Krakow Concert Schedule 06-13.10 / Nu Ensemble at Krakow Autumn Jazz 2013 Festival

This the moment many of the free jazz lovers in Krakow have been waiting for a long time. Autumn has officialy begun! 5 evenings with Nu Ensemble make fill pretty much the whole week but there still are some more options to choose from. This is a long list, you may get dizzy.

06.10 Traces, Shreds, Hints at Klub Re
"Ślady, Strzępy, Wskazkówki" is a performance that combines improvised sounds, words, gestures and movements. Not exactly the lazy sunday afternoon kind of thing, it's a promise.


Traces, Shreds, Hints from Anna Trzewiczek on Vimeo.

8th Krakow Autmn Jazz Festival starts on 8.10!!!

Last couple of posts I've been inviting you to various places for a variety of great short and long jazz festivals. I'ts high time to invite you to Krakow to follow the 8th Krakow Jazz Autumn Festival.

During 8 years with Krakow Jazz Autumn the audience had a chance to seen some unforgettable concerts and a number of brilliant artists, both young cats as well as famed veterans of the stage, some of whom become a frequent visitors in the cellar's of Alchemia club. Many of the concerts have been recorded and released by the Not Two records.

Faithful readers of the blog will remember that the whole blogging thing started during the 2010 Autumn Jazz Festival, as I decided to post daily about a week with the Barry Guy New Orchestra.

8th Krakow Jazz Autumn sports a very coincise yet a reach and intensely-packed program with two week-long events at its core. 

Couple of years back (5 if I'm not mistaken) a Festival introduced a special formula - a big group would rehearse during the day, musicians would play improvised concerts in small combos in the evenings, with one final orchestra performance on the final night. 

The success of the formula produced more events of a sort in the following years, including the above mentioned series with Barry Guy and his New Orchestra. A member of which is one fellow named Mats Gustafsson. 

To start off with a big bang, the 8th festival will gather together the Nu Ensemble a band under Gustafsson's direction, that includes such giants of modern improvisation as Augusti Fernandez, Joe McPhee, Peter Evans and Paal Nilssen-Love to name just a few, a band that will be reunited on one stage for the first time after 8 years! The details of the week's program are already available on the festival's site and I will include them in the weekly concert's schedule.

The project that 5 years introduced the festival's formula was Resonance that gathers musicians from Ukraine, Poland, Sweden and States (Chicago and New York) under the direction of Ken Vandermark. The band thus born performed and recorded more material over the next years, including an appearance on the Chicago Jazz Festival that resulted in the "Kafka in Flight" release. The band's return to Krakow in November constitues the second main event of this year's festival.

The two weeks are to be considered the main musical courses for the hungy ears. For the appetizers and the dessert there are three additional concerts (Matthew Shipp / Mat Walerian M-Theory Project; Gaia Mattiuzzi & Francesco Cusa; Clayton Thomas / Christian Marien / Gerard Lebik trio).

You can obviously count on Jazz Alchemist blog being there to keep nagging at you so you'd come down to Krakow, Alchemia's cellar, You won't be dissapointed.

 

Ad Libitum Festival in Warsaw 10-12.10

Last week I posted the program of Jazz & Beyond Festival, here's another one which boasts a short but very intense program. 8th edition of the Ad Libitum starts with the workshop conducted by the musicians of the London Jazz Composers Orchestra who will perform the majestic "Harmos" to close the festival. 

The program is present below (with some links to the blog's archive), polish jazz fans will have to entertain a huge dilemma in the next week, but more about it in a few days. 

PROGRAM

10-11.10 Workshops with the London Jazz Composers Orchestra

10.10, at Laboratorium Centre of the Modern Art - Zamek Ujazdowski

Klaus Schöpp, Marc Lingk, Wojciech Błażejczyk

Jerzy Mazzoll, Sławek Janicki, Qba Janicki trio ("Minimalover" review)

Trevor Watts and Veryan Weston duo ("5 More Dialogues" review)

11.10, at Laboratorium Centre of the Modern Art - Zamek Ujazdowski

India Czajkowska, Tadeusz Sudnik, David Kollar,

ELEMENTS: Piotr Damasiewicz, Maciej Garbowski, William Alrson Axel Soovik

Evan Parker, Barry Guy, Paul Lytton trio

12.10 Polish Radio W. Lutoslawski concert studio 

Robert Dick & Thomas Buckner 

Barry Guy  / Maya Homburger duo ("Tales of Enchantment" review)

London Jazz Composers Orchestra – Harmos ("Harmos" dvd review)

 

Krakow Concert Schedule 30.09-06.10

You know what the week after this right? If not, I'll be happy to remind you of it in the next few days. Below are some recommendations on how to spend the next few evenings. Enjoy.

01.10 Hedvig Mollestad Trio at Alchemia
A heavy kick to begin the musical week, guitar rock meets punk meets jazz. Hedvig Mollestad Trio has just released their second album on the prestigious Rune Grammofon. It will be loud.

Jazz & Beyond concert series (29.09-01.12)

I report weekly the musical events about to happen in Krakow and I'll spill soon some informations about the Krakow Autumn Festival (some of it already on the web) but Autumn is a jazz season elsewhere as well.

