Jazz Alchemist radio

I was supposed to put it here yesterday but didn't make it in time. The Bezdroza concert was great (especially the duo with Agnes Szelag and Tomek Chołoniewski - fantastic playing). Hope you made it today to see the Krakow Improvisers Orchestra.
For all of you, but especially for those who can't follow the concerts this week in Krakow (see the previous post) another program from the Jazz Alchemist radio archives. Originally aired on 26.05.2009 it is dedicated to my mother (as 26.05 is Mother's Day in Poland), to Miles Davis (as 26.05 is Miles' birthday), Oles Brothers (as they were about to play a duo concert in Krakow I decided to present a selection of their previous projects to begin with their first band Custom Trio). Plus birthday appearance courtesy of Dee Dee Bridgewater (27.05), Marshall Allen (25.05) and rock punch to end the playlist from Enon that had played a week before the program was made. Hope you'll like it.

1. Custom Trio - Mr M.B.
2. Miles Davis Quintet - Well You Needn't
3. Oles / Werner / Oles - Shape & Shade
4. Marshall Allen / Kidd Jordan / William Parker / Alan Silva / Hamid Drake - V
5. Miles Davis - Petits Machines
6. Miles Davis - Sivad
7. Dee Dee Bridgewater - Dansez Sur Moi
8. Oles / Przybielski / Oles - Afroblue
9. Miles Davis - What I Say
10. Oles / Trzaska / Oles - IX
11. Bartłomiej Brat Oleś / Ken Vandermark - Drumsax County
12. Enon - Plesure and Privilege

Jazz Alchemist radio 26.05.2008 with Miles and Oles brothers by Jazzowy Alchemik on Mixcloud

Weekly concerts list. Lot of them (20.05-27.05)

There's a lot of concerts this week in Krakow so don't sit around,come, listen and enjoy.


Sunday 20.05
I already wrote last week about tonight's concert in Piec'ART by Krakow(Now Huta)-based improv group Maszyna Alladyna with its cycle of concerts Odstające Ucho (Protruding Ear). Starts at 8pm. free entrance. Good way to finish the weekend (especially if you're not an NBA fan planning to watch Indiana - Miami game 4)
http://www.myspace.com/maszynaladyna/radio


Monday 21.05
Bezdroża (Crossroads) cycle in Alchemia with some experimental/improv projects.
Trio with Michal Dymny/Paulina Owczarek and Tomek Glus (it's too simplyfing to say they play guitar / bari sax / drums & drum machines as all of them are experimenting a lot with musical language extending the sonic palette of their respective instuments in various ways).
Duet Agnes Szelag with Tomek Chołoniewski follows (cello, voice, electronics, drums, percussion) and Krakow Active Ensemble (led by Agnes) ends the evening with some musical visualisations of child's plays theory (whateve should that mean, I'm curious).
Starts 8pm. Entrance 10/15 zl.
Event's page on facebook




Tuesday 22.05
As part of Nowa Huta festival an Improv Orchestra which includes most of the Krakow-based improv artists will play a set of directed and spontaneous improvisations. Should be a blast.
Teatra Laznia Nowa (Os. Szkolne 25), starts 8 pm. Free Entrance.
Event's page on facabook










Wednesday 23.05
As part of the celebration of 10 years of activity of Kawiarnia Naukowa (a place of support for all kinds of hardcore/indie/alternative/punk/underground/noise etc. events in Kraków) an improv concert with Aloes band (free improv/dub/noise/ambient sort of thing) also Konrad Gęca with solo dubcore project : noise india, and Ziemia Ludzi.
Free entrance.
event's page on facebook




Thursday 24.05
The last before the summer break concert of Muzykoterapia series. Three sound artitst Martyna Poznana, Kacper Ziemianin and Bartosz Ignacy Wrona. Klub Dobre Bity (Jozefa 6), starts 8pm, entrance 10 zl.
Event's facebook page









Kacper Ziemianin with Anna Kaluza and Rafal Mazur:

Matthew Shipp & Mateusz Walerian duo at Alchemia (16.05)

Mateusz Walerian is a young polish jazz saxophone player that, although he has not yet recorded a cd, plays regularly with the likes of Hamid Drake and Matthew Shipp which should be prove enough that he's a musician to observe closely. The duo tour with Matthew Shipp arrived also to Krakow to share its music with audience at Alchemia.

