Sophia Grand Club - 4 a.m. (2018)

Sophia Grand Club

Eskaubei - rap, spoken word
Kuba Płużek - piano, wurlitzer, flute
Bartłomiej Prucnal - alto & soprano saxophones
Vitold Rek - double bass
Max Olszewski - drums

4 a.m.


AFRO VIBE 001

By Adam Baruch

This is the debut album by the Polish ensemble Sophia Grand Club, comprising of rapper Eskaubei (a.k.a. Bartłomiej Skubisz), saxophonist Bartłomiej Prucnal, keyboardist Kuba Płużek, veteran bassist Vitold Rek and drummer Maksymilian Olszewski. The album presents eight original compositions, four by Płużek, three by Rek, one co-composed by Płużek and Rek and one improvised piece credited to all members of the ensemble. Seven of the numbers feature lyrics by Eskaubei and one is an instrumental.

Musically the album continues the formula set up by Eskaubei with his two albums recorded with Tomek Nowak Quartet for the For Tune Label, i.e. Jazz tunes featuring Rap and spoken word amalgamating the genres into a new musical entity. Płużek, who proves to be one of the most versatile players / composers on the young Polish Jazz scene, delivers again some fiery Jazz / Funk tunes and Rek adds his more melancholic contributions, together creating a wonderful collection of highly effective musical vistas.

Eskaubei yet again delivers a set of meaningful texts, touching upon deeply troublesome problems of contemporary life, social relationships, loneliness, injustice and many others. It is a pity the lyrics were not included in the album's artwork, as they are definitely worth reading on their own. These lyrics could be seen as contemporary revelation of what we once called "protest songs" fifty of so years ago, just to show that the world is nothing like a TV commercial, then or today.

The instrumental work is also first rate, with Prucnal delivering some soulful solos and elegant accompaniment, Pluzek is master of the ceremony with his keyboards providing most of the melodic and harmonic framework, Rek plays wonderful bass parts, which are both very Jazzy and superbly Funky at the same time, and finally Olszewski adds his polyrhythmic Groove to keep things moving ahead.

Overall this is another superb album by Eskaubei and his instrumental cohorts, which proves that Rap can be a meaningful idiom, both musically and textually. Highly recommended to open-minded listeners, who like to be told the truth straight in their faces, which even the Funk doesn't make much easier to digest. Well done again!

Sun Ship – Follow Us (Polish Jazz Vol.61, 1979)

Sun Ship (band)

Władysław Sendecki - piano, el. piano, polymog, arp omni
Zbigniew Jaremko - soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone
Henryk Miśkiewicz - soprano saxophone
Witold Szczurek - bass, violoncello
Marek Stach - drums

Follow Us (Polish Jazz Vol.61, 1979)

This is the only studio recording by the excellent Polish Jazz ensemble Sun Ship, founded in 1978 by two ex-Extra Ball members: virtuoso pianist / composer Wladyslaw Sendecki and saxophonist Andrzej Olejniczak, with bassist Witold Szczurek and drummer Marek Stach. Olejniczak left son after the group was founded, to be replaced by a double saxophone front line consisting of Zbigniew Jaremko and Henryk Miskiewicz. Miskiewicz was the group's second composer and contributed two of the five compositions present on this album in addition to the three compositions by the leader, Sendecki. Sun Ship was the first of the Polish ensembles, which tried to leave behind them the Jazz-Rock Fusion, which was the predominant genre in the 1970s and return to mainstream Jazz, with more advanced chord changes and extended improvisations, which they did extremely well. Sendecki's keyboard wizardry is plainly evident on this beautiful album, as are the highly developed skills as improvisers. In retrospect this is one of the most interesting Polish Jazz recordings of that turbulent period. Highly recommended!

