March edition Jazz Jantaru proves once again that the Gdańsk festival remains one of the boldest points on the map of Polish jazz events. The organizers consistently combine world names with premieres of the young scene and projects balancing on the boundaries of genres. During five intense days, the audience will hear thirteen concerts, including numerous Polish debuts of international bands and new materials prepared especially for this edition.
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One of the strongest points of the festival will be the performance of the project created by Reid Anderson and Dave King from The BadPlus along with the saxophonist Chris Potter and a pianist Craig Taborn. The artists use the aesthetics of Keith Jarrett’s legendary quartet, but instead of faithful reconstructions, they propose a creative continuation of the idea of group dialogue.
In their interpretation, one can hear enormous freedom of improvisation, emotional intensity and courage in crossing forms. Potter, considered one of the greatest saxophonists of his generation, brings jazz virtuosity, and Taborn builds spaces between classical harmony and modern piano electronics. Jazz Jantar is the first opportunity for Polish fans to hear them live.
Jazz rock in a modern version by Tomasz Chyła
Tomasz Chyła Quintet In recent years, it has developed into one of the most interesting young Polish jazz formations. Their new album develops the band’s characteristic language, in which progressive jazz meets rock energy and expressive melody.
Chyła’s violin leads a narrative full of tension and emotions, and the rhythm section builds a powerful groove on which intense improvisations flourish. Emil Miszek’s trumpet and Krzysztof Hadrych’s guitar give the whole thing an almost cinematic panache. It is dynamic music, sometimes aggressive, sometimes reflective, but always immersed in modern sound.
British workaholics and the new face of improvisation
IllConsidered is a band that in less than a decade managed to release almost twenty albums and build a reputation as one of the most creative formations of the European improvised scene. Their concerts are a living organism, created here and now, with elements of hypnotic grooves, melodic themes and bold sound explorations.
The new material from the album “Balm” shows the trio’s softer side, full of space and atmosphere, but without losing its improvisational intensity.
Post-punk fury meets jazz spirituality
Maruja is an example of a band that completely escapes the classic jazz framework. Although the saxophone parts refer to spiritual jazz and the British scene of Ezra Collective, the foundation of their sound is raw, post-punk energy.
Guitars, nervous rhythms and expressive vocals create concerts that resemble a rock trance rather than a jazz recital. The material from the album “Pain to Power” has a chance to become one of the most explosive moments of the entire festival.
When improvisation meets electronics and sound art
Design The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters was born out of Mariam Rezaea’s artistic residency at London’s Café Oto. Turntablism, electronics, saxophone and drums create soundscapes balancing between free jazz and experimental music.
Mette Rasmussen, Gabriele Mitelli and Lukas König complete the vision, creating intense, disturbing structures full of sudden turns and emotional explosions.
Rasmussen will also appear solo, where her saxophone expression takes on a punk wildness and absolute freedom.
International mergers and fresh energy
AVA Trio is a meeting of musicians from several countries united by the Dutch improvisational scene. Their music combines jazz freedom with ethnic influences and rock dynamics. The new album “Lunae” promises even more space and rhythmic surprises, and the presence of trumpeter Bart Maris adds a sharper, free jazz character to the whole thing.
Un.procedure in turn, they balance between ambient, psychedelia and improvisation, building dark, pulsating sound structures in which the saxophone intertwines with synthesizers and electronic textures.
Polish scene without compromises
Szymon Zawodny Quintet will present material inspired by the aesthetics of the ECM label, full of space, melancholy and refined harmonies, while Pressure will bring extreme tensions between noise, jazz trance and monumental climaxes.
It will show its new face Allah Bonsaiwhich moved from an electronic experiment towards an acoustic-electronic hybrid full of subtle details.
Jazz Jantar concert schedule
19:00 Angel Bat Dawid Jantar aMuz Band – Suwnicowa Hall
20:30 The Bad Plus feat. Chris Potter & Craig Taborn – Suwnicowa Hall
19:00 AVA Trio feat. Bart Maris – Kino Żak
20:10 Allah Bonsai – Crane Hall
21:30 Ill Considered – Crane Hall
19:00 Kratisa Q – Kino Żak
20:10 Szymon Zawodny Quintet – Suwnicowa Hall
21:30 The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters – Suwnicowa Hall
19:00 Mette Rasmussen Solo – Żak Gallery
20:10 Un.procedure – Crane Hall
21:30 Tomasz Chyła Quintet – Suwnicowa Hall
19:00 Pressure – Crane Hall
20:30 Maruja – Crane Hall
Concert tickets can be purchased on the website tickets.klubzak.com.pl or directly at the Żak ticket office. Tickets for the last day of the festival are already sold out.