In darkest times of martial law imposed by gen. Jaruzelski this music was a beacon of light in Polish jazz…
Laboratorium - Aquarium Live
Label: Metal Mind Productions (2007)
1 Struktura Przestrzeni / Written-By – Laboratorium / 16:08
2 Taki Ladny I Przyjemny / Written-By – J. Grzywacz / 6:43
3 Bzdragol / Written-By – Laboratorium / 5:39
4 Flamenco Na Miekko / Written-By – M. Stryszkowski / 10:07
5 Dziewiecsil / Written-By – J. Grzywacz, M. Górka / 2:39
Bonus Tracks
6 Struktura Przestrzeni / Written-By – Laboratorium / 6:50
7 Taki Latwy I Przyjemny / Written-By – J. Grzywacz / 6:17
8 Bzdragol / Written-By – Laboratorium / 5:06
About:
The end of the 60s was an important period in jazz, as well as rock music, in
Poland and the rest of the world, with the development of many styles and trends
in popular music. The death of Polish musician KRZYSZTOF KOMEDA marked the end
of a particular stage in Polish jazz. In 1970 the jazz rock fusion band,
LABORATORIUM was formed in Kraków, although it is necessary to search further
back in time for its roots.
JANUSZ GRZYWACZ, LABORATORIUM ‘s leader, made his first steps in the musical
world in Kraków. During his time at high school he regularly lead and performed
in bands: SMIACZE, LAMPARTY, TYTANI. MAREK STRYSZOWSKI, GRZYWACZ’s neighbour and
school companion, also played in these bands. At the time GRZYWACZ also had
connections with Kraków’s cabaret scene and the emerging STU Theatre.
Later during his college years (Polish studies), JANUSZ GRZYWACZ formed
LABORATORIUM. Eventually a five-person line-up came about: JANUSZ GRZYWACZ
(piano), MIECZYSLAW GÓRKA (drums), WACLAW LOZINSKI (flute), EDMUND MACIWODA
(bass, soon to be replaced by MACIEJ GÓRSKI) and MAREK STRYSZOWSKI, (vocals,
bassoon which was later replaced by sax). Their music soon developed in jazz
rock fusion, and so were pioneers in this music in Poland. LABORATORIUM’s live
debut was at the Gitariada ‘71 festival. In their first years, LABORATORIUM’s
music was acoustic, cleverly avoiding any limiting definitions. At the beginning
of the 70’s there was very limited access to Western recordings but this did not
prove an obstacle for the band, because of the musicians searching and
experimenting in the field. On the contrary and because of their relative
isolation, LABORATORIUM developed an unique sound which was often noted in
various critical reviews.
The LABORATORIUM’s album debut was released in January 1973, consisting of two
tracks recorded in April 1972 in a studio belonging to the PR III of the Polish
Radio. The recording session was in fact, an award for taking second place on
the Jazz Nad Odra ‘72 festival. The tracks were noted for their unusual approach
both towards harmony and tension-building. The first song ‘Choral’ included a
vocal fragment by MAREK STRYSZOWSKI. Later his singing was to become an
important and significant element of LABORATORIUM’s music, often utilizing
electronic voice-modulation effects.
In 1973 LABORATORIUM were awarded first prize of Jazz Nad Odra festival,
including an award for the best composition (JANUSZ GRZYWACZ’s “Prognoza na
jutro”). The prize offered them the chance to move from amateur to professional
status. In 1975 CZESLAW NIEMEN offered to cooperate with LABORATORIUM, having
recently left his band AEROLIT. NIEMEN performed with LABORATORIUM at a number
of musical events, where to showcased music from “Katharsis”, and new songs
which became the basis for the double-album “Idee Fixe”, released a few years
later. This partnership was brief with NIEMEN soon forming a new band, leaving
LABORATORIUM to follow their own path. However, the later to be international
jazz trumpeter, TOMASZ STANKO also briefly passed through their ranks,
performing together at Zaduszki Jazzowe ‘75. In the meanwhile LABORATORIUM, had
undergone both personnel and musical changes; (JANUSZ GRZYWACZ replaced his
acoustic piano for a Fender Rhodes, a novelty in Poland at that time), WACLAW
LOZINSKI and MACIEJ GÓRSKI were replaced by KRZYSZTOF SCIERANSKI (known from
playing with MAREK GRECHUTA) and his brother PAWEL SCIERANSKI, LABORATORIUM’s
first guitarist. The band’s first official album “Modern Pentathlon” was
recorded with this line-up.
“Modern Pentathlon” consists of a long, five-part title track “Pieciobój
nowoczesny” and four shorter songs, three of which were distinctly funky.
Electronically modulated vocalizations by MAREK STRYSZOWSKI are heard on the
title track (whose style resembled that of URSZULA DUDZIAK), as well as there
being a rich usage of the monophonic Roland synthesizer (played by JANUSZ
GRZYWACZ) and accelerated, fragments based on twitchy, pulsating drums,
recalling MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA. Importantly, LABORATORIUM clearly retained their
artistic identity with all these added various references, demonstrating musical
sensitivity and the musicians’ skills. “Modern Pentathlon” was released on the
Polish Jazz Series (No. 49) in an unbelievable turn round time for the Polish
record industry at the time. When there were normal expectations of at least a
year between recording and release, this was recorded at the beginning of Summer
’76 and launched during the next Jazz Jamboree festival during autumn that year.
