Roman Babik, Atom String Quartet – Might Be Spring (2023)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/88,2 kHz | Time – 57:45 minutes | 1,02 GB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Frutex Tracks

It is not new that jazz people sometimes make a foray into chamber music. Solo piano plus string quartet doesn’t really happen that often. What is the appeal of this connection? Let’s look at it this way: When the saxophonist or trumpeter plays their solo in a jazz quartet, the piano gives them a safe, inspiring sound chamber in which they can develop freely. And what does the pianist do if he wants to play in such a sound chamber? The best thing he can do is go on a journey with a string quartet. But, correctly, in this case it is the pianist who went on the journey. Roman Babik traveled to Warsaw with his Bully and was in the studio there for two days with the Atom String Quartet. The result is finally available in this great and very special album.The real art is not to conceive the quartet in the sense of a collage of two worlds, but rather to let it become a jazz-like whole. Roman Babik proves that this is exactly what he wants right from the first track, “Might Be Spring”, where the first string sounds come as a backbeat, so to speak. A clearly romantically written jazz waltz. Wasn’t it Bill Evans who loved jazz in triple meter so much? Isn’t one of his most beautiful albums called “You Must Believe In Spring”? Well, it’s hard to imagine a more worthy homage from a young pianist. With this, Roman Babik sets the bar high and confirms, piece by piece, that the placement is correct.

The special quality of the four poles, which goes beyond the sound world of a conventional quartet, is the rare ability to create a sound that is truly typical of jazz. When the solo violin begins to solo in the same first piece, the singing tone has an individuality that does not exist in the classical discipline. Jazz is not just about the groove and sound, but also about its own, unmistakable sound, and the four poles probably do that better than any other quartet that ventures into the jazz world.

Roman Babik knows how to use the romantic gravity of the world in a minor key, into which only a late romantic string sound can lead him. But of course the rhythmic quality of Babik also needs the other end of the rainbow. And the dancing pizzicati in Turning Point create an atmosphere that is a little reminiscent of Sting’s Englishman in New York, but it’s a Wupperman in Warsaw. The sound quality of the album meets the highest standards. Let’s take a pizzicato again, the cello in “Clear Confusion” is so cleverly miked that you can locate your own ear directly at the bridge of the instrument.

Tracklist:

1. Roman Babik & Atom String Quartet – Might Be Spring (09:23)
2. Roman Babik & Atom String Quartet – Turning Point (05:34)
3. Roman Babik & Atom String Quartet – Noah (02:43)
4. Roman Babik & Atom String Quartet – Clear Confusion (10:51)
5. Roman Babik & Atom String Quartet – November Walk (04:53)
6. Roman Babik & Atom String Quartet – Pardon, My Steps (06:41)
7. Roman Babik & Atom String Quartet – So Far (09:39)
8. Roman Babik & Atom String Quartet – Talk to Me (07:57)

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ATOM String Quartet – Atom Goes Funky (Polish Jazz, Vol. 91) (2026)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 01:10:47 minutes | 1,35 GB | Genre: Chamber Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © WM Poland/WMI

The album “Atom Goes Funky” is the 91st installment in the legendary Polish Jazz series. For the first time in the series’ history, its prestigious logo adorns an album recorded by a string quartet!

The Atom String Quartet—a group that has been pushing the boundaries of classical instruments for years—is now challenging the very foundations of funk, proving that groove doesn’t need electricity to get people dancing. Atom Goes Funky – Polish Jazz vol. 91The quartet takes listeners on a journey to a unique era of Polish music from the 1970s and 1980s—decades in which jazz met funk and the sounds of new, often electric instruments in the unique atmosphere of a country behind the Iron Curtain, standing on the threshold of great social and political changes. This is an album for listeners seeking jazz finesse infused with energy. Without the use of loopers, effects, or electronics, the musicians have translated the pulsating language of funk directly onto four wooden soundboxes. The cello parts masterfully mimic an expressive bass, and the “chops” technique (chopped bow strokes) replaces the drums and rhythm guitar. It’s pure, acoustic virtuosity that sounds like a full-fledged funk band. The quartet draws on compositions by giants of Polish jazz such as Zbigniew Seifert, Krzesimir Dębski, Zbigniew Namysłowski, Michał Urbaniak, Władysław Sendecki, Andrzej Zaucha, and the Novi Singers, but also the hit “Bez ograniczeń energii” by Sławomir Łosowski and Kombi (the memorable theme song for the children’s program “5-10-15”), as well as the rather unexpected—though in the ASQ version simply funky—“Ale wkoło jest wesoło” by Perfect. Atom String Quartet – Bez ograniczeń energii

Although not all of the songs fit the literal definition of funk, they are united by a common pulse, energy, groove, and the characteristic sound of those years. In this new material, the ensemble has found room for its own string-based reinterpretations, bringing out the color, rhythm, and freedom of that era through the language of a contemporary quartet. Although the repertoire draws from diverse stylistic poles, it is united by a common thread: groove, energy, and the distinctive “Polish” flair of those years.

“Atom Goes Funky” is the perfect choice for playlists in the Jazz Fusion, Modern Classical, and Crossover Jazz genres, as well as for fans of Polish Groove. It’s music that blurs the lines between classical music lovers and fans of jazz and rock. “Polish Jazz” and Polish funk are thriving—here and now, in an interpretation that redefines the string quartet and jazz.

