Have Yourself a Merry Jazzy Christmas playlist a.d. 2012

I want to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and he playlist below is my gift. I strived not to repeat any of the songs available on the other two Christmas playlists on the blog and hopefully I've managed to surprise you once or twice.
Anyway, hope you'll enjoy listening to those songs in the next days.
Although it's been said, many times and many ways
Merry Christmas to You

best wishes Bartek Adamczak a.ka. Jazz Alchemist

Louis Armstrong - Christmas In New Orleans
Louis Armstrong - Christmas Night In Harlem
Joseph Spnence - Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
Electric Mayhem Band (The Muppets) - 'Zat You, Santa Claus
Louis Armstrong & Eartha Kitt - Santa Baby
The Dukes of Dixieland - Merry Christmas Baby
Dianne Reeves - Carol of the Bells
Diana Krall - Jingle Bells
Ella Fitzgerald - Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
Ahmad Jamal - Snowfall
Vince Guaraldi Trio - Skating
Duke Ellington - Sugar Rum Cherry (Dance Of The Sugar Plum Fairy)
Carla Bley - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen part 1
Carla Bley - God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen part 2
Art Carney - 'Twas The Night Before Christmas
Harry Connick Jr. - Mary's Little Boy Child
John Zorn The Dreamers with Mike Patton - The Christmas Song
Frank Sinatra - The First Noel
Mahalia Jackson - Silent Night
Dexter Gordon Quartet - Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Vince Guaraldi Trio - The Christmas Song
Dianne Reeves - Christmas Time Is Here
Low - Little Drummer Boy

Jazz Alchemist Radio Have Yourself a Jazzy Little Chrismas a.d. 2012 by Jazzowy Alchemik on Mixcloud

SzaZaZe with Ola Bilinska at Cheder (20.12.)

I've only recently praised the wonderful duo SzaZa (playing the music along the animated movies by W. Sarewicz) and the duo, in its trio incarnation comes back to Krakow to play with the vocalist Olga Bilinska for a set of interpretations of traditional sephardic music.

But, easy to foresee given how unique and original the band's music is, the interpretations are far from traditional and venture smoothly into the hypnotic regions of electronic drones, multiinstrumental layers and mystery.

The acoustic instruments are dwelling in electronic enviroment. Loops and filters create an impression of multiplied sound, overwhelming and spacious. The music is minimal, peacefull and meditative.

The mbira and metalofon timbre merge softly and reverb in the air creating a dreamy landscape. Perfectly atuned to the cold peacefulness of the winter time outside.
In complete opposition to the pre-Christmas frenzy madness that's outside as well.
The end of the world scheduled for the day after did not take place so hopefully there will be many more chances to hear this music again.


SzaZaZe + Ola Bilinska
Ola Bilinska - voice, electronics, percussion
Pawel Szamburski - clarinet, bass clarinet, electronics, percussion
Pawel Zakrocki - violin, mbira, electronics
Hubert Zemler - metalofon, percussion

Cheder Cafe. Krakow. 20.12.2012

Trabant - Sanger Fra Fredensborg Bibliotek [Pine Productions]

Trabant:
Svein Magnus Furu - saxophone
Adrian Myhr - double bass
Audun Lunnan Hjort - drums

Pine Produtcions 2012

"Sanger Fra Fredensborg Bibliotek" ("Songs from the Fredensborg Library") is a debut release (LP and digital only) from the trio I had a distinct pleasure to hear live on stage in Krakow some year and half ago. An evening about which I've written with pleasure on the blog. And as the trio's music and youthfull energy transferred so well onto the recording let me just re-use (with slight edits) words I've posted on that occasion (feel free, of course, to check the original post).

Jazz Alchemist Radio Merry Christmas playlist

Santa Clauses, Jingle Bells, Sleigh Rides and Red-Nosed Reindeers everywhere. Even on Jazz Alchemist playlist at this particular time of year.

I bring you back a special christmas playlist that aired on 15.12.2008 and I promise You a new one next weekend with a special christmas wishes.

So, if you're tired of seeing red and green colours everywhere, skip this one out, but if you're in a mood for some spirited and merry playing and singing, tune in and enjoy! (You can also check the 2009 Christmas Set that I've uploaded last year).

