250 KG – Podwazna (2013) ****

Tomasz Gadecki - saxophone
Suavas Lewy - guitar

Nasze Nagrania 003







By Adam Baruch

This is a debut recording by the Polish Avant-Garde / Free Jazz duo 250 KG, which comprises of saxophonist Tomasz Gadecki and guitarist Suavas Lewy. Gadecki is known to the followers of the Polish scene as half of the excellent Olbrzym I Kurdupel duo. The album includes seven improvised pieces, which as the duo members state in the liner notes, are based on "carefully prepared compositional assumptions", which is a typical example of irony associated with the Polish Avant Garde, mixed with a grain of truth. And again, quoting the a.m. liner notes, any attempt to describe the music any further is simply futile and contradicts the very essence of this music, which is supposed to be listened to without any preconceptions.

Improvised Music is by its very nature extremely personal and does not often cross the bridge spanning between the improvisers and their audience, regardless of everybody's best intentions. Strangely, this music, which is as improvised as improvised music gets, is also very communicative, which is truly extraordinary. I enjoyed the conversations between the duo members from the moment the music started and hardly even noticed the time moving on, with the album being over much too soon.

Gadecki and Suavas definitely seem to be on the same wavelength, intertwined within the music and bonding constantly, which after all is the essence of collective improvisation. Sonically the tone and timbre of both players is mellow and pleasant, in complete comparison to the usual Avant-Garde harshness and aggression. I'd even go as far as suggesting that this music would be listenable even to audiences beyond the inner circle of the Improvised Music hard core.

So here we have one more example of the creativity and constant development of the Avant-Garde / Free Jazz / Improvised Music scene in Poland, which seems to have no borders or limits and keeps astounding its followers the world over. Such quality and imagination are seeds of hope that the world and its Culture are not yet doomed, after all.

I'd recommend to other musicians belonging to the same musical sphere to listen to this album and learn from it how to be creative and not alienate your public at the same time. At least for me this one is an instant classic of the genre.

Głyk P.I.K Trio - Released At Last (2013)

Irek Głyk - vibraphone
Kinga Głyk - bass
Patryk Glyk - drums
with
Joachim Mencel - piano

Mirek Stępień - accordion

PRIVATE EDITION

By Adam Baruch

This is a debut recording by the Glyk P.I.K Trio, a family trio comprising of father vibraphonist / composer / arranger Irek Glyk and his two children: daughter Kinga Glyk who plays bass and son Patryk Glyk who plays drums. Pianist Joachim Mencel and accordionist Mirek Stepien guest on selected tracks. The album includes nine tracks, eight of which are original compositions by Irek and one is a standard.

Usually such family affairs are more a social event than a serious music making endeavor, but quite surprisingly this album has some merit. Both the compositions, which are quite solid and although pretty mainstreamish provide an adequate basis for improvisation, and the performances, which are quite professional make this a nice listening experience. Of course the more experienced head of the family carries most of the responsibilities here, but the young generation supports him with obvious talent. Personally Mencel's contributions are the highlight of this album.

Overall this is a standard mainstream effort with original music, which does not innovate but holds water and has its value as a generation gap bonding element. Considering the fact that the vibraphone and marimba are such neglected instruments, this is an opportunity to hear their beautiful sound. Don't expect any surprises and take it easy…

Michael Patches Stewart – On Fire (2013) **

Robert Kubiszyn - bass / keyboards
Marek Napiorkowski - guitar

Pawel Tomaszewski - keyboards

and others

UNIVERSAL 602537537594

By Adam Baruch

Although released under the name of American Jazz trumpeter Michael Patches Stewart, this is in fact a product of cooperation between American and Polish Jazz musicians. The Americans also include saxophonist Kenny Garrett, keyboardist George Duke (on one track only), drummer Poogie Bell and a few others. The Poles are represented by bassist / keyboardist Robert Kubiszyn, guitarist Marek Napiorkowski, keyboardist Pawel Tomaszewski and others. The album comprises of eight tracks, four of which were composed by Kubiszyn and the remaining four by American composers. One track includes vocals.

The music has almost nothing to do with Jazz and is a kind of instrumental Soul / Funk with only marginal Jazzy touches. The melodies are completely banal and unremarkable and the improvisations shallow. The performances are well executed, which is not surprising considering the level of the musicians involved and their professionalism. However the overall result is pretty miserable, screaming "muzak" and "elevator music" from start to finish. Why such talented musicians would stoop so low is completely beyond me and I hope they'd all rather forget this disaster ASAP.

