Marek Domański - Round Midnight (2023) [Official Digital Download]

In one of his films, Woody Allen set himself the task to name one by one several things that have a sense in life. Most of the items on the list were musical compositions of unquestionable artistic merit. The initial assumption behind the motto l’art pour l’art (art for art’s sake) implies that art is derived from art. It is clear that this trend in music is close to the heart of cinema’s towering figure. This does not contradict the fact that in his films, Allen elevated life above art itself, or blended art and life. An artist’s stand on the matter is surely different from that of, say, a poli­ tician, who is bound to say that everything is politics.

One can venture to say that the situation outlined above reflects, in general terms, society’s bipolarity as far as understanding the world in the sphere of values is concerned. Bipolarity can even refer to a single notion that carries an ethical burden, namely a natural law (or the law of nature to be more precise) that is ascribed to man. In philosophy, the law of nature is always limited by the intellect, something to which theology often objects.

These remarks are connected with the proper understanding of the standard in jazz and popular music. In its light, the standard should be placed within that sphere of values, which is derived precisely from the law of nature, and which appeared at a specific time in the evolutionary process of these values.

The reference to Woody Allen was not accidental, since all of his films contain jazz standards, on the basis of which the elites broke away from the entire cultural tradition of earlier times while consolidating their own values and identity, with the film maker constructing a storyline upon this foundation.

It is of no importance that mankind can be a great and homogeneous ‘society of affluence’, because art is not a ‘cultural industry’, and the artist will always aspire towards catharsis and will always say: ‘Sit down, Muse, and don’t be silent’.

The numbers on this recording have been selected according to the personal preferences of the undersigned, who has an emotional relationship with standards. Yet, in view of art’s cosmopolitan character, they live and will continue to live according to the aesthetic tastes of other artists as well.

Tracklist:
01. Round Midnight
02. Nica’s Dream
03. Like Someone in Love
04. Knife in the Water
05. The Look of Love
06. I Love You
07. How Deep Is the Ocean
08. I’m Through with Love
09. I Can’t Believe That You Are in Love with Me
10. On Green Dolphin Street
11. Angel Eyes
12. Come Rain or Come Shine
13. Not but Me
14. Easy to Love
15. Charade
16. Autumn in New York
17. Everything Happens to Me


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