Babadag – Babadag (2012)

Babadag

Ola Bilińska - vocals
Maciej Cieślak - guitar
Szymon Tarkowski - bass
Hubert Zemler - drums

Babadag

LADO ABC B/18



By Adam Baruch

This is the debut album by Polish ensemble Babadag, a quartet fronted by vocalist/lyricist/composer Ola Bilińska with guitarist Maciej Cieślak, bassist Szymon Tarkowski and drummer Hubert Zemler. The quartet members play a plethora of instruments among themselves and a few guest musicians also appear on selected tracks. The album presents ten original songs, all written and composed by Bilinska, nine of which have lyrics in English and one in Polish.

The music is immediately strikingly as highly original, and therefore difficult to be easily categorized. The atmosphere is mostly somewhere in the neighborhood of Progressive Folk-Rock, but with instrumental work that borders on the Avant Progressive with touches of Jazzy influences. Although focused on Bilińska's vocal explorations, this is obviously a team effort, as this highly emotional and complex music involves close cooperation between the Artists than usually found in such efforts.

Bilińska displays extraordinary talent both as a composer of atmospheric, expressive and fully developed highly original compositions and as a unique performer. Although she sings lyrics, her delivery is more instrumental than text oriented and she uses a very diverse palette of vocal approaches. I usually detest Polish vocalists singing in English, but in this context the theatrical and artistic delivery of the vocals hide the "improper" accent and pronunciation to such extent, that it is completely acceptable.

The other musicians involved in this project display their respective abilities as multi-instrumentalists, playing many exotic and unusual sounds, always perfectly matching the music. The arrangements of the material are credited to the entire ensemble, and rightly so, as this is obviously a result of close cooperation and common goal, as already mentioned above.

As far as I know this album received very little exposure so far, which is not surprising considering how original, different and artistic it is. Perhaps the fact that it floats somewhere between the straightforward genre definitions has something to do with it. Also the fact that it was released on a small independent Polish label, Lado ABC, associated with the Polish avant garde scene, did not help to gain popularity. Nevertheless the album definitely does deserve exposure, as it is a solid piece of heartwarming music, searching, exploring and aesthetically pleasing, not to mention being a superb debut effort.

Lora Szafran – Spiewnik Nahornego (2003)

Lora Szafran

Lora Szafran - vocals
Włodzimierz Nahorny - piano
Mariusz Bogdanowicz - bass
Piotr Biskupski - drums

Spiewnik Nahornego

CONFITEOR 004



By Adam Baruch

Polish Jazz vocalist Lora Szafran is active on the local scene since the mid 1980s, when she graduated from the Katowice Music Academy. She sings Jazz but is also active on the mainstream Polish popular music market. This is her sixth album as a leader and it is dedicated to songs composed by the legendary Polish Jazz pianist/saxophonist/composer Włodzimierz Nahorny, who is also known as the author of popular evergreens. The album includes twelve songs composed by Nahorny, with lyrics (in Polish) by some of top Polish lyricists. Szafran is accompanied by a trio which includes Nahorny on piano with bassist Mariusz Bogdanowicz and drummer Piotr Biskupski and a string sextet, with string arrangements by Andrzej Jagodziński and Krzysztof Herdzin.

The album is kept in the classic mainstream Jazz tradition, performed spotlessly and with flair by all participants. Nahorny's music is timeless and remains fresh and beautiful in complete disregard of passing fads and fashions. His compositions are as good as any American standards. The intelligent lyrics are a painful remainder that song's lyrics are supposed to tell a story in an intelligent way, as they do here in complete contrast to today's monstrosities called songs.

Szafran sings perfectly and superbly, with her charming mannerisms and vocal tricks, which she manages to use as effectively as always. She is able to pronounce every word clearly and accurately, with feeling and obvious sentiment to the context, an art that seems to be lost completely these days. Her warm and round voice and professional finesse are irresistible. The interplay between her and the trio is always impeccable, which turns the entire recording into a musical love affair. Nahorny and the rhythm section are of course a living example of knights in shining armor.

