middle-aged guys are respected musicians on our scene but - as I have had an opportunity to see during concert premiere - they treat this project in a very special way and are well aware what a privilege it is to be able to play together with the musician of Nahorny caliber. On the other hand they fully reciprocate his trust rising on this album to the very heights of their abilities!

As for the program of music on this disc one can seldom find a better one and it shall not be surprising since it is the fruit of many years of work. We will find here a title track "Hope" which clearly is inspired by great patriotic music by Chopin such as "Polonaise Brillante" and other pieces. But apart from that there is on this disc  for example lovely medley of three folk songs from Kurpie region rewritten in jazz harmonies. Or "Jews" where trio pays hommage to musical tradition of Polish Jews. But I like the most the music composed for theater "I love O'Keefe" and "Czyścica": nor folk, nor classical, nor jazz, nor pop or anything else though containing all these traditions. It is simply the music of Nahorny and his trio, the one like no other in Poland, or elsewhere...

środa, 6 listopada 2013

Jan Ptaszyn Wroblewski – Sweet Beat (2012) ***1/2

Jan Ptaszyn Wroblewski - saxophone
Wlodzimierz Nahorny - keyboards
Bronislaw Suchanek - bass
Janusz Stefanski - drums
Jozef Gawrych - percussion

GAD 004




By Adam Baruch

A couple of years after they collaborated on the first Polish Easy Jazz album ("Jej Portret"), saxophonist / composer / arranger / bandleader Jan Ptaszyn Wroblewski and saxophonist / keyboardist / composer Wlodzimierz Nahorny meet again on this, another Easy Jazz recording, this time of the Jazz & Strings variety. This time however, Wroblewski is the primary soloist, fronting a wonderful quintet which includes Nahorny on keyboards, bassist Bronislaw Suchanek, drummer Janusz Stefanski and percussionist Jozef Gawrych. The quintet is accompanied by an expanded string section, conducted by Zygmunt Mahlik.

The album includes eleven original compositions, eight by Wroblewski and three by Jerzy Wasowski (a wonderful composer of cabaret songs). Wroblewski also wrote all the elaborate arrangements. Although, as intended, the orchestral arrangements are indeed Easy Jazz, the wonderful saxophone solos are anything, but easy, often being quite complex and even slightly Free Form, sometimes in complete contrast to the melodic background. However the overall atmosphere of this album is relaxed and focuses on delivering a musical experience, which can be enjoyed by a variety of listeners, including those who don't listen to Jazz on a regular basis.

Regardless of the concept behind this music, it is very apparent that neither Wroblewski nor any of his colleagues take this project lightly and the level of execution is simply perfect, as are the compositions. Wonderfully melodic, yet far from being banal, these melodies stand the test of time marvelously and sound completely relevant also today. The overall project might sound a bit dated, but that is also its charm, rising waves of nostalgia for times long gone.

This superb reissue presents exceptional remastered sound quality and fourteen bonus tracks, previously unreleased, which demonstrate other collaborations between Wroblewski and the Polish Radio string ensemble between 1967 and 1971. Wroblewski composed all of these tracks, with the exception of one standard. These recordings are a wonderful window into the "behind the scenes" of the Polish Jazz scene at the time, where experimentation and individualism might have bees suppressed by State censorship, but never stopped the protagonist from trying.

Sadly neglected and almost forgotten over the years, this album truly deserves a second life and GAD Records, as usual, made the right decision to reissue it, making a splendid job as always. I love this stuff!

sobota, 2 listopada 2013

Wlodzimierz Nahorny – Jej Portret (2013) ***1/2

Wlodzimierz Nahorny - piano, saxophone, flute

GAD 006









By Adam Baruch

This is a reissue of an album recorded by the saxophonist / flautist / pianist / composer Wlodzimierz Nahorny, one of the Godfathers of modern Polish Jazz, who is still active on the local scene. This particular album presents the lyrical side of Nahorny, which is quite different from his Jazz activities, but not really surprising considering his diversity and affinity to different music genres, as demonstrated for example by his association with the Blues-Rock group Breakout, which happened at the same period this album was recorded.

The concept behind this album was to present Nahorny as an instrumentalist playing piano, saxophone and flute and supported by a large orchestra conducted by another Polish Jazz legend: Jan Ptaszyn Wroblewski. The material, which comprised of a selection of Polish Pop songs popular at the time, was carefully arranged by three arrangers: Wroblewski, Tomasz Stanko and Tomasz Ochalski, who also contributed one original composition each, as did Nahorny himself. The resulting material was a mixture or some excellent lyrical songs written by some of the best Polish songwriters at the time and some melodic Jazz compositions composed for the occasion. Although obviously a commercial enterprise, this album was still pretty serious music making, with sophisticated, elegant and clever arrangements, superb solos by Nahorny and excellent music, which sounds quite impressive forty and change years later.

