Ludwik Konopko – Serenity

Ludwik Konopko – Serenity – Album Review

The music will always live on.

I’ll be honest with ya – I don’t know if I even realized that I’d written about the music of Ludwik Konopko as much as I have throughout the years.  I got my first impression of his exceptional talents in reviewing a song called “RAIA” back in 2022, and then got the opportunity to confirm he was as incredible as I thought he was in checking out songs like “Sunday Alchemy” and “Up & Down” in that same year.  The following year in 2023, I reviewed a song called “Travels,” and that was it.  In this strange line of work I’m in, you don’t really think twice about what causes the music to slow down…to be truthful, more often than not, you just assume an artist or band has moved on to whatever the next thing is, and you also assume that you’ll cross paths again later on down the road.  In the meantime, if I was a fan before, believe me, I continue to be one later for the bands & artists I love most – and in fact, in March of 2023, I purchased Ludwik’s full album RAIA on a Bandcamp Friday, because I was curious about what he was up to, and eventually, in September of 2024, we featured his song “The Colours” to start an episode of the SBS Podcast.  What I didn’t know at the time, was that in his absence, Ludwik was in an intense battle with cancer behind the scenes, and by the time I had put out that particular episode, Konopko had already unfortunately passed away on July 6^th, 2024.  It is always a tragedy for the world to lose such a special talent…my sincere condolences to all of Ludwik’s friends & loved ones left behind.  I never really know too much about the people behind the music I listen to, but from all that I’ve ever heard about Konopko, he was a gentle & kind man, and from what I’ve personally heard in all the music he has left us with, he was an insightfully gifted musician.  His legacy is his music, and it still continues to thrive.

Before he passed on, Ludwik Konopko recorded a tributary album filled with incredible cover tunes.  No joke – putting on Serenity was like experiencing the man’s passion for music in a whole different way.  All it’ll take for you to know exactly what I mean is to push play for yourself…and trust me, when you hear his version of “25 Or 6 To 4” by Chicago, you’ll understand everything I’m saying.  Ludwik had such a powerful connection to his guitar, and you’ll hear that through the incredibly expressive way he plays “25 Or 6 To 4” – and notably, he’s still playing it as an instrumental.  So if you want a great example of how a great musician is able to let their instrument do all the talking, look no further than this opening track.  You’ll be able to hear the vocals in your head as his guitar emulates the lead, and then hearing Ludwik go on to make things even more exciting through his innovative style like what you’ll hear throughout the second minute as he takes his axe for a serious ride through the frets…it’s nothing short of spectacular.  What a remarkable start to Serenity y’all…”25 Or 6 To 4” is such an incredible beginning.

I would also say that “25 Or 6 To 4” is likely one of…hmm…probably about three or maximum four tracks on this album that the average everyday listener will instantly recognize or know that they know – the rest of the lineup reflects Ludwik’s deep appreciation for a wide variety of music in all kinds of different styles.  Taking on Pat Metheny’s “Travels” on track two…this is a spot where you can hear precisely how well Konopko’s own talents translate so well into a song like this.  Beyond impressive really – I’d say that “Travels” is one of the more endearing moments, and one of the songs you can easily hear is perfectly suited for the way that Ludwik plays.  The sincerity he’s able to get into each note he plays on “Travels” is inspiring to listen to.  I’ll fully admit that, every time I listened to this song over the past couple weeks, it was bittersweet…I’d smile because it’s so extraordinarily well-played, and then be forced to confront the fact that Konopko is gone…and then I’d smile again, because through the music, he’s always with us.  Suffice it to say, I think the stunning emotion he plays with on “Travels” will resonate in the hearts of all who listen to it, and it speaks volumes on behalf of Ludwik’s passion for the craft in every single note.

“It’s Over” will probably be one of those songs that people might not even realize they’ve heard so many times before until they’ve had a couple spins through Konopko’s version.  Even then, chances are, there are a ton of you out there that still wouldn’t be able to place the original version of “It’s Over,” which was done by a band called Level 42.  Folks around my age or older will certainly know the name, but for you youngsters, you’ll probably be the people that listen to “It’s Over” here on Serenity and feel like you somehow know the words that it originally came with, because you’ve heard it more than you realize you have.  Another stellar choice for Konopko to have made and included on this album if you ask me.  He’s done such a tremendous job of preserving the magic in the melodies of the original songs, yet added so much of his own distinct identity as a musician to these covers…it’s really quite something to experience.  On my first couple spins through Serenity, I was convinced it would be tough to top how I felt about the opening two tracks, but “It’s Over” really refused to be ignored, and by the next couple spins through the album, I was convinced that “It’s Over” was going to be within my top three favorites.