This is an "old fashioned" album, but in spite of that often misused classification it sounds fresh and alive in spite of its delicacy, fragility and sophistication. I must be old fashioned myself, as this stuff simply melts my heart.

Oles Brothers & Christopher Dell – Komeda Ahead (2014)

Oleś Brothers & Christopher Dell

Christopher Dell - vibraphone
Marcin Oleś - bass
Bartłomiej Oleś - drums

Komeda Ahead

FSR 01



By Adam Baruch

It is extremely difficult to communicate anything truly innovative about Krzysztof Komeda's music. Since the tragic death of the Godfather of modern Polish Jazz over four decades ago, his enigmatic compositions have been the subject of a vast number of recordings in Poland as well as other countries, where his music was discovered. These recordings cover every Komeda compositions in every possible instrumental settings and stylistic sub-genre, ranging from works of pure genius to unspeakable pastiches. Therefore one should not be surprised by the fact that Jazz connoisseurs approach every new recording of Komeda's music with extreme caution.

Bassist Marcin Oleś and his twin brother drummer Bartłomiej Brat Oleś have paid their dues on the European Jazz scene since the onset of the 21^st Century, slowly climbing to the well earned position of one of the top European Jazz rhythm sections. But they are also both formidable composers and activist, spinning a web of international contacts and collaborations, many of which resulted in recording of a succession of fabulous albums over the time. One of such meetings was with the German vibraphonist/composer Christopher Dell, which led to this Komeda project to be commissioned by the Berliner Jazzfest in 2011, where it was debuted in November of that year.

The concept behind this project was to show Komeda as a composer of complex, expanded musical forms, as reflected by the four long tracks on this album, as well as a weaver of concise magical melodic miniatures, as those presented by the four short tracks. These two facets of Komeda's work have never been presented earlier as complimenting each other.

The actual performance of the music is also completely unique and innovative. First there is the overall low key, low volume, completely acoustic approach, with each and every note being a crucial piece of the complete puzzle. Secondly there is the minimalism, a reserved approach stating that "less is more" and emphasized by the intrinsic inner calmness of the vibraphone, probably the most delicate and intimate instrument at our disposal. There is not a single note here that sounds redundant or unnecessary. And lastly there is a gorgeous freedom of expression, which is the predominant factor of this music, unrestricted by melody, harmony or rhythm. The Komeda fans will have no trouble to hear the familiar themes in this music, but at the same time they will be able to hear those themes stretched and expanded into previously untraveled territories.

It seems that Oleś Brothers & Christopher Dell managed to achieve the goal of discovering and exposing more of the eternal beauty and charm hidden in Komeda's music, and we, the listeners should be grateful for such discoveries. This music, with its elegance and eloquence, is a superb example of what Culture is all about.

Side Note: The above are the original liner notes, which were supposed to accompany the music as initially intended. However, as it often happens, the somewhat convoluted fate of this album's release resulted in selecting different liner notes sometime along the line. Since I deeply love the music, as evident in my writing above, I feel that publishing them here is appropriate.

Nahorny Sextet - Chopin Genius Loci (2010)

Nahorny Sextet

Włodzimierz Nahorny - piano
Dorota Miśkiewicz - vocals
Henryk Gembalski - violin
Wojciech Staroniewicz - saxophone
Mariusz Bogdanowicz - bass
Piotr Biskupski - drums

Chopin Genius Loci


CONFITEOR 005

By Adam Baruch

The veteran Polish Jazz pianist/saxophonist/composer Włodzimierz Nahorny, one of the Godfathers of the post-WWII Polish Jazz scene, manages continuously to display a phenomenal vitality and unprecedented imagination, often much superior to those of his colleagues, often decades younger than himself. This album is a wonderful proof of exactly these qualities. Recorded in a sextet setting, with vocalist/violinist Dorota Miśkiewicz, violinist Henryk Gembalski, saxophonist Wojciech Staroniewicz, bassist Mariusz Bogdanowicz and drummer Piotr Biskupski, Nahorny presents a set of Jazz transcriptions of eight pieces by the Polish composer Frederic Chopin, three pieces by a lesser known 20th Century Polish composer Roman Maciejewski and one piece by Karol Szymanowski. In addition one original composition by Nahorny is also included.

