Jazz Alchemist Radio 29.04.13 video playlist with Duke Ellington

As I still struggle to recover my hard disk data (well, actually I took the occasion to do some catching-up with a couple of tv series and the week was pretty busy concert-wise) no new plalist today is ready, but let us celebrate the birthday of the one of the aristocrats of jazz history - Duke Ellington, the bandleader, the composer, the songwriter, the pianist. Maestro.

enjoy and stay tuned.

Concerts Schedule 29.04-05.05

It was a very intense week concert-wise. Due to the 1. and 3. may festivities, most people in Krakow are planning now a long careless weekend outside the city. The tourists though that are coming for the very same time to Krakow might consider those events a worthy wat to spend the evening:

29.04  Larz Reller Band at Alchemia

A kind of eastern europe folk-funk band that, I've never heard of them but the video below promises quite a positive vibe.

Orioxy - The other strangers [Unit Records]

Orioxy:
Yael Miller - vocals
Julie Campiche - harp
Manu Hagmann - double bass
Roland Merlinc - drums


Unit Records 2012

Orioxy played a very inspiring set couple of weeks ago in Krakow at Piec'ART club. In the centre of the musical picture there are two women and their artistic connection, the base of the quite particular instrumental line-up where voice and harp lead the way.

Yael Miller's voice is strong, clear, both sharp and sensual. Some of the song lyrics are written in hebrew which adds more layers to the ethereal, slightly exotic and mystic feel of the music. Julie's Hampiche harp is the cornertsone of the poetic, slighty dark and yet dreamy sound. The two are supported by irresistibly simple, earthy drum and bass grooves.

interview with Tomasz Dabrowski. Chapter 02

Here's the second chapter of the interview with young polish trumpet player Tomasz Dabrowski.

(What is differences between musical scene in Denmark and Poland you can observe?)

Denmark has good balance. There's a strong mainstream circle as well as free. In Poland only now we're it starts to level. I don't know about classical music, but as far as jazz is concerned, mainstream jazz was dominating. What is called avant-guarde by many people was for present for a long time but always stood aside. But now it's coming to the light, I'm under impression that we're witnessing a big change, started around the last two years. So much more is happening, new musicians, projects, more concerts, festivals. Also on the international level, we're not scheduled anymore, there are no borders, you can play with whoever you want.

Jazz Alchemist Radio 22.04.13 with Paul, Charles, Barry and others

Paul Chambers

Due to the hard disk malfunction the radio playlist I put together for today can't be uploaded so instead I propose you a brief youtube very mixed-mix for a day.

Firstly - let me invite you again to the concert events of the week (previous post gives more details) and thus let's hear some more from the artists who will perform in Krakow in the next few days.

Secondly - big happy jazzy brithday wishes to three extraordinary bass players all born on 22.04 - Charles Mingus, Paul Chambers and Barry Guy.

Enjoy and stay tuned. Next chapter of the interview with Tomasz Dabrowski will be posted on Wednesday.

Concerts Schedule 22-28.04

A very busy week in Krakow (non that the previous one was lazy, OffPlus Camera filled pretty well the schedule). I propose for your consideration:

21.04 Dialog with freelance artists at Hurtownia Ruchu.

Let me repeat the invitations for today meeting with Manuela Tessa, Dominika Knapik and Vasco Trilla. (details in the previous post). The meeting in itself is a chance to meet two of the performers who will appear a day after on the event:

22.04 Free The Dance at Alchemia

Another chapter in the series of performances where spirit of improvisation connects the arts of dance and music.

Manuela Tessa, Malgorzata Haduch, Przemek Kaminski - dancers

Paulina Owczarek, Michal Dymny, Vasco Trilla - musicians

Free The Dance series meeting

I'm happy to say I'll join Malgorzata Haduch, the organizer of Free The Dance series, to conduct a short meeting / discussion with the artists involved in the next performance.

Please feel free to come and participate
Day : 21.04
Time :19:00
Place: Hurtownia Ruchu. Kraków ulica Kącik 9

Ig Henneman Sextet - Live @ The Ironworks Vancouver [Wig]

Ig Henneman Sextet:

Ig Henneman - viola

Ab Baars - tenor sax, clarinet, shakuchachi

Axel Dorner - trumpet

Lori Freedman - bass clarinet, clarinet

Wilbert De Joode - bass

Marilyn Lerner - piano

Wig 2012

Even if it were the one reason only I just have to put the this one on the blog I praised the previous sextet's release "Cut a Caper" as one of the best albums of 2011. The musicians must have liked the review as it's summary fragment is cited inside the cover of the "Live @ the Ironworks Vancouver". I must admit I felt really proud to see my words printed out. And I feel even prouder having listened to the music they accompany as this is a worthy follow up to the "Cut a Caper" which is a much more important reason to write about this.

