Nor Cold - Nor Cold [Multikulti]

Nor Cold:
Olgierd Dokalski - tumpet, project concept
Wojciech Kwapiński - guitar
Oori Shalev - drums, percussion
Zeger Vandenbussche -saxophones, clarinet, Jew's harp

Multikulti 2013

For all the incredible diversity and richness of the 24th Krakow Jewish Culture Festival I am a bit dissapointed with the lack of representation of the new polish jewish music. In the previous years the festival would present to its international audience such bands as Shofar, Cukunft, Alte Zachen, Ircha Clarinet Quartet or Riverloam Trio (it's no coincidence of course all of the aforementioned feature either Raphael Roginski or Mikolaj Trzaska or both - no doubt two of the most prominent figures of the rising scene). In order to make up for it, I invite you to check the below albums which I believe to be among the most successful entries in the genre within the last years:

Undivided with Perry Robinson - Moves Between Clouds

Ircha Clarinet Quartet - Zikaron Lefanai

Cukunft - Wilde Blumen

Shofar - Ha-Huncvot

Robinson / Zerang / Roginski / Zimpel - Music of the Yemenite Jews

And now let's move to Nor Cold which is thus added to the above list. 

Raphael Roginski and Polish New Jewish Music part 2 - Shofar [Kilogram Records] and Sisters [Multikulti]

Shofar - Ha-Huncvot

Mikolaj Trzaska - alto saxophone, bass clarinet

Raphael Roginski - guitar

Macio Moretti - drums

 Kilogram Records 2013

That's the band it all begun with. "Shofar" (Kilogram Records 2007) was a deep dive into heritage that seemed to be completely lost at the moment. A journey to the past in order to understand's one identity and roots. It turned out that that music, it's feeling lives deep inside the three musicians and many others that followed on trying to explore the tradition of hasidic music with the contemporary context. (the topic appears few times in the interview with Mikolaj Trzaska)

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:

Wojtek Traczyk - Free Solo [Multikulti]

Wojtek Traczyk - double bass



Multikulti 2012

Wojtek Traczyk name might sound familiar to you from The Light trio with Waclaw Zimpel and Robert Rasz, "Free Solo" is his debut solo cd. Solo performance is possibly one of the most difficult and daring musical tasks one can undertake. One remains bare, completely exposed. No instrumental gimmicks and trickery is allowed. Extreme honesty and commitment is the only way.

Robinson/ Zerang/ Roginski/ Zimpel - Yemen (music of the Yemenite Jews) [Multikulti]

Perry Robinson - clarinet, ocarina
Waclaw Zimpel - bass clarinet, clarinet
Raphael Roginski - guitar
Michael Zerang - drums, frame drum, darabuka

Multikulti 2012



The music on the cd was first presented as a special project, part of the Vth Tzadik Poznan Festival. As most of the material is taken directly from the live recording (with just one track from a session recorded the following day) I'll remind the review I wrote after that evening:

A special project of the festival ws presented on the final evening - a band created on the occasion of the festival , to present music of the Yemenite Jews. Reconstruction from archival notations of songs 5000 years old.

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.

Tim Daisy & Ken Vandermark - Conversation [Multikulti]

Tim Daiy - drums

Ken Vandermark - Bb and bass clarinet, tenor sax

Multikulti 2011

Tim Daisy and Ken Vandermark has played together a countless number of gigs in a numerous (but definitely easier to count) Vandermark's project, starting with the duo, through The Vandermark 5 up to the large ensembles like Resonance. "The Conversation" is their third duo release after the self-released "August Music" (2007) and the double lp on Laurence Family "Light on the Wall" (2010).

Jim Baker / Kyle Bruckmann / Michael Zerang - Psychotic Redaction [Multikulti]

Jim Baker - electronics

Kyle Bruckmann - reeds, electronics

Michael Zerang - drums

Multikulti 2011

When I see two guys playing 'electronics' on one album I'm usually quite reserved. Take that into the account when I say:

From the very first seconds of a fuzzy electronic scratch, a wailing ancient horn and tribal rhythm this album is truly a blast! 

So without a further ado let me get right into saying that it's absolutely fascinating. A feast of ethnic grooves, fat, fuzzied bass, distorted and bent noises and (ocassionally) an ancient reed soaring over, but more often than not additionally transformed through electronic filters, looped or sampled and resampled.

Undivided with Perry Robinson - Moves Between Clouds (Live in Warsaw) [Multikulti]

Undivided:
Bobby Few - piano
Mark Tokar - double bass
Perry Robinson - clarinet
Klaus Kugel - drums
Waclaw Zimpel - bass clarinet, clarinet, tarogato

Multikulti 2011

After the appraised debut "Passion" Waclaw Zimpel's Undivided band comes back with a new material and I feel honored and gratefull I had a chance to see the band perform it on stage during this year Tzadik festival - an event which was also this cd's release date. I feel what I wrote then about concert still applies to the music on the cd so let me just be brief while I invite you to get back to that old post.