This reissue adds six bonus tracks, all of which are radio recordings done by Nahorny between 1965 and 1970, which also reflect his involvement with the lighter side of Jazz, rather than the avant-garde Jazz he was mainly associated with at the time. All the music was beautifully remastered and the sound is really excellent.

Considering the fact that this album appears here on CD for the first time and is by itself a pretty extraordinary episode on the local scene, this album is an important piece of modern Polish Jazz history and should be considered as a part of every serious music collection of the genre. Of course it is also a great fun to listen to. Wholeheartedly recommended!

sobota, 23 marca 2013

Włodzimierz Nahorny - Jej Portret (GAD Records, 2013)

Włodzimierz Nahorny – piano, alto sax, flute, harpsichord

Zespół instrumentalny, cond. Jan Ptaszyn-Wróblewski(1-12), Zespół Rozrywkowy Rozgłośni Gdańskiej, cond.Jan Tomaszewski (13), Studio M-2, cond. Stefan Rachoń (14), Zespół Perkusyjny Jerzego Bartza (15),Studio Jazzowe Polskiego Radia, cond. Bogusław Klimczuk (16), Big-Band Polskiego Radia, cond. Bogusław Klimczuk (17), Orkiestra Polskiego Radia, cond. Stefan Rachoń (18)

Jej Portret (GAD Records, 2013)

By Maciej Nowotny

I am often asked, as much abroad as in Poland, what really is Polish jazz? What does distinguish it from jazz as played in other countries? This is not easy to answer such inquiries as usually is with all questions regarding music. Perhaps the best way to describe such a complex phenomenon is to give some examples of albums thanks to which we can talk about something as distinctive and unique as Polish jazz.

One of such albums is "Jej Portret" (eng. Her Picture) recorded by Włodzimierz Nahorny. I will not delve here on details of Nahorny biography as it is enough to say that he is one of those crucial personalities in Polish music which shaped its uniqueness over few last decades. This album features him as much as multi instrumentalist, as he plays on piano, alto sax, flute and harpsichord, but first of all as an arranger. He took some of the best Polish songs of 60ties and 70ties, some typical pop, other from movies, and reforged them using bits of language of jazz. The effect? Simply outstanding! First, these songs are creme-of-the-creme of Polish song writing, truly brilliant in every possible sense. Second, in all his arrangements Nahorny used then existing different orchestras whose level in those years (as they were supported by the state radio and television) was nothing else but stellar. Finally, it is Nahorny himself who regardless which instrument he played, sounded absolutely uniquely and individually.

By combining these first-class elements what we got here is simply one of those legendary recordings  of Polish jazz. Released in 1971 on vinyl it remained since then in very limited circulation being an object of longing of many collectors and fans. It is therefore very fortunate that small Polish label GAD Records specializing in reissuing of old Polish vinyls or yet unpublished archive recordings decided to remind it to the public. The level of publishing is first class. Great liner notes both in Polish and English languages give insight into colourful background of this recording. We also got in this reissue six additional tracks which are as excellent as the rest of twelve songs on the album. All in all this album is truly a pearl which every serious fan of Polish jazz should be more than happy to add to her or his collection!



Tracklist:
01. Jej portret
02. Powiedzieliśmy już wszystko
03. Cała jesteś w skowronkach
04. Melodia z filmu „Dziura w ziemi”
05. Taki dzień
06. Mówiły mu
07. Niech pan mi nie odsłania wnętrza
08. Wrócę do ciebie
09. Jest Warszawa
10. Obok nas
11. Właśnie tego dnia
12. Trzymając się za ręce

Bonusy:
13. Zapomniany emigrant
14. Waltz nr 29
15. Namiastka
16. Swing dla Włodka
17. Melodia dla Zofii
18. Zacząć jeszcze raz

poniedziałek, 4 lutego 2013

Various Artists – Przyjaciele Graja Hajduna (2011)

Wanda Staroniewicz - vocals
Wlodzimierz Nahorny - piano
Piotr Nadolski - trumpet
Marcin Wadolowski - guitar
Wojciech Staroniewicz - saxophone
Janusz Mackiewicz - bass
Dominik Bukowski - vibraphone
Darek Herbasz - saxophone
Adam Golicki - percussion
Kuba Hajdun - piano

ALLEGRO 023

By Adam Baruch

This album presents the live recording of a memorial concert dedicated to the Polish pianist / composer Janusz Hajdun, who died a year before this concert took place. Hajdun composed music to more than a hundred films, including the short animated film "Tango", which was the first and so far only Polish film to win the Oscar in 1983, as well as many popular songs. His music was characterized by a distinctive swing and a Jazz spirit, and therefore it is only natural that the Polish Jazz musicians taking part in this concert would pay this loving tribute to the beautiful music composed by Hajdun, hoping to preserve it for posterity.

