Nowicki/Święs/Frankiewicz - Overtones (2021)

Nowicki/Święs/Frankiewicz

Radek Nowicki - tenor saxophone
Andrzej Święs - bass
Sebastian Frankiewicz - drums

Overtones

AUDIO CAVE 2021/003

By Adam Baruch

This is the second album by the Polish Jazz trio comprising of saxophonist Radek Nowicki, bassist Andrzej Święs and drummer Sebastian Frankiewicz. The album presents nine original compositions, five by Nowicki, three by Święs and one by Frankiewicz.

Following the debut recorded and released almost a decade ago, this release offers a much more coherent and mature piece of music, based on excellent compositions and outstanding performances by the trio members. The music is mostly contemplative and develops slowly, but is wonderfully expressive and offers a most satisfying listening experience, which is a vast improvement in comparison to the earlier effort.

Although the saxophone trio is an extremely difficult vehicle to steer, this trio works just perfectly, offering a perfect balance between the three musicians. It is nothing like a lead instrument supported by a rhythm section, but from the very onset it becomes completely clear that they work in unison and shoulder to shoulder. As a result, the saxophone, bass and drums are fully present for the entire duration, recorded on the same level and offer an organic trio sound, which is very rarely achieved by other similar outfits.

It is usually expected from the saxophone to set the tone, but it is impossible to decide who is leading the trio at any given moment, while the music lasts. Święs paves the path with his deep and rounded pulsations and his performances here are absolutely stunning. Frankiewicz does not stay behind, driving the music lice a hurricane during the crescendo moments and pushing it gently during the delicate passages. Nowicki states the melodies gently and improvises with conviction and obvious Masterly touch.

Overall this is a great album from start to finish, with no dull moments in between, superbly played by three Masters of the trade, who push their abilities to the max. The music manages to create a unique sonic climate, and the no bullshit playing is convincing and strikes right where it is most effective. This is Polish/European Jazz at its best - Kudos my friends! Wholeheartedly recommended!

Nowicki/Święs/Frankiewicz - Overtones - premiera nowej płyty w wytwórni Audio Cave

Radek Nowicki - saksofon tenorowy

Andrzej Święs - kontrabas

Sebastian Frankiewicz - perkusja

16 marca miała miejsce premiera nowej płyty tria Nowicki/Święs/Frankiewicz - "Overtones". Radek Nowicki, Andrzej Święs i Sebastian Frankiewicz jako trio debiutowali w 2012 roku albumem "Pathfinder". Najnowsze i jednocześnie drugie w dyskografii dzieło tego składu pojawia się więc blisko dekadę później, co nie oznacza jednak, że w tym czasie muzycy próżnowali. "Nie narzekamy na brak zajęć, a ponieważ bez przerwy bierzemy udział w różnych projektach to naturalnym jest, że realizacja pewnych pomysłów wymaga więcej czasu i przygotowań. Przez cały okres dzielący nas od pierwszej płyty regularnie graliśmy próby, koncerty i dzieliliśmy się nowymi pomysłami, a decyzja o wydaniu nowego albumu pojawiła się, kiedy uznaliśmy, że dysponujemy wystarczającą ilością frapującego nas materiału" - wyjaśniają muzycy.

Tytuł nowego albumu może bezpośrednio kojarzyć się z terminologią muzyczną, przy czym zespół unika jednoznacznej odpowiedzi i pozostawia szerokie pole do interpretacji. "Overtones" to po prostu nazwa kompozycji Andrzeja, w której wykorzystujemy alikwoty, czyli naturalne harmoniczne tony wydobywane na instrumentach smyczkowych przez flażolety, a na dętych za pomocą przedęcia. Technika ta pojawia się na płycie również w innych utworach. Oczywiście znaczenie tego tytułu jest szersze. Chodzi w nim również - a może przede wszystkim - o to, że muzyka jest dla nas czymś więcej niż dźwięki i pauzy, które się na nią składają. Tytuł można rozumieć również jako pewien zbiór wspólnych myśli, który pozwala naszemu zespołowi na intuicyjne porozumiewanie się podczas gry" - tłumaczy skład.

