Urbaniak Bolero

Polish violinist Michal Urbaniak was already well known in Europe, and somewhat famous in America, with five previous overtly commercial efforts for the Columbia and Arista labels. This album for Inner City Records showcases a much more substantive, energetic, and contemporary type of jazz music perfectly suited for the fusion-oriented '70s. With wife Urszula Dudziak singing and Zbigniew Namyslowski playing alto sax in a David Sanborn-type dialect, these three form a hummable, tuneful front line whose symmetry and sonic footprint are hard to resist. Aside from the lead performers, fans of Kenny Kirkland should take note of his presence on this album, one of his earliest works. Kirkland plays brilliantly here on Fender Rhodes electric piano, Polymoog, and miniMoog synthesizers, buoying and supporting the others in bright dimensions and shimmering tones. Though adept at the straight-ahead mainstream style, R&B-oriented jazz-rock fusion is at the equally delightful and danceable core of Urbaniak's music.

Polish violinist, saxophonist and composer Michal Urbaniak played a major role in the development of jazz fusion in the 1970s and 80s. While working in Scandinavia in the 1960’s he met his future wife, Polish singer Urszula Dudziak and formed the foundation of what would later become the group that would stamp its imprint on the jazz world, Michal Urbaniak’s Fusion. Urbaniak moved to New York in 1973. His popularity on the NY scene garnered him a contract with Columbia records and concerts at the Village Vanguard and Carnegie Hall. Blending music from his Polish and European roots with the funk and fusion of the Big Apple impelled American and international jazz musicians to experiment with mixing various ethnic musical forms with jazz.

With song structures similar to Mahavishnu Orchestra and electric-era Return to Forever, Michal Urbaniak's Fusion III appealed to the same fusion-buying clientele…

Seiji Ozawa conducts the most sensitive and emotional performance of Ravel I have ever experienced. I bought the record 30 years ago and nearly cried hearing it on CD all these years later. If you have not heard this, you have never heard Ravel.

One never knows what to expect from violinist Michal Urbaniak, who has recorded bop, free jazz, funk and junk throughout his career with equal enthusiasm. Unfortunately, funk and junk are the main course on this CD, particularly during its first half. An odd collection, the set features plenty of electronic percussion and aimless grooves along with a few worthwhile moments. Urbaniak is overdubbed on strings, keyboards and saxophones but buries most of his guests under the mechanical percussion, including harmonica great Toots Thielemans on "Manhattan Man" and an otherwise acoustic trio featuring pianist Herbie Hancock on "Paris Groove."

Polish born jazz violinist Michal Urbaniak needs no introduction. Even before he moved to New York 20 years ago, he was already one of the hippest jazz stars performing with his own band at the major clubs and festivals in Europe. This is Michal’s 4th leader CD for SteepleChase. Here in the company of splendid rhythm section of Kikoski, Peter and Kenny Washington, Urbaniak’s violin swings freely.

This is a reissue of the second album recorded for the small German label Spiegelei by the ensemble headed by Polish Jazz saxophonist / violinist / composer Michal Urbaniak. The ensemble included also Urbaniak's wife at the time, vocalist Urszula Dudziak, keyboardist Adam Makowicz, bassist Roman Dylag, drummer Czeslaw Bartkowski and Yugoslav percussionist Branislav Kovacev. The album includes seven tracks, all composed by Urbaniak. This album has several similarities to the live album Urbaniak and his ensemble recorded in 1973 in Poland, released as part of the legendary Polish Jazz series (Vol. 36) and entitled "In Concert", which in retrospect was one of Polish Jazz most significant and pivotal recordings and a giant milestone towards the discovery of Jazz-Rock Fusion on the local scene.

Started his career in Poland and Scandinavia in the 1960's and formed the Michał Urbaniak Group in Poland in 1969. Emigrated to the USA in 1973, and formed Fusion in 1974. Has worked as a session musician with many jazz greats such as Herbie Hancock, Weather Report and Miles Davis.