Kraków Concerts Schedule 27-05-02.06

I have never imagined that it takes so much time to scan a 500 GB hard drive to find bad sectors :) I did manage to get back all of the lost data, but my computer is unavailable for service these days, I can't seem to force myself to write on other pc. Fortunately the there's no shortage of live events (the Mikrokolektyw and Shipp / Mateen duos last week were absolutely brilliant). Here are my propositions for the following days.


28/29.05 Opalińska & Whates at PIEC'Art
The polish-british duo's music is wonderfully intimate and subtle. You can read more about it in my review of their debut album "Lumere".

20.05-26.05 Concerts Schedule

The number of live events is an effective distractin of late but I hope I'll manage to get some writing done these days. The following week's main event is undisputedly the duo concert with Matthew Shipp and Sabir Mateen, but it's not the only one worhty of the attention.

20.05 Shoshana at Alchemia

a dynamic alternative rock duo straight from Tel Aviw. It's gonna be LOUD!!!

13.05-19.05.13 Concerts Schedule

It was an extremely busy week (no time to write, each day busy with a concert). I'd say Wovoka (tantalizingly psychodelic folk-blues) and Hucpa (double drum jewish wedding fiesta with alto sax leading on the ballroom) were the definite highlights.

Krakow remains a stage of student's festival for another week so pleny of live events this week as well, but not as many if you look for alternative jazz. The blues fans should be well satisfied though:

13.05 Adam Baldych Imaginary Quartet at Lizard King (part of the "Starzy i Mlodzi czyli Jazz w Krakowie festival")
A dynamic violin player and energetic quartet whose sound is deeply inspired by the modern jazz New York scene.

06.05 - 12.05 Concerts Schedule

Another busy week ahead of us. Krakow becomes for the next fortnight or so a mix of student festivals with each university holding its own program and many open air concerts featuring indie, rock, pop polish (and some international) stars will be presented. Enjoy as much as you can and want to, personally I'd like to bring your attention to the traditionally jazz/alternative independent schedule:

06.05 and 7.05 Shock Wave at PIEC'Art

I wrote briefly about group's jam at Literki couple of months ago, the dynamic presents some of the most active young musicians in Krakow with Dominika Rusinowska on violing and Slawek Pezda on saxophone as the leading voices. Mix of free, modern, punk, rock and more. 

07.05 Rara Avis at Alchemia

Rara Avis in the words of Ken Vandermark, featured in the grup led by a cast of young reprentants of Italy:

“I'm extremely excited about the group for a number of reasons: the band is a cooperative, without a designated leader, everyone's ideas and playing caries equal weight; the Italian members of Rara Avis are part of a new generation of players who are very knowledgeable about contemporary developments in improvised and composed music; and the fields of sound the ensemble explores are unique in terms of texture, velocity, dynamics- the traditional hierarchies of what instrument is "melodic," what instrument supplies "rhythm," are so turned on their head and blurred that it is often impossible to identify the creative sources at work during a performance. These things, and many others that the group incorporates into its music, make Rara Avis a special band for me, and most certainly for fans of modern improvised music”.

interview with Tomasz Dabrowski. Chapter 03

Here's the last piece of the interview with Tomasz Dabrowski. Big thanks to Tomasz for the talk and to Malgorzata Michalska who did come up with the idea for the meeting.

(you play a very specific instrument, you call it „balkan horn”, can you tell more about it?)

This is an instrument I got at a bargain price from a gentleman in a village near Łódź city. I found it on allegro [a popular auction website], no one wanted to buy it. I saw it and got very intrested – it looks very old, and most of all it looks very strange, with a huge bell for example.

I turned it has a very different sound as well. There are those technical matters I'm not really an expert in. If you play trumpet and flugelhorn, you have to use two different mouthpieces. Same thing if you play in a small combo or you play in big band. If you play lead part you have to use a shallower mouthpiece so the sound would be more upfront, you're leading the section, the whole big band as a metter of fact. I'm really terrible at it, and that is for the biggest advantage of my balkan horn, I can easily play with the same mouthpiece I use on the trumpet but the sound is very different, ambitus is larger, the articulation is different.