Trio Nowicki/Święs/Frankiewicz powstało z potrzeby eksploracji. Od początku podstawowym założeniem składu było zachowanie autonomiczności każdego z muzyków - funkcja lidera jest przechodnia. Wszystko to naturalnie przekłada się na muzykę znajdującą się na "Overtones". Konfiguracja personalna zespołu opiera się na trzech silnych indywidualnościach, które mają pełną świadomość gry zespołowej - trio doskonale operuje nastrojami, a muzycy, wzorowo posługując się dynamiką, nastawieni są na tworzenie bardzo spójnej tonacji swojej muzyki. "Overtones" przynosi dojrzałą elegancję kompozycji, która równoważona jest żywiołową, pełną swobody grą instrumentalistów. Jest w niej miejsce zarówno na improwizację, jak i stylistyczną wszechstronność. To muzyczne spotkanie na szczycie, gdzie nie ma miejsca na ograniczenia i szablonowe, oczywiste rozwiązania.

Krzysztof Pacan - Story Of 82 (2020)

Krzysztof Pacan

Piotr Wyleżoł - piano
Radek Nowicki - tenor & soprano saxophones
Krzysztof Pacan - bass guitar
Krzysztof Dziedzic - drums
Marta Zalewska - viola da gamba, renaissance fiddle

Story Of 82

AUDIO CAVE 2020/012

By Adam Baruch 

This is the second album as a leader by Polish Jazz bassist/composer Krzysztof Pacan recorded in a quartet setting with saxophonist Radek Nowicki, pianist Piotr Wyleżoł and drummer Krzysztof Dziedzic. Violist Marta Zalewska guests on one track. The album presents seven original compositions, all by Pacan, who plays bass guitar exclusively on this album. The album, recorded at the Tokarnia Studio, offers an excellent sound quality, as expected.

The music is all melody based mainstream modern Jazz, often typically melancholic and lyrical in accordance with the Polish Jazz characteristics, but offering diverse stylistic variations. Personally the ballads seem to work best for me, but the level of the compositions is excellent throughout.

The level of performances is also excellent from start to finish, which is hardly surprising with these highly experienced professionals. Again, personally, Wyleżoł is the most creative contributor on this album, but Nowicki carries the tunes and solos without a hitch and Dziedzic offers a solid rhythmic support by the book. The leader stays somewhat behind, soloing sparingly and supplying steady bass pulsations that carry the music. Overall this is a pleasant and excellently performed Jazz music, which should keep most Polish Jazz enthusiasts happy, emphasizing the incredibly high level of the local Jazz scene.

Krzysztof Pacan - Story Of 82 - premiera nowej płyty w wytwórni Audio Cave

Krzysztof Pacan - gitara basowa
Piotr Wyleżoł - fortepian
Radek Nowicki - saksofon tenorowy i sopranowy
Krzysztof Dziedzic - perkusja
Marta Zalewska - viola da gamba i fidel renesansowa

"Story Of 82" to najnowsza płyta basisty Krzysztofa Pacana, która ukaże się 16 października 2020 r. nakładem krakowskiej wytwórni Audio Cave.

Krzysztof Pacan to kontrabasista, gitarzysta basowy, producent i kompozytor - muzyk aktywny na scenie od przeszło dwudziestu lat. Współpracował z szeregiem znakomitych artystów, żeby wspomnieć tylko Janusza Muniaka, Zbigniewa Namysłowskiego czy Urszulę Dudziak. Zagrał dziesiątki koncertów w przeróżnych składach na całym świecie. Jego debiutancka płyta, "Facing The Challenge", spotkała się ze świetnym odbiorem i była nominowana do Fryderyka w kategorii Jazzowy Debiut Roku.

"Story Of 82" to drugi w pełni autorski album Pacana. Tytuł nawiązuje do daty moich urodzin. Nowy krążek to w pewnym sensie moja muzyczna autobiografia, podsumowanie, ale też określenie kierunku w którym chciałbym dalej podążać - wyjaśnia muzyk. W przeciwieństwie do pierwszej płyty, "Story Of 82" zostało w całości zarejestrowane w kwartecie. Długo myślałem nad odpowiednim składem i byłem bardzo szczęśliwy, kiedy wszyscy muzycy przyjęli moje zaproszenie. Każdy z nich jest wielkim indywidualistą, który obok prowadzenia własnych zespołów potrafi także z ogromnym zaangażowaniem współtworzyć czyjąś muzyczną wizję - tłumaczy lider.

