Szymon Wójcik - "All the Wonders of Six Little Spoons"

Szymon Wójcik

Szymon Wójcik - electric guitar, compositions
Thea Soti - voice
Ferdinand Schwarz - trumpet
Jonas Engel - alto sax, clarinet
Victor Fox - bass clarinet
Emilia Gołos - piano
Zoe Argyriou - vibraphone, timpani, bass drum
Magdalena Lorenz - violin
Jonas Gerigk - double bass
Anthony Greminger - drums

Tytuł albumu: All the Wonders of Six Little Spoons

Wydawca: Gotta Let It Out, Denmark (2023)

Autor recenzji: Viačeslavas Gliožeris

Polish guitarist Szymon Wójcik played with Swede Mats Gustafsson as part of Mats Hidros 9 large-scale project, combining two 9-piece bands (Polish and Norwegian) and six renown international soloists including American bass-sax player Colin Stetson, Norwegian female guitarist Hedwig Mollestad and Austrian turntables wizard Dieb13. Still, for Polish listener Szymon is probably better known by his avant-punk band RASP Lovers.

On “All the Wonders of Six Little Spoons” Szymon (now based in Cologne, Germany) offers an ambitious work as composer. Besides of multinational band which contains reeds section, pianist, vibes player, violinist, acoustic bassist, drummer and voice artist, Szymon plays an electric guitars as well. New album's music is different from RASP Lovers and Szymon collaboration with Mats Gustafsson both. Based on Gertrude Stein poems, album's music sounds closer to Musique concrète and academic avantgarde from the second half of 20th century than to once popular free jazz and poetry mix of Amiri Baraka.

“All the Wonders...” opens with almost static aerial “Blackening” with distant anemic voice of Serbian-Hungarian, Germany-based artist Thea Soti. “Go Red Laugh White” is more energetic, more angular, but still same cold and dark song, with free jazz reeds and piano intersections. “Suppose A Collapse” offers a Dadaist surreal atmosphere with lot of sax free soloing which surprisingly develops towards quite lyrical vocalize. “Sokrates Im Supermarkt” (two parts) opens as clock-work retro-mechanic composition, which ends up as slow and dark viscous tune. The closer, ”Daffodilis”, is based on Polish artist Monika Orpik (who is responsible for album's cover art as well) poem. It contains multilayered vocalize, heavier drums and is more energetic.

It's interesting, that the album, sounding as if it is heavily based on electronics, contains no synth or electronics at all. All ambient sounds are produced by ”live” instruments what gives to the music much more “human” feel. Been inclement by its atmosphere, this album doesn't sound as non-human, machine work. It recalls me a lot some great Keith and Julie Tippets experimental works, just transferred to the Weimar Republic's and Berlin (electronic) school land.

Not really a release for entertainment, it offers some interesting ideas and aesthetics to open ears listener's head. I really like it.

RASP Lovers – Romantic Alternative Schizophrenic Punk (2019)

RASP Lovers

Szymon Wójcik - guitar
Jerzy Mączyński - tenor & baritone saxophones
Marcel Baliński - piano, microkorg
Rafał Różalski - double bass
Bartosz Szablowski - drums

Romantic Alternative Schizophrenic Punk


HOWARD 4

By Adam Baruch

This is the debut album by the Polish Jazz ensemble RASP Lovers, led by guitarist Szymon Wójcik and also including saxophonist Jerzy Mączyński, pianist Marcel Baliński, bassist Rafał Różalski and drummer Bartosz Szablowski. However, four of the above listed musicians (all except Baliński) appeared last year as members of the P.E. Quartet which released their debut album "Cokolwiek" then, so one might wonder why the change of moniker? The album presents eleven original compositions, all by Wójcik. The music was recorded at the Monochrom Studio and engineered by Ignacy Gruszecki, who is probably the only person on earth up to the task.

To my surprise the music on this album does not continue the direction of the above mentioned P.E. Quartet's debut album, which perhaps answers the question about the name change. It is a harsh, often conflicting amalgam of many musical elements, from Avant-Garde, Jazz, Rock and Punk (more in attitude than musically). As a result the music shakes the listener at first contact, which perhaps is the desired effect. It is very difficult to find a coherent direction or concept in this music at first, again perhaps intentionally so, with the music jumping between rocky riffs and improvised music parts without warning and which, as a result, can be quite masochistic for a casual listener.

But on the other hand one has to admire the non-conformism and the courage to follow the Artistic vision, which obviously stands behind this music. The five musicians all perform wonderfully and imaginatively throughout this album, creating absorbing flow and fascinating moments, given the opportunity to be heard and noticed. It takes time and patience to create a mental bridge to this music, which probably very few listeners are able to build eventually, and which is probably not a primary concern of the music's creators. For hardened Improvised Music/Avant-Garde fanatics this is an obvious chaotic heaven, the rest of the world – you have been warned.

P.E. Quartet – Cokolwiek (2018)

P.E. Quartet

Jerzy Mączyński - tenor saxophone
Szymon Wójcik - guitar
Rafał Różalski - double bass
Bartosz Szablowski - drums

Cokolwiek




MULTIKULTI MPJ 022

By Adam Baruch

This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz ensemble called P.E. Quartet, which comprises of saxophonist Jerzy Mączyński, guitarist Szymon Wójcik, bassist Rafał Różalski and drummer Bartosz Szablowski. The album presents eight original compositions, all co-credited to the four members of the quartet. The music was wonderfully recorded at the Monochrom Studio with Ignacy Gruszecki in charge of the sound.

The music is an interesting mixture of pre-composed themes and improvised pieces, all very open and unrestrained, which allow individual members of the quartet to express their statements as well as involve in collective improvisation. The ingenuousness and obvious openness of these young musicians is truly astounding, as such playing usually requires years of experience. By listening blindly to this music no one would be able to guess the young age of these musicians.

The music is also quite complex and sophisticated, and yet flows elegantly and smoothly without awaking antagonism or hardship in the listener. Organized chaos or restrained freedom come to mind, but the only way to comprehend this music is of course to listen to it. At some moments the music is also more relaxed and fluid, but usually that is just a starting point of another intensive improvisation part.

The individual statements are all excellent, and diametrically different. Personally my "hero" on this album is Różalski, who builds wonderful bass intros, full of tension and anticipation. But the guitar work by Wójcik is also superb, regardless if it is beautifully melodic or completely distorted. But Mączyński and Szablowski contribute equally well and this music is first and foremost an ensemble statement, which works splendidly.

Overall this is a splendid debut effort, which shows tons of potential and again confirms the incredible strength of the young Polish Jazz scene, which never ceases to amaze. It is frightening to think what these guys will come up with next! Not to be missed!