Daniel Popiałkiewicz – Nada (2017)

Daniel Popiałkiewicz

Daniel Popiałkiewicz - guitar
Paweł Tomaszewski - piano, keyboards
Robert Kubiszyn - bass
Paweł Dobrowolski - drums

Nada

PRIVATE EDITION 2017


By Adam Baruch

This is the third album by Polish Jazz guitarist/composer Daniel Popiałkiewicz, recorded in a quartet setting with a stellar lineup consisting of keyboardist Paweł Tomaszewski, bassist Robert Kubiszyn and drummer Paweł Dobrowolski. The album presents ten original compositions, all by Popiałkiewicz (although not explicitly stated so the album's artwork).

The music is an exquisite, highly melodic Fusion, full of well crafted melodies, quirky rhythms and unpredictable harmonic charges, which keeps the listener on edge during the entire duration of the album, never quite sure of what to expect next. There is a constant feeling of agility and vitality, which drives the music relentlessly straight into the listener's sub-consciousness, before he is able to analyze what exactly is going on. It takes several listening session in order to comprehend this music in a more relaxed ambiance and start detecting the myriad of interplays, ornamentations and fast arpeggios that happen as if on a separate plane. In short this is Fusion with a high level of sophistication, which basically happens very rarely within the idiom.

Not surprisingly the performances are nothing short of stellar. Popiałkiewicz, obviously unfamiliar to Fusion/guitar freaks outside of his country, is such a surprising virtuoso, that most of his fellow Fusion guitar cohorts the world over would be simply left speechless and jaw dropped if they ever listened to this album. He uses a plethora of sounds, techniques, effects and other tricks of the trade, as a result of which he never sounds alike for more than a short while during the entire duration of this album. The only way to understand what I mean is to listen to this music, as words are inadequate to convey it.

But Popiałkiewicz gets a tremendous support from his colleagues. Tomaszewski is one of the most talented Polish keyboardists, whose progress in the last few years is nothing short of stellar. He feels perfectly natural in mainstream Jazz and in the Fusion environments and his contributions on this album are absolutely stunning. Kubiszyn is probably the most sensitive electric bass player on the Polish scene, and no wonder that he is highly sought after session player with the top Polish Jazz musicians. His fretless bass playing on this album is a worthy of the status of the greatest mavericks of the instrument in Fusion history. Dobrowolski is an incredibly sensitive drummer, with impeccable technique and atomic clock precision, and his playing, which is way beyond just keeping time, in an integral part of this album's identity and musical significance.

In short if I had to pick up just one Fusion album released in 2017, this one beats all others easily, leaving only a cloud of dust behind. Fusion and guitar freaks will be fainting to the sound of this album and even a hard-ass critic like yours truly had a hard time to control his emotions. Fusion heaven is here!

Daniel Popialkiewicz Quartet - Solstice (2011)

Daniel Popiałkiewicz - guitars

Paweł Tomaszewski - accoustic piano, keyboards

Maciej Garbowski - double bass

Krzysztof Gradziuk - drums

Solstice (2011)

I reviewed favourably debut recording ("The Hope For Tomorrow") by guitarist Daniel Popiałkiewicz. He easily counts among most promising young guitarists in Poland along with Rafał Sarnecki, Przemek Strączek or Marek Kądziela. In this album he expands his band from trio to quartet, keeping excellent rhythm section from his first record in persons of drummer Krzysztof Gradziuk and double-bassist Maciej Garbowski but adding Paweł Tomaszewski on piano. Natural question is how does this music sound when compared to his last year debut? And it sounds good, adding the piano made music richer obviously and if we reckon that all compositions are originals by Popiałkiewicz then this album may be described as fully satisfactory release confirming how great potential he possess. He is extremely fortunate to have a drummer like Gradziuk along himself! Gradziuk catapults this music to stratosphere and Popialkiewicz guitar feels very well on such high quality background. Maciej Garbowski adds solidity to this framework while Paweł Tomaszewski piano accompaniment is impeccable if somewhat too predictable. In terms of style this music is inspired by ECM version of modern jazz but rocking guitar of Popiałkiewicz and creative drumming by Gradziuk add necessary drop of surprise to make it appealing even to those a bit weary of ECM aesthetics.

Check promo of this album:

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

Daniel Popiałkiewicz Trio - The Hope For Tomorrow (2010)

OK, I believe if Daniel Popiałkiewicz reads this note, he will understand that I would rather not buy his record were it not be for rhythm section that accompanies him here in persons of Maciej Garbowski on double-bass and Krzysztof Gradziuk on drums (2/3 of excellent RGG Trio). I simply never heard of him but as far as those two guys are concerned I believe they form one of the best sections in Poland along with Sławomir Kurkiewicz and Michał Miskiewicz or Oleś Brothers. This is simply the creme of creme of young Polish jazz and Popialkiewicz is fortunate, no, very fortunate to have them by his side in this recording because everything starts to fly and levitate once these two sorcerers start to conjure spells on their respective instruments.

But one should also be just to Popiałkiewicz who, although this is his debut recording, proves that his talent matches the talents of his more recognized collaborators. And to no wonder for those who follow his career more carefully since they all graduated from the same Jazz Faculty at Katowice Music Academy, which is something like Polish equivalent of famous Berklee College of Music in USA, a signature of excellent education for best young players in this country. Additionally he won several jazz contests in Poland. His technique is impeccable, his compositional talent exceptional (he composed all songs on this CD except All The Things You Are), his inclination is towards jazz, rock and improvisation. But the most important thing is that his approach towards jazz is fresh and creative. His dialogues with Gradziuk and Garbowski absorb and engulf the listener like quicksands leaving him with impressions that this record shall be rehearsed many times over in order to understand it thoroughly and be able to enjoy its pleasures to maximum degree. Certainly we shall hear about this young virtuoso in future - I agree with foreword of Jarek Śmietana to this album (arguably the most famous jazz guitarist in Poland) who was so kind to give his word of recommendation to this new and interesting personality in Polish jazz.

Here you can find a sample of music from this album:

http://www.myspace.com/danielpopialkiewicz