Muzyka zawarta na "Story Of 82" brzmi klasycznie, ale przy tym odznacza się ogromnym polotem i świeżością. Swoje podejście do kompozycji Krzysztof Pacan przybliża w następujący sposób: Z racji tego, że od lat działam na wielu muzycznych płaszczyznach, naturalnym jest, że moja twórczość przesiąknięta jest wieloma gatunkami. Dużą część swojego brzmienia i myślenia o muzyce zawdzięczam wybitnym twórcom, z którymi miałem okazję spotykać się tak na scenie, jak i poza nią. Muszę tu wymienić swojego mistrza Gary'ego Peacocka, ale także Tomasza Stańko czy Adama Pierończyka.

Jak zatem określić stylistykę nowej płyty? Tradycja jest czymś, od czego warto wyjść, ale później w umiejętny sposób można się jej wymykać. Uważam, że najbardziej wartościowe rzeczy rodzą się pod wpływem wcześniej ugruntowanych ścieżek - wierzę w umiejętną fuzję starego z nowym, natomiast muzyka tworzona w oderwaniu od znajomości podstaw i tradycji często brzmi karykaturalnie. Dlatego staram się łączyć wpływy mistrzów z lat 60. z moim autorskim podejściem i oryginalnymi melodiami - podsumowuje artysta.

Jerzy Małek – Black Sheep (2019)

Jerzy Małek

Jerzy Małek - trumpet, flugelhorn
Radek Nowicki - tenor saxophone
Piotr Wyleżoł - piano
Aga Derlak - piano
Max Mucha - bass
Sebastian Frankiewicz - drums

Black Sheep



PRIVATE EDITION

By Adam Baruch

This is the eighth album by Polish Jazz trumpeter/composer Jerzy Małek, recorded in a classic Jazz quintet setting with saxophonist Radek Nowicki, pianists Piotr Wyleżoł or Aga Derlak, bassist Max Mucha and drummer Sebastian Frankiewicz. The album presents seven original compositions, all by Małek.

Stylistically the music is all within melodic Jazz mainstream, close to the American Jazz tradition, quite atypical to the contemporary Polish Jazz scene, which is more modernistic and experimental. That said, the music is wonderfully crafted and perfectly executed by seasoned musicians and sound every bit as good as the best of what American Jazz has to offer, proving again that Polish Jazz deserves to be completely free from any inferiority complexes in comparison to what is happening across the pond.

Małek has a brilliant ability to weave perfect tunes, all of which are well rounded and based on coherent melodic themes, especially so with his marvelous ballads. On the whole his compositions are truly classic examples of post Bebop idiom at its finest. Although not very innovative, this kind of music is still perfectly valid and has many followers the world over and albums like this are a perfect fit to their bill of fare.

Of course Małek is also a wonderful trumpeter, with perfect skills and intelligence, which guides him to avoid empty flashy displays of technique. His playing is always soulful and heartfelt, and a true pleasure to listen to. The other quintet members are all seasoned veterans and even the young Aga Derlak, who plays on two tracks, does an excellent job and showcases the next generation of the Polish Jazz stars.

Overall this is a perfect mainstream Jazz album in every respect, full of wonderful music and perfect musicianship, which should completely satisfy all connoisseurs of that idiom regardless of their geographical location. It is also an excellent example of the quality of Polish Jazz and the abilities of Jerzy Małek as a composer and a trumpeter, which he earned fair and square by hard work and a heap of talent. Well done!

Przemysław Strączek International Group – White Grain Of Coffee (2014)

Przemysław Strączek

Przemysław Strączek - guitar
Michał Wierba - piano, Fender Rhodes
Radek Nowicki - tenor saxophone
Francesco Angiuli - double bass
Flavio Li Vigni - drums
Karolina Śleziak - vocals




White Grain Of Coffee

ES ART 1406

By Adam Baruch

This is the fifth album by Polish Jazz guitarist/composer Przemysław Strączek, recorded in a quartet setting with pianist Michał Wierba and Italian rhythm section: bassist Francesco Angiuli and drummer Flavio Li Vigni. Vocalist Karolina Śleziak guests on two tracks and saxophonist Radek Nowicki guests on five. The album presents eight original compositions, all by Strączek.

