Slawomir Kulpowicz – Private Balet Music (2013) ****

Slawomir Kulpowicz - piano

POLSKIE RADIO 1249

By Adam Baruch

This is the third installment in a series of releases documenting the recorded legacy of the great Polish Jazz pianist / composer Slawomir Kulpowicz, most of which is released for the first time. Kulpowicz, who died prematurely in 2008 at the age of 56, was a victim of cancer. He was a member of groups led by the top Polish Jazz players like Zbigniew Namyslowski and Tomasz Stanko and led / co-led his own ensembles like The Quartet, In-Formation and also cooperated with many other musicians over the years. He was an avid follower of John Coltrane's music and kept in touch with Coltrane's wife Alice Coltrane. Following his visit to India, Kulpowicz discovered Indian music and the spiritual aura of India, which became his own.

The turn of the Millennium found Kulpowicz as a refined Artist, with years of experience and success already credited to his impressive list of achievements. He was moving away from the traditional Jazz milieu and getting closer to contemporary Classical forms as well as experimenting with World Music influences. This solo piano recital, recorded live, which presents fourteen of his original compositions, is a portrait of a mature performer and composer, who has a complete control over his instrument as well as the ability to create moods and paint musical vistas with an astonishing ease and elegance.

Kulpowicz was interested in contemporary Classical music from an early age and although the first phase of his career concentrated on Jazz, the next one was quite different. He composed several pieces, which served as music for ballet and turned out to be a remarkable successful. The music on this album bridges these two phases, as the music clearly shows deep love and respect of the Jazz tradition, but the form is much closer to Classical style, in which these beautiful pieces could be considered as fragments of a suite (in this case an imaginary ballet suite) or other short forms like impressions, variations, etc. Regardless how this music is categorized, the level of amalgamation between Jazz and Classical music achieved here is simply exceptional.

Of course solo piano music is often quite difficult and demanding. Less experienced listeners may lack the concentration and dedication required in order to truly appreciate this music in full. This kind of music usually demands repeated listening sessions in order to discover its beauty, elegance and sophistication. On the other hand such investment is usually very well rewarded, as one might expect also in this case. Therefore this music should be taken seriously and relatively gradually, but eventually it will certainly hit the right cords. Wholeheartedly recommended!

In-Formation – In-Formation Trio (2013) ****1/2

Slawomir Kulpowicz - piano

Witold Szczurek - bass

Czeslaw Bartkowski - drums

POLSKIE RADIO 1248






By Adam Baruch

This is the second installment in a series of releases documenting the recorded legacy of the great Polish Jazz pianist / composer Slawomir Kulpowicz, most of which is released for the first time. Kulpowicz, who died prematurely in 2008 at the age of 56, was a victim of cancer. He was a member of groups led by the top Polish Jazz players like Zbigniew Namyslowski and Tomasz Stanko and led / co-led his own ensembles like The Quartet, In-Formation and also cooperated with many other musicians over the years. He was an avid follower of John Coltrane's music and kept in touch with Coltrane's wife Alice Coltrane. Following his visit to India, Kulpowicz discovered Indian music and the spiritual aura of India, which became his own.

Following the demise of The Quartet, Kulpowicz founded a new ensemble, which he called In-Formation. Over time several different versions of In-Formation existed, including a duo, the basic piano trio, presented here, quartet and even sextet. In retrospect the trio proved to be the most successful incarnation of the group. It included bassist Witold Szczurek (a.k.a. Vitold Rek) and legendary drummer Czeslaw Bartkowski. The same trio also served as the rhythm section of the Tomasz Stanko quartet in the early 1980s, recording with him two most impressive albums: "Music 81" and "A I J" (both recorded at the same session).

In-Formation recorded two albums for the Poljazz label, the second of which is partly (three tracks) also included here. The rest of the album (five more tracks) originates in two radio sessions recorded earlier in the same year. All the music was composed by Kulpowicz and is a direct continuation of his John Coltrane / McCoy Tyner influenced style presented earlier by The Quartet. Of course the trio's music is much less intense sonically than the quartet's massive sound, but not less complex or spiritually evolved. Kulpowicz carries, as expected, most of the load, producing his usual vamped chords and dense cadenzas of amazing fluency and virtuosity. The rhythm section supports him splendidly, with Rek emphasizing the melody riffs and Bartkowski providing the swinging drive carrying the music in fast forward most of the album's duration.

