Past Projects

In the manner of a heart-to heart conversation defined by leisurely pace and thoughtful exchange of views, the Polish Foton Quartet navigates its way through a loosely lyrical though unscripted 59-minute program. None of the participants are well-known outside their home country, but that might not stay the case for long, based on their strength as a unit; full of sensitive listening which puts the group first, there is empathy in abundance here. While placement and color of sound is important, they reside within the jazz vernacular, even slipping into tempo at times, slightly melancholic though with barely a trace of the blues. Oceanic currents come to mind as lines drift to and fro, coming together and apart within the overall tide.

On tenor saxophone, Gerard Lebik adds occasional eastern European harmonies, and expands into squawks when the backing becomes heated. Often in tandem with Artur Majewski's poised trumpet, the reedman spirals into animated convocation. Both horns lodge predominantly in the conventional registers, making their impact more through what they say than how they say it. For bassist Jakub Cywinski and drummer Wojciech Romanowski, responsiveness appears the prime concern, both proving particularly attuned to Majewski's riffs and flurries. All convince as technically assured, and though lacking that distinctive edge which separates out the upper echelons, their perfectly judged contributions—knowing when to play and when not to play—make for subtle but purposeful communion.

Each of the six cuts traverses a lot of ground, offering ample space for the foursome to stretch out. By way of example, on "Five," the longest piece, Cywinski's sinewy pizzicato intro leads into relaxed dialogue with the horns, before Romanowski's unhurried and spacey percussion shadows meandering contralto clarinet. Later he sparingly accompanies another darkly voiced bass feature, eventually joined by limpid trumpet and clattering percussion. But it's not all quite so mazy: the short concluding "Six" provides an emphatic and spirited finale.

The rich and versatile Polish jazz scene has gone through a big transform in interest over the last decade. Due in large part to the resurgence of the great Tomasz Stanko. Over the last few years a number of artists have leaped into the consciousness of jazz fans all across the globe. From Marcin Wasilewski Trio, Mikrokoletyw to RGG Trio, Polish artists are showing us all that great, creative and forward thinking jazz can come from more than just Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Denmark, England, U.S. and a few select countries. One such collective is Foton Quartet and their debut, Zomo Hall (Not Two Records). Zomo Hall might sound like a trip into the avant garde for the uninitiated, its actually upon the deeper listening that you will find the detail. There are qualities here that are reminiscent of the more experimental work of Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry and Art Ensemble. But the journey through these six “untitled” tracks is truly fruitful and a superb listen. Artur Majewski (also a member of the duo Mikrokoletyw) and Gerad Lebik combine to bring forth some incredible phrasing and stellar improvising throughout this recording. Track three has a steady meditative tonality with both horns taking different patterns while Cywinski lays down a dreamlike bassline. Majewski later gains a bit of steam midway through but the track never loses its reflective aural sculpture. Track five brought back memories of listening to Ornette Coleman’s soundtrack for Naked Lunch. It’s a journey through recess of my own mind that I’d rather not experience. A powerful performance from both Lebik and Cywinski, who turns his bass almost into a cello. This is the longest track on the album but its also the deepest and most creative as it takes the listener through a number of different themes all quiet in nature but adventurous in execution. Track six does stretch out with the band demonstrating that it can take the listener to far reaches of thought while still holding your interest (in only two and a half short minutes). Foton Quartet is yet another piece of the new Polish jazz scene that must be heard by a wider audience. Zomo Hall standups against anything from rest the minimal, avant garde in other countries. And the work of Artur Majewski should really start to be noticed by more people as well. His collaborative work on the scene for me, is some of the best in Europe at the moment. Zomo Hall was a hard record for me to find. I had known about it for some time but couldn’t even stumble across it. Then one day my good friends at Downtown Music Gallery got it in and I immediately put down the money. I suggest if you are interested in something new and creative–do yourself a favour and pick up Zomo Hall. Highly Recommend!

(Maciej Nowotny, polish-jazz.blogspot)

Slug Duo - Fully Improvised Sets From Falanster 2009 (Vytvornia OM, 2010)
Slug Duo - Organic Stone (Vytvornia OM, 2010

The first album was recorded live at the Falanster Club in Wroclaw, Poland, in November of last year. The music is mainly acoustic with ongoing superb and varied free improvisation: from incredibly playful and rhythmic interaction, over fierce and wild moments, they can easily switch to more sensitive slower passages and back. It is all very straight-ahead, without too many pyrotechnics, and it is really a joy to listen to from beginning to end. It is pure, unadulterated fun. The audience, though limited in number, claps and cheers, adding some value to this performance. It is so good, that it is really easy to recommend.
Their second release, "Organic Stone", is a little bit of a different beast. Recorded in the studio, it starts well, with a deep slow and free interaction between howling tenor and thundering drums. On the third track, the electronics enter into play, and then this guy's attention starts to drift off. Yes, there is some drumming to be heard under the crackling noise, but we are far away from the pristine joy of celebrating music in its simplest form. We have left the realm of "close celebration" and we have entered the realm of "distant posture", with sounds that are made of plastic instead of made of wood. The same holds true for the rhythms, why would you process them into an endless repetitive beat if you can add lots of variation and subtle changes with natural playing. Luckily, the natural sound dominates most tracks and the playing is really good.

Stef Gijssels (http://freejazz-stef.blogspot.com/)