SBB – Za Linią Horyzontu (2016)

SBB

Józef Skrzek - bass, keyboards
Apostolis Anthimos - guitar
Jerzy Piotrowski - drums

Za Linią Horyzontu

POLSKIE RADIO 1950




By Adam Baruch

This is the first new studio album by the legendary Polish Rock/Prog/Fusion ensemble SBB, following several years of inactivity as recording artists. SBB, which comprises of bassist/keyboardist/ leader Józef Skrzek, guitarist Apostolis Anthimos and drummer Jerzy Piotrowski, makes live appearances quite regularly all over Poland, keeping the fan base happy and a plethora of archival live recordings is being constantly released, flooding the market and slowly driving the diehard aficionados to bankruptcy.

The music on the new album is a stylistic mixture of all the sub-genres that the group ventured into during their long career. The album presents eight pieces, three of which were composed by Skrzek, three by Anthimos and one was co-composed by all three members of the group. The closing piece the album, a three part suite, was partly co-composed by all three members of the group and partly composed by Skrzek. The pieces composed by Skrzek feature lyrics (in Polish) while those by Anthimos are instrumentals (well, almost).

Most of the material is Rock oriented, with relatively short and well organized songs. The instrumental pieces are more Fusion oriented. There is relatively very little improvisation and open space, which takes this album away from the Jazzy ventures the group tried in the past. The album has modern sound and production techniques, making it feel contemporary, which is not necessarily a compliment in their case. Of course these are brilliant musicians with an enormous legacy, but that is not apparent on this album. Anthimos is definitely the most interesting player and his guitar licks are still stunning after all these years.

Overall this is a nice, pleasant album, which proves that SBB is alive and kicking, still able to create solid Rock and Fusion music, but nothing that would prove their Phoenix-like rebirth or discovery of new previously uncharted territory. It is always great to hear them in action and their live concerts, especially when they return to their early and then revolutionary material, are a stunning experience. No doubt the numerous fans of the group will enjoy this album but I wonder if this will bring them any new fans from among the young generation of listeners? One has of course to admire their stamina and consistency and the ability to keep their iconic status. Altogether well done!

SBB – SBB & Michał Urbaniak (2015)

SBB

Józef Skrzek - bass/keyboards
Apostolis Anthimos - guitar
Jerzy Piotrowski - drums
Michał Urbaniak - violin

SBB & Michał Urbaniak

POLSKIE RADIO 1982



By Adam Baruch

This is a live recording at Polish Radio Studio Three by the legendary Polish trio SBB (keyboardist bassist/composer Józef Skrzek, guitarist Apostolis Anthimos and drummer Jerzy Piotrowski), who are joined on four tracks by no less legendary Polish violinist/composer Michał Urbaniak. The album presents nine compositions, most of them by Skrzek, which originate mostly from their early albums, which are now about forty years old.

I have attended a similar live gig by SBB at about the same time at the underground concert hall located in the "Guido" coal mine in Zabrze (Silesia) and my reflections are quite similar in both cases. SBB are a living legend and absolutely masterly musicians, who changed the face of Polish Music and even Polish Culture, but they continue to play the same material for far too long to be attractive any more. Of course the music is great and the atmosphere is electric, but every SBB fan has heard this music many times before. Even Urbaniak's contributions, as electrifying as they are, make to impact whatsoever as to the basic feeling of déjà vu.

One very positive factor about this specific recording is the fact that this is the best sounding recording by SBB ever, which is perhaps good enough reason to buy this album. Other than that, nihil novi sub sole…

SBB – Live Jazz Nad Odra 1975 (2013) ****

Jozef Skrzek - keyboards, bass
Apostolis Anthimos - guitar
Jerzy Piotrowski - drums

GAD 008








By Adam Baruch

This is a live recording by the legendary Polish Prog / Jazz-Rock Fusion group SBB, captured during the annual Jazz Nad Odra Festival in Wroclaw, one of Poland's most important Jazz events running uninterruptedly since its first edition in 1964. Over the years the festival exposed generation after generation of Polish Jazz players to the wide audience, as a result of the competition held every year, which presents the best musicians under the age of thirty. Winning this competition was the first major step in the careers of many of the most important Polish Jazz musicians.

This recording presents the original lineup of SBB with guitarists Apostolis Anthimos, keyboardist / bassist Jozef Skrzek and drummer Jerzy Piotrowski. They perform original material, which at the time was mostly not yet recorded in the studio and would eventually be released on their second ("Nowy Horyzont" released 1975) and third ("Pamiec" released 1976) albums. The group was at the time in a transition from their Progressive Rock phase, which started while they were still members of the Czeslaw Niemen's band, into the Jazz-Rock Fusion, which would be their home turf for many years to come. Since there are relatively very few recordings from this period, the very existence of this recording is a miracle and the fact that we can enjoy it now, almost forty years later, is a blessing.

