Jazz Alchemist Radio archives - 02.04.12 Easter Playlist

Given the period we're in, I decided to re-post a particular radio playlist, originally posted on 02.04.2012, focused on music with particular message and goal. 

Three of the albums featured I'd like to give a special attention are:
Undivided - Passion
Piotr Baron Quartet ft. Wadada Leo Smith - Salve Regina
Dennis Gonzalez & Ingebrigt Haker Flaten - The Hymn Project



the playlist is :

1. Marilyn Crispell Trio - Dear Lord (Marilyn Crispell's birthday on 30.03)
2. Dennis Gonzalez & Ingebrigt Haker Flaten - Jeg Rade Vil Alle I Ungdommens
3. Piotr Baron Quartet ft. Wadada Leo Smith - Krzyzu Swiety (O Holly Cross)
4.Hera - Monreale (from "Hera")
5. Ingebrigt Haker Flaten & Hakon Kornstad - Ak, Mon Jeg Staar I Naade
6. Dennis Gonzalez & Ingebrigt Haker Flaten- Eg Veit I Himmerik Ei Borg
7. Peter Gabriel - A Different Drum
8. Undivided - Droga Krzyzowa , Ukrzyzowanie, Smierc (Crossroad, Crucifixion, Death)
9. Ingebrigt Haker Flaten & Hakon Kornstad  - For Himmerigs Land Maa Man Kje
10. The Light - J20, 19-23
11. Piotr Baron Quartet ft. Wadada Leo Smith - Ja Jestem Zmartwychwstanie (I am Resurrection)
12. Undivided - Zmartwychwstanie (Resurrection)
13. Joachim Mencel Trio - Ezechiel

Jazz Alchemist radio 02.04.2012 Easter Playlist by Jazzowy Alchemik on Mixcloud

Interviw with Rafal Mazur. Chapter 03

I hope you have already read the first two chapters of the interview in which Rafal tells the story of his musical roots. With the third chapter we reach a part of our conversations in which Rafal explains the essence of his views on the art of improvisations:

(you often define improvisation as an action rather than musical performance, can you elaborate on that?)

Improvisation is not exclusive feature of a musical activity. You can improvise in any field of life. It is a model, a way, a strategy of action. For improvisaition to take place some requirements have to be met that are not acoustic-related, that are not "musical". Learning how to improvise does not happen through learning sounds. Those are merely the effect  of using the method of improvisation. But this method, and its requirements are equally valid for a dancer, poet, painter, musician or anybode else. Such a requirement is the ability to perceive the reality and react to it. If’d have to describe the improvisation I’d say it’s the art of a deep insight into what’s happening and quick reaction.

Ensemble 56 - 1st Meeting : Towards Sky Flight of Dragon

My personal inspirations for this methodical and theoritical approach towards the improvisation are rooted in philosophy of Far East, european tradition of thinking does not provide tools adapt to theoretise and perfect this kind of activity. According to our culture, improvisation is always connected to inspiration, it’s an effect divine intervention. You’re taken by a "furor poeticus" and you don’t really know what’s happening with you. It’d be hard to perfect e method of taking the advantage of divine intervention, men have rather little saying in this field.

Wojtek Traczyk - Free Solo [Multikulti]

Wojtek Traczyk - double bass



Multikulti 2012

Wojtek Traczyk name might sound familiar to you from The Light trio with Waclaw Zimpel and Robert Rasz, "Free Solo" is his debut solo cd. Solo performance is possibly one of the most difficult and daring musical tasks one can undertake. One remains bare, completely exposed. No instrumental gimmicks and trickery is allowed. Extreme honesty and commitment is the only way.

