Trifonidis Free Orchestra - "...be like a child..." (2009)

Bartek Adamczak finalizes his small cycle about Maciej Trifonidis Bielawski: check other posts about albums "The Dudes" (2010) and "Downtown Project" (2010). He is also writing a very interesting blog about free jazz: http://jazzalchemist.blogspot.com/.

Another big group, my favourite position in the slowdownrecords catalogue - not really surprising if You notice the 'free' word both in the band's name and in this blog's title. While still a set of composed pieces this one allows much more room for improvisation and brings You also the most balanced instrumental line-up - with 2 tenors, 2 altos, 2 trumpets, a tuba and the rhythm section.

Bielawski comes through again with precious melodies and harmonic depth (simply and touching theme of "Free Warsaw", with nice trumpet solo in the middle of the track). The improvisation comes forward not only as a solo inside the composed material but also as a built-in ingredient of the composition's formula - like in spare and spacious "Slam". This band can punch and kick with great energy ("The man with the lash and the beast") but adding to the mix the passion of free-jazz (wonderfully screaming sax over the majestic, epic movement of "Born to fight", boiling ensemble blowout in the "Run") and engaging in more abstract, spontaneous voyages - as in "Chromatic Sixteen" which starts with spare call & response explorations, moves into the fluent sax lines exchange and then into modern swing - nice twist on the nature of improvisation - not coming from, but arriving to the composed material. 

The biggest game changer for me - making this one not only an enjoyable (like "the Dudes" by Tricphonix) but also an engaging listening - is the rhythm section. With Wojtek Traczyk on bass (known from The Light trio with Waclaw Zimpel) and Pawel Szpura (Hera and Cukunft among other projects). This duo can lay the groove but most importantly can push the music forward also in the more uncommon territories when needed. Listen to how wonderfully their playing changes in "Tripolis", between the wild beat of the ensemble section and the light colourfull touches of the solo passage (the track ends also with a nice solo on drums by Szpura). Or how they push forward the "Playground" through the first sax solo - this piece is possibly the highlight of the album, with a fantastic brass trio section (tuba and two trumpets) and the bass solo by Traczyk, the most impressive singular statement of the disc - powerfull arco, rich and colourfull, uncompromising in timbre (wonderfully commented by Szpura on drums), then, as they give back the groove to the band, horn section starts re-building the dynamic momentum, the tension and finally collapse, disassembling the arranged riff into free and wild playing.

"...be like a child..." is a great ending, with clear theme, nicely structured arrangement (gently oscillating vibrato showing again his love of cinematic effect), anchored in the bass line, and balancing the line between solo and ensemble roles - somehow summing up the whole album.

Balancing the whole time - between composed and improvised, big ensemble sound and personal expression - this is a great musical meal, with compositions being the substance but great playing being the sauce and the spice. I have to say that I like it more and more with each listen which is something a really good music should.

You can see this band here (without Luis Nubiola but with Waclaw Zimpel on bass clarinet and Tomek Stawiecki on clarinet) going through first two compositions of this cd: "Born in my own melody" and "Born to fight". And some recent video here (showing even wilder and more expansive playing) leave me with a hope for more coming from this band in the future. Watch as they go through "District" featuring an explosive solo by Ray Dickaty (again bit different line-up, can't tell the faces in the dark though).

Tricphonix Street Band - The Dudes (2010)

Introduction: Free Jazz Alchemist continues with his cycle about saxophonist Maciej Trifonidis Bielawski:

With its children's game layout, 'bad boys' photo on the cover and "The Dudes" title (and most of the tracks beginning with some fx cartoon/game effects) this is clearly a whole-lot-of-fun project. This is Bielawski's 'dirty dozen' rocking, funking or swinging forward through another set of nice tunes and tight arrangements. Be it fast rock beat of first on the track list "Scooters" or Latin groove (conga driven) of the next "Mutant Parade". Trifonidis loves big (7 horns!) sax section, and, while it doesn't offer the sound palette of a true big band horn section (1 tuba getting lost in the mix) it certainly can deliver a good punch and kick. The overall sdxssound reminds me a bit of some Frank Zappa bands with huge horns section. Bielawski likes to orchestrate whole chords for saxes as if there were guitar riffs (check the ready-made soundtrack for some heroic battle in a comic movie - "Mad Dude"). "Secret Agent "Dude" " would be a great introduction to a James Bond (one with Roger Moore) as it features great groove (finally I can hear joyful and funky sound of the tuba) and a nice old-school counterpoint line. "Lonesome Cowboy" is a melancholic tune, slowly dancing, Balkan influence maybe (definitely lacking the brass sound in this one). And it's hard not to smile while reading/listening to such titles as "Dudes go for a party", "Golota dancing" or "I will show you karate".