Interview with Tomasz Dąbrowski. Chapter 01

Trumpet player Tomasz Dabrowski is one of the most prominent new faces of polish jazz. I had already the pleasure to write about his TOM Trio cd, more cds are soon to be released (including New York sessions with Tyshaun Sorey, Kris Davies, Andrew Drury). 

I had a brief chat with Tomek in Krakow few weeks ago as he was about to get on the train to Warsaw to play with the Pheeroan AkLaff. The interview will be posted in three chapters in the next two weeks on the blog.

Here's the first part, a biographical insight into the beginning of Tomasz's musical journey:

"I'm sure everyone has a different story to tell. In my case, my parents have still the VHS-camera recording, it's christmas time and I'm singing some songs by the christmas tree. My folks decided I have a knack for it. Even today, my aunt, and she's around 70 now, always tells me how she remembers me singing to the broom's stick some children songs. As my parents saw it they decided to buy me a keyboard. I'm the first musician in the family, that was their image of how it should begin – keyoard, you know, it has some potential for the future, maybe you'll play in the wedding band, you can show off at holidays to the family, this kind of utility music. And that's how I begun to learn, mostly classical music.

There was this moment, it's really a bad story, there was this disc, or cassette tape rather „Sax & Sex” by Robert Chojnacki with Piasek [sort of smooth jazz / pop music star very popular in the 90s]. I listened to it and I then I knew I want to play saxophone, no way around it. I wasn't the perfect age, 13 years old, it was really a last call to join music school, much smaller children would be already playing well. Ilawa, where I attended the music school, it a small city, around 30 thousand citizens, it is known for a trad jazz festival Złota Tarka („Golden Grater”). They've just initiated a special program which allowed to me enlist. So i did so, I went to thse school and it turned out there's no vacancies left to lear sax, they told me so and asked „how about the trumpet?”. And I wasn't even sure what it was exactly, some people don't know the difference between trumpet and trombone – bone „elephant” sound and that's it.

But I went to the rehearsal led by the teacher Bogdan Olkowski, he played the insteument and I thought to myself it's not that bad, I could be ok with it. I wasn't really serious about it. A guy this age would rather play some football outside. It turned out it's a damn tough instrument to learn, you need to practice everyday, be carefull about what you do, control so many aspects at once. Only today I realise all that, especially since I started to teach as well. I have young students, 8-10 years old but I had a 70 years old senior as well. Everyone starts at the first base.

First reaction one has when he takes the trumpet and tries to play it, you know, cheeks like Dizzy Gillespie, no sound at all and the though appears „God, it's so hard”. It has to be explained that it's not that hard, there are these myths about how physical the instrument is, it is not easy, but you don't loose your conscience after 30 seconds. Although a sweaty shirt after the concert is a normal thing.

I started to play with youth orchestra from Iława, quite a known big band, one of the most acclaimed in Poland. We travelled a lot and Olkowski, for which I'm eternally gratefull, would always say to me „you should do something more about it, you have knack for it”. Unfortuantely I didn't have much musical knowledge, there was nobody who could teach me more. Event though there are many musicians, jazz or otherwise, who are from Ilawa – double bass player Michal Jaros, Marcin Ulanowski who plays the groove ,rock kind of thins. But I couldn't find anyone who could show me „do this”, you can do it that way”, „practice that thing”.

The one person who would play me music would be Hipolit Szalkiewicz – the teacher responsible for the basic music teachings – literature, dictations, practices, classical etudes and so on, all that staff that everyone needs to pass through in the music school. But once the class was over, mr Hipolit would call me „Hey Tomek, wait here a second, listen to this” and he would play me maybe some dixieland jazz that I really liked. I didn't know how to apprach it, but I frequented the jazz festival in the city and that's also when I went to my first jam session.

