Felix Marciano
Jazzman - France

**** touching

Darek Oleszkiewicz is on the contrary of a man in a hurry. To realize his first really personal album, the Polish doublebass player (settled for a long time in California) took his time, recording sessions spaced over several years with three different bands, but in a constant direction. The intimist duo he does with his friend Brad Mehldau gives from the beginning the general mood introducing the album with five pieces all in subtelty and tenderness, where every note, weighed with an extreme precision, seems to be balanced in an invisible canvas. You can find again these skills in the two other groups, coloured this time with a little ECM touch, where you can hear the subtle guitar player Larry Koonse, really caressing his strings and the mythic saxophoneplayer of the Headhunters, Bennie Maupin, playing a single and very inspired chorus. Resting on very melodic themes, coloured with an agreable melancholy, Oleszkiewicz's compositions play in a subtle way with space and silence in an almost oniric (dreamlike) mood which refers directly to the title of the cd. Sensitive music which speaks immediately to the heart.

translation by Herve Czak

John Kelman
www.allaboutjazz.com

Bassist Darek Oleszkiewicz, who prefers to go by the abbreviated moniker Oles, has gradually been establishing a name for himself on the West Coast scene over the past decade, playing on notable recordings by artists including Dianne Reeves, Jackie Ryan and Charles Lloyd. Now, with his Cryptogramophone début as a leader, Like a Dream, he sheds a spotlight on his compositional skills.
On a programme of eleven originals and one standard, Oles demonstrates a style that crosses a number of musical boundaries much like Eric von Essen, who came before him in the LA scene and figures prominently in Oles' work.
The album presents Oles in three different and contrasting contexts. First is a series of duets with pianist Brad Mehldau.
While there is the inevitable lineage to Scott LaFaro and Bill Evans, Oles also combines a certain economy of style that is reminiscent of Charlie Haden. Oles and Mehldau seamlessly shift between being drivers and passengers on what are the most mainstream compositions of the album.
Oles' tone, while woody like Haden's, also has a certain Gary Peacock-like edge to it.
Mehldau displays the contrapuntal style he has become known for, with left and right hands sometimes playing call-and-response, other times playing independent lines that inevitably cross paths and come together into a common theme.
Oles' compositions are lyrical and immediately memorable.
One wonders if his inclusion of the Raye/DePaul standard “You Don't Know What Love Is” is to simply give context to Oles' compositions, which are fresh, while at the same time oddly familiar.

Two pieces by Oles' longstanding cooperative, the L.A. Jazz Quartet, place him in a clearly comfortable ensemble setting.
Oles aside, the star of this group is guitarist Larry Koonse, who, with a warm and elegant style that is similarly spare, contributes heartfelt accompaniment and solo work on the tender ballad “Precious Moments.” The folksy 5/4 “Before the Journey” is an aptly-titled, strongly visual piece that hints at Americana without being blatant. Oles' solo is remarkably singable considering the register of his instrument; a characteristic, in fact, of most of his work.

The programme closes with five tracks that feature pianist Adam Benjamin and drummer Nate Wood, with reedman
Bennie Maupin guesting on “Conclusion Part Two,” another folk-tinged piece that is the most outgoing piece of the album. “Conclusion Part One” and “Conclusion Part Three” are darker, more introspective pieces, as is the melancholy “That Night.” Oles shows his abilities as a thoughtful accompanist who, while occasionally unpredictable, always keeps a strong pulse.

Oles may not be a secret on the LA scene, but he is less well-known on larger national and international stages.
With Like a Dream he proves that he has what it takes, as a performer and composer, to reach the next level; once again the adventurous Cryptogramophone label brings a deserving artist to a broader public.

