Kuba Stankiewicz – Stankiewicz Plays Kilar (EP) (2013)

Kuba Stankiewicz - piano

V RECORDS










By Adam Baruch

This EP is a brief glimpse at a work in progress, which hopefully will be completed very soon, which presents one of the best Polish Jazz pianists Kuba Stankiewicz playing his interpretations of music written by the great Polish contemporary Classical and Cinematic music composer Wojciech Kilar. The music is performed on solo piano, the most "naked" of all formats but also the most unlimited one.

Kilar, who is unfortunately less know outside of Poland than his contemporaries like Krzysztof Penderecki, Henryk Gorecki or Witold Lutoslawski, is by no means less important and neither is his wonderful musical legacy. His work as a composer of film scores is truly legendary and his music accompanies over 100 films by all major Polish directors, like Roman Polanski and Andrzej Wajda, and also those beyond Poland, both in Europe and the US (for example Francis For Coppola). Although a modernist, Kilar's music is full of romanticism and lyricism, and his sublime sense of melody is second to none.

Stankiewicz treats Kilar's music with a lot of respect and obvious love. The relaxed and delicate interpretations are full of charming moments, where the improvisations move out and return to the melodic theme. Stankiewicz has a wonderful touch on the piano, which sounds full-bodied and expressive even at a low volume. The overall effect is simply delightful.

Following decades of Polish Jazz musicians obsessively interpreting the music of Frederic Chopin, it's truly refreshing to hear some musicians turning the attention to other great Polish composers, like the sensational "Experiment: Penderecki" released recently by pianist Piotr Orzechowski. This music is very different, but also very interesting and no less challenging intellectually.

I look forward impatiently to hear the complete album soon and with Stankiewicz a priori the best of luck with this admirable project.

Tone Raw - Tone Raw (2012)

Marek Konarski - saxophone
Sebastian Zawadzki - piano
Thomas Kolarczyk - bass
Kuba Gudz - drums

SOS 12012






By Adam Baruch

This is a phenomenal debut album by a young (very young) Polish Jazz quartet Tone Raw, which consists of saxophonist Marek Konarski, pianist Sebastian Zawadzki, bassist Thomas Kolarczyk and drummer Kuba Gudz. All four are music students, two of them in Berlin and two others in Odense, Denmark (where many Polish young musicians set out to study Jazz at the local Academy of Music). The album consists of nine tracks, five of which were composed by the pianist, one each by the saxophonist and the drummer, one by a fellow Danish student and one by the godfather of Polish Jazz Krzysztof Komeda, which is performed solo by the pianist. The album was recorded at the Studio Tokarnia and engineered by Jan Smoczynski, with the usual spectacular sonic result.

It is truly impossible to guess the age of these musicians just from listening to the album, as they project incredible maturity both as performers and composers. The music, which although is based on solid melodic themes, is full of space and freedom, allowing the players and the listener to float willingly somewhere in the vicinity without being constrained in any way. The melodies have a subtle, but recognizable ethnic influence, which encompasses such diverse (culturally) areas as Eastern Europe, Middle East or Scandinavia. But in spite the different influences, the music presents quite a recognizable stylistic unity, which is extremely rare among young ensembles. Zawadzki, who is the most prominent composer on this album, and who also plays the solo piano piece, is perhaps at the focal point herein, but it seems that the teamwork and mutual respect shift the focal point towards the cooperative effort rather than individual statements.

The overall effect of the album is typical European Jazz aesthetics, which not only refuses to be forgotten, but keeps pushing the envelope of the genre further and further away from its 20^th Century sources, traditions and limitations. These youngsters understand subconsciously that Jazz, Classical Music and Folklore are simply different manifestations of the same Cultural asset, a resource, which one can explore at will, guided only by one's intrinsic sense of beauty, intelligence and above all talent. And there is certainly a lot of talent on this album.

These players and their music deserve the attention of Polish Jazz enthusiasts, as they certainly have a lot of potential, which they have just started to explore. If this is their starting point, one might only wonder what they are capable of creating in the not too distant future. Definitely a striking debut effort!

