Fryderyk HD: Sounds Good

Fryderyk HD has a lot of pins in his musical map. His parents are Vietnamese and Polish, he was born in Poland and trained at both the Frederic Chopin University of Music (Warsaw) and Berklee College of Music (Boston.) His initial entry into the world of music was via sound engineering but he eventually switched to writing and performing with piano his instrument of choice.

Sounds Good almost seems like a 'greatest hits' for the young pianist since the ten tracks draw from a variety of sounds and styles—jazz, ambient, prog rock, hints of classical and more. One thing though: since this is his debut release, he did not mine from a deep catalogue. These pieces are all originals created for this disc. So there lies the collection's strength—variety with a rich, deep sound—and also its potential weakness. It may not wander all over the place but it does take some getting used to following the musical breadcrumbs.

The album opens with "First Cycle," a brief shower of notes before a bass helps FHD present "Little Prince," a flowing stream of pianistic wonders. Both pieces echo the sophisticated styling of post 1960s Keith Jarrett, while the next track, "Looking Back," starts to drift closer to a lighter New Age sound before drums emerge and push their way to the forefront. It's a sign that something more aggressive is on the horizon. And then "L n F" arrives. It's bold and progressive, complete with an abrupt blast of icy energy. A hypnotically ethereal violin with eastern European tones emerges via "Spaced Out," followed by several waves of music before a brief transitional piece points to the way to the second half of the disc. "DeScent" is one of several pieces that teasingly returns to a New Age style before powerful percussions erupt, while "Core Alchemist" will remind people of jazz fusion pieces circa the 1970s—think Return to Forever—with a brisk guitar leading the way this time.

Ultimately, Fryderyk HD conjures up a wealth of creatively unexpected twists and turns that lead back to one thing—an alluring debut from a fresh talent.

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