Solal-Pedersen-Duo live at Berliner Jazztage 1976

Martial Solal: Piano
Niels Henning Ørsted-Pedersen: Bass
Berlin, Philharmonie, November 3, 1976

1. Bemsha Swing (Thelonious Monk)
2. Note-ability (Martial Solal)
3. Afternoon`s Sentiment (Niels Henning Orsted-Pedersen)
4. Lalos (Martial Solal)
5. Donna Lee (Miles Davis; Charlie Parker)
6. The Continental (Con Conrad; Herbert Adolph Magidson)

In 1976 these two European giants recorded "Movability" for the legendary MPS label. I have no idea, if this must have lp was ever re-released on cd.

Thelonious Monk live at Berliner Jazztage 1969

Thelonious Monk, piano
Berliner Jazztage November 6, 1969, Philharmonie, Berlin

1. Satin Doll (Duke Ellington; Billy Strayhorn)
2. Sophisticated Lady (Duke Ellington)
3. Caravan (Duke Ellington; Juan Tizol)

Monk primarily played his own compositions with his quartet, but occasionally performed covers, too. Especially the music of the great Duke Ellington had a special impact on Monk. In 1955 his album "Thelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington" was released as his debut for Riverside. The choice of Ellington as the 'theme' composer was evidently made by producer Orrin Keepnews and the Riverside label, but it was nevertheless significant. Ellington was (and is) arguably the most important American jazz composer of his generation and with Louis Armstrong and Count Basie, he had been one of the most popular and successful performers and recording artists of the Thirties and Forties.

Cæcilie Norby Group live at JazzFest Berlin 2011

Cæcilie Norby vocals
Katrine Gislinge piano
Lars Danielsson bass
Per Gade guitar
Morten Lund drums
Nils Landgren trombone, vocals

recorded live at Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Main Stage, November 4, 2011

1. Both sides now (Joan R. Mitchell)
2. Dead Princess (Maurice Joseph Ravel)
3. Wholly Earth (Abbey Lincoln)
4. The Tears of Billie Blue (Claude Achille Debussy)
5. Scheherazade (Nikolai Rimski-Korsakow)
6. Bei mir bist du scheen (Sholom Sholem Sucunda)
7. Cuban Cigars (Lars Olof Danielsson)
8. No Air (Eric Satie)

Danish singer Cæcilie Norby was born into a musical home. Her mother, an opera singer, and her father, a composer, supported her musical education from an early age. Jazz was not her first love, though. After a classical education she turned to pop music in the early eighties and had some considerable success with the band OneTwo.
Ten years later the renowned Blue Note label released her self titled jazz debut, starring none other than Chick Corea. For later productions she cooperated with the likes of the Brecker Brothers, Terri Lyne Carrington, Nils Landgren or Palle Mikkelborg.
Her latest cd, Arabesque, shows yet another of her facets, reminiscent of composers like Satie, Debussy, Ravel and Fauré. Together with her recent ensemble, the IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry)-awardee will once again leave the boundaries of classical music, jazz or pop behind.

BuJazzO & Maria Baptist ‘City Grooves’ live at JazzFest Berlin 2011

Maria Baptist leader
Mathis Petermann, Johannes Roosen-Runge, Christian Mehler trumpet
Lukas Jochner, Janning Trumann, Lisa Stick trombone
Julianne Gralle bass trombone
Katarina Brien, Florian Walter alto sax
Markus Pötschke, Adrian Hanack tenor sax
Paul Muhle bass sax
Charlotte Ortmann, Friederike Motzkau flute
Rebecca Trescher clarinet
Lukas Brenner piano
Clemens Oerding guitar
Reza Askari-Motlagh bass
Julian Külpmann drums

recorded live at Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Main Stage, November 2, 2011

