Krzysztof Komeda Quintet - Live In Praha 1964 (2022)

Krzysztof Komeda Quintet

Krzysztof Komeda – fortepian
Tomasz Stańko - trąbka
Michał Urbaniak - saksofony
Jacek Ostaszewski - kontrabas
Czesław Bartkowski - perkusja

Live In Praha 1964 (2022)

Wydawnictwo: GAD Records

Autor recenzji: Piotr Banasiak

Słucham tego albumu już chyba 20 raz. I się zastanawiam. Jaki był biochemiczny skład powietrza w Hali "Lucerna" w Pradze, że Oni grają jak natchnieni? A później słucham, jak w Pradze w '65 grał Jerzy Milian z ekipą Gustava Broma, jak w '67 grał Roland Kirk, po nim Charles Lloyd... I się zastanawiam. Co tam wtedy leciało z kranów? Czy gdzieś pod Pražským Hradem bije źródło weny twórczej?

Słucham sześciu znakomitych kompozycji. Złożonych, urozmaiconych, a jednak przejrzystych i czytelnych. Osadzonych na improwizacji i awangardowych poszukiwaniach, a jednak chwytliwych. Wykonanych na najwyższym poziomie. Słucham fantastycznego jakościowo, selektywnego dźwięku, w którym świetnie słychać każdy instrument. I reakcje publiczności. I się zastanawiam. Jakim sposobem to przeleżało gdzieś na półce aż 60 lat? I przez tyle lat nikt, nic? Niepojęte.

Słucham zapowiedzi konferansjera. I się zastanawiam. Czy Kwintet Komedy faktycznie płynął w tzw. trzecim nurcie? I w zasadzie jakie to ma znaczenie po tylu latach?

Słucham "Svantetic". I się zastanawiam. Czy będzie impertynencją, jeśli napiszę, że to wykonanie, swobodne i energetyczne, uważam za ciekawsze niż wersja kanoniczna z albumu "Astigmatic"?

Słucham saksofonowania Pana Urbaniaka, czasem błyskotliwie melodyjnego, czasem dzikiego i zachłyśniętego wolnością. I się zastanawiam. Czy będzie impertynencją, jeśli napiszę, że dla mnie osobiście Pan Urbaniak na saksofonie jest jedyną postacią Michała Urbaniaka, jaką tolerują moje uszy?

Słucham trąbki Pana Stańki, w niebywały sposób łączącej wystudzoną nordyckość ze słowiańską duszą. I się zastanawiam. Czy Stańko zdefiniował "europejską trąbkę"?

Słucham soczystej i pomysłowej gry Pana Bartkowskiego. I się zastanawiam. Jak to jest - każdego ranka po przebudzeniu, patrząc w lustro mieć prawo sobie pomyśleć "kurczę, na iluż to doniosłych, fantastycznych i niezapomnianych płytach bębniłem... aż sam sobie zazdroszczę"?

Słucham kontrabasu Jacka Ostaszewskiego, chwilami arco - subtelnego jak w momentach "Repetition" chwilami transowo-motorycznego jak w "Roman Two". I się zastanawiam. Czy właśnie za taką kombinację transu i subtelnosci uwielbiam grupę Ossian?

Słucham gry Krzysztofa Komedy. I przypominam sobie zeszłoroczny koncert Squadu Wojciecha Jachny w Łodzi. Gig zakończył się utworem, w trakcie którego lider, po zawistowaniu tematu i kilku fraz na trąbce, wycofał się gdzieś na tył sceny, a zespół "poszedł na całość". Po wybrzmieniu ostatnich dźwięków Pan Jachna wrócił na scenę i rzucił krótko do mikrofonu: "Najważniejsze to nie przeszkadzać". I się zastanawiam. Czy gdyby podstawić Komedzie pod koniec mikrofon, powiedziałby dokładnie to samo?

Słucham tej muzyki. Tych niepodrabialnych Komedowych tematów, tych momentów, kiedy trąbka i saksofon grają unisono, albo w dialogu, albo wymieniają się na prowadzeniu, dopingowane barwną i dynamiczną grą sekcji. Słucham "Sophia's Tubn", "Alea"... Tego oszałamiającego fresku dźwiękowego, w którym awers stanowi nieskrępowany duch wolnej, poszukującej muzyki, a rewers logiczna, naprawdę przystępna forma pełna... romantyzmu? Słucham tych pięciu facetów, pięciu osobowości, z których każdy przez lata stworzył własne uniwersum. A na tym albumie stanowią jedność. I się zastanawiam. Co tam w końcu - do cholery - leciało wtedy z kranów?!

I tylko konferansjer mi odpowiada: "Dobrou noc! Dobrou noc!"

Krzysztof Komeda - Mam tu swój dom (2021)

Krzysztof Komeda

Mam tu swój dom (2021)

GAD Records

By Maciej Nowotny

Trudno sobie wyobrazić polską kulturę XX wieku bez filmu, a ten film bez muzyki, która w dużej mierze stanowiła o jego wyjątkowości. Wreszcie tej muzyki bez... jazzu. Tak, jazz w dużej mierze stworzył ten fenomen jakim jest polskie kino, a szczególnie tzw. szkoła polska, ale oczywiście nie tylko. W tym kontekście nazwisko Krzysztofa Komedy jest oczywiście pierwszym, które przychodzi do głowy, ale przecież nie tylko ono. Prawdziwym gigantem był niedawno zmarły Jerzy "Duduś" Matuszkiewicz, który napisał muzykę do niezliczonych filmów i seriali w tym tak znanych jak "Wojna domowa", "Stawka większa niż życie" czy "Czterdziestolatek". Ale wspomnieć należy też Andrzeja Kurylewicza, autora muzyki do kultowych "Polskich dróg" czy "Lalki" i wielu innych muzyków, którzy czy jako kompozytorzy czy jako instrumentaliści współtworzyli unikalny charakter polskiego kina od strony dźwiękowej. Zresztą ta historia trwa dalej, a muzycy jazzowi ciągle wzbogacają polskie filmy o czym niech świadczy choćby przykład Mikołaja Trzaski i jego współpracy z jednym najważniejszych polskich współczesnych reżyserów filmowych Wojciechem Smarzowskim.

Wracając do tego konkretnego wydawnictwa, to przypomina ono muzykę skomponowaną przez Krzysztofa Komedę do dwóch filmów nakręconych w latach 60-tych tj. "Mam to swój dom" i "Ubranie prawie nowe". Oczywiście kiedy myślimy Komeda, lata 60-te i film to przypomina nam się od razu mający premierę w 1961 roku "Nóż w wodzie" Romana Polańskiego i kto wie czy nie najlepsza ścieżka dźwiękowa w historii polskiego i światowego kina. Tu nie jest aż tak dobrze. Słuchając tego przychodzi do głowy gorzka refleksja, że aby stworzyć coś genialnego trzeba szczęśliwego zbiegu okoliczności, spotkania odpowiednich ludzi, splotu sprzyjających okoliczności. Tak było w przypadku "Noża w wodzie", a w jak jest w przypadku muzyki do dwóch wspomnianych wyżej filmów?

Nie są to na pewno tak charyzmatyczne kompozycje jak mające już status legendarnych "Ballad for Bernt" czy "Crazy Girl", ale pod pewnymi względami są równie ciekawe. Przede wszystkim uświadamiają nam jak poważnie Krzysztof Komeda podchodził do muzyki filmowej, o czym zresztą przeczytać możemy chociażby w jego świetnej biografii pióra Marka Hendrykowskiego. Zauważa on też, że kojarzenie Komedy z muzyką filmową stanowi pewien paradoks ponieważ przeciętny słuchacz - jak na przykład ja - zna Komedę z zaledwie kilku czy kilkunastu kompozycji wykorzystanych w takich filmach jak "Nóż w wodzie" czy "Rosemary's Baby", a napiasł on dużo więcej takiej muzyki. Muzyki szerszej publiczności nieznanej, a której komponowanie pozwoliło mu ukształtować ten jedyny w swoim rodzaju styl, który tak kochamy w jego jazzie.

