Polish Jazz vol. 36 – Michał Urbaniak – Constellation In Concert

★★★★★

   In the seventies jazz musicians in Poland were in very good professional position. It was less than twenty years from the moment jazzmen came out of the underground and since sixties they were known as new generation of musicians creating independent culture in Poland. With Polish jazz series successively the name “Polish jazz school” gained the right of existence. Shortly this description became a quality mark in many cities and festivals of West Europe and all over the world. No wonder Polish musicians were playing in many countries, collecting more and more artistic experiences and valuable professional contacts. Although European musical market was wide open for any interesting phenomenon from behind the iron curtain, major challenge for all jazzmen was still America, the homeland of jazz. Many classical musicians from Poland were playing overseas before the war. Most famous was Ignacy Jan Paderewski who was piano virtuoso, composer and politician. The first Polish modern jazz musician who played in 1958 International Newport Band was saxophonist Jan “Ptaszyn” Wróblewski. In sixties and seventies Polish jazzmen achieved series of successes. One of first who decided to stay in America for good were Michał Urbaniak and Urszula Dudziak.
   Michał Urbaniak is one of most creative musicians in Polish jazz. He is also one of most successful and the one who made violin featured jazz instrument in Poland. With three years younger Zbigniew Seifert they were the two violinists from Poland achieving great international recognition. And what is characteristic, both were playing saxophones as well. Maybe because saxophone was instrument clearly associated with jazz while violin were always link to folk and classical traditions. Starting his jazz career Michał Urbaniak was playing soprano, alto and tenor saxophones. In 1962 Urbaniak was touring in USA with Andrzej Trzaskowski’s The Wreckers. In mid-sixties he was playing in Scandinavia with Krzysztof Komeda, where he started his own band with Urszula Dudziak and Wojciech Karolak. This was the beginning of and Michal Urbaniak Group, Constellation and Fusion groups.

Michał Urbaniak – Constellation In Concert (1973)

   After return to Poland in 1970, Urbaniak formed his own group. This was the moment he introduced electric violin, playing on traditional violin with electric pick-up, and later changed it with specifically designed five string violin and early model of violin synthesizer. In 1971 during Montreux Festival Michał Urbaniak was awarded Grand Prix and scholarship of Berklee Collage of Music. But ultimately he didn’t start to study in Boston, signing contract with Columbia Records and touring with great fame in Europe and USA. In May 1973 at Warsaw Philharmonic Michał Urbaniak with Constellation gave historic concert recorded by Polskie Nagrania. This occurred to be farewell concert of Michał Urbaniak with his wife Urszula Dudziak for Polish audience. In September 11, 1973 they emigrated to US. Fragments of Constellation Philharmonic Concert were published the same year by Polskie Nagrania as volume 36 of Polish Jazz series. Album Michał Urbaniak Constellation in Concert was among the top of the best Polish fusion productions.
   The band included five musicians and every one of them was already fully formed artistic personality. The leader of the Constellation Michał Urbaniak was playing violin. He was also composer of whole program. His solo in the introduction to the Bengal, more than 17 minutes suite opening the album is great evidence of his remarkable individual style. The way he introduced the theme of Bengal played with vocalize by Urszula Dudziak, elegance and expression in his improvisation showed great individuality of international scale. After Urbaniak we have solo of inspired improviser organist Wojciech Karolak (Hammond Organ and Farfisa), and Fender piano short improvised intro by Adam Makowicz, narration takes Urszula Dudziak singer being the undeniable discovery of this era. She gave in Bengal whole show of her voice and instrumental possibilities, first with discrete piano by Adam Makowicz, then with funky collective improvisation by Adam Makowicz, Wojciech Karolak and Czesław Bartkowski, who played improvised drums solo followed by the main theme reprise.
   The first complexe composition shows full possibilities of the Michał Urbaniak Constellation. In next some ideas were developed. The same spirit of collective improvisations can be heard in next two compositions Spokój (Calm) and Lato (Summer). In Spokój inspirations have more contemplative character, while Lato is full of vibrant, warm atmosphere. The formal idea of Seresta is remaining somehow much wider form of Bengal. Especially interesting is culmination in improvisation of Wojciech Karolak and Adam Makowicz, where two keyboardists meet in dialogue giving great example of musical cooperation. The last composition titled just Theme is like coda corresponding with introduction to the Bengal and closing whole album with natural baracket. Altough this is live recording, it sounds more like studio album. Full control over elements of the form, variety of artistic attitudes, perfect comprehension of each member’s intentions and diversity of solo performances make this band exception on early seventies’ jazz scene. All these qualities are audible on this album and worth four stars grade.