Jazz Alchemist Radio 25.03.13 with Yemen, Ircha and Wojtek Traczyk

Waclaw Zimpel

Pre-Easter period is a time of deep reflection, preparing ourselves for a celebration. For this week's playlist I grouped together three recently reviewed recordings that seem perfectly fitted for this time, music that is rooted in ancient, spiritual, ritual elements of jewish music. Those recordings are:

Waclaw Zimpel, Perry Robinson, Raphael Rogisnki, Michael Zerang - Yemen (Music of Yemenite Jews)

Mikolaj Trzaska Ircha Clarinet Quartet - Watching Edvard & Zikaron Lefanai

Fourth recording is a deeply spiritual Wojtek Traczyk's "Free Solo", whose parts are entitled upon the structure of catholic mass (a short review will be posted during this week).

the playlist is:

Waclaw Zimpel / Perry Robinson Yemen Project - Once in the Desert

Waclaw Zimpel / Perry Robinson Yemen Project- Sand in the Eyes

Mikolaj Trzaska Ircha Clarinet - Builderblock.pampim (from "Watching Edvard")

Mikolaj Trzaska Ircha Clarinet - Watching Edvard (from "Watching Edvard")

Wojtek Traczyk - Benedictus

Wojtek Traczyk - Agnus Dei

Mikolaj Trzaska Ircha Clarinet - Builderblock.pampim (from "Zikaron Lefanai")

Mikolaj Trzaska Ircha Clarinet - Climbing and Sliding,Nigun num. 115 (from "Zikaron Lefanai")

Mikolaj Trzaska Ircha Clarinet - Night Flight to the City (from "Zikaron Lefanai")

Jazz Alchemist 25.03.13 with Ircha, Yemen and Wojtek Traczyk by Jazzowy Alchemik on Mixcloud

Concerts Schedule 25.03 - 31.03 and 01.04-07.04

As Easter is near there are few events this week, as there will be no time to give you a heads-up for the next one I decided to pair up the next two weeks and here are my suggestions for the next 14 days:

25.03  Zsolt Soros, Jean-Herve Peron and Theme at Alchemia

THEME is a british-polish unit playing, well, just check the video below. They will be joined by Zsol Sores the electronic sound artist, and Jean-Harve Peron known from the krautrock legent Faust band. Should be enough to start the week.

*EDIT  - fresh update - Rafal Mazur and Artur Majewski at Solvay on 27.03 19:00.

01.04 Piotr Orzechowski solo at PIEC'Art

Piotr will play solo, there's no telling whether the performance will be an example of improvised music in the vein of his EP "Pianohooligan" where he tributes Bach as well Keith Jarrett or maybe he will play some music from his debut longplay cd "Experiment : Penderecki", or else. One way or another (or third way) it should be interesting.

04.04 Miąższ at Alchemia.

Miąższ, with their witty lyrics and cross-genre music that cites on folk, jazz, cabaret, rock, blues, reggae ecc. is one of the few bands that gibe you possibly most fun you can have sober. I wholeheartedly recommend their concert in Alchemia, you might check the post I wrote after the previous one. A precious music video for their lullaby below:

04-06.04. Directions In Music Pawel Kaczmarczyk at Harris Piano Jazz Bar

Directions in Music is a series of projects Pawel Kaczmarczyk created to honour jazz heroes, each one featuring a special line-up and honour guest. For the 16th birthday of Harris Piano Jazz Bar three special evenings are lined up:

04.04 Directions In Music for Elvin Jones (with Kazimierz Jonkisz oln drums)

05.04 Directions In Music for Ray Charles (with Jorgos Skolias on vocals)

06.04 Directions In Music for Stan Getz (with Janusz Muniak on saxophone)

06 - 07.04 Orioxy at PIEC'Art

PIEC'Art brings another scandinavian group to Krakow for a two-night stand. An intriguing instrumental setting puts together voice, harp, bass and drums to bring surprising music that is poetic, dark and theatrical. The material available on the web sounds very inviting.

Interview with Rafal Mazur. Chapter 02

Some sparks filled the air the other night as Rafal Mazur played with Marco Eneidi, hope you won't miss the next chance to see any of the two on stage.

Rafal Mazur already told us how he became a passionate heavy metal fan (chapter 1 of the story to be found here), now's time to tell how he became interested in improvised music.

polish readers can find the entire interview published on jazzarium.pl

How did you became interested in improvisation?

