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Various Artists: Tribute to Andrezej Przybielski Vol. 1
by Karl Ackermann
If the Polish trumpeter and composer Andrzej Przybielski (1944-2011) was under-recognized in his native country, he has been all but unknown in the West. Though he had established his early career in traditional jazz groups, he later became a mythical figure on the Polish avant-garde jazz and free jazz scenes. Later in his career, Przybielski entered a phase that combined the influences of native folk music, improvised jazz, electronics and punk. With more than fifty albums in his portfolio, Przybielski ...
Continue ReadingMaciej Fortuna: Zośka
by Anthony Shaw
Maciej Fortuna is obviously a power to be reckoned with on the Polish music scene, as not only the founder and director of Fortuna-music and a teacher in Poznan's Academy of Music but as a leading jazz trumpeter in the country. On this disc he has invited three stalwart American musicians to join him and together his bandmates have selected their repertoire of six nineteenth century Polish folk tunes, to which are added four of Fortuna's own compositions. It makes ...
Continue ReadingMaciej Fortuna Acoustic Quartet: Jazz From Poland Vol. 1
by Karl Ackermann
Polish composer and trumpeter Maciej Fortuna--a law school graduate and a PhD of performing arts--distributes his time as a session musician, multiple group leader and lecturer at The Academy of Music in Poznan, Poland. Fortuna has been exploring the frontiers of jazz for some time with successful efforts in electronica, free improvisation, ethnic derivatives and acoustic jazz. The latter two elements come together in his personal tribute to three generations of Polish composers on Jazz From Poland Vol.1.
Continue ReadingMaciej Fortuna / Krzysztof Dys: Tropy
by Karl Ackermann
It remains largely unrecognized that the Polish jazz culture predates Louis Armstrong's “invention" of modern improvised jazz. As early as 1923, Polish jazz musicians were touring Eastern Europe in the company of Chicago and New Orleans Dixieland players. The American perspective of Polish jazz is principally defined by trumpeter Tomasz Stanko, violinist Michal Urbaniak and pianist Krzysztof Komeda. Along with later arrivals to the scene, such as pianists Marcin Wasilewski and Adam Makowicz and saxophonist Zbigniew Namyslowski this group of ...
Continue ReadingMaciej Fortuna / Krzysztof Dys: Tropy
by Eyal Hareuveni
Polish, Poznań-based trumpeter Maciej Fortuna is a musician with many tastes. He himself divided the music that he composes, produces and releases on his own label to ethno-jazz, electric jazz, acoustic jazz, live electronics and improvised music. His new duo project with pianist Krzysztof Dys, member of reed player Wacław Zimpel's quartet is supposed to fall into the category of improvised music but these superficial definitions do not cover the whole picture. The intimate, chamber format ...
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