The music comprises mostly of lengthy pieces, which were the group's trademark, that include extended improvisations and atmospheric passages, building up slowly towards a dramatic climax or even several climatic peaks, one after another. The overall impression this music created was a trans-like state of mind, which drew the listeners into a magic world of dreamy, almost psychedelic reality. Obviously such music making relied heavily on the virtuosic abilities of all the three members of the group. Skrzek, as the primary composer, sets the melodic framework and the moods; Anthimos creates the dramatic guitar arpeggios and musical peaks and Piotrowski brilliantly keeps it all moving forward and invigorates the music with his pulsations.

For many SBB followers, and Polish music lovers this period of the group's activity is, in retrospective, their most inspired, fascinating and mind-boggling. This music epitomizes the process of constant search for the undiscovered, the manic restlessness and the audacity to step into the unknown, which characterizes it. There is no doubt that this is one of the artistic peaks of Eastern European music, brewed behind the Iron Curtain. And honestly, as far as Prog and Jazz-Rock Fusion are concerned, very few of the things that happened since can stand up to this level.

The sound quality of this material is a bit muffled and with a limited sonic range and clarity, but considering the fact it was recorded live and never intended for release, it is certainly more than adequate. Of course both musically and historically it is absolutely superb and should not be missed by anybody who cares about SBB or Eastern European music from the 1970s. Grab it and enjoy!

Czesław Niemen - Marionetki (Polskie Nagrania, 1972)

Czeslaw Niemen - organ, piano, vocals

Apostolis Anthimos - guitar
Andrzej Przybielski - trumpet
Helmut Nadolski - bass, vocals
Jerzy Piotrowski - drums
Jozef Skrzek - bass, piano, organ, vocals

Marionetki (Polskie Nagrania, 1972)

This is the first Niemen album with the then SBB members. Psychedelic and blues components still here, with jazz and avantgarde elements." Marionetki" is a mournful ballad with church sounding organ and calm trumpet. "Piosenka Dla Zmarłej" starts with floating organ and continues with Niemen's soulful vocal and bluesy guitar of Anthimos. "Z Pierwszych Ważniejszych Odkryc"is a pure hendrixian psychedelic blues. Excellent ! "Ptaszek" is a filler with vocal , upright bass and laughing. "Com Uczynił": Niemen steps in the jazz territory: agressive hammond playing a'la Quatermass and soaring trumpet. Second vinyl begins the "Requiem Dla Van Gogha".This is a pure contemporary piece with reading role of the upright bass, prepared piano and space sounding organ, infuenced by John Cage. "Sariusz" is an another filler. The last "Inicjały" is very Miles Davis- In Silent way sounding, with Niemen's vocal acrobatic. This is very interesting, experimental album. (by fluiddruid)

This album shows a phase of improvisation and psychedelic rock made ​​in the seventies in Poland Psychedelic moments presents a chaotic context, which goes to other moments of pure rock We can hear some jazz improvisation in the context of fusion, mixed with moments ethnic backgrounds, which makes this multifaceted album difficult to appreciate in the first hearings. The lyrics are in Polish and I know your message but the voice is pleasant and is not the main component of this work It is a good time to appreciate jazz fusion and enjoy good times rock, but we have to get used to enjoy these more complex jobs that can only be properly assessed after several auditions. Another great Polish author of Progressive and compulsory for lovers of progressive rock in Eastern Europe, which is high quality and to discover these unique works 4 stars but 4,5 really. (by Joao Paulo)

 

Tracklisting: 1.Requiem dla Van Gogha, 2.Sariusz, 3.Inicjały, 4.Marionetki, 5.Piosenka dla zmarłej, 6.Z pierwszych ważniejszych odkryć, 7.Ptaszek, 8.Com uczynił

source: http://www.progarchives.com

Krzysztof Scieranski – Bass Line (Anex, 1983)

Bass Guitar - Krzysztof Ścierański
Drums, Percussion - Jerzy Piotrowski
Guitar, Percussion - Paweł Ścierański
Percussion - Marek Wilczyński

Bass Line (Anex, 1983)

This is the 1st album by Polish bass virtuoso Krzysztof Scieranski, who was a member of such notable Polish groups as Laboratorium and String Connection, before starting his solo career. He is accompanied on this album by his brother Pawel Scieranski on guitar, Jerzy Piotrowski (of SBB fame) on drums and Marek Wilczynski on percussion. Scieranski composed all eight compositions on this album, which are quite excellent examples of intelligent Jazz-Rock Fusion and of course his incredible abilities as an electric bass player. Wholeheartedly recommended!

(Editor) The tune comes from album"Krzysztof Ścierański" issued in 1984 and very similar style:

Author: Adam Baruch

http://www.adambaruch.com/

check also his music boutique: https://www.jazzis.com/shop/