1. Muppets - Christmas Is Coming

2. Frank Sinatra - We Wish You The Merriest

3. Brian Setzer Orchestra - Sleigh Ride

4. Dean Martin - Jingle Bells (Dan The Automator Remix)

5. Jerzy Szymaniuk - Gdy Się Chrystus Rodzi

6. Ray Brown Trio and Dee Dee Bridgewater - Away in The Manger

7. Eric Johnson - First Noel

8. Ella Fitzgerald - Winter Wonderland

9. Harry Connick Jr. - Frosty The Snowman

10. Mighty Blue Kings - All I Want For Christmas

11. Bing Crosby - Happy Holliday (Beef Wellington Remix)

12. Kenny Wayner Shepherd - Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer

13. Dianne Reeves - The Christmas Waltz

14. Clusone - White Christmas

15. Leszek Dranicki i Maciej Sikała - Gdy Śliczna Panna

16. Aretha Franklin - Joy To The World

17. Brian Setzer Orchestra - Santa Claus Is Back In Town

18. Louis Armstrong & Velma Middleton - Baby, It's Cold Outside (Mulato Beat Remix)

19. Anna Maria Jopek - Na Całej Połaci Śnieg

20. Dexter Gordon - Christmas Song

21. Andy Williams - It's The Most Wonderful Time of the Year (Ashrift Remix)

22. Ella Fitzgerald - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

23. Muppets - Christmas Is Coming

24. Jeff Beck - Amazing Grace

Jazz Alchemist Radio archives. Merry Christmas!!! A.D. 2008 by Jazzowy Alchemik on Mixcloud

Tomasz Dąbrowski - TOM Trio [ILK]

Tomasz Dąbrowski - trumpet, balkan horn
Nils Bo Davidsen - double bass
Anders Morgensen - drums


ILK Records 2012

"TOM Trio" is Tomasz Dąbrowski's debut as a leader, a young polish trumpeter played an active part in jazz/improvised music scene in Denmark for the last couple of years and the international trio's release is presented by the danish ILK Records label.

The disc presents 11 composed pieces, mostly in the coincise and focused song - format, with hummable and likeable melody that manages to match the slavic romantic nature and the scandinavian, nordic cool touch.

Maciej "Korba" Cierlinski & Pawel Szpura play "Die Gezeichneten" at 13th Silent Movie Festival (6-9.12)

The second performance of the Silent Movie Festival that got my full attention was a Maciej Cierlinski and Pawel Szpura duo playing to the 

"Die Gezeichneten" by Carl Theodor Dreyer (Germany, 1922). The movie itself is dedicated to the Russian revolution, a gripping and disturbing portrayal of russian jews situation. Abused by the royal intrigue and victim to society's xenophobia. Caught right between the people's rage and secret police's manipulation.

The story builds up, noir and dense till the final massacre, fittingly portrayed musically by the duo, I was especially interested in seeing again Maciej "Korba" Cierlinski who blew my mind off on the occasion of Hera's concert during the Autumn Jazz Festival. Once again they range of sounds he manages to get out of the traditional hurdy gurdy instrument is awe-inspiring, hypnotic drones, psychodelic distortion, meditatative repetitions of the struck strings. The duo would follow and enhance the picture through the cycle of tension and release leading to the boiling and storming finale. Musicians chose to support the movie, rather than overtake it and they did so to the fullest.

Make sure you see them live if you get the chance. As for the movie, it comes easily recommended, although I'd suggest (regarding the same subject) you see first the "October" and "Battleshpip Potiomkin" which are even more powerfull.

Maciej Cierlinski - hurdy gurdy
Pawel Szpura - drums

"Die Gezeichneten" by Carl Theodor Dreyer (Germany, 1922)

Kino Pod Baranami. 13th Silent Movie Festival. Krakow. 09.12.2012

SzaZa plays Sarewicz at 13th Silent Movie Festival (6-9.12)

13th edition of Silent Movie Festival brought back Krakow's audience back in time to the black & white times of revolution, passion and prohibition. The times where the story to be told didn't need colour or voice. But let us not forget the fact that music was present since the very beginning. The movies were accompanied by live music,  played by musicians representing a vast variety of modern genres including experimental electronica, post-rock, improvisation as well as traditional solo piano recital. 

This way the art is revitalized and re-inserted into a modern context, and the artistic results, about which shortly below, prove it to be as vital and valid as ever.

