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  • Annie

    MW746

    Artist: Janusz Muniak Quartet

    Label: NotTwo Records

    Some recordings just don’t inspire to set jazz world on fire and take you into an unexplored regions. Well, one might say, that they don’t contribute anything new to jazz history. So, why was it was recorded at all? For whom? Frankly speaking I ask myself this question each time I put newest Janusz Muniak’s CD “For Annie” on. And every time the answer is the same: this music is for me. If I listen to this music with pleasure, if it frequently visits my home, it means that there is something in it, something just for me. And I reckon that there might be quite many people like me. Janusz Muniak has already set the jazz world in fire several times and gone through the period of very modern and innovative playing. By now, just like another jazz innovator Archie Shepp, he has given up traveling into free jazz world and for some time he has been presenting straight-ahead jazz which doesn't attempt any innovations. But it isn't only innovations that jazz lives on. Otherwise the contemporary recordings of traditional jazz wouldn't make any sense at all. And since they still find listeners, so they do! There is something in this music that makes it to belong to the achievements of this fossilized world of mainstream, which are, if not perfect, at least outstanding ones. The compact contains seven pieces, over the half of which were composed by leader himself, all performed absolutely expertly. The piece I like the best is engaging ballad "Piece for Wietek" played only by Muniak ...