Zatem warto sięgać po tę mniej znaną muzykę filmową Krzysztofa Komedy, bo po pierwsze lepiej ona pozwala zrozumieć jak doszło do ukształtowania się jego niepowtarzalnego języka muzycznego, a po  drugie dlatego, że płyty te zawierąją bardzo starannie dopracowaną, dojrzałą i ciągle brzmiąca atrakcyjnie muzykę, która świetnie broni się przy odsłuchu nawet jeśli zupełnie nie mamy ochoty sięgąć po filmy, do których została stworzona. Jeszcze jeden powód by poszukać tej płyty, szczególnie w formacie CD (choć dostępna jest też np. na Tidal'u), to niezwykle wysoki poziom edytorski (świetne linear notes!), który zapewnia specjalizujące się w wydawaniu nagrań archiwalnych wydawnictwo GAD Records. Brawo dla Michała Wilczyńskiego, którego pasja i praca pozwala nam się cieszyć licznymi perełkami tego typu. Polecam!

Krzysztof Komeda - Krzysztof Komeda W Polskim Radiu Vol. 08 - Suplement (2019)

Krzysztof Komeda

Krzysztof Komeda - piano
and others

Krzysztof Komeda W Polskim Radiu Vol. 08 - Suplement

POLSKIE RADIO 2256




By Adam Baruch

This is the eighth and final installment in a new series of albums launched by the Polish Radio, which presents radio recordings by the Godfather of Polish Jazz, pianist / composer / bandleader Krzysztof Komeda. Komeda is of course the most familiar name associated with Polish Jazz and his legacy is of crucial importance to Polish and European Jazz. Considering the fact that Komeda's studio recordings are relatively scarce, the radio recordings are in fact the main source of his recorded legacy, as they include among others the Jazz Jamboree festival appearances by Komeda and his various ensembles over the years.

The music presented here portrays the early recordings made by Komeda and some bonus material. It includes six tracks recorded by the Komeda sextet at the Polish Radio in Poznań (probably in 1957); similarly to some of the tracks present on the first volume of this series, and feature saxophonists Stanisław Pludra and Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski, vibraphonist Jerzy Milian, bassist Józef Stolarz and drummer Jan Zylber. Four of these tracks are standard; one is by Milian and one by Komeda. One track recorded by the USSR Radio in Moscow in 1957 features also his sextet (exact lineup unknown). Another track was recorded by his trio (exact lineup unknown) in Warsaw in 1963. The last track is a song written by Komeda and sung by Kalina Jędrusik accompanied by a group led by him, recorded in Warsaw in 1967.

There are also three bonus tracks: a recording of a film theme by Komeda by the orchestra of Polish Radio in Łódź from 1989, a recording of a song from the soundtrack of "Rosemary's Baby" by pianist Mieczysław Kosz during the Jazz Jamboree Festival in Warsaw in 1971 and finally a fascinating interview with Komeda (twenty-six minutes long) from 1967 (about a year before his tragic death), in which he talks about his development as a musician and the unique character of Polish and European Jazz. Of course the interview is in Polish, which sadly makes it impossible for non-Polish speakers to enjoy it. Although somewhat uneven and historically hectic, this album offers previously unavailable material and is a must have for all Komeda completists.

Krzysztof Komeda – People Meet And Sweet Music Fills The Heart (2017)

Krzysztof Komeda

Unknown musicians

People Meet And Sweet Music Fills The Heart (Soundtrack)

GAD 060





By Adam Baruch

This is an archival release of the previously unissued soundtrack composed by the Godfather of modern Polish Jazz, Krzysztof Komeda, which accompanied the film with the above title, by Danish director Henning Carlsen, premiered in November of 1967. It was the last cooperation between Komeda and Carlsen, which continued for several years and produced some of the most striking European soundtracks ever to be recorded. The album presents the nineteen short pieces, which were incorporated within the film, as well as five bonus tracks which are outtakes or alternate versions from the recording sessions. The music was recorded in Denmark by a band and a string section, the lineups of which are unknown.

The music is typical Komeda cinematic work, which includes several wonderfully melodic themes and a series of musical fragments needed as background music for the film's scenes. None of these themes "made it" into the classic Komeda standards, which became a part of the rich legacy of Polish Jazz, simply for the reason that this music was never released on record and was not played by Komeda's groups, as he left for the US soon after the film was released. It was the last European film Komeda composed the soundtrack for, followed by a brief, but brilliant Hollywood career, tragically cut short by his death just a year and a half later.

Although not entirely within the Jazz idiom, the music is mostly closely related to Jazz, even on the background pieces, with the Jazz pulse present, with varying degrees of explicitly. The band features flute, saxophone, trumpet and a rhythm section, and on a few tracks also a string section, which of course also emphasizes the Jazzy side of the music. Komeda's modern European Jazz was ideally suited to the European cinema of the mid 1960s, which was also trying to find its own esthetic and artistic quality different from the established American values.

For the many fans of Komeda all over the world this album is an absolutely essential addition to their collection and a wonderful missing piece of the puzzle. Elegantly packed and accompanied by intelligent liner notes, which present the historical background information about this music, this is a true gem. GAD Records make history again!

Krzysztof Komeda Trzciński – Krzysztof Komeda W Polskim Radiu Vol.07 – Litania (2016)

Krzysztof Komeda Trzciński

Krzysztof Komeda - piano
Tomasz Stańko - trumpet
Zbigniew Namysłowski - saxophone
Roman Dyląg - bass
Rune Carlsson - drums

Krzysztof Komeda W Polskim Radiu Vol.07 – Litania


POLSKIE RADIO 1939

By Adam Baruch

This is the seventh installment in a new series of albums launched by the Polish Radio, which presents radio recordings by the Godfather of Polish Jazz, pianist/composer/bandleader Krzysztof Komeda. Komeda is of course the most familiar name associated with Polish Jazz and his legacy is of crucial importance to Polish and European Jazz. Considering the fact that Komeda's studio recordings are relatively scarce, the radio recordings are in fact the main source of his recorded legacy, as they include among others the Jazz Jamboree festival appearances by Komeda and his various ensembles over the years. The music presented here is part of the very last recordings made by Komeda before his death, all done in October 1967, which was a very busy time for him just before he left Poland for the US on December 17, 1967 and returned already in a comatose state following his tragic accident in October 1968.

Between October 7 and October 10, 1967 the Komeda Quintet with trumpeter Tomasz Stańko, saxophonist Zbigniew Namysłowski, bassist Roman Dyląg and Swedish drummer Rune Carlsson recorded in Baden Baden, Germany the seminal album "Meine Susse Europaische Heimat: Dichtung Und Jazz Aus Polen", which was produced by my friend and mentor Joachim Berendt. The album was originally planned to be recorded in May 1967, and most sources state this as the recording date, but due to Komeda's illness the recording was in fact postponed and took place as stated above. This album created a great stir behind the Iron Curtain and presented openly Polish Jazz and Polish Poetry to the Western public for the first time.

Dylag, who was living in Sweden at the time, and Carlsson arrived in Germany from Sweden invited especially for this recording and continued together with the rest of the Quintet (riding two cars) to Warsaw, where the Komeda Quartet (Quintet less Namysłowski) played a concert on October 14, 1967 during the Jazz Jamboree Festival. The concert included Komeda's extended composition "Night Time, Day Time Requiem" dedicated to the memory of John Coltrane, composed shortly after Coltrane's death in July 1967, which is included here.

Immediately following the Jazz Jamboree appearance, most probably on October 16 or 17, 1967, the Quintet recorded a session at the Polish Radio studio, which included six tunes, including "Litania" and another version of "Night Time, Day Time Requiem", both of which are included here. The other four tunes were already included on the previous album of this series. The Quartet also recorded a concert for the Polish Television, which also presents "Night Time, Day Time Requiem" and a mega rare interview with Komeda conducted by Polish Jazz critic and broadcaster Roman Waszko. Considering the fact that Dylag and Carlsson had visas to stay in Poland for just one week, and left Poland immediately before the visas expired, it is certain that all the music recorded in Poland was recorded within that particular week.

