All About Jazz, 04/2020 by Friedrich Kunzmann
Some jazz guitarists try to bring a fresh perspective to their craft via a crowd of effects pedals. Others incorporate influences of modern popular music in order to create something new. In some cases they’ll do both. On his sixth album as a leader, the Polish guitarist Przemyslaw Straczek more or less chooses to stay within the conventions of sound and composition but puts a unique spin on things through his own melancholic tone.
Fig Tree does present a composer who’s mastered his craft. The tone of Straczek’s guitar together with his language within the compositional structures are what give these songs their unique timbre. Elevated by tight group interplay, these arrangements are effective at conveying the music in an emotionally convincing fashion”
Audio Magazine 03/2020 by Marek Dusza
The album “Fig Tree” opens with the ballad theme “Suspended” catching the heart with an atmospheric melody and solo by Marcin Kaletka. Then gentle phrases give way to expressive, concentrated improvisations to calm emotions in the final. It is worth listening to the muted “Whisper” while enjoying the subtle sound of the instruments. Przemysław Strączek has a talent for catchy melodies, which can be heard in each of the themes. The title “Fig Tree” has the potential to develop group improvisation, and the leader’s solo will delight every guitar lover. Songs: the subtle “Dualistic and dynamic” Two “emphasize two sides of everything. Here Strączek guitar shimmers with pastel colors.
The Jazz Era, 03/2020 by Dionizy Piątkowski