I'd like to wholeheartedly invite you for the Jazz & Beyond concert series, held in a few cities of Silesia (not so far in fact). The cycle will begin this sunday with the Uri Caine / Han Bennink duo concert in Jazz Club Hipnoza in Katowice.

You can find the details on the program on the poster below as well as on the festival's website http://jazziokolice.com/en

One of the bands that will play during the festival is Maciej Obara International Quartet who made a strong impact on the polish jazz scene with their debut cd "Komeda" (I plan to get back to it soon on the blog)

Wovoka back in Krakow - tomorrow (24.08) at Bomba

A last minute announcement - Wovoka have only played last week at Piekny Pies, went to play to Oradea in Romania and on the way back they will come to Krakow again.

Bomba; Plac Szczepański; 21.00 - if you haven't seen them yet live, don't make that mistake again, if  you have, well, you know where to be.

Krakow Concert Schedule 23-29.09

Another very busy week in Krakow. Make your choices.

23.09 Cam Deas and Michal Dymny at Piekny Pies
Two improvising guitarists, Cam Deas playing acoustic 12-string Tacoma guitar, Michal Dymny is known for his preparations of the instrument. The results of this collision should be very intriguing.

Harris Eisenstadt - Canada Day III [Songlines]

Nate Wooley - trumpet
Matt Bauder - tenor saxophone
Chris Dingman - vibraphone
Garth Stevenson - bass
Harris Eisenstadt - drums, compositions

Songlines Recordings 2012

As I come to think of it, it seems to me that a drummer/bandleader is exclusively a jazz phenomenon. The number of bad jokes about the drummers says a lot but I remember being told a story of an audience member being surprised that a drummer can actually bring compositions to a jazz group ("do you mean, he hums you to the melody?") as if a notion of a musical notation would have to have to beyond the capacity of any man who just rhythmically hits things with sticks.

Put the above reflection beside. Harris Eisenstadt is not only a versatile drummer and acknowledged bandleader, he's a masterful composer and arranger, his work distinguished by great attention to colorful sound palette and rhythmic texture - to one's mind come albums like "Guewel" (jazz arrangaments for drums and four horns of classic Mbalax songs - Senegalese pop music), "Woodblock Prints" (inspired by japanese graphic art; instrumentation:drums, bass, tuba, basson, guitar, french horn, trombne, clarinet, alto saxophone). Or, as a matter of fact, both previous releases by the Candada Day quintet.

Krakow Concert Schedule 15-22.09

Quite a lot happening this week, mostly thanks to Sacrum Profanum Festival. Without further ado, below the suggestions of how to spend your next few evenings:

15.09 NIL - radio theatre play with improvised music - open rehearsal at Jozefinska 21

Krakow improvising musicians - Paulina Owczarek, Tomek Choloniewski, Krzysztof Kaliski will play along the theatre play recited by Krzysztof Trzewiczek.

15-22.09 Sacrum Profanum Festival (various locations)

One of the most important Festival's dedicated to modern music, this year's program includes performances of Brian Eno's "Music for Airports", concert dedicated to Frank Zappa, "Americana" evening with Steve Reich and Philipp Glass, acoustic version of music by Autechre, Apex Twin and others, the finale of the week is dedicated to one of the greatest composers of the XXth century - Witold Lutoslawski (Polish Icons vol.2). Check the official site for more detailed info.

16.09 Jam Session at Harris Piano Jazz Bar

The weekly jam with the Krakow's young cats - Bartek Prucnal, Kuba Pluzek, Alan Wykpisz and Patryk Dobosz. A way to ease your Monday-misery.

19.09 Vowoka at Piekny Pies

I just wrote about Wovoka's debut cd "Trees against the sky" and havind seen their performance couple of months ago in Bomba the only thing I can say is - don't miss it. Some hochie coochie is about to happen.

20-21.09 Stryjo at Piec'ART

A pianot trio led by Nikola Kolodziejczyk - who often lends his talensts as a composer and arranger to theatre and movie projects (mos recently collaborating with Richard Bona). Playfull and tricky post-bop. Mario Bros theme should put a smiley on your face.

Ivo Perelman on Leo Records part 3 - "Serendipity" and "The Passion Accoding to G.H"

The follow-up to the few posts on the blog including the "Ivo Perelman on Leo Records part 1" and this week "part 2". No other parts are scheduled to be posted at the moment, but given how prolific an artist Ivo Perelman is, it's safe to assume more will appear.

Serendipity
Ivo Perelman - tenor sax
Matthew Shipp - piano
William Parker - bass
Gerald Cleaver - drums

Leo Records 2013


The recording session was scheduled as a trio date with Ivo, Matt and Gerald (eventually recorded a week later and released as "The Foreign Legion"), William Parker was called at the last moment to fill a spot in the recording studio. It turned out the missing musician made is as well, hence a quartet recording and hence the title "Serendipity".

