{"id":14653,"date":"2025-02-28T01:05:08","date_gmt":"2025-02-28T01:05:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thebeatfreaks.pl\/?p=14653"},"modified":"2026-07-17T21:50:45","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T21:50:45","slug":"polish-jazz-blogspot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thebeatfreaks.pl\/index.php\/2025\/02\/28\/polish-jazz-blogspot\/","title":{"rendered":"Polish Jazz Blogspot"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Jim Morrison was once asked how he would describe The Doors\u2019 album <\/span>L.A. Woman<\/i>.<\/span> His answer was a single word:<\/span> „blues.<\/span>” It seems to me that a similar shorthand could be used to describe the latest release from The Beat Freaks,<\/span> titled <\/span>Mechanics of Nature<\/i>\u2014this time featuring ECM star Ralph Alessi\u2014with the sole difference being that instead of „blues,<\/span>” we are dealing with „free jazz” in its purest form.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Listeners had to wait quite a while for new material from this intriguing group.<\/span> Five years have passed since their last long-play,<\/span> Stay Calm<\/i>,<\/span> and in the meantime,<\/span> Flavio Gullotta replaced Pawe\u0142 Grzesiuk on double bass.<\/span> Meanwhile,<\/span> the band’s leader,<\/span> Micha\u0142 Starkiewicz,<\/span> released the sensational album <\/span>Solaris<\/i> in 2021.<\/span> However,<\/span> the musicians had no intention of resting on their laurels; they have returned with greater maturity,<\/span> awareness,<\/span> and more carefully curated ideas,<\/span> and inviting Ralph Alessi turned out to be a total bullseye.<\/span> But first things first.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The album is a concept record of sorts.<\/span> The overarching theme is the beauty of nature,<\/span> though understood more as a fascination with the mechanisms that govern it.<\/span> Besides,<\/span> Starkiewicz had already given vent to his search for beauty and melody within the world’s governing mechanics on the aforementioned <\/span>Solaris<\/i>.<\/span> Thus,<\/span> Mechanics of Nature<\/i> should be treated as a natural continuation of that theme.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Yet,<\/span> the compositions are wild enough that it is difficult to grasp this conceptualism at first listen.<\/span> What we actually have here is pure free jazz,<\/span> where the musicians challenge all existing achievements of music theory (at least in terms of rhythm).<\/span> At the same time,<\/span> they maintain cohesion and melodicism,<\/span> and in each track,<\/span> one can hear a distinctive feature:<\/span> the slow,<\/span> sustained lines of the horn section contrasted against a fast,<\/span> dense,<\/span> and downright galloping rhythm section.<\/span> This approach to free jazz leaves no room for boredom.<\/span> The harmonies unfold slowly,<\/span> moving as if in a completely different tempo than the rushing rhythm in the background.<\/span> For the listener,<\/span> this contrast is nothing short of phenomenal.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The chemistry between Tomasz Licak and Ralph Alessi is otherworldly.<\/span> I was somewhat worried that the trumpet and saxophone would clash or\u2014heaven forbid\u2014clich\u00e9dly wait for their turn to solo.<\/span> It is quite the opposite.<\/span> We are dealing with a dialogue between two musicians rather than a mundane attempt to showcase oneself in the best possible light.<\/span> I particularly enjoy the moments when both instruments play the exact same notes,<\/span> yet due to subtle nuances (including note duration),<\/span> they sound completely different.<\/span> Listening to this duo is pure pleasure.