Concerts Schedule 25.03 - 31.03 and 01.04-07.04

As Easter is near there are few events this week, as there will be no time to give you a heads-up for the next one I decided to pair up the next two weeks and here are my suggestions for the next 14 days:

25.03  Zsolt Soros, Jean-Herve Peron and Theme at Alchemia

THEME is a british-polish unit playing, well, just check the video below. They will be joined by Zsol Sores the electronic sound artist, and Jean-Harve Peron known from the krautrock legent Faust band. Should be enough to start the week.

*EDIT  - fresh update - Rafal Mazur and Artur Majewski at Solvay on 27.03 19:00.

01.04 Piotr Orzechowski solo at PIEC'Art

Piotr will play solo, there's no telling whether the performance will be an example of improvised music in the vein of his EP "Pianohooligan" where he tributes Bach as well Keith Jarrett or maybe he will play some music from his debut longplay cd "Experiment : Penderecki", or else. One way or another (or third way) it should be interesting.

04.04 Miąższ at Alchemia.

Miąższ, with their witty lyrics and cross-genre music that cites on folk, jazz, cabaret, rock, blues, reggae ecc. is one of the few bands that gibe you possibly most fun you can have sober. I wholeheartedly recommend their concert in Alchemia, you might check the post I wrote after the previous one. A precious music video for their lullaby below:

04-06.04. Directions In Music Pawel Kaczmarczyk at Harris Piano Jazz Bar

Directions in Music is a series of projects Pawel Kaczmarczyk created to honour jazz heroes, each one featuring a special line-up and honour guest. For the 16th birthday of Harris Piano Jazz Bar three special evenings are lined up:

04.04 Directions In Music for Elvin Jones (with Kazimierz Jonkisz oln drums)

05.04 Directions In Music for Ray Charles (with Jorgos Skolias on vocals)

06.04 Directions In Music for Stan Getz (with Janusz Muniak on saxophone)

06 - 07.04 Orioxy at PIEC'Art

PIEC'Art brings another scandinavian group to Krakow for a two-night stand. An intriguing instrumental setting puts together voice, harp, bass and drums to bring surprising music that is poetic, dark and theatrical. The material available on the web sounds very inviting.

Jazz Alchemist Radio with Joachim, Miąższ, Piotr, Pink Freud

cover of Joachim Mencel's Trio "Interludium"

As promised the playlist  goes back to the concerts from the last week and forecasts some of the events of this one. Joachim Mencel played last tuesday (see the post), Miąższ played a week ago (polish readers can look for the review on jazzarium.pl, all the others can get back to this old post about the group), Pink Freud is playing this wednesday while Piotr Orzechowski can be heard the day after (check the previous post for more info about this week concerts). Plus we get two birthdays - true giants of jazz - Joe Henderson and Ella Fitzgerald - hope you'll enjoy the music.

1. Piotr Orzechowski - Scherzo VIII
2. Joachim Mencel Trio - Mystic Call
3. Miąższ - Łodondi
4. Pink Freud - Police Jazz
5. Joachim Mencel - Willem von Hombracht - Harry Tanschek - Tu i Teraz (Here and Now)
6. Joachim Mencel Trio - Overstep
7. Piotr Orzechowski - Prelude a
8. Miąższ - Awangardowa Suszarka
9. Miąższ - Z Wuja Flak
10. Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Pass - I Ain't Got Nothing But The Blues (Ella's birthday on 25.04)
11. Pink Freud - Horse and Power
12. Joe Henderson - A Shade of Jade (Joe's birthday on 26.04)
13. Piotr Orzechowski - Scherzo V
14. Joachim Mencel Trio - Interludium I
15. Piotr Orzechowski - Scherzo III
16. Pink Freud - Punk Freud

Jazz Alchemist Radio with Joachim, Piotr and Pink Freud by Jazzowy Alchemik on Mixcloud

and now for something completely different - Miąższ at Alchemia - 05.12

This post somehow doesn't belong here, it will be completely off surrounded by all the other posts about music that is mostly serious, though crazy ingredient could be considered a commond denominator. This post somehow doesn't belong in english profile of this blog also since the band I want to tell You about sings only in polish, and understanding the lyrics and their banters on stage is pretty much the most important part of the experience. Still I can't ignore the fact that I had a great time yesterday so here it goes...

Miazsz (can't even think of a way to explain how it should be pronounced) are Joanna on vocals, Sebastian on guitars (acoustic, electric, some harmonica and vocals also) and Krzysztof on double bass (some small percussion and moog synth in between). You will hear incredible mashed mixture of blues, folk lullabies, acoustic reggae, drunken wedding songs, pop, flamenco, bossa-nova, hawaian beach style, gypsy, african chants all spiced with the jazzy sound of french cabaret and hot club de france jazz (I guess that should, more or less, cover it). The band plays with careless, charming nonchalance, inspiring optimism and infectious positive vibe. And they can play all right, plus the diva on the stage can sing her ass off (damn good voice), so the music is already a lot of fun.

This is completely non-serious, full of irony, and good ole laugh. And the other part of the fun are lyrics - filled with non-sensical absurd lines, ridicoulous wordplays and surprsing rhymes (Lewis Carroll and Monty Python would be proud). This is probably the only band in the Universe that plays a lyrical ode to blue vacuum cleaner (and, make no mistake, the vacuum cleaner is on stage as they turn it off and on). Or at least the only one in the Universe that plays both the vacuum cleaner song and a Hawaian piece with a very dramatic part, about the morning dilemma - getting up and going to bathroom or staying in bed and trying to have more sleep (so-called impossible choice).

Add to that a reggae song sung in the middle of the audience (participating in singing the chorus) and african chant intro with some McFerrin bass vocal lines impressions and steel sort of drum made from a gas bottle (!). Or nearly sci-fi effects created by a mini-fan circling around the microphone. Or hair-dryer on stage. Or, the only cover of the night, ' 4'33" ' by John Cage performed on stage (although the tempo must have been off since it was cut short by 1 minute and the 3-part division wasn't executed well). Or (too many 'or' in this text) Emma on the back of the stage drawing a picture during the concert. Or the King Kong and Big Chicken (seriously!) in the audience. And many other 'or's like the drunken weeding corny song ("Shit and Onion"). At any given point, when the song could get serious enough, some crazy instinct make them stop and hit You with some surprise.

This was pure, unadulterated, unpretentious, fun, with all the form and 'no accent on the substance' (auto-ironic line about the state of art from one of the songs). Complete package of joy and warm vibe. Insanely positive and positively crazy.

You can check the band's myspace page, their should enter soon the studio to record their first cd and I can only hope that half ot their stage appeal will transfer onto the record. Miąższ are:

Joanna Ewa Zawłocka

Sebastian Pikula

Krzysztof Kolor Gadzało

Some excerpts from the concert in Alchemia will be played tonight on the radio as 'for something completely different' fragments! be sure to tune in :)

Paralaksa dla relaksa

a plandeka dla człowieka!