Track Listing: 01. Prymka; 02. Ballada na wiosnę; 03. Szipson; 04. Mrówka, jak wiemy; 05. Należy się wykupić

By Adam Baruch

http://adambaruch.com/

Tomasz Stanko – Lady Go… (Polskie Nagrania, 1984)

Tomasz Stańko - trumpet

Apostolis Antymos - guitars, drums

Witold Szczurek - bass, bass guitar

Tomasz Hołuj - percussion

Lady Go… (Polskie Nagrania, 1984)

This is the second recording in the series of Jazz-Rock albums created by the great Polish trumpeter / composer Tomasz Stanko in the 1980s. Following "C.O.C.X." and preceding "Witkacy – Peyotl", it is definitely the most melodic and "straight-forward" album Stanko ever recorded, with a set of superb melodies, which are great fun to listen to. Of course in Stanko's case, simplicity means perfection and there is no compromise whatsoever with his usual standard of both performance and composing excellence. Recorded with guitarist Apostolis Anthimos (of SBB fame), who also plays drums here, bassist Witold Szczurek and percussionist Tomasz Holuj, this is a beautiful example of Stanko's versatility and his ability to rejuvenate and reinvent himself every decade or so. Absolutely brilliant stuff!

Track list: 1. Modi Modi; 2. The First; 3. Mr Paul at Marta's Palace; 4. Almost Gama; 5. Lady Go; 6. Last Song; 7. Lakis & Basia; 8. Violet Liquor; 9. Les Papillons Girls; 10. Modi Modi

By Adam Baruch
http://adambaruch.com/

Tomasz Stanko – Peyotl - Witkacy (Polonia Records, 1996)

Tomasz Stanko - trumpet

Janusz Skowron - synthesizer Yamaha DX7

Antymos Apostolis - guitars, drums and percussion
Vitold Rek - electric and acoustic bass
Zbigniew Brysiak - percussion
Tadeusz Sudnik - synthi...aks
Andrzej "Major" Przybielski - trumpet
Marek Walczewski - voice 

Peyotl - Witkacy (Polonia Records, 1996)

(Editor) This is re-issue of album originally released in 1987 by Poljazz.

This is probably the most significant recording by Polish trumpeter virtuoso / composer Tomasz Stanko, surely at least among his Polish recordings before his later ECM period. Following Mile Davis, Stanko switched to Jazz-Rock Fusion (albeit a decade later) and his 1980s output with his Freelectronic ensemble is radically different from the Free Jazz he played in the 1970s. 

This double album consists of one studio recording and one live recording, both expressing Stanko's power as a performer and a composer to the max. The studio album, which was compiled over a period of two years, presents music composed by Stanko at the period when he was experimenting with hallucinogens and was deeply influenced by the writings of the Polish mystic / philosopher / avant-garde artist Witkacy (Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz), who was also an early experimenter with drugs. Text excerpts from Witkacy's book about drugs are recited and closely incorporated into the fascinating music, which floats over a repetitious hypnotic vamp and layers of electronic keyboard sounds. The highlight of this album is undoubtedly the inclusion of a second genius trumpet player, Andrzej Przybielski, who exchanges licks with Stanko in a brilliant manner. The fact that Stanko invited Przybielski to participate in this recording is a testimony of how highly he regarded his unbelievable talent. Other musicians participating in these recordings are: keyboardists Janusz Skowron and Tadeusz Sudnik, guitarist Apostolis Anthimos, bassist Witold Szczurek, and drummer Zbigniew Barysiak. The recitation is by the great actor Marek Walczewski. 

In retrospect the fact that this music was recorded almost 30 years ago seem incomprehensible, as it so much more advanced that almost any music done these days. Stanko's genius definitely reaches here one of its great peaks, which luckily for us was captured for posterity. Sadly this album is probably little known by his worldwide fan base, as it is very difficult to find, which of course is a shame. If one must own just one Stanko album, this is it, at least as far as I'm concerned. Absolute unadulterated genius!