The piano trio, which is the ultimate Jazz showcase, was quite a neglected Art form at the time this music was recorded. Therefore these recordings are even more special, as there was no other parallel outfit on the Polish Jazz scene at the time. Of course the piano trio would triumphantly return and re-appear on the Jazz scene later on, including of course the local Polish scene, but at that particular time In-Formation trio was completely unique.

This album is not only a great example of the Jazz piano trio Art, but also a very important document of the development of the Polish Jazz scene. Of course it's an absolute must have for all Polish Jazz connoisseurs and collectors, but every piano trio buff around the globe should find this quite a treat. Great stuff!

Aga Zaryan - Remembering Nina & Abbey (2013) ***

Aga Zaryan - vocal

Geri Allen -piano
Brian Blade - drums
Larry Koonse - guitars
Darek Oleszkiewicz - double bass
Carol Robbins - harp

Remembering Nina & Abbey (2013)

By Maciej Nowotny

Aga Zaryan, together with Maria Anna Jopek, enjoys in Poland the status of local diva. What distinguish her from the flock of equally talented female vocalists in our country is apart from good voice, a very carefully chosen repertoire and fantastic musicians who usually accompany her. Her newest album is not exception to these rules because picking up tunes written and/or performed by such jazz singing goddesses like Nina Simone and Abbey Lincoln will surely attract a lot of attention as much from jazz as pop music audiences. Moreover names of her collaborators on this album among whom we find such excellent musicians like Geri Allen on piano, Brian Blade on drums, Larry Koonse on guitars, Darek Oleszkiewicz on double and Carol Robbins on harp guarantee that apart from seducing singing the instrumental part of the tracks will be of the stellar quality. And it really is! I am sure that this CD will appeal a lot especially to Polish audience. From purely artistic point of view however it is rather a step back for Aga as the music on this album brings nothing new or surprising to what we already knew about her as the vocalist. In fact if someone know well both Nina Simone and Abbey Lincoln performances then he or she may find Zaryan's interpretations rather pale and shy of contesting what we know so well from history. Therefore as far as I am concerned I still wait for more personal and adventurous material from Zaryan, perhaps bringing her back to Polish songs through interpretation of which, in the past on her fabulous album "Umiera Piękno", she once won my heart over to her singing...

Marcin Dyjak's Success at the World Harmonica Festival 2013!

Marcin Dyjak gained a vice-champion title at the World Harmonica Festival 2013! He took a second place in the jazz category at one of the largest harmonica festivals in the world. This prestigious event takes place every four years in the city of Trossingen, Germany, which is famous for the production of Hohner harmonicas. Dyjak represented Poland in the category of Solo Diatonic Jazz / Melody and fought with seventeen other participants from eleven countries. What is more, "the musician has earned the favor of the judges with outstanding performance of his own composition." Second place in such important competition shows just how far can you get through persistence, regularity and hard work. "The result is a confirmation that it is worth to pursue their passions, regardless of adversity" - said Marcin just after winning. The festival is not only a struggle of the participants on stage, it's also an ideal opportunity to gain new skills and knowledge from the best instrumentalists in the world. The awards character is more prestigious rather than material and serves as an invitation to participate in other harmonica festivals in the world. Marcin Dyjak, a musician, harmonica player, teacher. His individual awards : World Harmonica Festival (2013), Harmonica Bridge (2008, 2007), Wielki Ogień (2010), Bluesroads (2010). He frequently appeared with artists such as John Lee Hooker Jr., Jaroslaw Śmietana, Mark Raduli, Grazyna Łobaszewska, and with bands: Daddy's Cash, Oddział Zamkniety, and many others as a sideman. He participated in television and radio programs, such as concert in “Trójka” (wide-spread polish radiostation) - Daddy's Cash & John Lee Hooker Jr. (2013), Jaka to melodia (2012), Kawa czy Herbata (2005). His performing style definitely breaks the existing stereotypes of harmonica. The advanced technique allows for flexible and varied usage of this inconspicuous instrument.

