Krakow Concert Schedule 30.09-06.10

You know what the week after this right? If not, I'll be happy to remind you of it in the next few days. Below are some recommendations on how to spend the next few evenings. Enjoy.

01.10 Hedvig Mollestad Trio at Alchemia
A heavy kick to begin the musical week, guitar rock meets punk meets jazz. Hedvig Mollestad Trio has just released their second album on the prestigious Rune Grammofon. It will be loud.

Jazz & Beyond concert series (29.09-01.12)

I report weekly the musical events about to happen in Krakow and I'll spill soon some informations about the Krakow Autumn Festival (some of it already on the web) but Autumn is a jazz season elsewhere as well.

I'd like to wholeheartedly invite you for the Jazz & Beyond concert series, held in a few cities of Silesia (not so far in fact). The cycle will begin this sunday with the Uri Caine / Han Bennink duo concert in Jazz Club Hipnoza in Katowice.

You can find the details on the program on the poster below as well as on the festival's website http://jazziokolice.com/en

One of the bands that will play during the festival is Maciej Obara International Quartet who made a strong impact on the polish jazz scene with their debut cd "Komeda" (I plan to get back to it soon on the blog)

Wovoka back in Krakow - tomorrow (24.08) at Bomba

A last minute announcement - Wovoka have only played last week at Piekny Pies, went to play to Oradea in Romania and on the way back they will come to Krakow again.

Bomba; Plac Szczepański; 21.00 - if you haven't seen them yet live, don't make that mistake again, if  you have, well, you know where to be.

Krakow Concert Schedule 23-29.09

Another very busy week in Krakow. Make your choices.

23.09 Cam Deas and Michal Dymny at Piekny Pies
Two improvising guitarists, Cam Deas playing acoustic 12-string Tacoma guitar, Michal Dymny is known for his preparations of the instrument. The results of this collision should be very intriguing.

Harris Eisenstadt - Canada Day III [Songlines]

Nate Wooley - trumpet
Matt Bauder - tenor saxophone
Chris Dingman - vibraphone
Garth Stevenson - bass
Harris Eisenstadt - drums, compositions

Songlines Recordings 2012

As I come to think of it, it seems to me that a drummer/bandleader is exclusively a jazz phenomenon. The number of bad jokes about the drummers says a lot but I remember being told a story of an audience member being surprised that a drummer can actually bring compositions to a jazz group ("do you mean, he hums you to the melody?") as if a notion of a musical notation would have to have to beyond the capacity of any man who just rhythmically hits things with sticks.

Put the above reflection beside. Harris Eisenstadt is not only a versatile drummer and acknowledged bandleader, he's a masterful composer and arranger, his work distinguished by great attention to colorful sound palette and rhythmic texture - to one's mind come albums like "Guewel" (jazz arrangaments for drums and four horns of classic Mbalax songs - Senegalese pop music), "Woodblock Prints" (inspired by japanese graphic art; instrumentation:drums, bass, tuba, basson, guitar, french horn, trombne, clarinet, alto saxophone). Or, as a matter of fact, both previous releases by the Candada Day quintet.

Krakow Concert Schedule 15-22.09

Quite a lot happening this week, mostly thanks to Sacrum Profanum Festival. Without further ado, below the suggestions of how to spend your next few evenings:

15.09 NIL - radio theatre play with improvised music - open rehearsal at Jozefinska 21

Krakow improvising musicians - Paulina Owczarek, Tomek Choloniewski, Krzysztof Kaliski will play along the theatre play recited by Krzysztof Trzewiczek.

15-22.09 Sacrum Profanum Festival (various locations)

One of the most important Festival's dedicated to modern music, this year's program includes performances of Brian Eno's "Music for Airports", concert dedicated to Frank Zappa, "Americana" evening with Steve Reich and Philipp Glass, acoustic version of music by Autechre, Apex Twin and others, the finale of the week is dedicated to one of the greatest composers of the XXth century - Witold Lutoslawski (Polish Icons vol.2). Check the official site for more detailed info.

16.09 Jam Session at Harris Piano Jazz Bar

The weekly jam with the Krakow's young cats - Bartek Prucnal, Kuba Pluzek, Alan Wykpisz and Patryk Dobosz. A way to ease your Monday-misery.

19.09 Vowoka at Piekny Pies

I just wrote about Wovoka's debut cd "Trees against the sky" and havind seen their performance couple of months ago in Bomba the only thing I can say is - don't miss it. Some hochie coochie is about to happen.

20-21.09 Stryjo at Piec'ART

A pianot trio led by Nikola Kolodziejczyk - who often lends his talensts as a composer and arranger to theatre and movie projects (mos recently collaborating with Richard Bona). Playfull and tricky post-bop. Mario Bros theme should put a smiley on your face.

Ivo Perelman on Leo Records part 3 - "Serendipity" and "The Passion Accoding to G.H"

The follow-up to the few posts on the blog including the "Ivo Perelman on Leo Records part 1" and this week "part 2". No other parts are scheduled to be posted at the moment, but given how prolific an artist Ivo Perelman is, it's safe to assume more will appear.

Serendipity
Ivo Perelman - tenor sax
Matthew Shipp - piano
William Parker - bass
Gerald Cleaver - drums

Leo Records 2013


The recording session was scheduled as a trio date with Ivo, Matt and Gerald (eventually recorded a week later and released as "The Foreign Legion"), William Parker was called at the last moment to fill a spot in the recording studio. It turned out the missing musician made is as well, hence a quartet recording and hence the title "Serendipity".