After that Henryk Majewski visited Ilawa and he rehearsed me but that was a complete bust, I didn't know a first thing about playing jazz, jazz chords? Progressions? I had not theoretical preparation whatsoever. Two years after I applied to the jazz school on Bednarska street in Warsaw and I got in, I still don't really know how, I wasn't a good player, had a lot of technical issues and in fact the first three years I spend trying to correct these, which was very frustrating.

I was a very active environment, people making their own bands, inviting you to play with them, that's how you learn even more, but I had to decline becuase there was no point to it.

Yet after a while I was able to join them, even made own bands, got some individual and team prizes on a couple of contests.

And then the current chapter of my life begins, I moved to Denmark, all that's happening now started then."

(next chapter in a week)

Jazz Alchemist Radio 15.04.2013 with Richard Davis, BASSX3 and others

BASSX3

Good to have you back on the blog (block?) for the new weekly portion of music.

We begin with the jazz calendar - best jazzy birthday wishes to the fabulous bass player Richard Davis, played on numerous sessions with many jazz greats but I chose for the playlist two classic albums, one of which is an undisputed masterpice, the other a creative peak of one of the most underrated artists in jazz history. Both albums were relased within a week (!) by the Blue Note Records and they are

Andrew Hill - Point of Departure (with Eric Dolphy, Kenny Dorham, Joe Henderson, Tony Williams and Davis)

and

Eric Dolphy - Out to Lunch (with Freddie Hubbard, Bobby Hutcherson and Tony and Davis again)

The 2nd feature of the playlist is the BASSX3 album "Transatlantic"
The 3rd part is comprised of short excerpts from three cds that otherwise present extended improvisations (25-40 mins long) that don't fit that well into any radio format and the cds are:
John Butcher & Mark Sanders - Daylight
Veryan Weston, Ingrid Laubrock, Hannah Marshall - Haste
MMM Quartet - Live at Metz' Arsenal

Andrew Hill - Flight 19
Andrew Hill - Spectrum
Eric Dolphy - Something Sweet, Something Tender
Gebhard Ullmann BASSX3 - Berlin is Full of Lonely People (Part One)
Gebhard Ullmann BASSX3 - Transatlantic (Part Two)
Gebhard Ullmann BASSX3 - The Thing
John Butcher & Mark Sanders - Flicker
Veryan Weston, Ingrid Laubrock - Courtesy of None
MMM Quartet - Part Two

(sorry for the late post but I got stuck at the Off Plus Camera, some great movies there; btw. "Quartet" by Dustin Hoffmann is a must - see)

 

Jazz Alchemist Radio 15.04.13 with Richard. Davis, BASSX3 and others by Jazzowy Alchemik on Mixcloud

Concerts Schedule 14.03-21.03

Here's your weekly schedule for Krakow :

The first event I'd like to bring your attention to this week howwever is not a live music confert: 

Off Plus Camera Festival - international independent film festival that actually started on 12.04 and will last through the whole week till 21.04.

Check the festival program, the movies are presented in the various spaces in Krakow.

Vocal Jazz

Piec' ART is the place to go if you want to listen to some vocal jazz this week with double-night stands by Malgorzata Moskiewicz Quartet (13-14), Kasia Blat New Quintet (15-16) and Angelica Matveeva with Fabio Giacchino's Trio (17-18).

15.04 Radiolux at Literki

Radiolux is a multimedia improvisation project that combines acoustic and electronic instruments, field recordings, visual presentations, objects and so on.

the band is marek brandt (triphaze) playing electronics, synth, spatial drum, and fx, fabian niermannplaying saxophon, and prepared clarinet and inka perl moving and creating objects and pictures to live visuals.

16.04 Baaba + Gaba + Bunio at Klub RE - Piastour

For something completely different.
After the crazy tribute to Iron Maiden, Baaba and Gaba Kulka recorded a series of polish rockabilly songs of 60's and 70's. The material will be released on vinyl, the whole production process before was analaogue as well (lamps, tapes and stuff). Can't get more hip and oldschool than that. Fun guaranteed.




On 21.04, day before the next Free The Dance performance in Alchemia there will be a meeting with the freelancers - artists - peferormers I'll be directing (I'll try to post more details asap).