Polish Jazz suffers terribly from overexploitation of Chopin's music, which varies in quality from brilliant (rarely) to completely banal (most of the time). Therefore another attempt to interpret Chopin in the Jazz context is always a perilous undertaking. Nahorny's bold and far fetching approach results in transcriptions, which although quote the original music, move very far away from the source during their execution, being in fact completely new and whole pieces of music, which Nahorny even names anew, giving the source as a reference only. Although such liberties might appear sometimes as to audacious, in Nahorny's case they are fully justified and simply brilliant.

The eleven transcriptions, spread over two CDs, are all fascinating musically and serve as wonderful vehicles for the musicians to display their respective talents. Miśkiewicz sings some great vocalese, at times even almost free form, using lyrics on just one piece. Gembalski plays some scorching violin passages and Staroniewicz, as always, charms with his beautiful saxophone tone. The rhythm section keeps the music together with flair and elegance, pushing it ahead with just the right amount of energy. And last but not least Nahorny's piano serves as glue between the Classical and the Swinging elements, bridging and bonding everything together.

Although seemingly positioned well within the mainstream Jazz boundaries (except for the Classical references of course), this music displays quite a lot of freedom and unexpected ventures into less programmatic areas, sometimes almost touching upon Free/Avant Garde idioms, which of course is nothing new as far as Nahorny's music is concerned. This album is a living proof that the Jazz-Classical Fusion can avoid pastiche, cliché and kitsch, and simply bite!

RGG – Aura (2015)

RGG

Łukasz Ojdana - piano
Maciej Garbowski - double bass
Krzysztof Gradziuk - drums

Aura

OKEH 888750176028




By Adam Baruch

It is the seventh album by the fabulous Polish Jazz piano trio RGG and their second release following the dramatic replacement of their piano player, when the young pianist Łukasz Ojdana joined the ranks of the founding members: bassist Maciej Garbowski and drummer Krzysztof Gradziuk. The album presents fourteen pieces, five of which were composed by Ojdana and three by Garbowski. The remaining six pieces are various Jazz, Pop and World Music compositions originating from external sources. The album was recorded again at the excellent Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan Smoczynski, with spectacular sonic results.

The music of RGG has been, since the very first recording, always in a state of continuous metamorphosis, perhaps more vital and noticeable than similar processes taking place in the works of other Polish Jazz ensembles. This album is no different and marks some giant steps towards creating a new Jazz aesthetic, which combines the tradition with modernism, freedom of expression and above all openness. The crucial factor is the decision to expand the scope of the music beyond the self composed material by the trio members, as well as present a larger number of relatively concise pieces, enabling a much wider scope of musical influences, stylistic variety and diversity.

Of course the trio's ability to perform these pieces in such an exquisite way is their primary achievement. The level of mutual support, respect and common bonding present between these three musicians is almost unprecedented. Reinforced by their individual talents, good taste and aesthetic vision, the overall power of expression demonstrated by the trio is simply overwhelming. With the international release of this album RGG have a chance to demonstrate that they are not only the best Polish Jazz piano trio, but also that they have but a few competitors elsewhere.

The most astonishing effect of this music is the fact, that although large parts of it are quite difficult for an average listener, the trio manages to make the music sound inviting and even embracing. This of course means that music does not have to lower its aesthetic or intellectual level and be brutally whored in order to be accessible. This rare ability to remain uncompromisingly aloft musically and yet widely appreciated is precious.

