LESZEK MOŻDŻER — Komeda (review)

LESZEK MOŻDŻER — Komeda album cover Album · 2011 · Third Stream Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
snobb
This album is attractive even with just its concept - leading Polish modern pianist Leszek Mozdzer plays the compositions of the godfather of Polish modern jazz, Krzysztof Komeda (even if only a few people outside of Poland knows Komeda's name, I believe a lot of people around the world know his music from the soundtracks of Polanski's films 'Rosemary's Baby', 'The Fearless Vampire Killers', 'Knife in the Water' or 'Cul-de-sac').

All the compositions on this albums are Komeda's and Mozdzer plays them with characteristic lyricism and melancholy. Being first a classically trained pianist, he has played jazz for years, but very often in his music you can hear his classical background.

This album's musical material is excellent and Mozdzer uses it carefully (but with a lot of improvs - Komeda's tunes are only a starting point here). The sound and atmosphere are quite different from Komeda's originals. Komeda was known not only as great composer, but also known for his angular and quite nervous sharp playing as well. Mozdzer's acoustic piano album is much more lyrical, melancholic, and not so energetic, but often dreamy and even polished - a true Mozdzer reading.

Possibly there is no real need to compare both musicians - they are just different. It's just great that Mozdzer for his debut on ACT label chooses Komeda's music (another great Polish jazz musician, Tomasz Stanko, released an album with Komeda's compositions on ECM some years ago as well). For everyone attracted by this release I would really recommend you find one of Komeda's original albums ("Astigmatic" from 1966 is the best).
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