Mariia Guraievska feat. Ethno Jazz Synthesis - Water Nymphs (2012)

Mariia Guraievska feat. Ethno Jazz Synthesis

Mariia Guraievska – vocal
Michał Kapczuk – double bass
Sebastian Kuchczyński – drums
Mateusz Szczypka – guitar

Water Nymphs (2012)

By Maciej Nowotny

Some of the best things in Polish jazz has happened through cooperation with musicians from other countries and by mixing our tradition with those of other nations. The renewed interest in Jewish culture in Poland is one example. The other may be multiple collaborations with Scandinavian musicians. Close to these two leading phenomenons comes interest in musical heritage of our Eastern neighbours, especially Ukraine. "Water Nymphs" is an album that may be a good representative of such Polish-Ukraine projects, perhaps one of the most interesting ones, at least in purely artistic terms.

It is difficult to believe that "Water Nymphs" is a debut recording by vocalist Mariia Guraievska. Her singing is not only immaculate, spotless, technically perfect but also original, individual, unique. In her interpretation old folk songs coming from Kiev and Podolia region sound modern without losing their soul. What is important she managed to strike a balance between making this music attractive for the contemporary listener while paying homage to the tradition and yet finding a space for freedom. These are moments when I like her most: in crystal clear vocalizes when she plays with her sensual voice relishing in classy support she gets from excellent musicians playing in her band.

The contribution of Ethno Jazz Synthesis featuring some of the best Polish young jazz instrumentalists is the element that can not be overestimated. Michał Kapczuk on double bass (known from collaborations with talented trumpeter Piotr Schmidt), Sebastian Kuchczyński on drums (again playing with P. Schmidt but also with trombonist Michał Tomaszczyk and guitarist Przemek Strączyk) and Mateusz Szczypka on guitar provide Guraievska with dream-like support: compassionate, emphatic and tender enough to never dominate her delicate but expressive voice. All in all, this is truly a pearl as far as ethno-jazz is concerned, especially for those interested in Eastern European folk music. Bravo!

Tracklist:
1. Under a White Tree
2. Travel to The Moon
3. Rural Infatuation
4. For a Stolen Child
5. Invisible Mountain
6. Water Nymphs
7. Beware of Pigeons
8. Sunshine Reapers
9. Cuckoo in The House
10. Cuckoo in The House (Reprise Live)
11. Under a White Tree (Radio Edit)

Polish Jazz Project 2013 has started!!!

The idea of Polish Jazz Project is simple: to collect in one place information about all jazz albums recorded in a given year with the participation of Polish musicians. Last year list (check: Polish Jazz Project 2012) has amounted to 139 albums! And it is still growing as the artists, promoters and readers are sending us information with which it is supplemented. However new 2013 year began and as before new Polish Jazz Project 2013 has started. Again directed by Tomek Łuczak the list of new records issued in this year already counts no less than 26 albums! It augurs well for future so we can hope for yet another outstanding harvest in Polish jazz this year ;-)

POLISH JAZZ PROJECT 2013

Idea Polish Jazz Project jest prosta: zebrać w jednym miejscu informacje o wszystkich albumach jazzowych wydanych w danym roku, w których nagraniu udział wzięli polscy muzycy. Lista zeszłoroczna (możecie się z nią zapoznać klikając na ten link: Polish Jazz Project 2012) obejmuje na ten moment aż 139 albumów! Co więcej ta lista ciągle rośnie ponieważ jeszcze cały czas artyści, promotorzy i nasi czytelnicy dosyłają nam informacje o kolejnych pozycjach, które powinny się na niej znaleźć. Zatem uzupełniamy ciągle tę listę, ale ponieważ nowy rok 2013 już się rozpoczął, zaczynamy prace nad listą tegoroczną. Jak poprzednio projektem tym kieruje Tomek Łuczak, który na nowej liście umieścił już 26 płyt! Dobry to prognostyk, który zapowiada na ten rok niezwykle obfite "jazzowe żniwa" ;-)

Various Artists – Przyjaciele Graja Hajduna (2011)

Wanda Staroniewicz - vocals
Wlodzimierz Nahorny - piano
Piotr Nadolski - trumpet
Marcin Wadolowski - guitar
Wojciech Staroniewicz - saxophone
Janusz Mackiewicz - bass
Dominik Bukowski - vibraphone
Darek Herbasz - saxophone
Adam Golicki - percussion
Kuba Hajdun - piano

ALLEGRO 023

By Adam Baruch

This album presents the live recording of a memorial concert dedicated to the Polish pianist / composer Janusz Hajdun, who died a year before this concert took place. Hajdun composed music to more than a hundred films, including the short animated film "Tango", which was the first and so far only Polish film to win the Oscar in 1983, as well as many popular songs. His music was characterized by a distinctive swing and a Jazz spirit, and therefore it is only natural that the Polish Jazz musicians taking part in this concert would pay this loving tribute to the beautiful music composed by Hajdun, hoping to preserve it for posterity.

