Czeslaw Niemen !!!

ClemofNazareth wrote: Tuzvihar wrote: He is here!     Although I've spotted a bug in his bio regarding Józef Bem (He wasn't a hungarian soldier. He was a polish general in the November Uprising who later, after the fall of the uprising, emigrated to Hungary and partook in the Hungarian uprising against Austrians. After the fall of it he went to Turkey, converted to Islam and served in their army until his death. Really, a complicated person. ) but I forgive You ClemOfNazareth. You don't have to know Polish history   . BTW, I was a little exaggerating in the initial post under the first impression of the album (Enigmatic). I would give it four stars now. This one was fun. I have had Mourner's Rhapsody for years, but never really knew much about Nieman. As I've done some research, he's turned out to be not only an impressive musician, but an interesting person as well. And thanks to Snow Dog for preparing him for inclusion, and ProgLucky for checking the submissions and making corrections where I screwed up.

I thank you all ClemOfNazareth, Snow Dog and ProgLucky! (BTW, his name is Niemen )

He is here!    

Although I've spotted a bug in his bio regarding Józef Bem (He wasn't a hungarian soldier. He was a polish general in the November Uprising who later, after the fall of the uprising, emigrated to Hungary and partook in the Hungarian uprising against Austrians. After the fall of it he went to Turkey, converted to Islam and served in their army until his death. Really, a complicated person. ) but I forgive You ClemOfNazareth. You don't have to know Polish history   .


BTW, I was a little exaggerating in the initial post under the first impression of the album (Enigmatic). I would give it four stars now.

Snow Dog wrote: Noted!

Noted!

I have heard Enigmatic as well, and based on that, I would say he has a strong case for inclusion.

Today I have the pleasure to introduce you all to the greatest (IMO of course) prog artist from my homeland. Ladies and Gentlemen - Czeslaw Niemen :



Just a couple of months ago I had ordered one of his albums - Niemen Enigmatic:



Yesterday it was sent to me finally (it's his first album in my collection, BTW) and I've been hooked since then! It's truely an outstanding album!

In particular, the first track - a sixteen minutes long epic Bema Pamieci Zalobny Rapsod (translation: The Mourning Rapsode in the memory of Bem - Jozef Bem was a Polish general in the nineteenth century) - ranks as one of the greatest prog epics IMO. The composition is based on a poem by a great polish romantic poet Cyprian Kamil Norwid (well, as a matter of fact texts of all the songs on this album are poems). The instrument that plays the main role in the composition is Hammond organ which is played by Niemen himself (what a playing!).

I have to add also that Czeslaw Niemen has a really amazing, powerful voice. He was often compared to James Brown in this regard.

The rest of the songs on the album is high quality jazz rock with lots of hammond playing, good drumming, featuring young Michal Urbaniak on tenor sax and flute.

I say this album is essential (at least for polish proggers)!

I say Czeslaw Niemen should be included in the archives (actually he was the first polish artist I checked when I found this site)!






Ps. I'm sorry about all the ephasis but I'm really, really hooked!

Edited by Tuzvihar