Another innovation for the Polish record industry was with the album being
premiered at the Polish Recordings Hall in Warsaw, with a record-signing. Some
years later it was announced that “Modern Pentathlon” had sold well over 115,000
copies! With the success of the album LABORATORIUM perform in Poland and
Germany, as well as the exotic Jazz Yatra Festival in 1978 in India, along with
CZESLAW NIEMEN’s and ZBIGNIEW NAMYSLOWSKI’s BANDS.
Before attending the Jazz Yatra Festival, LABORATORIUM found time to record
another two albums with an enlarged line-up, with PAWEL VALDE-NOWAK (congas).
During the September 1978 shows in Warsaw’s “Akwarium” club was recorded for the
BiaLy Kruk Czarnego Kra?ka series as “Aquarium Live No. 1”, with the aim of
capturing the typical atmosphere of the band’s live concerts. They also intended
to release “Nurek” (recorded at Krakow’s Rotunda) through the label, Polskie
Nagrania, at the time of the Jazz Yatra festival. Unfortunately it did not work
out and instead Helicon (the International Jazz Federation’s record label),
eventually released “Nurek” with the English title “Diver”. In 1979, the Polskie
Nagrania label released the group’s album “Quasimodo” (Polish Jazz Series, No.
58), while the material meant for Elacoli - “Nogero” (1980) - was released by
View Records for the German market. “Quasimodo” contained a few, longer
compositions intertwining with various and fascinating miniatures.
The end of the 70s brought further personal changes, original member MIECZYSLAW
GÓRKA was replaced by ANDRZEJ MROWIEC, (previously known from MAANAM), as
LABORATORIUM‘s drummer KRYZSZTOF SCIERANSKI soon followed moving on to work with
ZBIGNIEW NAMYSLOWSKI (replaced by KRZYSZTOF OLESINSKI, also of MAANAM), as did
his brother PAWEL (replaced by RYSZARD STYLA).
Following a successful appearance at the Zurich Jazz Festival, the Swiss agency
Face Music undertook the band’s management. AS a result, LABORATORIUM performed
fewer shows in Poland, more often visiting the West. During February and March
‘82 the group recorded its performances in Krakow’s STU Theatre, releasing them
on the album “The Blue Light Pilot” (lineup: GRZYWACZ, STRYSZOWSKI, STYLA,
OLESINSKI, MROWIEC). During this period the band’s music continued to slowly
change along with their instrumentation: GRZYWACZ regularly used a variety of
synthesizers, as well as a custom-made 1step sequencer (the first in Poland). On
“The Blue Light Pilot” Thelonious Monk’s “Straight No Chaser” appeared
(LABORATORIUM had not used any other composer’s music previously), arranged in
an unique way using that sequencer. The album’s title track is an extremely
mechanical piece, full of energy, interwoven with various outside musical
references. The next album “No. 8” (1984) showed the results of the band’s
restless search for more original ideas, including their instrumentation. Worthy
of mention are the use of a Vocoder, the enrichment of the rhythmic pattern by
adding JAN PILCH’s various percussion instruments and a guest appearance by
violinist JAN BLEDOWSKI, who was to later toured as part of the band. “Anatomy
Lesson”, LABORATORIUM’s last studio album with original material was prepared
two years later, representing another logical progression in their career. For
instance, sampled sounds were employed. The album still can intrigue with its
variety of its sound, while retaining the typical compactness, characteristic to
the band’s overall creation.
The group also functioned as the trio of GRZYWACZ, STRYSZOWSKI and PILCH (now a
full member), performing at festivals such as Electric Music Island, WrocLaw
(1984). Meanwhile, JAN PILCH had become a permanent member of the band. In the
last years of activity (including a Swiss tour), LABORATORIUM was supported by
JAROSLAW SMIETANA. While there have been occasional reunions, with several stage
appearance in the 90’s including the celebration of their 25th anniversary
(documented by TV documentary “25 Years of Laborka”), when all the band’s
guitarists appeared together on stage, it may be considered that 1990 was the
end of LABORATORIUM’s active career.
JANUSZ GRZYWACZ is an active, illustrative musician, he writes for the theatre
(with more than 100 premieres) and for the film, he has also released two solo
albums “Muzyka osobista” and “MLynek Kawowy”. MAREK STRYSZOWSKI performs with
his band LITTLE EGOIST, he’s also the boss of a PSJ branch in Krakow. Alas it is
impossible to write about all of LABORATORIUM’s former musicians, some of whom
are still active on the scene, others finished in music. LABORATORIUM gained a
solid and unquestionable status in Polish rock and jazz music. JANUSZ GRZYWACZ
sums it up: “I think we had our fantastic.- no, not five - eleven minutes, which
I sincerely wish to all musicians. We played more than a thousand concerts, were
invited by major festivals and recorded 9 albums. I know that such things are
impossible to achieve in the jazz market nowadays. I also know that LABORATORIUM
never really fell apart, to be honest. It’s because that our music is still
inside us. In each of us there’s still the same way of thinking and playing, the
same sensitivity and perspective towards music, which characterized Laborka. And
it always will.”
(Michal Wilczynski, Metal Mind Productions)