Kazalski, based in Portsmouth, Virginia, is a musician, mainly a composer and a bass player. His single ‘Flying Dutchman’ showcases the best of the man’s multiple gifts. With an elegant, melodic composition, a story-centered vocal part that sounds cozy and gripping, and a distinctive and rich arrangement, Kazalski gives us the classical story of the Flying Dutchman, introducing interesting twists both lyrically and musically. 

What stands out most about ‘Flying Dutchman’ is not explicitly the dynamic and balanced bass parts that Kazalski is most comfortable with. Instead, it is a lush and gentle brass section that’s at once charismatic and present, yet soft and embracing, mainly because of the emphasis on tenor saxophones and trombones that are more accessible than blaring trumpets or saxophones that scream on a higher register. Kazalski’s arrangement is colorful, featuring dynamic moving parts and a wealth of counterpoint that play beautifully alongside the vivid melodic structures of the song.

All in all, Michael Kazalski’s intro to pirate folklore takes the shape of a soft, forgiving pop folk ballad that is sweetly colored and artfully balanced. 

The Portsmouth, Virginia based Michael Kazalski and his trusted bass guitar do not fail to capture our attention with each release. The tight and groovy ‘Christine’ removes the gritty edge of guitars from an otherwise conventional rock band arrangement, resulting in a softer and more rounded that that would easily feel lacking in composure, if not for the tons of intent poured into each instrumental line. ‘Christine’ is a focused piece of work with simple riffs that are out there to do one thing only, which is to support Kazalski’s composition and lyrical content.

This story-centered cut is full of direction and motion that you can barely notice that guitars are absent. Instead, the drum grooves are tight and the rhythmic interplay between them and the bass is outstanding. The flow of the song is dynamic with quieter sections and wilder ones, and the absolutely fantastic bass solo does an amazing job elevating this song to the status of a great rock song with its tasteful phrasing and delightful, chorused tone.

Again, Michael Kazalski effortlessly proves his mettle as a capable musician and songwriter with ‘Christine’. 

The eccentric Portsmouth, Virginia-based bassist and musician Michael Kazalski manages to effortlessly capture my imagination with his rich and nuanced arrangements. On ‘Cheap’, Kazalski opens up with a groovy bass riff that soon gets followed by drums and an army of organs that do a fantastic job in painting the funk part of the painting.

‘Cheap’ is a terrific bit of fun. The playful pace and stylish, cinematic riffs, accompanied by a litany of organ solos that are intricately arranged to involve the beat and bass into the fun, and all crowned by Kazalski’s heartwarming and tongue-in-cheek lyrics, ‘Cheap’ is just a blast to listen to. The musically compelling flow of the lyrics of ‘Cheap’ make it such an earworm, and the repetition of the song’s core section while solos and instrumental cues rip all over the top was never boring or overdone for a single moment. In particular the solos that happen after the second chorus are what pinned me down. Thoroughly smart song building and a fantastic ear for pacing. 

Michael Kazalski’s ‘Cheap’ introduces yet another face to this multi-faceted and talented musician who seemingly avoids genre boundaries like the plague. Instead, reveling in them all at once, giving us experimental gems like this one.  

‘Walking Wounded’, a reimagined version of a song Kazalski wrote in the 80s, sees the gifted bassist/songwriter venture into the world of progressive rock with its innate mystery and rhythmic twists, which are effortlessly embraced by Kazalski’s melodic and songwriting talent.

Based in Portsmouth, Virginia, Michael Kazalski is a veteran musician whose vision and capabilities never cease to amaze and surprise us. Exemplified on this song, we can see the bassist’s affinity for diving deep and headfirst into whichever genre he’s experimenting with at the moment. With its sea of syrupy pads, a wealth of doom-bearing bells, a composition that holds a certain mystique in its chord sequences, and a rich arrangement that takes influence stylistically from Pink Floyd’s The Division Bell, Michael Kazalski works each of his songs to the limits of sonic potential, resulting in uniform and cohesive pieces of work that cover a vast array of musical genres, while maintaining a certain soft, gentle, and distinctively warm sonic fingerprint. 

The subtle rhythmic twists on ‘Walking Wounded’ are masterful and efficient, just adding this gentle nudge to make the song more eerie and mysterious, without being even a little challenging. A rather delicately crafted piece that I believe is among Michael Kazalski’s better pieces of work. And with that sublime synth solo, there is little space for improvement on ‘Walking Wounded’.

The Portsmouth, Virginia-based bassist first, songwriter second Michael Kazalski is no stranger to sonic experimentation, with each of his songs being completely distinctly  colored. ’12:47’ was inspired by a dream sequence Michael Kazalski experienced, resulting in him deconstructing the traditional 12-bar, making it all smokey and jazzy and adding a wealth of characterful and masterful trombone lines, resulting in a composition that is formidable in its efficiency, cohesion, and impact.

Once more, Michael Kazalski comes across as an ace songwriter who is a master of song building and with a sharp ear for pacing and motion. ’12:47’ is by far the longest piece we’ve had so far for Kazalski, running at a little more than 6 minutes. But with the litany of tasteful solos, a carefully crafted song structure, and a generally gorgeous arrangement and composition, Kazalski’s ’12:47’ never felt repetitive and I never grew tired of its gentle rhythms and artful, jazzy organ chord stabs and solos, as well as the fantastic work done by the trombones on this rather groovy and brooding number from Kazalski’s fine catalog. 

I can easily say that I’ve grown rather fond of Michael Kazalski’s songwriting, balanced, artful, and exquisitely mature. A gifted musician and a fantastic bass player, I’ll always be on the lookout for more music from Mr. Kazalski.