STANISŁAW ALEXANDROWICZ QUINTET
Relativity theory
JAZZ PRESS
JĘDRZEJ JANICKI
Time is one of the most difficult philosophical problems to grasp. It is also quite a challenge for all musicians, especially those who are particularly fond of jazz. However, the achievements of the already mentioned philosophy and ... physics can come with help. The (un)divine Immanuel Kant himself claimed that time is an a priori form of intuition, without which we cannot even think of the world (the beast from Königsberg added space to time in its considerations). It seems to be the same in music – we can think of timeless music, but rather not timeless music (at least I can't). In physics, however, we deal with the phenomenon of time dilation, i.e. differences in the measurement of time at two different points of reference. Don't we sometimes have the impression that the rhythm section and solo instruments play in two different arrangements, which somehow magically work together? Such questions may be prompted by suite Theory of relativity written by percussionist Stanisław Aleksandrowicz and performed by his own quintet.
Aleksandrowicz is not a man from nowhere, on the contrary, he is a pillar of the Poznań improvised jazz scene. He co-creates the excellent trio Kwaśny Deszcz, he also performs in the septet Anomalia (this is the acid rain pattern). Apart from the drummer-leader in his original quintet there are also two saxophonists - experienced Maciej Kocin Kociński and less experienced Wojciech Braszak), trumpeter Patryk Rynkiewicz and double bassist Flavio Gullotta. As a rule, I like albums signed with the names of drummers, very often they emphasize my favorite piece of musical matter, i.e. groove. It is no different this time, and the show at The Theory of Relativity is stolen by the rhythm section.
The opening disc Part I surprised me a bit. I associate Aleksandrowicz as a searching experimenter, and here we get a large dose of pure bop, as if taken straight from Blue Note recordings from the late 1950s. The piece, although not very revealing, thanks to the almost virtuoso work of the section sounds fresh, and Alfred Lion himself, hearing it, would swing in a characteristic way and with an equally characteristic accent he would shout "it schwings!". Interestingly, the whole suite does not lose its bluenote jam clearly resounding on Part I, but the subsequent parts explore more and more areas of the jazz universe. part of the double bass introduces a bit more melancholy, a Part III, driven by sounds extracted from the double bass with a bow, is probably a gentle nod to modal jazz.
At the sound level Theory of relativity is a very successful meandering around classic jazz patterns. Structurally, from time to time there are some charming "deviations" towards the jazz avant-garde (for example Part IV) or hip-hop - listen to the perfect beat played by Aleksandrowicz in Part V The team leader is not a leader by accident! This is definitely the most interesting part of the composition, his playing is very versatile and effective, but still carries a certain typical jazz drive, allowing you to keep in check and confidently lead any composition.
Theory of relativity is an album that sounds great and in fact there is not much left for the musicians to improve in this field. Also the level of performance itself (especially the rhythm section) is more than very good. It seems that with a bit more compositional courage, we will be dealing with a quintet of exceptional quality. As Kwaśny Deszcz proves, the interesting, non-obvious and complicated sound of the avant-garde does not always have to be based on a ton (or more) of thoughtlessly used electronics...
ERA OF JAZZ
DIONIZY PIĄTKOWSKI
In the set of recordings that come to me are also albums of young artists and their new bands. Usually, musicians look for their creative reference and fulfillment of artistic ambitions in jazz, try - consciously or not - to be fascinated by recordings, compositions and talents popular artists of world jazz. Hence the obvious flood of "Corea-Metheny-Brecker similar" clichés, which often dressed in original compositions mask youthful, jazz clumsiness. It's good that young musicians reach for jazz classics, copy well-known themes and solos, and look for their own interpretations in jazz standards. This kind of "jazz-songbook" is for many young musicians the best school to learn about music, technique, arrangement and interpretation. That is why I received the new album "Theory of Relativity" with great interest quintetu drummers_cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d the top of today's fashion jazz – he subjected the session to the motifs of a modern, almost "American", improvised sound. Therefore, a young Polish drummer has found a perfect place, who, drawing inspiration from many sources (from contemporary classical percussion literature, through the sounds of free jazz and extensive improvisation, to contemporary rhythms of neo-soul and hip hop), creates an interesting, modern and well-thought-out sound. For such a concept of the leader SAQ the invited musicians fit perfectly: bb3b-136bad5cf58d_Maciej Kocinski_cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b -136bad5cf58d_ i Wojciech Braszak, fast trumpeter_cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b-136bad_ccf58d_Patrykowicz 05-5cde-3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_Flavio Gullotta. The entirety of the jazz texture is held together by the motor skills and stylistic improvisational breadth Stanisław Aleksandrowicz.