Stylistically the music belongs to a typical lightweight Fusion, which sounds pretty smooth but offers little depth or aesthetic effort, although overall excellently performed by all participants. Sadly the compositions are not able to save the day and they are pretty banal and altogether unremarkable.

It is always a pity to hear a recording by excellent instrumentalists, which sadly amounts to what could be described as a blunder. I am not familiar with Straczek's earlier recordings, but Wierba, who is by all standards an excellent pianist, seems to fall again and again into these situations where his contribution is simply a wasted opportunity. Hopefully he will find his true calling one day.

I suppose some people will enjoy this album, like Smooth Jazz enthusiasts or yuppies wishing to impress their dinner friends, but honestly this does not represent the creative side of Polish Jazz, which can be truly inspiring.

Szymon Makohin – Tryin' Times (2012)

Szymon Makohin - vocals
Michal Tokaj - piano
Radek Nowicki - saxophone
Michal Jaros - bass
Sebastian Frankiewicz - drums

MUZA 1449




By Adam Baruch

This is the debut album by Polish Jazz vocalist Szymon Makohin, which was recorded in 2008 and waited for four years to finally see the light of day. It presents Makohin performing eleven Pop / Blues / Soul standards, beautifully arranged by pianist Michal Tokaj, who leads the excellent quartet accompanying the singer, which also includes saxophonist Radek Nowicki, bassist Michal Jaros and drummer Sebastian Frankiewicz. On two of the tracks Makohin performs duets with female singers, the incredible Aga Zaryan and Irena Kijewska.

It seems that most Polish Jazz (and not only Jazz) vocalists consistently repeat the fatal mistake of trying to sing in English, which unfortunately in most cases, including this one, simply does not work. It becomes especially apparent in the duet with Zaryan, where the singer's accent and phrasing contrasts with those of Zaryan, who is one of the very few Polish vocalists able to sing properly in English. Therefore, regardless of how good this album is on the instrumental level, the vocals are a priori an obstacle. Makohin has a very nice tone and obvious vocal talents, but his battle is lost the minute he opens his mouth. It's a pity he didn't follow in the steps of other Polish vocalists, like Grzegorz Karnas for example.

The selection of the material is also quite problematic, as all the songs have a strong common bond of sounding "sweet", with very little diversity, and none of them are challenging vocally. All these songs were performed brilliantly by their original authors, and this slightly Jazzed up version has very little added value. The only case of a Jazz standard present here is more a showcase of a brilliant bass accompaniment than vocal ability.

Of course Tokaj and the quartet play spotlessly and brilliantly, as always. The instrumental work keeps this album alive and kicking, which in retrospect is a pity, since this could have been such a great album under different circumstances.

However, considering this is a debut album, it should not be judged too severely; there is a lot of potential here and Makohin has a lot to offer, so I'm looking forward to hear his next album, hopefully in Polish this time. I certainly wish him all the best and keep my fingers crossed.

Grzegorz Karnas – Ballady Na Koniec Swiata (2006)

Grzegorz Karnas - vocals, composer, lyrics
Adam Oles - cello, co-composer
Radoslaw Nowicki - saxophone
Tomasz Kalwak - electronics
Bogusz Wekka - percussion
guests:
Michal Tokaj - piano
Damian Kurasz - guitar

NINTH FLOOR 1002


By Adam Baruch

This is the third album by Polish Jazz vocalist / composer / arranger Grzegorz Karnas, one of the most unique and talented representatives of the young generation of the local Jazz scene. Born in the southern Polish province of Upper Silesia, Karnas graduated form the Jazz Institute at the Katowice Academy of Music, where a large percentage of the young Polish Jazz musicians get their initial graduate education. His debut album "Reinkarnasja", released in 2000, created quite a stir on the local scene and immediately established him as one of the most significant newcomers.