Aside from being heavy metal fan I was always, and still am, a keen reader. I devour with passion all kinds of books, I love written world. And so in my father’s library I found this book „Everything about jazz” by Joachim Berendt, I’d read without any particular interest till I got to a mini-chapter dedicated to improvisation. I read that jazzmen do this thing so each time they play a tune, they play something different. It was phrased somehow poetically - what a jazzman plays on stage is influenced for example by the audience, so if there were any beautifull ladies in the front row, he might play differently then with someone else sitting there.

I couldn’ really immagine what it was about. In the music school, it’s different, you learn the composition by heart,  and you play it as your teachers tell you to, they’ll show you what is the „right” interpretation. As for rock music, the thing is equally clear, any improvisation element is circumstantial, you’re supposed to play the song on stage as it was recorded on the disc. That’s how the recodring is structured as well, mutlitrack separtely registered, this is all hard studio work, which you try to immitate during the concert., because that’s what people who boutght the cd want to hear. And suddenly I found out that there are people who do something else, it moved my immagination, because somehow I had known before that music can’t be boring like these – that you always play the same thing. And ever since I’m interested in the art of improvisation. 

Andrea Bolzoni & Daniele Frati - Dialvogue (improvising dialogues) [Setola Di Maiale]

Andrea Bolzoni - guitar, effects, live loops
Daniele Frati - drums, percussions, live lectronics



Setola Di Maiale - Musiche Non Convenzionali 2012

Both Andrea Bolzoni and Daniele Frati are part of the Swedish Mobilia trio whose album "Knife, Fork and Spoon" I found to be extremely intriguing example of post-rock improvisation. "Dialvogue" strips down the music to the duo, leaves away the massive sound of the heavy rock and leaving the two musicians to create a very etheral music.

Interview with Rafal Mazur. Chapter 01.

Rafal Mazur is one of the most active improvisers on Krakow scene has been mentioned many times on this blog. His involvement with improvising scene is now far beyond local interest as he works regularly such musicians like Mikolaj Trzaska, Artur Majewski, Raymond Strid, Keir Neuringer, Liudas Mockunas and many more.

As I had a long conversation with Rafal, and we talked about improvisation, recent records, history, beer, heavy metal and many more, there were two main themes that emerged.

Firstly, Rafal's personal story as a musician, from the very beggining. An personal account that gives also an intriguing perspective on the beginnings of Krakow and polish improvising scene.

Secondly, Rafal talked a lot about his views about the improvisation itself, its methods and goals and those reflections formed naturally an essay about the nature of this art which I find really inspiring.

As the volume of the text is substantial, the interview will be divided in more chapters which will presented on the blog seperately. I hope you'll enjoy the read.

I took also this opportunity to invite you once again, on Rafal's behalf, to participate in the upcoming concerts with Marco Eneidi. 20.03 in Krakow at Literki. 21.03 in Sopot at Lalala (with Jerzy Mazzoll on clarinets; btw, isn't that a most brilliant name for a restaurant/hotel?).

(photos are by Krzysztof Penarski)

Początek to jest sytuacja jasna. Okoliczności były takie, że trudno jest je zapomnieć, a zaczeło się to  prosto – mój ojciec był muzykiem. Nie zawodowym,  ale takim grającym wiele, był jednym z pierwszych muzyków, którzy grali w Krakowie jazz, raczej w kierunku muzyki rozrywkowej,   tanecznej, grając często akompaniament dla wokalistek śpiewających jakieś tam polskie piosenki. Mnie to mało interesowało, ale muzyki było dużo w domu. Mieliśmy oczywiście adapter i całą kolekcję płyt. Muzyki więc było dużo chociażby ze względu na to, że ojciec w jednym z tych zespołów mój ojciec poznał moją mamę, która śpiewała.

