Jazz

Tomasz Stańko & Freelectronic ‎– Switzerland , Live At Montreaux Jazz Festival (1987)

2019-11-13T16:24:58Z

Tomasz Stańko & Freelectronic ‎– Switzerland , Live At Montreaux Jazz Festival (1987)


1 	Lady Go 	9:40
2 	Asmodeus 	7:20
3 	Sunia 	2:56
4 	Too Pee 	7:31
5 	Switzerland		2:03 
6	Ha, Ha, Ha 	7:07

Bass – Witold Szczurek
Grand Piano – Janusz Skowron
Synthi Aks, Electronics – Tadeusz Sudnik
Trumpet – Tomasz Stańko

This live recording at the Montreux Jazz Festival is the last of the glorious 1980s albums by the polish trumpet virtuoso / composer Tomasz Stanko and his Freelectronic ensemble, here consisting of keyboardists Janusz Skowron and Tadeusz Sudnik and bassist Witold Szczurek. Stanko is in top form and in a great mood, which is evident by the happy atmosphere captured herein. His trumpet soars to incredible heights and the brilliant improvisations chase one another. In retrospect this is a perfect moment captured for posterity, just before the ever-changing Stanko would embark on yet another musical journey with the onset of the 1990s. The 1980s Stanko's Jazz-Rock period was about to be abandoned and replaced by a return to the Jazz tradition and the new (again) Stanko, which would capture worldwide audiences with his ECM recordings. But the 1980s period firmly remains as one of Stanko's most productive and expressive periods and this album is an integral part of that legacy. A must to every Stanko fan! ---Adam Baruch, polish-jazz.blogspot.com

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Tomasz Stańko (†) ‎– Fish Face (1973)

2018-07-31T15:02:21Z

Tomasz Stańko (†) ‎– Fish Face (1973)


1. 	Fish Face 	18:18
2. 	Fat Belly Ellie 	06:49 
3. 	Mike Spike		12:34 

Tomasz Stańko - trumpet
Stu Martin - synthesizer [Ecm Synthi], drums
Janusz Stefański - drums

Recorded in August 1973

This record was released in limited circulation only
 for members of Polish Jazz Society Record Club.

What can I say? Well, that I am simply out of my words! I assume this session is very, very little known in Poland not to mention other countries. It was released in limited circulation, only for members of PSJ (Polish Jazz Association) Record Club. I know it sounds crazy but you should be aware that up to 1989 Poland was governed by communists and we had the Moon economy here. In this kind of economy little mattered that the product was in demand. Much more important was whether it went along with the Party line. And jazz seldom was seen as consistent with this line. Despite these obstacles (or paradoxically thanks to them?) jazz was flourishing in those times...

Was it miracle? Perhaps but I am rather inclined first to investigate rational reasons and I found them in the mighty individuals which dominated the beginnings of Polish Jazz. First to mention is Krzysztof Komeda. But he is closely followed by Tomasz Stańko who was a member of famous Komeda quintet. After Komeda's untimely death Stańko felt kind of forced to create his own band. He did it and paid hommage to his mentor and friend with his first record "Music For K" (1970). But this hommage was paid in a very unexpected way since he proposed music totally different in form than that which they played together with Komeda. Stańko pushed Polish jazz toward what is free, experimenting and searching in this music. The consequences of such his resolution are felt even now since jazz music in Poland is much more open to these freer forms of jazz than in other countries.

Going back to music it owes a lot of as much to Stańko as to his partners. He is backed by two drummers: Janusz Stefański and Stu Martin who however mainly plays on synthetizer(s). Drums and synth co-work in a percussive manner and make music stomping, thudding and rumbling. It gives me impression of some kind of extraterrestial ship which upon landing on planet Earth tries to establish contact with locals by emitting very unusual sounds. If somebody listened before to the recordings of Miles Davis of that era (like for example "Bitches Brew") he will immadietely recognize similar patterns in both these languages. It's trance-like, it's psychodelic, it's spiritual, it's simply music of the highest calibre! ---Maciej Nowotny, polish-jazz.blogspot.com

The '90s brought an alliance with ECM, which issued some of Stańko's most acclaimed work, including another lush, gorgeous tribute to Komeda, 1997's Litania, which was heavy with that composer's film work. The follow-up on ECM, 2000's From the Green Hill, drew from many of the same emotional and historic sources as Komeda's work, but this time the compositions were Stańko's. In 2002, his contributions to European jazz were honored when he was issued the very first European Prize, which was intended to honor outstanding European jazz musicians. During the final round of voting from 21 critics from as many countries, Stańko won ten votes, narrowly topping the runner-up, Dutch pianist Misha Mengelberg. That same year, Soul of Things was released on ECM, followed by Suspended Night in 2004, also on ECM. Too Pee appeared in 2006, as did Chameleon and Lontano.

