The Free Jazz Collective
80
By Stef Gijssels
In 2011, shortly after Polish trumpeter "Major" Andrzej Przybielski's death, the wonderful album "De Profundis" was released, a trio with the equally virtuosic Oleś brothers, with Marcin Oleś on bass and Bartłomiej 'Brat' Oleś on drums. It was only their second trio album after "Abstract", from 2005. Both albums come highly recommended because of the sheer musical and instrumental mastership of the three musicians. They feel each other, they share the same notion of jazz and improvisation.
Now, ten years after Przybielski's death, this equally beautiful album finds the light of day. The album is even more special because the material was thought to be lost. The trio had a joint session in 2003 in a studio. Brat Oleś started talking to the studio people, and amazingly enough, some of the pieces were still found on tape. Not everything, unfortunately, and of some of the improvisations only traces were left on the tape.
As a result, the album contains five tracks of less than a minute, excerpts of longer pieces that have been lost to humanity. Luckily that leaves us with six tracks that are a little bit longer, and one track of a full twelve minutes. The drummer managed to recreate with all the bits and pieces an album that can stand on its own. Przybielski was a colourful figure, a man who did not believe too much in rehearsing, who trusted his own skills and especially the skills of the people he performed with to do what was needed to make something meaningful.
The outcome in the great presence of the Oleś brothers is also easy to recommend. This is free jazz, with all its nervous energy, its dynamic interaction between highly skilled instrumentalists, its warm feeling and sense of pulse, its creative possibilities of freedom to go wherever you want and still stay focused. The trumpeter's sound is unique, and the rhythm section of the Oleś brothers has been lauded before. The combination is a true joy to listen to.
"A Short Farewell" is what it says. A far too short album that gives another farewell to the great trumpeter, ten years after his death. But it exists, and it is excellent.
Listen and download from Bandcamp.