Scott Yanow
L.A. Jazz Scene

Darek Oles (whose full last name is Oleszkiewicz) is such a dependable and flexible bassist that he is easy to take for granted. His tone is so warm that one wonders why all acoustic bassists do not sound that way, and his ability to play creatively in settings ranging from swing and bop to free form seems so natural that one rarely thinks of it as unusual, though it is.
Born In Poland, Oles has been an important if often unheralded part of the jazz scene in Los Angeles since 1988, both as
a player and an educator. In addition to playing at one time or another with most of the top local jazz musicians, he has worked with Pat Metheny, Lee Konitz, John Abercrombie, Charles Lloyd and Bob Brookmeyer among others.
With the exeption of a version of "You Don't Know What Love Is" (which is played here in 7/4 time), all of the music on
"Like A Dream" was composed by Oles. The first five selections have him sharing the spotlight on a miniset of sensitive duets with pianist Brad Mehldau. The interplay between the musicians often finds them thinking as one, creating thoughtful music full of subtlety even on the medium-tempo "Blues For Eden".
In addition, Oles is featured in two laidback selections with the Los Angeles Jazz Quartet (which also includes tenor-saxophonist Chuck Manning, guitarist Larry Koonse and drummer Mark Ferber) and three selections (including the three-part "Conclusion") in a trio with pianist Adam Benjamin and drummer Nate Wood; Bennie Maupin is added to "Conclusion Part Two" on tenor.
In each case the music is lyrical, melodic, a bit unpredictable and somewhat soothing.
Although this set would have benefited from including a couple uptempo pieces for variety, perhaps that would have seemed jarring and not that connected with the title of the CD, "Like A Dream". Overall this is an impressive outing, a highly recommended project that alerts us to how lucky we are to have Darek Oles playing regularly in the Los Angeles area.
It is available from www.cryptogramophone.com and P.O. Box 2968, Venice, CA 90294-2968.

Jim Santella
www.allaboutjazz.com

A lyrical bassist with virtuosic technique, Darek Oles shares his love of straightahead jazz with many fellow musicians.
Both in the U.S. and in his native Poland, he continues to nurture our love for a melody through his work with various ensembles. With his debut as leader, Oles also introduces the public to his musical compositions: nine originals that swing gently with compassion.
Oles and pianist Brad Mehldau interpret the first five ballads of the session as a duo. Their seamless interplay moves fluidly through cool waters. On his blues, the bassist states his theme with a vocalist's passion. He and Mehldau tie their intuitive thoughts together succinctly. In their hands, the Great American Songbook standard “You Don't Know What Love Is” receives
a unique rhythmic treatment, albeit fluid and graceful. The duo raps this one out in 7/4 with a spark of energy. Their calm demeanor and cool freshness seal the piece's underlying motion tightly.The Los Angeles Jazz Quartet has introduced Oles to straightahead audiences for nearly a decade. After capturing the runner-up prize in the 1996 Cognac Hennessey Jazz Search, the bassist and his partners released several poignant albums.
Guitarist Larry Koonse, saxophonist Chuck Manning and Mark Ferber join him here for “Before the Journey” and “Precious Moments,” evoking the fulfilling experiences that they've shared together. Keeping the scene light and cool, the quartet swings gently with a graceful, mainstream air. Everyone solos. With Adam Benjamin and Nate Wood, the bassist interprets the final three compositions on his program as a group of mellow trio outings. Lyricism remains the emphasis as Oles solos lovingly with heartfelt compassion. The album's high point comes on Bennie Maupin's searing cameo, giving the program a fitting conclusion.

Greg Burk - jazz music pick of the week
L.A. Weekly

Honest: It didn't occur to me while listening to the beginning of Darek Oles' new "Like A Dream" that there was no drummer. True, Oles' compositions don't usually make you ponder rhythms or structures - they make you drift, breathe.
Regardless, the way his generous bass interlocks with the soap-cake touch of Brad Mehldau's piano, you physically feel the insistence of the beat. On "Dream", Oles also teams with Adam Benjamin, Nate Wood and Bennie Maupin; tonight, though,
his familiar partners are L.A. Jazz Quartet, who hold the album's center - saxist Chuck Manning, Guitarist Larry Koonse and drummer Mark Ferber waft the kind of easy creativity that can make you forget its intelligence and intensity...

Rex Butters
All About Jazz: Los Angeles

Well-traveled Los Angeles-based bassist Darek Oles leads three configurations through ear balm renditions of his richly melodic, appealing compositions. His Cryptogramophone debut resembles in format the label's Music of Eric Von Essen series, which explores that bassist's compositions with different ensembles. Here, he's caught in intimate conversation with old friend Brad Mehldau on five tracks, with a guitar/saxophone quartet on two, and with a trio on five, one of which features guest
Bennie Maupin sounding happy on tenor.
His acknowledged compositional debt to Chopin makes his association with Mehldau obvious, as Mehldau's known to have Chopinesque reveries. As with Bill Evans and Eddie Gomez, their familiarity breeds empathy. Oles plays the theme to “November,” with Mehldau brief in support. When Oles solos he surprises with his fluent lyrical sense. Mehldau seems content to sit back and let Oles take the melody all over the map. His time comes and Oles plays the generous, supportive host.
Oles and Mehldau's time tweaking on “You Don't Know What Love Is,” creates an irresistible forward momentum.
With Mehldau running his variations, Oles restlessly plays off him. Finally freed, Oles dances all over the melody, plays
the blues, his basslines snaking over and around the tune.