In 2007, Stańko led a session that became the widely acclaimed From the Green Hill. His collaborators on the session were all bandleaders: violinist Michelle Makarski, saxophonist John Surman, bandoneon master Dino Saluzzi, drummer Jon Christensen, and bassist Anders Jormin. In 2009, Stańko led a brand-new band for Dark Eyes, which included Danish guitarist Jakob Bro and bassist Anders Christensen, along with Finnish pianist Alex Tuomarila and drummer Olavi Louhivuori. All were new names to ECM's roster. Stańko stayed busy touring and playing between different ensembles for the next three years. In 2013, Wisława, a double live album with his New York Quartet (pianist David Virelles, drummer Gerald Cleaver, and bassist Thomas Morgan), appeared. The following year Stańko delivered Polin, an album recorded for the Museum of the History of Polish Jews in Warsaw and featuring his composition "Polish Suite." Joining the trumpeter on the album were saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, Virelles, bassist Dezron Douglas, and drummer Kush Abadey. The trumpeter's New York Quartet then underwent a personnel change. Busy with other projects, Morgan left the group, replaced by Reuben Rogers, who had worked extensively with Charles Lloyd during the previous decade. After significant club and festival work, this incarnation of the ensemble made its debut with December Avenue for ECM in April 2017. Stańko died in Warsaw on July 29, 2018---Stacia Proefrock, allmusic.com

Tomasz Stańko urodził się w 1942 roku w Rzeszowie. Tomasz Stańko uczęszczał do szkoły muzycznej w Krakowie, i choć nie grał tam na trąbce, lecz na skrzypcach i fortepianie, to już wtedy fascynował go jazz, który znał z amerykańskich audycji radiowych.

Pierwszy kontakt z trąbką miał dopiero pod koniec lat 50. w harcerstwie. - Jako jedyny chłopak w drużynie, który miał styczność z muzyką, zostałem wytypowany do gry na trąbce sygnałówce - wspomina Stańko. Gdy po szkole postanowił zająć się muzyką wiedział, że chce grać jazz i dlatego wybrał grę na trąbce. Pytany dlaczego to właśnie ten gatunek był mu tak bliski odpowiada: "Wydaje mi się, że po prostu mam skłonność do tego, co anarchistyczne. Gdybym się urodził później byłbym rockmanem albo hiphopowcem. Jazz był opozycją szkoły, stabilizacji".

Mając 20 lat wraz z pianistą Adamem Makowiczem założył pierwszy zespół, Jazz Darings. Znajdowali się wtedy pod wpływem Johna Coltrane'a i Milesa Davisa, najczęściej jednak grali kompozycje Ornette'a Colemana. W tym czasie Stańko nie komponował wiele i nie zmieniło się to, gdy rok później dołączył do kwintetu Krzysztofa Komedy. - W czasie gdy grałem z Komedą komponowałem muzykę, ale była mała i płaska. A grałem z człowiekiem, który był genialny - opowiada Stańko. - Dopiero po śmierci Komedy założyłem własny kwintet i zacząłem pisać. Jak jednak sam przyznaje to nie komponowanie jest jego największą siłą. Nie jest nią też, jego zdaniem, sama gra na trąbce, gdyż nie uważa się za wybitnego wirtuoza. Jego największym atutem jest natomiast umiejętność przełożenia swojej osobowości na język muzyki, w czym widzi źródło swojej fascynacji Milesem Davisem. - On też był niespecjalnie kompozytorem i niespecjalnie trębaczem - mówi. - To po prostu był Miles.

Komedę wspomina Stańko jako swojego największego nauczyciela. - Ów liryzm, prostota, poczucie, że gra się tylko to, co najważniejsze, podejście do struktury, asymetrii, wiele szczegółów harmonicznych - miałem szczęście, że zaczynałem właśnie z nim. Razem z wielkim jazzmanem Stańko nagrał jedenaście płyt i odbył kilkanaście tras koncertowych, ale jak sam wspomina... - Mało się wtedy grywało. Koncerty były świętem.

Dopiero razem z założonym w 1967 roku własnym kwartetem, który po tym jak rok później dołączył do niego Zbigniewa Seifert stał się kwintetem, zaczął koncertować na poważnie. Prawdziwym przełomem był międzynarodowy debiut zespołu na festiwalu Berliner Jazztage'70. - Graliśmy pośród samych gwiazd. I to my dostaliśmy największa owację - opowiada o tamtym wydarzeniu Stańko. Zespół nagrał razem trzy płyty, a dla Stańki i Seiferta, którzy już wtedy byli gwiazdami kultury jazzowej w Polsce, stanowił początek międzynarodowej kariery.

Stańko spędził trochę czasu w Niemczech, gdzie nagrywał z big bandem Globe Unity Orchestra, który reprezentował skrajnie lewacki nurt free jazzu. Stańko, jedyny muzyk z Europy Wschodniej, zaproszony do współpracy z zespołem, grał zupełnie inaczej niż członkowie Globe Unity Orchestra i to właśnie to sprawiło, że się nim zainteresowali. - Dla nich lewactwo było równoznaczne z awangardą, ale szanowali to, że każdy jest indywidualnością - stwierdza Stańko. Lata 70. były dla polskiego trębacza okresem wytężonej pracy. Powrócił do grania ze Zbigniewem Seifertem, nagrywał z Krzysztofem Pendereckim, Donem Cherrym. Najważniejsza jednak była dla niego współpraca z fińskim perkusistą Edwardem Vesalą. Razem z Tomkiem Szukalskim i Peterem Warrenem stworzyli kwartet i nagrali dwie płyty - bliską sercu Stańki "Twet" i "Balladynę", która z racji nowatorskiego brzmienia stanowiła prawdziwe wydarzenie w świecie free jazzu, a dla samego Stańki była ważna również dlatego, że stanowiła początek jego współpracy z legendarną wytwórnią ECM kierowaną przez Manfreda Eichera.

