Klara Cloud & The Vultures - Vauna (2019)

Klara Cloud & The Vultures

Sylwia Klara Zasempa - vocals
Bartosz Dworak - violin
Mateusz Gawęda - piano
Adam Tadel - double bass
Piotr Budniak - drums
Sebastian Kuchczyński - drums
Apostolis Anthimos - guitar (10)

Vauna


CHALLENGE 73476

By Adam Baruch

This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz ensemble Klara Cloud & The Vultures which comprises of vocalist Sylwia Klara Zasempa, violinist Bartosz Dworak, pianist Mateusz Gawęda, bassist Adam Tadel and drummers Piotr Budniak and Sebastian Kuchczyński. Legendary guitarist Apostolis Anthimos guests on one track. The album presents ten tracks, eight of which are original compositions mostly by Zasempa and some created with the help of the entire ensemble (the two instrumental tracks) and finally two are traditional. Most of the lyrics are also by Zasempa. The subject matter of the album refers to Nature, wildlife and harmonious coexistence. The music was recorded at the excellent Monochrom Studio and engineered by Ignacy Gruszecki, with the usual superb sound quality.

The music offers a fascinating concept, combing Jazz-World Music Fusion with Free Jazz, which is quite striking. Although Polish Jazz often sources Slavic music, typical Polish melancholy and Polish Folklore, amalgamating it usually with original mainstream Jazz, but rather rarely so with more adventurous forms, which makes this music immediately outstanding. This does not mean that the music loses contact with melody per se, but the improvisations offer a wide range of freedom, both rhythmically and harmonically, which are not usually found within the Jazz-World Fusion idiom.

Dworak and Gawęda, who are amongst the most celebrated young Polish Jazz players, have plenty of opportunity to show their chops on this album, standing up to the expectations in full. The reinforced rhythm section, with the polyrhythmic double drums (in stereo) and solid bass pulsations, pushes the music steadily forward and serves as an anchor for the listener to keep his bearings. The guitar solo by Anthimos on the final track is simply divine.

Of course the vocals are the epicenter of this music and Zasempa stands up to the challenge with flying colors. She keeps to the basics, avoiding unnecessary theatrics and meanderings, and invests directly in the delivery of the lyrics, often improvising in the process. She does not use vocalese extensively, preferring to "play with the words" rather than with the sounds, but when she does, it works perfectly and hopefully will be used more in future projects. Zasempa is a "total" musician, being obviously the leader, the composer, the lyricist and the main soloist – Woman power incarnate.

Overall this is a beautiful piece of music, excellently put together and executed, original, ambitious and intelligent. Definitely one of the most interesting Polish Jazz releases of 2019. It is also the fifth album by young Polish Jazz musicians to be released on the prestigious Dutch Challenge label, which proves that this music is being recognized beyond the local market and steadily captures the position it truly deserves. Well done Lady and Gentlemen!

Bartosz Dworak Quartet - Reflection (2018)

Bartosz Dworak Quartet

Bartosz Dworak - violin
Piotr Matusik - piano
Jakub Dworak - bass
Szymon Madej - drums

Reflection

HEVHETIA 0171



By Adam Baruch

This is the third album by young and upcoming Polish Jazz violinist/composer Bartosz Dworak, recorded with the same quartet that was featured on the two earlier recordings with pianist Piotr Matusik, bassist Jakub Dworak and drummer Szymon Madej. The album presents seven original compositions, four by the leader, two by Matusik and one co-composed by Dworak and Matusik.

The music continues the path set by Bartosz Dworak's earlier recordings, presenting highly melodic and very lyrical compositions, kept well within the mainstream Jazz convention, with strong Polish Folkloristic influences. The music is slightly more open this time, with a lot of breathing air, which allows the rhythm section to become fully involved in the improvisational process, and as a result enables the listener to appreciate the splendid bass parts played by Jakub Dworak and tasteful drumming by Madej. But the soloing and front position is of course reserved for Bartosz Dworak and Matusik, who take care of the melodic contents. Dworak uses the synthesized violin on a couple of tracks, which adds another variation to his sound.

