Pink Freud - Horse & Power [Universal]

Pink Freud:
Wojtek Mazolewski - bass guitar
Tomasz Duda - baritone sax, bas clarinet
Adam Milwiw-Baron - trumpet, trombone, vocal, electronics
Rafal Klimczuk - dr

Universal Music Polska 2012

(A first review in the long time, and after this weekend they should be much more frequent. Also the radio programs.)

I have recently written about this bands' concert and now I have pleasure of listening to the same material again. More studio-polished but still remaining it's horse & power vigour.

Wojtek Mazolewski, the leader of the band,  is a public figure in Poland, one of the few jazz(y) musicians that made it to the mainstream, that get played in the national radio and Pink Freud's music explains well why it is so.

"Horse & Power" is a strong selection of melodious songs ranging from spacious and new-age "Konichiwa" to begin with (gentle and calm, pretty theme nicely balancing the harmony in the front-line with the bass's counterpoint), to rocker workouts (heavier "Bourbon" that follows, or "Pink Hot Loaded Guns" right after, my personal favourite, with acid and fuzzy trumpet solo that will remind you of the best fusion jams of the era). Mazolewski (author or co-author of all but one of the 10 tracks on the cd) has a gift for fine and catchy melody ("Promised Land", starts gentle like a breeze, "G-Spot" dances lightly like a drink on the beach) while being able to rock the house with dynamic riffs and turbulent tempos and crazy solos. Each track with its own charm, refreshingly gentle and relaxing or joyfully energizing. Somewhere beetwen the spacious, cosmic walks of Cuong Vu and the dynamite stage presence of Rage Against The Machine. 

And there's more. A bebopish "Flying Dolphy" that combines the jazz walking with heavy ostinato riff and wailing baritone sax. The eerie noir suspense of "Vinegar Pauper", with its feverish horn duos and back-and-forth tempo and mood changes,  (reminds of me the bands' older albums, especially "Punk Freud"). "Tickets, Buttons and Flyer" with its tricky broken rhythmics by Rafal Klimczuk, expanded horn arrangaments, a piece featuring especially fine soulfull clarinet solo. The sketchy and entertaining title track, a mini crazy rock'n'roll shouted piece should make smile widely. The cd ends with aptly titled "Zero Ending Story" finely tuned between somewhat cold riff and echoing solo trumpet theme and heartwarming, soothing chorus. 

Pink Freud rocks, jams, jazzes easily, with grace and conviction, joy and a lot of fun. And they bring a kind of album that you can hum along, you can dance-pog a little, tap your feet. A set of music that should please equally jazz fans as well as alternative rock followers who aren't afraid of instrumental music. Music with commercial appeal but not watered down with cliches. Strong statement, too much fun not to enjoy it. So enjoy! And even more so - see them live.

some tracks are available on this playlist.

a fragment from jamming "Pink Hot Loaded Guns" (other fragments from the same concerts available on YouTube)