There is no doubt that this album immediately deserves the "classic" status, being placed on the pedestal of Polish Jazz recorded achievements. That means that it will sound as good as it does now for decades to come, which just a few albums are able to do, challenged by the passing of time. My wholehearted thanks to you, Gentlemen.

Side Note: I am happy to have a tiny personal input in this album's release. My enthusiastic reviews of the trio's recorded output were part of the decision making process resulting in signing a contract with a major label and than I helped a bit to untangle some copyright complications, which postponed the release date for a while. All done for a good cause!

Art Of Improvisation 2015 - Kreacje

Szukamy improwizatorów! 

Zbliża się 4. edycja ART OF IMPROVISATION CREATIVE FESTIVAL (19-21 czerwca 2015 r.), ogłaszamy zatem nabór dla artystów improwizujących! Jeśli improwizacja to twoja ulubiona metoda twórcza, wyślij zgłoszenie do Centrum Kultury Agora! Termin zgłoszeń: 15 maja 2015.

Konkurs KREACJE PRZEGLĄD/ZDERZENIA skierowany jest do młodych artystów (18-35 lat), zarówno amatorów, jak i profesjonalistów – solistów i zespołów, którzy prezentują szeroko rozumianą sztukę improwizowaną: muzykę, taniec, działania teatralne czy inne sztuki performatywne. Nagroda główna festiwalu to 2000 zł!

ART OF IMPROVISATION to międzynarodowy, interdyscyplinarny festiwal poświęcony sztuce improwizacyjnej. Gośćmi tegorocznej edycji festiwalu będą m. in.: uznany brytyjski saksofonista John Butcher w trio z australijskim perkusistą Tonym Buckiem znanym m. in. z zespołu The Necks, oraz berlińską pianistką Magdą Mayas; Mikołaj Trzaska IRCHA CLARINET QUARTET z Wacławem Zimplem, Pawłem Szamburskim i Michałem Górczyńskim; austriackie eksperymentalne trio Trapist w składzie: Martin Brandlmayer i Martin Siewert (muzycy Radian) oraz Christian Weber, międzynarodowy muzyczno-taneczny kwartet Help Me To Crash, międzynarodowe trio wybitnego amerykańskiego perkusisty Michaela Zeranga z saksofonistą Tobiasem Deliusem i kontrabasistą Ksawerym Wójcińskim. Czeka nas także koncert zeszłorocznych laureatów Kreacji/Zderzeń – Sławka Pezdy i Thomasa Kolarczyka w trio z perkusistą Kubą Janickim.

www.ckagora.pl, www.facebook.com/CentrumKulturyAGORA 

Informacje: Marta Kozłowska, 71 325 14 83 w.123, marta.kozlowska@ckagora.pl

Mikolaj Trzaska/Olie Brice/Mark Sanders - Riverloam Trio (2012)

Trzaska/Brice/Sanders

Mikołaj Trzaska - alto saxophone, bass clarinet

Olie Brice - double bass

Mark Sanders - drums

Riverloam Trio

NBLP 52/53



By Daniel Sorrells

"Riverloam" is such an evocative word. It makes me think of fungi on a riverbank, colorful mushrooms pushing up through black earth, tiny bright surrogates that hide the true extent of the knotted mycelium whose countless nerve-like connections stretch in all directions just below the surface. Maybe this is a decent metaphor for Riverloam Trio, too - and all improvised music - this idea that perhaps what we’re hearing is the dense, unseen mycelium, the untraceable web of connections that binds musicians on a stage or in a studio. Some vital thing that’s bigger and more deeply rooted than the bodies we see standing before us. 

Plus, there’s Mikołaj Trzaska’s rough-hewn, earthy tones. Trzaska has been an important voice in the modern Polish scene since the early 90s. In recent years, he’s branched out significantly, playing with a number of international musicians and releasing improvised music on his label, Kilogram Records. Here he teams up with two Londoners: bassist Olie Brice and the ubiquitous drummer Mark Sanders. Riverloam Trio features five long improvisations that stretch across two LPs. Trzaska trades off between his woozy alto wail and some quieter, brooding bass clarinet work, clearly inspired by his rhythm section. 