Angles 8 - The Way of Deception (Live in Ljubljana) [Clean Feed]

Angles 8
Mats Aleklint - trombone
Goran Kajfes - trumpet
Eirik Hegdal - baritone and sopranino saxophones
Martin Kuchen - alto saxophone
Mattias Stahl - vibraphone
Alexander Zethson - piano
Johan Berthling - double bass
Kjell Nordeson - drums

Clean Feed 2012

Angles is one undoubtedly one of the most prominent jazz bands of the european scene, their previous two releases ("Every Woman is a Tree" and Epileptical West - Live in Coimbra") claimed great reviews and took top spots in any modern jazz related medium, deservingly so. The full-brass arrangaments, melodic tunes, passionate execution and music that is free in spirit and in message are impossible to resist.

Swedish Azz at Alchemia (09.04) Krakow Jazz Autumn Preview

Krakow Jazz Autumn Preview is a series of spring concerts, an offspring so to speak of the main annual event that brings the heroes of improvised jazz music to Krakow. The series got its launching event a few days ago with a concert by Swedish Azz group, quite a particular project, a tribute to undiscovered and occult swedish jazz music of past decades.

With Mats Gustafsson as a spokesman, the group is obviosuly not your typical copycats-tribute band. The original tunes (appearing in its original form in the vinyl as well) mash with the post-modern deconstruction with elements of crazy, noise and free all included in the service. The results are inspiring, surprising and often humorous exemplified well the Christmas tune played to end the concert (two days ago it was still winter outside) and the video excerpt below so enough talking (writing).

To complete the retro-garde aspect of the group's reportoire Swedish Azz can proudly present a series of vinyl-only releases on Not Two records that sport fittingly old-school covers. The Alchemia concert was in fact a release party to their new single printed on a red flexi-disc and double 10 inch release titled "Erik Carlsson and All-Stars" (Volym 1 and 2).

The group's catalogue should be of serious interest to  any record collector interested in jazz, free jazz, swedish jazz or any of the players included.

The following events of the series should be of serious interest to any live music lover and, although I'll remeber the dates in the weekly concert schedule posts, let me turn your attention to several dates in Alchemia straight away.

22.04 Free the Dance - improvised dance and music performance, series directed by Malgorzata Haduch

24.04 Hang Em High - punk-jazz-metal-rock-... unit , heavy hitting music to be expected

07.05 Rara Avis - new project by Stefano Ferrian (you can found some more informations on the blog about his recent activity) with Ken Vandermark along the italian core of the group.

23.05 Sabir Matten with Matthew Shipp. No comment needed

29.05 Maya Homburger, Barry Guy and Lucas Niggli. Classical clarity of tone and passion of improvisation united.

Swedish Azz
Mats Gustafsson - baritone sax, alto sax, live electronics
Per - Ake Holmlander - tuba, cimbasso
Dieb13 - turntables, live electronics
Erik Carlsson - drums, percussion

Alchemia. Krakow. 09.04.2013. Autumn Jazz Preview here's the teaser for the 22.04


and the teaser for the 24.04

Thomas Borgmann BMN Trio - Nasty & Sweet [NoBusiness]

Thomas Borgmann - reeds
Wilber Morris - bass
Reggie Nicholson - drums

No Business 2013

Thomas Borgmann and Wilber Morris musical partnership is of the match made in heaven kind.

BMN Trio was born after the untimely death of late Dennis Charles and it's music might be perceived as a sign of continuity as well as of perserverance, relentlesness of creative passion. 

Jazz Alchemist Radio 08.04.13 with

Max Johnson

Another weekly portion of music, this time featuring the three albums:
Max Johnson - Quartet
Andrea Bolzoni & Daniele Frati - Dialvogue (improvising dialogues)
Lama - Oneiros

Enjoy and stay tuned.



Max Johnson - Iset-Ra
Max Johnson - 60-66
Andrea Bolzani & Daniele Frati - Reunion
Andrea Bolzani & Daniele Frati - Surgery Room 1 Rebellion
Andrea Bolzani & Daniele Frati - Surgery Room 2 Incisions
Andrea Bolzani & Daniele Frati - Surgery Room 3 Blurry
Andrea Bolzani & Daniele Frati - Butterflies
Lama - Alguidar
Lama - The chimp who taught men how to cry
Lama - Melodia Minuscula

Jazz Alchemist Radio 08.04.2013 with Lama, Andrea Bolzani, Daniele Frati & Max Johnson by Jazzowy Alchemik on Mixcloud

Concerts schedule 06-14.04.2013 in Krakow

If you have any doubts about what to do next couple of evenigns, some suggestions follow:

06 and 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.

Im tamouti אם תמותי from Orioxy on Vimeo.

