Tubis Trio – Sygnowano Bajgelman: Impresje (2019)

Tubis Trio

Maciej Tubis - piano
Paweł Puszczało - bass
Przemysław Pacan - drums

Sygnowano Bajgelman: Impresje

PRIVATE EDITION



By Adam Baruch

This is the fourth album by Polish Jazz piano trio (Tubis Trio) led by pianist/composer Maciej Tubis with bassist Paweł Puszczało and drummer Przemysław Pacan. The album is a tribute to the Jewish violinist / conductor / composer Dawid Bajgelman, who was the director of the Lodz Yiddish Theater and who composed music for many Yiddish theatre plays, including S. Ansky's "The Dybbuk", as well as many popular songs.

Bajgelman was a prominent figure in the cultural life of the flourishing Jewish community of Lodz in the period between the two World Wars. He was interned in the Lodz ghetto in 1940 where he lived until 1944, and was sent by the last transport from the ghetto to Auschwitz, where he died in early 1945 shortly before the liberation. The album, commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the liquidation of the Lodz ghetto, presents Jazz arrangements by Tubis of seven songs composed by Bajgelman.

Tubis made a remarkable job in transporting Bajgelman's music almost a Century forward in time, proving how timeless and universal the music was to start with. The trio performs the music with passion and elegance, expressing the mixture of joy and melancholy that Jewish music is always immersed in, reflecting Jewish passion for life, which often is met with harsh reality.

The trio members are all seasoned musicians and their instrumental performances are all, as expected, beyond reproach. The ensemble performances sound as if performed by one spiritual body of music-makers, and the dynamics and sensitivity in relation to the original music is truly superbly expressed. Listeners familiar with the original songs will be able to recognize the motifs of course, but one can assume that Bajgelman's music is not easily found these days, and therefore this album serves a great opportunity to re-discover this immensely talented composer.

Although inevitably soaked in the Holocaust historic setting, the music is a celebration of life and creativity and a wonderful tribute to Jewish Culture and tradition. Thank you Maciej for undertaking this challenging project and putting so much soul into making it come true!

Tubis Trio – Flashback (2018)

Tubis Trio

Maciej Tubis - piano
Paweł Puszczało - bass
Przemysław Pacan - drums

Flashback

AUDIO CAVE 2018/010




By Adam Baruch

This is the third album by Polish Jazz piano trio called Tubis Trio led by pianist/composer Maciej Tubis with bassist Paweł Puszczało and drummer Przemysław Pacan. The album presents eight original compositions, all by the leader.

The music is deeply melodic and often melancholic, strongly related to the typical Polish harmonics, soaked in Polish musical heritage, but also touching upon serial music and minimalism. It floats somewhere between popular instrumental music, contemporary Classical Music and Jazz, but escapes clear stylistic or genre classification. However the music does have a coherent compositional language and approach, definitely more precisely defined than on the earlier albums by Tubis, which means that he reached herein his maturity as a composer.

This album also marks the position of the trio as a close musical unit, way more prominently than on the earlier recordings, which were dominated by the piano parts. On this album the music features the piano and the rhythm section side by side as equal partners. Although the melodic content is obviously stated by the piano, the bass and the drums are clearly present all along the way, recorded on the same level and being inseparable from the piano parts.

Although the music is only somewhat related to Jazz, being intrinsically quite distant from the mainstream Jazz idiom, the Jazz listeners are probably the most immediate audience, to which this music should speak straightforwardly. But of course any open-minded and sensitive music lover should be able to enjoy it to the max. In spite of its seemingly easy nature, this music requires serious and attentive listening and a lot of patience, as it utilizes nontrivial harmonic structures and odd meters, quirky tempo alterations and other compositional tricks of the trade.

Overall this is by far the most interesting offering by Tubis to date, a mature, coherent piece of music, which clearly presents him and his cohorts as a slick musical unit and offers his compositional vision in full bloom. Warmly recommended!