The music reflects beautifully the development of Komeda as a pianist/composer/bandleader in the last period of his activity. Coltrane's death had an immense influence on Komeda, who was a great admirer of the American Giant and followed his path of discovery closely. The piece dedicated to Coltrane is spiritually the closest piece of Polish Jazz music to the music of Coltrane during his latest period.

It is fascinating to compare the two versions of "Night Time, Day Time Requiem"; the earlier live version, played by the Quartet, is masterly performed but still not fully emotionally developed, while the emotional elements erupt on the second version, recorded just days later by the Quintet. Therefore this album is certainly one of the most important Komeda albums, catching Komeda at his absolute peak as a composer with the magnificent "Litania" and performer with the music dedicated to Coltrane.

The recordings are splendidly restored and remastered and nicely packaged in an elegant digipak/slipcase, but there is no in-depth background material about Komeda and his music; however considering the plentitude of published material and several excellent books on the subject, an intelligent listener can easily bridge the knowledge gap. The only small reservation one might have is the fact that these recordings have been already released many times, more or less legally on the somewhat untamed Polish music market, which means they is already owned by the serious Polish Jazz collectors, probably more than once.

Side Note: On the album's liner notes the two versions of "Night Time, Day Time Requiem" are listed in reverse order to the order they actually appear on the CD. Also the recording date of the studio version of "Night Time, Day Time Requiem" is listed as 1968, which is not possible as stated above.

Krzysztof Komeda – Krzysztof Komeda W Polskim Radiu Vol.06 – Muzyka Filmowa Oraz Jazz I Poezja (2016)

Krzysztof Komeda

Krzysztof Komeda - piano
Tomasz Stańko - trumpet
Zbigniew Namysłowski - saxophone
Roman Dyląg - bass
Janusz Kozłowski - bass
Rune Carlsson - drums

Krzysztof Komeda W Polskim Radiu Vol.06 – Muzyka Filmowa Oraz Jazz I Poezja

POLSKIE RADIO 1938

By Adam Baruch

This is the sixth installment in a new series of albums launched by the Polish Radio, which presents radio recordings by the Godfather of Polish Jazz, pianist/composer/bandleader Krzysztof Komeda. Komeda is of course the most familiar name associated with Polish Jazz and his legacy is of crucial importance to Polish and European Jazz. Considering the fact that Komeda's studio recordings are relatively scarce, the radio recordings are in fact the main source of his recorded legacy, as they include among others the Jazz Jamboree festival appearances by Komeda and his various ensembles over the years.

The first part of the music included here originates in the Polish Radio recording session from 1967, which presents the Komeda Quintet with trumpeter Tomasz Stańko, saxophonist Zbigniew Namysłowski, bassist Roman Dyląg and Swedish drummer Rune Carlsson. The quintet performs four original Komeda compositions. The second part was recorded live during the 1965 Jazz Jamboree Festival and features the Komeda Quartet with Stańko, bassist Janusz Kozłowski and Carlsson. The quartet performs two original Komeda compositions. Three of the quintet tracks can be associated with the Polish Jazz & Poetry movement, the last quintet track and the first quartet track are both examples of cinematic music Komeda created for movie soundtracks and the last bonus track is a live performance of Komeda's most famous tune "Astigmatic", which gave the title to his groundbreaking debut album.

The Komeda Quintet present on this album recorded an entire album in the Jazz & Poetry idiom, which was produced by the legendary Joachim Berendt. That album called "Meine Süsse Europäische Heimat" was released in West Germany and became in time one of the most iconic Jazz & Poetry recordings in Polish and European Jazz. All of the music on this album is of course some of the most prophetic and revolutionary European Jazz ever recorded, and as such deserves to be a part of every decent music library on this planet.

The recordings are splendidly restored and remastered and nicely packaged in an elegant digipak/slipcase. Dates, places and lineups are faithfully included and even personal liner notes by Polish Jazz critic Roch Siciński are present, but there is no in-depth background material about Komeda and his music, however considering the plentitude of published material and several excellent books on the subject, an intelligent listener can easily bridge the knowledge gap. The only small reservation one might have is the fact that these recordings have been already released many times, more or less legally on the somewhat untamed Polish music market, which means they is already owned by the serious Polish Jazz collectors, probably more than once.

Krzysztof Komeda Trzciński – Krzysztof Komeda W Polskim Radiu Vol.05 – Muzyka Baletowa I Filmowa - Czesc Druga (2015)

Krzysztof Komeda Trzciński

Krzysztof Komeda - piano/composer
other musicians

Krzysztof Komeda W Polskim Radiu Vol.05 – Muzyka Baletowa I Filmowa - Czesc Druga

POLSKIE RADIO 1865

By Adam Baruch

This is the fifth installment in a new series of albums launched by the Polish Radio, which presents radio recordings by the Godfather of Polish Jazz, pianist/composer/bandleader Krzysztof Komeda. Komeda is of course the most familiar name associated with Polish Jazz and his legacy is of crucial importance to Polish and European Jazz. Considering the fact that Komeda's studio recordings are relatively scarce, the radio recordings are in fact the main source of his recorded legacy, as they include among others the Jazz Jamboree festival appearances by Komeda and his various ensembles over the years.

Eight of the ten tracks on this album were recorded between 1961 and 1964 during the forth to seventh edition of the seminal Jazz Jamboree Festival in Warsaw, this collection showcases legendary Komeda ensembles (quintet/trio), which in many respects were the quintessential vehicles, which presented Komeda's music at its pinnacle. Two additional tracks were recorded in the Polish Radio Studio, both featuring vocals, the second of which is especially interesting as it presents an early recording by vocalist Urszula Dudziak.

The musicians, besides Komeda of course, include top Polish Jazz musicians at the time: trumpeter Tomasz Stanko, saxophonist Michal Urbaniak, bassists Maciej Suzin and Roman Dylag, drummer Czeslaw Bartkowski, vocalist Wanda Warska and others, as well as Swedish musicians: saxophonist Bernt Rosengren and drummer Rune Carlsson.

The music is of course selected to reflect Komeda's involvement with composing music for cinema, theatre and ballet. A few bonus tracks are also added, which are not connected with the above, but present rarely heard Komeda's recording. Overall this is a collection of excellent Jazz music, superbly performed, which is an absolute delight to anybody who loves Jazz. It is a fundamental piece of every decent Polish Jazz record collection, especially in the case of the younger generation of listeners, which is just getting acquainted with the enormous legacy of Polish Jazz.

The recordings are splendidly restored and remastered and nicely packaged in an elegant digipak/slipcase. Dates, places and lineups are faithfully included and even personal liner notes by Polish Jazz critic Filip Kosinski are present, but there is no in-depth background material about Komeda and his music, however considering the plentitude of published material and several excellent books on the subject, an intelligent listener can easily bridge the knowledge gap. The only small reservation one might have is the fact that these recordings have been already released many times, more or less legally on the somewhat untamed Polish music market, which means they is already owned by the serious Polish Jazz collectors, probably more than once.

Various Artists – Polish Radio Jazz Archives Vol. 22 (2015)

Various Artists

Krzysztof Komeda - piano
Tomasz Stańko - trumpet
Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski - saxophone
Michał Urbaniak - saxophone
Zbigniew Namysłowski - saxophone
and many others

Polish Radio Jazz Archives Vol. 22

POLSKIE RADIO 1874

By Adam Baruch

This is the twenty-second installment in the series of releases initiated by the Polish Radio, which presents archive Jazz recordings from the radio vaults. Radio recordings are always a fabulous source of remarkable material, and as far as Polish Jazz history is concerned, the Polish Radio, which was a state monopoly for 45 years, recorded over time a plethora of invaluable material, which apart from the albums released by the Polskie Nagrania record company (also a state monopoly), is the only available additional source of Polish Jazz recordings. For many years Polish Radio recorded concerts presented during Poland's most important Jazz venues, including the annual Jazz Jamboree Festival and many other festivals as well.