07.04 Ivars Arutyunyan & Edgars Rubenis at Alchemia
Improv guitar-drums duo from Latvia. Arutyunyan & Rubenis’ debut record ‘Temple of Sound’ will be released by SKYR in April 2013 on a limited edition of CDs (300 copies) and a super limited edition of audio cassette (ltd. to 33).
Arutyunyan & Rubenis’ debut record ‘Temple of Sound’ will be released by SKYR in April 2013 on a limited edition of CDs (300 copies) and a super limited edition of audio cassette (ltd. to 33).



09.04 Swedish Azz at Alchemia
Part of Krakow Jazz Autumn Previews series, a dynamic outfit led by Mats Gustafsson, project dedicated to the two greats of scandinavian jazz Lars Gullin and Lars Werner. Swedish Azz released a series of vinyl-only singles on Not Two records. The band is: Mats Gustafsson, Per-Ake Holmlander, Erik Carlsson and dj dieb13 (unfortunately Kjell Nordeson won't be able to attend the tour).
The week's must-see concert.




and for the weekend a couple of something more on the party side:

13.04 Pawel Kaczmarczyk Directions in Music - Headhunters at Harris Piano Jazz Bar
Harris club celebrates it's 16th birthday and Pawel Kaczmarczyk will bring some funk groove to the stage.

or mellow

13-14.04 Malgorzata Moskiewicz in PIEC'Art. 
A vocal jazz quartet, I admit I never heard the leader so far but the rhythm section is made of young talent's of Krakow's scene in persons of M.Pałka - p, M.Parker - db and G.Pałka - dr.  

Niski Szum - Songs from the Woods [AudioTong]

Marcin Dymiter - guitar, voc







AudioTong 2011

Marcin Dymiter, known also as Emiter is involved in music in many ways, a guitarist, an electronic performer, experimenting with low-fi technolofies, filed-recordings and more, a producer he's one of the most important persons of polish indie scene.

The project Niski Szum (means "low white noise") is a solo release that proves further the wide range of Emiter's talents.

Interview with Rafal Mazur. Chapter 04

Here's the last fragment of the long conversation with Rafal Mazur, a furthermore insight into personal philosophy and conception of improvisation. 

I'd like to say thanks to Rafal for the time and thougts he decided to share.
(in this as well as in previous chapters you can find linked some of the net-labels releases which mean you can legally and for free download some of Rafal Mazur's music)

I’m trying to find the method free improvisation,  having a method means knowing what conditions are necessary that so it would be a conscious activity, which means one can practice it and selfi-improve through practice. Improvisation should be casual or accidental. It can’t a resultant of mood, weather, emotional state and son. I’m talking about the whole process, to begin with the ability to listen, through the reactive mindset and instrumental agility included. I’ve this idea to make a group that would be a sort of workshop, a laboratory of improvisation. I think improvising is a skill, and as such it can be perfected.

I’m talking with many musicians about this and there’s a very positive feedback. I’d like to be able to practice improvisation so it would go to a „higher level”. I’d like to strip it from this mysterious and magical „aura” a bit.    

Jazz Alchemist Radio 01.04.2013 for April's Fool

Easter monday, April's fool day and it' still winter outside. Don't you worry though, here's a special, for-something-completely-different, cheer-up playlist to bring you some laughs.
(you can have much more if you decide to come this thursday to Alchemia for Miąższ koncert).

Miąższ

enjoy

Miąższ - Wielki Leń
Miąższ - Awangardowa Suszarka
Tomasz Gvinciński i Klub Sam.. - Pułkownika Tesko Klubu Band
Tomasz Gvinciński i Klub Sam.. - Noologia
Sex Mob - Fernando
Mitch & Mitch with their Incre - Dinomatendo
Mitch & Mitch - Wendekreis Des Krebses
Flight Of The Conchords - Robots
Flight Of The Conchords - Sellotape (Pencils In The Wind)
Flight Of The Conchords - Jenny
Monthy Python's SPAMALOT - Tuning
Monthy Python's SPAMALOT - Always Look On The Bright Side of the Life
Monthy Python's SPAMALOT - Brave Sir Robin


Mitch & Mitch's "Mambo 63" is used as background instead of habitual bass solo by Marcin Oles.

Jazz Alchemist Radio 01.04.2013 April's Fool by Jazzowy Alchemik on Mixcloud