"Theory of relativity" is another album by Stanisław Aleksandrowicz, after previously released in various bands. He has so far released three original albums: "Kwaśny Deszcz" with the trio Acid Deszcz, "Anomalia" with a jazz-rock septet and "Jerzy Milian - Final Composition"_cc-78190 5cde-3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_ with Maciej Fortuna's sextet. Drummer, composer i music producer he started his music education in the violin class at the music school in Koszalin. In 2010, began his adventure with percussion instruments, and a decade later he graduated with honors from the Faculty of Instrumental Studies, Jazz and Stage Music w_cc78 136bad5cf58d_Academy of Music in Poznań. He is a laureate many prestigious competitions (od Jazz Juniors_cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b-136bad5cf536i_cc781905-94c 58d_ Jazz on the Oder po _cc781905-5cde-3194 -bb3b-136bad5cf58d_DrumFest and Hanza Jazz Festival). Stanisław Aleksandrowicz_cc781905-5cde-31954-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_Stanisław Aleksandrowicz_cc781905-5cde-31954-bb3b-138d_cf5 1905-5cde-3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_festiwalach presenting such formations, such as Acid Rain, Anomaly, Unleashed Cooperation, Stanisław Aleksandrowicz Quartet, Maciej Fortuna Trio, Maciej Fortuna Quartet_cc781905-5-cf-de-319 and the newest – Stanisław Aleksandrowicz Quintet . Among the musicians with whom it is worth mentioning such personalities as Julian Smith, Ari Brown, Felix Robin, Rafał Sarnecki, Jim Black, Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, Gerd05 Dudek, Mieczysław_cc78 5cde-3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_Szcześniak, Beata Bednarz, Milosz Bembinow.
" Especially in improvisation – explains the origins of his fascination_cc781905-19cf-7819 36bad5cf58d_Stanisław Aleksandrowicz_cc781905 -5cde-3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_– artists can treat time in different ways, in symphonic it is stretched and adapted to specific phrases. In pop music, on the other hand, it is very calculated and precise. In jazz and hip-hop, these two worlds are often combined. Album "Theory of relativity" is therefore a neat synthesis of these young musicians' creative aspirations, and a perfect document of these modern Polish musicians' aspirations.
ADAM BARUCH
This is the debut album as a leader by young Polish Jazz drummer / composerStanislaw Aleksandrowicz, recorded with his quintet which also includes saxophonistsMaciej KocinskiandWojciech Braszak, trumpeterPatrick Rynkiewiczand Italian bassistFlavio Gullott. Before releasing this album, Aleksandrowicz took part in several recordings featuring musicians from the Poznan Jazz scene, by ensembles likeThe acid rain,AnomalyandUnleashed Cooperation, all of which are excellent achievements on their own. The album presents a six-part suite composed by the leader.
The music is somewhat resembling the modern Jazz movement that is characterized by the revolutionary Polish Jazz development in the 1960s, spearheaded by the Godfathers of the movement likeKrzysztof KomedaandTomasz Stanko. The long tracks, based on sketchy melodic themes and dedicated mostly to both individual and group improvisation, almost but not quite Free, driven by strong pulsations by the rhythm section, all these create a déjà vu sensation of some early Polish Jazz albums of the period . Of course this does not mean that Aleksandrowicz is trying to copy that music, but rather refer to it respectfully, with his own personal flavors.
The pianoless quintet, with three horns at the helm and a highly dynamic rhythm section behind them creates a unique sound on the contemporary Polish Jazz scene, managing splendidly to overcome the lack of a harmonic instrument. Much credit goes to Gullotta, who succeeds to create a perfect background on which the horns can weave their improvisations and allows Aleksandrowicz to ornament the music with his percussive inventions, rather than keep time.
The music keeps the listener at a constant state of hypnotic attention, moving from one part of the suite to another smoothly and coherently. The concept of the quintet as an ensemble, rather than a collection of individuals, is achieved in full and the result sounds as organic as one might expect from any ensemble performing music together. As it often happens, drummers can be surprisingly interesting composers, way beyond the “bloke with sticks” image, which this album proves beyond any doubt.