Stanisław Słowiński Quintet i Tubis Trio na festiwalu Jazz & Literatura 2018 !!!

Stanisław Słowiński Quintet - Chorzów, Starochorzowski Dom Kultury - 10.10.2018, godz. 19.00.

Stanisław Słowiński - skrzypek, aranżer, kompozytor, producent muzyczny, multiinstrumentalista. Laureat Grand Prix 39. Międzynarodowego Konkursu Młodych Zespołów Jazzowych Jazz Juniors z autorskim projektem Stanisław Słowiński Quintet. Laureat Nagrody Publiczności na I Międzynarodowym Jazzowym Konkursie Skrzypcowym im. Zbigniewa Seiferta. Laureat Stypendium Twórczego Miasta Krakowa 2014. Wielokrotnie nominowany w kategoriach "Skrzypce" oraz "Nowa nadzieja" w ankiecie Jazz Top czytelników Jazz Forum. Związany z muzyką od ponad 18 lat; naukę gry na skrzypcach rozpoczął w wieku 5 lat. Jako lider projektów autorskich, sideman oraz współpracując z kilkunastoma orkiestrami kameralnymi i symfonicznymi (m.in. Sinfonietta Cracovia, Krakowska Orkiestra Kameralna) koncertuje regularnie w całej Polsce oraz za granicą.

Stanisław Słowiński Quintet, czerpiąc inspiracje z klasyki polskiego jazzu oraz pozostając pod silnym wpływem muzyki współczesnej, stawia sobie za priorytet pracę nad indywidualnym brzmieniem, zbudowanym na wypadkowej zawartych w muzyce emocji. Zespół odwiedził wiele krajów europejskich; m.in. Hiszpanię, Serbię, Rumunię, Słowację, Czechy, Węgry; wziął też udział w największej w historii polskiej jazzowej trasie koncertowej w Chinach - Jazzpopolsku. Podczas festiwalu Jazz & Literatura kwintet zaprezentuje materiał z pięknej debiutanckiej płyty "Landscapes Too Easy To Explain".

Tubis Trio - Chorzów, Chorzowskie Centrum Kultury - 11.10.2018, godz. 19.00.

Docenione przez krytyków trio jazzowe tworzą od 2008 roku Maciej Tubis (fortepian), Paweł Puszczało (kontrabas) oraz Przemek Pacan (perkusja). Zespół wykonuje autorskie kompozycje, których styl nakreśla improwizacja zaczerpnięta z jazzu, ale otwarta na szersze horyzonty. W ten sposób powstają utwory z melodyjnymi tematami, ale nieprzewidywalnymi formami, klasycyzujące polifonie przechodzą w rockowe ostinata. Porównywane do szwedzkiego e.s.t. Tubis Trio zaskakuje publiczność świeżością i ekspresją, która jest najważniejsza w tym zespole i którą publiczność zawsze docenia.

Pierwszy album zespołu „Live In Luxembourg” został uznany przez brytyjski magazyn Jazzwise za jedną z najlepszych płyt jazzowych na świecie roku 2009. W 2017 roku trio powróciło ze studyjną płytą „The Truth”, proponując całą gamę podskórnych niuansów, będących równocześnie znakomitą ofertą dla ludzi, którzy nie są na co dzień fanami jazzu. „To urzekający i autentycznie pozytywny album dla ludzi o wszystkich gustach muzycznych.” – zrecenzował ostatni album, wydany przez holenderską wytwórnię Challenge Records, amerykański krytyk jazzowy Geno Thackara z portalu All About Jazz. Na październik 2018 Tubis Trio szykuje premierę najnowszego krążka.