What a waste of talent!

Janusz Mackiewicz - Elec-Tri-City (2013)

Dominik Bukowski - vibraphone
Marcin Wądołowski - guitar

Janusz Mackiewicz - bass

Grzegorz Sycz - drums

with

Maciej Sikała - saxophone

Leszek Możdżer - keyboards

BITTT 002

By Adam Baruch

This is the debut album by Polish Jazz-Rock / Funk ensemble Elec-Tri-City, formed by bassist Janusz Mackiewicz and including also the excellent veteran vibraphonist Dominik Bukowski, guitarist Marcin Wadolowski and drummer Grzegorz Sycz. As the word-play title suggests, the band members originate from the country's Tricity on the Baltic Sea. Several guest musicians participate on the album, most notably the keyboards wizard Leszek Mozdzer. The album includes seven original compositions all by Mackiewicz.

The music lies well within the boundaries of the Jazz-Rock Fusion / Funk variety, but presents an up to date version of the idiom and even tries to expand its boundaries by adding somewhat more electronic ambience and more advanced harmonic structures as well as more ambitious improvisations than usually utilized by musicians operating within these genres. The compositions are surely better than most sketchy melodic lines usually used in Funk over a repetitious rhythmic pattern. In short this music is a breath of fresh air as far as Funk & Co are concerned.

The individual contributions are all beyond reproach, which is not surprising considering the obvious abilities of the musicians involved. Mackiewicz plays some pretty "nasty" bass lines, which can wake up the dead, Bukowski and his xylosynth (xylophone-synthesizer) produces superb atmospheric sonic layers and inspired solos, Wadolowski adds a gutsy, Bluesy guitar sound and Sycz keeps the entire shamadan moving forward straight to the listeners guts (or heart). Even Mozdzer plays here considerably more imaginatively than on his solo albums lately.

Overall this is an excellent album as far as Funk is concerned, elegant and entertaining and above all great fun. I enjoyed every minute of this music, which is definitely more suitable for warm climates. Thank you guys for bringing some joy to life!

Magnolia Acoustic Quartet – Boozer (2013)

Szymon Nidzworski - tenor & soprano saxophones
Kuba Sokołowski - piano
Mateusz Dobosz - double bass
Patryk Dobosz - drums
with
Tomasz Dabrowski - trumpet
Maciej Obara - alto saxophone

FOR TUNE 0003



By Adam Baruch

This is a (formal) debut album by Polish Jazz ensemble Magnolia Acoustic Quartet, which comprises of saxophonist Szymon Nidzworski, pianist Kuba Sokolowski, bassist Mateusz Dobosz and drummer Patryk Dobosz. The album presents a live recording of an extended lineup of the ensemble, which adds two slightly older and better known Polish Jazz musicians: trumpeter Tomasz Dabrowski and saxophonist Maciej Obara. The music includes seven pieces, six of which are originals (three by Sokolowski, two by Obara and one by Dabrowski) and one is by the contemporary Polish Classical Music composer Witold Lutoslawski.

The music played by these incredible musicians covers the areas of modern European Jazz, Avant Garde and Free Jazz, firmly embracing the past and clearly pointing out the future. Based on pre-composed themes, the group's music develops into lengthy collective and individual improvisations, which are achieved through mutual respect and collaboration, but also reflect the incredible individual talents. The overall effect is simply stunning and the fact that this music is created by such young musicians is simply unreal. The ensemble portrays the ideal balance between the soloists and the rhythm section. The pair of the Dobosz Brothers is quite likely to become the new brotherly Polish rhythm section following in the steps of the legendary Oles Brothers.

Quite naturally the most impressive solo spots are reserved for the two guests, especially Dabrowski, whose contributions here are simply stellar and again clearly point out his path to stardom and his position as the future top Polish Jazz trumpet player. One of the most exciting moments of this album is the trumpet / drums duet, which is simply divine, and which should come as no surprise in view of the fact that Dabrowski recorded an entire trumpet / drums album recently with American drummer Tyshawn Sorey, also released on the For Tune label.