Moja przygoda z muzyką zaczęła się jednak dzięki komuś innemu, matka mojego ojca czyli moja babka pewnego dnia przyszła po mnie, wzięła mnie ze szkoły przed zakończeniem lekcji i pojechaliśmy na przesłuchanie do szkoły muzycznej do centrum, mieszkałem wtedy na os. Widok w Bronowicach. Nie wiedziałem co się dzieje, nie wiedziałem gdzie jadę. Wszedłem do pokoju gdzie jakaś pani grała coś na fortepianie, ja coś odpowiadałem. Efekt był taki, że trzeba było wybrać instrument. No i ja też nie miałem właściwie w tym udziału, bo to było dla mnie pytanie zupełnie abstrakcyjne. To była pierwsza klasa szkoły podstawowej. Nie potrafiłbym nawet jakoś sensownie wymienić instrumentów. No i  wybrano za mnie wiolonczelę, która siedziała mi na karku aż ukończyłem 19sty rok życia. Musiałem chodzić do tej szkoły i grać na tej wiolonczeli.

As for the begining, the situation was very simple – the circumstances in which I were introduced to music  would be hard to forget:  my father was a musician. Not a professional one,  but he was one of the first in Krakow to play jazz, more on the entertainement side,  ballrooms music, accompanying vocalists singing some slightly jazzed up polish songs. I wasn’t really interested, but there was lots of music at home, we had a lp player and quite big record collection. My mom would sing in one of those groups and that’s how my father met her.

Jazz Alchemist Radio 18.03.13 with Julius Hemphill and Bill Frisell

This week's playlist have just release featured which is the 5 cd box

Julius Hemphill - The Complete Remastered Recordings on Black Saint Records

I put a piece or two from each disc of the box but make no mistake - it's merely a modest sampler.

Birthday wishes go to Bill Frisell who is featured with a track dedicated to Hemphill and another tune from the same disc (This Land).

enjoy and stay tuned.

the tracklist is:
Julius Hemphill Trio - G Song (from "Materials and Residuals")
Julius Hemphill Quartet - Ear (from "Flat-Out Jump Suite")
Julius Hemphill Quartet - Body (from "Flat-Out Jump Suite")
Julius Hemphill & Warren Smith - Six (from "Chile New York")
Julius Hemphill & Warren Smith - Seven (from "Chile New York")

Julius Hemphill Sextet - Fat Man (from "The Fat Man and The Hard Blues")

Julius Hemphill Sextet - The Hard Blues (from "The Fat Man and The Hard Blues")

Julius Hemphill Sextet - Band Theme (from "Five Chord Stud")

Julius Hemphill Sextet - Spiritual Chairs (from "Five Chord Stud")

Bill Frisell - Julius Hemphill

Bill Frisell - Is It Sweet?

Jazz Alchemist Radio 18.03.13 with Julius Hemphill and Bill Frisell by Jazzowy Alchemik on Mixcloud

Concerts Schedule 18.03 - 24.03

Here's a handfull of suggestions for this week evenings.

We begin with something for high quality post-bop fans:

Leszezk Żądło European Ensemble will play two dates, first on 19.03 at Harris Piano Jazz Bar, the second one 24.03 at PIEC'Art

20.03 Possibly the most interesting concert of the week.
Rafal Mazur will guest Marco Eneidi at Literki
The concert is part of the Improwizje series.
I had a very interesting talk with Rafal last weekend and will try to post parts of the conversation soon on the blog.

on 20.03 and 21.03 Kuba Pluzek on piano will entertain audience at PIEC'Art. I've seen him play Stevie Wonder songs, jazz standards, modern jazz as well as completely free jam sessions. He will play with a trio featuring Max Mucha and Dawid Fortuna.

21.03 as well the High Definition quartet will play at Harris Piano Jazz Bar.

I've written about the ensemble led by Piotr Orzechowski on few occasions already so let me just repeat it is a very high quality modern jazz, video below should be a prove enough.