The way this is instrument is built nobody can tell me what it is. I know it's from the 60s, I even wrote to the manufacturer but they were of no help as well. It's very fragile, you could crush it in your hands, if you hit it gives away more of a „plastic” sound rather than „brassy”. It allows you to play also with the tuning. It's a sort of a laboratory, you can always experiment with new sounds.

Jazz Alchemist Radio 29.04.13 video playlist with Duke Ellington

As I still struggle to recover my hard disk data (well, actually I took the occasion to do some catching-up with a couple of tv series and the week was pretty busy concert-wise) no new plalist today is ready, but let us celebrate the birthday of the one of the aristocrats of jazz history - Duke Ellington, the bandleader, the composer, the songwriter, the pianist. Maestro.

enjoy and stay tuned.

Concerts Schedule 29.04-05.05

It was a very intense week concert-wise. Due to the 1. and 3. may festivities, most people in Krakow are planning now a long careless weekend outside the city. The tourists though that are coming for the very same time to Krakow might consider those events a worthy wat to spend the evening:

29.04  Larz Reller Band at Alchemia

A kind of eastern europe folk-funk band that, I've never heard of them but the video below promises quite a positive vibe.

Orioxy - The other strangers [Unit Records]

Orioxy:
Yael Miller - vocals
Julie Campiche - harp
Manu Hagmann - double bass
Roland Merlinc - drums


Unit Records 2012

Orioxy played a very inspiring set couple of weeks ago in Krakow at Piec'ART club. In the centre of the musical picture there are two women and their artistic connection, the base of the quite particular instrumental line-up where voice and harp lead the way.

Yael Miller's voice is strong, clear, both sharp and sensual. Some of the song lyrics are written in hebrew which adds more layers to the ethereal, slightly exotic and mystic feel of the music. Julie's Hampiche harp is the cornertsone of the poetic, slighty dark and yet dreamy sound. The two are supported by irresistibly simple, earthy drum and bass grooves.

interview with Tomasz Dabrowski. Chapter 02

Here's the second chapter of the interview with young polish trumpet player Tomasz Dabrowski.

(What is differences between musical scene in Denmark and Poland you can observe?)

Denmark has good balance. There's a strong mainstream circle as well as free. In Poland only now we're it starts to level. I don't know about classical music, but as far as jazz is concerned, mainstream jazz was dominating. What is called avant-guarde by many people was for present for a long time but always stood aside. But now it's coming to the light, I'm under impression that we're witnessing a big change, started around the last two years. So much more is happening, new musicians, projects, more concerts, festivals. Also on the international level, we're not scheduled anymore, there are no borders, you can play with whoever you want.

Jazz Alchemist Radio 22.04.13 with Paul, Charles, Barry and others

Paul Chambers

Due to the hard disk malfunction the radio playlist I put together for today can't be uploaded so instead I propose you a brief youtube very mixed-mix for a day.

Firstly - let me invite you again to the concert events of the week (previous post gives more details) and thus let's hear some more from the artists who will perform in Krakow in the next few days.

Secondly - big happy jazzy brithday wishes to three extraordinary bass players all born on 22.04 - Charles Mingus, Paul Chambers and Barry Guy.

Enjoy and stay tuned. Next chapter of the interview with Tomasz Dabrowski will be posted on Wednesday.

Concerts Schedule 22-28.04

A very busy week in Krakow (non that the previous one was lazy, OffPlus Camera filled pretty well the schedule). I propose for your consideration:

21.04 Dialog with freelance artists at Hurtownia Ruchu.

Let me repeat the invitations for today meeting with Manuela Tessa, Dominika Knapik and Vasco Trilla. (details in the previous post). The meeting in itself is a chance to meet two of the performers who will appear a day after on the event:

22.04 Free The Dance at Alchemia

Another chapter in the series of performances where spirit of improvisation connects the arts of dance and music.

