Jacek Kochan | Another Blowfish | Not Two Records

Not Two, 2002 | MW 745-2 | CD

Jacek Kochan – drums | Eric Vloeimans – trumpet, flugelhorn (right channel) | Michel Donato – bass | Piotr Wojtasik – trumpet (left channel)

Tracklist: 1. Another Blowfish [03:52] 2. Yellow Car For The First Time [08:15] 3. Kowloon [08:34] 4. Five Dots [10:17] 5. Do You Really Need All This Money? [07:39] 6. For The Reason [06:29] 7. Once Again [06:20] 8. Fugu [06:45] 9. Fridat Night Wizards [02:56]

Produced by Jacek Kochan. Executive producer Marek Winiarski. Recorded at Chrost Studio by Winicjusz Chrost. Mixed at Corporate Highlanders Studio by Jacek Kochan. Mastered at Grape House by Rene Combony and at Q Sound by Jacek Gawlowski and Jacek Kochan. Cover design and original art by Marta Kochan. Eric’s photo by Fred Bakhuis, Jacek’s photo by Jozef Pawlowski, band’s photo by Tomasz Waszczuk. Jacek Kochan plays SABIAN cymbals. Piotr Wojtasik plays exclusively SELMER trumpet, model CHORUS 80 J. Michel would like to thank Filip Gunzel for the bass. Jacek would like to thank all the musicians who contributed their talent and creativity to this recording: Michel, Eric & Piotr. Special thanks to : Vini Chrost at Chrost Studio, Jacek Gawlowski at Q Sound, Ladislau Lemm, Rene Combony and Nina Forsberg, Deborah Paul and Delfina Swieckowska at Canadian Embassy, Wayne Blanchard at Sabian, Marek Winiarski at Not Two Records, Marta my Dear, Ewa and my Family. Thank You Lord for everything. For more info visit: www.jacekkochan.com

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Kochan is a busy guy, leading a variety of groups, writing, arranging and producing albums as well as performing. 2002’s Another Blowfish features his quartet with the unusual lineup of two trumpets, bass and drums. It’s a gimmick, sure, but a good gimmick. Since the natural question is “why did he choose that instrumentation”, it makes you listen more closely to the music. For an hour of loose freebop, the ever-explorative Kochan rides herd on the brassmen, aided and abetted by Canadian bassist Michel Donato. All the tunes on this disc are by Kochan, and they sond specially tailored to the all-brass setup, designed to contrast their sounds. Both trumpeters are powerful soloists. Eric Vloeimans has the excitable and brassier sound in the left channel, with the calmer and unhurried Piotr Wojtasik coming through on the right.

The dexterous Wojtasik is a relaxed and thoughtful improviser who seems more comfortable in the midrange of his horn. The equally articulate Vloeimans has a more piercing sound, and he’s more into using mutes as part of his bag of tricks. By mixing tempos and rhythmic feels while exploiting the contrasting sounds of Vloeimans and Wojtasik, the set maintains interst throughout. Donato, with a huge and round sound, is like a rock, the solid core of the performances. Kochan is more laid-back then usual, urgent as ever but leaving most of the solo space to the horns. The yaunty “Do You Really Need All This Money” is one of the highlights, as Vloeimans and Wojtasik go at it head to head. Truth is that there’s barely a dull moment on this disc. Come for the novelty of the lineup, but stay for the fine music. — Stuart Kremsky (Cadence)

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