Ivo Perelman on Leo Records part 2 -"The Art of the Duet - Volume One" with Matthew Shipp

It was quite a while ago that "Ivo Perelman on Leo Records part 1" was posted and it's only appropriate that part 2 would follow, if only now. Ivo Perelman released fifteen albums (as far as I know) since 2010, ten of which within the last year and a half on Leo Records. All of which are easily recommended I might add, some of which have already been presented on the blog ("Stream of Life" duo with Brian Wilson, "Hour of the Star" by the quartet with M. Shipp, J. Morris and G. Cleaver as well as the two albums in trio with J. Morris and G. Cleaver).

The albums tribute works of a brasilian writer Clarice Lispector which creates a common narrative thread between each release. The second crucial element of the series is the musicians pool, that consists in only few of artists' long-time collaborators with whom Perelman, as it seems, decided to play in every possible line-up. The recordings feature Matthew Shipp, Joe Morris, Michael Bisio, William Parker, Gerald Cleaver and Whit Dickey in a various duo, trio or quartet configurations

As it would probably be excessive to try to present the entire voluminous output, the consistent excellency of the performances released makes it incredibly hard to make a definite selection. On a different day I might choose otherwise but at the moment I believe the albums that I'll present this week deserve a special recognition within the series. 

The Art of The Duet - Volume One

Ivo Perelman - tenor sax
Matthew Shipp - piano

Leo Records 2013

Ivo Perelman and Matthew Shipp have already recorded a duo cd, back in 1996. "Bendito of Santa Cruz" (Cadence Records) is a strong example of Perelman's early attampts at reinterpreting brasilian folk music within the fiery avant-free jazz context.

Krakow Concert Schedule 09-15.09

Can you feel the autumn in the air? I can. And I can't wait for Krakow Autumn Jazz to begin, but in the meantime there are places to be:


09.09 ID M Theft able at Bomba
Singer, improviser, collector and constructor of instruments. If anyone remember's Crank Sturgeon performance in Bomba few years ago, ID M Theft able is his soul brother. Things should get freaky.

Wovoka - Trees Against The Sky [Lado ABC]

Wovoka:
Mewa Chabiera - vocal
Raphael Roginski - guitar, bass guitar, oud
Ola Rzepka - keyboards, piano
Pawel Szpura - drums

guests:
Ola Bilinska - backing vocal; Michal Gorczynski - bass clarinet, saxophone; Piotr Zabrodzki - moog, synth, frozen finger organ; Hubert Zemler - percussions

Lado ABC 2013

Even to the ones familiar with Raphael Roginski's musical output Wovoka's debut cd must come as a surprise. Roginski is a center figure of modern jewish music in Poland, reinventing the tradition and its expression with bands like Shofar, Cukunft, Alte Zachen, Yemen.

The band is named after the religious leader of Norther Paiute tribe, founder of Ghost Dance movement, also known as Jack Wilson. "Trees Against the Sky" is a tribute to the musical traditions of North America, lost in the river of time.

Barry Guy London Jazz Composers Orchestra - Harmos (Schaffhausen Concert) [Intakt]

London Jazz Composers Orchestra:

Barry Guy - director, bass

reeds: Evan Parker (ts, ss), Mats Gustafsson (bs, fluteohpone), Trevor Watts (as), Simon Picard (ts), Pete McPhail (as, sss, fl);

trombones: Contrad Bauer, Johannes Bauer, Alan Tomlison;

trumpets: Henry Lowther (tp, flh), Herb Robertson (tp), Rich Laughlin (tp, flh); tuba: Per Ake Holmlander

violin: Phil Wachsmann; bass: Barre Phillips

percussion: Paul Lytton, Lucas Niggli

piano: Howard Riley

Intakt Records 2012

"Harmos" was originally composed in 1987 and registered two years later for the Intakt label. The DVD at hand presents the piece as it was performed on Schaffhauser Jazz Festival at 2008. It's worth noticing that more than the half of the Orchestra on the stage had taken part in 1989 recording as well, namely: Riley, Lowther, Tomlinson, Watts, Parker, McPhail, Picard, Wachsmann, Phillips, Lytton, Guy and Phillips.

Krakow Concert Schedule 02-08.09

The teenagers ask dramatic "why?" as they have to get back to the school. Students have still one month of vacation. Jazz lovers in Krakow are biting the nails impatienltly for the Autumn Jazz Festival to start. In the meantime, there are some places you might visit to hear live music:

05.09 Los Cripis at Bomba
Fors something completely different. As the band describes themselves :  rad minimal, experimental and explosive pop trio from argentina. 
How can that not be good?




5-6.09 Sebastian Spanache Trio at Piec'ART
A modern jazz piano trio. I always have mixed feelings about such groups as this is one of the most overdone setting in the jazz history. Still, the young musicians from Romania sound quite convincing together.




06.09 Vladimirska at Piekny Pies
Bit of circus, balkan horns, scandinavian folk, absurd and lof of fun. Vladimirska is, for a reason, one of the most popular indie bands in Krakow.



07.09 Slawek Pezda & Mateusz Gaweda duo at Piec'ART
A duo that is together for the last 7 years, both musicians growing together in the midst of the Krakow young jazz scene. Excellent musisicianship, great connection, the duo plays music that is both elegant and adventurous.