Stylistically this album is a direct continuation of its predecessor "Sny", except for the fact that all the music was co-composed by Karnas and cellist Adam Oles (who also plays on the album) with lyrics by Karnas. The thirteen pieces are all relatively low-key, hence the reference to ballads in the title, although they have little in common with what is considered a ballad in classic Jazz other than the slow tempo. The accompaniment is also more subtle than on the previous album, with more ambient background sounds and less typical Jazz solos. Oles, who plays his cello mostly as if it was an acoustic bass, sets much of the overall sound and atmosphere. Other participants include saxophonist Radoslaw Nowicki, keyboardist and electronic sounds creator Tomasz Kalwak, and congas player Bogusz Wekka. In addition two guest artists also participate: pianist Michal Tokaj and guitarist Damian Kurasz.

Karnas apparently found in Oles an ideal partner in his search for a decisive stylistic crystallization, which is quite apparent here. His vocal explorations are less chaotic and outrageous, with spontaneity replaced by self-control and moderation, which of course does not make his music any less exciting. But this album is somewhat less accessible and immediately likeable that his earlier work, perhaps due to the depressing lyrical subject matter (end of the world), which is apparent not only in the lyrics but also in the somewhat gloomy melody lines. All in all this is definitely another excellent piece of musical artistry.

Karnas is a unique voice and everything he recorded is worth the listeners' attention, especially since vocal Jazz is such a neglected area dominated by mediocrity if not worse. Therefore this album stands out as a beacon of hope that not all is lost and the end of the world will have a wait for a while. Exciting stuff!

Nowicki / Swies / Frankiewicz Trio – Pathfinder (Multikulti, 2012) by Dirk Blasejezak

Nowicki / Swies / Frankiewicz Trio

Radek Nowicki - tenor & soprano saxophone
Andrzej Święs - double bass
Sebastian Frankiewicz - drums

Pathfinder (Multikulti, 2012)

This review had to be rewritten several times since this is one of those records that you get access to only after several times of listening. What emerges from the first note onwards though is the tone. Everybody experiences this from time to time: you listen to something and immediately know it has to be from some region (I’m sure you can tell a Scandinavian record from an U.S. album; and ECM or ACT are well known for the atmosphere on their records). Polish music for me has a special tone too. It’s that warm, slightly melancholic or better lyrical note where you feel immediately comfortable with.

And into this atmosphere you get absorbed from the beginning to the end of this record. Maybe the musicians too – I’m not sure if this was meant as a mainstream album, it’s definitely no Free Jazz album, although you get the impression that all three are supposed to break free and will most probably do so in concerts. It looks like the musicians couldn't decide which way to take. This is especially obvious in the more improvised passages where you get the impression that the three are afraid to really let loose.

The reason obviously is not the quality, all three are verifiable talented and despite their age experienced musicians. All trio members are alumni of the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice (Nowicki also of the Fryderyk Chopin State School of Music in Warsaw; and Swies of the High School of Music in Poznan), and all have been working for years with Polish and international jazz stars and proven their powers.

Maybe it’s the format itself: the saxophone trio always is a bold venture. With an unisonous instrument as the leading voice the rhythm section has an enormously challenging task. On this album you can hear how Andrzej Swies on bass and Sebastian Frankiewicz on drums achieve this with much pleasure for the listener! But during Radek Nowicki’s outstanding saxophone play the rhythm group is not as present as it should be. I didn’t notice this when first listening, but this album really needs a disposed audience. Listen to it twice or better four or five times, put on some headphones and listen to it again – at some point it will light up and the interplay will become tangible. This is true even though the Tokarnia Studio did a very good job, the audio quality is stunning. It’s simply that we have here one of those albums that take their time to become accessible but experience has shown that those are the ones that persist!

It will be exciting to see where this young trio that was founded only last year will be heading. And I’m reallly looking forward to hearing them live! This debut certainly is fascinating, and it’s not solely the warm tone that sets these three apart from other saxophone trios. 