(source: press release)

Quartet – The Quartet (2013) *****

Tomasz Szukalski - saxophone

Slawomir Kulpowicz - piano

Pawel Jarzebski - bass

Janusz Stefanski - drums

POLSKIE RADIO 1246-47






By Adam Baruch

This is the first installment in a series of releases documenting the recorded legacy of the great Polish Jazz pianist / composer Slawomir Kulpowicz, most of which is released for the first time. Kulpowicz, who died prematurely in 2008 at the age of 56, was a victim of cancer. He was a member of groups led by the top Polish Jazz players like Zbigniew Namyslowski and Tomasz Stanko and led / co-led his own ensembles like The Quartet, In-Formation and also cooperated with many other musicians over the years. He was an avid follower of John Coltrane's music and kept in touch with Coltrane's wife Alice Coltrane. Following his visit to India, Kulpowicz discovered Indian music and the spiritual aura of India, which became his own.

The Quartet was formed by the rhythm section of Zbigniew Namyslowski's so called "third quartet", i.e. pianist Slawomir Kulpowicz, bassist Pawel Jarzebski and drummer Janusz Stefanski, with the addition of saxophonist Tomasz Szukalski, one of Poland's all-time greatest Jazz musicians and a spectacular player of rare quality. Although Szukalski naturally dominated the sound of the ensemble, it was Kulpowicz who was the spiritual leader and the sole composer of all the original material they performed. Spiritually the music was soaked in the John Coltrane legacy, with Szukalski playing lengthy "wall of sound" solos, supported passionately by the rhythm section, with Kulpowicz vamping a la McCoy Tyner, Jarzebski delivering virtuosic bass parts and Stefanski raising all hell behind it all, which engulfed the overall effect with incredible power and overwhelming strength of expression, similar in character to the Coltrane late period recording.

In spite of the fact that The Quartet was undoubtedly the most important Polish Jazz ensemble in the late 1970s, their recorded legacy is truly pitiful and includes one live album recorded in 1978 and released by the Poljazz label (reissued by the Anex label) and their sole studio album, recorded in Finland in 1979 and released by the tiny independent Finnish label Leo Records (which released also two albums by Tomasz Stanko from the same period). Therefore this double CD full of superb radio and concert recordings by The Quartet is an absolute marvel and a must have for every Polish / European Jazz connoisseur.

Following the ensemble's breakdown in mid-1980, the Polish Jazz scene will never again experience this kind of music, so close in spirit, sound and emotion to the epicenter of Modern Jazz created by Coltrane. The Quartet's brief three and a half years period was the closest ever moment in which Polish Jazz would become very close to American Jazz of a decade earlier, both in spirit and in practice. The Quartet somehow managed to put aside the omnipresent Polish melancholy and lyricism, which dictates most of the unique music created under the Polish Jazz banner. Usually, when Polish Jazz musicians try to imitate their idols from across the pond, they fail rather miserably, with The Quartet being the only exception, which proves the rule.

Young Polish Jazz musicians should study this music note by note – this is universally sublime document of human expression, freedom and power of creation, which happens rarely. Inspired by Coltrane's music, this creation sparks a life of its own, which stands shoulder to shoulder with the original, without any inferiority complexes whatsoever. It is not a copy of the source; it is a thankful gratitude for the inspiration itself.

Bringing this music out of the vaults is commendable, although keeping it in the vaults for so long was simply criminal. Such treasures of the Polish Cultural heritage should be exposed in all their glory. Hopefully the people in charge of the Polish Radio archives realize that.

Jerzy Milian – When Where Why (2012) ***1/2

Jerzy Milian - vibraphone / composer

GAD 005









By Adam Baruch

The Polish GAD Records label has become a treasure chest of archival recordings by Polish Jazz and Rock artists and in the short period of time since 2010, when the label released its first album, it established its position on the market as a dedicated and reliable source of interesting material. This album follows the already established pattern and is the first volume of archival material by legendary Polish Jazz vibraphonist / composer Jerzy Milian, one of the forefathers of modern Polish Jazz.

The material collected here was recorded over a period of several years in the 1970s by the East German Rundfunk Tanzorchester Berlin conducted by Gunter Gollash, which included many excellent players, some known also internationally like the legendary saxophonist Ernst-Ludwig Petrovsky. Milian worked with the orchestra for many years, writing and recording a lot of quite diverse music with them.