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Of course,<\/span> one cannot forget the excellent rhythm section,<\/span> which plays in an unconventional yet highly rhythmic and cohesive manner.<\/span> Flavio Gullotta and Radek Wo\u015bko did a hell of a job.<\/span> Paradoxically,<\/span> I liked the leader himself the least.<\/span> While his technique is top-notch,<\/span> I simply cannot bring myself to admire the tone of his guitar.<\/span> I realize others might feel differently,<\/span> but bright-sounding PAFs (a type of guitar pickup) terribly irritate my eardrums.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Mechanics of Nature<\/i> showcases what a tremendous artist Ralph Alessi is.<\/span> It is no coincidence that he records for ECM.<\/span> He commands accents brilliantly and possesses a genius sense of articulation.<\/span> He can play sharply and avant-garde while simultaneously creating beautiful,<\/span> atmospheric soundscapes.<\/span> My personal favorite is „Elephant Song,<\/span>” where I initially felt as though I were listening to an old Tomasz Sta\u0144ko recording.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

The new work from The Beat Freaks does not disappoint.<\/span> Despite being relatively long,<\/span> it never gets boring and constantly intrigues with its inventiveness.<\/span> Ralph Alessi fits perfectly into the co-soloist role alongside Tomek Licak.<\/span> Even if free jazz isn’t quite your genre,<\/span> Mechanics of Nature<\/i> is an exceptional release that is well worth a chance.<\/span> The sonic experience\u2014especially courtesy of the divine horn section\u2014is undoubtedly worth dedicating a moment of your free time to explore.<\/span><\/p>\r\n



Spytano kiedy\u015b Jima Morrisona, jak opisa\u0142by p\u0142yt\u0119 The Doors o nazwie \u201cL.A. Woman\u201d. Odpowiedzia\u0142 wtedy jednym s\u0142owem – \u201cblues\u201d. Wydaje mi si\u0119, \u017ce w podobny spos\u00f3b mo\u017cna by\u0142oby opisa\u0107 najnowsze wydawnictwo od \u201cThe Beat Freaks\u201d zatytu\u0142owane \u201dMechanics of Nature\u201d, gdzie tym razem zaprosi\u0142o do wsp\u00f3\u0142pracy gwiazd\u0119 ECM-u Ralpha Alessiego, z t\u0105 jednak r\u00f3\u017cnic\u0105, \u017ce nie jest to \u201cblues\u201d, ale najczystszy w swoim rodzaju \u201cfree jazz\u201d.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Do\u015b\u0107 d\u0142ugo s\u0142uchacze musieli czeka\u0107 na nowe wydawnictwo tej intryguj\u0105cej grupy. Od ostatniego longplaya \u201cStay Calm\u201d min\u0119\u0142o ju\u017c bowiem 5 lat, a w mi\u0119dzyczasie Flavio Gullotta zast\u0105pi\u0142 na kontrabasie Paw\u0142a Grzesiuka. Sam lider za\u015b, czyli Micha\u0142 Starkiewicz, w mi\u0119dzyczasie wyda\u0142 rewelacyjny album pod nazw\u0105 \u201cSolaris\u201d w 2021 roku. Muzycy nie chcieli jednak odcina\u0107 kupon\u00f3w i powr\u00f3cili z wi\u0119ksz\u0105 dojrza\u0142o\u015bci\u0105, \u015bwiadomo\u015bci\u0105 i nieco bardziej wyselekcjonowanymi pomys\u0142ami, a samo zaproszenie Ralpha Alessiego okaza\u0142o si\u0119 strza\u0142em w dziesi\u0105tk\u0119. Ale po kolei.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Album jest swoistym kr\u0105\u017ckiem koncepcyjnym. Tematem przewodnim jest pi\u0119kno natury, ale rozumiane bardziej jako zachwyt nad mechanizmami ni\u0105 rz\u0105dz\u0105cymi. Starkiewicz zreszt\u0105 ju\u017c we wspomnianym wcze\u015bniej \u201cSolaris\u201d da\u0142 upust swoim poszukiwaniom pi\u0119kna i melodii w mechanikach rz\u0105dz\u0105cych \u015bwiatem. Mechanics of Nature traktowa\u0107 nale\u017cy wi\u0119c jako naturaln\u0105 kontynuacj\u0119 tamtego tematu.