Tubis Trio – The Truth (2017)

Tubis Trio

Maciej Tubis - piano
Paweł Puszczało - bass
Przemysław Pacan - drums

The Truth

CHALLENGE 608917344523




By Adam Baruch

This is the second album by Polish Jazz piano trio (Tubis Trio) led by pianist/composer Maciej Tubis, with bassist Paweł Puszczało, who replaced the original bassist Marcin Lamch, and drummer Przemysław Pacan. The album presents ten original compositions, all by Tubis. The album was recorded at the excellent RecPublica Studios in Poland, and presents a superb sonic quality with a somewhat unusual timbre and was released by the prestigious Dutch Challenge Records label. This album follows the debut album "Live In Luxembourg", which was recorded nine and released seven years earlier, and which achieved some international acclaim.

The music is in fact only partly directly connected with the Jazz idiom, and belongs to the modern European instrumental music variety, which is strongly based on deeply melodic themes and lengthy lyrical, somewhat introvert improvisations, which use typical European harmonic approach, creating a manner similar to many other contemporary pianists, who record for the ECM, ACT and related labels. In most cases the compositions are slow and melancholic, with just a few of the album's tracks using an up tempo pace.

The music is dominated by the piano parts and the rhythm section has limited opportunity to show off, but supports the leader very solidly and amicably. The bass provides the bottom notes all the way and its pulsations are vital to this music. The drums provide a steady rhythmic support, which suits this music perfectly. The instrumental performances are of course first class from start to finish.

Overall this is an excellent example of contemporary instrumental music, which is accessible to a wide audience without making any compromises as far as the music quality is concerned. This Polish trio proves again that Poland is a reliable source of great European music, which is on par with anything being created beyond its borders, usually quite ahead of the pack. This is definitely a welcome comeback, which hopefully will not be followed by another long term of silence.

Wojciech Konikiewicz – My Room 101 (2007)

Wojciech Konikiewicz

Wojciech Konikiewicz - keyboards
Marcin Lamch - bass
Przemyslaw Pacan - drums

 My Room 101

KONTRA BAND



By Adam Baruch

This is the debut album by Polish Jazz keyboardist/composer Wojciech Konikiewicz and his trio called Transgroove, which also includes bassist Marcin Lamch and drummer Przemyslaw Pacan. The album presents eight original compositions (and a bonus remix of the opening track), all by Konikiewicz.

The music is a keyboards-soaked Groove, Funk, Jazz-Rock Fusion, which has been the modus operandi of Konikiewicz since years. Layers upon layers of keyboards supported by a tight, funky rhythm section are a vehicle which carries a series of lengthy and well developed keyboard solos soaring above with passion. In contrast to most Groove recordings however, this music offers a very diverse melodic content, which Groove music seems to carry little about in most cases. The melancholic and lyrical acoustic track (where Konikiewicz plays acoustic piano) is one of the highlights of the album.

Konikiewicz is an absolute wizard with his synthesizers, able to create an infinite variety of sounds and colors, which is truly amazing. The music on this album sparkles with new ideas constantly, and there is not a dull moment for the entire duration of the album. Same goes for the many moods and atmospheric soundscapes, which seem to float in front of the listener like an imaginary movie.

The rhythm section is quite ideal for these proceedings, switching between straightforward timekeeping to delicate accompaniment on the more lyrical tunes. Lamch plays a superbly melodic acoustic bass solo on one track but is forceful and funky on other occasions. The same can be said about Pacan as well. The level of interplay and musical respect between the trio members is remarkable.

This album should reestablish the reputation of Konikiewicz as one of the best among the veteran Polish Jazz musicians. Hopefully he will be able to grace us with new recordings more often than earlier, as we are nor getting any younger. Lovers of Groove, Funk and just great keyboards oriented music should find this irresistible!

Kapela Yanina – The Searchers For Something… (2002) ****

Janusz Yanina Iwanski - guitar
Lukasz Kluczniak - saxophone
Marcin Lamch - bass
Przemyslaw Pacan - drums

GOWI 56







By Adam Baruch

This is the second recording by the Polish Jazz-Rock Fusion quartet Kapela Yanina led by the veteran guitarist / composer Janusz Yanina Iwanski with saxophonist Lukasz Kluczniak, bassist Marcin Lamch and drummer Przemyslaw Pacan. They perform eight compositions, six of which are originals by Iwanski, one is a group composition by all four players and the remaining one is by Krzysztof Komeda.