And inspiring it is. Sanders can make anyone sound good, and Brice plays in an almost vertical manner, seemingly building his ideas upward rather than simply laying them out. There’s a wonderful logic to his lines, even in heated exchanges. "Ostrich Season" gives him a central role, his bass thundering through the low simmer of Trzaska’s clarinet. There’s a clear rapport among the trio, and Trzaska and Brice in particular aren’t afraid to circle back on an idea if it seems there’s something more to be extracted. 

"Riverloam Trio" is one of those great albums that feels like it was made for vinyl. The playing keeps pace with the best of the modern crowd, but there’s something aching in Trzaska’s vibrato - even from the first moments of "Riverloam" - that hearkens to the early days of this music, that almost necessitates the physicality of handling a record, the ritual of flipping wax and setting needles. A time when maybe we were a little more emotionally connected to music, because the act of listening was a bit more purposeful than overloaded iPods and hard drives allow. 

As can be said of many NoBusiness releases, "Riverloam Trio" is worth the investment. It’s the fire music of our time—maybe now more like glowing embers, but still remembering something of the flames that gave rise to them.

Tom Trio - Radical Moves (2014)

Tom Trio

Tomasz Dąbrowski - trumpet
Nils Bo Davidsen - double bass
Anders Mogensen - drums

Radical Moves

FOR TUNE 0045




By Adam Baruch

This is the second album by the Tom Trio, led by Polish (resident in Denmark) Jazz trumpeter Tomasz Dąbrowski and including Danish bassist Nils Bo Davidsen and drummer Anders Mogensen. The music consists of ten original compositions, all by Dabrowski, and it was recorded at the fabulous Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan Smoczynski, with excellent sonic results.

Contrary to the album's ominous title, this album does not offer any radical developments as such, and is consistent with the path Dąbrowski follows since a few years to achieve his personal voice as a trumpeter and composer, which has been quite remarkable. There is no doubt that he is today not only one of the top Polish Jazz trumpeters, but also one of top European trumpeters, a position he earned by numerous recordings in stylistically diverse setups, always delivering a top notch contribution.

Musically Dąbrowski seems to be most comfortable in the "organized free" environment, when his statements have a solid melodic/harmonic basis underneath, which allows him to stretch his improvisations with flare and passion. The decision to present his music in the intimate trio setting is probably motivated by the fact that the trio allows the most concise ensemble solution enabling the closest interplay possible between the participants. This music is totally dependent on mutual exchange and support and would fail to achieve anything if such complete synthesis did not happen. Fortunately it does happen, from start to finish, elevating the music to a highly aesthetic plane. In spite of the nakedness of the trio setting, the overall effect of the trio is so eventful and intense, that it creates an illusion of a much larger ensemble at work.

The role of the rhythm section in this type of music is radically different from the traditional position, which is to support the leader harmonically and rhythmically without getting involved with his solo parts. The music presented here is fully co-created by all three musicians, on equal footing. Dąbrowski is naturally the most distinctive voice, playing the lead instrument, but everything that is happening in parallel to his playing as equally important each and very step of the way.

People familiar with Dąbrowski's music are used by now to the incredible high standards he sets for himself, pushing them ever forward. This album is another step in the right direction, displaying signs of maturity and reflection rather than youthful enthusiasm. This is perhaps the most contemplative music he ever attempted, offering new vistas of his inner self as composer and performer. Of course music of such complexity and emotional weight requires attentive and often repetitive listening to be fully absorbed and appreciated. Connoisseurs of modern Free Form, but coherent Jazz will find this music fully and beautifully rewarding.

