SBB [AKA: SBB 1]

Legendary Polish band,starting under the name Silesian Blues Band and formed in 1971 in Siemianowice Slaskie by Józef Skrzek,Apostolis Anthimos and Jerzy Piotrowski.An intense live activity and promotion helped the band become known also outside of the Silesia region.By early 72' they decided to collaborate with Czesław Niemen and a new group,NIEMEN was born.This nice act lasted no more than one year and a half,releasing four albums and touring around Europe.Afterwards the trio of Silesian Blues Band shortened their name to SBB (but this time it came from ''Szukaj, Burz, Buduj'' aka ''Search, Break, Build') 'and continued producing music.In 1974 SBB released their first LP on Polskie Nagrania Muza ,a live recording on the 18th and 19 April 1974.A 1997 CD re-issue of this album contains a number of bonus tracks to sum up to almost 80 minutes of music.

STYLE: Combining Jazz,Blues,Rock and Classical Music in a much improvisational way,SBB are really a hard band to compare.Opening number is totally out of atmosphere,a bluesy ballad with uninteresting content.With ''Odlot'' SBB show many of their skills and influences.An electric outburst with plenty of free jamming parts,the track opens with a jazzy rhythm with a spacey atmospheric mood before it gets into an Anthimos' show with very extended Hendric- influenced soloing.First ten minutes of ''Wizje'' are Józef Skrzek's moment with his piano dominating the atmosphere surrounded by his lyrical performance,while afterwards the band turns the track into a free loose structure with obscure guitars and keys,where even Piotrowski contributes with a long drum solo.

On a little talk about the re-issue's bonus tracks,these come as a good follow to the original work,as they continue on the improvisational mood of the original LP with a few structured vocal-led blues sections.

INFLUENCES/SOUNDS LIKE: East-Europian bands arec trully hard to compare.Imagine JIMMY HENDRIX on guitars collaborating with two Jazz-Rock musicians on drums/bass/keys in a rather Free Jazz/Blues form.

PLUS: SBB are a band with a name perfectly chosen.This trio tries to explore the possibilities of blending different styles of music in a unique way.Musicians are all very good handlers of their instruments,no doubt about it.

MINUS: The biggest issue of the album for me: No structures at all.This album has a free music form in 90% of its running time and sounds more as a rehearsal than a well-organized live performance. Additionally most of these parts are long-stretched,resulting two over 10.min. tracks of pure improvisation.A couple of listens get me boring to death.The mellower parts with the ballad-feeling are also quite uninspired and forgettable.Vocals are not of significant reference.

WILL APPEAL TO: Only for collectors,maybe also to those into free or more experimental forms of music.

CONCLUSION/RATING: Strange story...this album is very progressive but it's not Progressive Rock.I am not a fan of too much improvisational music and thus ''SBB 1'' was for me a hard and painful experience...and while I recognize how open-minded this band was back then,I doubt this album will enter my CD player in the future...1 star.