1. Minotaurus
2. Rush hour
3. Lingering
4. Avenue walk
5. On top of the mountain
6. The blossom
7. Avus

The BuJazzO, Germany’s Youth Jazz Orchestra, sponsors qualified and talented young jazz musicians in Germany. The current concert repertoire is rehearsed with changing line-ups in working modules that take the form of an intensive musical training in a professional master course atmosphere. The artistic directorship of rehearsals and stage work alternates and is performed by renowned artists. The working modules are followed by guest performances at home and abroad, where the results are presented to an international audience.
To encourage high qualified young female musicians BuJazzO has put a focus on women as conductors and instructors, starting with pianist Maria Baptist, composer/arranger and professor at the Berlin Music Conservatory ‘Hanns Eisler’. She has been conducting the 47th working phase of BuJazzO in March 2011.
Maria Baptist is fascinated by big cities. Together with BuJazzO she presents the programme City Grooves. It reflects the different moods and the mutability of a big city. Powerful energetic music alternates with concertante moments.
“Her music is a gift, infused with all the creativity, power, emotion, generosity and warmth that she exudes in life” (Maria Schneider)

Gregory Porter live at JazzFest Berlin 2011

Gregory Porter vocals
Chip Crawford piano
Aaron James bass
Andrew Atkinson drums

recorded live at Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Main Stage, November 5, 2011

Water (Gregory Porter)
Way to Harlem (Gregory Porter)
Black Nile (Gregory Porter)
Skylaark
Be Good
1960 What? (Gregory Porter)

A regular guest with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, up-and-coming vocalist Gregory Porter has staked his clame to fame in the jazz world already. His highly versatile singing draws from the likes of Nat King Cole, Donny Hathaway, Joe Williams , Stevie Wonder or Kurt Elling. Not only does he manage to jump any hurdles between blues, jazz and soul effortlessly, the Grammy nominee also unites the great American traditions of crooning and topical songs with a voice that can caress or confront, embrace or exhort.

Subsequently, his 2010 debut album Water passed the American critics with distinction, and Jamie Cullum stated excitedly on BBC Radio 2: “Finally! Another jazz singer with chops and soul to sit alongside the mighty Kurt Elling. I am so excited about this artist. Originals, offbeat covers, a superb band and a voice both elastic and soulful.This record is effortless and bursting with class.”

Michael Wollny’s [em] live at JazzFest Berlin 2011

Michael Wollny piano
Eva Kruse bass
Eric Schaefer drums
recorded live at Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Main Stage, November 4, 2011

1. Wasted and wanted (Michael Wollny)
2. Blank (Eric Schäfer)
3. Metall (Eva Kruse-Liljeqvist)
4. Kulingtang (Eric Schaefer)
5. Cembalo Manifest (Eric Schaefer)
6. Dance of the Vampires (Krzysztof Komeda)
7. Nr. 10 (Eva Kruse-Liljeqvist)
8. Whiteout (Michael Wollny)
9. Gorilla Biscuits (Eric Schaefer)
10. Phlegma Phighter (Eric Schaefer )

“Young enough, not to have to lug around the ballast of the jazz tradition, and perceptive enough to discover something new every day” (K.Heidkamp/Die Zeit). Since quite a few years now Michael Wollny and [em] have been ranking among the internationally most successful jazz combos from Berlin. The trio is comprised of three personalities who correlate with each other like the corners of an isosceles triangle. Coming from totally different positions, they throw their individual styles and approaches in the mix and team up to consummate form. Their often narrative, abstract songs are inspired by such diverse sources as movies, books, paintings, cartoons, philosophical essays, everyday life or –sometimes– music.
For their new album, [em] have added harpsichord, music boxes and other sound paraphernalia to their so far rather conventional pool of instruments. Inspired by Krzysztof Komeda’s score for Polanski’s Dance of the Vampires the band will –in addition to genuine compositions– present pieces from Komeda soundtracks.

jazz big band graz: ‘Urban Folktales … And A Rose!’ live at Jazzfest Berlin 2010

Horst-Michael Schaffer, vocals, trumpet, conductor
Heinrich von Kalnein, saxophones, flute, conductor
Christoph ‘Pepe’ Auer, saxophones, clarinet, bass clarinet
Johannes Enders, saxophones, flute
Martin Harms, saxophones, bass clarinet
Bernhard Nolf, Axel Mayer, David Jarh, trumpet, flugelhorn
Johannes Herrlich, Robert Bachner, trombone
Wolfgang Tischhart, bass trombone
Uli Rennert, keyboards, lapsteel guitar
Matthias Loibner, electric hurdy-gurdy
Christof Dienz, e-zither, bassoon
Henning Sieverts, bass, cello
Gregor Hilbe, drums, programming
Barbara Buchholz, theremin
OchoReSotto, visuals

recorded live at Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Main Stage, November 4, 2010

1. Band Introduction
2. Urban Tribes - Introduction
3. Seelenbaumeln
4. Spacetrip (or the day we landed)
5. Reve africain
6. High voltage

Among European jazz orchestras the Jazz Bigband Graz has earned an exceptionally good reputation. The international cohort of soloists performs on a superior level. The two artistic directors Heinrich von Kalnein and Horst-Michael Schaffer have managed to mould this heterogeneous flock of individualists into a homogeneous team with a genuine musical language.