Manuela Tessa, Malgorzata Haduch, Przemek Kaminski - dancers

Paulina Owczarek, Michal Dymny, Vasco Trilla - musicians

Free The Dance series meeting

I'm happy to say I'll join Malgorzata Haduch, the organizer of Free The Dance series, to conduct a short meeting / discussion with the artists involved in the next performance.

Please feel free to come and participate
Day : 21.04
Time :19:00
Place: Hurtownia Ruchu. Kraków ulica Kącik 9

Ig Henneman Sextet - Live @ The Ironworks Vancouver [Wig]

Ig Henneman Sextet:

Ig Henneman - viola

Ab Baars - tenor sax, clarinet, shakuchachi

Axel Dorner - trumpet

Lori Freedman - bass clarinet, clarinet

Wilbert De Joode - bass

Marilyn Lerner - piano

Wig 2012

Even if it were the one reason only I just have to put the this one on the blog I praised the previous sextet's release "Cut a Caper" as one of the best albums of 2011. The musicians must have liked the review as it's summary fragment is cited inside the cover of the "Live @ the Ironworks Vancouver". I must admit I felt really proud to see my words printed out. And I feel even prouder having listened to the music they accompany as this is a worthy follow up to the "Cut a Caper" which is a much more important reason to write about this.

Interview with Tomasz Dąbrowski. Chapter 01

Trumpet player Tomasz Dabrowski is one of the most prominent new faces of polish jazz. I had already the pleasure to write about his TOM Trio cd, more cds are soon to be released (including New York sessions with Tyshaun Sorey, Kris Davies, Andrew Drury). 

I had a brief chat with Tomek in Krakow few weeks ago as he was about to get on the train to Warsaw to play with the Pheeroan AkLaff. The interview will be posted in three chapters in the next two weeks on the blog.

Here's the first part, a biographical insight into the beginning of Tomasz's musical journey:

"I'm sure everyone has a different story to tell. In my case, my parents have still the VHS-camera recording, it's christmas time and I'm singing some songs by the christmas tree. My folks decided I have a knack for it. Even today, my aunt, and she's around 70 now, always tells me how she remembers me singing to the broom's stick some children songs. As my parents saw it they decided to buy me a keyboard. I'm the first musician in the family, that was their image of how it should begin – keyoard, you know, it has some potential for the future, maybe you'll play in the wedding band, you can show off at holidays to the family, this kind of utility music. And that's how I begun to learn, mostly classical music.

There was this moment, it's really a bad story, there was this disc, or cassette tape rather „Sax & Sex” by Robert Chojnacki with Piasek [sort of smooth jazz / pop music star very popular in the 90s]. I listened to it and I then I knew I want to play saxophone, no way around it. I wasn't the perfect age, 13 years old, it was really a last call to join music school, much smaller children would be already playing well. Ilawa, where I attended the music school, it a small city, around 30 thousand citizens, it is known for a trad jazz festival Złota Tarka („Golden Grater”). They've just initiated a special program which allowed to me enlist. So i did so, I went to thse school and it turned out there's no vacancies left to lear sax, they told me so and asked „how about the trumpet?”. And I wasn't even sure what it was exactly, some people don't know the difference between trumpet and trombone – bone „elephant” sound and that's it.

But I went to the rehearsal led by the teacher Bogdan Olkowski, he played the insteument and I thought to myself it's not that bad, I could be ok with it. I wasn't really serious about it. A guy this age would rather play some football outside. It turned out it's a damn tough instrument to learn, you need to practice everyday, be carefull about what you do, control so many aspects at once. Only today I realise all that, especially since I started to teach as well. I have young students, 8-10 years old but I had a 70 years old senior as well. Everyone starts at the first base.