21.03 again, the first day of the spring, Chlopcy Kontra Basia, one of my favourite polish bands will play again in Krakow, this time supporting the concert by indie-pop singer Julia Marcell at Forty Kleparz

facebook event page

22.03 N.S.I. Quartet at PIEC'Art.

The modern jazz quartet is : Bartlomiej Prucnal (saxophones), Cybrian Baszynski (trumpet), Michael Parker (bass) and Dawid Fortuna (drums) swept the Jazz Juniors competition in the december of the 2012.

36 Jazz Juniors - koncert zwycięzców tegorocznej edycji konkursowej - formacji N.S.I. by Jazzariumpl on Mixcloud

23.03 Mike Parker Unified Theory at PIEC'Art.

Mike Parker is a New York born, living in Krakow bass player. His compositions for the Unified Theory band try to bring together such distand genres like avant jazz, rap, hip hop or rock. The group features some of the most prominent young talents of Krakow scene:

S.Pezda-ts, C.Baszyński-tr, M.Gawęda-p, M.Parker-db, P.Dobosz-dr

on 23.03 as well on of the most jazz-rock-latin-indie-cinematic orchestras in the history, the fabulous Mitch & Mitch will entertain you at Dom Kultury Kolejarza

Veryan Weston, Ingrid Laubrock, Hannah Marshall - Haste [Emanem]

Veryan Weston - piano
Ingrid Laubrock - soprano and tenor saxophones
Hannah Marshall - cello


Emanem 2012

Veryan Weston is one of the mainsays of british improvised scene, one of my biggest regrets of last year is that due to the sickness I've missed his concert in Alchemia playing with Trevor Watts, which is one of the most inspiring duets one could hope for. I've praised their cd "5 More Dialogues" as well as his improbable choir project "Different Tesselations" - Veryan Weston coerces wide artistic vision, openeness to dialogue with incredibly focus of in-the-monet creation. This trio is another example of that - a proof of consistency in quality of improvisation.

SVELIA at Alchemia (12.03)

Svelia is an australian-swedish unit. One might risk an artistic hypothesis : the creativity sparks on fringes and Svelia's music happens on fringes of a veriety of styles - radical improvisation is countered by tricky and disciplined compositions, bursting energy by heartbreaking lyricism, hard-edged harmonies by melodies that will haunt your mind in sleep (a perfect example, the fittingly entitled lyrical "Beautiful Insomnia").

Avantguarde movement have many brilliant improvisers, few great composers but I'd say you'd be hard put to enlist any songwriters and that where Svelia comes in - it frames the liberating madness of free expression within the form of song.

The band will enter the studio in a couple of weeks and the album should appear later this year - frankly I can't wait and I'll try to write more about the it on the occasion. In the meantime, keep your ears wide open.

SVELIA :
Casey Moir - voice
Reuben Lewis - trumpet, flugelhorn
Juke Sweeting - piano
Johan Moir - double bass
Aidan Lowe - drums


Alchemia. Krakow Autumn Jazz Reberb. 12.03.13

the song Nowhere, No How began the evening, here it is performed with another band.



Crashing was one of the definite highlights with the berserk solos creating a paraller reality to the delicate main melody amd rhythmic vamp.

LAMA - Oneiros [Clean Feed]

LAMA:
Susana Santos Silva - trumpet, electronics
Goncalo Almeida - double bass, effects and loops
Greg Smith - drums


Clean Feed 2012

Although 2/3 of the LAMA trio is portugese the band actually was created in Rotterdam, where Susana Santos Silva and Goncalo Almeida were studying at the jazz department of the city conseravatory. The music this trumpet trio proposes is somewhere between what's free and mainstream in jazz, the mixture nicely spiced up with an intelligent use of electronics. One can easily fall in love with the "Oneiros". 

Jazz Alchemist Radio 11.03.13 with High Wire, Minimalover, Martin Kuchen and Leroy Jenkins

Hello again, this week listen to mostly minimalistic music, solos, duos and trios included. The cds featured are:
Martin Kuchen - Hellstorm
Coat Cooke & Rainer Wiens - High Wire
Mazzoll / Janicki / Janicki - Minimalover
The birthday mention goes to Leroy Jenkins.