Overall, this is a splendid debut effort, consolidating the position of Aleksandrowicz as one of the young Polish Jazz musicians, who deserve to be watched and followed. So far everything associated with his name proved to be highly deserving, and one can only wish him many further successes.
POLISH JAZZ BLOGSPOT
SIMON STEPNIK
Once reading an interview with Krzysztof Lenczowski, a well-known jazz cellist, where he talked about the making of the album of his side project Fusionator (oh, it's a pity that they didn't release anything anymore), he said: “We all compose. Of course, with the exception of Szymon Linette, who plays drums. In fact, there are few composers - drummers in the history of jazz. The only names that come to my mind are Art Blakey, Buddy Rich and among Polish people - Andrzej Dąbrowski. In popular music, probably not many (Philu Collins - I'm drinking to you). Stanisław Aleksandrowicz is unique in this respect, composing a unique and diverse jazz suite called "Theory of Relativity".
Stanisław Aleksandrowicz is an interesting figure on the Polish jazz scene. His first instrument he learned to play was the violin, which probably explains a lot about my surprise at his compositional skills. He switched to the second instrument only when he started his second-cycle music studies. Since then, he began a series of winning many prestigious scholarships and took part in the most eminent festivals. I personally met him as a member of the equally interesting band "Kwaśny Deszcz" as part of last year's Summer Jazz Academy in Łódź, which also put a lot of emphasis on free jazz.
Calling the music played by his solo quintet free jazz would still be a major simplification. The drummer composed his songs while writing his master's thesis, where, as he recalls, he had a lot of time to think about philosophy and the theory of relativity. Einstein's work became an inspiration for him, thanks to which the album in question was created. In fact, he had all collaborating instrumentalists read it to further strengthen the conceptual nature of the album. The main theme here is time, which in the title theory is relative and can be treated in its traditional sense, but also be stretched in space to the limit.
Although the holistic approach is here very much imposed by the artist, the concept is unfortunately quite difficult to figure out, which is my biggest complaint against this album. Listening to the individual parts of the suite, it is difficult to get the impression that they constitute one complete whole. Yes, the compositions are guided by the idea of mixing different metres, matching them to the soloist of a given piece and then combining them. To be completely happy, however, I missed a common theme in the melodic sphere. I think that such a procedure could provide even greater cohesion of the album. In addition, it is almost perfectly thought out and played.
The involvement of two saxophonists, often giving the impression of fighting with each other, is one of the more intriguing ideas. They often play in a polyrhythm, and then they neatly combine with each other in the same metre. Amazingly, there is no chaos here for a moment. Anyway, the same can be said about the playing of other musicians. They all sound as if they have known and understood each other for decades. The deception is also delightful, where some compositions initially sound a bit "conservative" and then explode into free-jazz madness.
The most audible and dominant over the others is, of course, the leader Stanisław Aleksandrowicz. The percussion is only "sometimes" from playing the rhythm, and above all it is used almost to play the melodic line, thus creating the identity of each of the songs. He played the coolest and probably the most original in the fourth part of the suite, surprising with the leading role of the snare drum. Very creative use of drums is undoubtedly one of the greatest powers of this longplay.
Summing up, Stanisław Aleksandrowicz Quintet provided us with a very good original work, albeit difficult to perceive. However, I would not call this album outstanding, because there was a lack of a more clear leitmotif, visible at first glance, which I consider to be a key thing in the concept of the album. Nevertheless, if the listener devotes enough attention to it, he can feel great satisfaction after delving into its structure.
UNLEASHED COOPERATION
8 Years
JAZZ PRESS
JANICKI JĘDRZEJ
In the shadow of stage spotlights, somewhere completely off the beaten track and without much media attention, talents are also born. No one interviews them, does not include them in the extremely prestigious and very important annual summaries such as "hope of the year", and music experts simply ignore them, thus showing their deep incompetence time and time again. And then suddenly, in a miraculous way, it turns out that this type of performers and bands record albums no worse (and perhaps even better!) than those inflated with the expectations of "experts" stars, asterisks and starlets (without names of course). Unleashed Cooperation, a Poznań quintet, is an example of a band that gracefully and elegantly emerges from the shadow zone.
