Zbigniew Namyslowski Modern Jazz Quartet - Lola - 180g Vinyl LP

2025

Landmark 1964 Decca session — the first Polish jazz album recorded and released outside Poland, newly reissued on 180g vinyl.

When Lola appeared on Decca in 1964, it was more than a jazz debut — it was a cultural breakthrough. Recorded in London after the Zbigniew Namysłowski Modern Jazz Quartet had earned acclaim at Ronnie Scott’s, the Richmond Jazz Festival, and on the BBC, it became the first Polish jazz album ever released outside Poland. The session was produced by Mike Vernon (later of Fleetwood Mac and John Mayall fame) and engineered by Vic Smith (The Jam), capturing a working group at full stride.

The music blends post-bop’s rhythmic drive with modal harmony and subtle folk inflections drawn from Polish highlander traditions. Seven original compositions and a striking recasting of “Ol’ Man River” reveal a quartet fluent in American idioms yet unmistakably their own — angular themes, bright swing, and an undercurrent of Polish lyricism. Critics of the day praised its sophistication and energy, highlighting pianist Leszek Gulgowski’s luminous touch and the band’s conversational interplay.

Long recognized as a milestone in Polish modern jazz, Lola remains a vital listen: cosmopolitan, inventive, and deeply rooted in its cultural voice. This reissue restores a key moment when European jazz stepped confidently onto the world stage.