Polonez

The second album by the Polish-French quartet Lumpeks picks up right where their self-titled debut (2020) left off. Founded by the French free jazz double bassist, Sébastien Béliah, the group deconstruct Polish traditional tripartite dances, mainly oberek, mazurka and kujawiak from Central Poland with an Ornette Coleman-like bravery and imagination. Sometimes Lumpeks play these tunes quite faithfully, changing only instrumentation – adding to the violin (played by Maria Stępień), an instrument crucial for Polish folk music, trumpets and saxophone (played recklessly and restlessly by Olga Kozieł and Pierre Borel, respectively) on songs such as ‘Tête Deux Chevals’ and ‘Kujawiak Kombinowany’. On these two tracks, Lumpeks fully show their skill and craft – the music swirls and turns, inviting night-long dances. Oftentimes in Polonez, however, they improvise over the rhythmic pattern of oberek and build around it completely new, jazz-infused pieces. They really thrive when they balance those two approaches, as on the slower ‘Le Souterrain’ or ‘Double Polka’, where right when you think the music falls apart it jumps back on track. The main theme of the album is movement – be it forgetting oneself while dancing or travelling – embodied by fierce drumming from Olga Kozieł. Kozieł also sings. She has a powerful, raw voice with which she shares stories of love, patriarchy, violence and female courage.