Culture in Poznań

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A Train to New Orleans

A vintage car parade, Little Jazz Academy for kids, a painting exhibition opening, and, above all, hours of concerts in the Old Market Square, are the main highlights of this year's Poznań Old Jazz Festival.

Photo of five men and one woman elegantly dressed. One of the men is sitting at a piano, the others are standing next to it. The men are holding musical instruments. - grafika artykułu
J.J. Jazzmen, photograph courtesy of the organisers.

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