Malerai/Uchihashi/Maya R – Utsuroi (2015)

Malerai / Uchihashi / Maya R

Michał Górczyński - clarinet, tenor saxophone, keyboard, plastic flute, toy guitar, voice
Kazuhisa Uchihashi - guitar, daxophone
Maya R - vocal
Dagna Sadkowska - violin
Mikołaj Pałosz - cello

Utsuroi

FOR TUNE 0055

By Adam Baruch

This album presents a wonderful project created by Polish trio Malerai, formed and led by clarinetists/composer Michał Górczyński with violinist Dagna Sadkowska and cellist Mikołaj Pałosz, and two Japanese musicians: vocalist Maya R and guitarist Kazuhisa Uchihashi. The album presents thirteen songs, which are sung in Japanese. Eleven of these songs were composed by Górczyński and two by Uchihashi. The lyrics of these songs were written by Japanese poets: Hekigoto Kawahigashi (the pioneer of modern haiku) and Yoshihiro Harada and by Friedrich Nietzsche (translated into Japanese).

The music is all about the sound and ambience of the Japanese language and reflects its many subtleties. Completely cross-genre, it moves freely between Pop, Rock, Jazz and contemporary Classical, with ease and elegance, always keeping the listener in suspense. Górczyński emerges here, similarly to his work on earlier Malerai projects, as one of the most interesting Polish contemporary composers and his ability to diversify his palette to suit different environments is quite remarkable.

Since this album is about the sound and feel of the Japanese language, it is not necessary for the listener to understand the language as such in order to enjoy this album. The vocals can be easily considered as one of the instruments of the entire ensemble and be accepted as such. The Polish and English translations of the lyrics are present in the album's booklet, for those who are interested in the actual meaning of the lyrics.

Overall this is a beautiful piece of contemporary music, which by its aesthetic potency easily bridges genres and cultures, creating a completely new universe. Superb music, great performances and a true gift for innovation and farsightedness turn this into a first class musical experience, which of course is wholeheartedly recommended!

Malerai/Uchihashi/Maya R - Utsuroi (2015)

Malerai/Uchihashi/Maya R

Michał Górczyński - clarinet, tenor saxophone, keyboard, plastic flute, toy guitar, voice
Kazuhisa Uchihashi - guitar, daxophone
Maya R - vocal
Dagna Sadkowska - violin
Mikołaj Pałosz - cello

Utsuroi

FOR TUNE 0055

By Michał Pudło

Dwa pierwsze zadęcia klarnetu i dwa zwiewne ptaki ulatują już z trzepotem skrzydeł – tak rozpoczyna się „Utsuroi”, czyli owoc współpracy warszawskiego tria Malerai (multiinstrumentalista Michał Górczyński, skrzypaczka Dagna Sadkowska i wiolonczelista Mikołaj Pałosz) z japońskim improwizatorem Kazuhisą Uchihashim i wokalistką Mayą R. Album nie jest do końca samoistną całością, gdyż stanowi drugą część cyklu „muzyka do języków”, rozpoczętego zeszłorocznym „Preparing To Dance-New Yiddish Songs” (Malerai, Goldstein, Masecki). Trio Malerai, w szczególności zaś Michał Górczyński, próbują z pomocą muzyki charakteryzować język, poprzez język kulturę, a poprzez kulturę, domyślamy się, zbiorowo rozumianą duszę wybranych kultur.

Wspomniałem poetycko o ptakach na wstępie, ale przecież na taki początek zupełnie nie przygotowuje nas oszczędna okładka. Co prawda wytwórnia ForTune przyzwyczaiła już do ozdabiania albumów melancholijnymi i stylowymi fragmentami czarno-białych fotografii, w tym momencie jednak wybór brutalistycznego zygzaku architektury wydaje się daleko posuniętą przewrotnością. Dlaczego? Ponieważ muzyka na „Utsuroi” jest barwna i wielowymiarowa.

