Marek Pospieszalski Octet

Continuing to interpret contemporary Polish compositions with collective improvisations, Marek Pospieszalski’s octet turns to creations from the music’s distaff side for its third experiment, with each of the 10 tunes named for the composer whose work is reconfigured.

Gender doesn’t affect the final product however since the band’s creativity and skill is at the same high level as it the previous outings. Pospieszalski, who has worked with non-Polish players like Ellias Stemeseder, arranged the tracks that emphasize individual sound modes within collective structural transference. Dependable octet members include his long-time associate Qba Janicki playing drums and soundboard; trumpeter Tomasz Dąbrowski; tenor/baritone saxist Piotr Chęcki; pianist Grzegorz Tarwid; violist Tomasz Sroczyński; guitarist Szymon Mika; bassist Max Mucha and the leader himself moving among soprano, alto and tenor saxophones, clarinet and tape. With all orchestral sections represented, the octet clothes notated lines with textures that introduce gospel-like energy, tremolo folkish intensity and electronic crackles and buzzes to the works. Frequent tutti passages create billowing crescendos that thicken sound integration as the album progresses.

Despite Polish composers history with electronic music, the majority of performances here are resolutely acoustic. As well, except for “Ptaszynska”, where continuous string stretching from the violin mixed with clarinet accents creates a so-called classical interface, tracks intensify 20th century experimentation rather than rote formalism. “Sikora” for instance, contrasts flourishing horn crescendos of brass triplets and reed slurs with a gospel-Blues continuum, which animates the piece with piano key clicks and a thick double bass pulse. On the other hand as drum smacks and undulating horn patterns emphasize horizontal advancement on “Moszumanska-Nazar”, guitar twangs and sliding brass portamento accent the theme so that its evolution is anything but standard.

Overall whether the narratives are slinky like “Bacewicz”, with unexpected melodic interludes, or contrast lyrical clarinet glissandi and half-valve trumpet work to set up descending metallic percussion thumps as on “Dlugoszewski”, group command of the material creates both pinpointed improvisation and enough of the composer’s original concept. The result suggests further investigation of that person’s and the others’ oeuvre would be in order.

Successful gambling may be part of Poles’ make up because with this new reflection of his concept, Pospieszalski and his octet members are third-time lucky.

–Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Sikora 2. Matuszczak 3. Dlugoszewski 4. Bacewicz 5. Buczkowna 6. Kulenty 7. Moszumanska-Nazar 8. Pstrokonska-Nawratil 9. Ptaszynska 10. Zubel/ No Other End Of The World Will There Be

Personnel: Tomasz Dąbrowski (trumpet): Marek Pospieszalski (soprano, alto, tenor saxophones, clarinet, tape); Piotr Chęcki (tenor, baritone saxophones); Grzegorz Tarwid (piano); Tomasz Sroczyński (viola); Szymon Mika (guitars); Max Mucha (bass); Qba Janicki (drums, soundboard)