The compositions by Dworak are more up tempo and have a distinct Rocky character, whereas those by Matusik are more romantically inclined which balances the overall content of the album and keeps the listener interested. All these four young musicians perform splendidly throughout, which of course is quite usual for young Polish Jazz musicians, who are well schooled and experienced, today better that ever before.

Overall the album is a very solid and well balanced effort, which offers beautiful music and superb execution from start to finish and should satisfy most Jazz enthusiasts, especially Jazz violin connoisseurs. It does not break any new ground as far as Jazz or Jazz violin is concerned, but offers a splendid listening experience, which is definitely worth investigating.

Bartosz Dworak Quartet - Reflection (2018)

Bartosz Dworak Quartet

Bartosz Dworak - violin
Piotr Matusik - piano
Jakub Dworak - bass
Szymon Madej - drums

Reflection

HEVHETIA 0171



By Jędrzej Janicki

Polscy skrzypkowie trzymają się bardzo mocno. Adam Bałdych, Mateusz Smoczyński, Dawid Lubowicz czy Stanisław Słowiński (jazzowym szowinizmem byłoby ominięcie w tym zacnym gronie znakomitego bluesmena Jana Gałacha) sprawiają, że skrzypce stają się instrumentem modnym (w dobrym tego słowa znaczeniu) i godnym jak największego szacunku. Kolejnym instrumentalistą, który potwierdza żywotność dziedzictwa Zbigniewa Seiferta, jest Bartosz Dworak. "Reflection", najnowszy album jego kwartetu, to jednak nie tylko popis wirtuozerskich umiejętności, lecz także wzruszające i emocjonalne dzieło sztuki.

Już sama premiera płyty była wyjątkowa. Towarzyszyła jej wystawa obrazów Marcina Kowalika (autora bardzo ciekawej oprawy graficznej płyty) - młodego artysty chętnie poruszającego się wśród abstrakcyjnej estetyki. Tak jak obrazy Kowalika to złożenie figur geometrycznych, pojedynczych form, tak "Reflection" to wysmakowana mieszanka muzycznych impresji, tworzących bogate i bardzo zróżnicowane suity. Na płycie dominują kompozycję długie, rozbudowane, o skomplikowanej strukturze. Nie są one jednak męczące i pomimo wewnętrznego zróżnicowania kwartetowi udało się zbudować własny styl, rozpoznawalny nawet w zmiennych stylistykach i nastrojach.

Wydawnictwo otwiera utwór "Feel Free", którego delikatna śpiewność z pierwszych taktów przypomina trochę dokonania String Connection. Duże wrażenie wywiera "Into The Sky", z bardzo efektowną partią skrzypiec, która mogłaby się znaleźć zarówno w jakimś fragmencie muzyki klasycznej, jak i… gitarowej solówki metalowego wymiatacza. Utwór zdobi znakomita gra kontrabasisty Jakuba Dworaka, którego precyzyjna, pełna pasji gra również stanowi o sile całego albumu. W "Into The Sky" posępne dźwięki jego instrumentu wspaniale współgrają z linią prowadzoną przez pianistę Piotra Matusika. Komedowski ton panowie chwytają w "Ballad III", lecz być może nawet najbardziej zaskakującym fragmentem całej płyty jest początkowy fragment "Reflection (For S.)".

"Reflection" porywa mnogością wątków, śmiałością w zmianie melodyki i nastroju oraz otwartością formy. Jak sami muzycy wspominają, ta płyta to odbicie rzeczywistego życia, pełnego szczęścia, namiętności, lecz też smutku i melancholii. To nielinearna, pełna pasji i twórczego chaosu opowieść, która hipnotyzuje i wciąga. Myślę, że nie zaryzykuję wiele stwierdzając, że kwartet Bartosza Dworaka czeka świetlana przyszłość. To niczym nieskrępowana potęga muzycznej wyobraźni.