Stańko spędzał wtedy wiele czasu w Finlandii, w której Vesala był wielką gwiazdą. - To był bardzo piękny okres w moim życiu. Bardzo hippie. Wokół Edwarda kręciła się wtedy masa różnego autoramentu freaków - wspomina trębacz. - Miesiącami siedziałem u niego na wsi, na pustkowiu nad jeziorem i graliśmy w duecie. W latach 80. jazzowe duo wybrało się do Indii, gdzie Stańko nagrał solowy album. Utwory pochodzące z tej płyty zostały nagrane w Taj Mahal i buddyjskich grotach, gdyż miejsca te charakteryzowały się niesamowitą akustyką. Polski trębacz tworzył w tym czasie również w ramach innych projektów, m.in. rockowego COCX oraz rewolucyjnego Freelectronic, a także współpracował z takimi tuzami jazzu jak Cecil Taylor czy Jan Garbarek.

Współpraca z ECM urwała się po "Balladynie", jak przyznaje Stańko, z jego winy. - Po prostu nie dopilnowałem interesów - tłumaczy. - W tamtym czasie ECM poszedł do góry. Mieli Garbarka, Jarretta, Metheny'ego i ciężko się było dodzwonić do Eichera. Wreszcie na początku lat 90. doszło do odnowienia współpracy, której owocem była wydana w 1994 roku płyta "Matka Joanna", dla której inspiracją był film Jerzego Kawalerowicza "Matka Joanna od Aniołów". Na wybór tytułu płyty wpłynął również fakt, że był to ulubiony polski film Manfreda Eichera. Stańko grał w tym czasie równolegle w dwóch kwartetach, międzynarodowym razem z Bobo Stensonem, Andersem Jorminem i Tonym Oxleyem oraz polskim, w skład którego obok Stańki weszli bardzo młodzi wówczas Sławomir Kurkiewicz, Marcin Wasilewski i Michał Miśkiewicz. Z pierwszym nagrał dwie płyty, z drugim początkowo tworzył tylko muzykę dla filmów i sztuk teatralnych, jednak z czasem zaczął regularnie koncertować, a w 2002 roku wydana została nagrana w tym składzie płyta "The Soul of Things". Jednak jeszcze w latach 90. wydano nagraną przez składający się m.in. ze Stańki, Terje Rypdala i Stensona septet płytę "Litania". Album zawierający utwory napisane przez Krzysztofa Komedę został bardzo dobrze przyjęty zarówno przez krytykę jak i publiczność.

Od początku kariery Tomasz Stańko, tak jak wielu innych jazzmanów, znany był z ekstrawaganckiego stylu ubierania się. Nosił tenisówki do garnituru i cylindra, eksperymentował ze stylem hippie i charakterystycznymi dla niego wielobarwnymi koszulami, a na jego głowie nierzadko zobaczyć można dziwne, czasem wręcz kiczowate, kapelusze i czapki. Jak sam przyznaje wynika to po części ze specyfiki środowiska muzyków jazzowych, w którym tego rodzaju zachowania są czymś powszechnym, ale również z jego wyrazistej, buntowniczej osobowości. Osobowości, która stanowi o wartości jego muzyki, lecz również bywa źródłem problemów. To właśnie ze względu na jego charakter Tomasz i Joanna Stańko, była żona trębacza, przez wiele lat mieszkali osobno. - Chciałem mieszkać sam. Jestem trochę despotą. Ta samotność mi rozwiązywała dylemat moralny - przyznał w jednym z wywiadów.

Muzyk nie ukrywa kontaktów z narkotykami, szczególnie haszyszem. - Ja przez wiele lat paliłem haszysz, ale nigdy nie robiłem z tego jakiegoś psychodelicznego zjawiska - wyznaje. - To była dla mnie substancja odurzająca, która dawała pewną przyjemność. Używałem jej, na tej samej zasadzie jak dobrych ubrań. Jakiś czas temu zrezygnował jednak ze wszelkich używek ze względu na zdrowie. - To są wszystko silne trucizny. Są limity biologiczne i jeśli chce się mieć kontrolę nad własnym życiem, trzeba wybierać.

Pomimo tego, że w chwili wydania płyty "The Soul of Things" miał już 60 lat, nie przestał nagrywać i koncertować. Od tego czasu ukazało się pięć jego albumów, w tym poświęcony Powstaniu Warszawskiemu "Wolność w sierpniu", nagrany razem z muzykami z jego kwartetu, Wojciechem Karolakiem i Polską Orkiestrą Radiową.

