- First off, the inauguration, that is, a concert from Nate Wooley (Thursday 13 November at 7 pm, Wroclaw Philharmonic), who is an unknown figure in Poland, but people who follow the international jazz scene can recognise him quite easily. I have been trying to invite him to Wroclaw for three years now, to give a separate performance, not necessarily while in Berlin. Wooley is consistent in creating his musical language, you can recognise him after first four sounds, the privilege he shares with only several world-class trumpet players. He will bring a double project to the festival. The first part features a duo with the soprano Megan Schubert, who is all the rage in New York at the moment. The second part includes Wooley and his quintet with a more tuneful and harmonious set.
- Secondly, Wadada Leo Smith (Friday 14 November at 7 pm, Wroclaw Philharmonic). It was almost impossible to persuade him to write something specifically for Jazztopad 2014, in a busy and hectic period, immediately after his Pulitzer Prize nomination. I was plain lucky I called him just after the nomination. Smith is an overwhelming personality, and it is worth meeting him. He is like a mentor who lives only through his music. He was commissioned to write "Solidarity" for the festival, a piece inspired by the Solidarity movement in Poland, and it turned out that he took particular interest in political transformations in Poland. I was amazed at his expertise in our recent history. When we first spoke about the commission, his reaction was enthusiastic and he opened up, he later called and told us that he would like to draw on the Solidarity movement; he asked if it attracts controversy in Poland and whether the cause has gained any negative energy. He made me laugh when he later called again and informed that he wrote two pieces instead of just one and asked if we are OK with this. As far as I am concerned, he could write ten such pieces.
- Thirdly, Pharoah Sanders (Sunday 23 November at 7 pm, Wroclaw Philharmonic), or Jazztopad 2014 final. I simply cannot understand that we have never invited such a personality to the city that can supposedly boast many years of jazz tradition. Which is why we are trying to catch up.
- Fourthly, Erik Friedlander (Saturday 15 November at 8 pm, Wroclaw Philharmonic), who prepared a completely new work to perform at the festival. It must be pointed out that each and every Jazztopad commission comes as a result of extended talks with the artists and our personal ties, not just exchanging emails through artistic agencies. I know Erik Friedlander in person, I have dined several times at his home where we spoke for hours about our Jazztopad commissions. In the first part of the concert, Friedlander will improvise at the backdrop of a large screen featuring with road movies by Bill Morrison. In the second part, he will perform a piece commissioned by Jazztopad 2014 and designed for a 25-person band, formed specifically for the time of the festival.
- Last but not least, Turkey. The weekend of 22-23 November will be entirely devoted to Turkey, but mind you, Erkan Oğur and Derya Türkan (Friday 21 November at 7 pm, Audiovisual Technology Centre) are considered to be the giants of the local jazz scene, and their impact is often compared to that of Sonny Rollins on his American milieu. Turkish jazz is so diverse that it is simply worth showing its different faces. You should also consider a solo performance from Misirli Ahmet on the darbuka, a unique percussion instrument (Saturday 22 November at 7 pm, Wroclaw Philharmonic). I can guarantee you that no one is going to shift in their seats during the performance because his music is pure magic.