The ten tracks collected here were recorded during the seventh Jazz Jamboree Festival, which took place between October 24 and 26 1964 in Warsaw. This is the third part of the Jazz Jamboree 1964 recordings. The music was performed by four different ensembles, which are: the Italian Flavio Ambrosetti All Stars (five tracks), led by saxophonist Flavio Ambrosetti with trumpeter Franco Ambrosetti, Swiss pianist George Gruntz, Polish bassist Tadeusz Wójcik and Swiss drummer Pierre Favre and three Polish Jazz ensembles, Krzysztof Komeda Quintet (one track) with trumpeter Tomasz Stańko, saxophonist Michał Urbaniak, bassist Janusz Kozłowski and drummer Czesław Bartkowski, Polish Jazz Quartet (two tracks) led by saxophonist Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski with pianist Wojciech Karolak, bassist Juliusz Sandecki and drummer Andrzej Dąbrowski and Zbigniew Namysłowski Quartet (two tracks) with pianist Włodzimierz Gulgowski, bassist Tadeusz Wójcik and drummer Czesław Bartkowski.

This is by far the most interesting of the three volumes of the Jazz Jamboree 1964 recordings, as it presents the modern Polish Jazz about to explode into modernism, which will shape its destiny for generations to come. Stanko, Urbaniak, Wroblewski, Bartkowski are still active on the Polish scene, fifty years latter, carrying the fire which was first sparkled around the time these recordings were made. The Ambrosetti set is also interesting, as it allows a glance at two legendary Jazz figures: Gruntz and Favre, at their early days. Most of the music performed on this album is original.

The beautifully restored sound quality is excellent and the warm ambience of the analog recording is a true joy. As usual with this series, which is very reasonably priced, I miss the presence of "in depth" liner notes/booklet, which should convey the circumstances at which this music was recorded and its importance to the development of Jazz in Poland. Nevertheless this is an absolutely essential piece of Jazz history which every Jazz fan will surely consider an absolute must.

Krzysztof Komeda – Krzysztof Komeda W Polskim Radiu Vol.04 – Sophia`s Tune (2014)

Krzysztof Komeda

Krzysztof Komeda - piano
Tomasz Stanko - trumpet
Michal Urbaniak - saxophone
Janusz Kozlowski - bass
Maciej Suzin - bass
Czeslaw Bartkowski - drums

Krzysztof Komeda W Polskim Radiu Vol.04 – Sophia`s Tune

POLSKIE RADIO 1864

By Adam Baruch

This is the fourth installment in a new series of albums launched by the Polish Radio, which presents radio recordings by the Godfather of Polish Jazz, pianist/composer/bandleader Krzysztof Komeda. Komeda is of course the most familiar name associated with Polish Jazz and his legacy is of crucial importance to Polish and European Jazz. Considering the fact that Komeda's studio recordings are relatively scarce, the radio recordings are in fact the main source of his recorded legacy, as they include among others the Jazz Jamboree festival appearances by Komeda and his various ensembles over the years.

Recorded in 1963 and 1964 during the sixth and seventh edition of the seminal Jazz Jamboree Festival in Warsaw, this collection showcases the legendary Komeda Quintet, which in many respects was the quintessential vehicle, which presented Komeda's music at its pinnacle. The quintet included, besides Komeda of course, trumpeter Tomasz Stanko, saxophonist Michal Urbaniak and drummer Czeslaw Bartkowski, who play on both dates, and bassist Maciej Suzin who plays on the 1963 date and Janusz Kozlowski who plays on the 1964 date. The album includes only five compositions, all originals by Komeda, which get an extended treatment which stretches around seventeen minutes for three of the tunes, twelve minutes for the fourth and six minutes for the tune which gives the album its titles, dedicated to Komeda's wife Zofia.

This is obviously some of the most important Jazz music recorded in Poland during the early days of modern Polish Jazz, but also some of the most important European Jazz, which was shaping out at the time as a new wave of independent thinking, based on American Jazz tradition, but expanding the known realm with new ideas and European legacy, melancholy, folklore and other prominent factors, which eventually were to create a completely new genre altogether. Komeda's outstanding ability to weave beautiful melodies, combined with the virtuosity of his quintet's members, reach unprecedented emotional and aesthetic levels, which to this day can hardly be matched.

This music is a cradle of modern European Jazz, ultra modern and even avant-garde at the time, which almost completely rebels against American mainstream Jazz, simply doing whatever feels right, in complete disregard of conventions and stylistic limitations. The tunes develop almost spontaneously, often from a riff or a chord sequence, which hints of the melodic theme, which is often developed later on and sometimes remains hidden behind the chord changes and is never actually stated in full. The rhythmic patterns change several times during each tune, often without warning. Such dramatically novel approach is amazingly bold even today, almost fifty years later.

Overall this is a collection of excellent Jazz music, superbly performed, which is an absolute delight to anybody who loves Jazz. It is a fundamental piece of every decent Polish Jazz record collection, especially in the case of the younger generation of listeners, which is just getting acquainted with the enormous legacy of Polish Jazz.

The recordings are splendidly restored and remastered and nicely packaged in an elegant digipak/slipcase. Dates, places and lineups are faithfully included and even personal liner notes by Polish Jazz critic Maciej Nowotny are present, but there is no in-depth background material about Komeda and his music, however considering the plentitude of published material and several excellent books on the subject, an intelligent listener can easily bridge the knowledge gap. The only small reservation one might have is the fact that these recordings have been already released many times, more or less legally on the somewhat untamed Polish music market, which means they is already owned by the serious Polish Jazz collectors, probably more than once.

Krzysztof Komeda Trzcinski – Krzysztof Komeda W Polskim Radiu Vol.03 – Krzysztof Komeda & Jerzy Milian (2014)

Krzysztof Komeda Trzciński

Krzysztof Komeda - piano
Jerzy Milian - vibraphone
with others

Krzysztof Komeda W Polskim Radiu Vol.03

POLSKIE RADIO 1863



By Adam Baruch

This is the third installment in a new series of albums launched by the Polish Radio, which presents radio recordings by the Godfather of Polish Jazz, pianist/composer/bandleader Krzysztof Komeda. Komeda is of course the most familiar name associated with Polish Jazz and his legacy is of crucial importance to Polish and European Jazz. Considering the fact that Komeda's studio recordings are relatively scarce, the radio recordings are in fact the main source of his recorded legacy, as they include among others the Jazz Jamboree festival appearances by Komeda and his various ensembles over the years.

Recorded between 1957 and 1963 this volume collects recordings which involve the cooperation between Komeda and vibraphonist/composer Jerzy Milian, a key member of Komeda's ensembles and a bandleader of his own right, who also achieved the legendary status of one of the Godfathers of modern Polish Jazz. The album presents three tracks recorded during the 1963 Jazz Jamboree Festival by Milian with Komeda's trio (bassist Maciej Suzin and drummer Leszek Dudziak), another three tracks recorded a year earlier at the 1962 Jazz Jamboree Festival by Milian's quintet (guitarist Wojciech Lechowski, bassist Tadeusz Wojcicki and drummer Leszek Dudziak) and finally one earlier radio recording from 1957 by Komeda's sextet (saxophonist Jan Ptaszyn Wroblewski, trombonist Zdzislaw Brzeszczynski, bassist Jozef Stolarz and drummer Jan Zylber). Of course Komeda plays piano and Milian plays vibraphone on all tracks. Six of the tracks are standards and only one is an original composition by Komeda.

