Hera XL with Hamid Drake - Seven Lines [Multikulti]

Hera 

Waclaw Zimpel - clarinet, alto clarinet, harmonium

Pawel Postaremczak - tenor & soprano sax, harmonium

Maciek Cierliński - hurdy-gurdy

Raphael Rogiński - guitar

Ksawery Wojciński - double bass

Paweł Szpura - drums

and special guest Hamid Drake - drums

Multikulti 2013

It's high time to end the holiday break on jazz alchemist blog and "Seven Lines" is perfect album to do that, for many reasons. the most important being this is possibly some of the most beautiful music released in 2013 (and 'tis the season for the list of various kinds). There's a proven recipe to make great records - just release great concerts, when they happen, and "Seven Lines" is a chance, for those few who were lucky to be there, to get back to the fond memories of one evening in October 2012, at Manggha Museum in Krakow, where IT happened. I wrote ecstatic words afterwards, and today I stand by them with even more conviction:

Hera XL with Hamid Drake (Krakow Autumn Jazz; 1.11)

This was for me, and possibly many others, the most awaited evening of this year's festival. Hera is possible one of the strongest units on the scene and it still evolving band, constantly in search of new and exciting. I invite you to check on the blog the review of their 2nd cd "Where My Complete Beloved Is" as well as the interview with the band's leader Waclaw Zimpel. The quartet met with Hamid Drake in Lublin a year and a half ago, the double bill evening ended in a the wonderfully groovy jam session and they immediately hit it off and the idea to work together in the future was born on the spot.

The Krakow concert is the day that this idea came to reality and the band presented a new series of compositions that show the continuous development of the musical vision. Trance, hypnotic, the music would shine with the rhythmi propulsation provided by the double drums sets behind, with the polyphonic melodies presented by the double front line, with the stead bass groove, with sharp guitar sound and the drones of hurdy gurdy.

Hera

There was something absolutely magical about the performance, complete and total experience of sound, rhythm, melody. Omnipresent, the music would take you in wholly, showing you the paradise world of universal love. I honestly lack word to describe the passionate feeling that the music gave me. Hats off especially to Maciej Cierlinski who just added an entire new universe to the band's music (also the craziest solo of the night, if Jimi Hendrix have played hurdy gurdy, that's how it would sound). It was also the first time I've heard them with Raphael Roginski and his unique sound would enhance so fabulously the constant melodious flow.

To have listened to this band was like to jump into a river, and just keep floating, keep admiring the constance of change around you, and it felt so safe and natural to meet all this with an openess of mind and heart. In the words of Joe McPhee: "fucking amazing".

1st set:
Hera XL:
Waclaw Zimpel - clarinet, contralto clarinet
Pawel Postaremczak - tenor, soprano sax
Raphael Roginski - guitar
Maciej Terlinski - hurdy gurdy
Ksawery Wojcinski - double bass
Pawel Szpura - drums

Hamid Drake - drums

Manggha. Krakow Autumn Jazz. 01.11.2012

Hera - Where My Complete Beloved Is [Multikulti]

Hera:

Waclaw Zimpel - clarinet, bass clarinet, tarogato, harmonium

Pawel Postaremczak - tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, prepared piano

Ksawery Wojcinski - double bass

Pawel Szpura - drums, percussion

guests:

Sara - tampura (third track only)

Maniucha Bikont - voice (fourth track only)

Multikulti 2011

After their acclaimed self-titled debut Hera comes back with a second release. And it may come as a total surprise to whoever haven't had a chance to see the band live in the last year or so. Hera moved to explore completely different musical areas, which I talked about, regular readers might remember, as I've praised their concert at Lublin Jazz Festival, which took place only a couple of days before the recording session.

Ksawery Wójciński / Klaus Kugel / Paweł Postaremczak Trio at Bomba (30.06)

photo from the concert in Performer club at
 Żyrardów (1.07) by Pawel Owczarczyk

Bomba continues it glorious quest in giving young musicians an opportunity and space to play in front of the Krakow's audience - and no matter how unconventional and provisory this space is, this continous effort deserves a big round of applause.

Both Ksawery Wojcinski and Pawel Postareczak are playing in the Hera quartet and, stunned with Waclaw Zimpel's leadership, I feel I underestimated their contributions to the groups first release (self-titled "Hera" cd) while both players impressed me immensely on stage during the Lublin Jazz Festival, especially Ksawery Wojcinski who became my personal hero of the day. Klaus Kugel, I can only guess got introduced to them thanks to his playing with Waclaw Zimpel's Undivided, played already with Ksawery on a great "Nuntium" cd released this year by Multikulti (I plan to get back to write more about it soon).