I could not follow the entire festival's schedule but I'd like to mention two brilliant duo performances. Here's the first one:

The SzaZa duo (Patryk Szamburski and Patryk Zakrocki) played music for Wladyslaw Sarewicz. If you have never heard before the name, make sure to look it up. Wladyslaw Szarewicz's movies are the very first animations ever filmed, introducing the frame-by-frame method and insects (!) as the story's heroes (a movie about ants and beetles in 1912? beat that, Pixar!). The duo's main instruments are clarinet and violin but those were assorted by entire bag of pipes, ocarinas, marimbas, mout-harmonicas, nose-flues, loops, filters etc to create music that brilliantly completed and commented the picture - the evil beetle would sound slightly like a Darth Vader, the heroic lilly's melody would be joyfull and light as the sunshine, the Santa would laugh jovially, the grasshopers would play bass and fiddle swinging brightly. 

One of the most brilliantly entertaining musical performances of the year I've heard, musicians enjoing themselves and the audience equally. Pictoresque, hillarious, cartoonish, positively crazy and seemingly (deceivengly) simple though in fact carefully woven and layered together.

Enjoy the duo's poetic music as well as one of the short films screened that evening - the "Revenge of the Camera Man".

"SzaZa play Starewicz"
Pawel Szamburski (clarinet) & Pawel Zakrocki (violin) and whistles, toys, electronics and objects
Wladyslaw Sarewicz - short movies

Kino Pod Baranami. 13th Silent Movie Festival. Krakow. 08.12.2012

Jazz Alchemist Radio archive vaults. 14.12.2009 with Clark Terry, Dee Dee sings Edith and else

Another one from the vaults for you enjoyment (I could possibly be back live next week but I don't want yet to make any promises). 

This one aired on 14.12.2009, right after that year's edition of Silent Movie Festival, which, unfortunately, I wasn't able to partecipate in, but wanted to feature some of the musicians particpating in the festival anyway (thus Sing Sing Penelope, Shofar and Polpo Motel are present). 

On the tracklist also birthday wishes for Clark Terry, John Abercrombie & Edith Piaf as well as couple of tracks from the albums which I've happened to enjoy very much at that moment (including the monumental "Summer Suite" by the Satoko Fujii's New York Orchestra). Enjoy!

Clark Terry

1. Clark Terry & Oscar Peterson - Mumbles

2. Sing Sing Penelope - James Bond

3. Shofar - 92

4. Polpo Motel - Imaginary Day

5. John Abercrombie - Soft

6. Dee Dee Bridgewater - Avec Le Temps

7. Susie Ibarra Trio - Azul

8. Mario Pavone Octet - New Socks

9. Oscar Peterson, Freddie Hubbard, Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry - Blues no.4

10. Dee Dee Bridgewater - Dansez Sur Moi

11. Susie Ibarra Trio - Passing Clouds

12. Satoko Fujii New York Orchestra - Summer Suite

Jazz Alchemist radio vaults 14.12.2009 with Clark Terry, Susie Ibarra and others by Jazzowy Alchemik on Mixcloud

Peter Brotzmann / Masahiko Satoh / Takeo Moriyama - Yatagarasu [Not Two]

The Heavyweights:
Peter Brotzmann - alto / tenor sax, tarogato, bflat-clarinet
Masahiko Satoh - piano
Takeo Moriyama - drums


Not Two 2012

The concert happened a year ago and it was one of the finest points of 2011 Autumn Jazz Festival. In fact it was one of the finest concerts of that year. Brotzmann, celebrating his 70th birthday, fresh out of the Wels Unlimited festival, brought to Krakow Masihiko Satoh (born 1941) and Takeo Moriyama (born 1945) from Japan. Marek Winiarski from Not Two, who introduced the trio, had said the the band's performance was the best one of the Wels Festival, and it was a promise the groups has mantained (more about the concert in itself in that old post).

Busy weekend at Krakow. Concerts, concerts, concerts!

It was only Sunday that Krakow Autumn Jazz Festival ended (I'm sorry I missed the Ames Room concert, heard it was great), they day after Rafal Mazur and Keir Neuringer finished their duo tour with Anna Kaluza at Literki (haven't missed it, heard it and it was great) and one would maybe think that holiday break was due but concerts and festivals keep coming so please pay attention and I'd like to wholeheartedly recommed to you these events (thursday can give you a small headache):

Thursday - Sunday
13th Silent Movie Festival - Kino Pod Baranami

Among the titles such classics as The Gabinet of Dr Caligari or Metropolis, as well as modern movies like The Artist. Among the groups  / musicians that will provide the music for the picture are DVA (the unique duo from Cech I wrote about this year on the occasion of their concert in Krakow). As well as a wide reppresentation of the alternative / experimental  / electronic / improvised scene in Poland such as SzaZa, Kristen, Levity, Paweł Szpura with Maciej Korba and many more. 