Enjoy and stay tuned

The tracklist:

Martin Kuchen - 10 000 Jahre
Coat Cooke & Rainer Wiens - Space Landing
Coat Cooke & Rainer Wiens - Storm Eye
Mazzoll / Janicki / Janicki - love has no limits
Mazzoll / Janicki / Janicki - extremely one ... truth
Mazzoll with Marcin Swietlicki - Pan Bog
Leory Jenkins - Folk Song
Leroy Jenkins, Anthony Davis, Andrew Cyrille - Albert Ayler (his life was too short)

Jazz Alchemist Radio 11.03.13 with Minimalower, Vancouver Jazz, Martin Kuchen and Leroy Jenkins by Jazzowy Alchemik on Mixcloud

Concerts schedule 11.03 - 17.03

After a very very busy week it seems there's a chance to take a deep breath now. Still there are some worthwile events I'd like you to consider:

10.03 Ana Weber Percussive Mechanics at PIEC'Art (I wrote about this concert in the previous schedule post).

12.03 Svelia at Alchemia

Svelia concert at Alchemia is part of the Krakow Autum Jazz  Reverb series - concerts to remind you about the main festival during the year inbetween its editions.

The band is:  Casey Moir - Voice; Naoko Sakata - Piano; Alfred Lorinius - Double Bass; Martin Öhman - Drums

more about the concerts and the band's members on the alchemia website.



15.03 Mike Parker Unified Thoery at PIEC'Art
Mike Parker is a New York born, living in Krakow bass player. His compositions for the Unified Theory band try to bring together such distand genres like avant jazz, rap, hip hop or rock. The group features some of the most prominent young talents of Krakow scene:
S.Pezda-ts, C.Baszyński-tr, M.Gawęda-p, M.Parker-db, P.Dobosz-dr

Sleeping In Vilna - Why Waste Time [Ayler]

Sleeping In Vilna:
Dave Randall - guitar
Dirk Rothbrust - drums & percussion
Carol Robinson - clarinets & voice
Mike Ladd - voice and & synth

Ayler Records 2012

Sleeping In Vilna "Why Waste Time" is one of those recordings that caught me by surprise. Even no expectations whatsover can't prepare you for the music on this album. The cd juggles styles and moods without any regard for genres, musical labels or cohesity. 

Julius Hemphill - The Complete Black Saint Recordings [CAM Jazz]

Julius Hemphill  - The Complete Remastered Recordings on Black Saint & Soul Note

Julius Hemphill - tenor, alto and soprano sax, flute
Raw Materials and Residuals (Black Saint 1978)
Abdul Wadad - cello ; Don Moye - sun percussion

Flat-Out Jump Suite (Black Saint 1980)
Olu Dara - trumpet ; Abdul Wadud - cello ; Warren Smith - percussion


Chile / New York (Sound Environment)  (Black Saint 1998; recorded in 1980)
Warren Smith - percussion


Fat Man and the Hard Blues (Black Saint 1991; with J. Hemphill on alto)
Marty Ehrlich - soprano, alto sax, flute; Carl Grubbs - soprano, alto sax; James Carter - tenor sax; Andrew White - tenor sax; Sam Furnace - baritone sax, flute

Five Chord Stud (Black Saint 1994; with J. Hemphill as a conductor)
Tim Berne - alto sax; Marty Ehrlich - soprano, alto sax, flute; James Carter - tenor sax; Andrew White - tenor sax; Sam Furnace - soprano, alto sax; Fred Ho - baritone sax

CAM Jazz 2012

The Complete Remastered Recordings on Black Saint & Soul Note is a great series that brings some of the classic and long unavailable music treasures from the vast catalog of two classic italian labels that played a major role in documenting the american jazz music of the 80's and 90's. I wrote before about the series (David Murray Octet box) and Julius Hemphill release is a good opportunity to remind you about it. 

