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.



18-20.11 Blue Shroud Band at Alchemia
Completely new project by Barry Guy. The orchestra will split into a series of solos, duos, trios and quartets for the three nights of improvised celebration. Among the names some of the festival's frequent guests (can't wait to hear again Ramon, Lucas, Maya, Augusti or Peter), a few long overdue visitors (Godard!) and a handfull of new musicians to meet.

Savina Yannatou – voice (GR); Michel Godard – tuba and serpent (FR);Ben Dwyer – guitar (IR)

Agusti Fernandez – piano (ESP); Torben Snekkestad – soprano/tenor saxes (NOR); Michael Niesemann – alto sax/oboe (D); Per Texas Johansson – tenor/clarinet saxes (S); Peter Evans – trumpet (USA); Julius Gabriel – baritone/soprano saxes (D); Maya Homburger – violin (CH); Fanny Paccoud  – viola (FR); Lucas Niggli – percussion (CH); Ramon Lopez  – percussion  (FR); Barry Guy – bass (CH)

Obviously no recordings of the band exist so far, the two vids below are a time travel which takes us back to the very first Barry's visit in Krakow.
BTW Among the most avant and radical imrov, there should be always space for music delicate, crystal melodies like the ones below.




19.11 Olbrzym & Kurdupel at Alchemia
Another polish duo and the final concert of the polish scene cycle during the festival. Olbrzym (Giant) is Tomek Gadecki on saxophone and Kurdupel (Shorty) is the Marcin Brożek on electric bass and they will surely boil and stirr some nice and dense sonic brew.



20.11 Jazzpospolita at Klub RE
Jazzpospolita is an indie group that combines jazz, club music and rock influences. Unique sound and energy has brought a recognition across the genres' audience and a lot of exposure in the national medias, as well as abroad. The band is on the tour promoting their new, third album.




21.11 Blue Shroud Band finale at Radio Krakow
The grand finale with the whole orchestra, must....learn....to....wait....


22.11 Barry Guy & Ken Vandermark Duo at Alchemia
In many ways two crucial figures in the history of jazz events in Alchemia and Krakow Autumn Jazz. The meeting of giants.

23.11 Michiyo Yagi / Waclaw Zimpel / Tamyo Honda at Alchemia
The final concert of the festival. The clarinetist Waclaw Zimpel has been exploring recently a veriety of ethnic traditions from Africa, Eastern Europe, Asia (India particularly) - Japan seemed kind of a logical choice to follow. The project will feature a masterful Michiyo Yagi on koto and Tamyo Honda on drums.