Considering the fact that this music was recorded live, which eliminates any studio trickery and results in "what was played is what you hear", all that was stated above is even more impressive. After listening to the album several times the music keeps getting better and better and Magnolia Acoustic Quartet simply emerges as one of the best new arrivals on the Polish Jazz scene in the last few years.

This album presents the young Polish Jazz scene at its best: vigorous, daring, original, inventive and hellishly talented. These are the musicians that will lead the scene in decades to come, when the older generation retires or sadly is no longer with us. Judging by this album and many others that pop up recently like mushrooms after rain, we have absolutely nothing to worry about the shape of things to come!

Krzysztof Herdzin – Composer's Concert Live (2013) ****

Krzysztof Herdzin - piano / composer / conductor
Piotr Baron - saxophone

DUX 0970








By Adam Baruch

Polish pianist / composer / arranger / conductor Krzysztof Herdzin, who is in his early forties at the time these words are being written, managed to create an entire universe of music in the relatively short span of his life so far; a universe so diverse and overwhelmingly rich in forms, idioms and palette that one begins to wonder if the Artist will ever reach his limits and become finally content and contained.

Herdzin has been tightrope walking for some time now between Jazz and Classical Music, obviously deeply involved in both genres. Sometimes his works try to amalgamate the genres, creating a Jazz-Classical Fusion, but he also composes "strictly" Classical Music, which is presented on this live recording. Here Herdzin conducts the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra, which performs seven of his compositions. Five of these compositions are orchestral works, with two involving only strings and the other three the entire orchestra, another one involves an improvising saxophonist – in this case the brilliant Piotr Baron – and the last one is a piano concertino in three parts, on which the composer also plays the piano.

Contrary to what one might expect, Herdzin as a Classical Music composer does not follow the Polish "modernist school", which includes such distinguished composers as Krzysztof Penderecki, Witold Lutoslawski, Henryk Gorecki and Wojciech Kilar, to mention just the most renowned names. His inspiration is obviously much closer to the French modernists / impressionists like Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel and the more avant-garde "Les Six" group, but of course many other distinguished composers he admires. His works are always full of romanticism and lyricism and are beautifully melodic, which makes them sound "easy" / "pleasant", even if they are in fact quite complex in their structure, harmony and form.

The music presented here follows Herdzin's tendency for creating melodic, romantic and mostly joyful music, which can be enjoyed by a wide spectrum of listeners, which can encompass his Jazz listeners as easily as fans of Classical Music. His Jazz persona is evident in the piece involving the saxophone improvisation, which is stunningly performed and definitely is one of the album's highlights. The piano concertino also includes quite a few Jazzy hints and undercurrents. Herdzin does not present any groundbreaking discoveries herein, but his music is a very solid statement and pays tribute to his many talents.

Overall this is a lovely and aesthetically pleasing piece of music, excellently performed and very well recorded, as much as being a great listening experience. Wholeheartedly recommended!

Made In Chicago Festival 2013

The Poznań-based Made In Chicago festival is a highly original and very interesting event on the map of European and Polish jazz festivals. Organized in collaboration with the leading institution to support jazz music in the USA, the Jazz Institute of Chicago, and subsidized by the Poznań Municipality and the State of Illinois, it arouses interest of the industry and world media. 

Made In Chicago is an uncommon festival, just like Chicago is an uncommon, music-friendly place. Held in great respect, historical figures of the Chicago scene constitute the jazz of today alongside young artists. Joint music-making – often in ad hoc outfits which bring together different generations of musicians – is the town’s tradition. Sharing experience is fostered by countless concerts on the constantly changing map of clubs, numerous festivals, incl. the excellent Chicago Jazz Festival, free Jazz City or Word Class Jazz concerts at Millennium Park and several other events organized both by musicians themselves, and by such professional institutions as the Jazz Institute of Chicago. Jazz in Chicago enjoys the status of a world-calibre cultural phenomenon. It does not draw energy from intellectual snobbery of the audiences, but straight from the heartbeat of the town, of which it is a living part. It is always created with the audience and for the audience. Although it has attained to the status of a legend, it keeps surprising with originality. Rooted in the blues, which is invariably present in Chicago, it reveals the wealth of Afro-American culture, and refers not only to the African tradition, but also to contemporary music. Concerts by musicians from Chicago go beyond the traditionally understood jazz, and assume the unique character of a musical mystery. This has been particularly strong since the 1960s, when Muhal Richard Abrams founded the AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians), the most important jazz university in the world. It does not only teach music, but also shapes artistic attitudes, awakens the awareness of Afro-Americans’ cultural legacy, and demonstrates the relations between tradition and modernity. There are no typical lecturers, no regular students, there are no grades, exams or academic structures. What there is, is jazz created and explained in direct contact between artists and audiences. Full of distinguished names, the list of AACM-associated musicians grows bigger every year.