Istotą rzeczy pozostają kompozycje Michała Górczyńskiego. Niekiedy beztroskie, innym razem dosadne, pomyślane na klasyczne trio i rozmaite urządzenia, jednocześnie otwarte na improwizacje Uschihashiego (grającego na gitarze elektrycznej i daksofonie – fascynującym instrumencie przypominającym siodełko roweru) i śpiewany tekst. Progresywność sprawia, że z największym trudem przychodzą porównania. Jak ująć album, w ramach którego w utworze „Atarashii Umini Mukate” słyszymy muzykę z filmów studia Ghibli, w kolejnych mamy nagrania terenowe, saksofon a’la Brötzmann, następnie w „Shiawase” dalekie echa impresyjnej muzyki Pera Nørgårda? Styl Górczyńskiego nie jest ani trywialny (jak muzyka filmowa, czyli użytkowa muzyka klasyczna), ani nadmiernie skomplikowany. Najbardziej jednak uderza negliż emocjonalny – „Utsuroi” w najgłębszym sensie może być eklektyczną muzyką ilustrującą dowolne stany ducha. Oszałamia słuchacza w mgnieniu oka, z drugiej strony może też przytłoczyć rozmachem. Potrafię sobie wyobrazić zastrzeżenia, problem z chaosem, odurzenie mnogością wolt i suspensów. W porządku, ale narzekanie na rozmach przypomina dąsy bibliofila w antykwariacie pełnym białych kruków.

W przypadku tak bogatego aranżacyjnie, różnorodnego brzmieniowo albumu na niewiele zdaje się analiza detali. Nie należy rozkładać „Utsuroi” na czynniki pierwsze, tak jak nie wyciąga się nitek z tureckiego dywanu po to, by poznać tajemnicę misternie uszytego wzoru. Mamy do czynienia z monetą, która upada na kant pomiędzy orłem akademii a reszką intuicji. Każdy nawet wymagający dźwięk daksofonu, smyczków czy przesterowanej gitary elektrycznej został przez Górczyńskiego odpowiednio i z pietyzmem umiejscowiony w widełkach stylu. Dlatego też eklektyzm – bo właśnie o eklektyzmie należy mówić w momencie, gdy album dosłownie bombarduje nas tematami, pomysłami i nagłymi zwrotami akcji – zdaje się układać w spójną całość. To nie lada osiągnięcie, biorąc pod uwagę ambitny koncept (zgłębianie fenomenu lingua japonica). Swoją drogą „cykl językowy” Malerai będzie miał swoją kontynuację – polecam zatem przeprogramować radary na odbiór wieści z obozu twórców „Utsuroi”.

Malerai/Goldstein/Masecki - Preparing To Dance: New Yiddish Songs (2014)

Malerai/Goldstein/Masecki

Michał Górczyński - clarinet, bass clarinet, voice
Dagna Sadkowska - violin
Mikołaj Pałosz - cello
Hanna Goldstein - vocal
Marcin Masecki - piano

Preparing To Dance: New Yiddish Songs


MULTIKULTI MPT 011

By Adam Baruch

This is a live recording of a concert, which presents a cycle of nine songs composed by clarinetist/composer Michał Górczyński with lyrics in Yiddish by the American poet Yermiyahu Ahron Taub. The cycle is performed by the Malerai trio, which comprises of Górczyński, violinist Dagna Sadkowska and cellist Mikołaj Pałosz, vocalist Hanna Goldstein and the enfant terrible of the Polish Avant-garde Jazz scene, pianist Marcin Masecki. Górczyński is known to Polish Jazz followers as the member of the clarinet quartet Ircha led by Mikołaj Trzaska and also as a member of the Pole trio. He cooperated with Masecki as a member of his Profesjonalizm ensemble. The concert was recorded in 2013 during the 4th edition of the New Jewish Music Festival in Warsaw.

This album is a very important statement of several realities concerning contemporary Jewish Culture. Firstly it proves that the Yiddish language is alive and kicking, not only as the lingua franca of Ashkenazi orthodox Jewish communities in Israel and the USA, but also as a form of expression of contemporary Jewish Culture, including poetry and literary prose, which are being created as we speak; this contrary to the popular opinion that the Yiddish language is practically dead and represents a wonderful heritage, which sadly is buried in the past. Secondly it once again emphasizes the incredible rebirth/resurgence/renaissance of the Jewish culture in Poland, especially in the avant-garde cycles of the young Polish Jazz community.

