Jazztopad 2015 brings exotic star performers

Perfect sound, at last

"This year's edition of the festival is the first to be held at the National Forum of Music exclusively," says NFM Director Andrzej Kosendiak, who also adds that the organisers are particularly keen to provide the best acoustic experience to those who wish to enjoy a variety of musical genres or styles. Jazztopad Artistic Director Piotr Turkiewicz is really happy with a new space: "This is the first time in twelve years that music is going to sound like it should. No doubts about this."

This year's Jazztopad live music shows (21-29 November) will be held at the NFM' three concert halls and in the foyer. While the programme provides for five world premières, an increasing number of artists create compositions specifically for the festival. LPs by Charles Lloyd (a suite called "Wild Man Dance" recorded at the Wroclaw Concert Hall) or William Parker and Nikola Kołodziejczak show that such commissions can turn a great success.

Jazz and improvised music

The name of the festival is now synonymous with good music. That being said, Piotr Turkiewicz defines Jazztopad's repertoire as not mere jazz but world music with particular emphasis on improvisation. This year's edition brings a variety of such music from places that are both exotic and inspiring, e.g. India.

However, the late trumpet player Kenny Wheeler was also a great master of improvisation. 11 musicians, including bassist Dave Holland, pianist Gwilym Simcock or guitarist John Parricelli, are going to open the festival with a special tribute to the artist, the show itself being co-produced by the London Jazz Festival. The festival also features bassist Paul Rogers with his Whahay Trio and invited guests (21 November). Violinist Mark Feldman is coming to the festival with an especially composed piece called "Super Slab Multiverse", and he will be performing in a duo with pianist Sylvie Courvoisier on 22 November. Red Trio are travelling all the way from Portugal to give a show with trumpeter Piotr Damasiewicz and saxophonist Gerard Lebik (24 November), whereas Swedish bassist Anders Jormin, who composed a work specially for the Camerata Silesia, a vocal ensemble from Katowice, is performing on 27 November. A trio featuring Hindu percussionist Trilok Gurku, Moroccan gimbri virtuoso Maallem Mokhtar Gani and Polish clarinet player Wacław Zimpel (27 November) sounds equally promising.

Additionally, Zimpel is taking the stage in a different line-up featuring young Hindu musicians on the evening of 28 November prior to a concert by alto saxophone virtuoso Anthony Braxton with an ensemble featuring two harpists and a tuba player.

Jazztopad comes to a close on 29 November with a show by Abdullah Ibrahim, an 80-year-old pianist from South Africa, who is travelling to Wroclaw with his own ensemble called Mukashi Trio.

Promoting Polish jazz

Jazztopad is not just about live music. The festival also serves as a platform to exchange inspirations and promote young jazzmen during the Polish Jazz Showcase (selected musicians and bands are invited to an audition by international jazz festival directors and journalists). Saxophonist Maciej Obara is its last year's success story. The artist has travelled to perform in New York and garnered enthusiastic reviews while in the US.

As always, this year's Jazztopad is also held in private apartments (28-29 November). You can subscribe now (see www.jazztopad.pl for more details).