The music presented here, all composed by Milian, consists of fifteen relatively shorter pieces, which exemplify the "lighter" side of his composer's milieu, which of course does not mean the music is of lesser quality or sophistication. The melodies are all quite superbly crafted and the orchestral arrangements are all splendid and interesting. It is less adventurous material than some of Milian's other compositions, but lacks nothing as far as compositional skills, flair and elegance are concerned. The orchestra performs the music spotlessly and with grace and as a result this is a wonderful Big Band / orchestral album, which reflects well on Milian's talent and vision. It is also a great example of European Big Band / orchestral sound and style, which varies considerably from its American counterparts.

In retrospect these recordings are a sad reminder of the Big Band form, which is almost extinct today in comparison to its hay days. With the impossible economics behind keeping a Big Band performing and touring and a dwindling public funding, most Big Bands, including the one present here, were eventually disbanded, an omen of a disappearing Culture. They also present a little known facet of European Jazz, which bloomed under the surface behind the Iron Curtain, even in the DDR and East Berlin, which were always considered as the epicenter of Socialist conservatism, cultural and otherwise, and oppression of "forbidden" Western influences. And yet the wide open eyes of the censorship often missed some truly daring escapades happening just under its nose. This is definitely one of such cases.

With remastered and restored sound and informative booklet (including text in English), this album is definitely worth checking out by any connoisseur of European Jazz, looking for another perspective.

Maciej Fortuna / Krzysztof Dys – Tropy (2013) ****1/2

Maciej Fortuna - trumpet

Krzysztof Dys - piano

FM 011

By Adam Baruch

This is the debut recording by the Polish Jazz duo comprising of trumpeter / composer Maciej Fortuna and pianist Krzysztof Dys. Fortuna is a relatively new arrival on the local scene, but his prolific and outstanding achievements in the last few years are so impressive, that he immediately emerged as a serious candidate to become a member in the very exclusive club of top Polish Jazz musicians. Dys, with a slightly longer presence on the scene is primarily known as a member of the wonderful Soundcheck quartet. The album includes seven original compositions all co-composed by the duo, and was recorded inside a church, which adds a wonderful ambience to the recording.

From the opening notes of this album, any listener familiar with the Polish Jazz scene is immediately transferred a few decades into the past, when the Polish Jazz scene was majestically emerging in the late 1960s as one of the most important Jazz World centers. A young trumpeter named Tomasz Stanko was one of the great hopes of that scene and in years to come he evolved into one of the top World Jazz Masters. Fortuna's playing evokes exactly the same feelings and emotions, which early Stanko recordings stirred then. The same vibrato, staccato, tone and even melodic motifs are present here, with the same intensity, expressiveness and brilliance. Also the unusual setting of a trumpet / piano duo has been utilized by Stanko some thirty years earlier on the album "Korozje" recorded with pianist Andrzej Kurylewicz.

Of course the tonal similarity does not imply, not even in the slightest, that this is a form of replication or copying pre-existing music. On the contrary, this music, in spite of the fact that it brings up fond memories of great music from the past, is completely and utterly original. Fortuna and Dys, who emerges as a wonderful co-creator, manage to create a world of their own, where the combination of the two spirits turns out to become greater that the sum of its ingredients. The music portrays a rare affinity between musicians who shift lead responsibilities between themselves, compliment each other with great sensitivity, respect each other's space and individuality and above all communicate. Consequently this is not only an example of great music but also a living proof of camaraderie and musical co-existence of the highest level.

This album is surely one of the strongest releases on the Polish Jazz scene in 2013 and a candidate to the "classic" status in the days to come. It is also probably the strongest statement made so far by Fortuna, although all his recordings to date are simply excellent. I'd even go as far as saying that I wish Maestro Stanko would return to playing music like this one… This album is an absolute must to every Polish / European Jazz connoisseur!

Janusz Muniak – Crazy Girl (2009) ***

Janusz Muniak - saxophone

Wojciech Puszek - piano

Zbigniew Wegehaupt - bass

George Buckner - drums

ANEX 322

By Adam Baruch

This is the third album as a leader by the veteran Polish Jazz saxophonist / composer Janusz Muniak, recorded live with his quartet, which also included pianist Wojciech Puszek, bassist Zbigniew Wegehaupt and American drummer George Buckner. They play only four compositions, one of which is an original by Muniak, another is by the Godfather of Polish Jazz, Krzysztof Komeda (the title track) and the remaining two are standards.