Tomasz Stańko zmarł w Warszawie 29 lipca, 2018 roku---muzyka.wp.pl

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Tomasz Stanko - Almost Green (1979)

2018-08-19T13:44:29Z

Tomasz Stanko - Almost Green (1979)


A1 	New Song 	10:39
A2 	From Greenhills 	3:36
A3 	Slowly By 	5:27
B1 	When On Earth 	10:20
B2 	Almost Green 	3:42
B3 	Megaira 	3:48

Double Bass – Palle Danielsson
Drums, Producer – Edward Vesala
Tenor Saxophone – Tomasz Szukalski
Trumpet – Tomasz Stanko

"Almost Green" is fourth and last record by great Stanko Quartet with Vesala and Szukalski, this time with wonderful dwarf Palle Danielsson on bass. Released by Finnish label Leo Records in 1979, this album was preceeded by "TWET" (Muza 1974), "Balladyna" (ECM 1976) and "Live at Remont" (Helicon 1978), each with different bassist. But always the rhythm section sounded pretty heavy and whole quartet freshly and recognizably. Maybe it is wishful thinking from my side, but I often thought when listening to "Balladyna" that there are some similarities with great Elton Dean Quintet's "Boundaries", and I got that feeling again with "Live at Remont" and "Almost Green", which were completely new to me during last weeks... ---inconstantsol.blogspot.com

Tomasz Stańko, 76, July 26th of lung cancer in Warsaw. One of the biggest names in Polish jazz, he composed smooth lyrical works known for their emotional enchantment and was part of the free jazz movement. He first heard jazz through Voice of America radio and in 1958 attended a Dave Brubeck concert during Brubeck’s famous State Department tour of Poland, cementing his commitment to the music.

After playing with notables of the Polish jazz scene in the 60s and 70s he began to travel broadly in the 1980’s, recording an album in the Taj Mahal and working with top jazz musicians the world over. His star continued to rise through the 2000’s. He maintained an active tour schedule and was commissioned for high profile public works.

He spent time living in New York City where he could be regularly heard. In his last decade, he experimented with poetry based work. He released over twenty albums as a leader, notably “Almost Green” in 1979. ---syncopatedtimes.com

Album rozpoczyna się grą napięć między free-jazzową sekcją a podniosłymi, trochę Colemanowskimi motywami trąbki i saksofonu, kulminującymi na filmową nutę (mowa tu o filmach z gatunku polski dreszczowiec obyczajowy), a później wchodzi na kolejne piętra impresji i improwizacji, do których w żaden sposób nie pasuje twarz Piotra Machalicy. Nie ma co ukrywać, że jest to pozycja trudna, dla najwytrwalszych Stańkomaniaków, a zapewne nawet oni mogli poczuć, że ten skład odbył już swój ostatni lot i "trzeba z żywymi naprzód iść". --–Michał Zagroba, porcys.com

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Tomasz Stanko - From The Green Hill (1999)

2011-02-06T10:05:26Z

Tomasz Stanko - From The Green Hill (1999)


1 Domino 
2 Litania                         play
3 Stone Ridge 
4 ...y despues de todo 
5 Litania 
6 Quintet's Time 
7 Pantronic 
8 The Lark In The Dark 
9 Love Theme from Farewell to Maria 
10 ..from the Green Hill 
11 Buschka 
12 Roberto Zucco                 play
13 Domino's Intro 
14 Argentyna

Musicians:
Tomasz Stanko - trumpet 
John Surman - baritone saxophone, bass clarinet 
Dino Saluzzi - bandoneon 
Michelle Makarski - violin 
Anders Jormin - bass 
Jon Christensen – drums

After his critical and popular success with Litania, revitalizing the music of his countryman Komeda, Poland's Stanko, possessor of perhaps the darkest trumpet sound in jazz, resurfaces here in quite a different context, with associates from everywhere. Bandeonista from Argentina, reedman from England's south coast, classical violinist from Detroit, bassist from Sweden. Only veteran Norwegian drummer Jon Christensen is retained from the Litania session, although a sense of continuity is maintained by Saulzzi, who brings a wistful regret to his interpretation of a Komeda theme. Otherwise Stanko and John Surman share composer credits as well as the special understanding that belongs only to the most lyrical improvisers. –ECM

From the Green Hill is Tomasz Stanko's ECM follow-up to the deservedly acclaimed Litania - The Music of Kryzsztof Komeda. The Polish composer and trumpeter (and former Komeda sideman) teams up with countrywoman Michelle Makarski, ECM stalwarts saxophonist John Surman, bandoneon king Dino Saluzzi, drum god Jon Christensen, and bassist Anders Jormin. The set is comprised mainly of Stanko originals, but there are also compositions by Surman, and two by Komeda, including "Litania." This chamber jazz sextet draws heavily on European jazz influences naturally, but also from Eastern Europe's folk traditions. In this way, Komeda's influence is clearly felt throughout the recording, even on Surman's "Domino." But it is also fair to say that Stanko was there with Komeda at the beginning, and his devotion to the folk traditions of his region had an equally big impact on the late composer though both men were firmly committed to the jazz idiom as the only means of expression for their kind of music. Both men sought to identify the music their group played with their homeland and Eastern Europe. Interestingly, this notion brings out the international aspirations of each musician on the date. On "Litania," Saluzzi moves the interval enough to shift the melody to make it an Italian funeral song. With "Stone Ridge," that follows, Makarski opens Surman's piece with a wistful Hungarian lilt in her violin line, before Stanko's muted trumpet and Surman's bass clarinet wind around each other in a slower than slow counterpoint that brings in Saluzzi's bandoneon with the melody. It's an old modal-sounding piece, which is narrow in its dynamic range but rich in texture and nuance before it turns itself into a gypsy polka. Surman tries his hand at some Dave Tarras klezmer lines on the big clarinet, and the piece evolves again into a post-Miles jazz vamp. Christensen is without doubt the greatest drummer in ECM's regular stable -- yes, that includes Paul Motian. His style is one of the unobtrusive percussionists. He plays like crazy, elegantly weaving and sweeping through the band's changes and never once stutters or, as so many drummers are wont to do, draws any attention himself. His humility is truly remarkable for a percussionist of his caliber. On Stanko's "Love Theme From Farewell to Marie," a blues tune in A minor, Stanko plays with the rhythm section for a bit before Makarski weaves her way in a knot at a time, and Jormin creates a harmonic bond with her. When Saluzzi starts to fill out the changes, he shifts the architecture of the tune so that when Surman slips in, the tone and mode -- let alone the rhythm of these blues -- has become darker, deeper, and mellifluous in its timbral richness and harmonic elegance. Over 14 tunes, Tomasz Stanko reveals once again why he is a bandleader of great authority and integrity. This is an ensemble of powerful individuals and no less than three composers among them. Stanko's arrangements are carried out with equanimity and grace as well as precision and musicality. The result is an album that, while not as attention grabbing as Litania, is as musically inventive and challenging as its predecessor, and wholly more satisfying than most of what comes from Eastern Europe in the name of jazz at the end of the 20th century. ---Thom Jurek, allmusic.com