If you like big sound, tight arrangements, grooves and fun tunes chasing one another, or you're looking for a soundtrack to some kind of a cartoon game, this one is quite enjoyable, though not really earth-shaking. Like a good 80's action movie. With a nice tempo and some surprising twists of the action you don't really mind if there are some flaws in the whole picture. And to me the biggest downside is - while relying so heavily on composed and tightly arranged material this band can groove easily putting you into foot-tapping and humming mode, yet most of the solos are nice, but not so memorable.

Link to music from project with band called Kerd but it shows energy and vitality of young musicians!

Author of review: Bartek Adamczak vel (Free) Jazz Alchemist

Find him on his blog http://jazzalchemist.blogspot.com/ or on air http://radiofrycz.pl/ at 20.00 on Monday.

Maciej Trifonidis Bielawski - Downtown Project (2010)

Bartek Adamczak vel (Free) Jazz Alchemist is starting his small cycle of 3 posts on new recordings of young Polish saxophonist Maciej Trifonidis Bielawski:

Maciej Trifonidis Bielawski could be known to some of you as the bass player in Horny Trees trio - clarinet-bass-drums band led by Pawel Szamburski which released its first cd on Kilogram Records - Mikolaj Trzaska's label. But he's also a multi-instrumentalist, producer, composer, working in and leading his own projects in very different musical environments, from raw freejazz improvisation (would love to hear his upcoming trio concert with Pawel Szpura and Ksawery Wojcinski - rhythm section from Hera) up to large groups with strings, accordions, brass, horns, playing mostly composed, strictly arranged music, balancing classical and popular influences (the biggest of those - Trifonidis Orchestra - is 16 men strong). His recent releases on his own Slowdownrecords label prove his vast talents and multiple skills. And while I'm not that big fan of such orchestral ventures, the sonic richness they can offer and many of simply charming melodies he delivers are definitely not to be missed because of such a prejudice.

First recording I want to write about (next reviews will come accordingly) titled "Downtown Project" is clearly outside the jazz genre and can be described as musical soundtrack dedicated to Warsaw. A city that, like any other urban centre nowadays, is torn apart between the fast tempo of modern life, and history, those oases where time seems not to rush anymore but walk slowly, telling stories of the past. With string quartet, accordion, tuba or ethnic percussion in the line-up this offers a wide range of colours to choose from and Bielawski does create a varied set of pieces, to tell you about whole lot of different things - a bad hangover in the "Morning" or a "Football Match" watched with his friends. The stories sometimes quite dramatic, sometimes quite joyful, trivial or pensive - not surprising if you squeeze "Dreams" between "Rush Hour" and "China Soup".

Most of those are portraits or miniatures - with only 4 out of 18 tracks over 3 minutes, and majority around 1:30. Stunning melange indeed with sounds of the city mixed in, echoes of some folk melodies, different cultures' backgrounds present, as well as Michael Nyman or Philip Glass influences (especially in the chord patterns of the "Space Beyond the City"). Bielawski does to Warsaw what Yann Tiersenn did to Paris in "Amelie". And though I guess Warsaw is not as seductive nor romantic as Paris (not a big surprise), but at least in the way how depicted by Trifonidis, it gains intriguing, if sometimes a bit disturbing, charm. 

Speaking shortly, this music is classic example of a soundtrack music to the film that has not been made, but still stands well on its own. If there are silent movies, maybe there could be also one that has no moving pictures but just the moving sounds?

("Minutes" from the album, compare it with the not so peacefull "Rush Hour" also available on YouTube)
http://youtu.be/q8kSWABEccU
Author of review: Bartek Adamczak vel (Free) Jazz Alchemist

Find him on his blog http://jazzalchemist.blogspot.com/ or on air http://radiofrycz.pl/ at 20.00 on Monday.