The first song that stumped me personally, was called “Rose,” which is originally titled as “The Rose” by Amanda McBroom.  I wasn’t familiar with this song, though I’m sure I’ve probably heard it as well at some point in time – it was made popular while I was growing up.  Chances are, I tried to block out the original, because I really wasn’t a huge fan of Bette Midler, who went on to star in a film called The Rose, where this song originally comes from.  For the record, Bette and I have patched things up – she’s become an essential voice in this particular political era, but that’s another story for another time.  In the case of “The Rose,” it’s a song that’s been covered several times over according to what I’ve read and researched, and like everything that Ludwik does, I enjoy what he’s done here.  Does it compare to the opening three tracks?  Not to me personally, but that’s no fault of his.  Konopko put his heart and soul into this entire lineup of covers and treated the material as carefully as he would have with his own.  He uses some interesting choices for the production of this particular track that I wasn’t always sure of, but when it comes right down to it, Konopko’s instrumentation always proves to be a worthwhile listen.  LISTEN to this man do his thing around the 2:20-ish mark will ya?  Ludwik was such an amazing guitarist.

Of all the impressive choices he’s made in songs to cover, choosing “Gold” by Prince has to be up there with the most insightful.  For one thing, I don’t even know how a person could go about narrowing the options down to just one choice out of such an incredible catalog to begin with, but to hear how well a song like “Gold” adapted to Ludwik’s personal style makes you realize he knew exactly the right track to take on.  Think of how many amazing Prince songs you know!  Good lord!  You probably can’t even count that high!  To think that Ludwik recognized just how well he could cover this song is beyond impressive when you consider how different this is from the original on a stylistic level…I mean…you really have to know you can make something work when it’s as different as this is.  Again, Konopko was surgical with his precision in preserving the main hooks and melody we know – “Gold” might very well be one of the best examples you can point to in that regard – but to hear how he’s made this song from Prince’s mighty catalog sound like it completely belongs in Ludwik’s own…it’s truly award-worthy stuff.

Interesting!  I was also unfamiliar with “Polish Ways,” which if I’ve got my research done right, comes from a Polish show, known as Polskie Drogi, which was set in World War II.  What is also of note, is that legendary Jazz musician Pat Metheny has also played this song in the past, which is another tie-in to this set-list given that Konopko covered Metheny’s music earlier on.  There are always a whole bunch of unique ways that artists intersect with their own inspirations & musical heroes…and I feel like you really get to hear that in the two Metheny-based covers you’ll find on this record.  What I can tell you is this – I feel like “Polish Ways” was a track where you could really feel the culture on a sensory level, and the seriousness that would have come with the time period it was based on.  Hearing the grippingly sincere way that Ludwik played this song from his home country was nothing short of exquisite, and meaningful.  I’d go as far as to say that “Polish Ways” was one of the best surprises to be found within this lineup of songs, and though it’s clearly more dramatic and melancholy than many of the others by comparison, I felt like this was about as spellbinding, compelling, and captivating of a cover as you could ever hope for.

I had to smile as I listened to “Human Nature” for the very first time.  When I saw it on the playlist of songs, I wondered how I’d feel about it…my Michael Jackson phase pretty much ended when Nirvana came around to change the musical landscape, so it’s been quite some time since I put on an MJ record if I’m being completely truthful with ya.  That being said, these songs never really leave ya, do they?  And of course, it’s not like I wouldn’t have heard “Human Nature” in a thousand different places where it’s been on in the background, whether it was out at a sporting event or standing in a lineup at the bank – Michael’s music continues to be everywhere, sounding as fresh as ever, years & years after he passed.  So did I like Ludwik’s take on “Human Nature?”  To borrow a phrase from all those TV talent show judges – I didn’t just like it – I loved it.  Again, this is another prime example of how brilliantly Ludwik was able to communicate to us through his instrumentation…you can hear every word of Jackson’s original through the notes he plays on his guitar.  In terms of creating faithful renditions and such, I’d also say that “Human Nature” is likely one of the closest covers you can compare to its original – but I gotta say…that was the right move here.  People continued to be justifiably enamored by Jackson’s “Human Nature,” so honoring so much of what made it as special as it is was definitely the right way to go.  Konopko’s personality never has any difficulty shining through…you can hear how much joy Ludwik had in playing this song, and as a result, “Human Nature” is pretty much guaranteed to make you smile.

