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Renato
Belardinelli (accordions.com):This is not simply a recital
of various compostions by Chopin but a much deeper work, which
imagine s the famous composer still living and still capable of
producing inspiration even today.
No
problem thus for the listener who perhaps is not familiar with
Chopin. In fact it may well attract the listener to Chopins
music.
I
do not want to make a track listing but highlight a couple of
original tracks written by the band leader and accordionist
Jacek Grekow which are Ballade in 7 and the title track
Fryderykata. They like “Nocturne in G minor Op. 15 n.3”,
the long and elaborate “Pelude in C minor Op.28 N.20”
and the last track “Se navali Sharp lanina” have
that something extra which immediately capture the listeners
interest.
Once
again Sarakina provide proof of their great artistry...
Valya
Bozhilova (Bulgarian National Radio): It
offers an original transformation of Chopin’s music in
the invention of Jacek Grekow and of the other musicians from
Sarakina Band. Grekow has interpreted Chopin by using rhythmic
patterns and melodies borrowed from the Bulgarian folk music.
The
CD Fryderykata is the source of original ideas resulting from
the creative daring of the young musicians from Sarakina Band.
Curiously, in this CD Chopin is featured without his emblematic
piano. The accordion and the clarinet have successfully
replaced it.
Eelco
Schilder (FolkWorld.eu): This
year the group Sarakina celebrates it's ten year anniversary
with the release of a interesting new album. The band exists
out of three musicians from Poland and an accordionist from
Bulgaria. On the album they are joined by a singer and a guest
musician on the daf. The band always showed great interest in
modern-acoustic interpretations of ethnic music from the Balkan
region, especially those of Bulgaria and Macedonia. On
Fryderykata they use the elements of these traditions in a
tribute to the great composer Chopin. Many classical composers
were influenced by ethnic music and used traditional melodies
in their work. Sarakina does it the other way around, they use
the compositions of Chopin to create new-traditional style
music. The album shows not only the quality of Chopin, but also
the quality of the musicians and Jacek Grekow as the mastermind
behind the groups musical arrangements. It's interesting how
the four musicians let the classical, and often very known,
themes, sound like they are deeply rooted in the Balkan
tradition. Amazingly strong play of all four musicians, with
superb interaction between accordion and clarinet, backed by a
solid bass and percussion. I like the intensity with which
Grekow plays his accordion. He makes his instrument scream,
whisper and everything in between. Mljenek plays his clarinet
in a fluent way, not only technically well but with his hearth.
Actually that can be said of all the musicians. The bassist and
percussionist create a good, bit jazzy, fundament on which
Grekow and Mlejnek can build their beautiful melodies. The best
album of the band until today, pure music of the highest
quality. Sure Chopin is smiling in heaven (or wherever he is
right now).
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CD
JUNCTIONS
Overall
this a is a beautiful CD that always maintains its quality and
remains interesting throughout, both in the more rhythmical
pulsating tunes and those more calm and reflective. The
expressive range of the instruments is taken to the maximum
giving this CD a striking personality.
Renato
Belardinelli,
April 2007
CD
JUNCTIONS
Junctions
gives
us Jacek
Grekow
(accordion,
kaval, and bagpipes) in conjunction with Jan
Mlejnek
(clarinet,
tambura), and Karol
Sypytkowski
(double
bass) comprising the group Sarakina.
Assisting on some of the tracks are Wojciech
Bronakowski
(percussion)
and Maciej
Nerkowski
(vocal).
Together they create an exciting collection of ethno-jazz
compositions. Grekow displays his ability as a composer and
arranger. Tracks 2, 5, 7, and 9 present his arrangements of
Balkan/Macedonian traditional themes. The remaining tracks are
Grekow originals inspired by Eastern European rhythms,
melodies, and harmonies.
The
opening track Impromptu
sets
the stage for the remaining selections. This Klezmer based
improvization begins with a BANG! (double-bass and percussion
punctuate) and then enters into a free play between accordion
and clarinet—sometimes in an antiphonal relation,
sometimes countering one another, and always providing an
engaging encounter. The recursive elements of traditional
melodies form the background for the improvisation. And just to
prove that they are not limited by one style, the next track
The
blessing
is
a pensive reflective piece that evokes the sense of the sacred.
In fact, the album oscillates between these two poles—the
dance of the marketplace and the solemnity of sacred space.
Grekow
does not play accordion in each track but rather alternates
between the accordion, the kaval (an end blown Balkan flute)
and the bagpipes. On
the road
presents
a captivating dialogue between the bagpipe, vocal (Maciej
Nerkowski)
and clarinet. The vocal is just that—wordless voice as
instrument. Mountain
track
gives
us the haunting sound of the Balkan flute with Mlejnek playing
an ethnic guitar. Grekow wails on the flute. (In fact at one
point in the track [somewhere along the mountain!] the flute
reminded me of Ian
Anderson's
tonal
technique made famous in Jethro
Tull).
Trance
organizes
itself around a simple recurring 3 note motif (up a minor
second--down a minor third). In simplicity there is complexity.
Around the motif is a flurry of melodic activity always
orbiting around the base. The final track, Three
days
brings
all the elements together-- percussion, accordion, clarinet,
and voice in a pulsating and vibrant piece that is rooted in
tradition and branches into non-traditional space.
Robert
Stead
(The
Free-Reed Review)
September 2007
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"For
the professional performance and precision of the recording.
For the marvellous cover and the whole record -world class!"
Justyna
Ziółkowska (journalist, TV Polonia)
"For
the utter professionalism as far as the music and publishing
parts are concerned. Delicious!"
Wojciech
Ossowski (jounalist for 3 Channel of Polish Radio)
"After
hearing this recording, I was totally fascinated with the
ability of the musicians to bring the genre of traditional folk
music to the form of sophisticated concert performance. It
takes musicians of a high professionalism to be able to do
that. All the musicians appearing on this recording are that -
professionals in what they do. Their professionalism covers all
the areas of this recording, beginning with the choice of the
pieces, marvellous arrangements, superior performance,
excellent sound quality and engineering, and ending with the
very good quality and design of the CD cover. (...)"
Tania
Lukic-Marx (Accordions Worldwide)
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