Stylistically and musically this album is a direct continuation of their debut effort called "2001", which was recorded a couple of years earlier. It uses the same formula of playing long and extended improvisations, with the saxophone being the leading voice, and the guitar setting up the background, playing almost ambient chords and the rhythm section supporting the free / ambient structures with steady Funk / Rock oriented pulsations. The overall effect of this music is truly unique, combining seemingly incompatible elements into one coherent whole. In comparison with the debut, this album is more open and less constrained, but of course looses the element of surprise (or rather shock) which of course every new direction, musical or otherwise, is able to achieve only once.

Listeners familiar with Polish Jazz are able to compare the version of Komeda's "Kattorna" performed here with the original recording by the composer on his legendary "Astigmatic" album, recorded 35 years earlier. Of course, depending on the listener's taste and open-mindedness the comparison might result in a verdict anywhere between sacrilegious to genius. Whatever the result, it's pretty obvious that this is simply excellent music any way one looks at it. Although roughly belonging to the Jazz-Rock Fusion genre, it goes much further beyond what is usually considered as part of that genre, adding elements of Free improvisation, Rock fierceness, Far East meditative moods and a plethora of other, probably mostly subconscious revelations.

In retrospect is clear that Kapela Yanina was one of the most interesting groups, which were active on the Polish Jazz scene over time. The two early albums and the additional album they recorded following a ten years long break, "Yanina Free Wave", all belong to the canon of Polish Jazz recordings.

This is an important piece of the puzzle, which is Polish Jazz, and anybody interested in it should definitely have this album in their collection. Apparently this album is still available and therefore I urge everybody to grab a copy ASAP, as this is definitely too good to be missed. Act now or be repentant later!

Kapela Yanina – 2001 (1999) ****1/2

Janusz Yanina Iwanski - guitar
Lukasz Kluczniak - saxophone
Maricn Lamch - bass
Przemyslaw Pacan - drums

SELLES 0115







By Adam Baruch

This is the debut recording by the Polish Jazz-Rock Fusion quartet Kapela Yanina led by the veteran guitarist / composer Janusz Yanina Iwanski with saxophonist Lukasz Kluczniak, bassist Marcin Lamch and drummer Przemyslaw Pacan. They perform 8 compositions, five of which are originals by Iwanski, two are group compositions by Kluczniak / Pacan / Lamch (known together as the Kapela Trio) and the remaining one is by John Coltrane.

By the turn of the Century (and the Millennium as well) Polish Jazz was entering a new and exciting period. The first decade (the 1990s) of the country's political freedom influenced Jazz potently and led to the development of the Yass phenomenon, which was primarily an expression of rebellion against tradition and destruction of limitations and formulas, which ruled previously for decades. Although aesthetically Yass was rather rough and often limited musically, its main contribution was the openness, especially among the younger Polish Jazz players, which allowed for cross genre / cross Culture exploration and experimentation.

Kapela Yanina exemplifies splendidly this new direction. Iwanski, a Blues, Rock and Jazz influenced player, manages to create a perfect new amalgam by inviting a saxophonist, who plays almost completely Free, a bassist, who is the personification of Funk and a drummer, who is steady as a Rock (pun intended). Together they are simply unstoppable and the music they create sweeps everything aside like a bulldozer. Just imagine John Coltrane and Jimmy Hendrix blowing their chops together.

Iwanski has a completely unique approach to his instrument. He plays only occasional solos, where he uses notes, but most of the time he plays chords, which are sustained, distorted and twisted and create complex, almost keyboards-like ambient background, which features the saxophonist as the main soloist. It is exceptional for a leader to give up his ego and allow someone else to play the first fiddle. Kluczniak is simply superb and plays with such confidence and fluidity, that one would never guess his age at the time this music was recorded. The fact that he remains relatively unknown to this very day is a travesty. The rhythm section is simply perfect, playing just what is right, from soft and delicate touches to a hurricane like storm at the climatic moments.

