Jazz In Polish Cinema - Out Of The Underground 1958-1967 (2014)

Jazz In Polish Cinema

Out Of The Underground 1958-1967

JOF002







By Maciej Nowotny 

If there is something like Polish jazz as a distinctive phenomenon (which is questioned by the likes of Tomasz Stańko or Michał Urbaniak) it is largely thanks to its close relationship with the movies. Fortunately for both these arts - music and film - starting from year 1956, marking the end of Stalinist era in Poland, up to year 1968, the great exodus of last of Polish Jews from Poland imposed by the communist authorities on mainly its own adherents, Poland for a short while regained a little of its freedom which enabled the renaissance of cultural life. Literature began to flourish once again providing great scripts picked up by young directors fascinated by achievements of Italian neorealism and French New Wave. All these combined with new generation of extremely talented actors adopting the theatrical techniques of Stanislawski into cinema in a manner of Hollywood superstars of that era like James Dean or Marlon Brando provided for emergence of the famous Polish School, arguably the golden era of movie industry in Poland.

But without jazz music this incredible creative leap forward would be impossible or at least incomplete. As Roman Polański remarked thinking about Krzysztof Komeda score for award winning "Rosemary's Baby": "He gave truth to my films. Without his music they would be meaningless".  And such a appreciation of the role not only of Komeda but of whole Polish jazz is not overstatement. One cannot imagine this epoch without jazz which is inextricably intertwined into the fabric of Polish history and culture. It was this moment in its history when jazz was something much more than just music. It was in fact a way of living. If somebody does not understand it he or she would also also not understand its current renaissance. Every Polish inteligent is brought up on these books, films and music. These are our roots. We can appreciate or question them but we cannot ignore them.

Because of all these reasons this album comprising 5 CDs and delivering ample selection of most notable jazz recordings from Polish movies cannot be anything but success. It is priceless for anybody who wants to plunge himself in the atmosphere of those years and feel the taste of times when yet NOT "everything was for sale". Today we live in a different era when jazz music manages (barely!) to survive only in niche, when good cinema is secluded to small cinemas or low cost cable TV channels. But on the other hand we have freedom of choice (something which at least between 1958-1967 in Poland was great luxury) and it is only up to us what kind of music we choose to listen. So do not hesitate: use your freedom well and you will not be disappointed, especially since this awesome album is beautifully edited, comprising excellently written, full of photographs lines notes (kudos to Adam Sławiński, Selwyn Harris and Monika Okrój!) which in itself is enough to justify the purchase of this outstanding release.

Obara International - Komeda (2013) *****

Obara International (band)

Maciej Obara – alto saxophone
Dominik Wania - piano
Ole Morten Vågan – double bass
Gard Nilssen – drums

Komeda (2013)

By Monika Okrój

It’s not a secret that Scandinavia has always been a fascination for Polish saxophonist Maciej Obara, especially in recent times when he started to look in his music for the "cooler means of expression". It was therefore a happy coincidence when during the Take Five: Europe meeting in 2012 his musical path crossed with two Norwegians: double bassist Ole Morten Vågan and drummer Gard Nielssen.

His decision to record the music of legendary Krzysztof Komeda seems to be natural. On the one hand Komeda is a point of reference for any jazz musician in Poland and to establish himself on our scene it is mandatory to record his music. Moreover Obara and pianist Dominik Wania were lucky to have some personal connection to Komeda as they both collaborated with Tomasz Stańko, a favourite trumpeter of Komeda, in his New Balladyna Project where they also played some of Komeda’s compositions. The same goes for the “Vikings” who were ready or even keen on to take up a role of some of such illustrious Scandinavian players like Rune Carlsson or Bernt Rosengren who used to appear on some of the most significant Komeda’s recordings.

But let’s go back to the music on this album which comprises five long up to 20-minutes tracks which nonetheless are highly expressive, keeping listener’s attention from very first to last second due to abundance of original ideas and great communication between players. The album begins with "Litania": an impressionistic introduction spreading a palette of "cool" sounds with delicate support by the rhythm section whose selectivity is striking. Dominik Wania in particular, as much here as anywhere else on this album, shows his awesome pianistic potential: his intuition, subtlety, feeling of a form and a certain kind of playfulness are simply beyond a praise.

Next "Etiudy Baletowe-Introdukcja” starts with a energetic drum solo of Gard Nilsen announcing an up-tempo character of this tune. And again our attention turns to Wania who masterfully plays with convention and texture, sounding at times with a blues roughness and occasionally giving also rhythmic puzzles to the bassist. He follows the groove by pushing himself in-between aggressive plucking of doublebass strings with surprising passages, repetitions and harmonic returns which though still firmly in the jazz tradition go beyond it at the same time. 

