Europe Jazz Media Chart - December 2023

Following Krzysztof Komeda’s Live in Praha 1964, this is another sensational find from the great Polish label GAD Records. Live in Bled 1965 is a never before released concert recording of the Komeda Quintet at the International Jazz Festival in Bled, Yugoslavia, remastered from the original tapes that rested in archives of the  RTV Slovenija for nearly six decades. Of special significance is the fact that it features two Komeda’s extended compositions, “Kattorna” and “Svantetic,” that were included in his legendary album Astigmatic (Polish Jazz, vol. 5), recorded half a year later. Astigmatic has been hailed as the greatest Polish jazz album of all time. For the curious fan, it will be interesting to compare both recordings, find differences and similarities. The lineup is quite different, as only two musicians appear on both: the leader at the piano and Tomasz Stańko on trumpet. The personnel on the Bled album is completed by Janusz Muniak on saxophones, Roman Dyląg on bass, and Andrzej Dąbrowski on drums. On Astigmatic they were replaced by Zbigniew Namysłowski, Gunter Lenz and Rune Carlsson, respectively. Adam Baruch wrote the liner notes, in Polish and English. A treasure.

Every last piece of the artistic puzzle played perfectly here. An excellent choice of texts and linking them to the music. Sensational collaboration between the artists. The richness of the cello sounds, the subtlety of the percussion playing, impressive display of Sanne Rambags' vocal abilities. "Twigs "is a display of maturity and mastery. An excellent album.

Los Angeles-based musician/arranger Miguel Atwood-Ferguson is one of the most important new jazz names of the past decade. He was prominent in the emergence of a great new wave of jazz musicians from Los Angeles/America and London/England, helping every musician to great heights with his playing and arrangements. He also worked with lots of other musicians and popstars. Of course, it was about time he came out with his full-length album. The album he promised label owner Flying Lotus when he signed with Brainfeeder ten years ago and has been working on intermittently for the past twelve years: Les Jardins Mystiques Vol.1. With 52 tracks and a playing time of 3 ½ hours (!) it is an massive at the same time impressive musically universal pice of work that, remarkably enough and in spite of the number of pieces and the different styles that pass, a coherent masterpiece.. Les Jardins Mystiques Vol.1. is a masterpiece of unparalleled stature that impresses in the best possible way, certainly on the base of the compositions as well as on all those resounding names that Atwood-Ferguson gathered around him. The first part in this very exuberant trilogy offers an immense wealth of music for years to come.

Somewhere in between Errol Garner and Ramsey Lewis, a back to basics piano trio album from a Japanese jazz legend.

This is the third album of German Drummer Mareike Wiening released on the label of New York trumpeter Dave Douglas who is also guesting on 3 pieces. I saw Mareike Wiening live in a couple of contexts and was impressed by her light and exact way of drumming with constant alert shifting of shadings and coloring. She found her very own approach between/beyond impressionistic and expressionistic. 

The album title Post Koma aptly describes the mood where live instrumentation and reused sampling blur the boundaries. On the group's previous albums, Petter Eldh has moved  between the overproduced and the raw, direct. Eldh himself says that his vision is about describing what the essence of music is and how it takes shape and constantly challenges itself while moving forward, not how the music is played.

Sophie Tassignon is an active citizen whose pragmatic philosophy, unlike many empty political speeches, highlights a reality : a lasting encounter between distinct civilizations is always partly cultural. It requires a decision, a will, an approach and concrete actions of which this artistic production is a splendid reflection. (Pierre Dulieu).

A very personal and virtuoso project by Adam Pierończyk, one of Poland's leading jazz musicians. Beautiful sounds and melodies as well as rare improvisations exploring normally inaccessible registers (altissimo) of this extremely demanding instrument. The extraordinary melodic talent and incomparable creativity of this wonderful artist make this work an exceptional experience not to be missed.