The Beat Freaks and Ralph Alessi: Mechanics Of Nature The American trumpeter meets a Polish quartet for a set of inchoate angularity that seems to revel in seeking its feet By Darren Arthurs - 20 August 2024 This is the third album by Polish jazzers The Beat Freaks and, in the tradition of the genre, they’ve invited American saxophonist Ralph Alessi along for the ride, and what a ride it is! I’ve been searching for the right term for...
Mechanics of Nature is the third album by The Beat Freaks, a group led by guitarist Michał Starkiewicz. It was recorded with a guest appearance by trumpeter Ralph Alessi. Both of the band's previous albums were successful and critically acclaimed. However, this new release catapults the formation into the absolute forefront of domestic jazz. The Beat Freaks consists of sensational, thoroughly educated musicians who know how to utilize their...
Virtuosic and inventive New York trumpeter Ralph Alessi has worked with everyone from Uri Caine to Michael Formanek as well his own bands. As the century progresses he’s also become involved in international projects like the ones here. Melt all the Guns II is a new chapter in the saga of Brookly/Berlin drummer Devin Gray’s trio with the trumpet and new member, French pianist Myslaure Augustin. Mechanics of Nature on the other hand links...
This is the third album by the Polish Jazz quartet Beat Freaks, which comprises of guitarist / composer Michal Starkiewicz, saxophonist Tomasz Licak, (new Italian, resident in Poland) bassist Flavio Gullotta and drummer Radek Wosko. They are joined by American trumpeter Ralph Alessi. The album presents fourteen tracks, nine of which were composed by Starkiewicz, one by Wosko and four are co-credited to the quartet members and Alessi. The music...
The Beat Freaks is a band founded in Szczecin, Poland. In 2014, guitarist Michał Starkiewicz invited Tomasz Licak (tenor saxophone), Flavio Gullotta (double bass), and Radek Wośko (drums) to cooperate. They already have two albums to their credit, both of which move far beyond traditional, often clichéd jazz formulas. Instead, the ensemble explores the avant-garde, drawing inspiration from Slavic folk music, progressive rock, and improvised...
In jazz, there is nothing better than collective improvisation played by experienced musicians who understand each other perfectly. This is precisely the case with this album. Even the pre-composed tracks leave each band member plenty of space for artistic expression. Ralph Alessi is a figure of such charisma that his presence is felt immediately—he plays wonderfully, dynamically, and with full commitment, possessing an excellent sense of the...
Album Review: Mechanics of Nature – The Beat Freaks & Ralph Alessi (2024) Although the album titled Mechanics of Nature by The Beat Freaks is an attempt to build a concept around nature, its resonance is more universal and is not directly tied to the central theme. It is also the band's most improvisation-forward record to date, leaving a distinctive mark by the world-class, outstanding trumpeter Ralph Alessi. Here, many artistic...
The Beat Freaks kept us waiting longer than usual for their new album. On this latest release, the quartet's special guest is the superb trumpeter and ECM Records star, Ralph Alessi. Mechanics of Nature features 13 tracks ("Lifeline" is formally split into two parts, with a separate intro). Eight of them are compositions by the group's leader, Michał Starkiewicz, while one is credited to Radek Wośko. The remaining four are the result of...
The Beat Freaks ble startet i 2014 av gitaristen Michael Starkiewicz, som inviterte Tomasz Licak (tenorsaksofon), Flavio Gullotta (bass) og Radek Wośko (trommer) med til å starte bandet. Musikere forsøker å flykte fra klisjéformene som de synes pregen jazzmusikken. I musikken deres kan vi finne inspirasjon og lån fra både slavisk musikk, folkemusikk, etnisk, blues, improvisert jazz og rock. Den amerikanske trompeteren Ralph Alessi vi...
Jim Morrison was once asked how he would describe The Doors’ album L.A. Woman. His answer was a single word: "blues." It seems to me that a similar shorthand could be used to describe the latest release from The Beat Freaks, titled Mechanics of Nature—this time featuring ECM star Ralph Alessi—with the sole difference being that instead of "blues," we are dealing with "free jazz" in its purest form. Listeners had to wait quite a while for...