HoTS - Harmony Of The Spheres (2015)

HoTS

Mikołaj Poncyljusz - guitar
Radek Nowak - trumpet
Adam Prokopowicz - double bass
Jakub Kinsner - drums

Harmony Of The Spheres

V 006



By Adam Baruch

This is the debut eponymous album by the young Polish Jazz quartet Harmony Of The Spheres (a.k.a. HoTS), led by guitarist/composer Mikołaj Poncyljusz, which also includes trumpeter Radek Nowak, bassist Adam Prokopowicz and drummer Jakub Kinsner. The album presents eight original compositions, all by the leader.

There is no doubt that HoTS emerges as a fresh voice on the local melodic mainstream scene, which happens relatively rarely. Their minimalistic, reserved and very "cool" approach is instantly recognizable and bears a certain "retro" approach reminiscent of early European Jazz. The music is lyrical and melodic, with the melody lines clearly stated in the heads of all the tracks, using typically the trumpet as the leading melodic voice. The guitar serves mostly as the harmonic accompaniment behind the trumpet's solo work, when not soloing of course. The rhythm section serves as the backbone of the music, keeping excellent time but staying mostly in a respectful background. The pulsating bass lines are kept well on the level with the soloists, but the drums are (it seems) kept down in the mix and are often barely audible in the overall sound, which creates a very spacey and open ambience, with lost of breathing air, which serves the music perfectly.

The trumpet is definitely placed in the centre of the listener's attention and gets most of the limelight. Nowak plays some very impressive passages for sure and his overall performance is formidable, especially in view of his age. Poncyljusz emerges mainly as a composer, although his guitar work is also without reproach. The sound of the guitar uses too much reverb, which can be unnerving at times, but obviously the band is still seeking its definitive sound and is doing quite well so far.

This is definitely a formidable debut and HoTS will slowly gain a respected position and the European Jazz scene once they hit the clubs and festivals circuit and continue to release albums of such quality as this one. Wholeheartedly recommended of course!

Gorzycki & Dobie – Nothing (2015)

Gorzycki & Dobie

Rafal Gorzycki - drums
Jonathan Dobie - guitar

Nothing

REQUIEM 86/2015





By Adam Baruch

This is the third and last part in a triptych of duo recordings by Polish drummer/composer Rafal Gorzycki (see his duo albums with Sebastian Gruchot and Kamil Pater), this time with British guitarist/composer Jonathan Dobie. The album presents seven original pieces co-composed by Gorzycki and Dobie.

In the last decade or so Gorzycki firmly established his position on the Polish scene as one of the most individual voices, amalgamating Jazz with contemporary Classical music, electronic and ambient influences and above all standing firmly as a symbol of uncompromising music creation. His work as a leader and member of such forward thinking ensembles as Sing Sing Penelope or Ecstasy Project and his individual projects in duo, trio and quartet settings are all exceptional examples of individuality and excellence.

In many respects this duo album is a culmination of Gorzycki's modus operandi, which presents a minimalistic and fragmented approach to melody and harmony, which often hints at some musical statements rather then expressing them in full, leaving it to the listener to connect the dots. Dobie is obviously an ideal partner and cohort in such circumstances, playing short fragments of rapid guitar fire, which reminds early improvising electric guitarists such as John McLaughlin or Jimmy Hendrix and utilizing ancient fuzz and other sound devices. This retro sound combined with the modern approach creates an absolute stunning effect.

Of course, as in every other duo album, the interplay between the two partners is the essential ingredient of the entire project. Gorzycki's seemingly endless palette of drums and percussion instruments and Dobie's guitar pyrotechnics are perfectly suited for each other and their dialogs reach telepathic levels.

I am very glad that Gorzycki manages finally to achieve at least some recognition by the Polish musical "establishment", after years of being ignored and neglected beyond the small circle of his musical partners. Hopefully this recognition will enable him to create even more of his groundbreaking projects, to the delight of old and new fans. Visiting his personal web site will allow a glimpse at his huge achievements so far. This album is a must have for the many fans of the alternative Polish Jazz / contemporary music scene and is of course is highly recommended.