MarcinNowakowski
- Smooth Night
Smooth
Jazz from Poland? That sounds unusual but isn't. The music of artists
like Piotr Bal,
Marek
Jelen, Paul
Rozmus or Michael Urbaniak
already found its way to America. Now Marcin Nowakowski is preparing
for the great jump. Marcin has already performed in concert with
Jose Carreras, Paul Jackson, Jr., Simon Philips, and David Knopfer. A
short look at his bio reveals that Marcin Nowakowski has gained great
experience as sideman and performer in the Polish jazz scene. With his
debut album "Smooth Night" Marcin Nowakowski is knocking at
the door of American Smooth Jazz market.
The album was recorded and mixed at
the Woobie Doobie studio in Warsaw. This studio is named after the
group Woobie Doobie formed in Mid-1992. In 1997, during the recording
session of Natalia Kukulska’s album, Wojtek Olszak, one of the best
Polish producers, noticed Marcins’s talent and offered him to play
with Woobie Doobie. As a result of it in ‘97 Marcin became a member
of this band. The group is also supporting Marcin on his new album.
The album starts with You
Are The Sun. Marcin is performing the melody on alto sax as
lead instrument, while Mario Szaban is singing along. Wojtek Olszak is
playing the bridge on acoustic piano. Paul Jackson plays an extensive
acoustic guitar solo. Normally we can only listen to his rhythm guitar
or electric guitar performing in the background. The song is sultry
and very accessible, smooth jazz radio stations should give it a spin.
Live To Tell
was originally recorded by Madonna and Patrick Leonhard as part of
Madonna's album "True Blue" (1986) and as the theme for
husband Sean Penn's film "At Close Range". An awesome
rendition in which Marcin knows to perform all nuances of Madonna's
interpretation.
On the uptempo 1981
Wojtek Olszak is opening his electronic equipment of
keyboards, rhodes, vocoder, clavinet, minimoog bass and synth. He is
pulling all the stops. Bravissimo!
Marcin also masters slow and
contemplative tones as to hear on the mellow ballade First
Time. Paul Jackson adds his significant guitar sound.
The title song Smooth Night
is a sultry tune and when I close my eyes I believe Eric Marienthal
would blow the tenor sax. Marcin does an excellent job.
Road No.1
is a strong and pushing song on a high rhythm level. Wojtek Olszak's
Hammond organ, Wojtek Pilichowski's fat bass and Funky Filon's
turntables are the best ingredients for a force drive.
Lovers of smooth romantic ballades
will prefer the slow Body Talk presenting
Marcin on soprano sax.
Please Stay
is more my way. Marcin and Wojtek Olszak are great arrangers, writers
and musicians. They can bear comparison with every American
professional like Kim Waters, Eric Marienthal or Dave Koz.
Further tunes like
the uptempo and intriguing Morning
Dance, the
slow orchestral With
You Again,
the twirling Evening
Sky or the
funky styled Opposites
Attract are
proofs for this testimony: Marcin Nowakowski
is Poland's ambassador of Smooth Jazz.