Po docenionej przez krytyków i publiczność „Litanii”, ponownie odkrywającej twórczość Krzysztofa Komedy, Stańko, najmroczniejsza chyba trąbka jazzu, pojawia się tu w innym kontekście – z muzykami z najróżniejszych stron świata. Bandoneonista z Argentyny, reedman z południowych wybrzeży Anglii, skrzypaczka grająca klasykę z Detroit, kontrabasista ze Szwecji. Z zespołu, który brał udział w nagraniu „Litanii” pozostał norweski perkusista Jon Christensen. Jednak ciągłość z poprzednim albumem Stańki zachowuje również Saluzzi, który przywołuje jeden z słynnych tematów Komedy nadając mu melancholijny, tęskny ton. Na album składają się kompozycje Stańki i Johna Surmana. Czuć między nimi wyjątkowe porozumienie właściwe jedynie najbardziej lirycznym improwizatorom.

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Tomasz Stanko - Lontano (2006)

2012-10-21T16:22:00Z

Tomasz Stanko - Lontano (2006)


1. Lontano, Part 1	12:50
2. Cyrhla		7:04
3. Song For Ania	7:39
4. Kattorna		6:29
5. Lontano, Part 2	14:56
6. Sweet Thing		6:50
7. Trista		4:39
8. Lontano, Part 3	12:01
9. Tale			3:55

Tomasz Stanko: trumpet; 
Marcin Wasilewski: piano; 
Slawomir Kurkiewicz: bass; 
Michal Miskiewicz: drums.

It’s a fine line between introspection and shoegazing, and trumpeter Tomasz Stanko straddles it well on his new disc, Lontano. Stanko is a difficult fellow to criticize. A Polish jazz leader for three and a half decades, Stanko has left an impressive body of work in his wake. On Lontano, his quartet continues the ideas that have served him well—airy constructions, pensive arrangements and a relaxed approach. Stanko’s is a patient kind of music, one that demands undivided attention. Yet the music is so quiet, so delicate, that at times it falls prey to its own preciousness.

The three-part title suite is spread among the album’s nine tracks, but really any of them could be included, as one tune can blend into the next. To be fair, there are moments of sheer beauty within these 77 minutes: Michal Miskiewicz gently tapping his stick on the side of the kit several minutes into “Lontano, I”; pianist Marcin Wasilewski crafting a dark, elegant passage over bassist’s Slawomir Kurkiewicz’s drone on “Cyrhla”; Stanko’s first mournful strains on “Song for Ania”; the juxtaposition of the piano’s high trills and the trumpet’s low growls on “Kattorna.” But there are too many prolonged stretches of ambient soundscape to sustain interest, especially in the disc’s latter half. It’s as though the band tired of the music midway through. I know the feeling. ---Steve Greenlee, jazztimes.com

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Tomasz Stanko - Polin (2014)

2018-07-30T15:34:39Z

Tomasz Stanko - Polin (2014)


1 	Gela 	7:30
2 	Yankiel's Lid 	9:02
3 	Margolit L. 	7:32
4 	Polin 	5:55
5 	The Street Of Crocodiles 	7:28

Double Bass – Dezron Douglas
Drums – Kush Abadey
Piano – David Virelles
Saxophone – Ravi Coltrane
Trumpet, Composed By – Tomasz Stańko

I spent bigger part of my life in regions influenced by Slavic culture(all - Eastern,Western and Southern Slavs)and as result together with deep understanding what it is learned one thing - how much I hate that over-exalting "Slavic spirituality". That sweet-and-sour dreamy sadness with no reason,painful melancholy,anxiety,continuing awaiting of something what probably happens (combined with intuitive knowledge that nothing really happens ever)... Some strangers even see it attractive but it only means they never lived aside of that twilight zone of irrationality, fatalism and sensual mysticism.Just get me right - I mean exactly overdosed spiritual sensuality which is far different from Slavic culture in whole.