The notion of a “Big Band” almost seems too conventional for the reckless musical adventures of this group from Styria since with each new project they further depart from their normal frame work of large jazz ensembles. In 2008, the JBBG celebrated triumphs with their progressive programme Electric Poetry & Lo-Fi Cookies. This year’s edition of JazzFest Berlin stages their latest extravaganza, Urban Folktales … And A Rose!
The poetry of the newly refurbished orchestra –extended by electric zither, amplified wheel fiddle/hurdy-gurdy and a theremin, plus visual projections by artist group OchoReSotto – revolves around one of the most elementary of all human issues – love.

Cannonball Adderley Group live at Berliner Jazztage 1972

Julian "Cannonball" Adderley (as, ss)
Nat Adderley (co)
George Duke (p, elp)
Walter Booker (b)
Roy McCurdy (dr)

recorded live at Philharmonie Berlin, November 2, 1972

1. Hummin' (Nat Adderley; Eugene McDaniels)
2. Doctor Honoris Causa (Josef "Joe" Zawinul)
3. Yesterdays (Jerome Kern)
4. Walk tall (Josef "Joe" Zawinul)
5. Mercy, mercy, mercy (Josef "Joe" Zawinul)
6. The Theme

Still immersed in the burgeoning electronic jazz-rock explosion of the times, Cannonball Adderley goes further toward a rapprochement with the rock and soul audiences than ever before .
"Now I don't give a damn whether you can count or not, we still are the Cannonball Adderley Quintet!," quoth the leader, who is in loose, loquacious form throughout the set (the jazz world badly misses his witty verbal intros). With Joe Zawinul now flying off to Weather Report, his replacement is an even more electronically minded pianist, George Duke, who levitates into the outer limits with his Echoplex and ring modulator and proves to be a solid comper. But Zawinul is not forgotten, for the band pursues a long, probing, atmospheric excursion on his tune, "Dr. Honouris Causa."
Brother Nat Adderley gamely visits the outside on cornet, not always convincingly, while Cannonball doubles with increasing adventurousness on soprano and alto and bassist Walter Booker and drummer Roy McCurdy deftly handle all of the changes of style. Cannonball adeptly keeps pace with Miles Davis, his former boss while not abandoning his funky soul-jazz base nor the special audience-friendly ambience of his concerts. 

Big Sam's Funky Nation live at JazzFest Berlin 2011

Big Sam Williams trombone, vocals
Andrew Baham trumpet, keys, vocals
Takeshi Shimmura guitar
Chocolate Milk drums
Eric Vogel bass

recorded live at Quasimodo, Berlin, November 6, 2011

1. Good Times/We gonna do it (Sammie R. Williams)
2. It's Your Thing/Just Kissed My Baby/Chameleon
3. Funky Donkey
4. Cissy Strut
5. Feelin' Kind a Funky
6. Get Down/Big Sam's Blues
7. Whole Lota Shaking Going on/Walk with me (David Curlee Williams)
8. Do Whatcha Wanna/Let It Shine
9. Headline News

New Orleans’ own Big Sam’s Funky Nation is a driving force of urban funk. Ryan White, of the Oregonian, says the band is “tight enough (and hot enough) to turn coal into a diamond!” The band is led by trombone powerhouse, Big Sam Williams, formerly the trombonist for the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, whom the San Francisco Chronicle calls “the top man on the slide trombone in the birthplace of jazz”. Big Sam refuses to let the audience sit still. Between the band’s solos, Big Sam's signature dance moves and his distinctive trombone riffs, the energy level is high voltage when this band takes the stage!
“He’s got the chops of Louis, the charisma of Dizzy, the oomph of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and the understanding that it don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing … and a whole lotta funk.” (Rachel Levitin, WeLoveDC.com)

