Following the two albums by the Kuba Więcek Trio,  “Another Raindrop” and “Multitasking,” this is another of the newest debut entries in the famed record series Polish Jazz released by Polskie Nagrania/Warner Music Poland. The 24-year old saxophonist Jerzy Mączyński is now a student of Berklee College of Music in Valencia. The daring and innovative  music concept of his group reflects the ambitions and aspirations of the youngest generation of the Polish jazz scene.

Over the years, Aki Takase has made her own versions of the music by Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Ornette Coleman and Eric Dolphy, all in their her very personal way. And now she brings four, relatively young musicians, into her wonderful, musical world. And I think she should continue with that when they are back in Berlin. For this is creative, tough and incredibly delicious, from the start to the end!

Eivind Austad is a pianist from Bergen whose non-Norwegian jazz style may have more influence of the economic pianism of John Lewis than the democratic trio interplays of Bill Evans. In addition, Eivind's subliminal admiration of David Bowie creates brand-new standards in each of his album. Space Oddity in this album, Life On Mars in his previous one.

Pianist Aki Takase is a mainstay of the Berlin’s jazz world in decades. Her music here: energetic and entertaining as always, powerful and playful as we know from her, sensitive and exotic as we expect and more. Having started in a remarkable duo with Maria Joāo decades ago, she now joins forces with younger and youngest forces. Saxophoniker Daniel Erdmann, turntablist DJ Illvibe, bassman Johannes Fink and great new light Dag Magnus Narvesen on drums let the corners tremble, let the dust shine, the brakes glow and the blossoms fly. Simply a joyful jaunt!

The swedish group Splash was a group that combined fusion, atonal jazz, latin, progrock  à la Zappa. Splash keeps the listener on the toes with breakthrough transverse turns and unpredictable arrangements. All three lp:s the group made comes with a lot of unissued recordings in this vibrant 6-cd box that comes with a booklet.

Top notch New York musicians perform fresh big band material poised between complexity and passion.