I find some good humor with the cover art for “Slavic Horizons” by Slawek Semeniuk. He offers the Parental Advisory warning for Fusion Content. So, any young reader has been forewarned that this nearly all instrumental album contains music that, um well, may need approval by your parents to listen too! Currently residing in the Düsseldorf area of Germany, the freelance bass player and composer who was born and raised in Poland, holds a degree in Jazz Performance at the Maastricht Academy of Music.
Semeniuk is constantly active as a studio musician and a live performer and has appeared on over twenty record projects plus has performed at over 800 concerts worldwide. These include his own shows and multiple tours with the Australian guitarist Rob Tognoni, as well as collaborations with many well-acclaimed musicians from around the globe, like Ulf Stricker and Grammy nominated composer Simon Novsky.
“Slavic Horizons” marks Semeniuk’s second release, concentrating around his own music. It’s an instrumental blend, exuberantly harmonious through virtuosity of an international lineup that includes Ulf Stricker on drums, Moritz Schippers playing keyboards, Greg Torunski on sax, Thorsten Praest playing the guitar, Lukas Kuban on percussions, Kasia Pluta on vocals, and of course Slawek Semeniuk holding it all down on the bass.
The main style of the record is a blending between the fusion genre and certain folkloristic elements, derived from the Slavic heritage. The album contains 11 original tracks, wherein he successfully paints his vision of music and continues his voyage as a composer, which began in 2014 with his debut album “Synthdrome.”
Absolutely from the fusion realm, the album pushes forward nicely, while maintaining a laid back feel. With the structures common to fusion jazz, including riff based melodies, streaming solos, and groove based rhythms, Slavic Horizons is a great addition to one’s jazz collection.
Format Info
CD and Digital Download.