The album presents thirteen compositions by Hajdun (in two cases co-compositions), all of which were beautifully arranged by the participating musicians and three of which include vocals sung by Wanda Staroniewicz. The instrumentalist are: legendary pianist Wlodzimierz Nahorny, trumpeter Piotr Nadolski, guitarist Marcin Wadolowski, saxophonist Wojciech Staroniewicz, bassist Janusz Mackiewicz, vibraphonist Dominik Bukowski, saxophonist Dariusz Herbasz, percussionist Adam Golicki and pianist Kuba Hajdun (the composer's son).

The music is truly beautiful, full of the typical Polish lyricism, somewhat melancholic and even gloomy, but always absorbing and aesthetically perfect. There is more than a coincidental similarity to Krzysztof Komeda's cinematic work, which indisputably inspired Hajdun, as it did all Polish composers. Hearing all this music collected here makes a great impact as a sum total and emphasizes his incredible value as a composer and contributor to the development of Polish Culture.

The performances are inspired and overall perfect, full of superb solos and excellent team work, kept in relative low-key, as appropriate for a memorial concert. Ranging from solo piano performances to a full-blown Jazz ensemble, things are definitely happening here, which should leave no listener cold. The fact that people pay tribute to their departed colleagues and mentors is heartwarming and commendable and when it is done with such love, dedication and talent, it becomes an unforgettable event.

This is Polish Jazz at its best, and as such it deserves to be listened to with attention and open-mindedness. Taking care of the past and the heritage is every bit as important as taking care of the future, let's not forget it.

Slawomir Jaskulke – Live Gdynia Summer Jazz Days 2001 (2002)

Slawomir Jaskulke - piano
Maciej Sikala - saxophone
Piotr Lemanczyk - bass
Tomasz Sowinski - drums

ALLEGRO 003





By Adam Baruch

This is the debut album by Polish Jazz pianist / composer Slawomir Jaskulke, recorded live in a classic trio / quartet setting with saxophonist Maciej Sikala, bassist Piotr Lemanczyk and drummer Tomasz Sowinski. The album presents five original compositions; three of which are by the leader and two are by Sikala. The first two numbers are performed by the trio and the other three by the quartet.

Jaskulke is considered as one of the most brilliant representatives of the young generation of Polish Jazz pianists and his achievements during the first decade of the 21^st Century are indeed remarkable and include performances around the globe and numerous recordings as leader and sidemen (including those with the veteran Polish Jazz icon Zbigniew Namyslowski). He has also composed music for theatre and cinema.

Anybody listening to this album at the time of its release should have expected great things from Jaskulke, as it is a truly outstanding debut. The trio numbers present Jaskulke as an amazing piano virtuoso, playing in a unique style, which is incredibly percussive and powerful, whereas the quartet numbers present his gentler side as a balladeer, playing beautifully restrained melodic phrases or as an ensemble player of great sensitivity. Such incredible versatility is very rare indeed and when executed with a magic touch like the one he presents here, it is simply marvelous. Considering the fact that Jaskulke was only twenty two years old at the time of the recording one must admit that this is a discovery of an extraordinary talent.

Musically the trio and the quartet are also quite different, with the material written by the leader being much more open and often freely structured, whereas the numbers written by the saxophonist are pretty standard mainstream Jazz compositions, both very good, but not special in any way. In a sense it seems as if these two different settings belong on two separate albums, but what was done can not be undone, so one should enjoy the fact that this marvelous music was captured for posterity and we can listen to it again and again.

The rhythm section performs exactly as expected, changing the volume and presence according to the specific requirements of the moment, always there when one expects them to be, keeping perfect time (which is not always easy here) and modestly displaying another level of virtuosity. Together the ensemble sounds like an unstoppable locomotive, which runs amok, especially in the last tune.

