The Squid's Ear Magazine


Kuchen, Martin / Rafal Mazur: Baza  [VINYL] (NoBusiness)

A unique freely improvised sax and bass duo from Angles leader Martin Kuchen on alto and sopranino saxophones, and Rafal Mazur on acoustic bass guitar, recording live at BAZA Club in Krakow, Poland in 2017 they perform the two part "Baza", initiating with mastery and determination, morphing to more meditative playing, and ending with impressive assertion.
 

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product information:

Personnel:



Martin Kuchen-sopranino saxophone, alto saxophone

Rafal Mazur-acoustic bass guitar


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Edition of 300 copies.

Label: NoBusiness
Catalog ID: NBLP 118
Squidco Product Code: 26799

Format: LP
Condition: New
Released: 2018
Country: Lithuania
Packaging: LP
Recorded live at BAZA Club, Krakow, Poland, on March 6th, 2017 by Rafal Driewniany.

Descriptions, Reviews, &c.

"On a cold day of January 2019 a packet from NoBusiness Records arrived with several LPs, and "Baza" among them. Wow!!! This is one the best free improvised duo albums I have ever heard. It is trivially the best in its own category: while there are many double bass-saxophones duo, there is only one fretless acoustic bass guitar and there is only one Rafal Mazur! But, his playing is frequently more profound than that of double bass improvisers.

The album was recorded live in the BAZA club in Krakaw by the ingenious Rafal Rafał Drewniany, who also mixed the material. Arunas Zujus mastered it, and Danas Mikailionis produced it. Already the cover announces a masterpiece: it is a 1930s glass plate photography of "Worker's Bath-House as Wegierska Górka" by Karol Suchanek.

Martin Küchen, born 1966, is one of the leading contemporary improvisers, of course belonging to the Scandinaviuan "school", but very different, say, from Mats Mats-olof Gustafsson. Martin is a master of changing moods: from lyrical and peaceful, to energetic and explosive, from expressive and extravertic to implosive and introvertic. But, at the same time he is the master of meditation. In this sense he is more than perfect partner for Rafal, who is also a master of the meditation and moods trading. The combinations of this two musicians brings up such synergy and mutual cooperation, that really... one cannot ask for more.

The LP starts with "Baza 1", which begins relatively powerfully on alto, and continues in the second part more tranquil on sopranino, with fantastic bowing of Rafaª. "Baza 2" is an incredible alto-bass guitar dialogue, which becomes very abstract at the end with various effects created by both instruments. There is nothing else like this music. I am looking already forward for the Nobject trio recording, in which Rafal and Martin are joined by Vasco Trilla. This will sure deserve six stars!"-Maciej Lewenstein


Edition of 300 copies.

Artist Biographies

"Born 1966; saxophones. Martin Küchen has been active on the Swedish free improvised/free jazz scene since the mid-1990s. He has composed for larger groups, participated in dance projects, performed with different poets and created the music for experimental films. He now collaborates with improvisors all over Europe and USA/Canada. His current collaborations include:

Angles - a new trio with Ingebrigt Håker- Flaten, doublebass, Kjell Nordeson, drums and Martin Küchen, saxophones. Exploding Customer - a free jazz quartet with Tomas Hallonsten trumpet, Benjamin Quigley double bass and Kjell Nordeson drums, which plays mainly original compositions. Sound of Mucus - a trio with the stringchordist Herman Müntzing and Andreas Axelsson, percussion. Unsolicited Music Ensemble - a trio with Tony Wren, double bass and Raymond Strid, percussion. a duo with guitarist David Stackenås. UNSK: Birgit Ulher, Martin Küchen, lise-Lott Norelius and Raymond Strid. Looper - a trio with Greek cello player Nikos Veliotis and Norwegian percussionist Ingar Zach."

-European Free Improv Site (http://www.efi.group.shef.ac.uk/musician/mkuchen.html)
12/11/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.

"Rafal Mazur's involvement with music began in his youth with violoncello studies in Krakow. He switched to bass guitar in the late 1980's. Since 2000 he has played an acoustic bass guitar built to his own specifications by luthier Jerzy Wysocki. He has developed an advanced and individual approach to his instrument, and to improvisation in general, in which sonority, extended technique and gesture combine effortlessly in performance. He has taken an important role in Kraków to support young artists and improvised music. A founder of the ImproArt studio of improvisation, he has performed jazz and improvised music in clubs and festivals across Poland and Europe, and in China, South Korea and Israel. In recent years he has collaborated with Lisa Ullen, Frederic Blondy, Charlotta Hug, Raymond Strid, Keir Neuringer, Zsolt Sores and others. His current focus is the band "Ensemble 56" and "Mazur/Neuringer Duo". He is an organizer of the Laboratory of Intuition, a series of spontaneous art presentations in Kraków. Mazur's main field of interest and activity is collective and solo free/spontaneous improvisation. In his practice as an improvising musician and on his way to mastery/artistry he studys Chinese philosophy (Jagiellonian University). He regards Taoism as a strong base for the enrichment of the improviser's attitude, and to this end he practices the Taoist's martial art TaiJi Quan Chen. For Mazur, following the masters of Chinese philosophy and martial arts is crucial in the development of a state of mind prepared for the unexpected situations an improviser encounters in the act of collective free improvisation. During the Polish Sound Art in China tour in 2006, Mazur presented lectures in NiHiLo Gallery in Foshan and Zendai Art Museum in Shanghai, taking the opportunity to meet Chinese improvisers and discuss and compare his approaches to improvisation, Taoism and TaiJi. Mazur's most recent work is the first album of solo acoustic bass guitar free improvisation: 'Sonor Forms'. Released by independent label DTS Records in Krakow on its Transidiomatic series, the disc is the result of investigation into the practice of solo free improvisation."

-Rafal Mazur Website (http://www.rafalmazur.eu/1bio.html)
12/11/2024

Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.


Track Listing:



SIDE A



1. Baza 1 23:15

2. Baza 1 (Continues) 09:04

SIDE B



1. Baza 2 11:11

Related Categories of Interest:


Vinyl Recordings
Improvised Music
Jazz
Free Improvisation
European Improvisation, Composition and Experimental Forms
Duo Recordings
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The Squid's Ear Magazine

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