Matthew Shipp remains one of the most characteristic piano players of the generarion, his musical language rooted in the classical avant-guarde music from one side and solemn church hymns on the other. Heavy chords, contrasted by gentle suspension of the notes and subtle modulations  and shifts within the repetitive lines or reinforced by thunderous storm of hands on the keyboard. 

Mateusz Walerian's playing is rooted in the early free-jazz, with heavy echoes of bluesy tone. His lines can be jazzy in the spirit of post-bop as well as angular and abstract, he goes for more direct approach on alto, while searching for more sonic shades on bass clarinet. He tends for modest and minimal, selecting carefully the means of his expression.

Together they created a program that shifts between tension between their styles of playing and comunication, between here and there, now and then, between solemn hymnos, romping jazz tune with boogie piano line, idyllic and peacefull meditations in the form of ancient mantra of serial music. Thunderous explosions of expression contradicted by chamber-like subtle moments of lirycism. With the variety and the span of the performance (80 minutes long continuous piece) the concert was a bit overwhelming, nonetheless rewarding well the attention. 

While it was Matthew Shipp who in my ears dominated the evening (not at all surprising given his style and power of expression) I treat Mateusz Walerian's playing as a promise and it remains to be seen how he manages to keep it. I'd like to see him step up more as a leading voice in the near future.

 ps. the duo is playing next days in

Wroclaw (17.05)

Warszawa (18.05)

Poznan (19.05)

Szymbark (20.05)

so hopefully you have a chance to catch them live.

Mateusz Walerian - alto sax, bass clarinet, clarinet, flute
Matthew Shipp - piano

Alchemia. Krakow. 16.05.2012

Jazz Alchemist radio birthday!!!

Jackie McLean

So here we are, the Jazz Alchemist radio program is 5 years old. Which is just one among the birthdays of the week - we got Sidney Bechet and Woody Herman, Dewey Redman and Jackie McLean, Robert Fripp and Bill Bruford. Plus I added some fun good-mood tunes I hope you'll enjoy.


1. Woody Herman - Caldonia (Woody's birthday on 16.05)
2. King Crimson - Cat Food (Robert Fripp's birthday on 16.05, Bill Bruford's birthday on 17.05)
3. Jackie McLean - Demon's Dance (Jackie's birthday on 17.05)
4. Keith Jarrett Quartet - Common Mama
5. Sidney Bechet - Muskrat Ramble (Sidney's birthday on 14.05)
6. Monthy Python's SPAMALOT - Tuning
7. Monthy Python's SPAMALOT - Monk's chant / He is not dead yet
8. Monthy Python's SPAMALOT - He is not dead yet (playoffs)
9. Miąższ - Awangardowa Suszarka
10. King Crimson - Pictures of a City (live from Summit Studios, Denver 12.03.1972)
11. Woody Herman - Opus De Funk
12. Complainer & The Complainers - Substytuty

Woody Herman

13. Complainer & The Complainers - Metka
14. King Crimson - Discipline (live from Philadelphia, 30.07.1982)
15. Jackie McLean - Floogeh
16. Ray Anderson Big Band - Don't Mow Your Lawn
17. Jack Walrath and Master of Suspense - Love Enough for Everybody
18. Monthy Python's SPAMALOT - Always Look on the Bright Side of the Life

Jazz Alchemist radio birthday with Sidney, Woody, Robert from 14.05.12 by Jazzowy Alchemik on Mixcloud

Concerts again and radio invitation

My life is a little bit crazy recently and I hardly have to time sit down in front of the keyboard but I'd like to very kindly invite you
1. to listen tomorrow (Monday) evening, the usual time (8 pm CET), the usual place (www.radiofrycz.pl) for the very unusal, special indeed, birthday radio playlist with Katarzyna Dziubinska back as co-host and mixture of fun tunes, jazz and otherwise.