Trumpeter Tomasz Stanko is with no doubt leading Polish jazz musician and probably one of the best European jazz trumpeter. His international fame came mostly after ECM contracted him, soon he became label's trade mark and leading voice (personally I really like his early adventurous albums coming from early 70s; they are mostly released domestically in Poland and are almost unknown abroad). Success of his music comes from his great, quite free Miles Davis post-bop period influenced techniques combined with strong European chamber tradition and above mentioned "Slavic soul". On his best albums Tomasz finds only his own unique proportions between all three components making music close to masterpiece. On not so successful recordings he loses that balance and magic almost disappears.

Being a real fan of Stanko's early albums,I'm quite critical towards many his ECM releases - all of them are technically perfect, but far not every is real musical joy.Some Stanko most current releases were all quite disappointment (knowing how great music he can play), probably with "Wislawa" being a real disaster. Stanko reclocated to New York from native Poland and formed his New York quartet with really great local artists (incl, pianist David Virelles and drummer Gerald Cleaver, plus ECM bassist Thomas Morgan). New collective debut work (released on ECM in 2013) is dedicated to late Polish poet and Nobel Laureate Wisława Szymborska. Working with lyrical,soulful and very Slavic material Tomasz recorded studio double-CD album with American band who simply didn't find right place in all that sensitive balladry.

Next on line Stanko album came on the last days of 2014 and was full of surprises. First of all, it was released by Museum Of The History Of Polish Jews (being their first ever musical release). It's not a first Stanko work of such kind - one of his albums ("Wolność w sierpniu")has been already released in co-operation with Warsaw Uprising Museum some years ago. Than,being recorded in New York,in Sear Sound Studio, it is free from ECM high but very predictable sound standard.And at the end - Stanko seriously reformed his American quartet for this recording: only Cuban pianist David Virelles stays from his classic New York Quartet, new rhythm section contains Dezron Douglas on bass and drummer Kush Abadey, plus all team is improved with sax man Ravi Coltrane (alternatively,all quintet could be seen as Tomasz Stanko plus new Ravi Coltrane quartet with different drummer - quartet's original drummer is Johnathan Blake)

So, I listen this new album again and again and the main bad thing here is how short it is!Less than 38-minutes long - that's quite a common size for old vinyl but in digital age we are often expecting at not less than twice more. And the music - it's excellent! For the first time ever Stanko plays real groovy jazz with all-American band! Sound is full,warm and tasteful(and here one can ensure how different some ECM artists sound when their music is recorded without that drug-store sterility in sound). Stanko demonstrates excellent collection of catchy tunes - rare event in modern jazz, and surprisingly enough he plays here one of his most straight music for years. If on European releases his freer digressions were all blood of his music, here he somehow founded a right decision - he plays tuneful,groovy post-bop without useless embellishment and it works perfectly.

Since all album is dedicated to holocaust theme ("Polin" means "Poland" in Hebrew) it contains some ballad-like elements and chamber moments,but in all it's a small magic how Tomasz(generally known by his sensitive tunes and melancholic compositions)avoids sentimental melancholy or even dramatic notes here. Muscular and lively,this music sounds more like a hymn to life.

The only sad news is it's announced that album will be distributed by Museum direct sales only so I afraid such a great work will stay unnoticed by many listeners. If by any chance you'll find "Polin" - don't have any doubts,it's Stanko at his very best. ---snobb, jazzmusicarchives.com

Pięcioczęściowa suita Tomasza Stańki odnosi się do wspólnej historii Polaków i Żydów. Zaprezentowana podczas otwarcia wystawy stałej Muzeum Historii Żydów Polskich „Polin” kompozycja już na poziomie tytułów odnosi się do Jankiela czy Schulzowskiej ulicy Krokodyli. W warstwie muzycznej Stańko zaskakuje, zapraszając do składu saksofonistę. Dźwiękom jego trąbki towarzyszą więc partie grane przez syna Johna Coltrane’a – Raviego. Kwintet uzupełnia znany z płyty Wisława pianista David Virelles oraz sekcja rytmiczna w składzie Dezron Douglas (kontrabas) i Kush Abadey (perkusja).

28 października 2014 roku – w dniu uroczystego otwarcia ekspozycji stałej Muzeum, swoją premierę miała suita zatytułowana „Polin”. Podczas koncertu w muzeum Stańko powiedział: „Od 1000 lat splatają się nasze losy. To jest nasza wspólna ziemia. Naszym obowiązkiem jest, by nasze relacje były piękne i tworzyły kreatywne wartości i idee.” ---ninateka.pl

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Tomasz Stanko - Polish Jazz Vol.8 (1998)

2012-10-19T18:29:20Z

Tomasz Stanko - Polish Jazz Vol.8 (1998)


01. Czatownik / The Ambusher    [0:05:48.17]
02. Music For K    [0:16:26.38]
03. Dark Awakening    [0:12:43.20]
04. Mintuu Maria    [0:05:21.12]
05. Alusta    [0:11:35.50]
06. Daada    [0:07:15.10]
07. Bushka    [0:05:56.48]
08. Lady Go    [0:05:51.07]
09. Last Song    [0:02:34.