Colin Towns Blue Touch Paper live at JazzFest Berlin 2011

Colin Towns keyboards, compositions
Mark Lockheart saxophone
Chris Montague guitar
Edward Maclean bass
Benny Greb drums
Stephan Maas percussion

recorded live at Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Main Stage, November 6, 2011

1. Blue Touch Paper/Say What You Mean/ The Forbidden Dance/ Another Time, Another Place
2. Lost For Words
3. Ducking And Diving
4. One Eye On The Clock
5. Principal Dancer/ Walls Have Ears
6. Introduction by Stephan Maas
7. Transcending
8. This Could Run
9. Crazy Man On Platform 13

No matter if he is busy with his own Mask Orchestra or co-operates with various European radio big bands – Colin Towns stands out from the run-of-the-mill arranging trade.
The British sound magician has developed a unique profile, and has been a welcome and regular guest with the Berlin Jazzfestival since more than a decade.
With his new six piece band the former keyboarder/arranger for the Ian Gillan Band finally returns to his roots – at least looking at the formate. His approach is a very fresh one, though. With an abundance of experience in rock, jazz, classical, electronic and film music at hand, and an excellent cast of German and UK free-thinkers at his side, the Berlin live premiere of Colin Towns Blue Touch Paper promises to be a highly entertaining experience – as drummer Stephan Maas says: “It’s optical music, it takes you on a trip … the challenge of this band is to play without fear”.
Leave your expectations at home – this is no predictable band!

The Swallow Quintet feat. Carla Bley live at JazzFest Berlin 2011

Steve Swallow bass
Chris Cheek tenor sax
Carla Bley Hammond B3
Steve Cardenas guitar
Jorge Rossy drums

recorded live at Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Main Stage, November 6, 2011

1. Sad Old Candle/ Into The Woodwork/ From Whom It May Concern/ Crowded In The Shower (Steve Swallow)
2. Let's Eat (Steve Swallow)
3. Suitable From Framing/ Small Comfort / Still There/ Never Know/ Exil Stage Left (Steve Swallow)
4. Name That Tune (Steve Swallow)

His gig history with this festival dates back to 1966: Stan Getz and Astrud Gilberto were his first visiting card. He played with Gary Burton, kicked off John Scofield’s European career and returned with Carla Bley a couple of times. An innovator on the bass guitar, a gifted composer, producer and bandleader, Steve Swallow has been a consistently engaging presence in jazz over the last 40 years.
He has placed first (electric bass) in the Downbeat International Critics Poll since 1983, and in the Downbeat Readers Poll since 1985. He has also won the Jazz Times poll (electric bass) for the past several years, and has been voted the Jazz Journalists Association's electric bassist of the year since 2001, when that category was instituted.
Now he presents his new band, the first in a long time, a potent lineup that features Carla Bley on Hammond B3 organ, tenorist Chris Cheek, guitarist Steve Cardenas and drummer Jorge Rossy. Together, they create eloquent modern jazz packed with dynamism and drive. Between touring he lives in contented isolation with Carla Bley, in the mountains of upstate New York.

Charles Lloyd & Maria Farantouri live at JazzFest Berlin 2011

Charles Lloyd saxophone, flute, tarogato
Maria Farantouri vocals
Jason Moran piano
Reuben Rogers bass
Eric Harland drums
Socratis Sinopoulos lyra

recorded live at Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Main Stage, November 6, 2011

1. Blow Mind
2. Dream Weaver
3. Beyond Darknessn
4. Se pater kosmon
5. Medley: Vielfaro mou/Thalassaki Mou/Margaritenia/
Alismono/Tou Hel'to Kastron/Requiem/Yanni Mou
6. Prayer

The power, depth and beauty of music can transcend language and cultural differences. Charles Lloyd and Maria Farantouri are both independent, iconic figures in their respective worlds of music: American jazz and the classical music of Greece. When Lloyd and Farantouri met in the fall of 2002, they recognized the one in the other, a fellow soul pursuing a life using music as a means to inspire and elevate other fellow souls on the road to freedom.

The Berlin Jazzfestival line-up features, alongside the singer and the saxophonist’s all-star Charles Lloyd New Quartet, greek lyre player Socratis Silopoulos. Their album “Athens Concert” was recorded in 2010 and released this year on ECM.