2. concerts, concerts, concerts!
First of all there's Matthew Shipp & Matuesz Walerian duo touring in Poland this week, among the gigs, Alchemia, this Wednesday.

Maszyna Alladyna, Krakow-based (or Nowa Huta-based) improv group is playing in a week, Sunday at Piec'ART.
Come and enjoy

(Edit: also, if you enjoy more indie-electro-altern-rock-pop things check the Digit All Love concert, Thursday, Alchemia. Samples on the myspace, 3-piece string section, electronics, and aetheric voice, sound really intriguing)

Jazz Alchemist radio with Carla, Keith, Gary and Ahmed

Today we celebrate birthdays of some key figures in jazz history. Nothing else to say about it, hope you'll enjoy the music.

1. Carla Bley Big Band - Sing Me Softly of the Blues (Carla's birthday on 11.08)
2. Keith Jarrett Quartet - The Rich (and the Poor) (Keith's birthday on 08.05)
3. Keith Jarrett Trio - Dancing (Gary Peacock's birthday on 12.05)
4. Ahmed Abdullah Quartet - Mayibeu (Ahmed's birthday on 10.05)
5. Ahmed Abdullah Solomonic Quintet - Gypsy Lady

6. Carla Bley Big Band - Who Will Rescue You?
7. Keith Jarrett Quartet - De Drums
8. Ahmed Abdullah Quartet - Ebony Queen
9. Ahmed Abdullah Solomonic Quintet - Canto II
10. Keith Jarrett Trio - God Bless The Child
11. Piotr Orzechowski - Coral (composition by K. Jarrett)

Jazz Alchemist radio 07.05.12 with Keith, Gary, Carla and Ahmed by Jazzowy Alchemik on Mixcloud

Concerts Concerts!!!

I invite you tomorrow at 8pm CET to listen to www.radiofrycz.pl. We'll celebrate birthdays of Keith Jarrett, Carla Bley, Gary Peacock and Ahmed Abdullah with their music. In the meantime there are many things happening in Krakow and here are some recommendations for you for the next week.

8 may

muzykoterapia : GłuChoRut / Głuc & Chołoniewski & Rutkowski

Three Krakow based drummers in one place. I am curious. If you're too, come to Klub Dobre Bity at 20:00 (Jozefa 6 street)

event's page on facebook

10 may

MJUD : Marek Pospieszalski and Joanna Duda with synths. Could be interesting duo. 21:30 at Harris Piano Jazz Bar (Rynek Głowny 28)

11 may

Vladimirska plays a mix of indie pop-folk-circus tunes. Should be a fun friday  evening at Kolanko no. 6 (Jozefa 17), come, dance and enjoy. Also Ashia and the Bison Rouge from USA (have never heard but the name sounds cool, doesn't it?).
event's facebook page

13 may

Experimental group from Warsaw with Paweł Szamburski and Piotr Zakrocki and Hubert Zemler will play music to avant-guarde movies from the 30's as a part of MuLaKuŻ cycle (music laboratory of jewish culture) at Cheder Cafe.

event's facebook page


Hope to see you this week

Paweł Kaczmarczyk Directions in Music with Jorgos Skolias - Ray Charles at Harris Piano Jazz Bar (04.05)

Directions in Music project led by Paweł Kamczarczyk pays hommage to the pianist's leaders and among previous editions were to be heard innovative arrangaments of music by Eric Dolphy, Sam Rivers, Freddie Hubbard and many more. The concert in Harris las friday was dedicated to Ray Charles, quite a change as we move away from jazz legends to a legend of pop culture, yet no one would debate its connection to jazz world (apart from r'n'b & pop chart hits Ray played some jazz as well in fact).

