Urszula Dudziak - Wszystko Gra (2013)

On Urszula Dudziak's new album, "Wszystko gra," jazz meets world music.

"The foundation is jazz, swing, and swaying, and against this backdrop, other melodies emerge: Balkan, Turkish, lyrical ballads. It's upbeat, joyful music, though sometimes with a melancholic tinge. I call it 'dance fiusion.' It's a new 'Papaya,'" says Dudziak.

"It's my element; there's music everywhere, everything's in sync. There are good sounds and bad sounds. There are pleasant, intriguing ones that help, but there are also others that irritate, disturb, hurt. You have to harmoniously combine good sounds—and that's what matters every time we release an album or perform."

The album features nine songs, all new compositions by Jan Smoczyński, including "Shortcut to Heaven," "Let's Have a Good Time," "Happy Riding," "Turkish Mazurka," and "Balkan Dance."

The album's composition and arrangement are the work of the band's musical director, Jan Smoczyński, a pianist, multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer. The vocalist is accompanied by the band – Jan Smoczyński on keyboards, Łukasz Poprawski on saxophone, Robert Cichy on guitars, Krzysztof Pacan on bass guitar, and Artur Lipiński on drums. Dudziak says:

These are wonderful young musicians, well-educated, with their own impressively developing careers. I feel great surrounded by these young musicians, and I think they feel great with me too.

The special guest is Mika Urbaniak, the author and co-performer of "Let's Have a Good Time." The album also features a song with lyrics by the vocalist's second daughter, Kasia Urbaniak – the ballad "Song for S." Paweł Brodowski, editor-in-chief of "Jazz Forum," says:

We've been waiting a long time for Ula Dudziak's next album. And here it is – a sensational album: original material, recorded with excellent musicians. And the vocalist is in top form. This was evident during her performance at Bobby McFerrin's August concert during this year's Solidarity of Arts festival in Gdańsk.

Dudziak's previous album, "Superband - Live at Jazz Cafe," was released in 2009. The singer doesn't overwhelm her listeners with an avalanche of recordings, but each of her new albums is a highly anticipated event. Critics emphasize that every Ula Dudziak concert is an encounter not only with her singing but also with her – a magnetic personality.

Urszula Dudziak is known for her vocal technique known as scat singing. She is a master of this popular jazz style of singing, which involves imitating the sound of instruments.---Source: PAP, edited by Lucyna Szura; September 13, 2013