CD FRYDERYKATA

Sarakina inspired by Chopin (2008)

CD JUNCTIONS

Mlejnek.Grekow.Sypytkowski (2004)

CD SARAKINA

Grekow.Mlejnek.Mlejnek (2001)

CD KYRILLIKATA

Grekow.Chołołowicz (Wien 1997)

CD Southern impressions

Jacek Grekow, classical accordion (2007)

PROJEKT CD KYRILLIKATA

Płyta nagrana w Wiedniu, z muzyką na dwa akordeony i głos.

Wielokrotnie była prezentowana w wiedeńskim radiu OE1, była jedną z ulubionych płyt KulturKontakt Wien.
Zawarte w niej aranżacje i kompozycje oparte na motywach muzyki bałkańskiej.

Wykonawcy:
Jacek Grekow – akordeon
Piotr Chołołowicz – akordeon
Nadia Klinczatova - vocal

Wiecej: http://kyrillikata.fm.interia.pl

RootsWorld Bulletin  #223

http://www.rootsworld.com/rw/

CD Sarakina

These two very different CDs are equally captivating. Kyrillikata is the meeting of two accordions and two tarambukas and the resulting music is fast, exciting, organic and rootsy with a certain melancholy added. This results in a sound which brings to mind many of the neo-traditional bands of neighboring Italy while remaining anchored in the Balkan musical tradition. Sarakina, on the other hand, is jazzier, more pensive in parts and features what amounts to a 'band' with accordion, bagpipe, clarinet, tambura and double-bass and has a fuller, more worked sound, though not labored. 

Although the songs are different on the two records, together they form a compendium of Central Balkan music with added references to Greek and Turkish sources as well as references to Poland, from where the musicians come from. 

The result is of a very high caliber: tunes as "Kyrillikata I & II" and "Spomen" from the former CD and "Monastyr" from the latter are prime examples of this. Both are full of a sense of rediscovering material lost to the outside world, performed with real verve and musicianship (a result of the players all being members of various Polish conservatoires). 

For anyone interested in material coming out of the Balkans and interested in music that is neither folksy nor academic, these two CDs will be a welcome addition to their collections; the first one if you are interested in the more straight-forward approach,  or the second if you prefer a freer attitude. 

 - Nondas Kitsos 

Audio samples and CD available at cdRoots

http://www.cdroots.com/sarakina.html 

CD Jacek Grekow, classical accordions

Płyta z transkrypcjami muzyki klasycznej w wykonaniu na akordeon solo (Albeniz, Granados, Satie, Rameau, Scarlatti, Wieniawski)

Lwia część repertuaru akordeonowego to transkrypcje utworów pierwotnie przeznaczonych na zupełnie inne instrumentarium. Akordeon - bardzo późny wytwór kultury muzycznej - kiedy ugruntował swój status pełnoprawnego instrumentu, istniała już obszerna literatura koncertowa z okresu ponad trzech stuleci. Okazał się instrumentem niezwykle wszechstronnym; potrafi brzmieć jak najwspanialsze organy barokowe w kompozycjach J. S. Bacha i jak srebrzysty klawesyn (utwory Jeana-Philippe’a Rameau i Domenica Scarlattiego). Jacek Grekow również pokazuje, że na akordeonie dobrze brzmią utwory hiszpańskie, pierwotnie skomponowane na fortepian, w których zresztą można dosłuchać się echa brzmień gitarowych. Co więcej, kończąc płytę przebojem wiolinistyki romantycznej – Scherzem-Tarantellą Henryka Wieniawskiego zdaje się potwierdzać tezę, że akordeon jest prawdziwym kameleonem wśród instrumentów. Przywołam tu słowa profesora Zbigniewa Koźlika, wybitnego akordeonisty, u którego Jacek Grekow kończył studia: „…jaki jest akordeon? Nie wyeksploatowany pokład barw, jakby organy, instrument dęty, może śpiewać jak skrzypce i w ogóle upodabniać się do każdego instrumentu”.

Zgodnie z tytułem albumu Jacka Grekowa, zarejestrowana w nim muzyka łączy się w różny sposób z Południem, a mówiąc ściślej z kulturą śródziemnomorską. Na pierwszych trzech ścieżkach znalazły się utwory ewokujące samą esencję klimatu iberyjskiego. Erik Satie, ekscentryczny Francuz piszący utwory „w kształcie gruszki” w pierwszej Gymnopedii nawiązuje do antycznej Sparty, gdzie gymnopediami nazywano igrzyska gimnastyczne, a także sportowe tańce.