Polish Jazz vol. 43 – Adam Makowicz – Live Embers

★★★★

   In times when piano become fashionable, Polish culture was rebuilding towards creating independent survival forms. Cultural tradition of Poland from first decades of 19th century was strongly connected with piano music. In many cases this instrument was a medium of cultural identity and national pride. Central position in Polish artistic traditions was reserved for Fryderyk Chopin’s piano music, but every next generation had to define itself in context of these traditions. Such attitude can be traced in music composed in next centuries as well as performance artists and style of own pianistic school. Prominent role in politics of early 20th century played Polish virtuoso pianist and composer Ignacy Jan Paderewski. Connected with public affairs and cultural identity pianistic tradition was great part of cultural narration in postwar Poland. No wonder jazz pianists in Poland had always serious basis. Most famous Polish pianist in seventies was Adam Makowicz.
   Adam Makowicz (born Adam Matyszkowicz) is one of most independent artists of contemporary international jazz scene. He was born August 18th 1940 in Hnojnik (Czech Republic) in Polish family and after war he was learning in Musical School in Rybnik, then in Cracow Chopin Conservatory. As a classical pianist he was trying to reconcile his professional playing with passion to jazz he was played in underground clubs of Cracow. Also later as internationally recognized jazz pianist, he sometimes plays romantic music, especially Chopin which is no coincidence for his education and strong connections with Polish culture. His main activity is jazz but he is playing almost all styles and best denomination for his musical genre could be just creative music.

Adam Makowicz – Live Embers (1975)

   In 1962 when Adam Makowicz was 22, together with Tomasz Stańko he started Jazz Darings, first Polish group playing free jazz. One year later band won 1st prize in South Poland Jazz Competition and Adam Makowicz started his career as jazz musician in various ensembles Andrzej Kurylewicz Quartet, Tomasz Stańko Trio, Michał Urbaniak Group and Zbigniew Namysłowski Band, Jan Wróblewski Quartet and his own Adam Makowicz Trio. He was also playing with Urszula Dudziak, Novi Singers and Wojciech Młynarski. In 1974 he started solo career and this was crucial point of his career. Audience and critics were delighted by new pianistic personality comparing him to Art Tatum and Keith Jarret. In February 1975 he recorded his first solo album Live Embers. Two years later, May 9th, 1977 he debuted in New York “The Cookery” and recorded his solo album Adam for CBS. In 1978 he settled in New York.
   Program of Life Embers looks at first sight like promotional album. One can find here the whole tradition of piano jazz, from Scott Joplin do Keith Jarrett, from Art Tatum to Bill Evans. And I must confess, I thought this way when I bought this album almost 40 years ago. This was one of my first jazz record, I was fourteen, so I think I’m justified. Idea of this program is much deeper than demonstration of pianist’s possibilities. The program comprises seven compositions by Adam Makowicz, two ragtimes by Scott Joplin, with famous The Entertainer, and two standards by John Coltrane with Giant Steps. Ragtimes were reharmonized and rearranged, and even if in a mysterious way they are keeping the original feeling, modern harmonics show its deeper sense. Bebop or hard bop passages connected with swinging stride, lyricism of phrases and rhythmic complexity, citations and stylistic references show the idea of reconstructing and reworking jazz past. Somehow this humble album is a forecast for jazz neoclassicism of the eighties. Adam Makowicz founded here some common denominators for virtuosity and creativity, merging knowledge on jazz styles with his own invention. Somehow this humble album is a forecast for jazz neoclassicism of the eighties. Four stars without any hesitation.