01 - Relaxing at Schwartbuck
02 - Para Martha
03 - New Romantic Expectation
04 - Gutan Dance
05 - Piosenka o WFG
06 - Cantabile in H moll

Bass Guitar – Krzysztof Ścierański
Drums – Krzysztof Przybyłowicz
Electric Piano [Fender] – Janusz Skowron
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Andrzej Olejniczak
Violin, Written-By – Krzesimir Dębski

Recorded Live 22 February 1984 at the hall of Teatr Estrady "Buffo" in Warsaw.

Polish jazz combo led by violinist Krzesimir Dębski, founded at the beginning of the 80's and delivering first a jazz-rock music interspersed with folk intonations, later releases becoming closer to an elegant smooth jazz, lesser chops but still emphasis on fine melodic playing. ---discogs.com

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01. Surima [6:13]
02. Red Autumn Trees [6:01]
03. Chcialbym Sie Czegos Napic [8:14]
04. Parafraza Na Temat 'Shadows Of Your Smile' [9:03]
05. Bye, Bye Chorus [0:51]
06. Genealogy [10:13]

Krzesimir Debski – violin, keyboards
Andrzej Jagodzinski - piano, french Horn
Zbigniew Wrombel - bass
Krzysztof Przybylowicz – drums

A short note about this album might begin as the introduction to Star Wars movie cycle: "Far far away in a distant country behind the Iron Curtain a small group of rebels tried to dispel the darkness imposed upon jazz music by the evil Empire". As you probably know in 1981 gen. Jaruzelski crushed the Solidarity movement in Poland. His backlash on democratic forces was not limited to politics only. The culture of the country suffered under communist tyranny as well. The music and jazz being no exception of course. Subsequent period of decadence was seen as extremely disheartening especially when compared to unprecedented and continued rise of jazz in Poland which began in mid-50ties and lasted for quartet of the century unhindered.

The depression reigned on almost every field of people's life be it political, economical or cultural but there were some beacons of hope even in those times which heralded that some renaissaince might be possible in future. In Polish jazz perhaps strongest example of such a hope was music created by String Connection. They debuted in 1982 with "Workoholic" and were recording feverishly in following years completing discography of nine discs in next 6 years when in 1988 the group was disbanded.

The moving force behind this collective was violinist Krzesimir Dębski who should be placed among the greatest exponents of so-called Polish school of jazz violin together with such giants as Zbigniew Seifert (check his "Man of Light") or Michał Urbaniak (check "Fusion III"). But other musicians in this band played on equally high level: pianist Henryk Jagodziński (who in following years made significant career on his own; check for example "Deep Cut"), doublebassist Zbigniew Wrombel and drummer Krzysztof Przybyłowicz. Music was progressive as for those times. Though clearly rooted in bop tradition and influenced by fusion aesthetic, it was at the same time creatively transformed by band's members into language of their own. That is probably why its rehearsal after so many years sill remains more than satisfactory experience... --- polish-jazz.blogspot.com

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1. New Romantic Expectation
2. Moment Na Sopran I Syntezatory
3. Berolina Foxtrott
4. Progresje Jesieni
5. Piosenka o WFG
6. Singoholic
7. Niezdara

Krzesimir Dębski - violin, piano, polymoog
Krzysztof Przybyłowicz - drums
Andrzej Olejniczak - soprano & tenor saxophones
Janusz Skowron - fender piano, hammond organ, polymoog
Krzysztof Ścierański - bass guitar

2nd album by the Polish Jazz-Ensemble String Connection, led by violinist Krzesimir Debski with saxophonist Andrzej Olejniczak, keyboardist Janusz Skowron, bassist Krzysztof Scieranski and drummer Krzysztof Przybylowicz. Similar in style to the debut album, the band plays a set of excellent compositions by the leader (with the exception of one tune by the bassist). The music is sophisticated and elegant, and is performed brilliantly by all the musicians involved, proving again that the band was definitely the best on the scene at the time. Considering the fact that the use of the violin in Jazz is relatively rare, Debski and his band are of particular interest. Highly recommended! ---Jazzis, rateyourmusic.com

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01. Bokra (Krzesimir Dębski)
02. Cantabile In H-moll (Krzesimir Dębski)
03. Kill The Raven (Janusz Skowron)
04. Quasi String Waltz (Krzesimir Dębski)
05. Workoholic (Krzesimir Dębski)
06. Seekuh (Krzysztof Ścierański)
07. Primary (Janusz Skowron)
08. Gutan Dance (Krzesimir Dębski)

Krzesimir Debski - violin, piano, Polymoog
Andrzej Olejniczak - saxophone (tenor, soprano)
Janusz Skowron - Fender, Hammond, Polymoog
Krzysztof Scieranski - bass
Zbigniew Lewandowski - drums
z udziałem:
Miroslaw Michalik - guitar (1,5)
Zdzislaw Sroda - trombone (1)

String Connection is one of the top "stars" of the polish 80'. Playing hundreds of shows (not only in Poland) durring that period and recording few great albums, Krzesimir Dębski's (violin) crew managed to break into hearts of many (not only) jazz fans. Disbandment in 1988 was not yet the end of String Connection - they managed to play few shows in 1998 and decided to return for longer tour in 2011, issuing live album in 2012.

Their compositions are quite "listenable" - lots of beautiful classical influenced melodies by Dębski, strong rhythm section, great piano and sax. Much of that can be experienced on "Bokra", the very first tune from SC first album "Workoholic".

There is a lot of dynamic, groovy playing here, still leaving place for calmer moods. The song starts and ends with orchestral-sounding section (faded out in the end), kind of unusual - 3 bars in length makes it feel like being "too short". Afterwards, the main, groovy rhythm appears followed by the melody played together by violin and sax. The tune runs like that into the next section and, after repeating the main groove, calms the mood down - beautiful sax playing here. This softer section leads the way to the soloing cycle. Piano, violing and sax solos are played over the same chordal pattern (8 bars) launched 4 and a half times for each solo - every instrument ends it's part by reaching F# minor chord, on which music morphes into the main groove (plus melody). Second and third solo (violin and sax) start with calming the music down for two turns. After the solos, the main rhythm + melody is repeated as in the begining, along with the next section, making it's way to the ending part.

Krzysztof Ścierański is considered to be one of the best bass players in Poland. Somebody called him "Polish Pastorius" once, but his style is quite different from famous Jaco. Ścierański, a self-taught musician, plays fretted basses (I don't know if he ever played fretless), "digs" stuff like slapping, or harmonics and likes to use bass effects (chorus, reverb, delay and so). The first "big" thing he got involved into was Laboratorium - polish jazz-fusion band of 70'-80', considered by many the best polish fusion band. Before String Connection, Krzysztof played in Zbigniew Namysłowski's fusion outfit called Air Condition and, after SC, lots of great projects, gigs and solo stuff. IMHO the most important bassist in Polish fusion.

One word of explaination about String Connection album name. As you might notice, there is no such word in English as "Workoholic". "Workaholic" yes, not "Workoholic". Krzesimir Dębski explained in one of his interviews, that he made that word up - there was a trend is polish jazz then to do such things. He wanted to join "work" with "alcoholic", as he considered himself to be addicted to work (if somebody plays rehearsals at 4 a.m., like Dębski did in early stage of SC era, should be IMHO considered workaholic) and didn't know that very similar word already exists. That's why there is a "typo" in the album title. --- Brian The Fire, polish-jazz.blogspot.com

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