Joshua Abrams Natural Information Society at Klub Re (04.03)

Joshua Abrams is a possibly most known for his double bass skills but Natural Information Society is a project that is largely focused on the sound of guimbri - a sort of 3-stringed ethnic guitar instrument, most known from recordings of Mali folk music.

For a short polish tour, Joshua with Lisa Alvarado invited Artur Majewski and Kuba Suchar (known otherwise as Mikrokolektyw) to join in this musical journey

The music, driven by the melodic guimbri riff and infectious, incessant tribal drum pulse, danced joyfully with the delicate trumpet and hypnotic filling the space in the groove.

Whenever Kuba Suchar turned to his electronic kit, the band would took us upon a mystic journey, hypnotic and trascendental. A kind of music that frees the soul to orbit in space, regardless of time and space.

Natural Information Society's music felt organic and complete, peacefull and joyfull. A music of ancient wisdom one might say. Here's mine interpration of the band's name: music, traditionally passed through generations was a natural foundation of a society, its link to the past, present and future, its connection to the communal memory.

I hope you'll be able to catch the group for more beatifull music.

ps. You can see above a brilliant art cover for the album "Represencing" issued (LP exclusive) on Eremite Records. Alas, having no possibility to actually play an LP record as for now, I had to resist the temptation.


Joshua Abrams - guimbri, double bass
Lisa Alvarado - harmonium, gong
Artur Majewski - trumpet, cornet
Kuba Suchark - drums, electronics

Klub Re. Krakow. 03.04.2013

Jazz Alchemist Radio with Kamil Szuszkiewicz, Ed Ricart, Miriam Makeba and Tabata Mitsuru

Tabata Mitsuru

This week playlists features two albums:
Kamil Szuszkiewicz - Prolegomena
Ed Ricart Quartet - Ancon
as well as piece by Tabata Mitsuru, playing tomorrow in Klub Re, taken from a cd from au.diom.at.
Last but not least our birthday corner is dedicated to Mama Africa Miriam Makeba, the first Lady of African Song.

Enjoy and stay tuned.

tracklist:
Kamil Szuszkiewicz - Aria
Kamil Szuszkiewicz - Kraksa
Kamil Szuszkiewicz - Pietuszki
Tabata Mitsuru - We All Gonna Face The Rising sun
Miriam Makeba - Umhome
Miriam Makber - African Sunset
Ted Sirota Rebel Sould - Polo MZE pt. 1 & 2
Ed Ricart Quartet - Celestial Mechanics
Ed Ricart Quartet - Dermatoglyphics
Ed Ricart Quartet - Boundary Crushers

Jazz Alchemist Radio 04.03.13 with Miriam Makbe, Ed Ricart, Tabata Mitsuru and Kamil Szuszkiewicz by Jazzowy Alchemik on Mixcloud

Concerts schedule 03.03 - 10.03.

Concerts, concerts everywhere :)
Here are some suggestions from music lovers from Krakow (and Warsaw) for the next week.

04-5.03 (Monday and Tuesday)

F1kk1c-solotour 2013! at PIEC'Art
Natalie Sandtorv (voice and electronics) solo/ Ole Mofjell (drums) solo. Two artists from Norway doing a double - solo tour.

I'd say the samples on soundcloud sound pretty intriguing. Minimalistic and mysterious.

A huge dilemma presents itself for both nights:

04.03 (Monday)
Joshua Abrams Natural Information Society (with Mikrokolektyw) at Re Klub

a spiecial project created by Joshua Abrams, based on the ethnic sound of guimbri, Kuba Suchar and Artur Majewski from Mikrokolektyw are participating on the tour.

The tour continues with concerts in Zielona Gora (05.03), Warszawa (07.03), Lodz (08.03), Poznan (09.03) and Wroclaw (10.03).