By Dirk Blasejezak

Tracklisting: 1. Wings [6:02] 2. Pyramid Song [8:03] 3. Pathfinding [7:41] 4. Diving Dog Dance [5:59] 5. Gardens of The Vistula [5:20] 6. For Aunt Marry [8:18] 7. Mikado [5:51] 8. Mr.Ape [5:46] 9. Chinese Love Song [6:39]

Nowicki / Swies / Frankiewicz Trio – Pathfinder (Multikulti, 2012)

Nowicki / Swies / Frankiewicz Trio

Radek Nowicki - tenor & soprano saxophone
Andrzej Święs - double bass
Sebastian Frankiewicz - drums

Pathfinder (Multikulti, 2012)

This is the debut album by the Polish Jazz trio comprising of saxophonist Radek Nowicki, bassist Andrzej Swies and drummer Sebastian Frankiewicz. There are nine tracks on the album, eight of which are original compositions (four by Nowicki and two each by Swies and Frankiewicz) and one is the trio's interpretation of a Radiohead song. The album was recorded in the legendary Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan Smoczynski, the studio owner, a guarantee of superb sonic quality.

These three talented young musicians have all quite impressive musical achievements behind them and therefore it is not surprising that they sound remarkably mature as performers. Stylistically, however, they seem to be still somewhat undecided as to the degree of freedom they want to incorporate into their music, which remains mainstream oriented on this recording. The saxophone trio is one of the most difficult Jazz formats and demands a lot of discipline in order to present a cohesive whole and this trio definitely stands up to the challenge with flying colors. Naturally saxophone trios tend to put the focus of the listener's attention on the saxophone player and are less about interplay and cooperation than say piano trios. On this recording there are plenty of bass and drums spots, showcasing the individual talents of the participants, but in most cases it is the sax up front supported by the rhythm section.

The music, although quite appropriate for the format, is somewhat lacking in the melody department. Mainstream Jazz is usually based on strong melody lines, which last at least as long as the tune is being performed. The melodic content here is somewhat abstract and difficult to follow, which works fine for a free form setting, but in a mainstream is contra productive. It seems as if the trio members intended to play a much looser set, but were reluctant to "cross the line".

However, all things considered, this is still a very strong debut with great performances and a lot of interesting moments, which should make the trio members proud of their work. Definitely worth investigating!

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

Tracklisting:
1. Wings [6:02]
2. Pyramid Song [8:03]
3. Pathfinding [7:41]
4. Diving Dog Dance [5:59]
5. Gardens of The Vistula [5:20]
6. For Aunt Marry [8:18]
7. Mikado [5:51]
8. Mr.Ape [5:46]
9. Chinese Love Song [6:39]

Radek Nowicki Quartet - Live (Jazz Forum, 2007)

Radek Nowicki Quartet 

Radek Nowicki - soprano saxophone
Michał Tokaj - piano
Michał Jaros - double bass
Michał Miśkiewicz - drums

Live (Jazz Forum, 2007)

On releasing his CD, Nowicki was aged thirty-one—exactly the same age as Coltrane at the time of his first original album. A pure coincidence and, of course, of no particular significance, and yet it seems like a good omen. After all, if this somewhat accidental record is so good, then what might we expect from those that are meticulously planned... In any case, this is a very mature debut, not only in respect to his performance skills […] and compositional talent. We should also emphasise Nowicki’s general approach to music, his way of thinking and treating jazz […]. Nowicki’s compositions lead to open structures. Aerial and Moonrose are characterised by an aesthetically effective, rough-edged lyricism […] 

By Adam Poprawa, Odra



Track listing:
1. Aerial (Radek Nowicki) 13:14
2. Footprints (Wayne Shorter) 15:26
3. Moonrose (Radek Nowicki) 11:36
4. ESP (Wayne Shorter) 09:28

Paweł Kaczmarczyk - Audiofeeling (2007)

Courtesy of Adam Baruch (www.jazzis.com) we publish review of debut album by Paweł Kaczmarczyk. Check as well his next recording "Complexity In Simplicity" made for ACT, both discs proving he is one of the most talented men in Polish jazz these days:

Brilliant debut album by Polish Jazz prodigy, pianist / composer Pawel Kaczmarczyk, aged 22 at the time of this recording. The album presents Kaczmarczyk with his piano trio with bassist Michal Baranski and drummer Pawel Dobrowolski, which was his regular group at the time. Three saxophonists: Radoslaw Nowicki, Tomasz Grzegorski and Grzegorz Piotrowski join the trio on several tracks, turning it into a quartet and on one track a sextet, when they all play together. Of the ten tracks present here, eight were composed by Kaczmarczyk and the other two co-composed by Kaczmarczyk and Piotrowski.