Obviously the emphasis here is on the performing abilities and the interplay between Komeda and Milian, rather than on the abilities of the two as composers, which are in retrospect more important. Milian's virtuosity is pretty obvious, as is his incredible feel for Swing and Be Bop at the time. Milian was definitely the closest musical partner Komeda had during the first period of his activity, before forming his groundbreaking ensembles by mid 1960s, which where influenced by avant-garde experimentation. Milian's extensive achievements as composer/arranger during the years following his involvement with Komeda constitute another fascinating chapter of the Polish Jazz history.

Overall this is a collection of excellent Jazz music, superbly performed, which is an absolute delight to anybody who loves Jazz. It is a fundamental piece of every decent Polish Jazz record collection, especially in the case of the younger generation of listeners, which is just getting acquainted with the enormous legacy of Polish Jazz.

The recordings are splendidly restored and remastered and nicely packaged in an elegant digipak/slipcase. Dates, places and lineups are faithfully included and even personal liner notes by young Polish Jazz critic (Roch Sicinski) are present, but there is no in-depth background material about Komeda and his music, however considering the plentitude of published material and several excellent books on the subject, an intelligent listener can easily bridge the knowledge gap. The only small reservation one might have is the fact that these recordings have been already released many times, more or less legally on the somewhat untamed Polish music market, which means they is already owned by the serious Polish Jazz collectors, probably more than once.

Komeda - Nagrania pierwsze

Krzysztof Komeda Trzciński

Krzysztof Komeda - piano

with various groups

Krzysztof Komeda W Polskim Radiu Vol.01 – Nagrania Pierwsze 1952-1960

POLSKIE RADIO 1861


By Maciej Nowotny

Chciałbym Państwa prosić o rzecz niemożliwą: na chwilę zapomnijcie jak wielkim jazzmanem Komeda był! Bo w roku 1952, skąd pochodzi pierwsze nagranie na tej płycie Krzysztof Trzciński jest po prostu jednym z wielu i nic nie zapowiada jego przyszłej sławy. Jak właściwie wykształcił się ten indywidualny styl, który otworzył mu drzwi kariery? Odpowiedż na to pytanie jest trudna, bo jego brzmienie nie jest tak charakterystyczne jak na przykład Billa Evansa, z którym najwięcej ma wspólnego. Na jego określenie często używa się takich przymiotników jak “poetycki”, “liryczny” czy “słowiański”.

To jednak są opisy na poziomie intuicji, przeczuć, a może nawet fantazji? Dlatego tak się ucieszyłem, gdy trafił w moje ręce ten krążek. Jest na nim zapisany jakby na zamówienie, etap po etapie, najwcześniejszy okres kariery Komedy. Od pierwszego zespołu jaki tworzył z Witoldem Kujawskim, kolegą jeszcze z Ostrowa Wielkopolskiego, poprzez Melomanów, Sextet i różne epizodyczne składy. I nagle objawienie, jasność, pewność że odpowiedź mam przed swoimi uszami. Bo mamy tutaj Komedę jakiego mniej znamy: muzyka jednego z wielu, grającego niemal wyłącznie aż za dobrze znane standardy, a jednak…

Od samego początku to jest ten Komeda, którego muzyka nie przestaje zdumiewać, mimo że w tym roku mija 45 lat od jego śmierci. Nie chodzi wyłącznie o talent wykonawczy, bo wirtuzoem Komeda nigdy nie był ani nie miał ambicji nim być. Nie chodzi o talent kompozytorski, bo jeszcze nie zdążył się on objawić, a jedyny nie standard na tej płycie “That Second” napisany wspólnie z J.P, Wróblewskim w niczym nie zapowiada wspaniałych kompozycji z przyszłości. Chodzi o osobowość, o indywidualność, o własną drogę.

W zawierusze wydawałoby się całkowicie przewidywalnego grania wystarczy jedno uderzenie Komedy w klawisz, jeden dźwięk, nie, nawet nie dźwięk, lecz pauza, cisza w zgiełku innych instrumentów, by nagle muzyka wprawiła nas w zdziwienie. To już nie jest ten sam standard tysiące razy grany przez innnych, to nie jest zwykła polska kopia wielkich amerykańskich combo, to początek ścieżki, która poprzez Sopot, granie z gigantami polskiej i skandynawskiej sceny, kwartet ze Stańką, wreszcie współpracę z Polańskim zawiedzie Komedę na szczyt, do Hollywood, do śmierci i... nieśmiertelności. (liner notes)

English review

Krzysztof Komeda Trzcinski – Krzysztof Komeda W Polskim Radiu Vol.02 – Muzyka Baletowa I Filmowa – Czesc Pierwsza (2014)

Krzysztof Komeda Trzciński

Krzysztof Komeda - piano

with various groups

Krzysztof Komeda W Polskim Radiu Vol.02 – Muzyka Baletowa I Filmowa – Część Pierwsza

POLSKIE RADIO 1862

By Adam Baruch

This is the second installment in a new series of albums launched by the Polish Radio, which presents radio recordings by the Godfather of Polish Jazz, pianist/composer/bandleader Krzysztof Komeda. Komeda is of course the most familiar name associated with Polish Jazz and his legacy is of crucial importance to Polish and European Jazz. Considering the fact that Komeda's studio recordings are relatively scarce, the radio recordings are in fact the main source of his recorded legacy, as they include among others the Jazz Jamboree festival appearances by Komeda and his various ensembles over the years.

Recorded between 1959 and 1963 this volume collects only original music that Komeda composed for ballet and cinema and performed with his groups during the 1961 edition of the Jazz Jamboree festival in Warsaw (one track), the 1962 edition (four tracks) and 1963 edition (one track). The remaining two tracks are radio studio recordings. The music includes the following compositions: "Ballet Etudes", written by Komeda to be performed by a Jazz ensemble accompanying ballet dancers, which had its premiere during the 1962 Jazz Jamboree with dancers from the Warsaw Opera, theme from the film "Innocent Sorcerers" directed by Andrzej Wajda and the monumental music from the debut full length film "Knife In The Water" directed by Roman Polanski. As any Polish Jazz enthusiast knows, this is the cradle of modern Polish Jazz and includes some of its most defining moments, as well as the essence of Komeda, the composer.

The list of the musicians participating in these recordings reads like the who's who of early modern Polish Jazz: vocalist Wanda Warska, saxophonists Zbigniew Namyslowski and Michal Urbaniak, trumpeter Tomasz Stanko, bassists Roman Dylag, Adam Skorupka, Jan Byrczek and Maciej Suzin, drummers Leszek Dudziak, Czeslaw Bartkowski and Tadeusz Federowski and percussionist Jozef Gawrych. Three Swedish musicians also participate: saxophonist Bernt Rosengren, trombonist Eje Thelin and drummer Rune Carlsson.

Overall this is a collection of brilliant music, superbly performed, which is an absolute revelation to anybody who loves Jazz. It is a fundamental piece of every decent Jazz record collection. The recordings are splendidly restored and remastered and nicely packaged in an elegant digipak/slipcase. Dates, places and lineups are faithfully included and even personal liner notes by young Polish Jazz critics are present, but there is no in-depth background material about Komeda and his music, however considering the plentitude of published material and several excellent books on the subject, an intelligent listener can easily bridge the knowledge gap. The only small reservation one might have is the fact that these recordings have been already released many times, more or less legally on the somewhat untamed Polish music market, which means they is already owned by the serious Polish Jazz collectors, probably more than once.

Krzysztof Komeda Trzcinski – Krzysztof Komeda W Polskim Radiu Vol.01 – Nagrania Pierwsze 1952-1960 (2014)

Krzysztof Komeda Trzciński

Krzysztof Komeda - piano

with various groups

Krzysztof Komeda W Polskim Radiu Vol.01 – Nagrania Pierwsze 1952-1960

POLSKIE RADIO 1861


By Adam Baruch

This is the first installment in a new series of albums launched by the Polish Radio, which presents radio recordings by the Godfather of Polish Jazz, pianist / composer / bandleader Krzysztof Komeda. Komeda is of course the most familiar name associated with Polish Jazz and his legacy is of crucial importance to Polish and European Jazz. Considering the fact that Komeda's studio recordings are relatively scarce, the radio recordings are in fact the main source of his recorded legacy, as they include among others the Jazz Jamboree festival appearances by Komeda and his various ensembles over the years.