Thursday as well

Eddie Henderson & Tomek Grochot Quintet - Music Academy.

A start of the projects's tour and what I hope will be also a start of bigger series of events under the name of "Jazz in Academia". The band presents some of the most prominent figures of the young jazz scene in Poland such as piano player Dominik Wania, Max Mucha on bass, joined by the veteran sax player Maciek Sikala. 

Thursday again

Marcin Masecki at Bomba - Kunst der Fuge

Marcin Masecki will play "The art of the Fugue" by J. S. Bach and this event will take place at Bomba pub at around 20.30. Masecki's approach to classical music is quite unique and controversial at times but very much intriguing. 

Sunday

Matana Roberts at Piękny Pies! 

A well-known pub have just relocated and celebrates its reopening with music. For this Sunday Matana Roberts will play and I've praised her doing it on the occasion of Warsaw Summer Jazz earlier this year, can't wait to hear more of her in Krakow.

Monday

Jam Session at Literki.

After busy weekend, time to chill a bit. Come to Literki as soon as you finish listening to the Jazz Alchemist Radio playlist (and if you have to leave earlier I understand and forgive you - you can listen to it later on mixcloud). The Jam will be led again by Dominka Rusinowska, Slawek Pezda, Thomas Kolarczyk and Dominik Stankiewicz. Musician or listener, come and enjoy the evening. 

Jazz Alchemist Radio Archives 01.12.2008 with Nicole Mitchell,

Here's another one dug up from the archives for your enjoyment. The program aired on 1.12.2008. I was fresh after the Made in Chicago festival in Poznan which featured Nicole Mitchell's Indigo Trio among others. On the other hand, Szilard Mezei's trio as was only about to play in Krakow in the next week, so was Anthony Braxton's Sextet (the main event of that year's Autumn Festival).
Plus we celebrate birthday of Cassandra Wilson, Jaco Pastorious, Nino Rota.

1. Nicole itchell Black Eart Ensemble - Afrika Rising Trilogy II: Metamorphosis
2. Nicole Mitchell Indigo Trio - Thankfulness
3. Szilard Mezei Trio - Indulo (March)
4. Cassandra Wilson - Easy Rider
5. Anthony Braxton Parker Project - Bebop
6. Mike Reed Loose Assembly - Afterthoughts
7. Jaco Pastorious Big Band - Soul Intro / The Chicken
8. Anthony Braxton & Stewart Gilmor Duo - Kansas City Man Blues
9. Gioanni Tomasso Quintet - Il Padrino (Nino Rota)
10. Anthony Braxton Parker Project - A Night In Tunisia
11. Cassandra Wilson - I Want To Be Loved
12. Mikolaj Trzaska / Friis / Uuskyla - Scandal In the Forest

Jazz Alchemist archives 1.12.2008 with Nicole Mitchell, Anthony Braxton and others by Jazzowy Alchemik on Mixcloud

Bouge at Alchemia (Krakow Autumn Jazz 2012; 28.11)

Just a brief note about next to the last concert of this year's Autumn festival.  Bouge, consisting of french vocalist Isabelle Duthoit, german trombone player Johannes Bauer and dutch guitarist Luc Ex is a project as much international as particular in its instrumental combination. Voice, trombone and acoustic bass - that line-up is bound to raise some eyebrows. Also those three musicians come from and with completely different musical backgrounds. Namely free-jazz, experimental and punk. 

The central figure is Isabelle Duthoit, an unique vocalist or maybe a term voice artist would be a better fit. She provides screams and whispers and bends her voice in the most feline way. She can growl and tick, and she's an absolute spectacle to see and listen to.

Luc Ex provides a distinctive rock energy, low and slighty dirty riffs fille the stage, a surprising combination of acoustic sound and distorted dynamics. Johannes Bauer's bone connects and cements the whole with focused notes and sharp glissandos. The music is quite theatrical, sometimes terrifying till the point of absurd, sometimes seductive, consistently inspiring and refreshingly unique.

Bouge sounds original their music is uniquely, mind and body, engaging. The concerts was intriguingly unique, utterly enjoyable and refreshingly inspiring. Bouge is a very surprising unit, just see for yourself:

Bouge:
Isabelle Duthoit - voice, clarinet
Johannes Bauer - trombone
Luc Ex - acoustic bass guitar

Alchemia. Krakow Autumn Jazz 2012. 28.11.2012