Kujaviak Goes Funky Polish Jazz vol.46

Zbigniew Namyslowski (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 1, 2005)
• Original Release Date: July 1, 2005
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Polskie Radio
• ASIN: B000CS4O2K
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #815,107 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

From the Artist

All music by Zbigniew Namyslowski. Recorded March 1975, Warsaw, Poland

Product Description

One of the best, though short-lived groups led by Namyslowski was the 1974-76 Quintet with Karolak, Szukalski, Jarzebski and Bartkowski. These excellent jazzmen were lucky to record, in March 1975, rather unusual music by Namyslowski: the highly original pieces that sparked again the touchy problem of Polish folklore presence in jazz.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Other titles from Zbigniew Namyslowski available at Amazon:, July 9, 2009

By 

Polish Jazz Network (PolishJazz com) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kujaviak Goes Funky Polish Jazz vol.46 (Audio CD)

Lola
Open
Winobranie
Siodmawka
Air Condition
Dances
3 Nights
Without a Talk
The Last Concert
Der Shmalz Tango

5.0 out of 5 stars More information about this recording, February 10, 2007

By 

Chazz for Jazz (Long Beach CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kujaviak Goes Funky Polish Jazz vol.46 (Audio CD)

Performed by:
Zbigniew Namyslowski - alto saxophone
Tomasz Szukalski - soprano and tenor saxophones
Wojciech Karolak - electric piano
Pawel Jarzebski - bass
Czeslaw "Maly" Bartkowski - drums

Recorded:
March 1975, Warsaw, Poland

About:
One of the best, though short-lived groups led by Namyslowski was the 1974-76 Quintet with Karolak, Szukalski, Jarzebski and Bartkowski. These excellent jazzmen were lucky to record, in March 1975, rather unusual music by Namyslowski: the highly original pieces that sparked again the touchy problem of Polish folklore presence in jazz. Namyslowski had already earlier intrigued sensitive listeners with his probably unconscious infusing into his music some characteristics of the Polish Mountainers' folklore ("Siodmawka","Piatawka"),but only now this side of his creative imagination showed itself so strongly. The centerpiece of this record is the three-movement title composition in 15/8 meter. Here we can enjoy contrasting tempos and moods, mediations and chantings, bass ostinatos, obstinate shifting of two chords, and, in the last section, rock-like repetitive rhythm-patterns, moving back into pensive, melancholy chants that finally fade away to end the piece. But even here the folk colouring stems not form any methodical background studies or intentions.

Namyslowski simply allows his musical nature to pronounce itself freely, and exactly such a spontaneity is what makes it precious from the jazz standpoint. In "Sad Little Johnny", the first pastoral section is followed by the busy funk rhythms and free sax improvisations. Also in the "Quiet Afternoon" the prolongued and beautiful immersion in poetic meditation finds its momentary contrast in the ragged alto solo, backed by electric piano and drums, after which the music returns to the dreamy mood. "Little Lamb Lost" strayed obviously somewhere in the Polish Tatra Mountains, for in spite of rock rhythms (even with their help) the motifs and scales of Podhale region are very much evident.

text courtes of Andrzej Schmidt (original linear notes)