Bartosz Dworak Quartet - Polished (2015)

Bartosz Dworak Quartet

Bartosz Dworak - violin
Piotr Matusik - piano
Jakub Dworak - double bass
Szymon Madej - drums

Polished

HEVHETIA 0091



By Adam Baruch

This is the second album by Polish Jazz violinist/composer Bartosz Dworak and his quartet, which also includes pianist Piotr Matusik, bassist Jakub Dworak and drummer Szymon Madej. The quartet performs nine original compositions, four by Bartosz Dworak and five by Matusik. Several of these compositions already appeared on the quartet's debut album, which was a live recording, and get here a more polished (tongue-on-cheek) version.

Dworak proudly joins a long list of Polish Jazz violinists, which keeps growing as the years go by, and includes such luminaries as Michał Urbaniak, Zbigniew Seifert, Krzesimir Dębski, Adam Bałdych and young lions like Mateusz Smoczyński and Dawid Lubowicz. This wonderful legacy can be of course quite overwhelming and daunting, but Dworak seems to have no inferiority complexes whatsoever and gallantly steps into their shoes, doing his own thing.

Although Dworak is the leader of this quartet, the compositional and soloing duties are split quite equally between him and Matusik, who wrote about half of the music and plays superb piano parts, both supporting the violin parts and soloing himself. The rhythm section plays along with the two soloists supporting them amicably but staying mostly in the background, which in this specific music is probably all for the best.

The music is all pretty straightforward melodic mainstream, although at some moments the quartet ventures, albeit only partly, into a less clearly defined set of parameters. Of course, as usual with Polish Jazz violinists, the music is soaked in melancholy and lyrical folkloristic undertones, which brings fond memories of the material recorded by those musicians listed in the second paragraph. All nine tunes are beautifully melodic, which surely opens this album to a very widespread range of audiences, even those beyond the Jazz idiom.

In many respects this album could be considered as a debut, since the semi-formal live recording released earlier was really just a teaser of things to come. And as a debut it certainly is a very impressive effort, in every respect, which keeps the hopes for a new generation of Polish Jazz musicians in general and violinists in particular at their highest. Personally I simply can't wait for the next album, which will be the decisive proof of maturity. In the meantime we can all enjoy this gem!

Bartosz Dworak Quartet - Live At Radio Katowice (2014)

Bartosz Dworak Quartet

Bartosz Dworak - violin
Piotr Matusik - piano
Jakub Dworak - bass
Szymon Madej - drums

Live At Radio Katowice

PRK 0130



By Adam Baruch

This is the debut album by young Polish Jazz violinist Bartosz Dworak recorded live with his quartet which also includes pianist Piotr Matusik, bassist Jakub Dworak and drummer Szymon Madej. They perform six compositions, two of which are original compositions by Bartosz Dworak, one is by Piotr Matusik, two are by Polish Jazz composers Slawomir Kulpowicz and Zbigniew Seifert and the remaining one is by Joey Calderazzo.

Bartosz Dworak is the winner of the 1st International Zbigniew Seifert Jazz Violin Competition, which took place in Poland in 2014 and is considered as one of the top young Polish Jazz violinists who continue the glorious legacy of Jazz violin in Poland established by such luminaries as Michal Urbaniak, Zbigniew Seifert, Krzesimir Debski, Adam Baldych and others.

From the very first notes of this record it is pretty obvious that Dworak is a Polish violinist, as he has the same unmistakable "Polish sound" that characterizes his predecessors and other contemporary Jazz violinist in the country. In his case this specific sound, which floats somewhere between Slavic folksy fiddle and virtuosic lyricism is clearly identifiable. And of course there is the individualism and the virtuosity, which are obviously in their early stages but already clearly noticeable.

From the strength of the two original compositions it is immediately apparent that Dworak should concentrate on playing his own material. His interpretations of the compositions by other musicians are less impressive, except that of his band mate Piotr Matusik. The entire quartet plays smoothly and dynamically, with the rhythm section supporting the two soloists with taste and elegance. Matusik is one hell of a player and steals a significant part of the show in his favor, deserving every bit of it. I'm waiting anxiously to hear his first solo album.

Considering that this is a debut recording one can simply envy these young musicians their talents and obvious musicality. Hopefully Dworak will develop his skills as a composer and engage in more ambitious / challenging adventures when his career takes off, which will inevitably happen. In the meantime this is definitely a most impressive calling card.