press
about Powers Of Two
Robert Dick / Leszek HeFi Wisniowski – “Powers Of Two”
This is a duo album by American and Polish flautists / composers Robert Dick and Leszek HeFi Wisniowski, who cooperated for over ten years performing together as a duo and finally recorded the music in NY. The album presents eight improvised / co-composed pieces, performed on a plethora of flutes and other instrument, all completely acoustic.
Although the music is freely improvised, it does offer many short melodic themes in between the improvisations, which altogether sounds wonderfully organized and coherent, at least to the cognoscenti. The flute, in all its shapes and sizes, is probably the most “natural” instrument, preceded only by the drum, and is able to express human emotions very directly, rewarding the listener with its delicacy and penetration depth. In the hands (and mouths) of these two virtuosi, the flute becomes truly “magical”, going perfectly hand in hand with the fact that it is one of my most loved instruments.
Improvised music is, by definition, intrinsically unlimited, and therefore many of the sounds the two musicians are able to produce herein might sound strange and even weird, but balanced by each other’s support are always perfectly matched, taking the listener on an enchanted carpet ride over deserts and hills, seas and mountains. Although perhaps not suitable for a casual listener, this music could win over a much wider circle of admires than initially expected.
Overall, this is a remarkable excursion into the world of flute music, which presents a wide array of sounds achievable by that magic instrument, and a beautiful example of the “Art of the Duo”, which creates a bond between two souls, expressed by the music they are able to create together. Wholeheartedly recommended to music lovers, who are able to open their hearts to the roads less travelled.
http://www.adambaruch.com/reviews_item.asp?item=107753
about World Failure ( pol. Awaria Świata)
Leszek HeFi Wisniowski / Ewa Lipska / Gerard Kilroy – “World Failure”
The concept of cross-pollination between various disciplines of Art is as ancient and Culture itself, but its potency is never exhausted. Being a lover of Jazz music and Poetry, the combination of the two fascinated me since my adolescence, when I was exposed to some of its early appearances, both in Poland in the 1960s, and later in different counties around the World. There seems to me a mighty affinity between Poets and Jazz musicians, which of course is not really that surprising, since improvising with notes or words is not all that different after all.
Sadly, poetry, as opposed to music, has one limitation, of which music is free, i.e. the language barrier. As a result, often upon hearing a sublime Jazz & Poetry album, I immediately ponder on the fact that people, who do not understand a specific language, like Polish for example, are deprived of the ecstatic pleasure associated with the interplay between words and notes. Therefore, it brings me a great pleasure to see this excellent Jazz & Poetry album, which combines the exquisite poetry of Ewa Lipska with the sublime improvisations by Leszek HeFi Wisniowski, to be now available with the English translations of the poems, opening the possibility to enjoy this union of words and notes to a much wider audience. The poetry is recited by Gerard Kilroy.
The album is an obvious Jazz & Poetry project, but it’s minimalism and the fact that the poetry is recited rather than sung, makes it a completely unique and deeply moving piece of aesthetic wonder. This album makes me extremely happy not only because Lipska’s poetry is one of my favorite contemporary manifestation of Polish Poetry, but even more so because she remains relatively little known in her own country, despite the fact that her poetry has been translated into many languages and published outside of Poland. Sadly, this kind of “Cultural anomaly” repeats itself way to often in Poland. As if this was not enough, Wisniewski is also highly underappreciated on the Polish Jazz scene, so this album is a double vindication of sorts.
Wisniowski’s improvisations fit the poetry like a glove, subdued and lethargic they emphasize the “dark” nature of the poetry, often bordering on tragic or even macabre, with the music and words intertwined with each other in a perfect way, which is truly magical.
I am full of admiration for Wisniowski and Lipska for their courage and vision to instigate this project and execute it with such deep devotion and artistry. Obviously poetry and music are some of the most directly stimulating phenomena and while combined, their power of expression becomes an emotional tsunami.
Side Note
The above are my liner notes included on this album's artwork.
I am honored when asked by the Artists to write liner notes for their albums, always hoping that my words reflect the true spirit of the music. This is also a symbol of our mutual respect and friendship developed over the years.
The same is also true when Record Labels ask me to write liner notes for their releases, mostly in the case of reissues of archival albums, which is a symbol of their appreciation of my knowledge and historical perspective and my recognition of their dedication to the preservation of the history of recorded music and the effort to keep human Culture and Aesthetics alive.
http://www.adambaruch.com/reviews_item.asp?item=107732
about Parallax Error
"(...) Wisniowski treats his instrument with an utmost respect, flirting and even making love with it all along, always in perfect harmony and perfect balance between the emotional expressionism and the technical virtuosity.
"(...) a brilliant piece of recorded music, definitely one of the best so far this year on the Polish Jazz scene.
It is very satisfying to see that Wisniowski finally found his true realm on this album. After many years of searching, this album is simply a pinnacle of his achievements and a well deserved glorification of his talents, which will hopefully be followed by many more such fabulous musical vistas. Well done indeed!
"(...)For a long time we haven't had such a talented flutist in Poland like Wiśniowski"
Audio 4/2010
"(...)Leszek Wiśniowski is, I think, the most interesting ( and still developing) flutist in Polish jazz. His "Kinetyka" is an astonishing musical concept which we will be returning to for years.
"(...)The excellent album, played without "American's production complex", virtually delighted me!
"(...)Uncompromised, very personal, excellently arranged standard themes and not least interested explosive improvisations. It thrills you, as first-class thrillers do, since the very first sounds of the album"
"(...)Perfect intonation, articulation and phrasing."
Jazz Forum 3/2010
"(...)Virtuosity, technical perfection as well as, dynamic and articulative richness these are the main features of Leszek HeFi Wiśniowski's workshop. I do recommend this album."
(Hi-Fi & music 3/2010)
“(…)Wisniowski can bend and manipulate his instrument to extreme lengths.”
CD Baby, Nov.02.2006