Tracklist:

1-1. ATOM String Quartet – Bez ograniczeń energii (03:55)
1-2. ATOM String Quartet – Funky dla Franki (03:25)
1-3. ATOM String Quartet – Basia (04:50)
1-4. ATOM String Quartet – Nasty Gal (06:40)
1-5. ATOM String Quartet – Kujaviak Goes Funky (06:24)
1-6. ATOM String Quartet – Coś specjalnego (05:00)
1-7. ATOM String Quartet – Sprzedaż Glonów (04:44)
1-8. ATOM String Quartet – Tiritaka (03:14)
1-9. ATOM String Quartet – Winobranie (07:16)
1-10. ATOM String Quartet – Torpedo (02:56)
1-11. ATOM String Quartet – Taniec Maryny (04:38)
1-12. ATOM String Quartet – Jak na lotni (04:44)
1-13. ATOM String Quartet – Body Rub (04:30)
1-14. ATOM String Quartet – Funky dla Pani Hanki (04:33)
1-15. ATOM String Quartet – Ale wkoło jest wesoło (03:51)

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Leszek Możdżer, Lars Danielsson, Zohar Fresco, Atom String Quartet – Jazz At Berlin Philharmonic III (Live) (2015)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/48 kHz | Time – 01:05:38 minutes | 703 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Digital Booklet, Front Cover | © ACT Music

In May 2014, the innovative and inventive concert series Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic headed east on a musical journey to the jazz stronghold of Poland. Piano virtuoso Leszek Możdżer, revered like a pop star in his homeland, shines on this live recording as he is accompanied by a trio and the Atom String Quartet. Together, Możdżer and his bandmates conjure up a celebrated concert evening that once again shows that a mix of jazz, classical and folk music provides important impulses for the future of European jazz and Poland.For many, jazz means new ideas, new sounds, and always doing things for the first time, and the same goes for the “Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic” concert series. On these evenings, surprising, unique combinations of musicians and border-crossing projects can be heard in the Kammermusiksaal of the Berlin Philharmonie. This is one of the many reasons why they have nearly always sold out since their inception in November 2012, and part of what makes them a highlight of Berlin’s music scene. On May 7th, 2014, “Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic” headed East on its musical journey to the jazz stronghold of Poland. Whenever the topic of Polish jazz arises, it’s never long before the name Leszek Możdżer is mentioned. The 1971-born piano virtuoso is revered like a pop star in his homeland, his albums routinely make their way into the Polish charts, beating artists such as Sting or Beyoncé to the top spots along the way.

Możdżer’s music is deeply rooted in Polish music tradition while at the same time striving for new horizons. Everything is thrown in, from classical to jazz to pop, all interlaced and in sync with one another. Możdżer’s classical piano education enables him to explore his own worlds of sound with masterful technique. Chopin, the national hero of Polish music, is an ever-present influence but Możdżer also takes cues from modern Polish composers such as Witold Lutosławski, best known for his complex symphonic oeuvres as well as catchy popular “hits”, and Krzysztof Komeda, the founder of an unconventionally lyrical, genuinely Polish jazz sound, and composer for many of Roman Polanski’s films including “Rosemary’s Baby”. For his “Jazz at Berlin Philharmonic”, Możdżer enlisted the help of Swedish bassist and cellist Lars Danielsson, Israeli percussionist Zohar Fresco – perfoming both as a piano / bass duo or trio – and the Atom String Quartet. Without his friends, the concert evening would only have been half the occasion, virtuosity and musicality went hand in hand. Danielsson and Fresco are soul mates of Możdżer, and they have been collaborating closely for ten years now. Performing with the Atom String Quartet was a new experience for all three men, they are one of the world’s finest string quartets and are mentioned in the same breath as the American Kronos Quartet. Outstanding classical technique and a stupendous talent for improvisation enable the quartet to use their instruments with a range that has never been heard before. Together, Leszek Możdżer & Friends, the protagonists in the sold-out Kammermusiksaal, conjured up a celebrated concert evening that once again shows that a mix of jazz, classical and folk music provides important impulses for the future of European jazz and Poland, here with Możdżer on the piano, plays a big part in that.

Tracklist:

1-1. Leszek Możdżer, Lars Danielsson, Zohar Fresco & Atom String Quartet – Etude No. 2 (04:31)
1-2. Leszek Możdżer, Lars Danielsson, Zohar Fresco & Atom String Quartet – Praying (05:24)
1-3. Leszek Możdżer, Lars Danielsson, Zohar Fresco & Atom String Quartet – Follow My Backlights (05:46)
1-4. Leszek Możdżer, Lars Danielsson, Zohar Fresco & Atom String Quartet – Love Pastas (12:01)
1-5. Leszek Możdżer, Lars Danielsson, Zohar Fresco & Atom String Quartet – Na 7 (05:31)
1-6. Leszek Możdżer, Lars Danielsson, Zohar Fresco & Atom String Quartet – Africa (06:03)
1-7. Leszek Możdżer, Lars Danielsson, Zohar Fresco & Atom String Quartet – Gsharim (07:07)
1-8. Leszek Możdżer, Lars Danielsson, Zohar Fresco & Atom String Quartet – Eden (08:57)
1-9. Leszek Możdżer, Lars Danielsson, Zohar Fresco & Atom String Quartet – Hunchback Porn Angel (04:01)
1-10. Leszek Możdżer, Lars Danielsson, Zohar Fresco & Atom String Quartet – Winter Song (06:12)

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