The album presents thirteen compositions by Hajdun (in two cases co-compositions), all of which were beautifully arranged by the participating musicians and three of which include vocals sung by Wanda Staroniewicz. The instrumentalist are: legendary pianist Wlodzimierz Nahorny, trumpeter Piotr Nadolski, guitarist Marcin Wadolowski, saxophonist Wojciech Staroniewicz, bassist Janusz Mackiewicz, vibraphonist Dominik Bukowski, saxophonist Dariusz Herbasz, percussionist Adam Golicki and pianist Kuba Hajdun (the composer's son).

The music is truly beautiful, full of the typical Polish lyricism, somewhat melancholic and even gloomy, but always absorbing and aesthetically perfect. There is more than a coincidental similarity to Krzysztof Komeda's cinematic work, which indisputably inspired Hajdun, as it did all Polish composers. Hearing all this music collected here makes a great impact as a sum total and emphasizes his incredible value as a composer and contributor to the development of Polish Culture.

The performances are inspired and overall perfect, full of superb solos and excellent team work, kept in relative low-key, as appropriate for a memorial concert. Ranging from solo piano performances to a full-blown Jazz ensemble, things are definitely happening here, which should leave no listener cold. The fact that people pay tribute to their departed colleagues and mentors is heartwarming and commendable and when it is done with such love, dedication and talent, it becomes an unforgettable event.

This is Polish Jazz at its best, and as such it deserves to be listened to with attention and open-mindedness. Taking care of the past and the heritage is every bit as important as taking care of the future, let's not forget it.

środa, 16 maja 2012

Jan Ptaszyn Wroblewski – Sprzedawcy Glonow (Polish Jazz Vol.90 Deluxe, 1973)

Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski - tenor saxophone (1, 2, 4, 6), conductor

Studio Jazzowe P.R. - directed by Jan 'Ptaszyn' Wróblewski
Tomasz Szukalski - tenor sax, soprano sax, bass clarinet (1, 3-6)
Michał Urbaniak - violin (1), soprano sax (2)
Zbigniew Namysłowski - alto sax, flute (1-6)
Tomasz Stańko - trumpet (2, 3, 4, 6)
Adam Makowicz - Fender electric piano (4)
Marek Bliziński - guitar (1, 4, 5)
Wojciech Karolak - Hammond organ (1, 5)
Włodzimierz Nahorny - alto sax, flute (1-6)
Zbigniew Seifert - alto sax (2,3), violin (6)
Stanisław Mizeracki - trumpet (1,2,3,4,6);
Bogdan Dembek - trumpet (1,3,4,5,6)
Bogusław Skawina - trumpet (2)
Laco Deczi - trumpet (5)
Józef Grabarski - trumpet (1)
Stanisław Cieślak - trombone (1-6)
Andrzej Brzeski - trombone (1,2,3,4,6)
Andrzej Piela - trombone (2,3,5,6)
Jan Jarczyk - trombone (1,4,5)
Dariusz Filiochowski - French horn (1,3,5,6)
Dariusz Szewczyk - French horn (4)
Zdzisław Piernik - tuba (2,3,5,6)
Janusz Muniak - tenor sax, soprano sax, flute (2,3,5,6)
Waldemar Kurpiński - baritone sax, clarinet (1,3,4,5,6)
Andrzej Trzaskowski - piano ( 6)
Paweł Jarzębski - bass (1,2,4,5)
Bronisław Suchanek - bass (3,5,6)
Janusz Stefański - drums (2,3,5,6)
Czesław Bartkowski - drums (1,4), percussion (5)
Kazimierz Jonkisz - percussion (1,3,4,5,6)

Sprzedawcy Glonow (Polish Jazz Vol.90 Deluxe, 1973)