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble live at JazzFest Berlin 2011

Smoov trumpet
Baji trumpet
Hudah trumpet
L.T. sousaphone
Yoshi trumpet
Rocco baritone
Clef trombone
Cid trombone
Emanuel Harrold drums

recorded live at Quasimodo, Berlin, November 5, 2011

1. Kryptonite
2. Worldchampions
3. Pluto
4. War
5. Mercury 
6. Planet of Apes
7. Mars
8. Indigo
9. Get the Party started
10. Bajii

Hypnotic Brass Ensemble are eight brothers from the south side of Chicago. They come from an extraordinary musical family. Other sisters and brothers are professional musicians, their mothers are singers, and Philip Cohran, their father, has roots running back to Mississippi, his time in the musical hothouse of 1940s St Louis, and his seminal role with Sun Ra in Chicago in the 1950s. When Ra left for the east coast in 1960, Phil stayed in Chicago.
By the time the members of the HBE were growing up, they were wakened at 6 a.m. for several hours’ music practice before going to school. From an early age they were a central part of their father’s Youth Ensemble. By the end of the nineties, with everyone out of school, they brought together their musicianship, their jazz roots and their hip hop sensibility, and made a living busking on the streets of Chicago. They came up with their name after an incident on the El: playing on the platform, a man in a suit watched them for hours, missing train after train, till in the end he walked up to them and said, “You guys just hypnotized me”.
Eventually the group transferred to New York City, and after playing out relentlessly, including gigs with Mos Def and Erykah Badu, and some particularly incendiary shows in Europe, they have come to be known as one of the hottest and most individual bands around.

Lizz Wright live at JazzFest Berlin 2011

Lizz Wright vocals
Robin Macatangay guitar
Marvin Sewell guitar
Nick D’Amato bass
Jano Rix drums

recorded live at Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Main Stage, November 5, 2011

1. Old Man (Neil Young)
2. Fellowship (Bob Marley)
3. Walk With Me (Trad.)
4. Hit the Ground (Jesse Harris)
5. Stop (Joseph Lee Henry)
6. Easy Rider Blues (trad.)
7. A Lover is Forever (Steve Goodman/Frederik Knobloch)
8. I Remember I Believe (Bernice Reagon)
9. Coming Home (Toshi Reagon/Lizz Wright)
10. Thank You (Jimmy Page/Robert Plant)

Born and raised as the daughter of a preacher in the South East of America, Lizz Wright grew up in close contact with the roots and traditions of black music. Although the says “the gospel is always in my heart and veins” she is far from being afraid of genres like folk, rock or avant-garde - a nod to her roots in gospel on the one hand and her gospel of eclecticism on the other. “The funny thing about the transition from only gospel to jazz is that I felt that jazz had a familiar sacredness to it.”
Wright has been the recipient of non-stop critical acclaim and ever-increasing audiences ever since her Verve debut, Salt, in 2003. Asked about the motivations for her new programme she says “It’s time for me to think about what helps and heals somebody else. And sometimes it’s good to sing simple things that people need, besides pieces that are more intriguing or that have great poetry. That’s where I found myself this time around. There are a lot of tools in here. Sometimes we have songs to climb up on to get over obstacles.” Her latest CD is called Fellowship.

Joe Sample & NDR Big Band "Children of the Sun" live at JazzFest Berlin 2011

Jörg Achim Keller conductor, arrangements
Joe Sample compositions, piano
Thorsten Benkenstein, Ingolf Burkhardt, Claus Stötter, Reiner Winterschladen trumpet
Fiete Felsch, Peter Bolte alto sax
Christof Lauer, Lutz Büchner tenor sax
Frank Delle baritone sax
Nils Landgren trombone, vocals
Dan Gottshall, Klaus Heidenreich, Stefan Lottermann trombone
Ingo Lahme bass trombone
Stephan Diez guitar
Ingmar Heller bass
Robert Ikiz drums
Marcio Doctor percussion
recorded live at Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Main Stage, November 5, 2011

1. Buttermilk Sky
2. Islands Of The Mind
3. Rumfire
4. Gold In The Cane
5. I Believe In
6. Children Of The Sun
7. Blue Abyss
8. I Wanna Go Home
9. Street Life