As the title of this volume suggests, it collects sixteen tracks of the early recordings by Komeda, fourteen of which present him as a bandleader of his groups that vary from a trio to a sextet format. Two additional tracks showcase him as a member of the legendary Melomani group. All these tracks are Jazz standards except for only one original composition co-credited to Komeda and Jan Ptaszyn Wroblewski, another Polish Jazz legendary figure. As a result the music on this album is all about Komeda the pianist, rather than his traditional role of a composer first and performer later and shows his development as a piano player.

The musicians that were the band members of these ensembles led by Komeda are the first, pioneering generation of post-WWII Polish Jazz players, most of which disappeared from the scene to be replaced by the second, then very young generation, that was about to revolutionize Polish Jazz completely by the mid 1960s. These pioneers include the Melomani members: saxophonist Jerzy Matuszkiewicz, trumpeter Andrzej Wojciechowski, bassist Witold Kujawski (died 2011) and drummer Witold Sobocinski. Also worth mentioning are bassist Jozef Stolarz (died 2011) and drummer Jan Zylber (died 1997). The only know names on the Polish Jazz scene appearing on this album and still active today are the a.m. Wroblewski and vibraphonist / composer Jerzy Milian.

Overall this album, although important from obvious historic reasons, does not reflect the "true" Komeda genius, which was about to blossom slightly later, when Komeda started to write his own fabulous music and formed his new ensembles with the top new players of the day.

The recordings are splendidly restored and remastered and nicely packaged in an elegant digipak / slipcase. Dates, places and lineups are faithfully included and even personal liner notes by young Polish Jazz critics are present, but there is no in-depth background material about Komeda and his music, however considering the plentitude of published material and several excellent books on the subject, an intelligent listener can easily bridge the knowledge gap. The only small reservation one might have is the fact that these recordings have been already released many times, more or less legally on the somewhat untamed Polish music market, which means they is already owned by the serious Polish Jazz collectors, probably more than once.

Various Artists – Polish Radio Jazz Archives Vol.12 (2014) ***1/2

Jerzy Milian - vibraphone
Krzysztof Komeda - piano
Michal Urbaniak - saxophone
Tomasz Stanko - trumpet
Maciej Suzin - bass
Leszek Dudziak - drums
Czeslaw Bartkowski - drums

POLSKIE RADIO 1632



By Adam Baruch

This is the twelfth installment in the new series of releases initiated by the Polish Radio, which presents archive Jazz recordings. Radio recordings are always a fabulous source of remarkable material, and as far as Polish Jazz history is concerned, the Polish Radio, which was a state monopoly for 45 years, recorded over time a plethora of invaluable material, which apart from the albums released by the Polskie Nagrania record company (also a state monopoly), is the only available additional source of Polish Jazz recordings. For many years Polish Radio recorded concerts presented during Poland's most important Jazz venues, including the annual Jazz Jamboree Festival and many other festivals as well.

The material collected here presents recordings made in 1963 during the sixth Jazz Jamboree festival in Warsaw. The majority of the material, i.e. thirteen of the seventeen tracks, is performed by Dutch vocalist Rita Reys (who died a few months ago in July 2013) accompanied by a trio led by her husband pianist Pim Jacobs with guitarist Wim Overgaauw and Pim's brother bassist Ruud Jacobs. In addition one instrumental track by the trio is also included. The remaining three tracks are performed by the top Polish Jazz musicians at the time: two by vibraphonist / composer Jerzy Milian accompanied by the Krzysztof Komeda trio with bassist Maciej Suzin and drummer Leszek Dudziak; the last track is by the Komeda quintet, with saxophonist Michal Urbaniak, trumpeter Tomasz Stanko, bassist Maciej Suzin and drummer Czeslaw Bartkowski. All the tracks are Jazz standards except for the last one, which is a Komeda composition.

Reys performs a set of classic vocal material, comprising of popular songs known to all Jazz listeners. Her singing is beautifully expressive, but not virtuosic and copying mannerisms from American vocal Jazz stars. She also has a slight foreign accent, but definitely passable. The accompaniment is elegant and supportive, with Pim's piano playing being truly exceptional. The guitar plays sadly only a few solo spots, and when not soloing it is mostly hidden in the recording balance; as a result is seems Reys is accompanied mostly by a piano / bass duo only. Overall this is a fine presentation of mainstream Jazz vocals, nothing spectacular but a nice document of the moment in time.

The Milian tracks are also rather pale, well performed and all, but again nothing special. Komeda plays some great piano phrases, which are always delightful and the rhythm section is doing its job as expected. The Komeda quintet is obviously the most interesting track herein with a typical beautiful melody line only he could weave and the quintet playing along splendidly. One may wonder why these three tracks were selected as the "filler" for this album, as both ensembles (Milian's and Komeda's) played full sets, which would be very interesting in their entirety.

The beautifully restored sound quality is excellent and the warm ambience of the analog recording is a true joy. As usual with this series, which is very reasonably priced, I miss the presence of "in depth" liner notes / booklet, which should convey the circumstances at which this music was recorded and its importance to the development of Jazz in Poland. Nevertheless this is an absolutely essential piece of Jazz history which every Jazz fan will surely consider an absolute must.

Various Artists – Polish Radio Jazz Archives Vol.03 (2013) ***1/2

Various Artists incl.
Wojciech Karolak - piano
Krzysztof Komeda - piano
Jerzy Milian - vibraphone

POLSKIE RADIO 1599






By Adam Baruch

This is the third installment in the new series of releases initiated by the Polish Radio, which presents archive Jazz recordings. Radio recordings are always a fabulous source of remarkable material, and as far as Polish Jazz history is concerned, the Polish Radio, which was a state monopoly for 45 years, recorded over time a plethora of invaluable material, which apart from the albums released by the Polskie Nagrania record company (also a state monopoly), is the only additional source of Polish Jazz recordings. For many years Polish Radio recorded concerts presented during Poland's most important Jazz venue, the annual Jazz Jamboree Festival and many other festivals as well.

The material collected here presents recordings made during the 5^th Jazz Jamboree, which took place between October 27 and 29, 1962 in Warsaw. The artists include two Scandinavian Jazz ensembles: Swedish trombonist Eje Thelin and his quintet and the Jazz Fraktionen quintet featuring the Danish saxophonist John Tchicai. One track features the American trumpeter Don Ellis accompanied by a Polish trio led by pianist Wojciech Karolak, which was already presented on volume 2 of this series, offering here an alternate take. Another track presents the quintet led by Polish vibraphonist Jerzy Milian, which features the legendary Krzysztof Komeda on piano. The last track presents the Danish vibraphonist Louis Hjulmand also accompanied by pianist Wojciech Karolak and his trio. At the time Poland kept a relatively open relation with the Scandinavian countries, as opposed to the Western Europe, which explains the presence of several Scandinavian players at the festival. Also some Polish Jazz managed to play in Scandinavia at that time, including Komeda.

Except for Ellis, who plays an original composition, all the other ensembles play Jazz standards, mostly Bebop, which was the model for most modern European Jazz musicians at the time, leading to the development of a new style, which would crystallize over the next few years. The performances are all excellent and their invaluable historical significance is beyond reproach. Beautifully restored sound quality and a warm ambience of the live analog recording is a true joy.

As usual with this series, which is very reasonably priced, I miss the presence of "in depth" liner notes / booklet, which should convey the circumstances at which this music was recorded and its meaning to the development of Polish Jazz in particular and Polish Culture in general. Nevertheless this is an essential piece of history which every Polish Jazz fan will surely consider an absolute must.

The Krzysztof Komeda Composers’ Competition

There is nothing quite like this competition anywhere in the world. The underlying concept stems from the assumption that the phenomenon which is jazz, perceived as a universal artistic language, is most assuredly one of the elements that unites European and world culture and tradition.