Ivo Perelman on Leo Records part 2 -"The Art of the Duet - Volume One" with Matthew Shipp

It was quite a while ago that "Ivo Perelman on Leo Records part 1" was posted and it's only appropriate that part 2 would follow, if only now. Ivo Perelman released fifteen albums (as far as I know) since 2010, ten of which within the last year and a half on Leo Records. All of which are easily recommended I might add, some of which have already been presented on the blog ("Stream of Life" duo with Brian Wilson, "Hour of the Star" by the quartet with M. Shipp, J. Morris and G. Cleaver as well as the two albums in trio with J. Morris and G. Cleaver).

The albums tribute works of a brasilian writer Clarice Lispector which creates a common narrative thread between each release. The second crucial element of the series is the musicians pool, that consists in only few of artists' long-time collaborators with whom Perelman, as it seems, decided to play in every possible line-up. The recordings feature Matthew Shipp, Joe Morris, Michael Bisio, William Parker, Gerald Cleaver and Whit Dickey in a various duo, trio or quartet configurations

As it would probably be excessive to try to present the entire voluminous output, the consistent excellency of the performances released makes it incredibly hard to make a definite selection. On a different day I might choose otherwise but at the moment I believe the albums that I'll present this week deserve a special recognition within the series. 

The Art of The Duet - Volume One

Ivo Perelman - tenor sax
Matthew Shipp - piano

Leo Records 2013

Ivo Perelman and Matthew Shipp have already recorded a duo cd, back in 1996. "Bendito of Santa Cruz" (Cadence Records) is a strong example of Perelman's early attampts at reinterpreting brasilian folk music within the fiery avant-free jazz context.

Krakow Concert Schedule 09-15.09

Can you feel the autumn in the air? I can. And I can't wait for Krakow Autumn Jazz to begin, but in the meantime there are places to be:


09.09 ID M Theft able at Bomba
Singer, improviser, collector and constructor of instruments. If anyone remember's Crank Sturgeon performance in Bomba few years ago, ID M Theft able is his soul brother. Things should get freaky.

Wovoka - Trees Against The Sky [Lado ABC]

Wovoka:
Mewa Chabiera - vocal
Raphael Roginski - guitar, bass guitar, oud
Ola Rzepka - keyboards, piano
Pawel Szpura - drums

guests:
Ola Bilinska - backing vocal; Michal Gorczynski - bass clarinet, saxophone; Piotr Zabrodzki - moog, synth, frozen finger organ; Hubert Zemler - percussions

Lado ABC 2013

Even to the ones familiar with Raphael Roginski's musical output Wovoka's debut cd must come as a surprise. Roginski is a center figure of modern jewish music in Poland, reinventing the tradition and its expression with bands like Shofar, Cukunft, Alte Zachen, Yemen.

The band is named after the religious leader of Norther Paiute tribe, founder of Ghost Dance movement, also known as Jack Wilson. "Trees Against the Sky" is a tribute to the musical traditions of North America, lost in the river of time.

Barry Guy London Jazz Composers Orchestra - Harmos (Schaffhausen Concert) [Intakt]

London Jazz Composers Orchestra:

Barry Guy - director, bass

reeds: Evan Parker (ts, ss), Mats Gustafsson (bs, fluteohpone), Trevor Watts (as), Simon Picard (ts), Pete McPhail (as, sss, fl);

trombones: Contrad Bauer, Johannes Bauer, Alan Tomlison;

trumpets: Henry Lowther (tp, flh), Herb Robertson (tp), Rich Laughlin (tp, flh); tuba: Per Ake Holmlander

violin: Phil Wachsmann; bass: Barre Phillips

percussion: Paul Lytton, Lucas Niggli

piano: Howard Riley

Intakt Records 2012

"Harmos" was originally composed in 1987 and registered two years later for the Intakt label. The DVD at hand presents the piece as it was performed on Schaffhauser Jazz Festival at 2008. It's worth noticing that more than the half of the Orchestra on the stage had taken part in 1989 recording as well, namely: Riley, Lowther, Tomlinson, Watts, Parker, McPhail, Picard, Wachsmann, Phillips, Lytton, Guy and Phillips.

Krakow Concert Schedule 02-08.09

The teenagers ask dramatic "why?" as they have to get back to the school. Students have still one month of vacation. Jazz lovers in Krakow are biting the nails impatienltly for the Autumn Jazz Festival to start. In the meantime, there are some places you might visit to hear live music:

05.09 Los Cripis at Bomba
Fors something completely different. As the band describes themselves :  rad minimal, experimental and explosive pop trio from argentina. 
How can that not be good?




5-6.09 Sebastian Spanache Trio at Piec'ART
A modern jazz piano trio. I always have mixed feelings about such groups as this is one of the most overdone setting in the jazz history. Still, the young musicians from Romania sound quite convincing together.




06.09 Vladimirska at Piekny Pies
Bit of circus, balkan horns, scandinavian folk, absurd and lof of fun. Vladimirska is, for a reason, one of the most popular indie bands in Krakow.



07.09 Slawek Pezda & Mateusz Gaweda duo at Piec'ART
A duo that is together for the last 7 years, both musicians growing together in the midst of the Krakow young jazz scene. Excellent musisicianship, great connection, the duo plays music that is both elegant and adventurous.