Kapela Yanina was one of the most interesting groups, which were active on the Polish Jazz scene at the time. They managed to record one more album, called "The Searchers For Something…" a couple years later and then after an almost ten years long break they reunited and recorded the excellent "Yanina Free Wave" album. The fact that all these three albums received little attention is simply beyond comprehension, as they all belong to the canon of Polish Jazz recordings.

This is an important piece of the puzzle, which is Polish Jazz, and anybody interested in it should definitely have this album in their collection. Apparently this album is still available and therefore I urge everybody to grab a copy ASAP, as this is definitely too good to be missed. Act now or be repentant later!

Janusz Yanina Iwanski – Yanina Free Wave (2011)

Janusz Yanina Iwanski - guitar
Lukasz Klucznik - saxophone
Marek Pospieszalski - saxophone
Marcin Lamch - bass
Przemek Pacan - drums

MTJ 10934



By Adam Baruch

This is an excellent album by veteran Polish Rock and Jazz guitarist / composer Janusz Yanina Iwanski, recorded with a quintet which also includes saxophonists Lukasz Kluczniak (alto) and Marek Pospieszalski (soprano and tenor), bassist Marcin Lamch and drummer Przemyslaw Pacan. The album comprises of six original compositions, five of which were composed by Iwanski and one is a group composition. Three of the compositions are quite extensive and last between eleven and sixteen minutes. The last track on the album is dedicated to the memory of the great Polish trumpeter Andrzej Przybielski, who died shortly before the album was released and with whom Iwanski played in the past.

The music is a unique cross-genre amalgam, which moves between Jazz-Rock Fusion, ambient / atmospheric improvised stretches and quite Free passages with the guitar and both saxophones improvising simultaneously. A strong melodic presence is felt throughout the entire duration, moving between the foreground and the background of whatever is happening in the course of the performance. Overall the album is mostly Free Jazz oriented and most of the time the group improvisation is the focus, although several simpler and more lyrical moments also materialize. Regardless of any attempts to categorize this music, it is quite elusive and listening to it is the only proper way to deal with it.

The individual instrumental performances are all quite excellent, as all these musicians are obviously highly talented. Iwanski plays some superb guitar licks, which one expects to find only on albums by the top guitar players around. His tone is fairly unusual and clear and his work will surely make many guitar freaks extremely happy. Both saxophonists play with passion and conviction, both able to play unisono or play against each other like fighters in a ring. The rhythm section does a perfect job, keeping the music right on track. The bass is solid and steady and the drums strongly present and almost as aggressive as the soloists, which is exactly what this music needs.

It's a pity this album found only a limited audience, as it truly deserves to be heard by a lot of people, who listen to the different sub-genres of Jazz, as there is something for everybody herein. As all good music this is not easy-listening by any standard, but will definitely grow on the listener with consecutive listening sessions. Therefore people looking for challenging, innovative and highly absorbing new musical vistas should check this album out as soon as possible and as long as it can be found on the market, before it disappears into the great limbo, where all good music seems to be sucked into these days. Great stuff!

KaPeLa Yanina - 2001 (Selles Enterprises, 1999)

KaPeLa Yanina (band)

Janusz YANINA Iwański - guitars, e-bow
Łukasz Kluczniak - alto saxophone
Marcin Lamch - electric bass, double bass
Przemek Pacan - drums

2001 (Selles Enterprises, 1999)

Last year (2011) guitarist Janusz Yanina Iwański released "Free Wave" which was very pleasant surprise and spurred me to go back to his other albums I haven't yet time to listen to. This one issued in 2001 is another fully satisfactory release from this pack of players which gathered together in KaPeLa and support for years more ambitious, rooted in jazz, Janusz Iwański projects. If it appeals to me less than previously mentioned "Free Wave", it is because one may feel in this release strong rock influences (Yanina is also active in this genre as leader of band called Breakout). This unfortunately simplifies music especially as far as rhythm is concerned. Still I am of anopinion that this disc is worth your time to rehearse at least once...  