Tfaruk Love Communication [Multikulti]

TFARUK LOVE COMMUNICATION:

Tomasz Ballaun - percussion, electronics

Michał Fetler - saxophones

Piotr Mełech - bass clarinet

Krzysztof Kaliski - bass guitar

Daniel Karpiński - drums

guests:

Kuba Jankowiak - trumpet

Franiu Frank - rhodes, rattle

Tymon Tymański - bass guitar (only on "Dla Taty")

Wojtek Mazolewski - bass guitar (only on "Miłość zwycięża kiełbasę")

Multikulti 2011

Polish listener will smile just from seeing the name of this band ("Tfaruk" being as incorrect as possible way of spelling "cottage cheese") and I guess this form of anarchic absurd humour (that shows up also in the titles) is easily associated with the yass scene - polish jazz revolution movement of the 90's. Both Tomasz Ballau, the founder of the band, and one of the guests - Tymon Tymanski are strongly connected with yass movement indeed (Tymon being in fact its spiritus movens). Still there's a lot of music fun for non-polish listeners here too.

something to listen today. Passion in jazz part II. Undivided - The Passion [Multikulti]

I've just read an interesting short article about modern takes on "Passion" musical 'genre' that seemed long-gone until Krzysztof Penderecki brought it up again the middle of the last century. Passion of Jesus Christ became a subject of modern readings that would often omit entirely the religious message and search for more modern and alternatives readings - like "Jesus Christ Superstar", like controversial "Last Temptation of the Christ", but could also go way back before the time of Bach into the contemplative aura of medieval harmonies as in Arvo Part's "Passio".

(polish readers can find the article here, others can use the link to follow the youtube clips it proposes.)

So I thought about writing a short note about two jazz cds that fit well into this subject (both of them were played during the last radio program too).

The Passion

Undivided:

Waclaw Zimpel - bass clarinet, clarinet, tarogat

Bobby Few - piano

Mark Tokar - double bass

Klaus Kugel - drums

Multikulti 2010

This cd got some decent exposure, winning the Happy New Ears poll on well-known Stef's blog. Fact is that it may be one of the most ambitious projects in jazz music for quite a while. Waclaw Zimpel composed "Passion" as a collage of vocal and instrumental themes from the subject's musical history, adding his own parts to it and glueing  and expanding thus created rhetorics with improvisation in an effort to create a musical and universal reflection about pain and sorrow, as described in biblical Passion of the Jesus Christ.

Ken Vandermark Predella Group - Strade d'Acqua / Roads of Water [Multikulti]

Jeb Bishop - trombone
Jaimie Branch - trumpet
Tim Daisy - percussion
Fred Lonberg-Holm - cello
Nate McBride - bass
Jeff Parker - guitar
Ken Vandermark - reeds

Multikulti 2011

This is a first soundtrack in vast discography of Ken Vandermark and it's something special.

Enough to look at the names to see that Ken chose a stellar group, all players that he knows profoundly having a lot of experience playing together previously (one exception to that rule is Jaimie Branch - I don't know about any other Ken's project including him). 

This is a collection of compositions that support the video, but the music tells the story as well as the picture itself. These are mostly slow-tempo pieces, very melodic, somehow pensive. The film tells the story of people and places that are pure and simple. And while there are no easy cliche' etno clues in there (although the wonderful sound of marimba in "Sieve of the Soul" and percussion beats by Tim Daisy throughout have this 'world' music charm) the feeling of naturality pervades throughout the album, music is somehow relaxed, never forced, without any sense of urgence, going slowly with the stream of river, even during the more dramatic, more abstract, darker passages. 

All musicians are given a lot of space to shine. "Blue Over Green" with light funk etno-groove features extended guitar solo by Parker in two versions - gently and jazzy one in the first half, rocking in the latter. My favourite moment could be when Jaimie Branch enters with light trumpet solo after the introducing theme of "Austral Cartography". In fact Ken hardly takes any solo space until the explosive (in a Powerhouse way) end of "Dust Town" which is only the fourth track of the album (out of total seven). Yet it's absolutely clear it's his album, the way he leads the band, the ways the heads are composed (wonderfully arranged themes, the brass octave unisono in the middle of "Sieve of the Soul" is something of otherwordly beauty, the doubled cello and bass lines are something already known from recent Vandermark 5 albums).

Since it's possible to watch the movie on-line and thus listen to most of the music from this album I can only recommend that you get to know these sounds and pictures personally. An experience which I hope will be
as gratifying as it was in my case.

two tracks from the album are available in the radio playlist played on 02.20.2012
watch the movie here

Mikolaj Trzaska Ircha Clarinet Quintet feat. Joe McPhee - Lark Uprising [Multikulti]

Ircha Quintet:

Joe McPhee - alt clarinet

Mikolaj Trzaska - alt & bass clarinet

Waclaw Zimpel - bass clarinet, clarinet, tarogato

Pawel Szamburski - clarinet, bass clarinet

Michal Gorczynski - bass clarinet

Multikulti 2010

Imagine a foggy night at the sea, and the sound ships sirens emerging from the silence and the darkness,  five of them, calling each other out, responding to voices coming from all the directions. Finding a freindly waters, where they can exchange some personal stories, with the listening choir commenting on those all the time. They reach an agreement and start singing together (absolutely stunning and oh so peacefull harmonies in the middle of the track) and then move back and forward between the solo narration, duos and the entire choir parts, with everyone finding a role to play and never looking for a front spot. That is how this albums starts on "Ant-hill Builder".

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.