Jazz Alchemist radio with Mikolaj Trzaska, Chlopcy Kontra Basia and others

Chłopcy Kontra Basia

Finally! This evening I invite you all for the first live program of 2012! We'll listen together to some fragments of the interview with Mikolaj Trzaska. Songs / pieces from the most recently reviewed cds (Inner Ear - Breathing Steam, Dennis Gonzalez / Ingebrigt Haker Flaten - The Hymn Project), from Chlopcy Kontra Basia's sel-released EP (their concert in Krakow this tuesday was great!) and from two cds that, although reviewed a while ago, didn't get their spot yet in our playlist (part of the summer lag). Hope you'll enjoy it.

Tune in to www.radiofrycz.pl (use the stream links, not the player on the site) and log into facebook chat during the presentation. Hope to hear from you soon :)

1. Fourth Page - Times Like These (from "Blind Horizons")
2. Dennis Gonzalez / Ingebrigt Haker Frlaten - Herido (from "The Hymn Project")
3. Chlopcy Kontra Basia - Mam Ja Męża
4. Metamorphic Sextet - The Rock Between (from "The Rock Between")
5. Inner Ear - Lonely Consumer (Tim Daisy & Mikolaj Trzaska duo; fragment of the interview with Mikolaj before the piece; from the "Breathing Steam")
6. Chlopcy Kontra Basia - Jerzy
7. Fourth Page - Blind Horizons (from "Blind Horizons")
8. Inner Ear - Ta-Pies (another piece of the interview before the track; from the "Breathing Steam")
9. Metamorphic Sextet - The Cloak (from "The Rock Between")
10. Chlopcy Kontra Basia - Ballad o Studzience
11. Mikolaj Trzaska Ircha Clarinet Quartet - Zikaron Lefanaj (piece of interview before)
12. Dennis Gonzalez / Ingebrigt Haker Flaten - Sweet Hour of Prayer from "The Hymn Project")
13. Inner Ear - Monster Confessions (fragment of the interview with Mikolaj before; from the "Breathing Steam")
14. Fourth Page - On the Edge (from "Blind Horizons")

Free Jazz Alchemist radio with Mikolaj Trzaska and Chlopcy Kontra Basia by Jazzowy Alchemik on Mixcloud

Chłopcy Kontra Basia at Kolanko (31.01)

I have written twice about this band's concerts around the same time last year (you can find it here and here) and it's great to see them back with both old and new material while the formula they propose (mixing folk-inspired lyrics and melodies with infectious jazzy grooves) remains fresh, spontaneous and entertaining as they prove that folk can be a vital form of expression, modern and authentic.

You can also check the old posts but I think this video material can tell you much more about this group.

a song in reflective mood:

and another one, rather playfull (especially if you can follow the lyrics):

If you want more, check the other YouTube videos  and tune in to the next radio playlist - I'll play some songs from their self-released unofficial EP.

Chłopcy Kontra Basia :

Barbara Derlak - voice, clarinet

Marcin Nenko - double bass

Tomasz Waldowski - percussion

Kolanko. Krakow. 31.01.2011

Chlopcy Kontra Basia Trio at Lokator (12.02)

I wrote recently about this group here (although the previous performance was done in a duo setting) so just a quick resume.

Jazzed up and hip and modern take on folk tradition with voice / bit of clarinet, bass, percussion. Groovy and catchy bass lines, witty and sexy folk-culture-inspired lyrics (surprising how the 'folk' and 'sexy' can be used in the same sentence). Compared to a duo performance, this did have more kick, more drive to it, very high foot-tapping factor. It is after all, in the essence, drum & bass music and drum&bass drumming is sped up funk rhythm.  The repertoire essentially the same as on the last concert so no point in repeating myself about it, just check the other post. Folk can be fun folks. And it is quite refreshing.

Basia Derlak - voice, clarinet

Marcin Nenko - double bass

Tomasz Waldowski - percussion set, piano

Lokator, Krakow; 12.02.

for something a bit different - Chlopcy Kontra Basia duo - Eszeweria 20.01.11

Chlopcy Kontra Basia (duo)

Only the oldest readers will remember the last 'about a concert' post - it's been long time indeed (40 days), a difficult experience to addicts like me, to go without any live music.

This was another young polish group singing polish songs* (surprisingly not an obvious thing) and once again much of the charm remains in lyrics so this time I decided to write the proper review in polish, if You speak this strange language You can find it on impropozycja or magnetoffon (here and here). For those who don't just a quick resume on this blog.

Chlopcy Kontra Basia (usually a trio with perscussion, bass, voice/occasional clarinet, this time without the percussion guy) is a young group that merges in a very surprising way jazz groove (catchy, infectious, simple and effective) with folk melodies and witty, folk culture-inspired, lyrics, usually a rhyming story with a surprising point to it. You'd never have thought that folk music could be so sexy (lyrics play a huge part to it, but also the theatrics and dance movement, and naturally also the music - sometimes getting into melodic trans, more often quite danceable).

The only name I can think of to describe it better is Iva Bittova, who, at her most accessible, does a bit similar thing. And while there's still a long road ahead of this young band, the youthful energy and sense of humour they bring to the stage, combined with the obvious talents displayed make for a great promise.

You can check some songs on group's MySpace page and I will also put them on the next radio playlist. Hope You'll like them.

Chłopcy Kontra Basia (duo) – Eszeweria 20.01.2011

Barbara Derlak – vocal, clarinet
Marcin Nenko – double bass

*I'm referring to this post