“Like a Dream” appropriately floats like early morning lake mist. Oles drops his hesitating tones behind Mehldau's elegant statements, wistful parlor jazz. A simple moving solo turn by Mehldau ends it. Mehldau easily strolls through the optimistic
“Time Cafe,” Oles' solo turn frisky by comparison. Any questions about their swing ability are cleared up on “Blues for Eden.”
Oles keeps time like a clock while Mehldau rolls right hand jabs shaking up the harmony with the left. Oles brought his big hands to this session, plucking at the speed of imagination. They go out trading measures, Oles powerfully effective.

The quartet debuts with “Precious Moments,” a ballad that throbs with an aching warmth. Chuck Manning's blunted tenor attack melts with Larry Koonse's high definition guitar. Manning seduces the sax through his sensual solo. On “Before the Journey,” Koonse plays accompaniment to Oles' dramatic statement of the courageous minored theme. Ferber creates an exotic feel with sparse percussion, and Oles takes a soulful, exquisite turn on bass. Koonse unhurriedly decorates the Latin-tinged melody.

A trio with Adam Benjamin on piano and Nate Wood on drums follows, Benjamin less liquid than Mehldau, but with no shortage of the musical charm needed to interpret this music. On “Gift,” the piano revels in the sweet melody, while Oles strenuously climbs through the changes, never seeming to strain. The more ponderous “That Night” allows Oles a moving interlude.

Benjamin backs Oles' exposition on “Conclusion Part 1.” He only gains enthusiasm on “Part 2,” and when Woods' beat goes from light to funky, Bennie Maupin arrives to spread his tenor tenacity before a hasty fadeout cuts Maupin's display of tenor sax mastery.

At times sounding like early ECM, but with more coffee in the green room, Like a Dream could awaken a hit for Darek Oles
and Cryptogramophone.

J. Dennis - Smart jazz from an emerging monster bassist
www.amazon.com

Bassist Darek Oles is a mainstay of the SoCal jazz scene, analogous, perhaps, to the great Kieran Overs's position in Canadian jazz. That this should be his first disc as leader is nothing short of remarkable. Here's a man whose playing sums up nearly the whole history of jazz bass, from Paul Chambers through Charlie Haden. Cryptogamophone deserves praise for having the foresight to sign him and release this wonderful disc.
That he's managed to snag Brad Mehldau for the piano chair for nearly half the total time on this disc proves he's not only got good taste, but a certain standing in the jazz community. And Mehldau delivers, big time. Almost always someone worth listening to for his tasty comping, bizarre sense of time, incessant solo ideas, and monster technique, he really digs deep here, especially on the standard, "You Don't Know What Love Is," and comes up with some of his finest playing on disc.
The rest of the recording is about equally divided between a quartet featuring Oles, Chuck Manning (saxes), Larry Koonse (guitar, a man with whom Oles has played extensively), and Mark Ferber (drums), and a trio comprising Oles, Adam Benjamin (piano), and Nate Wood (drums), with Bennie Maupin (tenor sax) sitting in for five-and-a-half minutes. One would think it difficult to maintain continuity between three different sets of players, but Oles's ability to do exactly that bespeaks his substantial bandleading abilities as well as his compositional, arranging, and playing capabilities.
Though nothing groundbreaking or revolutionary is going down here, this music always engages and often beguiles.
What more do you want from jazz?

Zan Stewart
Newark Star-Ledger

Polish émigré Oleszkiewicz is one of the most in-demand bassists in the Los Angeles jazz environment, but little known beyond. This solid, all-winner album could help change that. Five tracks pair Oles, his abbreviated working name, with pianist
Brad Mehldau. They allow Oles’ bold, ringing sound, crisp facility and deft improvisational ability to stand front and center, revealing him as the major league artist many know him to be.
“November” has a fresh air, folk-jazz feeling and sways between bass and piano solos. “You Don’t Know What Love Is,” usually taken slowly, is played much faster, with Mehldau finding many choice phrases amidst Oles’ thick, round tones. The title track is delicate, and tender; both the pianist and bassist offer welcome, evocative thoughts. On a warm ballad, “Precious Moments,” Oles joins tenorman Chuck Manning, guitarist Larry Koonse, and drummer Mark Ferber, his partners in the L.A. Jazz Quartet.
“Gift,” with pianist Adam Benjamin, recalls early Keith Jarrett trio; Oles drops in one more sure-footed solo.