Sonaty Domenica Scarlattiego, powstały w ostatnim dwudziestoleciu życia tego Włocha, gdy pracował jako klawesynista na dworze w Madrycie. Ani on, ani królowa grywająca je z upodobaniem nie przypuszczali, że ćwierć tysiąclecia później zyskają tak wielką popularność i że zawładną także akordeonem.

Italia jest ojczyzną zarówno tarantelli jak i toccaty. Dlatego jedyna na tej płycie oryginalna akordeonowa kompozycja - Toccata duńskiego twórcy Ole Schmidta, również ma poniekąd południowy rodowód. Najdalej na południe wysunięta jest w tym albumie L’Egyptienne Jeana-Philippe’a Rameau, pochodząca z tego samego zbioru utworów klawesynowych, co słynne miniatury La poule (Kura) i La rappel des oiseaux (Śpiew ptaków).

Stanisław Olędzki

Więcej na stronie www: http://grekow.fm.interia.pl

Ukazała się recenzja płyt CD Junctions, CD Kyrillikata i CD Southern impressions w amerykańskim stronie www specjalizującej się w muzyce akordeonowej: The Classical Free-Reed

CD Review: Grekow, Jacek: Southern impressions, Junctions, Kyrillakata

The Classical Free-Reed

Review by: Robert Stead

The three CD's presented here demonstrate both Jacek Grekow's ability as a composer, arranger, and performer as well as the amazing spectrum of the accordion itself. Within these three recordings you will find classical, jazz, and ethnic music all performed with great energy and precision.

Southern impressions is Grekow's latest recording. As stated in the CD liner: “As the title of Jacek Grekow's album suggests, the music registered in it is in different ways connected with the South and more precisely with the mediterranean culture”. Two of the composers hail from the North, but their compositions have their origins in the South. The tarentella is a traditional southern Italian dance and the toccata originated in northern Italy.

The passion of the first three Spanish works is offset by Satie's spartanesque and elegant Gymnopedie No. 1. Grekow's layed-back and subdued rendering creates a soothing atmosphere. This atmosphere is shattered by Ole Schmidt Toccata for Accordion No. 2--the only contemporary piece offered here, and the only piece written solely for the accordion. Toccata for Accordion has a frenetic energy that commands the attention of the listen and taxes the endurance of the performer. Grekow maintains the energy and drive throughout the piece. I found his interpretation of Rameau's L'Egyptienne interesting. Mie Miki recorded this piece on her “French Baroque Music” album. The recording is wonderful—and fast. For whatever reason, the sound engineer used a very deep reverb effect. Because of this, some of the details of the Miki recording are lost to the listener. Grekow instead decided to use a slower tempo and very little reverb effect. The result—an extremely clear recording that allows the listener to focus on the voices. I always enjoy Scarlatti transcriptions for the accordion. I was not disappointed with the three presented here. It appears that Grekow wanted to distinguish the pieces by tempo since each piece is progressively faster. Wieniawski's Tarantella seems a fitting conclusion as well as an introduction to Jacek Grekow's other CD's. The Tarantella, of course, is a traditional dance that has been recast into a classical form. It just this type of recasting of tradition into new forms that distinguises Grekow's work outside of the classical stage.

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.

Kyrillikata predates Junctions by seven years. Perhaps the earlier CD was the seed that bloomed into the later. Like Junctions, Kyrillikata plays with Eastern European folk melodies and rhythms. Grekow teams up with accordionist Piotr Chololwicz to present arrangements and original compositions. The two collaborated to create Kyrillikata I and Kyrillikata II-- clearly the most exciting and complex pieces on this CD. Kyrillikata I alternates between chorale-like sections and energetic, percussive dance-like sections. The wordless vocals of Nadja Klincarova are introduced in a sustained chorale section. Nadja's voice has a theremin quality that is haunting. Toward the end of the piece, Grekows puts down his accordion and plays the gajda (an ethnic bagpipe). The gajda functions as an extension of the vocals. Kyrillikata II begins with a chorale section and with vocals again supplied by Klincarova. A theme is then spun off of the chorale and explored by the accordion. In a flash the mood changes—the tempo changes from lento to allegro gioso and an exciting dance theme is played out. If I were to describe the Kyrillakata pieces in one word, that word would be “epic”. The mood changes and stylistic variations found in these compositions are dramatic.

As I stated in the beginning of this review, these three recordings truly demonstrate the power and versatility of the accordion. Jacek Grekow and companions have done fine work in these three productions!