"Walter P-38" is a track from a film etude with the music of Komeda illustrating a detective story. The evocative leitmotif played by Obara exemplifies well his exceptional timbre and expression which astounds me throughout this album. Unlike on his other projects, especially early ones, his tone is fully controlled, aware of what his partners are doing and, the most important of all, it gained this specific, Komeda blues characteristic. Next, another movie track, is a tune from Swedish movie "Kattorna" (“The Cats”, 1965). This tune is feisty and surprisingly courageous as for theme about female love. Like actresses in this film, the music shows predator claws on misleadingly soft creatures, mixing latin rhythms with a hot African beat. Gard Nilsen now in cooperation with his compatriot create a vibrant, fiery base, reminding me of sultry duos of William Parker and Hamid Drake.

The sound of Scandinavia can also be heard in “Komeda’s Medley” featuring bits of “Cages”, “Astigmatic” and “Svantetic” compositions. They are particularly present in airy “Cages” with its unhurried saxophone theme. Then this nostalgic ballad gives place to vigorous "Astigmatic", where the rough melody quickly loops time and again and the band’s music spins like a broken record. Finally “Svantetic” comes (both tunes from the legendary album “Astigmatic”, 1965) and the music is reaching its climax in sophisticated, hardbop solos of all musicians paying their tribute to Komeda’s genius and confirming Maciej Obara’s own words - its a dream team, a powerful trampoline to the international scene. 

Tracklist:

Litania, Etiuda Baletowa, Walter P-38, Kattorna, Cages-Astigmatic-Svantetic

Leszek Mozdzer & Tymon Tymanski Polish Brass Ensemble - Chopin Etiudy Przystanek Woodstock (2012)

Leszek Mozdzer & Tymon Tymanski Polish Brass Ensemble

Antoni Ziut Gralak - trumpet
Bronislaw Duzy - trombone
Marcin Slusarczyk - alto saxophone
Ireneusz Wojtczak - soprano and tenor saxophone
Leszek Mozdzer - piano
Ryszard Tymon Tymanski - double bass
Kuba Staruszkiewicz - drums

Chopin Etiudy Przystanek Woodstock (2012)

By Monika Okrój

This recording is influenced by four personalities and, respectively, four musical circles as represented by Frederic Chopin, Leszek Możdżer, Tymon Tymański and... Jurek Owsiak. Joining together in order to revive Chopin timeless music the project may be seen as searching for common ground between the classical music, modern jazz, yass and… rock influenced mass festivals. To be able to grasp better how such a diversity might work let us look closer at the protagonists of this unique enterprise: 

Leszek Możdżer's improvisations on Chopin's works are among the best in this genre, and certainly the most original. His first album "Chopin - impresje" (1994) was reissued to commemorate the composer's 200-birth year as a "Impressions on Chopin" (2010). Pianist often includes the reminiscences of those albums in his concert repertoire. 

The meeting of Leszek Możdżer with Ryszard Tymon Tymański again on one stage is also significant. Their musical roads came together in the late 80, when formed already legendary jazz band from Tri-city "Miłość" („Love”), from which hatched the concept of "yass" (merger of jazz, punk rock and folk) and subsequently spread over a fair part of then young music scene. 

And there is also Jurek Owsiak – a great figure of Polish charity, the founder of "Wielka Orkiestra Świątecznej Pomocy”. It is a foundation which every year collects money to help the sick, especially children, by buying the necessary equipment for hospitals. His foundation since 1995 also organizes fully sponsored festival “Przystanek Woodstock”, inspired by the Woodstock, with music - willy-nilly - rather different from jazz. 

When Leszek Możdżer was asked to give a concert at the festival, he didn't hide his embarrassment: “this is a specific festival - said in an interview for the Polish Radio Dwójka - hundreds of thousands of free people under the stage. It was a heavy mental strain for me, even though I was only an hour on stage, the whole half a year I was disturbed by this term. I didn't know how it will look like. Two days before the concert I wrote arrangements. I knew that if I take “hooligan-boys” to the team and we play together on the big stage, we will be understood". 

In result, the concert was listened by 200 thousand of people, what can be heard on the recording full of cheers, whistling, vibrant reactions. The evidence of what was happening at this festival is a voice of Jurek Owsiak, or rather what remained from it. Możdżer always so very eloquent and talkative on stage, this time adapted his announcements to the omnipresent noise; sometimes it sounds funny for a jazz fan - "Etude in E-major, E-major, which we love and respect”. So what about the music? The arrangements are various and Chopin's themes - if they occur - very clear. In the original pieces, particularly in etudes, it is possible to hear many, both rhythmical and melodic layers which attests to their richness. This “hooligan” approach to the very sensitive matter on the one hand deprives them of such value, but on the other hand gives back the pure essence. Educational role? Why not? 

In the recording, we find several themes arranged literally, but there are also others, that contain only shreds of themes and chords, as for example Etude in G-flat major, Op 25 no 9, which begins with a strong, funky drum solo, and then develops vigorously along hardbop lines. Another Etude in C major Op 10 no 7, very "brillante" in its essence, is the one where we can hear the melody in parts of wind instruments, sounding like a big band, in a midst of which we can hear Możdżer’s improvises. In the opening Etude C major Op 10 no 1 the pianist fiery plays the original in the background, when the band firmly plays vertical chords. Each piece is actually a separate story, has its own tension, is a source of concern and curiosity, as the famous Etude in C minor Op 10 no 12 “Revolutionary”, played in kind of "tempo rubato" and completely free. And just here, the bass solo of Tymon Tymański makes the silence in the audience. 

