Resonance finale at Manghha - Krakow Autumn Jazz 24.11

It's been 6 years since Resonance was born on Alchemia's stage. Born first as an idea by Krakow Autumn Jazz Festival's director, then on the paper as Ken Vandermark would prepare the music for the artists he and Marek have invited, but truly brought into existence during a week of daily rehearsals and improvised concerts in the evening. 

The group is now the only orchestra Vandermark leads. Territory Band would focus on more experimental forms and fully improvisational Chicago Tentet (where Ken is almost often named the co-leader along Peter Brotzmann and Mats Gustafsson), Resonance, in my ears, was a truly jazz orchestra with a big sound, gritty grooves and plenty od Mingus, Evans or even Ellington, even if Vandermark's vision is fully dedicated to the presence of improvised music.

Piotr Orzechowski / Inner Spaces with David Dorouzka at Manghha (26.04)

Next to the last concert in this year's edition of jazz festival Starzy i Młodzi. I have written recently often about Piotr Orzechowski (couple of pieces from his solo cd can be heard in our last radio playlist) yet it was first time I could hear his solo recital live. Orzechowski is pure talent, as confirmed by al the prizes he got already, he has keen ear and it's clear he's searching for his own kind of expression, drawing on the vast inspirations from film music, jazz, classical. 

Barry Guy New Orchestra day 5 - final concert at Manghha

photo by Krzysztof Penarski

What an evening!
That was an amazing display of musical vision and passion and skills all combined into making this whole project work. I'm still trying to get my head around this concert and probably will never manage to do so. Absolutely incredible display of beauty, rich, even lush harmonies, great melodies, mad improvs and incredible passionate, yet so precise playing with Barry in control of the whole Orchestra in double role of bass player and conductor. Had a chance to see the band rehearsing before the concert and Barry commenting to the other musicians on stage that "You're pretty much know what you're doing now". Incredible to see all those wild and free spirits playing with such focus and precision so strictly written ensemble music, half of them with reading glasses to see the notes clearly. I find nothing really i could say about the music itself, because nothing i could say would do justice to this event. I'd like to give some special recognition to Evan for his soloing (absolutely in top form this night) or Mats, who shared conducting duties at one point (the band had cards used as signals to create a spontaneous composition with "S" meaning a solo part, at one point Mats shows the "S" to Barry so he would have to stop conducting and get into the improvisation with the others).  Still it was very much ensemble playing and a fantastic group sound and every one got a chance to display their individual skills.
The band played "Amphi" a composition Barry wrote for Maya and himself as a duo and expand the arrangement for the whole Orchestra (the first performance of this piece in this setting). The 2nd set piece was "Inscape-Tableux" which was the composition this band was born with, 10 years ago.

Thank You
Barry, Maya, Evan, Trevor, Mats, Augusti, Johannes, Per-Ake, Hans, Herb, Raymond, Paul (in no particular order) for this amazing week and the music You gave us.
Thanks to Marek Winiarski, Alchemia and the whole crew working to make Autumn Jazz Festival and particularly this project such a success!



A reminder:
Monday at 8 pm (CET) at radiofrycz.pl some music coming and it will be impossible to not get back to this week. Stay tuned then, the playlist will be shared tomorrow after the program :)

Satoko Fujii Kaze Quartet - Noise Chopin

THE week starts with Satoko Fujii Kaze Quartet at Manghha with concert entitled Chopin Noise.

Satoko Fujii - photo by Krzysztof Penarski

Kaze are:

Satoko Fujii - piano (played also with drumsticks and small objects directly on the strings)

Natsuki Tamura - her husband and long-time musical partner on trumpet

Christian Pruvost - trumpet

Peter Orins - drums

(two french names i'm completely unfamiliar with).

Two-trumpet line-ups are so rare that you've got to love this band. When they both start the concert with some strange growls and almost electro-acoustic sounds duel you know you're in for a treat. Natsuki Tamura is an absolute master of the trumpet and he loves to utter from the brass very low, growling, quirky and strange sounds. And , even at his most adventourous sonoristic games, he finds a great partner/competition in Christian. And this duo front-line interacts greatly, their intervowen lines put you in this state of trans when you just enjoy the fast flurries of the sound that bond together like dna lines.

Also Peter Orins is a great surprise, very clear drumming, using mostly high-hat, bass drum and snare (i would say he has some drum'n'bass influenced playing experiences) . He's capable of playing with very propulsive drive, some nervous beats, and also rockish and steady and energetic with some nice twists to it. Had an absolutely great duo with Satoko.

And finally the leader of the group and the author (i would presume, although 1 of 3 long pieces played during the main part of the concert was composed by Peter) of the main conception. I think there's a lot written oabout her piano-playing skills while not nearly enough on her band-leader and composer talents. She is an absolute master of alchemy, combining seemingly opposite and oxymoronous elements. Both in linear and simoultaneous way. And the dou with drums was a great example of that - right in the middle of fast and furious improvisation the trumpets enter with sweet and solemn and slow melody. And it all fits! Steady rock beat with impressionistic plays. Powerhouse riffs and delicate lines at the same moment. Fast cascades of notes vs

long and echoing sounds. Free madness of improvisation vs strict rules of composition.

Another note on that aspect - I would say that Satoko and Natsuki are among the most post-modernistic players in the jazz world. They manage to combine a whole bunch of influences and musical traditions, and juggle with them, they play with sonorus and physical aspect of their given instrument, and even at their most abstract, they still having fun on stage. You can almost see them winking at You - "This is a play, a game you know, lots of fun, even if it seems so serious". And their attitude is always that of half serious- half joking. Or to put it better - they are very serious about having fun. 

PS.0

About the Chopin influence, I'm definitely no expert on Chopin music but, as i would have expected, it was very indirect. Some nocturnal echoes, some impressionistic and romantic parts on piano. None really evident quotes (which is a good thing, because this year they are really overdoing those in a cheesy way) although my word should not be cited as any kind of official statement on that particular issue.
PS.1 The concert was registered so hopefully one will be able to re-live the experience :)

PS.2 Oh man, that is a great start for the whole week.

PS.3 Before the concert there was supposed be an opening of Peter Gannushkin photo exhibition, but it was postponed till the day after (which is today) :)

Natsuki Tamura - photo by Krzysztof Penarski