Postermczak - Szpura duo / Imprographic Quartet - Polish Jazz at Alchemia (Krakow Autumn Jazz 23.11)

A day off for Ken Vandermark and Resonance during a week of heavy workload. Saturday at Alchemia was a polish jazz evening, a presentation of some of the most talented and active musicians on the scene. Alhough Krakow Autumn Jazz festival have never focused on music played by polish artists, it did keep track though of some of the most interesting musicians and there would always be a polish ingredient in the festival's mix.

Power of the Horns - Alaman [ForTune]

Power of the Horns
Piotr Damasiewicz - trumpet, voice
Adam Pindur - soprano sax
Maciej Obara - alto sax
Marek Pospieszalski - tenor sax, bass clarinet, flute, growl
Pawel Niewiadomski - trombone
Dominik Wania - piano
Max Mucha - double bass
Jakub Mielcarek - double bass
Wojciech Romanowski - drums
Gabriel Ferrandini - drums
Tomas Sanchez - percussion

ForTune 2013

I wrote briefly about the Power of the Horns on the occasion of their Warsaw Summer Jazz Days concert and I promised that I'd write more soon. "Alaman" is not only group's debut release but, with the number 001, it's also the first position in the catalogue of a new polish jazz music label ForTune, a quick view on their list makes you sure the guys are serious about publishing good music. 

Power of the Horns is led by Piotr Damasiewicz whose responsbile for the compositions and for conducting the group that gathers together some of the hottest names on the polish modern jazz scene. They've been performing together for a couple of years, gaining a big, if underground, reputation, the official release was in fact long overdue.

Tie Break / Power of the Horns / Sun Ra Arkestra at Warsaw Summer Jazz Days 2013 (17.07

The program of the third day of 2013 Warsaw Summer Jazz Days was a true journey through timespace continuum of jazz music.

Tie Break that started the evening is a group that emerged in the late 80s, amid the monotonic greyness of polish communism reality. The band's colourfull music, stood in perfect opposition to the traditional New Orlean jazz festivals. Funky rhythm section, rock guitar riffs, rebelious sax – tumpet frontline and, most of all, monosyllabic, playfull and tribal chants. Joyfull, energetic and spontanous. Probably influenced the most by electric Miles bands of the era, collected on the black market in underground Poland of the era, spiced with tribal showmanship.

Despite my utter respect for the Tie Break's role in polish jazz history I have to say also that their sound did seem rather outdated, just like great Miles Davis records of the era. The musician's energy on stage made the time travel experience very enjoyable.

ImproGraphic at Alchemia (12.09)

Piotr Damasiewicz is a young polish trumpet player whose interest in music is to bring mathemathical methodical approach of some of the modern music toward the unpredictability of free jazz improvisation (for more of that, check his ambitious debut album "Hadrons").

Concert in Alchemia was a part of a short tour with his new quartet starring Gerad Lebik, Jakub Mielcarek and Gabriel Ferrandini, the tour is to result in a cd realese.