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Komeda's worlds and deconstructions

Komeda's music will soon be heard in Poznań again as the Era Jazzu Festival is returning with a series of gala concerts. An array of outstanding artists will appear between 14 and 21 November as part of unique projects.

Event poster: photo of Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski on black background. On the left - information about festival concerts. - grafika artykułu
Festival poster, photograph: Urszula Las

"This edition of the Aquanet Jazz Festival has been dedicated to the music of Krzysztof Komeda. It will feature a gala concert by Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski, member of the legendary Komeda Sextet. The festival will kick off with a gala concert by an undisputed star: anyone who's ever seen the Friend "N Fellow duo on stage knows fully well just how exciting their performances can be", says Dionizy Piątkowski, the Era Jazzu originator. 

Let's take a closer look at the line-up. Friend "N Fellow is made up of Constanze Friend, described as "a singing Josephine Baker", and Thomas Fellow, guitar. The duo regularly features in prominent jazz festivals and events. Its vocalist's magical voice and the virtuoso guitar playing by Thomas Fellow guarantee a superb artistic experience. 

During the premiere of Czas Komedy, Komeda's music will be performed by the Norwegian Espen Eriksen Trio. Known for their Nordic sound, the ensemble delights audiences with subtle but colourful tones that combine minimalism with virtuoso improvisations and modern jazz with European classics. New musical faces of Krzysztof Trzciński, which is the name Komeda was born with, will be presented by the Poznań Grit Ensemble in the Komeda Reconstructed programme. The artists use Komeda's music as a launching pad for their own experiments and searching. A concert by Ares Chadzinikolau, a Greek of Polish descent, a musician, painter and poet who is also a Poznań native, is certain to deliver a lot of excitement. Chadzinikolau will pass Komeda's famous compositions through a filter of his own sensitivity. The organisers' notice reads: "This time around, Ares Chadzinikolau comes across as an impressionist poet who is fascinated with life, the world and culture, and a passionate pianist, whose virtuosity and talent constructs, from the ground up, a world of sound around his original interpretations of Komeda's famous compositions".

A tribute to Stańko & Komeda will be presented by Piotr Schmidt Quartet. The ensemble's leader is a highly talented young-generation trumpeter who has released the widely acclaimed album Tribute to Tomasz Stańko. As Dionizy Piątkowski puts it, Piotr Schmidt "builds his jazz world with sounds that arrange themselves into an artistically-fascinating creative pathos: his lyrics and subtle themes coexist alongside rapacious fervent improvisations. While Piątkowski's music delivers the incredible "breath of jazz" and splendour of Stańko's music, it does not stop at paying tribute alone as it adds a refined aesthetic of modern jazz into the mixture".

Perhaps the most appealing event, especially for the fans of Komeda's music, is the premiere of My sweet European motherland. This composition was among the last projects that Trzciński worked on before moving to the US. Jan "Ptaszyn" Wróblewski finished up his friend's work on the basis of the surviving scores and the recording of Meine süße Europäische Heimat: Dichtung und Jazz aus Polen. Era Jazzu will offer the first opportunity to hear the entire piece in instrumental form.

Aleksandra Kujawiak

translation: Krzysztof Kotkowski

Era Jazzu

14-21 Nov.

AMU Auditorium and Zamek (Castle) Cultural Centre

tickets: PLN 100-150

© Wydawnictwo Miejskie Posnania 2021