This is definitely an album every Jazz piano lover should listen to, sooner or later, an experience he'll never regret nor forget. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Magnolia Acoustic Quartet feat. Tomasz Dąbrowski - Magnolia Acoustic Quartet (2010)

Magnolia Acoustic Quartet

Magnolia Acoustic Quartet

Szymon Nidzworski - sax
Jakub Sokołowski - piano
Mateusz Dobosz - double bass
Patryk Dobosz - drums

guest: Tomasz Dąbrowski - trumpet

Magnolia Acoustic Quartet (2010)

By Maciej Nowotny

The band has been started in 2009 by saxophonist Szymon Nidzworski. But Magnolia Acoustic Quartet is obviously a team effort. Pianist Jakub Sokołowski composed most of the music while Mateusz Dobosz on double bass and Patryk Dobosz on drums provided it with very modern-sounding rhythm. They all graduated from excellent Musical Academies in Warsaw and Cracow. They picked up some rewards - most notably at Jazz Juniors festival in Cracow - which is even more significant when one knows that most jurors at Polish jazz festivals favor mainstream jazz.

But music of Magnolia Acoustic Quartet (MAQ) though clearly rooted in the tradition of jazz - evidenced by name of the band which refers to the tune played in New Orleans during funeral ceremonies - is by no means limited to its mainstream form. It draws a lot as much from free jazz as from classical music. By those references it might be labeled as "third stream" but I think it is better not to use this old-fashioned cliche to describe something that sounds entirely fresh and is directed toward future of the music.

Apart from regular members of the band this session features also trumpeter Tomasz Dąbrowski. He is a former student of Ostenda Music Academy in Denmark together with such musicians as guitarist Marek Kądziela, saxophonist Tomek Licak or pianist Artur Tuźnik. In recent years they made quite an entry on Polish jazz scene with series of excellent albums among which last year "Tom Trio" by Tomasz Dąbrowski stands out as both mature and distinctive voice of this new "Danish" wave in Polish jazz.

Going back to MAQ: what can I say more? This is simply one of the most spectacular debuts in Polish music in recent years! The music is so rich, so deep, so engaging that it is really difficult to believe this is their first album. Alas this CD is a private edition, available to buy only after concerts. If released and available in commercial circulation, it would definitely be counted among the best albums of the given year. Still the future looks bright for this band as new major player on Polish music publishing market - For Tune Records - has chosen their next project recorded with saxophonist Maciej Obara to be released soon in this year 2013. I am already impatiently waiting for this new record of theirs...

* in writing this text I used info available in this article: http://jazzarium.pl/kalendarz/magnolia-acoustic-quartet

Jachna / Buhl - Tapes (2013)

Jachna/Buhl

Wojtek Jachna - trumpet, flugelhorn, electronics
Jacek Buhl - drums, percussion

Tapes (2013)

By Dirk Blasejezak

2013 already has a gem - although it's actually not really a new one. But this collection of ”old” tapes by Wojtek Jachna and Jacek Buhl comes along so fresh and wild it has to be covered here. (“Old” means the material was recorded between 2009 and 2011.)

Right from the start one gets caught with a song (“Czarny koń Bruce”) that sounds like an homage to the Roaring Twenties. Wojtek Jachna takes the listener back in time without any digression while maintaining contact to the present and to contemporary free jazz. The second song comprises two parts and the first part (“Klub łańcuszka na talerzu”) starts off like a tour de force. This is Jacek Buhl’s no-holds-barred playing - no compromise just hitting (by no means mechanical though).

And this is just how it goes on - the whole album is an experimental site for two free minds. Even though this is only a collection of older material from the rehearsal room you won’t find anything that’s not showing two excellent musicians playing with an overwhelming inspiration. Innovative yet appealing. And again a splendid example of great Polish jazz duos that seem to be more and more in vogue recently. 

The two musicians are known from many projects and bands like Contemporary Noise Sextet, Sing Sing Penelope (Wojtek Jachna) and 4 Syfon, Variete, The Cyklist (Jacek Buhl) - but with this duo it seems that both go beyond their usual borders. And we should be thankful - this is pure pleasure and enjoyment for anybody who likes some ludic drive in free jazz.

Speaking of free it is to say that this album is available at no charge on Bandcamp - so this could be the perfect starting point for anybody who never heard of Jachna/Buhl (you will of course love to get their other two albums too!). This is probably not only a promotional action but also due to the sometimes rather mediocre sound quality. Marcin Dymiter did a good job in recovering the recordings from the tapes but you shouldn’t expect too much. Still this is great music and definitely a recommendation!

Krzysztof Herdzin – Live In Tygmont (2006)

Krzysztof Herdzin - piano
Zbigniew Wegehaupt - bass
Cezary Kondrad - drums

ALLEGRO 011








By Adam Baruch

This album presents a live recording captured at the Warsaw's Tygmont club by pianist / composer Krzysztof Herdzin and his trio, with bassist Zbigniew Wegehaupt and drummer Cezary Konrad. The trio performs six compositions, four of which are originals by the leader and two are standards. The recording has a beautiful realistically captured live sound and an overall superb sound quality.