Track listing: 1. Zabawa w słońcu; 2. KPL 2001; 3. Chorał KPL 1; 4. Y 83; 5. Impressions; 6. Chorał KPL 2; 7. Y 97; 8. Moja siódma klasa

This tune comes from newest release by this band:

By Maciej Nowotny

http://kochamjazz.blox.pl

Yanina - Free Wave (MTJ, 2011)

Yanina Free Band

Janusz Yanina Iwański - git, rain

Łukasz Kluczniak - as

Marek Pospieszalski - ss, ts

Marcin Lamch - bass

Przemek Pacan - dr

Yanina Free Wave (MTJ, 2011)

I hope this CD will be noticed as by our critics as by audience since it is yet another venture (after last year "Shhh!" by Nigel Kennedy Quartet) when well-known artist until now associated with other musical genre goes JAZZ and does it with a success! Nigel Kennedy has splendid career in classics and pop while Yanina is significant figure in history of Polish big beat, pop and first of all rock music. One must also realize that Yanina is a bit more ambitious since Kennedy chose mainstream language while Yanina explores fringes between mainstream and free jazz aesthetics. This is indeed daring move, very very seldom taken by mature artists and Yanina earns my great respect for it!

But it all would be impossible without excellent young musicians who surround him on this album: Łukasz Kluczniak on alto saxophone, Marek Pospieszalski on soprano and tenor saxophones (you can find him also on very good "Smells Like Tape Spirit" by Wojtek Mazolewski Quintet) and high quality rhythm section from Maciej Tubis Trio (check their "Live In Luxembourg") -  Marcin Lamch on bass and Przemek Pacan on drums. Those are young lads but they do swing as hell and Yanina finds in them perfect background for maturity, depth and sombre tone of his rocking guitar.

As for music it made very good impression on me: coherent, unhurried and rich improvisations one minute after another reveal itself before ears of astonished listener who up to this moment knew Yanina only from much more popular and simpler projects. With this band he shows talent and sensitiveness going well beyond those narrow limits and I can only wholeheartedly welcome him on Polish jazz scene where he not only clearly belongs but to which he may contribute a lot in years to come... My congratulations and recommendation! 

Check how excerpt from fine gig given by this band...

or the whole album on soundcloud: 

Author: Maciej Nowotny

http://kochamjazz.blox.pl/html

Maciej Tubis Trio - Live in Luxembourg (2010)

About pianist Maciej Tubis I wrote a lot when reviewing his first album titled "Fulfillment".  So this time I would skip bio data (you can find it at above mentioned link) and answer only question: what music contains his second disc?

His first album did not appeal to me very much because it contained very little of jazz music, mostly classical playing inspired by Arvo Paart and the likes. However in those rare moments when he played jazz it was obvious that his potential is great. So I was very happy upon hearing than in this album, recorded live in Luxembourd, Maciej Tubis went full-scale into jazz. And the outcome of such decision is magnificent! Especially if you happen to like great piano trios as led by Keith Jarrett, Esbjorn Svensson or Tord Gustavsen. Narrative power of Maciej Tubis play stands comparison with those giants of mainstream piano and listening to this album is simply  joy ride from one beautiful melody to another, all performed in best possible way. Maciej Tubis is supported by Marcin Lamch on double bass and Przemek Pacan on drums. Plus at a certain moment this three musicians are joined by Andre Mergenthaler whose play on cello enlivens the trio format and makes music even more original.

Speaking shortly, this is step in right direction by Maciej and his partners who were capable of producing very high quality mainstream play that remains very rewarding one rehearsal after another.

Check this link for incredibly beautiful song titled "Retrospekcja".

PS. More information about Maciej Tubis you can find as well on AAJ.