Carina Prange
www.jazzdimensions.de

Auf diesem, auch von der Coveraufmachung her wunderschön gestalteten, Album findet der Hörer die traumhafte Musik des Komponisten und Bassisten Darek Oles – passend zum Titel "Like A Dream". Traumhaft sind aber nicht nur die Komposition, sondern auch die Besetzung besteht aus Musikern,
deren spielerische Kompetenz für sich spricht.

Darek Oles am Bass ist, da es sich ja um sein eigenes Projekt handelt, bei allen Stücken mit dabei.
Sein Duopartner für die ersten fünf Titel ist kein geringerer als der Pianist Brad Mehldau. Anschließend wird die Besetzung üppiger: bei Track 7-9 mutiert die Band zum Quartett mit Bass, Gitarre (Larry Koonse), Drums (Mark Ferber) und Saxophon (Chuck Manning). Für die letzten vier Titel sind Adam Benjamin (p) und Nate Wood (dr) mit von der Partie.
Und der gute Bennie Maupin veredelt das vorletzte Stück durch sein Saxophon.

Nach dieser Auflistung und der Erläuterung der Zusammensetzung des Lineups etwas zur Musik: ganz hervorragend harmonieren das weiche Baßspiel von Oles und Mehldaus Klavierausflüge, die verspielt,
in nahezu Bachscher Manier einfließen. Die nun folgenden Quartettstücke mit Saxophon sind rund, verträumt, warmherzig.
Die Benjamin-Wood-Oles-Tracks runden das Album hübsch ab, sind allerdings nicht so überzeugend wie der Anfang des Albums. Bennie Maupin soll noch gelobt werden, er ist ja ohnehin als alter Recke der Jazzwelt bekannt und hat hier Gaststatus.

"Like a Dream" ist ein Album, welches das Können von Darek Oles als Bassist und Stückeschreiber belegt. Oles, der eigentlich entsprechend seiner polnischen Herkunft Oleszkiewicz heißt, den die Amis aber lieber Oles nennen, hat ein glänzendes Werk vorgelegt.

Klaus von Seckendorff
Rolling Stone

Oles steht fur Oleszkiewicz. Umso einganiger klingt die Musik des polnisch-amerikanischen Bassisten:
nach Chopin und Brad Mehldau, der bei funf von zwolf Songs am Klavier sitzt. Auch Dareks mit Gitarre und Sax besetzes Quartet ist ein Verein klassikverliebter Melodie-Magier und sein Bass-Poet Charlie Haden ebenburtig.

Sven Thielmann
Stereoplay

Der 1963 in Breslau geborene Bassist, der seinen unaussprechlichen Nachnamen Oleszkiewicz mit "Oles" abkurzt, zahlt zu den Stutzen der kleinen, aber feinen L.A. Jazzszene. Auf seinem Debut verwebt er schone Ideen mit Brad Mehldaus Tastenzauber zu funf traumerischen Miniaturen-der einzige Standard hier, "You Don't Know What Love Is", tritt uberraschend als Samba auf. Auch in wechselnder Quartett-Besetzung begeistert der Schuller von Charlie Haden mit warmer Intonation.

Joan A. Cararach
El Periodico

Disco exquisito y poetico, supone el debut como lider del contrabajista polaco afincado en EEUU Darek Oles.
Ocupa la mitad del trabajo un duo soberbio con su amigo pianista Brad Mehldau, siguen dos piezas con el L.A. Jazz Quartet, en las que destacan la guitarra de Larry Koonse y la preciosa melodia de "Before The Journey", y un final en trio mas el anadido del saxo de Bennie Maupin. Una joya.

