Michal Urbaniak: Fusion

C. Michael Bailey

Senior Contributor since 1997

...wants to know if Gene Harris is playing "Summertime" in Heaven...

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Published: June 1, 1999

Fusion. Polish violinist Michal Urbaniak’s recording Fusion was aptly named. Riding a wave of jazz-rock music, Urbaniak produced this enigmatic recording at once lyrical and noisy. Fusion is made up of seven originals, six of Urbaniak’s and one of keyboard player Wojciech Karolak. This music is percussion intensive and keyboard heavy. All compositions are very Rock oriented. Urbaniak’s violin is played with a variety of electronic modifications including phase shift and wah-wah.

Fisson. Urbaniak’s compositions contain Eastern European influences. The effect of these Eastern European tonalities results in an influence similar to Katchaturian scales in John Coltrane’s “sheets of sound”. This disc would be of interest to the generation following Urbaniak’s, listeners who are listening backwards to see where today’s music originally came from. This disc deserves to be considered in the same breath as releases by Weather Report, Return to Forever, and electric Miles. It has a pioneer spirit while remaining true to its regional roots.

Track Listing: Good Times, Bad Times,; Bahamian Harvest; Impromptu; Seresta; Fusion; Deep Mountain; Bengal (Total Playing Time 45:23).

Personnel: Michal Urbaniak: Violin and Alto Saxophone; Urszula Dudziak: Voice and Effects; Ada, Makowicz: Keyboards; Wojciech Karolak: Keyboards; Czeslaw Bartkowski: Drums.

Record Label: Columbia Records
Style: Fusion/Progressive Rock