Here’s how you KNOW that Konopko was every bit as incredible as I’ve claimed he was from the very moment I first started listening to his music long ago – you wouldn’t dare take on a cover of John McLaughlin’s music unless you truly had the chops to make it work.  Largely considered one of the best to ever do it, he’s a legendary icon in Progressive Jazz Fusion, whose work continues to provide a ripple effect in the scene to this very day.  It’s funny how you find people’s music sometimes…I went for years knowing McLaughlin’s music more from what he did in Mahavishnu Orchestra before I latched onto his solo work…which I suppose would be backwards for most of his fans.  In any event, you could never lose when listening to John’s music…the dude was a master of his craft, and so again, when you hear how freakin’ fantastic Ludwik’s version of “Lotus Feet” is, you’ll know that Konopko was a generational talent in his own right.  It will never cease to amaze me how some of the very best we can find out there in this music scene we share have to battle harder than ever for the slightest amount of recognition by comparison to what the industry used to be like when music traveled through a much narrower funnel.  Now, if we’re not too careful, some of the most incredibly talented musicians can slip right through the cracks.  I’d be willing to bet that at least half of you reading this very article might not have even been familiar with Konopko’s body of work – and when you listen to his rendition of “Lotus Feet” you’ll know that’s practically criminal.  It’s okay…you’re here now, and you’re listening…better late than never, as they say.  If I can even introduce a couple of you out there to the astoundingly intricate guitar work of Ludwik Konopko, then dear readers, dear friends…that’s me serving my own purpose in life.  That’s a job well done.  That’s what I was put here to do & I have been proud to be that conduit for so many of you.  Once you start listening to a song like “Lotus Feet,” my job is finished – you’ll need no further words from the likes of me when the music speaks so strongly on its own behalf.  Konopko puts in one of his all-time best performances on this song, and proves he belonged in the same breath as his own heroes.

“Deborah’s Theme,” which would have been originally written by Ennio Morricone for the film Once Upon A Time In America, is kinda the perfect song to sum up the feeling you get when listening to so much of Serenity overall.  It’s dreamy, jazzy, and beautiful…thought-provoking and emotional…and of course, grounded by its meaningful inclusion and what the choice of including it would theoretically symbolize.  What we often regard as ‘simpler times’ were always laden with their own complications, struggles, and obstacles to overcome, just like we experience today in our own different ways.  Songs like “Deborah’s Theme” allow us the opportunity to reflect, consider, and relax, if only for a moment or two as we let our troubles slip away and dream of better days ahead…you know, what Serenity is really like to experience.  Morricone is a well-known master of the soundtracks to great cinema and moving moments onscreen…I felt like Konopko made a really insightful choice by including “Deborah’s Theme” and might have very well found the best possible way to represent his record by playing this song on it.

You want to know ANOTHER easy way to understand the greatness of this musician?  Ludwik was able to include one of his own amazing original songs in this lineup, and it doesn’t feel at all out of place in this set-list filled with some of the most iconic & legendary names in the history of the music business.  He belongs here with material as strong as this is – and he proves that with the inclusion of his own original song “Up & Down” at the very end.  Heck, I’d STILL tell you this is one of the better songs on Serenity – so what does THAT tell you?  You’re welcome to read my previous thoughts about “Up & Down” by clicking here…suffice it to say, I loved it then, and I still love it now.  Konopko was as talented as they come…and once again, I’m forced to confront what an extraordinary loss his presence is to the world, while still being humbled by gratitude for having the opportunity to have crossed paths with him, if only for a fraction of his time on earth.  I can tell you this much – I’ll never stop playing his music…and I can only hope that once you have a listen for yourself, you’ll feel the exact same way that I do.  I don’t see how anyone could draw to any other conclusion…the way Konopko played guitar was so wonderfully rare that it deserves to be cherished.  His music will outlive us all, I can promise you that.  R.I.P. Ludwik – you were truly one of a kind and I’m genuinely grateful for the opportunity to honor your musical legacy.

Find out more about the music of Ludwik Konopko from the official website at:  https://ludwikkonopko.com

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