The band manages to sneak in an unusual way the wonderful themes even in a pretty romantic version: Prelude in E minor Op 28 no 4, very often played by jazz musicians, was played here almost like a ballad. It's incredible in the end, when Leszek Możdżer plays original Etude in E major Op 10 no 3 - the best proof that Chopin's music was received with approval, that the great music stands no artificial borders. Celebrating 200th years since the birth of this arguably most famous of Polish composers, this album is the most credible evidence that the clashes of different cultures and aesthetics could give great results indeed!

Tracklist:
1. Etiuda C Op. 10 Nr 1
2. Etiuda F Op. 10 Nr 9
3. Etiuda E Op. 10 Nr 3
4. Etiuda C Op. 25 Nr 12
5. Etiuda Ges Op. 25 Nr 9
6. Etiuda C Op. 10 Nr 7
7. Etiuda C Op. 10 Nr 12
8. Preludium E Op. 28 Nr 4
9. Etiuda E Op. 10 Nr 3 Solo

Henryk Miskiewicz - Full Drive 3 (2012)

Henryk Miśkiewicz - alto, soprano, sopranino saxes

Marek Napiórkowski - guitars
Robert Kubiszyn - bass
Michał Miśkiewicz - drums

guest:

Michael 'Patches' Stewart - trumpet

Full Drive 3 (2012)

By Monika Okrój 

Full Drive 3 is a follow up to the two previous recordings by the group: Full Drive (2004), Full Drive 2 (2007). The leader Henryk Miskiewicz is one of the most important Polish saxophonist and actually the only regular member of the band. Like the previous albums this is also a live recording, the fruit of two concerts in Jazz Cafe Łomianki. You can hear Miskiewicz's announcements, spontaneous cheers, long rounds of applause; all this undoubtedly creates a mood of “free and easy”, full of positive vibes. 

Almost every musician plays here on several instruments, so we have saxophones, guitars, basses, and drums. Although the band went through many personnel changes, Miśkiewicz proudly admits, that all the musicians know each other inside out and create a reliable band to record such projects live. In the latest interview he says: „I really like the live recordings, just because you can hear all kinds of stuff, and it's simply natural. Any grides or mistakes, it all creates an atmosphere. And also you can hear how the audience reacts”. 

As on the previous albums, special guest also appear here, and it is not a singer this time (Dorota Miśkiewicz – Full Drive, Kuba Badach – Full Drive 2), but an excellent, New Orlean's trumpeter - Michael „Patches” Stewart, presented in a playful way by Miśkiewicz, as „one, who plays with all”. In fact, Patches worked with stars – Marcus Miller, Quincy Jones, David Sanborn, George Duke and Whitney Houston. His role in Full Drive 3 can’t be overestimated, he perfectly fits in the funky/bebop climate of the tunes, playing strongly forward, sometimes evoking of the most prominent fusion band, with Miles Davis in the lead. 

It's no secret for Miśkiewicz, that his approach to the team as a whole, is inspired by the Cannonbal Adderley, both in new compositions and arrangements. Musicians play intensely and heavily if needed, driven by funk energy. Their music is recognizable after one note, what is – not exaggerating - a phenomenon on a global scale! What makes Full Drive unique is that every single piece is truly rocking and melodies are catchy. The opening theme by soprano saxophone, “Song About Song”, sounds like the harmonica's motive from Stevie Wonder. "Montalcino Blues", in turn associated clearly with Hancock's “Chameleon”. Fusion, ambiental backgrounds, with indispensable guitar sound of Napiórkowski, refer to Weather Report, such as in “In a Silent Way” by Joe Zawinul, the composition also recorded by Full Drive 3. 

The idea of Full Drive's music has been consistent in its form from the very beginning, but calling it boring and trivial is out of the question. Anyway, the question is – how long such an orthodox kind of playing will be working live? Musicians seem careless about what is going on at the moment in the international „jazz scene”, I mean in all these neo-avant-garde and experimental streams. However, the band's concert experience shows us, that they can fill a room and it's because the third proposal of Full Drive still sounds fresh and convincing. So we can hear in the end of the recording the audience singing in two voices Zawinul's “Walk Tall”, the tune that became like an anthem, played on the first Full Drive releases.

Tracklist:
1. Song about song - H. Miśkiewicz
2. In a silent way - J. Zawinul
3. Montalcino Blues - M. Napiórkowski
4. Don't you know - M. Miller
5. Crisis - F. Hubbard
6. Ponta de Areia - M. Nascimento
7. Shibuya Drive - R. Kubiszyn
8. Brunatny Twist - H. Miśkiewicz