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Jazz Articles about Rafal Sarnecki
Lucas Pino: That's a Computer
by Angelo Leonardi
Dal 2013 il sassofonista e compositore Lucas Pino dirige il suo “No Net Nonet" esibendosi tutti i mesi allo Smalls Jazz Club di New York, senza trascurare altre scritture. L'organico è nato nel 2009, da allora ha cambiato solo un componente e la regolarità del rapporto spiega la coesione e l'equilibrio evidenziati in questo terzo album. Recentemente il look di Pino è molto cambiato: il giovanotto modello anni cinquanta, con capelli corti ben pettinati, occhiali alla Cary ...
Continue ReadingLucas Pino: That's a Computer
by David A. Orthmann
Lucas Pino's No Net Nonet has claimed a piece of turf within the vast, sprawling, crowded field of the jazz mainstream. Its brilliantly conceived and executed efforts resist additional stylistic distinctions. Teamwork, mutually reinforcing concerns and a spirit of adventure infuse the seven tracks of That's A Computer. The compositions and arrangements by the leader, as well as one apiece by alto saxophonist Alex LoRe and guitarist Rafal Sarnecki, are bold, invigorating and rife with details that linger in memory. ...
Continue ReadingAnnie Chen Octet: Secret Treetop
by Jack Bowers
Over the years, jazz has widened its horizons to encompass a broad range of music that many of those who practiced and/or appreciated the more traditional forms might not recognize, let alone endorse. Among the more recent genres is “world music," which embodies various rhythmic and harmonic elements of jazz without assimilating its core values. On her second album, Secret Treetop, composer/vocalist Annie Chen's octet performs world music and does it well--but it is only narrowly akin to jazz in ...
Continue ReadingLucas Pino's No Net Nonet: That's a Computer
by Jack Bowers
Saxophonist Lucas Pino's adventurous New York-based No Net Nonet is on record for the third time with That's a Computer (yes, there's a story behind that but it's too lengthy to recount here), which underscores Pino's usual flair for anomalous compositions and arrangements. Except for drummer Jimmy Macbride, who came on board in 2017, every member of Pino's group has been there from the start, eight years earlier, and that's a nice harbor from which to set sail, as everyone ...
Continue ReadingRafal Sarnecki: Climbing Trees
by Jerome Wilson
Guitarist Rafal Sarnecki has put together a CD with an interesting combination of influences here. His music mixes together elements of classical chamber music and progressive jazz-rock which is played by a group with a front line of guitar, tenor sax and voice. The presence of a high, wordless female voice sometimes gives this the feel of old British “Canterbury Sound" bands like Hatfield and the North but the emphasis on guitar instead of grandiose keyboards gives this music its ...
Continue ReadingWM Project: From a Familiar Place
by Dan McClenaghan
The WM Project, led by saxophonist Krzysztof Medyna and pianist Andrzej Winnicki, doesn't sound much like the Komeda Project. Medyna and Winnicki have earned well-deserved acclaim for their work in that ensemble that explores the music of their countryman, Krzysztof Komeda. But here, instead of the Polish melancholy, haunting themes and brooding melodies, they take From A Familiar Place into the more American realm of straight ahead, at times even brash bebop with, always, big solid grooves. Two ...
Continue ReadingRafal Sarnecki: The Madman Rambles Again
by Greg Simmons
The Madman Rambles Again is a counterintuitive name for such a carefully constructed album. The compositions feature layered, periodically angular melodies, showing off tight arrangements and a serious dramatic flair. Far from being a madman, guitarist Rafal Sarnecki is a decidedly forward-looking leader with an intense aesthetic on this sophomore effort. Instrumental leadership is not self-evident. The supporting instruments are at least as prominent, and often more so than the guitar, suggesting good things from Sarnecki's management. The ...
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