This year’s edition of the Festival is a unique event dedicated to the memory of Wojtek Juszczak, the late co-founder of Made In Chicago. Thirty Artists headed by Lauren Deutsch, Director of Jazz Institute of Chicago, who are going to visit our town, have prepared special projects to commemorate the Friend who joined Chicago and Poznań with a truly special bond.

29 Nov. 2013, FRIDAY 
Nicole Mitchell’s Sun Dial , 7 p.m., Scena na Piętrze.

Nicole Mitchell - flute
Joshua Abrams – bass
Njiate Agindotan – drums, percussion
Dwight Trible - vocal

Dee Alexander’s Funkin’ with Acoustic Soul: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix and James Brown, 9 p.m., Sala Wielka CK Zamek.

Dee Alexander - vocal
Harrison Bankhead - bass
Junius Paul - bass
Scott Hesse - guitar
Tomeka Reid - cello
Ernie Adams - drums 

Miguel De La Cerna - piano

30 Nov. 2013, SATURDAY
Roscoe Mitchell/Mike Reed Duet, 7 p.m., Scena na Piętrze.

Roscoe Mitchell – saxes 

Mike Reed - drums

KIZUNA : A Gathering for Wojciech Co-Led by Mwata Bowden and Tatsu Aoki, 9 p.m., Sala Wielka CK Zamek. 

Mwata Bowden – bari sax, clarinet
Tatsu Aoki - bass
Kioto Aoki – taiko drum
Francis Wong – tenor sax
Avreeayl Ra – drums
Dee Alexander - vocal
Nicole Mitchell - flute
Harrison Bankhead - bass
Tomeka Reid – cello
Junius Paul – bass
Robert Irving III – piano
Ernie Adams - drums
Ari Brown – tenor sax
TS Galloway – trombone
Leon Q Allen - trumpet
Scott Hesse – guitar

1 Dec. 2013, SUNDAY 
Chicago Woj-tet, 7 p.m., Scena na Piętrze.

Robert Irving III - piano
Harrison Bankhead - bass
Ernie Adams - drums
Ari Brown - reeds
Scott Hesse – guitar
feat. Leon Q Allen - trumpet

Liquid Soul, 9 p.m., Pawilon Nowa Gazownia.

Mars Williams - Sax
Tom Klein – Guitar
Ricky Showalter – Bass
Devin Staples – Drums
Doug Corcoran – Trumpet / Keys
David “My Boy Elroy” Arredondo – Turntables & Beatbox
Walter "Dirty MF" Sargent – MC
Brian "MC B" Quarles – MC

Anna Serafinska – Groove Machine (2013)

Anna Serafinska - vocals
Rafał Stępień - keyboards
Andrzej Gondek - guitar
Michal Baranski - bass
Cezary Konrad - drums

POLSKIE RADIO 1662




By Adam Baruch

This is a live radio recording by veteran Polish Jazz vocalist / songwriter / educator Anna Serafinska with her group called Groove Machine, which consists of mostly younger musicians: keyboardist Rafal Stepien, guitarist Andrzej Gondek, bassist Michal Baranski and drummer Cezary Konrad. The group also includes a couple of female backing vocalists. The album includes ten pieces, nine of which are originals on which Serafinska contributed the music or the lyrics or both and only one is a standard.

The group's name conveys exactly its musical direction, which is Funk, Soul-Jazz and Groove, without exception. Although marginally Jazzy, this music is quite excellent at what it stands for and does not fall behind similar efforts recorded anywhere else in the world, US included. The band plays with a superb feel and groove, as expected, driven by the excellent rhythm section of brilliant Baranski and veteran Konrad, who never fails regardless the musical environment. Keyboards and guitar, which provide the melodic content as well as atmospheric ornamentation, are also spotless and inspired. The tasty hints of ambient and electronic sounds by the keyboardists bring the overall sound up to date sounding completely contemporary.

