It almost sounds like the start of a playful joke you might hear in a pub: What happens when a good looking, charismatic Polish guy walks into an L.A. recording studio with some of the city’s most exciting and accomplished sidemen? If it happens to be Marcin Nowakowski, truly Poland’s most acclaimed and famous saxophonists, and instrumental R&B/jazz fusion superstar keyboardist Jeff Lorber is helming the session, the answer is easy. It’s pure explosive magic, the picture perfect mix of funky soul grooves and infectious melodies that contemporary urban jazz desperately needs to survive as a viable genre. Riffing on the title of Nowakowski’s latest album, if these ten tracks are any indication of what the versatile saxman is capable of, there are indeed Better Days ahead for instrumental music. Lorber, who has worked his production magic in the past for American sax greats like Gerald Albright, Dave Koz, the late Art Porter and Eric Marienthal (one of Nowakowski’s former instructors), works his joyful retro keyboard flavors and acoustic piano into the mix while allowing the horn melody and occasional improvisations to take center stage. The bubbly opener “Wake Up!” is an infectious Koz-like alto tune that gets the set off to a rousing start (how could it be otherwise with a title like that?), and who can resist scatting along with the charming, easy grooving cover of Shanice’s “I Love Your Smile”? The fun part of Nowakowski’s approach is that he’s always hanging in the pocket, coming at us with those sizzling, instantly catchy hooks--urging us to fire up and “Let’s Do It,” chillin’ just a little on Lorber’s moody “HuggyBear,” reminding us via his graceful, soaring soprano that it’s all about being “Sensual”. Yet the minute he finds an opening, the saxman takes a moment to riff and jam in unexpected ways, as on the hypnotic grooving at the end of “Feelin’ Good” and the quick rolling “After Hours,” which features some of his most adventurous licks leading into one of Lorber’s most playfully aggressive solo piano spots. In essence, it’s the perfect instrumental CD, balancing accessibility and free spirited blowing. Props also go to those aforementioned session cats that make every project they work on a party: vocalist Jeff Pescetto (who adds his soulful cool to “Waiting For You” and touches of soaring inspiration to the title track) , Paul Jackson, Jr. (who played on Nowakowski’s Polish-released debut Smooth Night), Alex Al, Tony Moore, Lenny Castro, Michael Landau and Dave Weckl. Now that he’s put out one of urban jazz’s best CDs of 2009, here’s hoping Nowakowski will be visiting L.A. again soon—and often after that!

--Jonathan Widran

 

 

smooth night (2005)

 

Saxophonist Marcin Nowakowski, music arranger and woodwind virtuoso, has played an array of different instruments for audiences in Poland and abroad. Nowakowski has performed in concert with with Jose Carreras, Paul Jackson, Jr., Simon Philips, and Caroline Henderson, in addition to numerous other internationally recognized stars. His recent solo record Smooth Night has been a successful entry onto the international smooth jazz scene.

Smooth Night is a balanced album, with its slow, sexy, melodious pieces offset by the more dynamic and energizing ones. Every beat and every note is quintessential smooth jazz, but Nowakowski's soft sax sounds fresh and original. Guest appearances by top Polish artists and world-famous guitarist Paul Jackson, Jr., make Smooth Night a distinctive, sophisticated album...
The Album has gained a vast following and proves to be a great sale in European music stores as well as on such International music web stores as Amazon.com, CDbaby.com, and ITunes.
The wide spread popularity of the record resulted In the Golden Record status earned by "Smooth Night" in 2007.

Buy CD it now

The album Smooth Night of Marcin Nowakowski is the best European Smooth Jazz album ever heard. The sound and production are more than sublime.
I'm proud to promote Mr. Nowakowski,
it's a nice breath of fresh air on our radiostation!
Koen De Bruyn
Music Director
CROOZE.fm

 

Marcin Nowakowski is Poland's ambassador of Smooth Jazz.
He suprised us with his high-professional album 'Smooth Night'.
The tunes are sultry and very accessible, smooth jazz radio stations
should give this album a spin.
HBH www.smooth-jazz.de

 

We were very pleased to add Marcin Nowakowski's release 'Smooth Night'
to our collection.
It has proven popular with our listeners and our announcers.
Marcin is a talented player and writer. We are looking forward to his next release.
Graham Johnson,
Chairman, 2CCR-FM,
The Sound of Style, 90.5 ,
Sydney's Home of Smooth Jazz, Australia.

 

Marcin's track '1981', off of his CD 'Smooth Night', has the energy,production,
and stellar performance that’s perfect for my coast to coast American radio audience. It kicks into high gear from the second it begins and doesn't let up until the end. Slammin'!
Rafe Gomez - Host/dj,
The Groove Boutique jazz mix show

 

Marcin Nowakowski is a talented saxophonist from Poland who, with his CD release 'Smooth Night', is proving conclusively that high quality and melodic smooth jazz
can be successfully produced outside of the USA.
Denis Poole
www.smoothjazztherapy.com