The main artistic risk and general question in projects like that is how to approach the original music and Pawel Kaczmarczyk takes an adventurous approach to Ray's songs. The originals are completely restuructured and reorganized on all levels of harmony, rhythm, melody's cadence. Bluesy and smooth "Georgia on my mind" might be the closest to the original. Other songs are filled with sudden twists and surprising ideas. "I can't stop loving you" circles in contrasts as the funky groove intro stops suddenly before a ballad verse. There's also expanded keyobard solo and Pawel's joy of music is infective as he seems like a kid playing a video game when he toys with cosmic sounds, fat beats and spacious echoes. There's hypnotic, extended, impressionistic solo on a ripetitive bass patern "Here we go again" that. "Hit the road Jack" focuses on walking piano labirynth-like line and galloping d'n'bass drum rolls. "Hallelujah I love her so" starts with gospel intro but then hits a hard-bop brakes with a salsa twist in the middle. Ambitious and fun, and Paweł Kaczmarczyk also found the right guys to play the material with - Jorgos Skolias is a singer with warm voice and very personal expression, Dawid Fortuna is one the best groovers right now, he's way of playing is only deceivingly simple, he can hit it hard or lay it smooth and light, Maciej Adamczak anchors the music with ease, mantaining order when young guns are hitting it off.

Adventurous and entertaining. A croud pleaser? Jazz for masses? If so, who cares, I want more. This was a lot of fun, check some samples from the previous concert below and see for yourself.

Jorgos Skolias - voice
Paweł Kaczmarczyk - piano
Maciej Adamczak - double bass
Dawid Fortuna - drums

Harris Piano Jazz Bar. Kraków. 04.05.2012

Piotr Orzechowski / Inner Spaces with David Dorouzka at Manghha (26.04)

Next to the last concert in this year's edition of jazz festival Starzy i Młodzi. I have written recently often about Piotr Orzechowski (couple of pieces from his solo cd can be heard in our last radio playlist) yet it was first time I could hear his solo recital live. Orzechowski is pure talent, as confirmed by al the prizes he got already, he has keen ear and it's clear he's searching for his own kind of expression, drawing on the vast inspirations from film music, jazz, classical. 

Jazz Alchemist Radio with Duke, JB and others

As all Poland is on the vacation due to the bank holidays on 1st and 3rd May (unfortunately, me excluded) I invite to you to relax while listening to a spring playlist that aired originally on 28.04.2008. We celebrate birthdays of Duke Ellington (Ella Fitzgerald gets also her share) and the one and only James Brown. Enjoy the music, enjoy the time outside the office, enjoy the sun (that's my plan).

The tracklist is:
1. Ella Fitzgerald sings Duke Ellington - Take the 'A' Train (Duke born at 29.04; Ella born at 25.04)
2. James Brown - Think (James born on 03.05)
3. Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Strings Ensemble - Ayaa's Rainbow
4. Grencso Bio Kollektiv - Regi Nota (Old Song)
5. Iza Zając - Times'a'wastin'
6. Duke Ellington Trio - Caravan
7. Mina Agossi - Caravan
8. Ella Fitzgerald sings Duke Ellington- I'm Beginning To See The Light
9. James Brown - My Thang
10. Lester Bowie Brass Fantasy - Papa`s Got a Brand New Bag
11. Bobby McFerrin - I Feel Good
12. Sex Mob - Please, Please, Please
13. Spaceways Inc. - She Just Got Here
14. Grencso Bio Kollektiv - Lougras (Horse Step)
15. Duke Ellington Trio - Money Jungle
16. Duke Ellington and his Orchestra - Perdido
17. Nicole Mitchell Indigo Trio - Thankfulness
18. Nicole Mitchell's Black Earth Strings Ensemble - Wade
19. Ella Fitzgerald sings Duke Ellington- In a Sentimental Mood

Jazz Alchemist Radio for may holidays by Jazzowy Alchemik on Mixcloud

Pink Freud at Lizard King (25.04)

Pink Freud is an example of a band that manages to exist on the fringes of jazz, alternative rock, electronics. Started as a trio a couple of years back, only the band's leader - Wojtek Mazolewski, remains from the original line-up but the group is coming back strong with another album - Horse and Power, and the concert in Krakow was part of the promotional tour.

