Arszyn: Polymer

Topolski/Szwelnik (duo)

Polymer (Self Produced; 2012)

Krzystof Topolski (drums, electronics)

Tomasz Szwelnik (piano, guitar, electronics)

I stumbled into Krzystof Topolski's work as Arzyn last year thanks to Maciej at the great blog, Polish Jazz. Since then I have been devouring everything I could find with his name on it.

On his latest collaboration, Polymer, he has created another other-worldly concoction of found sounds and beautiful improvisations. Added by the Cage-ian work on keys by Tomasz Szwelnik, the duo set out on a path that is dense and expansive. Their use of space and soft, short notes develops a level of calm in the listeners ears as these two long pieces move through your speakers and your mind.

"Poly I" builds slowly with pops and subtle percussion's and kit brushes until midway where Topolski and Szwelnik deliver an abstract exchange of ideas with broken chord changes and interesting sound effects, leaving you wondering if you are experiencing a performance by The Necks. It's fascinating material that later moves a series of nature sounds aided by some light strumming from Szwelnik on guitar. A quiet yet haunting conclusion to an opening movement.

"Poly II" picks up on the haunting imagery with some echo chamber effects on the drums and stop/start pecking the piano. "Poly II" seems to be the more free formed of the two pieces. Each musician plays off the other uniquely with different instruments and layered effects/loops. Topolski makes great use on found instruments within the opening minutes as his percussion sounds almost like hard pulses on the vibes.

The atmospherics are revved up towards the middle as the sound become more deep and ominous. Almost turning into a groove before leveling off with a melody that emerges by Szwelnik's hands. This carries on for awhile before returning to a bass drum heavy with electro-acoustics and experimentation. The duo battle this theme out to the end wonderfully with chimes and counterpoints from all sides.

Polymer, like many of Krzystof Topolski's other combinations is an acquired taste. And like the chemical definition of the albums title, there are multiple streams occurring throughout this forty minute piece, but if you let your mind wonder through the darkness, you'll find this is yet again an unbelievable journey.

Tomasz Licak/Artur Tuznik Quintet

Tomasz Licak (sax) & Artur Tuznik (piano)

Quintet (Blackout Music; 2011)

Andreas Lang (bass)

Anders Mogensen (drums)

Tomasz Dabrowski (trumpet)

A wonderful discovery for me in the last few days has been a quintet session from Tomasz Licak and Artur Tuznik. This fairly new (in terms of lineup) Polish/Danish quintet are young but possess the great energy and punch of their influences. The group combine a sensual style of contemporary modern with well crafted improvisation. Their latest release, simply titled, Quintet feels like mid-period Branford Marsalis or an adventurous One For All.

The group manage to sound well at home in the modern hard bop setting as they do when they let the rhythm fly. "Uwaga" comes pounding out of the speaker with vigour. Tuznik and Mogensen drive the beat with cinematic effect. Tuznik shapes the piece with somber relaxed movements intertwined with improvised changes. These are cut across boisterous chords from the horn section which make "Uwaga" a massive opening statement.

"Lightblub In Green" reminds me of the best moments of being in a jazz club and closing my eyes to the rhythm. Lang and Licak have a lovely exchange midway through that could resemble Jackie Mclean and Paul Chambers at their Blue Note best. The quintet quietly swing with verve and each member's contribution is heard crystal clear. The tone is lowered on the melodic and beautiful "Nardis" (also featured on their previous album as Last Call). It's a technical and introspective piece where Tuznik takes center stage and delivers a performance that slowly envelops you with very powerful emotions. Tearful.

While most of the material on Quintet has a contemporary atmosphere, "Hobbit" rips the cover off the box and the group conjure up a funky groove built inside patterns of free jazz. It may have the uninitiated shaking their heads and they will eventually be sucked into the groove. There are individual moments where band members create subtle colours and tones and then return to the fire free form of their original theme.