Personnel:
 (1,2)
Tomasz Stanko - tp
Zbigniew Seifert - as
Janusz Muniak - ts
Bronislaw Suchanek - b
Janusz Stefanski - dr
 (3,4)
Tomasz Stanko - tp
Tomasz Szukalski - ts, ss, bcl
Edward Vesala - dr
Peter Warren - b
 (5,6,7)
Tomasz Stanko - tp
Slawomir Kulpowicz - p
Witold Szczurek - b
Czeslaw Bartkowski - dr
 (8,9)
Tomasz Stanko - tp
Witold Szczurek - b, bg
Apostolis Anthimos - dr, perc, g
Tomasz Holuj – perc

Jazz trumpeter Tomasz Stańko began his tenure as a major force in European free jazz in the early '60s with the formation of the quartet Jazz Darins in 1962 with Adam Makowicz. From 1963 to 1967 he played with Krzysztof Komeda in a group that revolutionized European jazz and made an impact across the Atlantic as well. Stańko also put in time with Andrzej Trzaskowski in the mid-'60s before leading his own quintet from 1968 to 1973. The Tomasz Stanko Quintet, which included Muniak and Zbigniew Seifert, garnered considerable critical acclaim, especially for their tribute to Komeda entitled Music for K. The early '70s brought collaborations with a number of avant-garde and creative jazz artists, including the Globe Unity Orchestra, Michal Urbaniak, Cecil Taylor, and Gary Peacock. From 1974 to 1978, Stańko played in a quartet with Edward Vesala, then returned to performing as a leader and soloist. The '80s brought Stańko collaborations with Chico Freeman in Freeman's group Heavy Life, as well as work with James Spaulding, Jack DeJohnette, and Rufus Reid. He was also briefly part of Cecil Taylor's big band in 1984. Shortly afterward, he formed another ensemble, Freelectronic. The '90s brought an alliance with ECM, which issued some of Stańko's most acclaimed work, including another lush, gorgeous tribute to Komeda, 1997's Litania, which was heavy with that composer's film work. The follow-up on ECM, 2000's From the Green Hill, drew from many of the same emotional and historic sources as Komeda's work, but this time the compositions were Stańko's. In 2002, Stańko's contributions to European jazz were honored when he was issued the very first European Prize, which was intended to honor outstanding European jazz musicians. During the final round of voting from 21 critics from as many countries, Stańko won ten votes, narrowly topping the runner-up, Dutch piano player Misha Mengelberg. That same year Soul of Things was released on ECM, followed by Suspended Night in 2004, also on ECM. Too Pee appeared in 2006, as did Chameleon and Lontano. --- Stacia Proefrock, Rovi

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Tomasz Stanko - Purple Sun (1973)

2011-01-08T19:36:01Z

Tomasz Stanko - Purple Sun (1973)


1) Boratka & Flute's Ballad (T. Stanko, 14:10)
2) My Night My Day (Z. Seifert, 6:25)
3) Falir (T. Stanko, 15:08)
4) Purple Sun (T. Stanko, 6:25)              play

Musicians:
* Hans Hartmann - kontrabas
* Janusz Muniak - saksofon sopranowy, saksofon tenorowy, flet, instrumenty perkusyjne
* Zbigniew Seifert - skrzypce, saksofon altowy
* Tomasz Stańko - trąbka
* Janusz Stefański - perkusja, instrumenty perkusyjne

Recorded live: March 9, 1973: Musikhochschule, Munich, Germany

Purple Sun is a festive fusion album that works well within the constraints of the idiom and avoids all its pitfalls. Stanko and company liberally mix On the Corner-era Miles Davis with the tonal advancements of the Mahavishnu Orchestra. The addition of well-thought out melodies makes this one of the finer and most tasteful statements in an often-overworked genre. "Boratka/Flute's Ballad" and "Falir" are rooted in the loose meandering of Miles' early '70's work-slinky vamps, riffing rather than walking bass, and lengthy solo segments. Purple Sun is more successful if only because Hartmann is a much more inventive bassist than Michael Henderson. Stanko's playing on these tracks is also very reminiscent of Miles, especially because of the layers of echo added to his tone. The two shorter pieces are actually the more interesting, "My Night My Day" sporting a melody that would make a James Bond soundtrack proud and the title track layering a celebratory unison horn line over funky fast-paced rhythmic accompaniment.

Purple Sun - album muzyczny nagrany przez Quintet Tomasza Stańki, zaliczany do jazzowej awangardy. Jest to trzecia i ostatnia płyta pierwszego Kwintetu Tomasza Stańki (dotychczasowego basistę Bronisława Suchanka zastąpił już Hans Hartmann). Nagrana "na żywo", 9 marca 1973 w Musikhochschule w Monachium; dźwięk rejestrował Ulrich Kraus. LP wydany został przez niemiecką wytwórnię Calig Records w 1973. Pierwsza reedycja na CD w 1999 (Selles).