Although well played the album offers no innovation whatsoever and is simply one more Be Bop set, which is quite forgettable. The leader plays some mighty solos, which are, as always in his case, quite incredible and virtuosic, but the overall effect remains pretty unremarkable.

The album also suffers from a pretty amateurish sound quality, which often victimized live Polish Jazz recordings, with mobile recording equipment in the Socialist country being sadly sub-standard. Nevertheless it is a document both of the times and of Muniak's legacy, and therefore definitely worth listening and enjoying his bravado performances.

Side Note: The Poljazz label, which originally released this album, was active for 20 years (between 1972 and 1991) and was owned by the Polish Jazz Society. Considering the fact that the music industry in the Socialist State was centralized and totally controlled, with just one State owned music company producing all the albums, the possibilities to record and release Jazz albums were extremely limited. Poljazz was conceived and founded in order to allow for many more Jazz (and other) albums to be released independently from the State owned Polskie Nagrania / Muza and as such revolutionized the music industry at the time, being the only such enterprise in Eastern Europe. The Polish label Anex reissued many of the original Poljazz albums on CD, bringing this fabulous music back to life.

Mozdzer/Danielsson/Fresco - Polska (2013) *****

Mozdzer/Danielsson/Fresco

Leszek Możdżer - piano, celesta, vibraphone, synth
Lars Danielsson - cello, bass
Zohar Fresco - percussion, vocal

Polska (2013)

The Pole Leszek Możdżer is "a phenomenon" (Süddeutsche Zeitung). "His finely grained virtuosity is fascinating entertainment that is unrivalled in the contemporary piano craft" (FAZ). Already a star in his homeland, and in Europe the most important Polish jazz musician of his generation after Tomasz Stańko, the 42 year-old pianist from Danzig is the embodiment of the current journey of European jazz. A journey back to its roots, and at the same time to new shores: a classical education, the awareness of the own musical tradition, is almost always the basis for exploring one's own worlds of sound with masterly technique. And so it is with Możdżer, who didn't discover jazz until he was 18, to then quickly combine it with other forms. A distinctly individual sound resulted, a personal form of expression that is unmista...

(source: press release)

Jaroslaw Smietana – From One To Four (2009) ****

Jaroslaw Smietana - guitar

Janusz Muniak - saxophone

Piotr Baron - saxophone

Krzysztof Scieranski - bass

Antoni Debski - bass

Jacek Pelc - drums

APEX 328

By Adam Baruch

This is the second album as a leader by the fabulous Polish Jazz guitarist / composer Jaroslaw Smietana, who died recently tragically prematurely, succumbing to cruel illness. Smietana was one of the most active players on the local scene and contributed enormously to its development over the years. This album presents him, as the title suggests, in different settings: solo, duo, trio and quartet, playing with some of the best Polish Jazz musicians active at the time: saxophonists Janusz Muniak and Piotr Baron, bassists Krzysztof Scieranski and Antoni Debski and drummer Jacek Pelc. They perform eleven compositions, five of which are originals: three by Smietana and one each by Scieranski and Pelc, and the rest of the material is all standards.

This is one of the Jazziest albums recorded by Smietana, with fewer Fusion ventures, and his beautiful Jazz sensitivity is especially apparent herein. But all the other players also contribute very fine examples of intelligent, intimate musical conversations with the leader. Scieranski's bass and Baron's saxophone are simply delightful. Smietana experiments with the guitar synthesizers and performs on three quite distinctly sounding guitars, with his delicate touch being definitely one of the finest ever. Also the three duets with veteran saxophonist Janusz Muniak are among the album's most enchanting moments.

In retrospect this is a very strong album from start to finish with no weak moments or unnecessary "fillers", and a superb legacy which Smietana left for all of us to enjoy. A must for all Polish Jazz fans!

Side Note: The Poljazz label, which originally released this album, was active for 20 years (between 1972 and 1991) and was owned by the Polish Jazz Society. Considering the fact that the music industry in the Socialist State was centralized and totally controlled, with just one State owned music company producing all the albums, the possibilities to record and release Jazz albums were extremely limited. Poljazz was conceived and founded in order to allow for many more Jazz (and other) albums to be released independently from the State owned Polskie Nagrania / Muza and as such revolutionized the music industry at the time, being the only such enterprise in Eastern Europe. The Polish label Anex reissued many of the original Poljazz albums on CD, bringing this fabulous music back to life.