A lot can happen in eight years, a lot of time, as my grandmother would say, in so many years even the devil can be killed. I don't know if such brave undertakings were undertaken by the gentlemen from Unleashed Cooperation, but during this time there have certainly been many changes in their lives, and they have matured - as people and as artists. I am not writing about it in a fit of existential inspiration, but it was these various changes that became the inspiration for recording the debut album, which is entitled 8 Years. In the compositional layer, the saxophonist Krzysztof Kuśmierek is the leader, but the pianist Patryk Matwiejczuk made the biggest impression on me. This musician, relatively little known on the Polish jazz scene, plays in a tense way, and his phrase, although built rather from well-known sounds, thanks to a specific "nerve" sounds surprisingly fresh.
Great words of appreciation also go to the rhythm section, which is co-created by drummer Stanisław Aleksandrowicz, known for example from the excellent trio Kwaśny Deszcz, and double bassist Flavio Gullotta, who also played on Aleksandrowicz's original debut entitled Theory of relativity_cc781905-5cde-3194- bb3b-136bad5cf58d_(review - JazzPRESS No. 6/2022). The cooperation of these three musicians (Matwiejczuk, Aleksandrowicz and Gullotta) sounds just perfect. The individual instruments intertwine and complement each other, showing how truly a team work it can be to play in a jazz line-up.
Slightly, but only slightly, the soloists fare worse - the already mentioned saxophonist Krzysztof Kuśmierek and the trumpeter Patryk Rynkiewicz. Their parts are, of course, the most correct and professionally produced, but a certain schematicity audible especially in solo fragments is probably the weakest point of this really good album.
It would be good if 8 Years Unleashed Cooperation did not die in the flood of better-promoted recordings, because on a strictly musical level this album defends itself really well. The only thing it lacks is perhaps an extremely characteristic feature that would become a kind of element that distinguishes this band from others. And I can only hope that the changing fate of the artistic world will not thwart further activity of this band and that we will not have to wait eight long years for the successor of 8 Years.
JAZZSOUL.PL
Przemo URBANIAK
The band consists of Krzysztof Kuśmierek – saxophones, Patryk35-14b Rynkiewicz_cc-7819 6bad5cf58d_– trumpet,_cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b -136bad5cf58d_Patryk Matwiejczuk – piano, Flavio Gullotta_cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b-136d_5cf5 cde-3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_Stanisław Aleksandrowicz_cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b -136bad5cf58d_– drums, accompanied by a guest Adam Kurek on trombone. It is immediately worth noting that Kuśmierek plays a significant role here both as a composer, spontaneous originator of the graphic design, to which I will return, and turns out to be the most "rebellious" in his expression games. The title, opening composition "8 Years" has everything that the gentlemen talk about when promoting the album. It has a whole set of emotions and shows the musicians as individualists who have found a common musical path. It is also the most difficult position on this album. Intricate and saturated with wild improvisations. Then it is much lighter, sometimes very melodic, but surprising harmonic turns and unexpected changes of instrumental parts are preserved. Just listen to "Krakatau" and everything will be clear. I am captivated by the most sentimental "Hope" with a sensitive, sonorous color of the trumpet, where the vibrations go from anxiety to relief, and "Składak", with an incredible piano energy, around which a real explosion of characters takes place, and which for me is the most radio position from boards.
In "Polana" at times you can find references to folklore, strongly countered by subsequent solos on the trumpet, which makes this album have subtle signs of world music. This fact is also enriched by the graphic design referring to the African ethno. Krzysiek Kuśmierek because it intrigued with its colorful jacket so much that the team decided to invite a Polish company to cooperate -bb3b-136bad5cf58d_Pole Pole, which sells ethical clothing from various parts of the African continent. It is true that the style Unleashed Cooperation is not so colorful, because it is embedded in European, contemporary jazz, it definitely raises many colors during reception. After a breakneck and focused beginning, you can listen and indulge your imagination, which these five musicians present in their own way. Melodious, dense, loud. moves me!
THE ACID RAIN
The acid rain
ADAM BARUCH
This is the debut album by the Polish Jazz trio Acid Rain comprising of saxophonist Kacper Krupa, bassist Piotr Cienkowski and drummer Stanislaw Aleksandrowicz. These musicians are also members of the Anomalia septet, hailing from the Poznan music scene. The album presents eleven original compositions, all co-composed by the trio members.
