MICHAL URBANIAK — Urbaniak (review)

Album · 1977 · Fusion

3.5/5 · 2024-10-12
FunkFreak75

Recorded at Powerplay Studios, Zurich, Switzerland, and Secret Sound Studios, New York City in August 1977, this is the second of the two albums Michal and Urzula would make for Joachim Berendt, the famous advocate of Polish jazz music. A1. "Tie Breaker" (7:03) it might be Smooth Jazz but it's definitely back to Michal's sophisticated, well-composed, multi- layered tapestry-making. (Thank god!) (13.375/15)

A2. "Strife" (6:13) a little more smooth, simple, and straightforward than I'd like to hear (sounding more like something from Joe Sample or his [Jazz] Crusaders or some of Jean-Luc Ponty's simple stuff from 1979-82) at least the sound isn't overly compressed and the musicians can be clearly, cleanly distinguished. Weird to hear Urszula singing out of time with the other melody makers (especially Zbigniew Namysłowski's saxophone). That's a first! Nice drumming and keyboard play. (8.875/10)

A3. "Mountaineers" (4:00) another unusually less-sophisticated, more-spacious weave from Michal that hits all of the radio-friendly buttons but falls short of anything propelling Jazz-Rock Fusion into anything that a future conveyance of background/elevator music. A lot of similarities to the music coming from STEELY DAN at around the same time (Aja and even previewing 1980's Gaucho). (8.75/10)

A4. "Weird Creatures" (7:03) another very simple funk-lite weave that seems like such a watered down version of Michal's former compositional skill and genius. Nice performance from drummer Lurenda Featherstone. Interesting to hear Michal's Lyricon mixed between a real live sax, a sax-like synth, and Ula's treated vocalese. (13.25/15)

B1. "Jasmine Lady" (8:22) Ula's gentle vocalizations here predate some of Bobby McFerrin's stylings from the 1980s-- here presented within a gentle Caribbean-lite JAY BECKENSTEIN/ SPYRO GYRA-like smooth jazz weave--even moving toward choral presentation of the song title using words! How Bob James-like! Zbigniew Namysłowski's smooth DAVE SANBORN-like sax seems to get most of the spotlight on this one--which is okay cuz he's rather good. Michal's murky electric violin gets its first really distinctive solo spot in the fifth and sixth minutes as the rhythm section soothes and lulls us with its JEAN-LUC PONTY "I Only Feel Good With You"-like motif from below. As corny as parts of this are (which was all the rage at the time and for some time thereafter) this is the best, most complete and satisfying song on the album. I just noticed the attempt to incorporate something into the main melody that might sound Asian/Oriental: cringe-worthy--big fail! (18/20)

B2. "Always Ready" (7:08) Michal's soaring electric violin over richly-chorused Fender Rhodes electric piano opens this one for the first 1:40 before poorly plucked electric bass tries to initiate and introduce the main motif for the rest of the song. I don't really like the cheesy electric percussion sounds Ula is playing but am glad to hear her African-style scatting take the lead in the fourth minute. Michal is next up for the spotlight, playing his electric violin with the note- bending melodic sensibilities of both Jean-Luc Ponty and Hugh Marsh. The best lines in the song seem to be coming from Kenny Kirkland's Fender Rhodes. (13/15)

B3. "Stray Sheep" (5:08) an odd four-part suite that opens with another simplified smooth jazz piece that actually sounds more like something created for a television theme song or as an advertising jingle. After a minute of this motif, the band switches gear and puts their head down to try to create a solid cruising groove over which Zbigniew Namysłowski's sax gets some significant time to solo. The problem is that this rhythm track is quite lame--thin and almost aggravating. At 3:20 we switch again, this time quite radically, into a nice little syncopated jazz swing, over which Michal solos on his violin with beautiful charm and smoothosity. The song then ends with some kind of weird attempt at the employment/usurpation of some kind of Scottish drinking melody and sound palette. Weird. Some parts are embarrassing, some actually kind of nice. (8.666667/10)

Total time: 45:10

B/four stars; a step up from their other 1977 release, Smiles Ahead, but still a step down from the masterful music and compositions Michal was creating in the first six years of the decade. Recommended but more for fans of Jazz- Rock Fusion who can tolerate the movement's degraded descent into Easy Listening/Smooth Jazz.