Mike Parker Unified Theory - Embrace The Wild

Mike Parker's Unified Theory
Mike Parker - double bass
Dawid Fortuna - drums
Bartek Prucnal - alto saxophone
Slawek Pezda - tenor saxophone
Cyprian Baszczynski - trumpet

self-release 2014




New York is (supposedly) the jazz capital of the world. Krakow is (allegedly) the jazz capital of Poland. I won't discuss that now, just wanted to establish some connection :)

Mike Parker is a New Yorker who has been living in Krakow city for quite a while now and became a well-known and regular presence on jam sessions and variety of projects happening on the stages of city's few but active jazz clubs. 

"Embrace The Wild" is the second release under "Unified Theory" name, but the first one recorded in Krakow and it finds Mike teaming up with some of the young talents of Krakow/Poland jazz scene, to play a set of compositions that balance diversity of styles with the harmony of beautifully crafted melodic layers. 

Double Bass player usually hides somewhere in the back of the sound mix and stage. It takes discipline to be a bass player and lead the group. Now, this is a bass player's album, and bass stays often in the front, thankfully much in the way of Dave Holland or Charles Mingus, none of the flashy MM or SC stuff (you know who I mean). Mike Parker can keep the time in check with funky riffs and fill the bottom with the big sound or play the most melodic base in the 4 voice harmony, with trumpet and two saxes above. Parker's clearly well skilled on the instrument. But for me this is an album of Mike Parker - the composer.

Shock Wave at Literki (Improwizje series. 12.02)

Literki, thanks to the improwizje series, begins to confirm its position as the place for improvised music, one possibly more focused on presenting local musicians than Alchemia club. 

The end of the three-days mini-festival presented us with a concert by a young group Shock Wave, its members are very active on locas scene and I have a strong feeling they will soon mix up some national-wide attention (as far as jazz music can). 

This most recent generation of musicians take full advantage of academic education but doesn't follow the academic rules. They flirt willingly with free and experimental, while displaying a formiddable musicianship. Shock Wave is such a group. They start by destroing with punk energy a jazz standard, the music is filled with rock energy and punk attitude. Slawek Pezda's agressive tone and fluid solos merge greatly with the ankle-breaking drum'n'bass or rock patterns. The electric violin reinforces the rock aspects while the muscular bass keeps the music well anchored.

Somoe other musicians join the quartet for a jam in the second part of the night and things get even more interesting.

Those guys (and girl) has still a long way to go but their passion is inspiring and refreshing. The anarchy of their playing reminds you of The Thing (in fact they play one of the tunes the trio often performs), the highlight of the evening is the last track - simply and rhythmic riff base, somehow reminding me of the monumental marching Albert Ayler tunes. Quite epic.

Thomas Kolarczyk will play at Literki tonight as well, with Michal Dymny and Paulina Owczarek. 

Shock Wave: Dominika Rusinowska- el.vln.
Sławek Pezda- tenor sax
Thomas Kolarczyk- db
Patryk Dobosz- dr

Literki. Krakow. 12.02.13