First reaction one has when he takes the trumpet and tries to play it, you know, cheeks like Dizzy Gillespie, no sound at all and the though appears „God, it's so hard”. It has to be explained that it's not that hard, there are these myths about how physical the instrument is, it is not easy, but you don't loose your conscience after 30 seconds. Although a sweaty shirt after the concert is a normal thing.

I started to play with youth orchestra from Iława, quite a known big band, one of the most acclaimed in Poland. We travelled a lot and Olkowski, for which I'm eternally gratefull, would always say to me „you should do something more about it, you have knack for it”. Unfortuantely I didn't have much musical knowledge, there was nobody who could teach me more. Event though there are many musicians, jazz or otherwise, who are from Ilawa – double bass player Michal Jaros, Marcin Ulanowski who plays the groove ,rock kind of thins. But I couldn't find anyone who could show me „do this”, you can do it that way”, „practice that thing”.

The one person who would play me music would be Hipolit Szalkiewicz – the teacher responsible for the basic music teachings – literature, dictations, practices, classical etudes and so on, all that staff that everyone needs to pass through in the music school. But once the class was over, mr Hipolit would call me „Hey Tomek, wait here a second, listen to this” and he would play me maybe some dixieland jazz that I really liked. I didn't know how to apprach it, but I frequented the jazz festival in the city and that's also when I went to my first jam session.

After that Henryk Majewski visited Ilawa and he rehearsed me but that was a complete bust, I didn't know a first thing about playing jazz, jazz chords? Progressions? I had not theoretical preparation whatsoever. Two years after I applied to the jazz school on Bednarska street in Warsaw and I got in, I still don't really know how, I wasn't a good player, had a lot of technical issues and in fact the first three years I spend trying to correct these, which was very frustrating.

I was a very active environment, people making their own bands, inviting you to play with them, that's how you learn even more, but I had to decline becuase there was no point to it.

Yet after a while I was able to join them, even made own bands, got some individual and team prizes on a couple of contests.

And then the current chapter of my life begins, I moved to Denmark, all that's happening now started then."

(next chapter in a week)

Jazz Alchemist Radio 15.04.2013 with Richard Davis, BASSX3 and others

BASSX3

Good to have you back on the blog (block?) for the new weekly portion of music.

We begin with the jazz calendar - best jazzy birthday wishes to the fabulous bass player Richard Davis, played on numerous sessions with many jazz greats but I chose for the playlist two classic albums, one of which is an undisputed masterpice, the other a creative peak of one of the most underrated artists in jazz history. Both albums were relased within a week (!) by the Blue Note Records and they are

Andrew Hill - Point of Departure (with Eric Dolphy, Kenny Dorham, Joe Henderson, Tony Williams and Davis)

and

Eric Dolphy - Out to Lunch (with Freddie Hubbard, Bobby Hutcherson and Tony and Davis again)

The 2nd feature of the playlist is the BASSX3 album "Transatlantic"
The 3rd part is comprised of short excerpts from three cds that otherwise present extended improvisations (25-40 mins long) that don't fit that well into any radio format and the cds are:
John Butcher & Mark Sanders - Daylight
Veryan Weston, Ingrid Laubrock, Hannah Marshall - Haste
MMM Quartet - Live at Metz' Arsenal

Andrew Hill - Flight 19
Andrew Hill - Spectrum
Eric Dolphy - Something Sweet, Something Tender
Gebhard Ullmann BASSX3 - Berlin is Full of Lonely People (Part One)
Gebhard Ullmann BASSX3 - Transatlantic (Part Two)
Gebhard Ullmann BASSX3 - The Thing
John Butcher & Mark Sanders - Flicker
Veryan Weston, Ingrid Laubrock - Courtesy of None
MMM Quartet - Part Two

(sorry for the late post but I got stuck at the Off Plus Camera, some great movies there; btw. "Quartet" by Dustin Hoffmann is a must - see)

 

Jazz Alchemist Radio 15.04.13 with Richard. Davis, BASSX3 and others by Jazzowy Alchemik on Mixcloud