05.03 brings another worthwile concert at Klub Re with

Tabatu Mitsuru - guitarist of famed underground bands such as Acid Mothers Temple, Boredoms Zani Geva. To cite from the concert's description: his own input has been (dis)coloured by all from punk and industrial music, through psychedelia, folk and krautrock, to just about everything the avant-garde and improvised music have touched .
Mitsuru will play with the Krakow very own Tomek Choloniewski (bass) and Ernest Ogórek (bass)

event's facebook page is here





Always on 05.03 (Tuesday) for more typically jazz music one can also consider seeing the N.S.I. Quartet at Harris Piano Jazz Bar.
The quartet with Bartlomiej Prucnal (saxophones), Cybrian Baszynski (trumpet), Michael Parker (bass) and Dawid Fortuna (drums) swept the Jazz Juniors competition in the december of the 2012. (the quartet will also play on 22.03 in PIEC'Art)

36 Jazz Juniors - koncert zwycięzców tegorocznej edycji konkursowej - formacji N.S.I. by Jazzariumpl on Mixcloud

(Warsaw parenthesis opened)

every follower of the modern jazz scene knows about Pardon To Tu in Warsaw being a great place for jazz music. I'd like you to take notice as well of the Kosmos Kosmos which on the 06.03 presents a concert with a great Marco Eneidi (played with such masters of improvised music like Bill Dixon and Cecil Taylor). Marco will play with polish musicians Ksawery Wojcinski (Hera), Marek Pospieszalski (Wojtek Mazolewski Quintet) and Michal Trela (Maciej Obara electrically Trio).

more about the event on the facebook page here.


(Warsaw parenthesis closed)



06-07.03 Wolfram Trio at PIEC'Art
PIEC'Art have to be praised for being one of the few places that gives the artists chance to meet with the audience more than just for one evening.
on 06.03 and 07.03 (Wednesday and Thursday) the club will give place for another double-night stand for a Wolfram Trio (Norway as well). The trios is:
H.Meling-sax, F.L.Dietrichson-b,J.M.Gismervik-dr
and they play freely improvised jazz music, which is exactly the thing we like, ain't it?



On Firday 08.03 (Women's day) jazz fans get a day off duty but those into indie music might enjoy
Fisz / Emade with Tworzywo Sztuczne at Klub Studio :)

09-10.03 Anna Weber Percussive Mechanics at PIEC'Art
I honestly have never heard of Anna Weber but she played with Johnem Hollenbeck, Ben Streetem, Dave Douglas and Jason Moran and that is quite a recommedation in itself.
The large instrumentation (A.Webber-fl&ts, J.Wylie-as&cl, J.Heise-vbr, E.Stemeseder-p, I.Spallati-b, M.Krümmling-dr, M.Andrzejewski-dr) might be hard to handle but it seems Anna Weber a right  composer for the job.

You can judge it yourself:

Mikolaj Trzaska Ircha Clarinet Quartet - Watching Edvard / Zikaron Lefanai [Kilogram]

 Ircha Clarinet Quartet:
Mikolaj Trzaska - bass, Bb metal clarinets
Michal Gorczynski - Bb, bass clarinets,
Pawel Szamburski - Bb, bass clarinets,
Waclaw Zimpel - alt, Bb, bass clarinets and tarogato

Watching Edvard - Kilogram Records 2011
Zikaron Lefanai - Kilogram Records 2012

Ircha Clarinet Quartet is truly an unique band. I wholeheartedly reccomend their first cd "Larks Uprising" recorded with Joe McPhee, but it did not really represent the band's music as it really is. The Quartet share double musical interest, first of which is the ritual jewish music heritage, secondly each member of the group compose their own music for the quartet and those compositions, delicate, poetic, minimalistic share the qualities of modern music by the likes of Steve Reich or Philip Glass rather than jazz or klezmer.
The Quartet second and third release present together an honest picture of the group's musical vision as the first cd "Watching Edvard" showing their "modern composition" side and the latter one "Zikaron Lefanai" focusing on their interpretation of the jewish heritage. What remains intact through the two albums is the band's wonderfully unique collective sound and sense of unity.