Arek Skolik Checkmate Quintet - Mirror Gambit

Arek Skolik Checkmate Quintet
Mirror Gambit

Label: NotTwo, 2002
Catalogue No: MW 738
Format: CD

Tracks:

1. Mirror Gambit [08:05]
2. Stopped Time [07:41]
3. Song For Kacperek [07:59]
4. Zastrzyk w glowę [08:48]
5. Exhoust System [06:43]
6. Sleep Safe And Warm [05:23]

Line-up:

Arek Skolik - drums
Michal Walczak - guitars
Pawel Smorag - saxophones
Krzysztof Pacan - bass
Bogusz Wekka - percussion, congas
Pawel Rozkrut - bells
Irena Kijewska - vocal (6)
Piotr Biazik - accordion

Recorded:

on December, 10, 2000 at HH POLAND STUDIO, Gliwice, Poland

Line notes:

Why Jazz?

Is it still worth listening to in today’s world? Yes, especially today! Not only is it worth listening to, it should be! Not instead of, but in addition to other good music. Only then will that, which is so important in Jazz for today’s listeners, come to the foreground and become clear. And what is it that’s so important to us in today’s Jazz? Everything that Jazz is, but mainly the way this music is created – it’s probably the only kind of music that is still improvised. The theme and improvisations, each member of the band playing solo and together – this is the kind of Jazz we want. Everyone, musicians and audience alike, awaits the solos, when each soloist has the opportunity and the freedom for self-expression – unconstrained performance of his own interpretation of the theme which doesn’t disrupt, but adds to the cohesion of the music.

The sound of Jazz is created as a coherent whole, created in part by each of the artists in a given group who holds his own position in that group. When he is creative and plays well, he takes part in forming the whole, and the more creative he is, the fuller and more colourful the whole becomes. Upon starting to play, musicians don’t necessarily know what their piece will be like – they only know it must be good, while the final shape depends on each player’s contribution. That is why no musician or single bar of music is unimportant in Jazz. Each plays a significant and unique role. Playing this way, they create their own Jazz. Doesn’t this remind you of something? Isn’t it what our reality of everyday life should look like, the reality of free people working together for the sake of the common development of Life – the most important piece of work? This is how Skolik plays with his partners, and this is how he forms his ever-developing line-ups. That is exactly what we need today. Let’s listen to Skolik.

I’d like to remind you about, or rather draw your attention to some of the people that Arek Skolik has worked with so far. First of all, a group of musicians connected with the last “revolution” in Polish jazz at the beginning of the 90’s, should be mentioned. They include, but are not limited to, bands like: Graal and Love (“Mitosc”), as well as outstanding soloists such as: Janusz Muniak, Leszek Mozdzer, Antoni Gralak, Stanistaw Sojka, Wtodek Kiniorski, Wojciech Pulcyn, Maciej Sikata, Joachim Mencel, Piotr Wylezot, Jerzy Matek, Tomasz Gwiticiriski, Locko Richter and the avant-garde Jerzy Mazzoll, to list his most frequent musical cohorts. This second album by Arek Skolik, prepared fully by himself, is proof of a very clear and consistent evolution of his talent and skills. Arek is not among those musicians who want to be innovative at any price; he rather tends to pay homage to the many decades of tradition, trying to enrich it with his own musical temperament and sense of aesthetics.

He is an outstanding drummer with an incredible ear for music, formidable chops and a sense of swing, which places him among the top drummers in the country. Arek Skolik perfected his skills based on performances by the best teachers in his profession: Jimmy Cobb, “Philly” Joe Jones, Max Roach, Billy Higgins, Elvin Jones and Tony Williams. Despite his great admiration for tradition and the jazz of the 60’s, when necessary, Arek can easily use a completely modern language in the style of Joey Baron or Jim Black. So much for the experience and inspirations of the author of this record, which fully deserves your attention. I have not written anything about the music contained in “MIRROR GAMBIT” as it explains very well itself, without comment from me.

(Andrzej Kalinowski)

Review:

The ranks of Polish jazz are deep which is evidenced in Arek Skolik case: although known by few he is top drummer deserving to be counted among the best, not only in Poland. It is his second album as leader after first "Checkmate" (1998) and before third "Detour Ahead" (2010). Musically it is straight ahead jazz, it may sound even a bit old-fashioned but God! that's well played indeed. It's smooth as a silk, as stylish as Aston Martin among ordinary cars, as smart as Gucci clad gentleman among Chinese party members from era of Mao.
As any good music, this one is as good as sidemen who are playing, and in this case they are outstanding: Michal Walczak (guitars), Pawel Smorąg (saxophones), Krzysztof Pacan (bass), Bogusz Wekka ( percussion, congas) Pawel Rozkrut (bells), Piotr Biazik (accordion) and Irena Kijewska (vocal) singing in very interesting version of Komeda "Sleep Safe And Warm" from Polański's film "Rosemary's Baby".
From line-up one can even draw conclusion that the strongest side of music is rhythm: all is bouncing here, leaping and thudding in a most attractive manner. Some of players involved in creating this wonderful pulse have made thereafter big careers like bassist Krzysztof Pacan whose last album "Facing The Challenge" (2011) is outstanding and Bogusz Wekka who is recognized as excellent sideman and played, among many other projects, in Pawel Kaczmarczyk Audiofeeling Band on his "Compelexity In Simplicity" (2009), the record of the year 2009 in Poland accordin to Jazz Forum magazine.
The program contains all originals except aforementioned standard by Komeda, it's superbly played, it's optimistic, it's fresh so I can only say that if you like good old jazz just go for it without hesitation!

(Maciej Nowtny, polish-jazz.blogspot.com)