Maciej Fortuna Trio at Lizard King / Paweł Postaremczak & Robert Kusiołek at Bomba (24.04)

As piano trio is probably the most common instrumental line-up in jazz, sax trio being it's freer equivalent, it's dissapointing there are so few trumpet trios - as it seemingly should be a natural thing to do. Rare as they are, they often bring some great music which is why I was so curious about Maciej Fortuna's concert - part of the Starzy i Mlodzi Festival. The trio displays a nice chemistry. The playing is definitely on the main side of the stream, yet dense, fit and far from any cliche'. The compositions are melodic, the solos are fun and pleasure (Piotr Lemanczyk steals the show with his light and gracefull walkings) and some passages suggest also more open, sonorus forms of exploration.    Groove, swing, melody - as jazz and as cool as can be. If you're looking for a trumpet trio and that's easily enjoyable new cd "Solar Ring" by the trio could easily satisfy your needs.

(The only thing I'm trying to forget is 100000th version of "Autumn Leaves" they played as the encore, why not stick to the originals? Maciej and Piotr's compositions were really good)

I got late to Bomba but I still got abouth 30 minutes part of the continous over 1 hour long duo's performance. Paweł Postaremczak appears quite often on the blog and his prowess should be known to any fan of adventurous jazz thanks to Hera's albums. It was Robert Kusiołek's playing who intrigued me the most, since it was one of the firts times I got to see him live, and the pairing of sax and accordion seemed to me very risky to begin with. Robert brings space, Paweł brings direction, together they create a rich and varied landscape of sounds, a musical story, narration without words, combining two distant sonic worlds - accordion bringing the echoes of tango, french chanson, eastern european folk, film noir music while the saxophone brings to the mix the scene the tradition of John Coltrane, but also the serial music by likes of Philip Glass and Steve Reich. In fact, inspired by accordion's sound Paweł creates some of the most classically beautiful arco lines I evere heard him did. Immaginative, sensible and adventurous minds.

I



I

Maciej Fortuna - trumpet
Piotr Lemanczyk - double bass
Krzysztof Gradziuk - drums

Lizard King. Krakow. 24.04.2012

II
Pawel Postaremczak - tenor saxophone
Robert Kusiolek - bandoneon

Bomba. Krakow. 24.04.2012

Jazz Alchemist Radio with Joachim, Miąższ, Piotr, Pink Freud

cover of Joachim Mencel's Trio "Interludium"

As promised the playlist  goes back to the concerts from the last week and forecasts some of the events of this one. Joachim Mencel played last tuesday (see the post), Miąższ played a week ago (polish readers can look for the review on jazzarium.pl, all the others can get back to this old post about the group), Pink Freud is playing this wednesday while Piotr Orzechowski can be heard the day after (check the previous post for more info about this week concerts). Plus we get two birthdays - true giants of jazz - Joe Henderson and Ella Fitzgerald - hope you'll enjoy the music.

1. Piotr Orzechowski - Scherzo VIII
2. Joachim Mencel Trio - Mystic Call
3. Miąższ - Łodondi
4. Pink Freud - Police Jazz
5. Joachim Mencel - Willem von Hombracht - Harry Tanschek - Tu i Teraz (Here and Now)
6. Joachim Mencel Trio - Overstep
7. Piotr Orzechowski - Prelude a
8. Miąższ - Awangardowa Suszarka
9. Miąższ - Z Wuja Flak
10. Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass - I Ain't Got Nothing But The Blues (Ella's birthday on 25.04)
11. Pink Freud - Horse and Power
12. Joe Henderson - A Shade of Jade (Joe's birthday on 26.04)
13. Piotr Orzechowski - Scherzo V
14. Joachim Mencel Trio - Interludium I
15. Piotr Orzechowski - Scherzo III
16. Pink Freud - Punk Freud

Jazz Alchemist Radio with Joachim, Piotr and Pink Freud by Jazzowy Alchemik on Mixcloud

Concerts, concerts, concerts! and radio too.

