Andrzej Mitan/Grzegorz Rogala – Kiedy Umiera Czlowiek/Podniesienie (2013)

Andrzej Mitan/Grzegorz Rogala

Andrzej Mitan - vocals
Andrzej Bieżan - piano
Andrzej Przybielski - trumpet
Helmut Nadolski - bass
and others

Kiedy Umiera Człowiek/Podniesienie


TRZECIA FALA 001

By Adam Baruch

This DVD is another reminder of the fact that Polish Avant-Garde is alive and kicking and from time to time also takes a look back at its fascinating roots. The legendary figure of Andrzej Mitan, which re-appears in the limelight from time to time, mostly completely unexpectedly, is always full of surprises. This time Mitan produces a multi-media project combining music and cinematography (or video-art), resulting in this debut release on a new Polish label called Trzecia Fala, headed by a young Art enthusiast Łukasz Strzelczyk.

Back in the mid-1980s, when Poland was in its most depressing period, both politically and culturally, Polish Avant-Garde was enjoying a renaissance of sorts, taking advantage of the state of confusion that the Socialistic Regime was in due to the eminent collapse of the system already clearly apparent and as a result with a laxer censorship in place. Andrzej Mitan, who always believed in doing things rather than talking about them, released in 1984 a series of very bold musical statements by avant-garde musicians as five independently pressed LPs under the Alma Art moniker, which also presented outrageous and innovative packaging designed by avant-garde artists, including for example a barb-wired LP sleeve. Those five albums have become record collector's Holy Grail due to the fact that only 1000 copies of each album were pressed, reaching today astronomical prices on the collector's market. In 1987 four more albums appeared in a similar effort.

This DVD uses part of the first of these legendary album as the musical layer, combining it with a video-art by Polish experimental artists Grzegorz Rogala, who utilizes a technique called time stretching, which in this case takes a 3 seconds long fragment of video and stretches it to last for about seven minutes, which produces an almost still like picture with barely visible change. The combination of the tension induced by the video and the dramatic musical background produce together a powerful statement, which is also quite unique.

The music, which was recorded during the 1983 Jazz Jamboree in Warsaw (organized shortly after the Martial Law in Poland was lifted and obviously symbolizing an eruption of liberty), is performed by many Polish Avant-Garde legends, like bassist/leader Helmut Nadolski, vocalist Andrzej Mitan, pianist Andrzej Bieżan (who died shortly after the recording), trumpeter Andrzej Przybielski and others, appearing under the moniker of Jubileuszowa Orkiestra Helmuta Nadolskiego.

In retrospect it becomes clearly evident that these nine albums released by Mitan in the 1980s are extremely important documents of Polish Jazz and Polish Avant-Garde and absolutely have to be made available again, the sooner the better. Considering the fact that this DVD was also released as a numbered limited edition of 100 copies, it is by now as impossible to get as those legendary albums.

Helmut Nadolski - Muzyka Morza (2010); Kiedy Umiera Człowiek (2012)

Helmut Nadolski

Helmut Nadolski - double bass
Michael Rayher - prepared piano

Muzyka Morza (2010)

Helmut Nadolski 

Kiedy Umiera Człowiek (2012)

(Editor) Helmut Nadolski music is centered around his unique personality and thrives on verges between art and spirituality. He recently has released two new albums after  a long break. In this text Alicja Dylewska covers the exceptional atmospehere that accompanies his concerts and makes meeting between him and audience so special.

Czesław Niemen used to call him: "the master of his instrument who has created his own music characterized by extraordinary strength; a sensitive artist endowed with vivid imagination; a musician who paints his music using his deep, personal vision". Yet Helmut Nadolski, who is often called as "magus of a double bass",  is by no means well-known to the wide audience. Being recognized as a leading Polish avant-garde artist of '70 he managed to mark his presence playing on a few albums. The most important ones are "Four Dialogues with Coscience" (1973), "Meditations" (1975), "New Musik from Poland” H. Nadolski" (1979) and "Jubilaire Orchestra" (1983).

Using symbolism of pictures, sound and words, the artist creates a mystical dimension in his performances. The music composed by the bassist has no definitions. It occurs at the moment when the instrument produces a sound in the manner that the creator wants to, here and now. To some extent the spectacle sublimity is created by artist’s black suit and his white double-bass which the musician treats with affection by calling it 'my girl-friend' when he takes it out of the double bass a robe and introduces it to the audience.

Since the '90 Nadolski has realized performance called "Mobile" which combines different forms of art - image, music and meditation. In such a way he appeared during the 7th Mózg Festival concert. At the beginning he presented a piece of his poetry followed by music illustrated by the moving ocean waves shown at the background.

The music flowing slowly and subtly was shimmering and shifting as waves of calm ocean. The mood  resembled the state we experience when slowly awakening from (or to) dreams. It was a way of making the audience friendly with scenes which were to appear. The artist was briskly moving the bow making the strings tremble, intuitively and harmoniously tuning them to the characteristic behaviour of element of water. Occasionally he was breaking off the soothing climate by harsh, low sounds, transforming music line into faster tempo. Then waves at the background were becoming more vivid as if they were inspired to live on their own.

Tones got faster and more powerful, creating the dark atmosphere of depth which eventually was to become quiet after a while only to merge with the picture of calm water. The spectacle reached its climax when Helmut Nadolski, the magus himself, raised his white double bass and by holding it (her)  high let her fly over the stage as in some ritual dance. 

It was an amazing performance finished by metallic sounds of bells banging against one another while being shaken by the artist who at the end dropped them on the floor.

By Alicja Dylewska
http://jazzarium.pl/

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