KACZMARCZYK SESSIONS: KRZYSZTOF POPEK QUINTET

Krzysztof Popek – flute

Grzegorz Nagórski – trombone

Paweł Kaczmarczyk – piano

Adam Kowalewski – double bass

Kazimierz Jonkisz – drums

TICKETS: 30/40 pln

KRZYSZTOF POPEK

Soprano and alto flute player, composer, arranger and band leader. He has topped the jazz rankings of the Jazz Forum magazine for many years. He owns the record label POWER BROS.

He started off as a jazz musician at Jazz Juniors and Jazz Nad Odrą festivals winning individual awards at both. He has acted as the inspirational leader of numerous bands including Young Power. At present he plays and records within International Quintet with Kirk Lightsey, Stephen Scott, Cameron Brown, Victor Lewis, Joe La Barbera, David Friesen, Randy Porter, Ed Schuller, Jasper van’t Hof, John Betsch, Piotr Wojtasik and Piotr Baron.

In 1997 Popek and his Quintet performed in Bonn, Germany to celebrate Poland’s accession to NATO. In the 90’s he became a producer and record editor. Since 1992 his label Power Bros has been releasing the full series of Polish jazz classics and also many records by world-known stars like Joe Lovano, Billy Harper, David Liebman, Victor Lewis, Tomasz Stańko, Buster Williams, Billy Hart, David Friesen, Edward Vesala, Jon Christensen, Arild Andersen, Ed Schuller, Bernt Rosengren, Ben Riley, Ronnie Burrage etc.

GRZEGORZ NAGÓRSKI

Grzegorz Nagórski  began studying music at the age of eleven, playing tuba, and bass guitar. He studied trombone at the Secondary Music School in Gdansk. He made his professional debut with the Jan “Ptaszyn” Wróblewski group in 1982. In 1983, he was distinguished in the National Competition of Jazz Improvisation in his home country. The same year he began studying at the Academy of Music in Katowice. In 1987, Grzegorz received his Bachelor’s Degree of the above mentioned Academy. During this period he performed with the jazz-funk group “Young Power” in Stockholm, Sweden, Norway, Germany and recorded two albums with that ensemble.

In 1990, Greg studied at the Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. The following year he entered the University of Miami Studio Music and Jazz program. In 1993, he graduated with a Master’s Degree in Jazz performance. During 1993-1995, he tought jazz trombone and jazz ensembles at the above mentioned schools. In the meantime, he played with such greats as: Ira Sillivan – Inter/Outer Continental Quintet, Tito Puente, Ray Charles, Maria Schneider, Red Rodney, Michael Brecker, Joe Henderson, Slide Hampton, Arturo Sandowal, Pete Minger to name a few.

After coming back to Poland Grzegorz has been very active as a performer and became one of the most sought trombone players in the country. A partial list of his collaborations include: Henryk Miskiewicz, Zbigniew Namyslowski, Kuba Stankiewicz, Piotr Wojtasik, Robert Majewski, Jaroslaw Smietana, Maciej Sikala, Adam Pieronczyk, Leszek Mozdzer, Claus Raible, Bob Brookmeyer, Ed Neumeister among others. Grzegorz Nagorski recorded over twenty jazz albums as a sideman. Starting in 1996 until present Grzegorz Nagorski was voted the “Best Trombonist” in the Jazz Top readers poll in Jazz Forum European Magazine.

PAWEŁ KACZMARCZYK

b. February 8, 1984 in Krakow, Poland – Polish pianist, arranger, composer and sideman.

“Listening to the way Paweł Kaczmarczyk gets sounds out of the keys, we can understand what full-blooded, completely engaged jazz piano playing is all about.”Howard Reich – CHICAGO TRIBUNE

The artist’s third album “Complexity in Simplicity”, issued by the prestigious label ACT Music, opened the door to an international career for the pianist. The album was recognized as “Album of The Year”, and Paweł Kaczmarczyk named “Pianist of The Year”. (JAZZ FORUM)

Winner of the “Gazeta Wyborcza’s Cultural Flights” award, in the“Artist of The Year 2009” category, and recipient of the Jazz Music Lovers’ Grand Prix “Jazz Oscars”in the New Hope, Artist and Album of The Yearcategories.

Twice nominated for a “FRYDERYK” award, in the Jazz Musician of The Year and Phonographic Debut of The Year categories.

Actively performs in every part of the world, including Europe, the USA, India, Africa, Asia and the Arabian Peninsula.

Has appeared and worked with many world-renowned artists, including Lee Konitz, Jon Christensen, Mino Cinelu, Emil Mangelsdorff, Poogie Bell, Hadrien Feraud, Eivind Aarset, Arild Andersen, Theodosii Spassov, Janusz Muniak, Piotr Wojtasik, Adam Pierończyk, and Zbigniew Namysłowski, among others.

http://www.pawelkaczmarczyk.com

KAZIMIERZ JONKISZ

Jonkisz’s musical education started at the age of 10 with accordion lessons at a local high school. Later on, at theBielsko-Biała Music high school, he switched to drums. He appeared at the “Jazz by the Odra ’67” Festival at the age of 18, winning it as a soloist. In 1971 he graduated from the Academy of Music in Katowice receiving the Krzysztof Komeda award.

He has worked and recorded with top Polish jazz musicians, such as: Tomasz Stańko, Zbigniew Namysłowski, Adam Makowicz, J. P. Wroblewski, Michał Urbaniak and Mieczysław Kosz. He has also played with international jazz stars like: Al Cohn, Roy Hargrove, Larry Coryell, Amina Claudine Myers, Monty Waters, Eddie Henderson, Kevin Mahogany, Marc Thomas, Miles Griffith, John Hicks, Bob Sheppard, Lary Goldings, Tim Hagans.

Since 1978, he has led his own groups in which many Polish jazz musicians made their professional debut. He has recorded over 70 records, some of them as a leader (the first one “Tiri Taka”, was made in 1980). He played at festivals in Poland and Europe, such as: Jazz Jamboree, Molde Jazz Festival, Bergamo, Ost West – Germany,Havana Jazz, New Port in Belgrade, Temecula International Jazz Festival (USA), and many others. For 15 years he has taught drums at the jazz department of the Fryderyk Chopin Music Academy in Warsaw. Along with teachers from Berklee College of Music and Musik Hoch Schule from Graz, he regularly teaches drums at the summer jazz workshop in Puławy, in Poland.