Quintet is a stellar addition to the brief catalog of Licak and Tuznik and they will definitely be one of the creative duos that we will be talking about in the next few years. I loved this record and think its a must for every music fan. And I'm not just talking jazz fans. This is the wonderful balance between contemporary and free jazz.

Marcin Wasilewski Trio: Faithful

Marcin Wasilewski Trio

Faithful (ECM Records; 2011)

Marcin Wasilewski (piano)

Michal Miskiewicz (drums)

Slawomir Kurkiewicz (bass)

Six albums on and the Marcin Wasilewski Trio (originally known as Simple Acoustic Trio) have evolved into a relaxed, introspective and now adventuresome outfit.  The trio's stint with Tomasz Stanko and some warm production work from Manfred Eicher of ECM have helped the group hone its sound as well as their performances. Their use of space is clever and precise and makes their latest album, Faithful, one of their best and one of JazzWrap best albums so far this year.

Adventuresome is one of the aforementioned words I used to describe MWT's advancement. On the opening of Faithful, "An den kleinen Radioapparat", the group explore German composer Hans Eisler classical standard sans vocals. Without the vocals the listener is clearly focused on the instrumentation. And the delivery from Wasilewski is sublime. Miskiewicz's subtle brushes add a layer of mystery that still reflects upon the original composition. "Night Train To You," moves a with lovely but rapid pace. Wasilewski while setting the structure has written a piece that still allows the group to improvise throughout.

One of the things I've always enjoyed with MWT's albums is their ability to reshape and re-imagine other artist's material. As evident on Paul Bley's "Big Foot" where by the very nature of the composition, the trio strive and deliver a powerful yet playful performance. Kurkiewicz's movements are dense and propulsive. Wasilewski's uptempo rhythms really give Bley's original a run for the money. It's one of the best versions of this piece I've heard (not that there are a whole lot). While on "Oz Guizos" (originally written by Hermeto Pascoal) the trio are wonderfully melodic and add a sense of spaciousness that gives the members wide breathing room. Kurkiewicz strumming is sublime and helps the piece move gently up and down.

The delightful "Lugano Lake" closes the album and for me encapsulates the trio's recent form of the last few years. It's peaceful, agile and dynamic all the while holding a sense of mystery  that many listeners will gravitate to. Marcin Wasilewski has emerged as a colourful and daring pianist in the last few years. The trio as a whole continue to solidify their name on the global psyche. The diversity of Faithful may finally send the Marcin Wasilewski Trio into the next level of recognition. This is a brilliant piece of work from a group that gets better and better with every outing. Deep. Personal. Reflective. And Highly Recommended.

The Intersection: Skalpel

The Intersection is a new feature on JazzWrap that looks at artists that blend jazz with electronica (a tradition pioneered by none other than Miles Davis on such classic recordings as On the Corner).

This week's focus is Skalpel.

Sounding a little bit like label mates The Cinematic Orchestra, the Polish DJ/production duo known as Skalpel has made no secret of its affection for smoky '60s/'70s jazz.

On the group's eponymous Ninja Tune debut, Marcin Cichy and Igor Pudlo deliver an atmospheric 4-deck mix of obscure samples and breaks re-imagined for the 21st century. It's a well-crafted cut-n-paste homage to a legendary era of Polish jazz.

Skalpel's second album, Konfusion, blends nu-jazz groove production with old school musicianship, creating a vibe so cool it will appeal to beatheads and neo beatniks alike. Forgive the hyperbole. Just trust that the deep bass lines, hypnotic rhythms and cut-n-paste cinematic atmospherics make this a highly compelling listen. Plus, it's nice to know that these guys are celebrities in Poland, which means there's hope for modern music after all.

Konfusion comes with a bonus CD of remixes of tracks from Skalpel's eponymous debut, but at a regular single CD price. Among the remixers are Quantic, Backini and the Amalgamation of Soundz.

Next week: Jaga Jazzist