With the Crusaders he became famous far beyond the jazz scene, his song Street Life was a massive international disco hit, and he has proved to be a reliable provider of chart-breaking material, like One Day I’ll Fly Away for Randy Crawford. He has recorded with a wide range of bands and musos, among them Canned Heat, Steely Dan, The Supremes, Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell and Eric Clapton.
Joe Sample is the golden boy of American fusion-jazz, but his recent project Children of the Sun is not as sunny as the title might imply. Stimulated by a visit to the Caribbean island of St. Croix, he started to look particularly into the subject of slavery – a part of his own family history.
Sample has been planning this project since 1995, and will bring his composition to the Berlin audience with the NDR Bigband (the Hamburg Radio Big Band), arranged by Jörg Achim Keller.
In 2005 Nils Landgren released Creole Love Call featuring Joe Sample.

Stanton Moore Trio live at JazzFest Berlin 2011

Stanton Moore drums
Robert Walter Hammond B3, keyboards
Will Bernard guitar
recorded live at Quasimodo, Berlin, November 4, 2011

1. Pie-eyed Manc (Stanton Moore)
2. Pot Licker (Robert Shawn Walter)
3. Marple Planc (Robert Shawn Walter)
4. Over Compensating (Stanton Moore)
5. Magnolia Triangle (William E. Bernard)
6. Funky Miracle (Arthur L. Neville)
7. Late Night At the Maple Leaf (George Porter)
8. Who Ate The Layer Cake (Stanton Moore)
9. Adelita (Robert Shawn Walter)

In medieval times, alchemy was a mystical pursuit based on a belief that gold could be created from common raw materials. It’s an ancient practice, an idea that has long since been debunked by centuries of scientific evidence to the contrary.
Or has it? Attempts to derive precious substances from lead or tin may have been dismissed by modern-day science as a fool’s errand, but the belief that something of great value can come from something common persists. For drummer Stanton Moore, it’s just a matter of finding the right groove.
Born and raised in New Orleans, Stanton Moore is a dedicated drummer and performer especially connected to the city, its culture and collaborative spirit. Driven and inspired by the thriving music scene of his hometown which includes such greats as Professor Longhair, Doctor John and The Meters, Moore’s name is now mentioned amongst these Big Easy mainstays.
In the early ’90s, Moore helped found the New Orleans-based essential funk band Galactic, he played with metal legends Corrosion of Conformity and the New Orleans Klezmer Allstars, with his trio Garage A Trois and – alongside Trombone Shorty, Big Sam ao – in the brass band Midnight Disturbers. His latest album "Groove Alchemy" was released on Telarc Records in 2010.

Adam Baldych Quintet live at JazzFest Berlin 2011

Adam Baldych violin
Maciej Kociński saxophone
Krzysztof Dys piano
Andrzej Święs bass
Dana Hawkins drums
recorded live at Quasimodo, Berlin, November 3, 2011

1. Lot mazgorzaty (Adam Baldych)
2. Welcome Pill (Adam Baldych)
3. Babuszka (Adam Baldych)
4. Diabel Boruta (Adam Baldych)
5. Abra kadabra (Adam Baldych)
6. Yes or No (Wayne Shorter)

Ever since Zbigniew Seifert revolutionized the jazz-violin in the 1970ies, tantamount to Coltrane's sax or Hendrix’ guitar, the Polish jazz scene has been a hotbed of a unique line of outstanding violinists, from Michał Urbaniak or Krzęsimir Debski to Henryk Gembalski, latest representative of this trade being Adam Baldych.
In spite of his youth this extraordinarily creative artist has been performing and recording with some of the best Polish and international musicians. The former “infant prodigy’s” music is an extremely expressive combination of modern musical flows. The virtuosity which is his trademark turns Adam's concerts into a unique experience full of energy, youthful zing, yet with a mature sound that receives popularity and respect both from the audience as critics. His nickname “Evil” is probably the best certificate defining his emotional kind of playing and improvising.

