This is just great, feels so good to listen it. I won’t sell you lollipops, I actually don’t have a clue what “nu jazz” means, generally speaking, I don’t know what’s modern and what not in jazz, and digging further, in music. Sometimes – nowadays – modern becomes synonym of stupid, or at least trendy and patterned, and I really don’t wanna swallow it. This is different. “Smells Like Tape Spirit” have some gentle, warm, retro and kind of classy perfume, but on the other hand it’s extremely fresh, sparkling and breathing alive, it’s – God, I hate this world! – modern, a blending of standards and improvisations, structures and free licks, a rebellion build upon the solid ground of tradition.
And bass player Wojtek Mazolewski is a rebel. Best known for his work in Pink Freud, as well as Baaba, Freeyo, TymaÅ„ski Yass Ensemble, Bassisters Orchestra, and countless other bands, Mazolewski have the roots and energy, restlessness of punk in his vein, but this time he returns to the sounds of Coltrane and melt down that vintage spirit into the explosive, alive approach of some improvising, free musicians. This “hide and seek” spirit of chasing classy and new it runs through the whole album and creates an excellent groove. There’s also something hypnotic, a very special, warm vibe.
All material was recorded and produced in the same way as sessions recorded by Jon Coltrane, Miles Davis, Charles Mingus, and The Beatles during the ’50s and ’60s. ‘Smells Like Tape Spirit’ was therefore created in a studio specifically built for this purpose, using only fully analog equipment housed at Radio GdaÅ„sk. The band recorded all together in one room, in real time, without overdubs so as to give the recording a natural feel and sound. To remain faithful to the idea of recording the album in the style of the great masters, the mixing process of mixing was also analog. The album was mixed straight to analog tape without using any effects during the missing process.
Must listen, this is simply excellent!
Track list:
01. Newcomer 06:05
02. Planeta Guzikow 04:36
03. Kaczeñce 06:19
04. Gwiazda z Pragi (O Owocach Cia³ Nieziemskich) 05:17
05. Pozycz Stowe 01:04
06. Populacja Sikorek 04:33
07. Smells Like Tape Spirit 06:37
08. Ksiezniczka N° 9 And 10 04:19
09. Oberek 05:44
10. Jedynak 03:21
11. Newcomer (Sunny Take) 03:42
Lineup:
Oscar Torok – trumpet
Marek Pospieszalski – sax
Joanna Duda – piano
Michał Bryndal – percussion
Wojtek Mazolewski – bass
Wojtek Mazolewski – Official Site
Wojtek Mazolewski @ MySpace
Mystic Production
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNWnFMZL8IQ&w=540&h=333]