Author: Adam Baruch

http://www.adambaruch.com/

check also his music boutique: https://www.jazzis.com/shop/

Tomasz Stanko – A i J (Polonia Records, 1997)

Tomasz Stańko - trumpet

Sławomir Kulpowicz - piano
Vitold Rek - bass
Czeslaw "Maly" Bartkowski - drums 

A i J (Polonia Records, 1997)

This magnificent album by Polish trumpeter / composer Tomasz Stanko includes the rest of the music recorded at the same session, which produced the superb "Music 81" album. As with all great and prophetic Jazz Masters, Stanko's music was evolving constantly and by the time this session was recorded in 1982, he was ready to leave behind the avant-garde / Free Jazz / experimental music, which dominated his first period (late 1960s to late 1970s) and gradually move forward towards new things, which would include mostly Jazz-Rock Fusion and Jazz-Electronic experiments, which of course were all as advanced and adventurous as anything else he made earlier. That second period, which lasted roughly the whole decade of the 1980s, is well documented by the albums released during that time, each and every one of them indisputably a masterpiece in retrospect. 

This interim session between Stanko's first and second period is especially interesting, as in many respects it both summarizes the first period and clearly leads the way towards the next. The music is surprisingly "straight-forward" (if such description is at all possible in connection with Stanko's music) and conventional. Performed by a classic quartet with pianist Slawomir Kulpowicz, bassist Witold Rek and the fabulous drummer Czeslaw Bartkowski, it moves stylistically somewhere between John Coltrane's early 1960's quartet and Miles Davis second quintet, mixing clear melody lines with complex improvisations. The performances are absolutely stellar, with Stanko's trumpet shredding the air, beautiful and extremely sensitive piano work a la McCoy Tyner, strong and steady bass and virtuosic drumming, which not only drives the music forward but also adds endless flamboyant ornamentations. Of course in retrospect we know now that Stanko was to return to a similar format a decade and so later with his superb quartet, but at the time this music was completely unprecedented on the Polish scene. There are very few Jazz albums worldwide, which come close to the perfection and vision of the music herein, therefore this is definitely an absolute must for any serious Jazz connoisseur, Polish Jazz collector and anybody with a pair of open ears. Beyond essential!

Author: Adam Baruch

http://www.adambaruch.com/

check also his music boutique: https://www.jazzis.com/shop/

Tomasz Stanko – C.O.C.X. (1983)

Tomasz Stańko - trumpet

Antymos Apostolis - guitar, guitars drums, bass and percussion
Vitold Rek - bass, gong
Jose Antonio Torres - conga, percussion

This great album by Polish trumpeter / composer Tomasz Stanko marks his entry into the second period of his career, which is an almost complete about face in comparison to his earlier work, which was mostly associated with Free Jazz. During the next decade (1980s) Stanko will record primarily with young musicians, often associated with Rock rather than with Jazz, creating a unique (as always) brand of Jazz-Rock Fusion. This album, recorded in a quartet setting with guitarist Apostolis Anthimos (of SBB fame), bassist Witold Szczurek and percussionist Jose Torres, presents a series of beautiful melodies, which are performed in a pretty straight-forward manner, with Stanko and Anthimos exchanging licks and improvising on top of a steady rhythm section work. Hardcore Free Jazz / avant-garde enthusiasts might find this music "strange" and simplistic, but honestly it is far from being trivial at any point. It is simply different, and Stanko, as an artist, should be without doubt allowed some slack to move forward and change direction, same as Miles Davis and others did. His trumpet playing is a s virtuosic as always, and nothing beats Stanko playing a ballad – absolutely nothing! At the time of its release the album was received coldly and reluctantly by most of the local critics, who used the weathered "going commercial" arguments, without truly understanding the nature of the change. In retrospect this album is a valuable addition to Stanko's musical heritage, which has very few competitors. Brilliant stuff!

Author: Adam Baruch

http://www.adambaruch.com/

check also his music boutique: https://www.jazzis.com/shop/