Serafinska, who sings in Polish and English, does a good job, obviously technically proficient and with a lot of feeling and understanding for this kind of music. However, her voice lacks any distinctive elements and is simply unremarkable. But the lack of luster is definitely a minor drawback and overall she really does an excellent job here both as a performer and composer / lyricist.

This is what it is – good time music, which manages however to preserve musical quality, aesthetics and integrity. With excellent sound quality and truly entertaining contents this is definitely worth listening to, especially while driving a convertible on a sea-side road. Groovy indeed!

Mariusz Bogdanowicz Quartet – Syntonia (2013) ***1/2

Adam Wendt - saxophone

Milosz Wośko - piano
Mariusz Bogdanowicz - bass
Sebastian Frankiewicz - drums
and others

CONFITEOR 007





By Adam Baruch

This is the third album by veteran Polish Jazz bassist / composer Mariusz Bogdanowicz, recorded with his quartet which also includes saxophonist Adam Wendt, pianist Milosz Wosko and drummer Sebastian Frankiewicz. Several guest musicians participate on selected tracks. The album comprises of nine original compositions, all by Bogdanowicz, eight of which are instrumentals and one features vocals.

The music is typical modern Polish Jazz mainstream, with beautiful melancholic melodies, lyrical moods and almost Scandinavian gloominess in the air. All the performances are excellent technically and proficiently executed, with some brilliant moments, especially when trumpeter Piotr Schmidt joins the ensemble and the overall atmosphere becomes somewhat less constrained. The compositions are all quite gorgeous and sometimes it seems that they could have served as a basis for a much more adventurous approach. Bogdanowicz plays delightfully from start to finish and his partners all deserve applause.

It is almost impossible to say anything negative about this album; it is after all a superb mainstream recording by any criteria. Many Jazz lovers, especially Americans (if this album was to reach the US market – which it won't) would simply love it to bits. However, as good as it is, it does not break any conventional barriers and contributes very little to the development of the genre. But who says every album has to do so?

So here we have a very pleasant mainstream album, well played and excellently recorded and full of good music, lacking only a bit of the audacious spark. Perhaps next time?

Shofar - Ha-Huncvot (2013)

Mikolaj Trzaska - saxophone, clarinet
Raphael Rogiński - guitar
Macio Moretti - drums

KILOGRAM 026







By Adam Baruch

The Polish ensemble Shofar, founded by guitarist Raphael Rogiński, who also leads the excellent ensemble Cukunft, is a trio which also includes the iconic saxophonist / clarinetist Mikolaj Trzaska and drummer Macio Moretti. This is their second album, which consists of eleven pieces, eight of which are original compositions co-credited to the trio and three are their unique interpretations of traditional Hasidic melodies.

The album was recorded a couple of years following their debut, but was actually released only four years later. Musically it is a logical development of the approach established on the debut, which mixes pre-composed themes and improvisations, with strong influences originating in Eastern European Jewish music. Together with Cukunft and quite a few other ensembles the New Jewish Music emerges as one of the most interesting musical development on the Polish scene.

Shofar creates a very distinct sound, with the electric guitar sounding seemingly in conflict with the delicate clarinet, but strangely they somehow complete each other, and together with the percussive ornamentation create a wonderful amalgam, which proposes a new aesthetic. The various pieces represent many different moods, like anger, aggression, despair, peace, love and meditation, always playing just what is necessary and avoiding any meaningless excess. Overall the music is deeply engaging and has a direct impact, regardless if the listener has any Jewish roots or not. This is the real strength of this music.

There are, of course, also the individual talents of these musicians to be considered, in addition to their group performances, which deserve the listener's attention. Roginski, deeply rooted in rocky riffs, expands his vocabulary with ambient accompaniments and wall-of-sound strumming in the most intense moments. Trzaska, relatively restrained, sounds wonderfully mellow and melodic, but underneath his volcanic explosions simply wait for an opportunity to erupt. Moretti keeps a relatively low profile, although his contributions are quite essential to keep the entire creation together and are all performed with great fluency and confidence.

This music is truly beyond category and has little parallels in Poland or in the entire world for that matter. Although firmly clinging to the Improvised Music formulas, this music has a "soul" ("neshume" in Yiddish), which is simply absent in most improvised environments. This is perhaps New Jewish Music, but it also is a bridge between the past and the future in all musical areas for people who are willing to listen.