Sunday, November 30, 2014

Krakow Concert Schedule 01-07.12

The last week announcement of the end of festival season was premature. Before we all give to up to the pre-Christmas frenzy we have a week ahead of us that is packed full with concerts and 3(!) festivals. There are some very difficult choices to be made.

The festivals are:
15th Silent Movie Festival - check here for the full program
Re:Source fetival dedicated to avant-electronica
38th Jazz Juniors - the festival includes few heroes of jazz history as well as presents the talents of young band

Given the amount of events I'll be as coincise as possible with the selection below. make sure to check the whole program of the festivals.

02.12 Gogol Bordello at Rotunda
for something completely different, a gypsy-punk band that is bound to rock the night.

04.12 SzaZa at Kino Pod Baranami plays "Berlin : Symphony of Great City" (Silent Movie Festival)
SzaZa is a resourcefull duo to play clarinet, violin and all sorts of percussion, toy instruments and electronics - the music they play can be equally haunting as humorous.


Sunday, November 23, 2014

Krakow Concert Schedule 24-30.11

It will be difficult to adjust to post-festival reality. Tonight's the last concert of the Krakow's Autumn Jazz and I hope to see you all there. Festival or not though, there's is some music around the next week as well, especially if someone would like to get some rest from jazz related events. The first and the last items on the list are the two musts of the week the way I see it.

24.11 Emiter at Galeria i!
Emiter is a electronic-music magician, one of the most important figures of polish minimal electronica, an artist who finds beauty and melody and rhythm in white noise and cracklings. His solo performances are most highly recommeded.



24.11 Arms And Sleepers at Alchemia
Max Lewis and Mirza Ramic has founded the group in 2006 and they've playing music ever since, the sound is a reminiscent of trip-hop classics and this sounds like a good vibe for a nice chillout evening session.


The Architekt animation from QB Media on Vimeo.

25.11 Hugo Race at Alchemia
Hugo Race was one of the foundind members of the Bad Seeds. And his solo recordings confirm the roots - poetic, moody and dark songwriting, low timbre of voice and melancholic guitar.



26-27.11 Matuesz Kołakowski / Krzysztof Gradziuk at Piec'ART
Mateusz Kołakowski a few years had made a big entrance on polish jazz scene - a teenager only, has participated in a few quite prestigious international compositions playing both classical (Chopin or Bethoven's concertos) and jazz. Krzysztof Gradziuk is definitely among the top jazz drummers in the country, most famous for his work with RGG trio. It might be a very interesting meeting to see.


28.11 Raphael Roginski plays Zion Golam at Cheder Cafe
Roginski was always at the foreground of polish modern jewish music. In fact only few years the term would be basically synonym to his name. The repertoire for the concert will be the music of the Yemenite composer Zion Golam. 

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Krakow Concert Schedule 17-23.11

The final week of the Krakow Autumn Jazz Festival will fill the week completely. Prepare to make Alchemia the 2nd home for the next few evenings.
PS. Polish readers can check www.jazzarium.pl where I covered some concerts that were part of the festival as well as Wrocawl's Jazztopad concert with Wadada Leo Smith Golden Quartet.

(edit : I admit I forgot to include in the list two events outside of the Krakow Autumn Jazz Festival - there are two concerts Klub Re that are definitely attention worthy although It's a tough luck that the dates coincide with the Alchemia concerts)

17.11 Prophetic Fall - Strycharski / Wojcinski / Szpura in Alchemia
Part of the 3-nights polish scene presentation during the festival. Dominik Strycharski is trying to carve some space in free jazz music for his flute arsenal. Wojcinski and Szpura make probably the strongest rhythm unit on polish stages.



18.11 Ogoya Nengo & The Dodo Women's Group at Klub RE
Ogoya Nengo and her group will bring to Krakow the root music of Kenya. Her name in the local dialect means "Precious" and the music should fulfill the promise thus given. Voice, rhythm music that is hundreds years old and on the verge of extinction.
(The concert will be followed by two post-punk groups The Kurws and UZS)




18.11 Slawek Pezda & Mateusz Gaweda duo at Alchemia
I'm extremely happy this Krakow duo will get a chance to present thesmelves on the same stage and the same evening with the main project of this year Krakow Autumn Jazz. It's high time Krakow's audience get better acquianted with the two names, both musicians being very active on local jazz club scene.


Sunday, November 9, 2014

Krakow Concert Schedule 9-16.11

Festival fiesta has begun with a mighty programs in Wroclaw, Tri-City and Bielsko-Biała. But those staying in or coming to Krakow should have they evenings filled with good music as well. Krakow Autumn Jazz Festival continues, the fans of the more experimental and conceptual audio-video art should look closer at the Audio Art Festival programming.

9/10.11 Värt att veta om herr K. at Piec'ART
I've enlisted this duo in the last week schedule but a second mention is in place as the double nights closes the week and launches the new one. The complicated name stands for Karl Hjalmar Nyberg on saxophones and Andreas Skår Winther on drums. Improvising sax-drums duo from Norway? Count me in.



11.11 SamBar + Javier Cremona at Piękny Pies
SamBar is a baritone sax duo with Tomek Gadecki and Paulina Owczarek, they will be joined on stage by Javier Cremona. This is bound the sub-sound version of the clash of the titans.



Monday, November 3, 2014

Krakow Concert Schedule 03-9.11

The Thing & DKV started jazz November, one needs to gather considerable strength reserve before the festival marathon starts (around 12.11). Still that doesn't mean to neglect the weekly concert schedule.

3/4.11 Prucnal / Parker / Parker Trio at Piec'ART
Bartlomiej Prucnal is easily one of the more promising young sax players in Poland working in the mainstream idiom of jazz but not shy of jumping through the fence once in a while. Mike Parker and Frank Parker (no blood relation) should make a fine rhythm section to back him for this sax trio session.
Below a band featuring Prucnal led by Mike Parker.


9/10.11 Värt att veta om herr K. at Piec'ART
The complicated name stands for Karl Hjalmar Nyberg on saxophones and Andreas Skår Winther on drums. Improvising sax-drums duo from Norway? Count me in.