Ok, here comes another busy week of various concerts and at 8 pm sharp (CET) on www.radiofrycz.pl we'll try to talk more about what's happened last week and what's going to happen in the next few days.

Here are my concert suggestion for Krakow

Tuesday. That's a tough one, really difficult choice, on one hand you got the sax - accordion duo of Paweł Postaremczak and Robert Kusiołek in Bomba (Plac Szczepański). More on the free side and

also free entrance (could be a convinving argument).

On the other hand the second concert of Starzy i Młodzi Festival which sounds very promising - a trumpet trio (I LOVE trumpet trios) led by a young polish player Maciej Fortuna. Lizard King club (Tomasza street). Actually both places are quite close to each other so there's a chance to catch a glimpse of both events.

Wednesday. Polish group Pink Freud's release concert for their new album. The teaser I will play on Monday should interest you a lot. Good energy, solid groove and some crazy improvisations are to be expected. (below a fragment from the previous cd). Also at Lizard King.

Thursday. Back to Starzy i Mlodzi Festival. Double-header at Manghha Museum with Piotr Orzechowski solo (I have written about him recently a couple of times and I have a feeling his name will appear quite often on the blog from now on - one of the most promising piano talents to be found). After that a polish - czech sextet with David Dorouzka. (I know I already put this video and it's not solo, and there are others available, but I just love this one)

Hope to see you there!

Joachim Mencel / Willem von Hombracht / Harry Tanschek - Krakovians at Krakow (17.04)

Joachim Mencel is a Krakow based pianists, I remember couple years back he had a very busy concert schedule, fantastic trio but also duo concerts with DJ Krime, I used to get to see him play at least once a month. His music has its melodic charm, his playing was always brilliant while his presence on stage filled the air with passion and positive vibe as he lived and played the music with the entire body, standing, jumping, dancing by the piano (or fender). I consider his cd from the era "Interludium" a true masterpiece (unfortunately it is out of print). Unfortunately, after the death of his bass player, his concerts became rare thing. Which is another reason why I waited so impatiently for this concert.

Joachim Mencel

The trio with Willem von Hombracht and Harry Tanschek was born during summer jazz workshops in Krakow and resulted in cd "Krakovians" (registered 2004, released 2007 by Deo Recordings). The three players clearly share a passion for teaching music and enjoy playing together a lot. Both players in the rhythm section share a handfull of solo spots (Harry Tanschek stole the show with salsa/carribbean percussion fiesta in one piece). However, while they're prove to be very capable musicians, what stands between them and your average solid jazz piano trio is Joachim Mencel and this is is most evident when they're playing his compositions - that's when there's true fire and passion, when Joachim makes his most stunning solo statements, when it seems they can go any direction and that's also the material that pushes the rhythm section beyond the comfort zone, lights up the creative spark and provokes most adventurous passages. Mencel's compositions share unique quality, with clear vocal line, with melody that anchors the piece while allowing for in depth harmonic reconfigurations (in fact "Tu i Teraz (Here and Now)" is also recorded by polish pop/jazz star Anna Maria Jopek). As for the piece from his "Interludium" cd "Ta Góra (That Mountain") - rich and complex, alternating between  furious and passionate flamenco-like motive and peaceful passages - I have heard it live at least 10 times, and it never failed to amaze me.

A fine concert to start Jazz Festival Starzy i Młodzi (hope to see you there next week for successive concerts). It was great to see Joachim on stage again after a while and I hope he'll play more frequently again (and maybe finally get to record his old "new" compositions which I record from the concerts).

(Joachim and his trio will be featured extensively on this monday's radio playlist)

Joachim Mencel - piano
Willem von Hombracht - double bass
Harry Tanschek - drums

Festiwal Starzy i Mlodzi czyli Jazz w Krakowie
Akademia Muzyczna. Kraków. 17.04.2012