The competition is addressed to young artists for whom jazz is a common value uniting sundry nations in the experience of music. Its aim is to promote the work of young composers; the maximum age for entrants is 35. This is the only competition in Poland devoted to jazz works and composers inspired by the jazz phenomenon. Only compositions which have never been published or recorded and have never received a public performance, may be entered. Entries will be judged by a jury of distinguished artists and composers.

The competition has aroused great interest not only Poland, but also well beyond her borders. Former winners include Thiago Trajano and Zezo Olimpio from Rio de Janeiro, Monika Allen from New York and Bartosz Smorągiewicz from Würzburg, Stepanka Balcarowa from Slovakia.

2013 sees the 8th edition of the Krzysztof Komeda Composers’ Competition. It will, as ever, be held in Poland.

More info at:
http://www.en.komedajazz.com/index.php/composers_competition

Krzysztof Komeda – Polish Radio Jazz Archives Vol.04 (2013)

Krzysztof Komeda - piano

POLSKIE RADIO 1600









By Adam Baruch

This is the fourth installment in the new series of releases initiated by the Polish Radio, which presents archive Jazz recordings. Radio recordings are always a fabulous source of remarkable material, and as far as Polish Jazz history is concerned, the Polish Radio, which was a state monopoly for 45 years, recorded over time a plethora of invaluable material, which apart from the albums released by the Polskie Nagrania record company (also a state monopoly), is the only additional source of Polish Jazz recordings. For many years Polish Radio recorded concerts presented during Poland's most important Jazz venue, the annual Jazz Jamboree Festival and many other festivals as well.

The material presented here was recorded between 1957 and 1962 and presents the iconic figure of the Godfather of Polish Jazz, pianist / composer Krzysztof Komeda. Of the twelve recordings, first five are studio radio recordings and seven are live recordings from the 1961 and 1962 Jazz Jamboree Festivals. Most of the material was recorded in a trio / quartet setting except for the four 1957 recordings, which were recorded by a larger ensemble. The remastering work is incredible and the sound quality brigs this music back to life at its full bloom, which of course is great news for the numerous Komeda fans all over the world.

The music presents a retrospective look at Komeda's early phase, which shows the remarkable development of his immense talent both as a player and a composer. The transition from the early period when Komeda is performing American Jazz standards into the later period when he plays almost exclusively his original compositions shows the birth of European Jazz, of which Komeda was one of the earliest leaders, caught live in action. It also shows his role as a composer of film music, including his early score to the Andrzej Wajda film "Innocent Sorcerers" and his monumental music for the Roman Polanski debut film "Knife In The Water". This is the Holy Grail of Polish Jazz, which certainly deserves to be kept alive and passed from generation to generation as part of the Artistic heritage, Polish and Worldwide alike.

However, some questions arise as to the actual selection of the material for this release; although I have been assured by the people in charge of the production of this album, that all the music included herein is previously unreleased, it is hardly conceivable considering the plethora of Komeda releases (legal, semi-legal or completely bootleg) over the years, with the extended "complete" Komeda series by both Power Bros and Polonia labels and even the Polskie Nagrania / Muza 3CD set of Komeda performances at Jazz Jamboree, released in 2011, which seems to duplicate some of the music included here, and of course the lack of a proper booklet with proper liner notes, photographs and other well deserved details, which this monumental music truly deserves. Polish Radio really should have made a better judgment and more of an effort here. A pity!

As usual with this series, this is a great document of the era and an integral part of the Polish Jazz saga, which deserves to be told and studied. My advice is to get hold of this gem ASAP, as Polish CDs are often out of print before the paint dries on the booklets.

Krzysztof Komeda – Meine Süsse Europäische Heimat: Dichtung Und Jazz Aus Polen (2012)

Krzysztof Komeda - piano, composer
Tomasz Stanko - trumpet
Zbigniew Namyslowski - saxophone
Roman Dylag - bass
Rune Carlsson - drums

Helmut Lohner - recitation

ANEX ANS-401



By Adam Baruch

This is not just an album; for people who love Polish Jazz and Polish Culture, this is a monumental piece of Art and History… And for Polish Jazz this is probably the most important recording ever made, surely as far as international exposure of Polish Jazz is concerned.

This album was devised, planned and eventually completed thanks to the efforts of Joachim Berendt, a German writer, critic, producer (and my dear personal friend and Mentor), one of the most important figures on the European Jazz scene during its formative years. Berendt, a devoted intellectual, was an enthusiastic supporter of early multi-media collaborations involving Jazz, especially in the Jazz & Poetry realm, fell in love with Polish Jazz from the moment he heard it during the groundbreaking second Sopot Jazz Festival in 1957, which he attended accompanying a delegation of German Jazz players.

The plans to make this album were planted in his mind then and there, but unfortunately the Iron Curtain, the invisible great divide splitting Europe in two during the Cold War era, was stronger than the goodwill of the people who wanted to make it happen. It took a whole decade until Berendt was able to invite pianist / composer Krzysztof Komeda and his group, which included trumpeter Tomasz Stanko, saxophonist Zbigniew Namyslowski, bassist Roman Dylag and Swedish drummer Rune Carlsson, to his SWF radio studio in Baden-Baden to finally record the music.

In parallel Berendt invited the German translator Karl Dedecius, who was the most important and pioneering translator of Polish and Russian literature and poetry into the German language, to select and translate the poems, which were to be combined with Komeda's music and recited by actor Helmut Lohner. Dedecius made a brilliant job, obviously a labor of lave for him, both as a translator and editor, selecting twenty four poems by Polish poets, many of which were at the time relatively obscure and politically "problematic" for the Socialistic regime. In retrospect two of these poets: Wislawa Szymborska and Czeslaw Milosz were eventually to be awarded the Nobel Prize in literature – not a bad guess indeed.

By the time this album was recorded Komeda was of course already the undisputed Godfather of modern Polish Jazz, as well as a world-famous composer of film music, most notably those directed by Roman Polanski, but also many others. His quintet was one of the best European Jazz ensembles at the time, which of course is clearly evident on this recording. Komeda's themes are perfect companions to the poems, full of lyricism and deep emotions, expressive and often quite free form, enabling the soloists to expand the basic structure into improvised passages.

The album was originally released in West Germany by EMI / Columbia in 1967 and the original vinyl is a super-rare collectors' item. This new edition adds as bonus tracks three of the themes used on the original album, recorded in extended instrumental versions by the same quintet, which are of course sensational. The album is beautifully packaged in a book-like digipak, which includes the original liner notes by Berendt and many splendid photographs. The texts (both Polish and the German translations) of the poems are unfortunately not included (except one), which is a pity, but obtaining all the copyrights was probably too much of a nightmare. An extended essay about this album should have also been appropriately written.

The fact that this album was not available (at least in a proper form) for forty five years is a shame and this new edition falls under "better late than never" category. Polish Jazz connoisseurs should of course be delighted, finally being able to savor this timeless piece of Art. I can't imagine any serious Polish Jazz enthusiast not having this album in their collection. I think I can see the late Joachim Berendt smiling, somewhere in the "higher sphere", seeing his brain-child resurrected…

Krzysztof Komeda - Meine Susse Europaische Haimat - Dichtung und Jazz aus Polen (2012)

Krzysztof Komeda

Krzysztof Komeda - piano
Tomasz Stańko - trumpet
Zbigniew Namysłowski - alto saxophone
Roman Dyląg - bass
Rune Carlsson - drums

Helmut Lohner - reciter
Krzysztof Komeda - all compositions
Karl Dedecius - translations

Meine Susse Europaische Haimat - Dichtung und Jazz aus Polen (2012)

By Dirk Blasejezak

What an album, what a wonderful piece of work - how exemplary and yet how unknown! Of course the audience is somewhat limited because of the language, but the voice of the reciter should touch even those who don’t understand the meaning of the words. And the words were well chosen - you find here poems by the finest poets of Poland of the late 19th and of the first half of the 20th century. Best known to the international audience are probably Wisława Szymborska and Czesław Miłosz who both only years later received the Nobel prize in literature. One interesting aspect is that it’s not one poem - one song, but that for some tracks different poems of different authors were combined. You will hardly realise this while listening though as they thematically suit - most deal with the war and the generation that lost it’s youth during that time. Some are quite critical about the political situation in Poland in the 50s and 60s though. This is probably one reason why this album had to be recorded an released in West Germany (the recording took place at the SWR in Baden Baden in May 1967).