The music is absolutely brilliant, from top to bottom, from start to finish and from the first to the last note. The piano trio showcases their mutual telepathy and the quartets / sextet introduce an ensemble approach. Kaczmarczyk is obviously an outstanding player, elegant and sensitive and above all mature well above what might be expected from a musician of his age.

But even more astounding than his technical brilliance are his skills as a composer, which turn him into a full-fledged Jazz personality. His music amalgamates all of the Jazz tradition, ignoring trends and genres, emphasizing the sense of melody and structure which one finds only amongst the finest of Jazz Masters, like Bill Evans. Of course all the other musicians are equally excellent, playing with grace and passion, always elegantly and with taste. The overall result is a stunning achievement, especially in view of the fact that it is a musical debut. I can´t imagine any Jazz lover in the world not loving this music to bits, as it is simply overwhelmingly beautiful. A must!

Author of text: Adam Baruch (http://www.adambaruch.com/)

Krzysztof Pacan - Facing the Challenge (2011)

Solar system, Earth, Central Europe, Poland, Warsaw, Domy Towarowe Centrum, Empik is my favourite music shop. It's kind of ritual we got with my daughter: after solemn  Sunday midday meal (which is Polish tradition), we pack ourself into my car and drive to the downtown. Then for about one hour I am digging around shelves in music store while my 12 years old daughter watches my every step and marvels at oddities of my behaviour. "Dad?" - she asks. "What?". "Why did you choose this record without trial listening? It's your habit to trial listen everything". "Well, I know it's good" - I answer. "How? If you have not listened to it, how can you know whether it's good or bad? It's not logical!" - she pinpoints me.

How to answer that? I could tell her that with music it's like with women. A man just needs one look at how woman is swaying while walking to know everything he needs to know.   

With music it's more or less the same, you just need one quick glance. First you see names of musicians: Jurek Małek (trumpet and flugelhorn), Radek Nowicki (tenor and soprano saxophones), Jan Smoczyński (fender rhodes and acoustic piano), Sławek Jaskułke (acoustic piano), Arek Skolik (drums). Not only I know them all well from many good recordings but I know as well that they played with each other since eduction in Music Academy in Katowice and simply can conjure great sound when working together. Second, I see that album was recorded in Tokarnia, which is at the moment one of three best recording venues in Poland, so I am sure that they will not spoil sound that musicians supplied. And my Marantz CD + amp and Tannoy loudspeakers will deliver great sound to my ears once I start rehearsal of this album.

Finally, last but not least as they say in England, a leader, Krzysztof Pacan (bass guitar) though he is relatively unknown but I heard about him enough (like about  Juno project where he collaborated with Robert Cichy and Jan Smoczyński and recorded  "That What I Like" album for good Kayax label) to be curious what he is providing to us this time. The fact that Krzysztof Pacan composed all material on this CD finally persuades me that I probably shall hear something fresh, worthy of time of such a spoiled child as I am as far as jazz music is concerned.

So we return home, I go to living room, unpack CD and turn on audio system. Music is beginning to flow. And you know what? It is good to hear: "Your are right again, Daddy..." 

Check yourself samples of music from Krzysztof Pacan's My Space web page. 

Author: Maciej Nowotny

http://kochamjazz.blox.pl/html

  

Paweł Kaczmarczyk Audiofeeling Band - Complexity in Simplicity (ACT, 2009)

There is only a handful of polish jazz musicians that are signed to the best international recording labels. One can name Tomasz Stańko and Marcin Wasilewski that are ECM artists and Leszek Możdżer who records for ACT. To those very few now is joining young polish pianist Paweł Kaczmarczyk with his Audiofeeling Band who recently made his debut album for ACT titled Complexity in Simplicity.

I found a very nice promotional video prepared by ACT for this record so my work this time is easy and short because I shall only write few additional words about up-to-this-date career of Kaczmarczyk plus my opinion about his music.