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Kompozycje s\u0105 jednak na tyle szalone, \u017ce trudno na pierwszy rzut ucha zrozumie\u0107 wspomniany wy\u017cej konceptualizm. Tak naprawd\u0119 mamy tutaj free jazz w czystej postaci, gdzie muzycy kwestionuj\u0105 wszelkie dotychczasowe zdobycze teorii muzyki (a przynajmniej w kwestii rytmicznej). Zachowuj\u0105 jednak przy tym sp\u00f3jno\u015b\u0107 i melodyjno\u015b\u0107, a w ka\u017cdym utworze mo\u017cna us\u0142ysze\u0107 pewn\u0105 charakterystyczn\u0105 cech\u0119, kt\u00f3r\u0105 jest wolne oraz d\u0142ugie brzmienie sekcji d\u0119tej w kontra\u015bcie do szybkiej, g\u0119stej i wr\u0119cz galopuj\u0105cej sekcji rytmicznej. Takie podej\u015bcie do freejazzowego grania nie pozwala na nud\u0119. Harmonie s\u0105 powolne, grane jakby w zupe\u0142nie innym tempie, ni\u017c p\u0119dz\u0105cy w tle rytm. Taki kontrast jest dla s\u0142uchacza w odbiorze czym\u015b fenomenalnym.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Chemia, kt\u00f3r\u0105 maj\u0105 mi\u0119dzy sob\u0105 Tomasz Licak i Ralph Alessi jest nieziemska. Troch\u0119 obawia\u0142em si\u0119, \u017ce tr\u0105bka i saksofon b\u0119d\u0105 sobie przeszkadza\u0107 albo (o zgrozo) w sztampowy spos\u00f3b czeka\u0107 na swoj\u0105 kolej przy sol\u00f3wce. Jest wr\u0119cz przeciwnie. Mamy tutaj do czynienia bardziej z dialogiem dw\u00f3ch muzyk\u00f3w, ni\u017c banaln\u0105 pr\u00f3b\u0105 ukazania swojej osoby w jak najlepszym \u015bwietle. Bardzo podobaj\u0105 mi si\u0119 momenty, kiedy oba instrumenty graj\u0105 te same d\u017awi\u0119ki, ale dzi\u0119ki pewnym subtelno\u015bciom (w tym w aspekcie d\u0142ugo\u015bci trwania danej nuty), brzmi\u0105 zupe\u0142nie inaczej. S\u0142uchanie tego duetu to po prostu czysta przyjemno\u015b\u0107.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Oczywi\u015bcie nie mo\u017cna zapomina\u0107 o znakomitej sekcji rytmicznej, kt\u00f3ra gra niebanalnie, a jednocze\u015bnie mocno rytmicznie i sp\u00f3jnie. Flavio Gullotta i Radek Wo\u015bko odwalili kawa\u0142 dobrej roboty. Paradoksalnie najmniej podoba\u0142 mi si\u0119 sam lider. Oczywi\u015bcie jego technika jest na najwy\u017cszym poziomie, ale po prostu nie mog\u0119 zachwyci\u0107 si\u0119 brzmieniem jego gitary. Zdaj\u0119 sobie spraw\u0119, \u017ce kto\u015b mo\u017ce mie\u0107 inne odczucia, ale jasno brzmi\u0105ce PAFy (tj. rodzaj przetwornik\u00f3w gitarowych) strasznie irytuj\u0105 moje b\u0119benki s\u0142uchowe.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Kr\u0105\u017cek \u201cMechanics of Nature\u201d pokazuje jak wielkim artyst\u0105 jest Ralph Alessi. To nie przypadek, \u017ce nagrywa albumy dla ECM-u. \u015awietnie operuje akcentami i posiada genialne wyczucie artykulacji. Mo\u017ce gra\u0107 jednocze\u015bnie ostro i awangardowo, a z drugiej strony tworzy\u0107 pi\u0119kne, nastrojowe pejza\u017ce. Moim faworytem jest utw\u00f3r \u201cElephant Song\u201d, gdzie pierwotnie mia\u0142em wra\u017cenie, i\u017c s\u0142ysz\u0119 jakie\u015b stare nagranie Tomasza Sta\u0144ko.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Nowe dzie\u0142o \u201cThe Beat Freaks\u201d nie zawodzi. Pomimo tego, \u017ce jest stosunkowo d\u0142ugie, nie nudzi w \u017cadnym momencie oraz intryguje swoj\u0105 pomys\u0142owo\u015bci\u0105. Ralph Alessi znakomicie odnalaz\u0142 si\u0119 we wsp\u00f3\u0142dzielonej roli solisty z Tomkiem Licakiem. Nawet je\u017celi komu\u015b nie do ko\u0144ca podchodzi gatunek free jazzu, \u201cMechanics of Nature\u201d jest pozycj\u0105 wyj\u0105tkow\u0105, kt\u00f3rej warto da\u0107 szanse. Wra\u017cenia d\u017awi\u0119kowe, szczeg\u00f3lnie z powodu boskiej sekcji d\u0119tej, s\u0105 niew\u0105tpliwie warte po\u015bwi\u0119cenia chwili wolnego czasu na zapoznanie si\u0119 z tego rodzaju muzyk\u0105.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\n
https:\/\/polish-jazz.blogspot.com\/2024\/07\/the-beat-freaks-and-ralph-alessi.html<\/div>\r\n<\/figure>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Jim Morrison was once asked how he would describe The Doors\u2019 album L.A. Woman. His answer was a single word: „blues.” It seems to me that a similar shorthand could 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