Tomasz Szachowski
Jazz Forum

Wedlug calkowicie nieoficjalnego rankingu Darek Oleszkiewicz sytuowany jest w scislej krajowej czolowce, choc przeciez od wielu lat reprezentuje nas za oceanem. Pelne wyksztalcenie w kraju i w USA, praktyka pedagogiczna, wzbudzajacy respekt dorobek znaczony nazwiskami muzykow, z ktorymi wspolpracowal - Haden, Metheny, Lovano, Lloyd, Konitz, Erskine, Tabackin, Akiyoshi, Golson, Mehldau (to tylko niektore z nich). Byc moze dotad zbyt malo wiedzielismy o wlasnej wizji jazzu Darka, choc warto przypomniec, ze juz w 1983 roku na festiwalu Jazz Juniors wsrod zdobytych poprzez niego i jego zespol trzech nagrod znalazla sie takze pierwsza nagroda za kompozycje.
Jego pierwsza plyta autorska "Like A Dream", ktora w sierpniu wchodzi na rynek w Stanach Zjednoczonych, sklada sie z trzech czesci. Najpierw piec utworow gra duet Oleszkiewicz/Brad Mehldau, dwa kolejne kwartet (ts, g, b, dr) i trzy ostatnie rowniez w innym skladzie kwartet (p, b, dr, ts).
"November" otwierajacy album wprowadza wlasciwe tempo i nastroj. Liryka. Niewatpliwie. I narracja toczona w sferze rzetelnej tradycyjnej tonalnosci, gdzie dur jest dur i moll jest moll. Pieknie brzmi kontrabas Oleszkiewicza, bez cienia podrasowania,
z barwa szlachetnego drewna, to dzis rzadkosc.
Piec utworow i jeden konsekwentny tok narracji, w ktorym muzycy przejmuja role, gdzie ascetyczny fortepian Mehldaua zdumiewa ekspresja i precyzja. Obaj w nieco inny sposob pojmuja kantylene, ale to wlasnie jest tu intrygujace i inspirujace.
Potem rozdzial drugi - Kwartet z muzykami znanymi z L.A. Jazz Quartet (Koonse, Manning).
"Precious Moments" - znow lirycznie, znow melodia jako wartosc i rozbudowane, pieknie w formie zbudowane solo kontrabasu, podobnie w "Before the Journey". I rozdzial trzeci - kwartet z Benjaminem (p), Woodem (dr) i Maupinem (ts). "Gift" z modulacjami wrecz romantycznymi, "That Night" ballada z improwizujacym kontrabasem, na koniec trzyczesciowa suita "Conclusion",
gdzie ponownie kontrabas wysuwa sie na plan pierwszy i jego niespodziewana coda koczy calosc.
Powtorze raz jeszcze. Liryka, kantylena, ogromna muzykalnosc, precyzja. Tradycja polaczona z nieprzecietna wrazliwoscia
i dbaloscia o szczegoly. Piekno brzmienia kontrabasu, przyjazne partnerstwo muzykow. Najwyzsza polka w tym gatunku.

Jae Sinnett
WHRV FM Norfolk
www.jaesinnett.com

Thought I'd ask if anyone has checked out bassist Darek Olesziewicz's "Like A Dream" release? The duo selections with
Brad Mehldau are sublime. The chemistry between the two is special. It's always interesting for me to hear musicians we've heard in familiar settings for so many years - change their musical environment. Brad Mehldau's patience, touch and melodic beauty make this recording. Darek's tone is wonderful - in tune and resonating and he has great time. His writing has depth and each piece tells a story. I also like the way he plays to Brad's strenghs - like playing "You Don't Know What Love Is" in seven and even presenting us with a rare chance to hear him work out on a blues. The duo setting always presents a very different aural perspective on how we listen. It took me forever to make it past the first five pieces and when I finally did - I found something just as musically intriguing. A very thoughtful production with smart sequencing and varied performances. Certainly worth a deeper listen.

Glenn Astarita
Jazzreview.com

Bassist Darek Oleszkiewicz performs a series of duets with powerhouse jazz pianist Brad Mehldau, and quartet works featuring saxophonist Bennie Maupin and others on this segmented program. Here, the bassist offers a mottled blend of ballads, swing grooves and other implementations. Beautifully recorded, Oles and associates generate a good deal of interest within assorted frameworks. And he's a solid bassist who often delves deep into a given composition, especially during his duets with Mehldau where he shades and accents themes while constructing a firm bottom. It's a solid workmanlike venture, although some of these compositions fail to impart a lasting impression. Nonetheless, the music is tastefully arranged, to complement the soloists' inspired dialogues and hearty choruses.