This relatively little known brilliant album presents Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer / arranger / bandleader Jan Ptaszyn Wroblewski mainly in the capacity as the director of the Polish Radio Jazz Orchestra, a superb collection of top musicians, which functioned as a catalyst and incubator to generations of Polish Jazz musicians as well as a first rate workshop and recording platform. Wroblewski, one of Polish Jazz veterans and Godfathers, led the orchestra for many years with great success and these recordings prove how great it really was. He also composed three of the six extended compositions included here with the other three composed by Tomasz Stanko, Zbigniew Namyslowski and Andrzej Trzaskowski each contributing one composition. The arrangements are absolutely brilliant as are the performances, with the orchestra fronted as such first rate soloists like Stanko, Namyslowski, Michal Urbaniak (playing sax on one track and violin on another), Tomasz Szukalski, Adam Makowicz, Marek Blizinski, Wojciech Karolak, Zbigniew Seifert and of course Wroblewski himself, in short the crème de la crème of the Polish Jazz scene at the time. The music is very modern and even borders on Free at times, presenting very rare examples of Jazz orchestra accompanying a freely improvising soloist. This album is an absolute must to all Polish Jazz lovers and in retrospect is of the best Polish Jazz albums ever recorded. Grab it!



Track ,listing: 1. Sprzedaż glon [06:18] 2. Bez wyciszenia (Namysłowski) [06:04] 3. Cytat z samego siebie (Stańko) [09:09] 4. Wyznacznik pierwszy ('Ptaszyn' Wróblewski) [09:50] 5. Jan Szpargatoł Mahawiśnia ('Ptaszyn' Wróblewski) [06:26] 6. Magma (Trzaskowski) [05:18] 

By Adam Baruch
http://www.adambaruch.com/

sobota, 7 kwietnia 2012

Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski - Sweet Beat (Gad Records, 2012)

Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski – sax, flute, clarinet

Włodzimierz Nahorny – organs, piano
Bronisław Suchanek – double bass
Janusz Stefański – drums
Józef Gawrych – percussion
Janusz Hojan – trumpet
Benon Hardy – accordion

Poznańska Piętnastka Radiowa -  dyr. Zygmunt Mahlik (1-11)

Sweet Beat (GAD Records, 2012)

(Editor) From original notes to album which was released in 1972 but is now re-issued in beautifully remastered and extended version by GAD Records. Highly recommended!

This record was born in the winter. For two nights, on the 7th and 8th of February, 1972, the glass partition in the Polskie Nagrania studio stood between two groups of musicians. One one side the rhythm section: Włodzimierz Nahorny, Bronisław Suchanek, drummers Janusz Stefański and Józef Gawrych and... „Ptaszyn” Wróblewski; on the other, thirty strings from the National Philharmonic. This time, Ptaszyn turned the leadership over to Zygmunt Mahlik, director of Poznańska Piętnastka Radiowa (Poznań Radio's Fifteen Orchestra) with which he had collaborated for fifteen years.

The recording proceeded smoothly, so everyone was pleased until it was time to lay down the solo saxophone track. Ptaszyn was discontented – made one take after another, searched for just right atmosphere. And thanks to that, the result is sure to please.

This record is, above all, a showcase for Wróblewski's arranging skill. As he, himself, admits, this kind of work suits him best. „I can't imagine life without strings and French horns”, he says. An awareness of the fact that tgese instruments are a distinctive feature of „sweet music”, make us realize just how much this music means to Wróblewski the jazzman.

He had wanted to make this record for a long time. However, the final conception was born during the production of another album of „sweet music”: his friend Włodzimierz Nahorny's „Her Portrait”, on which Ptaszyn led the band, and to which he contributed some of his arrangements.

„Sweet Beat” offers a similar music, although more aggressive rhythmically – more rock. 


Track listing: 1. Sweet beat; 2. Tata lata; 3. Bitwa o grzędę; 4. Tylko spokój; 5. Jesień; 6. 300 kilometrów przed nami; 7. Stopniowanie; 8. Dziewczyna tańcząca; 9. Cóż ci to ja uczyniłem; 10. Nie pożałuje pan; 11. W kawiarence „Sułtan”; 

Bonus tracks: 12. Mówiłem, że nie ostatni (radio version); 13. Tata lata (radio version); 14. Bitwa o grzędę (radio version); 15. Tylko spokój (radio version); 16. Jesień (radio version); 17. 300 kilometrów przed nami (radio version); 18. Stopniowanie (radio version); 19. Dziewczyna tańcząca (radio version); 
20. Rozlewiska (Zielono mi) (radio version); 21. 300 kilometrów za nami (radio version); 22. Tango niesforne (radio version); 23. Begin the Beguine (radio version); 24. Miniatura z jesienną jaskółką (radio version); 25. Trawa (radio version)

By Jan Borkowski

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