There's room for debate on whether Poznań can truly be called a city of jazz, as some people claim, given that major festivals and events have gradually been moving away. However, that's a separate issue. What's undeniable is that the oldest and most classic jazz event still thrives here. As it does every summer, the Poznań Old Jazz Festival is returning, this time for its 16th edition on the last day of August. The festival has previously hosted outstanding artists such as legendary clarinettist Acker Bilk and English trumpeter Kenny Ball.
Guest artists
This year's festival theme is "Train to New Orleans - The Summer Station". Poznań's Summer Train Station at ul. Dworcowa (an extension of platform 9 of the Poznań Main Station) will be one of the main venues. Artists will arrive there in vintage cars and embark on a musical journey by a historic train to the town of Swarzędz and back.
The festival's main events will take place in a new venue. Thanks to the support of Poznań authorities and Estrada Poznańska, this year's key events, particularly the concerts, will be held at Pasaż Kultury in the heart of the Old Market Square, between the Arsenał Municipal Gallery and the Military Museum of Wielkopolska. The evening's musical line-up includes South West Oldtime All Stars from Germany, J.J. Jazzmen from the Czech Republic, and, from Poland, the Los Angeles Trio, the Dixie Fellows, RB Dixie Five, Happy Jazz Band, and the host ensemble, Dixie Company.
International
The German artists from South West Oldtime All Stars draws inspiration from Louis Armstrong's Hot Five and Hot Seven bands from nearly a century ago. Festival organisers have chosen this band for having been the first to give soloists more room for improvisation, paving the way for future jazz styles. The Czech group J.J. Jazzmen features the initials of its late founder and leader, Jan Jirucha, in its name. Their programme, "Remembrance of Louis Armstrong", pays tribute to the legendary Satchmo. Staying true to the New Orleans tradition, their sound is profoundly influenced by the expressive voice and jazz sensibility of their present vocalist, Barbora Vágnerova. Their current show, "Famous Jazz Duets" is inspired by collaborations between Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong, as well as Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett.
Polish artists
The fascinating Los Angeles Trio follows a style reminiscent of the West Coast of the USA. Their music is described as elegantly clear, relaxing, and swinging, evoking the fragrance of seaside promenades and the discreet charm of luxurious nightclubs in the City of Angels. The trio features renowned musicians Bogdan Hołownia, Andrzej "Bruner" Gulczyński (formerly of the band Nocna Zmiana Bluesa), and Józef Eliasz. Equally notable are the Dixie Fellows, a group of jazzmen from the Warsaw University of Technology Club "Stodoła". For 17 years, they have blended classic Dixieland and New Orleans themes with Polish hits from the interwar and communist periods.
Tarnowski RB Dixie Five, in the music business for a decade, have embraced the style characteristic of New Orleans street parades. Their repertoire is heavily influenced by musicians who stemmed from New Orleans such as Louis Armstrong, Kid Ory and Joe "King" Oliver.
Poznań artists
Representing the Poznań music scene is Happy Jazz Band, founded in 2015. All its musicians are graduates of Poznań's Music Academy with a passion for swing and old jazz. Their repertoire spans from Louis Armstrong to Frank Sinatra, as well as Polish compositions, including those by Andrzej Zaucha. The event's hosts, and possibly the most anticipated ensemble, are also unsurprisingly from Poznań. Known as Dixie Company, they are led by the festival's Artistic Director Piotr Soroka. For over three decades, this band has performed at hundreds of festivals and concerts across Poland, nearly all of Europe, and the United States. They have six albums, including collaborations with American singers Diane Davidson and Donna Brown. In May 2022, they played at the 50th Internationales Dixieland Festival Dresden, being the only Polish artists among 40 bands from 11 countries.
Tomasz Janas
translation: Krzysztof Kotkowski
Poznań Old Jazz Festival
31 August
11-11:45am: Artists in vintage cars transfer from Old Market Square (Stary Rynek) to Summer Station (Dworzec Letni) and back
12-1pm: Musicians and other passengers travel on a historic railway train from Summer Station to Swarzędz and back
1:45pm-1:45pm: Vintage cars return to Old Market Square
2:30pm-3:30pm: Little Jazz Academy and art competition for kids
3:30pm-4pm: Opening of painting exhibition
4pm-10pm: Gala concert
Free admission to all concerts
Accompanying the festival will be an exhibition of jazz-inspired paintings organised by the Nowa Foundation, held from 26 to 31 August at the headquarters of the Association of Polish Architects in the Old Market Square.
For more information, visit facebook.com/DixieCompany.
© Wydawnictwo Miejskie Posnania 2024