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Tomasz Stanko - Tales for a Girl 12 and a Shaky Chica (1991)

2009-10-20T13:23:59Z

Tomasz Stanko - Tales for a Girl 12 and a Shaky Chica (1991)

I. Tales For A Girl, 12 (Opowiadania Dla Dwunastoletniej Dziewczynki)

01. The Two First, The Third, And A Few Others / Dwa Pierwsze, Trzecie i Pare Innych
02. Fourth & Seventh / Czwarte i Siodme
03. 8, 9, And 11 / 8, 9 i 11
04. Moon Tale / Opowiadanie Ksiezycowe
05. Mystery Tale / Opowiadanie Tajemnicze
06. Weird Tale / Opowiadanie Dziwaczne
07. Seventeenth And Eighteenth / Siedemnaste i Osiemnaste
08. Second Tale / Opowiadanie Drugie
09. 5 & 5 / 5 i 5
10. Crazy Tale / Opowiadanie Szalone
11. Perverse Tale / Opowiadanie Perwersyjne
12. Final Tale / Opowiadanie Konczace

II. Shaky Chica (Szurnieta Szczeniara)
13. Shaky Chica / Szurnieta Szczeniara

Personnel:
Tomasz Stańko - trumpet
Janusz Skowron – synthesizer

This is Polish trumpeter and composer Tomasz Stanko at his most confounding. Paired with Janisz Skowron on synthesizer, Stanko claims that these pieces are nothing more than short little musical stories -- not fully realized compositions, but sketches. That's reasonable enough, but when certain pieces -- such as the opener -- are nine minutes in length, that becomes somewhat tenuous as an explanation. The 12 pieces that make up this "suite," if indeed it can be called that, are ephemeral roots and seedlings of ideas not yet realized and not meant to be. This, too, is acceptable as a notion, but why record them? Perhaps Brian Eno can get away with nonsense like this since he's not -- by his own admission -- a musician, but Stanko is an ambitious talent, a sophisticated composer whose control over an ensemble brings out the sublime in them. This is throwaway music, ignoble and forgettable and not worth the time or materials it took to produce. A bitter disappointment. ---Thom Jurek, Rovi

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Tomasz Stanko - Wolnosc w Sierpniu (2005)

2009-10-20T13:26:17Z

Tomasz Stanko - Wolność w Sierpniu (2005)


:: Wolnosc W Sierpniu (Freedom In August)
:: Piesn Nadziei (Hope Song)
:: Ballada Powstancza (Rising Ballad)
:: Piesn Ruin (Crash Song)
:: Dee
:: Piesn Kanalow (Song Of The Sewers)

Personnel:
Tomasz Stanko - trumpet, composer
Marcin Wasilewski - piano
Janusz Skowron - synthesizer
Slawomir Kurkiewicz - double-bass
Michal Miskiewicz - drums
Antymos Apostolis - percussion
Tomasz Szukalski - tenor saxophone
Wojiech Karolak - orchestral arrangements
String Section of Polish Radio Orchestra
Marcin Nalecz Niesiolowski - conductor

Trumpeter Tomasz Stanko has found increasing international exposure in recent years due to a string of fine ECM recordings, including Leosia (1997), Litania (1997) and Suspended Night (2004). But while his reappearance on the international scene is relatively recent, he has a perhaps not-so-surprisingly considerable discography released only in his native Poland, which ranges from Bosonossa (GOWI, 1993)—with his nascent quartet featuring Bobo Stenson, Anders Jormin, and Tony Oxley—to works for theatre and film. Regardless of context, Stanko's distinctive raspy yet warm tone and melancholy lyricism provide a fundamental link, whatever the style or application.

Wolnosc w Sierpniu (Freedom in August) is an independent Polish release written for the Warsaw Rising Museum, which opened in August, 2004 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the fight for Warsaw. Stanko was commissioned to write a suite of music for use by the museum, working here with an augmented version of his current quartet with pianist Marcin Wasilewski, bassist Slawomir Kurkiewicz, and drummer Michal MiÅkiewicz. Stanko's characteristic openness imbues these six tracks totalling just under half an hour of music. However, the addition of the Polish Radio Orchestra's string section, as well as synthesizer, percussion, and saxophone—the latter played by Tomasz Szukalski, a Stanko collaborator since the 1970s—creates a more broadly-textured work, a stronger blend of Stanko the composer with Stanko the improviser.

And yet, while songs like the title track clearly have more detailed arrangements, there's an airiness and a sense of freedom that perfectly embodies the spirit in which these pieces were composed. As Stanko has aged, like Italian trumpeter Enrico Rava, he has found a more centrist way of retaining the freedom that's imbued his work since he first emerged in the 1960s with Polish composer Krystof Komeda and Alexander von Schlippenbach's Globe Unity Orchestra. Rather than confining, Stanko's arrangements paradoxically seem to liberate him to the point where defined melodies and improvisations become almost one and the same.

While the leader's is the primary voice, Wasilewski and Szukalski both have their own opportunities to explore the potential of Stanko's lush and accessible compositions. On his own records, as well as Manu Katche's recent release, Neighbourhood, Wasilweski is proving to be not only a highly adaptable player, but one whose elegant language is evolving in leaps and bounds.

The title track, though at a bright tempo, retains a certain darkness in texture, while "Hope Song" is more ethereal, Stanko's voice rising above the wash of synthesizers and strings. "Rising Ballad" begins with Stanko's plaintive voice alone, the mournful tone and soft accompaniment evoking the mixed emotions of freedom gained and lives lost. "Crash Song," on the other hand, may have an equally soft backdrop, but Stanko's jarring lines create a more vivid sense of discord. ---John Kelman, allaboutjazz.com

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