środa, 20 listopada 2013

NSI Quartet - Introducing (2013) ****

NSI Quartet

Cyprian Baszyński - trumpet
Bartek Prucnal - alto & soprano saxes
Mike Parker - double bass
Dawid Fortuna – drums

Introducing (2013)





It seems to me that I was first writer who few years ago started to use a term "renaissance" to describe what is going right now in Polish jazz. I found it appropriate since after a decade or two of stagnation during which only occasionally some creative sparks (like yass) lighted up the darkness, all of the sudden the young generation invaded the stage. They kind of rejuvenated a body which seemed long dead. Such a picture might be oversimplified but nonetheless I assume nobody can question the role of young musicians in recent resurgence of jazz music in Poland. That is why we have on our blog FOCUS ON DEBUT category and we regard albums featured in it as also the best among ALL released recordings in given year.

Now in this category we present you a very special recording which embodies what is the best in youngest generation of musicians in Poland. First of all it is very well performed which is due to the high level of education. Like many of his peers a two members of this collective - trumpeter Cyprian Baszyński and saxophonist Bartek Prucnal - are students of one of the best music academies in Poland, precisely the one located in Cracow. Furthermore, and that is also almost a rule, they are among them a lot of winners of many jazz contests and in this case this band won famous in Poland Jazz Juniors contest. What is now also frequent is that these young artists very soon start to collaborate with their colleagues from other countries. That's why we should not be surprised that in this band we find a American doublebassist Mike Parker who is is as young and as talented as the rest of the players in this band.

Dawid Fortuna, the drummer, is a bit different story. Though young as well he already graduated from Cracow school and, more importantly, has earned himself a name among jazz musicians in Poland. Regular member of Paweł Kaczmarczyk and Dominik Wania trios he is also playing in band called New Bone. Everywhere he is valued for his energetic yet technically impeccable style.

Now we move to the most important common feature of the projects of many young musicians who debut in recent years: unlike a decade or even 5 years ago this generation is much more looking to the future than to the past of jazz music. Sure they know, they respect and they use the great heritage of jazz music as a foundation for their own development. But as much these four musicians constituting NSI Quartet as many his colleagues they first of all try to experiment to find in jazz music what always was vital for it: that is something fresh, something personal and something which reflects the actual tastes of popular audience. All these augurs well for the future of our music, for the future of jazz in our country and bodes well also for the future of these for young artists of whom I am sure we will hear a lot of in years to come. Congratulations!

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