The trio starts with a slow, pensieve tune, slowly exploring its melodical variations, getting more intense, spiritual, building the dramatic tension with low vibrating cries of the tenor, tearing the bass strings and storming through the drum kit, full of passion, a musical battle or exorcism that suddenly ends with a gentle coda.

Kugel's style of playing is very unique in a way he manages to balance a very powerfull and heavy attack on the kit with melodic sensibility and attention to details. He's like the weather shaman, quite capable of bringing a cooling breeze or a gentle rain but thriving bringing down a furious storm & thunders, his ability to sustain those culminations is uncanny.  Pawel Postaremczak instruments choice indicates Coltrane as a strong influence and his playing strives for emotional intensity that characterized Trane but he chooses rather to stay in the middle register of the horn, digging deep into the melodic possibilites of the theme rather than expanding the harmony through running scales, and when goes into the altissimo it makes it even more dramatic and powerfull.

The second piece starts with a delicate legato solo on the bass, that creates a stable motiv with the high notes, accented subtly by the mallets, bells and bowed plates, creating an oniric atmosphere to build on. To uplift the mood, stretch the dynamics, create a dramatic tension. Ksawery, who only consolidates the impression he made in Lublin, plays a great solo, rhythmically driven, plucking energetically the strings while mantaining the both the groove and the melody, moving his body unconsciously and it's absolutely inspiring to see how completely immersed in the moment he is, how committed he is to the music - his passion is almost palpable and his energy contagious. His deep woody tone and his earthy rhythm and energy-oriented playing reminds of William Parker and of Joe Fonda.  After Wojcinski's solo the band continous to create another story - with Postaremczak taking on the soprano, adding a brighter tone and more knotty lines while mantaining the energy level. The last piece is more peacefull, starts like a meditative chant, slowly burning inside.

A great concert and the clear passion and fire makes up for the audio flaws (with a space this little it was easy to predict that Kugel's drumming may be overpowering every now and then). The performance was registered with mobile recorders and I hope the tour they're playing the next few days will give enough high quality material (as far as the audio goes, I don't have any doubts about the music's quality) to create their debut cd.

Ksawery Wojcinski - double bass
Klaus Kugel - drums and percussion
Pawel Postaremczak - tenor and soprano saxophone

klub Bomba. Krakow. 30.06.2011

Hera - III Lublin Jazz Festival - day 1, concert 1

The debut "Hera" cd by this quartet was one of the best (in my humble oppinion) albums released in 2010. I was expecting a lot from this concert, but still got surprised. As the music slowly and mysteriously came forward from nothingness, introduced by meditative drones on harmonium played by Zimpel. But after this initial movement - peacefull and solemn the band would hit a groove that was irresistible. Bass riffs, clear tonal centres and incessant rhythm, omnipresent. Definitely a new element, completely different music than the one presented on the album - where sorrow and dramatic edge were predominant.

Here we had music that was joyfull and exuberant. Where slow interludes (expanded sonic palette would include metallic sound of a prepared piano or folk instruments) would lead to a groove that was infectious. Mysterious and shamanic would lead to tribal feast. Impressive soloing by all players in the group was second to the interplay they would show, especially the duets between the reed section (bass clarinet - tenor or clarinet - soprano) showed extraordinary chemistry in this group, with Waclaw and Pawel spiralling, entangled lines, a dialogue, not a duel, creating together mesmerizing flows of notes, like an ever-changing sweet harmonies of Steve Reich. Notes dancing around each other in a celebration of life and music. 

Inspired and inspiring performance, a display of great compositions by Zimpel (I assume), fantastic musicianship but most importantly of incredible sensibility. My special nod goes to Ksawery Wojcinski whose playing was sensational, tone deep and woody, soloing imaginative, groove anchor. Plus he surprised everyone with a strong solo on trembita with a mouthpiece - producing a sound close to a trombone. This group is, I'm not afraid to say, among the best I've heard in a while and this new material (I can only hope it will be recorded and released) is a major step forward in its history.

A tremendous start to what would be a fabulous evening, and, I hope,  a great festival.

a fragment of group's concert in Poznan.