The reciter, Helmut Lohner, gets to the heart of every poem. His voice may for us sound like a typical narrator of his time - haunting, sometimes agitating - but so are the poems. And where necessary he brings in all the heartiness to make you cry. An effect that gets even amplified by the music which never just jingles along in the background nor tries to outdo the recitation.

And what can one say about the music - you won’t find many composers who are able to get as close to the underlying meaning as Krzysztof Komeda does! He has of course proven this in so many films that the producer of this album, Joachim-Ernst Berendt (who was a very important figure for the German post-war Jazz scene) simply had no other choice for this project. But even he was astonished by Komeda’s commitment. In an interview with Paweł Brodowski [Jazz Forum 3/2000] he said: 

“Komeda was a very nice man. How much time he and how much effort, dedication and sensitivity when working on ‘Jazz and Poetry’! I collected texts in German and he took them with him and went to the National Library in Warsaw. He wanted to read the original texts to understand them thoroughly before beginning to write the music.”

You can hear this on every single track, there is not one song were you could get the slightest impression that Komeda had no clue on how to illustrate the text. This truely was one of his strengths. Roman Polański once said about Krzysztof Komeda that his music was cool an modern, but with a human heart. And that his films would be worthless without his music. Of course this does not apply to these poems - they work very well for themselves, but the recitation gets a lot from it. 

I think it’s needless to say anything about the musicians - they are thoroughly documented on this blog. Tomasz Stańko, Zbigniew Namysłowski, Roman Dyląg, and Rune Carlsson are the perfect vehicles for transporting Komeda’s ideas onto the record. No tfor nothing they became well known as the Komeda Quartet and as some of the undoubtedly most influential musicians in Poland - you can hear on this album why.

This album is a must have for anybody interested in Polish poetry and/or jazz. If you happen to know German it’s probably easier, else you can of course try to get a translation into your language and see for yourself how great the interpretations are. 

[link - not very representative though]



Track list:

01. The Trumpet Player Is Innocent (1:39)
Wisława Szymborska "Den Freunden"
Antoni Marianowicz "Berliner Skizzen"
devoted

02. Dirge for Europe (3:18)
Czesław Miłosz "Erde"
Antoni Marianowicz "Die Lage"
Kazimierz Wierzyński "Asche"
Krzysztof Kamil Baczyński "Miserere"

03. Miserere (3:50)
Zygmunt Ławrynowicz "Trauriges Wissen"
Tadeusz Różewicz "Laßt uns"
Wisława Szymborska "Kleine Anzeige"

04. Choral (3:12)
Józef Wittlin "Litanei"

05. Hameln Is Everywhere (1:31)
Władysław Sebyła "Bekanntmachung"

06. Prayer and Question (3:29)
Józef Czechowicz "Trauergebet"
Józef Wittlin "Nicht Neues"

07. Canzone for Warschau (4:36)
Czesław Miłosz "Nach der Katastrophe - Warschau 1943"

08. No Lovesong at All (2:44)
Kazimierz Przerwa Tetmajer "Ich such Dich"
Maria Jasnorzewska-Pawlikowska "Liebe"

09. Theme for One and Variations for Another World (8:02)
Zbigniew Bieńkowski "In Deinem Namen"
Zbigniew Herbert "Gärten züchten" aus "Die Klapper"

10. Free Witch and No-bra Queen (4:31)
Kazimiera Iłłakowiczówna "Die Hexe"
Stanisław Grochowiak "Busen der Königin"
Konstanty Ildefons Gałczyński "Mit Instrumenten schlendern"

11. Komeda im Zirkus Ważyk (1:23)
Adam Ważyk "Am Anfang dressierte man Pferde"

12. Sketches for Don Quichotte (2:22)
Stanisław Grochowiak "Ritterballade"

13. Waltzing Beyond (2:41)
Czesław Miłosz "Lied vom Weltende"

Bonus songs (not on original record, may vary on different releases, recorded in a studio of the Polish Radio, autumn 1967):
14. After Disaster (7:11)
15. Don Quichotte (11:04)
16. The Witch (6:54)
17. Ballad for Bernt (3:03)

Krzysztof Komeda – Astigmatic (Polish Jazz Vol.05, 1965)

Krzysztof Komeda - piano

Tomasz Stańko - trumpet
Zbigniew Namysłowski - alto sax
Krzysztof Komeda - piano
Gunter Lenz - bass

 Astigmatic (Polish Jazz Vol.05, 1965)

This music, encapsulated for eternity in a piece of plastic, is one of the great milestones of human Culture, an ultra-rare eruption of human genius. Recorded by a quintet led by Polish pianist / composer Krzysztof Komeda, the legendary Godfather of Polish Jazz, this is definitely the most important piece of music recorded in Eastern Europe, which changed the face of Culture far beyond what most people realize. Universally accepted as a model and artistic / aesthetic climax by generations of Jazz musicians in Komeda's native Poland and far beyond the country borders, this modern Jazz recording influenced innumerable minds and prompted endless artistic processes. 

The album includes just three pieces of music: the title track; "Kattorna", which was a theme in the soundtrack of a movie by the Danish director Henning Carlsen; and "Svantetic", a tune dedicated to the Swedish poet Svante Forster, Komeda's friend. The quintet included trumpeter Tomasz Stanko, saxophonist Zbigniew Namyslowski, German bassist Gunter Lenz and Swedish drummer Rune Carlsson. Playing in every possible grouping, from solo to a full quintet, these brilliant and inspired musicians manage to achieve a whole, which is so much more than a sum of its parts. The result goes way beyond soloing, improvising, interplaying and exchanging ideas; it is a sort of group creation, which builds upon the basic structures, which are the mesmerizing Komeda's melodies and soaring infinitely towards a musical heaven. There is everything here: melody, harmony, freedom and structure, rhythm and space, all simultaneously represented without conflicting and fighting for supremacy. Such harmonious music-making is indeed very rare and therefore priceless. 

One might wonder how this wonderful music happened in Poland of all places. Well the reasons for this are numerous and complex, but of course genius knows no geographical limitations and catalyzed by the fertile intellectual background of the 1960s Poland, struggling with Socialist regime and longing for Freedom, Jazz became an escape route, which in this case found its true vocation. Of course the fact that Stanko and Namyslowski were (and thank God still are) exceptionally gifted musicians helped to materialize the potential of Komeda's music. One might as well look into Komeda's fascination (and adoration) of the music and life of John Coltrane, who served as a beacon and a model in the composer's path to inner enlightenment. And yet Komeda did not succumb to Coltrane's (or indeed the entire American Free Jazz movement) ideas blindly and unconditionally, as did many of his peers. He decided to incorporate the struggle for Freedom, which was a central scheme in Coltrane's philosophy (both musical and personal) with his deep European cultural roots and heritage, building his very personal bridge between Cultures. This is why his music works so well, regardless if it's a concert played in a Jazz club or a movie soundtrack. It is simply transcending stylistic or circumstantial limitations, as any higher level of Art is able to do. The fact that this music was created almost fifty years ago is a sad reminder of how little progress (if any) we managed to achieve since. In face of this fact we should cherish the great achievements of our Culture and keep them close to our hearts. This is definitely one of those great achievements, so let's treat it accordingly. Absolutely essential!

Track listing: 1. Astigmatic [22:50]; 2. Kattorna [7:20]; 3. Svantetic [15:50]

By Adam Baruch
www.adambaruch.com