Tomasz Stanko "Litania" live at JazzFest Berlin 2011

Tomasz Stańko trumpet
Mark Turner saxophone
Joakim Milder saxophone
Marcin Wasilewski piano
Sławomir Kurkiewicz bass
Michał Miśkiewicz drums
recorded live at Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Main Stage, November 3, 2011

1. Litania (Krysztof Komeda)
2. Sleep Safe And Warm (Krysztof Komeda)
3. Svantetic (Krysztof Komeda)
4. Ballada (Krysztof Komeda)

Tomasz Stańko was 20 and a graduate of the Cracow Music Academy when he formed his first band, the Jazz Darings, with pianist Adam Makowicz in 1962. Inspired by early Ornette Coleman and the innovations of Coltrane, Miles Davis and George Russell, the group is often cited by music historians as the first European group to play free jazz, but for the trumpeter its importance was eclipsed by the invitation to join Krzysztof Komeda’s quintet the following year. Stańko toured for five years with Komeda, appeared on eleven albums with him, and also made contributions to all of the films scores that Komeda realized in Poland.
In 1970, Stańko joined Alex Schlippenbach’s Globe Unity Orchestra, which brought him into contact with all the key figures of the European jazz avant-garde, and also formed a quintet, with violinist Zbigniew Seifert. The following year he collaborated with Krysztof Penderecki and Don Cherry. His most important work of the 1970s, however, may have been with Finnish drummer Edward Vesala.
During the 1980s Tomasz Stanko explored many approaches to improvisation and when many Polish musicians left the country in the late eighties he kept true his roots. From his Polish homebase he went travelling to India, worked extensively with Cecil Taylor and, together with the crop of the Scandinavian scene, did recordings for ECM – amongst them the album Litania (1996).
The JazzFest Berlin 2011 edition will see an updated version of this Komeda-tribute, with members of Stańko’s ‘house band’, the Wasilewski Trio, and Joakim Milder from the original cast.

Leszek Możdżer live at JazzFest Berlin 2011

Leszek Możdżer piano
recorded live at Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Main Stage, November 3, 2011

1. Crazy Girl (Krystof Komeda)
2. Nighttime, daytime requiem (Krystof Komeda)
3. Ballad for Bernt (Krystof Komeda)
4. Cherry (Krystof Komeda)
5. Sleep Save And Warm (Krystof Komeda)
6. The Law and The Fist (Krystof Komeda)
7. Svantetic (Krystof Komeda)
8. Cherry (Krystof Komeda)

Starting from Frédéric Chopin as originator, Poland looks back on a long tradition of piano esthetes. After Krzysztof Komeda, Mieczysław Kosz and Adam Makowicz, outstanding pianist/composer/producer, Leszek Możdżer is widely considered to be the greatest revelation of Polish jazz of the last decade, eventually proving Frankfurter Allgemeine’s prediction right: “Leszek Możdżer, one of the greatest piano virtuosos, could easily be dubbed the Star of the East”. Over the years he has recorded more than 100 albums, not only with all the stars of the Polish scene but also with the likes of John Scofield, Pat Metheny or Lars Danielsson.
With his solo-project, Komeda, Możdżer not only fathoms the universe of the legendary film composer. He re-translates his great ancestor’s sonic world back into the classical context from which Komeda had drawn his essential impulses 40 years earlier.

Adam Pieronczyck feat. Gary Thomas: Komeda – The Innocent Sorcerer live at JazzFest Berlin 2011

Adam Pierończyk saxophones
Gary Thomas tenor sax
Nelson Veras guitar
Max Mucha bass
Łukasz Żyta drums
recorded live at Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Main Stage, November 3, 2011

1. Sleep Save and Warm (Krysztof Komeda)
2. Roman (Krysztof Komeda)
3. Kattorna (Krysztof Komeda)
4. Roman II (Krysztof Komeda)

Adam Pierończyk belongs to a younger generation of Polish musicians who concern themselves with their national jazz history in a fresh and jaunty way. On his cd Komeda – The Innocent Sorcerer he celebrates a nostalgia-free homage to the sonic universe of the great jazz pioneer and film composer Komeda; And much like his musical ancestor, Pierończyk manages to conjure musical magic with relatively simple means.
New York’s Cadence magazine certifies him to be “a discovery, for he has a lovely warm tone and a clever imagination, but he can also blow for the borders.” Besides playing with Polish musicians Tomasz Stańko or Leszek Możdżer the Krakow-based saxophonist has worked with international stars like Greg Osby, Sam Rivers, Archie Shepp and Ted Curson.
“Adam Pierończyk is among the very finest of the Polish jazz scene. He is successful like few others in combining instrumental virtuosity, precision, and intellectual refinement with an emotionality that borders on exhibitionism. He burns in his improvisations, and the listener burns with him.”
(Gazeta Wyborcza)