Hera

Waclaw Zimpel - bass clarinet, clarinet, trembita, harmonium

Pawel Postaremczak - tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, prepared piano, fujara

Ksawery Wojcinski - bass, trembita (with a brass mouthpiece)

Pawel Szpura - drums

Radio Lublin Studio; Lublin; 15.04

Hera (Waclaw Zimpel, Pawel Postaremczak, Ksawery Wojcinski, Pawel Szpura) - Hera [Multikulti]

Hera:

Waclaw Zimpel - clarinet, bass clarinet, tarogato, fujara flute

Pawel Postaremczak - soprano, tenor sax

Ksawery Wojcinski - double bass

Pawel Szpura - drums

Multikulti 2010

I've been waiting very impatient for this one. Not only I am a big fan of Waclaw Zimpel (which I have expressed writing for Diapazon about The Light's concert or his duo cd with Tim Daisy back in 2008) but It's also been hard to ignore all the extrememly positive feedback I've been hearing about this release (from likes of Marek Winiarski from Not Two, other friends in Krakow who were able to see the recent concert or from Stef's blog - even if I had refrained myself from reading the review before listening to cd, It was impossible not to see the 5-star rating). So it is little to say that my expectations were high.

Recent releases by Waclaw Zimpel (The Light "Afekty"; Undivided "Passion") showcase his considerable grow as a leader and composer. All those (including "Hera") not only base on composed material, but search for musical representation of powerfull, vital emotions, taking inspirations from ethnic rituals and emotions themselves (The Light) and two most crucial roots of modern Western Culture - Bible (Undivided) and Antic mythology (Hera). This multiplicity is united in Zimpel's vision, with all the music unfolding itself as in suite, not only on the level of single album, but I think all those three could be placed together. While the cd releases were separated, the recording sessions were very close, with Hera being recorded just 1 week before "Passion" (01.04.2009 and 08.04.2009) and the trio session taking place just 2 months before.

The titles on the album refer to cities where in ancient temples You could find an iconic representation of Hera. "Monreale" starts with light percussion work and then introduces solemnly and slowly minor intervals (played unisono or intertwined betweem bass clarinet and tenor saxophone - great sounding frontline). The piece is split in half, first with Waclaw solo, slowly getting momentum, rising, full of drama, over great, feverish arco playing by Ksawery and pulse-everywhere toms courtesy of Szpura, then replaced by Pawel's expansive and expressive sax lines over busy, boiling rhythm section (plucked bass, lot of crashed plates). The piece is closed with cerebral, faithfull to gregorian original, unisono reading of "Tantum Ergo" with it's slow melody shining over frenzy rhythm section. Over next pieces You'll travel between joy and sadness, between peace and war, undersung lyricism and raging expressivity, You'll hear instruments singing their joy, cry their rage and passion, weep their misery, anguish. As a final piece, no doubt a nod in honour of Trio X and Joe McPhee, You'll hear the traditional "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child", a version that is definitely not traditional, vibrating with emotions, dense and captivating.

The emotional depth of this playing doesn't overshadow the musical discipline, the composer's general idea. The personal statements, expressive soloing, don't overpower the ensemble sound. And possible this is the greatest quality of recent Zimpel's recordings - with all the emotions presented You are taken by the passion, the emotional content presented in the perforfmance, but You get swept by the grandeur of the vision, by epic panorama of the big picture, the unity and the richness of the project that gives You the concept-album the likes of which jazz has not seen to many.

A piece from the album is featured in the special Easter playlist from 02.04.2012.

PS.

1. With both "Passion" and "Hera" and participation in "Ircha" (about which maybe soon) Waclaw Zimpel should be high on the all kinds of 'best of 2010' lists, I will comment on it soon, but this case is great example of how problematic all kinds of polls are - all three releases (and "Afekty" by The Light trio) were recorded in 2009.

2. While it's not main focus of the blog, I'm glad and it seems only fitting that among first reviews posted polish labels (Not Two, Multikulti, Ars Cameralis) and polish musicians (Maciej Obara, Hera Quartet) are presented.

3.. While I know that this blog is getting some visits, I can't tell if it's been actually read since posts remain comment-less. The whole 'best of 2010' discussion are already started in many places, we'll join them soon, but wanted to ask, too see if any reaction will be provoked:

what are Your favourite concept-albums? Obviously not only Jazz goes, especially since the whole notion of concept-album is more part of rock music.