Polish Jazz vol. 49 – Laboratorium – Modern Pentathlon

★★★✰

   Cracow group Laboratorium was probably the first Polish band playing jazz rock and experimenting with sounds and forms consequently from its beginning. Laboratorium in Polish means “laboratory” and when band was formed in 1970, it was already common name for projects focused on experimenting with artistic methods and forms. The first and most famous predecessor was Laboratorium Theatre directed by Jerzy Grotowski. Contacts with this alternative theatre and improvised spectacles of Wiesław Hoszowski during concerts were the mark of artist’s aspirations. From the very beginning band was experimenting with sound, leader of the band, Janusz Grzywacz was using prepared piano, singer Marek Stryszowski was experimenting with wide range of vocal sounds. These experiments gave Laboratorium chance to pierce through the establishment of Polish Jazz School and create their own musical language.

   Laboratorium was probably first artistic project breaking domination of earlier generation in Polish jazz. The situation of jazz apprentices in 1970 was difficult. Older musicians debuted in underground, differentiated in late 50’s and 60’s musicians were tightly filling the stage. The first generation of Polish jazz school was rich and well established. In this situation only totally different style was a formula leading to success. In 1971 group debuted at festival in Nowa Huta near Cracow. They were pioneering fusion and jazz-rock music. Next year band won in Wrocław festival second prize, which was opportunity to record their debut album. It was eponymous album Laboratorium published in 1973 by Polish Jazz Society. Three years later in July 1976 Laboratorium recorded their second album Modern Pentatholon (Muza SX 1418).

Polish Jazz vol. 49 – Laboratorium – Modern Pentathlon (1976)

   After first successes next step was professionalization of the band. The lineup and sound had changed. First significant change was hiring two brothers Krzysztof Ścierański playing bass guitar and Paweł Ścierański playing electric guitar. Two guitars made the sound more electric and closer to fusion which was trendy at the time. At the moment of creating album Modern Pentathlon Laboratorium was totally different band. The sound of the group changed also as the effect of massive use of electronic and electric instruments. It was visible in keyboard kit owned by Janusz Grzywacz who was frequently playing Fender Rhodes and Rolland 2000 Synthesizer than traditional piano. The same applies to vocalist and saxophonist Marek Stryszowski who was using numerous sound effects. Drummer Mieczysław Górka was playing more funky than rock. And bass guitarist Krzysztof Ścierański after first album with Laboratorium became a star of new wave of jazz in Poland.
   The original style of Laboratorium was just between what was doing by European progressive and jazz rock groups like Soft Machine and American fusion bands. The creative ideas of Janusz Grzywacz were as far of popular schemes as of rock or classical forms even if basing on composed constructions and discipline. It wasn’t just funky like some American bands as well. Main composition of the album was eponymous Modern Pentathlon, almost 20 minutes long, five part composition of the band. This work shows the scale of artistic ambitions of Laboratorium members. Second side comprises four shorter compositions by Janusz Grzywacz: Funky for Franka, Crazy Shepherd (composed together with Marek Stryszowski), ABZ and Grzymaszka, tasty small demonstrations of band and its leader possibilities. In seventies Laboratorium, along with famous artists of Polish jazz school, was exposure of Polish culture. Playing with successes on few continents band had its position and influenced many musicians. Three and a half star for huge heart to play creative music.

Zbigniew Seifert – Kilimanjaro

After many years of marginalizing sound of violin in jazz and more popular genres because of its softness and subtlety, production of electric violin made possible to play the violin louder and with as much expression as anybody wants.  Jazz scene of seventies was animated by the presence of many new sounds and one of the apparently active was the sound of violin. In few moments it looked like real violin boom, but in fact it was rather back to normal and numbers of violin players were not even close to quantity of guitarists. The group of jazz violinists in seventies was expansive but loose. Some, like Jean-Luc Ponty or Michał Urbaniak achieved great succeses and played for more than one decade, the others left fewer recordings and disappeared. One of them was Polish violinist Zbigniew Seifert.

He was born in Cracow one year after the war, June 7th 1946 and in his hometown learned to play violin and jazz in Musical High School and then in Cracow Academy of Music. Until he graduate as violinist, he payed on violin exclusively classical music. In sixties it was widely believed that playing jazz distorts sense of musical aesthetics in classical genres. This years he was playing jazz only on alto saxophone with his own quartet he founded in 1964. With this jazz quartet and took part in some European festivals wining first prizes. The second step of his career was playing with Tomasz Stańko Quartet and Quintet – those times probably most eminent group in Polish jazz well known widely in Europe – first as saxophonist and in seventies as violin player.

Zbigniew Seifert – Kilimanjaro (1979)

As a violin jazz virtuoso Zbigniew Seifert became welcomed guest on main jazz festivals. After 1973 artist moved to Germany and focused on expanding his solo career. He played with Hans Koller’s Free Sound and with many others as a freelance, including Phillip Catherine, Wolfgang Dauner, Volker Kriegel, Joachim Kuhn, Albert Mangelsdorff and Charlie Mariano. In 1976 MPS Records released first Seifert’s album Man of the Light. The same year he played with John Lewis in Monterey Jazz Festival and next year he recorded album Violin with Oregon for Vanguard label. Capitol Records published his American albums, in 1977 Zbigniew Seifert and in 1979 Passion. When Zbigniew Seifert died February 15th 1979 in Buffalo hospital during the operation to remove a tumor of the forearm, he was barely 32 years old. Last three years when he was fighting the cancer disease, were the most fruitful period in his life. Altough he didn’t fulfill his ideas he was acclaimed as the great master of jazz violin and one of most creative artists of his generation.
Three months before his last operation, Zbiggy visit Cracow and with group of friends on November 14th, 1978 gave public concert in student’s club “Pod Jaszczurami”. The event was recorded by Polish Radio Cracow. The material from radio archives has been published next year became quiute a sensation. Two separate volumes published by PSJ (Polish Jazz Society) own label (PSJ-101 and PSJ-102) consist of one evening live recordings and an interview with Zbigniew Seifert. These records can be seen as priceless documentation of last period in artist’s life. But these two LPs are something more than sound document, carrying a lot of beautiful, fresh jazz music. With Zbigniew Seifert plays modern guitarist Jarosław Śmietana, probably the best fusion keyboardist in Poland Janusz Grzywacz, double bass player Zbigiew Wegehaupt and drummer Mieczysław Górka. They play compositions by Seifert (Coral, Kilimanjaro) and Coltrane (Impressions) whom Seifert considered as his master. The postbop sound of the group is typical for seventies. Strong, driving section, modern, sometimes modal solos and powerful expression decide it is valuable addition to any jazz collection, especially for those who prize Zbigniew Seifert’s music.