He was born in Cracow in 1984 and studied in excellent  Musical Academy in Katowice, a place from where so many young and promising polish jazzmen are coming from. He formed his first band in 2001 being just 17 years old and since then he won countless competitions and was coached by the best of polish misicians playing in numerous venues in Poland and abroad. During rehearsal of his last record titled Audiofeeling that took place in Berlin he was approached by owner of ACT Siegried Loch who introduced himself and immadietely asked him to sign into his company.  Terrific story indeed :-)

And Paweł and his companions are paying back for Loch's trust  by delivering on this record music that is so varied and refined and yet sounding so simple and attractive that I believe he must be very glad now that he made such a proposal to this young pianist from Cracow. Kaczmarczyk is accompanied on this recording by the elite of young polish jazz players who are constantly shifting both personel (from trio to septet) and stylistical characterstics of this music (from bopish to cool and further to chamber jazz). The effect is very attractive because recording is dense enough to focus ambitious listener attention for long and yet accesible enough to be listened to at ease for simple pleasure as well. All in all, it seems the new star on polish jazz sky has come up. Congratulations Paweł!

At the end let me attach a list of wonderful musicians that took part in this recording:

Paweł Kaczmarczyk – piano
Radek Nowicki – soprano & tenor saxophone
Tomasz Grzegorski – tenor saxophone, bass clarinet
Grzech Piotrowski – soprano saxophone
Łukasz Poprawski – alto saxophone
Jerzy Małek – trumpet
Rafał Sarnecki – guitar
Wojciech Pulcyn – double bass
Michał Barański – double bass
Łukasz Żyta – drums
Paweł Dobrowolski – drums
Bogusz Wekka – percussions

Author of text: Maciej Nowotny
...

Jerzy Małek Group - Bop Beat (2009)

Jerzy Malek is trumpeter which is good example of the strong wave of young Polish jazz musicians coming one by one to the scene over the last few years. Regardless of his young age, 29 years, he already recorded seven albums and is assertively looking for his own, individual sound in jazz. Not all of those albums were immadietely printed after recording. This cd is for example waited nearly three years to be issued. Nonetheless it sounds very well and freshly proving that Małek and his companions are able to create music that may last longer than few days or months after premiere. First I shall write few words about Małek, then about musicians that accompany him on this record and finally about the program and music itself.

Jerzy Małek started his musical education in his native city of Elbląg and completed it in excellent jazz faculty of Music Academy at Katowice (in class of Polish virtuoso trumpeter Piotr Wojtasik). He quickly made his name in polish jazz through participating in jazz competishions and through playing as sideman with such renown polish jazzmen like Jarosław Śmietana, Zbigniew Namysłowski or Zbigniew Wegehaupt to name just a few. He feels very well at concerts, like plays live and is able to fit in almost any squad or type of music. This is basically what is his strongest side: great universality and width of his musical interests. And to some extent  his weakness also because he clearly has not yet developed his individual style, he is still looking for it.

Another strong side of him is that he is able to gather around himself excellent musicians. Look at the personnel playing on this record: Tomasz Grzegorski (1,4,7,8), Dariusz Herbasz (2,3) and Radek Nowicki (6,7) are all very promising tenor saxophone players. Dominik Bukowski plays vibes. Jan Smoczyński - hammond, rhodes and electrical piano. Konrad Zelmer on guitars. Sławek Jaskułke rhodes (7). Adam Kowalewski (1,3,4,5,8) and Krzysztof Pacan (2,6,7) bas. Roman Slefarski drums. Bogusz Wekka percussion (1,2,4). And Mika Urbaniak vocal (3).

I believe that so many polish names at once may be puzzling for foreign listeners but the fact is that nearly all of them are very promising players, winners of country and international jazz competitions and many of them already recorded interesting albums on their own. Simply speaking these are all names to remember and one should pay tribute to Małek that he was able to persuade them to play together. The sligltly funny side of such a success is that quite ofhen on this album Małek sounds not as a leader but rather like average band member. Other musicians take over from him and dominate one song or the other like Jan Smoczyński whose play on this record is especially noteworthy.

All music on the record is composed by Malek. So what is its style? Up to this date Malek was known for playing mainstream jazz, in this cd however he deviates (as the title of the album suggests) toward fusion, funky and neobop, therefore music is jazz but also easy-to-listen, communicative. To sum up I want to say that although is some respects this record could be better, for example in my opinion it lacks idea that would keep music together, securing its integrity and cohesion, it is so attractively composed and played that I return to it over and over again.

Author: Maciej Nowotny

http://kochamjazz.blox.pl/html