People familiar with the Polish Jazz scene are surely aware of the fact that Herdzin is one of the busiest and most versatile musicians in the country, who left his mark on a large scale of different musical projects in Contemporary Classical music, Jazz and Popular music. His work as an arranger / orchestrator marks most of the great Pop albums recorded in the last two decades in Poland. Sometimes it seems as if there is hardly anything happening in Polish music, which does not involve Herdzin one way or another. Of course such omnipresence can be dangerous and lead to spreading the talents thin, but one must admit that everything Herdzin touches turns out well, which simply proves his incredible talent, versatility, stamina, perseverance and above all professionalism.

To be fair one must remember that this album presents just one aspect of Herdzin's activity, i.e. his work as a leader of a classic Jazz piano trio. During his career Herdzin recorded several albums in this format, and I must admit this is the favorite one for me. There are several reasons why I feel that way; firstly the material included herein presents a wide emotional range, from up-tempo numbers presenting Herdzin as a virtuoso pianist performing neck-breaking solos and up to deeply contemplative ballads, where the listener can hear Herdzin the atmospheric painter. Secondly the trio work, which is absolutely stunning, is a superb example of creative cooperation in real time, which after all is what Jazz is all about. The dazzling displays of piano bravura are brilliantly supported at all times by the rhythm section, which at the time of the recording was probably the best in the country. My deeply lamented personal friend Zbigniew Wegehaupt, who left us at a ridiculous young age a year ago, was undoubtedly one of the greatest bassists to emerge on the local scene and drummer Cezary Konrad, with whom Herdzin works often, is probably to top drummer of the second Jazz generation in Poland.

This is a classic piano trio album in every respect, which should satisfy even the sternest and most capricious Jazz connoisseurs. Regardless if your champion is Chick Corea, Bill Evans or Herbie Hancock, you will find something here, which is of course first and foremost Herdzin's statement, but sits firmly in the same state of mind that these great Masters bestowed upon us. A timeless jewel!

Wojciech Staroniewicz – Karambola (1999)

Wojciech Staroniewicz - saxophone
Robert Majewski - trumpet
Grzegorz Nagorski - trombone
Cezary Paciorek - piano
Olgierd Walicki - bass
Cezary Konrad - drums
Nippy Noya - perscussion

ALLEGRO 001



By Adam Baruch

This album by veteran Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Wojciech Staroniewicz was recorded with a septet, which also included trumpeter Robert Majewski, trombonist Grzegorz Nagorski, pianist Cezary Paciorek, bassist Olgierd Walicki, drummer Cezary Konrad and Indonesian (living in Netherlands) percussionist Nippy Noya. It includes seven compositions, five of which are originals by the leader and two are standards.

It was also the first release on his own record label, called Allegro Records, one of the first musician's owned independent record labels in Poland, which just a decade prior to the release date of this album finally managed to shake off the Socialist regime. During that regime's rule, which lasted for forty five years, all recordings in Poland were released only by the state owned record label, which single-handedly dictated which music saw the light of day and which didn't. Of course as a result many great musicians, especially those with avant garde inclinations or anti-Government attitude, never received the opportunity to make an album. After the regime's fall by the end of 1980s, the economic realities replaced the political censorship as a decisive factor as to which music will be released, and an independent, self owned record label is definitely the best solution. In retrospect Allegro Records managed to become one of the leading such labels in Poland, releasing consistently excellent material by the owner, his many friends and other Polish Jazz musicians.

The music on this album presents a change of direction for Staroniewicz, as for the first time his great love for World Music is revealed in full. Strongly influenced by Cuban music and other South American musical accents, the music emerges as a superb amalgam of classic mainstream with these folkloristic elements. Beautifully arranged and perfectly executed, it is a non-stop delight from start to finish, with plenty of great soloing and excellent support by the rhythm section. The presence of Noya adds greatly to the overall sound and enhances the World Music feel. Although to a great extent sophisticated, the music sounds really "easy" and most of all danceable, which is a rare achievement. There is an incredible version of George Gershwin's "Summertime" here, which will make your behind vibrate.

This is definitely an album every true Jazz connoisseur would love to have in his collection. I can't help it but to recommend it wholeheartedly. Superb stuff!