To put things straight this is definitely not a Jazz album or Jazz music per se; the best form of describing it would be drawing a parallel to the glorious days of German cabaret of the decadent era created almost a century ago and best portrayed by the music of Kurt Weil. Górczyński, perhaps subconsciously, uses similar musical/theatrical devices as classic cabaret, but brings them up to date by adding dissonance and free improvised instrumental passages as part of the arrangements of the songs. Masecki, who is the most avant-garde prone ingredient of this ensemble, plays the "grown up in charge" part, elegantly accompanying the vocals and displaying maximal restrain almost at all times. Goldstein's vocals fit the musical setting well and she's not afraid to "let go" and explore some vocal acrobatics, whenever appropriate. If only her Yiddish accent was a bit more authentic… Therefore, although not really Jazz, this music does have a lot of free spirited expressionism and improvisational elements in it, to become aesthetically related to Jazz.

Although Taub comes from a strict orthodox Jewish background, the subject matter of his poetry is completely secular and universal, often full of psychedelic imagery and free associative connections. Górczyński's music is a superb vehicle for these poems to cross over into a new dimension, mixing music and words to create a new identity. Górczyński and his team created an excellent piece of contemporary Art, which adapted heritage, tradition and contemporary artistic resources, amalgamating them into a class of its own.

Overall, although this album does not make any revolutionary discoveries, it has enough merit to be called a bold, important step forward towards creating contemporary Jewish Culture as much as enriching the existing heritage. In a reality, in which most music is completely devoid of any ambition or artistic merit, this is a wonderful example of creativity and intellectually challenging spirit. Bravo!

Osaka Vacuum - Emerging View (Slowdownrecords, 2011)

Osaka Vacuum (band)

Ray Dickaty - Tenor Saxophone

Mikołaj Pałosz- Cello

Paweł Szpura – Drums

Emerging View (Slowdownrecords, 2011)

Anchored in tradition of great avantgarde saxophonists of the past as Ornette Coleman, Albert Ayler, Archie Shepp or, recently, Ken Vandermark this disc is typical free jazz album containing 50 or so minutes of continuous improvisation. I like this album most when music diverges from standard free jazz path into modern chamber music moods, present especially in dialogues between Mikołaj Pałosz' cello and Paweł Szpura's drums, both young but truly outstanding instrumentalists. When Ray Dickaty joins, whose presence is dominant over whole music, we are back in so well-known tracks of free jazz improvisation and may enjoy music as unrestrained, spontaneous and chaotic as that created by masters of this genre in late 60ties or early 70ties of past century.

Author: Maciej Nowotny
http://kochamjazz.blox.pl/html

Slowdownrecords is accelerating...

Please, check their new web page: http://slowdownrecords.com/

Maciej Trifonidis Bielawski has been recently recording one fine record after another. Under his own name "Downtown Project" (2010) with his Trifonidis Free Orchestra "...be like a child" (2009) and another of his group Tricphonix Street Band - "The Dudes (2010)". All these issues are worth checking indeed though my favourite is another group he plays in that is Horny Trees - "Branches Of Dirty Delight" (2009). 

In order to be able to record new albums Maciej Bielawski is following noble examples of artists like Dave Douglas (GreenLeaf) or John Zorn (Tzadik) and created a recording company Slowdownrecords.  Though he started with issuing his own music he has recently announced very interesting new outings planned for autumn this year: 

Kamil Szuszkiewicz "Prolegomena"

Osaca Vacum "Emerging View" featuring Ray Dickaty, Mikołaj Pałosz and Paweł Szpura

Trifonidis Quintet "Illuminations".

We keep our fingers crossed for this enterprise and hope to review these albums once they come to market. Check this video to listen and see how great potential as musician Maciej Bielawski has: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1691519080350.