The music, which although based on some sketchy melody lines, is mostly improvised, at times more Free Form oriented and in other instances quite well organized. It is clearly a part of the young Polish Jazz Avant-Garde movement, that is overflowing the local scene in the last decade and seems to be evolving and attracting new young arrivals in its ranks on a steady basis._cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b -136bad5cf58d_
In contrast to most Avant-Garde Jazz, which often is loud and aggressive, this music is remarkably minimalist and mostly very subdued, making each sound and note count. The spaces of silence between the sounds are as much important as the sounds themselves. The decision to offer many relatively short pieces rather that extended (and often repetitious and consequently boring) pieces works wonderfully and turns this album into a roller coaster ride, constantly changing intensity, tempi and sonorities.
Although a saxophone trio format usually puts the horn in the center of attention, this trio manages to keep a wonderful balance between the instruments and gives plenty of opportunities to the bass and the drums to show off their, one must admit, remarkable skills, which compliment the superb saxophone parts on an equal footing.
Overall this is an outstanding debut effort, which makes Polish Jazz Avant-Garde proud and proves than the idiom can be not only adventurous but also wonderfully beautiful, emotional and cerebral at the same time. Hats off!
JAZZ FORUM
PIOTR WOJDAT
The Multikulti Publishing House has been pleasing our ears with another excellent releases for almost 25 years, and this year it additionally inaugurated the PoznAvant CD series. In her, albums of projects outside the mainstream of the Poznań music scene are to be shown, which attract attention with their creative creativity and stand out from the rest in terms of aesthetics. The first z nich has already been released. It was a project of the Anomalia group. Now it's time for the debut album of the Kwaśny Deszcz trio.
This team consists of three members of the Anomalia septet. Both bands, however, have recorded albums that, of course, can be placed next to each other on the shelf, but in terms of music they are opposites. Kwaśny Deszcz on the disc in question plays succinctly and, with one or two exceptions, within relatively short forms. Z is very skilled at implementing the idea of free improvisation, which in the issued by the Poznań residents is far from the stereotypical perception of avant-garde jazz as aggressive and aggressive music and_cc781905-5cde-3194-bb .
Kacper Krupa, Piotr Cienkowski and Stanisław Aleksandrowicz have the gift of i skills to create songs that engage the listener from start to finish. To achieve this, they do not use obvious solutions, a rather tone down emotions and pass them in sophisticated way. Despite this, even paradoxically, the palette of expression within the entire album is wide. Acid Rain is perfect for meditative and slow improvisations, where every little sound plays an important role (Orange Sky). At other times they base their team playing on the double bass groovie (beetle beetle) or maintain anxiety I_CC781905-5CDE-3194-BB3B-136BAD5CF58D_NAPIEW W_CC781905-5CDE-3194-BB3B-136BAD5CF58D_UTWORE_CC Clothing.
Music with a vision and character - this is how I would describe what we have the opportunity to listen to on the first album of Kwaśne Deszczu. The bar has already been set high. I am curious what will be the next steps of the Poznań trio and what new talents Tomasz Konwent from Multikulti will discover.
ANOMALY
Anomaly
POLICY
BARTEK CHACIŃSKI
A group of musicians from outside the national pantheon, in cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_whom, however, I personally found many elements that I myself am looking for in cc781905-5cde-3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_jazzie. Krzysztof Kuśmierek (soprano saxophone), Patryk Rynkiewicz (trumpet), Kacper Krupa (tenor saxophone), Adam Kurek (trombone), Fryderyk Szulgit (guitar), Piotr Cienkowski (double bass) i_cc781905-5cde- 3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_Stanisław Aleksandrowicz (drums) are musicians in most – except Shulgit – undescribed on Polyphony. More than each z osobna, however, I am interested in all together here. I bought album Anomalii rather for the long passages played by the whole band, for the tension generated by this no_15-357 194-bb3b -136bad5cf58d_for some very strong themes in compositions democratically divided between brass section members and guitarist. The forms are long, sometimes it plunges a little into slight chaos, in solo parts is sometimes better or worse, but leaves a fresh impression of Poznań's response to Power Of The Horns o_cc781905-5cde- 3194-bb3b-136bad5cf58d_slightly more of a rock character, z Marc Ribot's shadow. Everything, including these references to Chicago or avant-garde New York, is very much in the trend of Poznań cultural exchange. I'm asking for more such anomalies, I'm adding to the watched i I'm waiting for the next recordings.
Best for: Those who already know rock freshness should look for jazzie.