Mikołaj Trzaska and international project
HA-TICHONA (heb. inner ear)
Mikołaj Trzaska – sax, bass clarinet (Poland), Steve Swell- trombone (New York), Olie Brice- double bass (Israel), Mark Sanders- drums (Great Britain)
Mikołaj Trzaska – born in Gdańsk, saxophonist, bass clarinetist and composer, grew out of yass – a socio-artistic movement that in the 80-ties/ 90-ties opposed the rigidity of Polish jazz environment. Together with Tymon Tymański and a group of other musicians free from any doctrine they changed the image of Polish jazz music.
Trzaska was the co-founder of the most important yass group – legendary Miłość and of as creative Łoskot. Although the impetus of yass faded away many years ago he became the leader of national improvisation scene.
After the yass period he recorded a few concentrated and quiet albums with the section of Oleś brothers. He also accompanied poets – Świetlicki and Andrukhovych, he created muical – literary projects with Andrzej Stasiuk.
Today he is the leader of international trio Volumen and the member of among others Resonance of Ken Vandermark, Magic – Joe McPhee or Shofar trio with Raphael Rogiński and Macio Moretti – playing Jewish music.
But above all he realizes himself in the radical contemporary free jazz. He travels around the world cooperating with personalities of world improvisation among others with Peter Brötzmann, Joe McPhee, Ken Vandermak, Peter Friis Nielsen, Clementine Gasser, Pete Ole Jorgensen, Michael Zerang, Franz Houtzinger, Jay Rosen, Domik Duval, Mark Sanders. He has recorded around thirty albums.
In his new musical project “Ha-Tichona” he connected hasidic music and the idea of free improvised jazz. The goal is to revive traditional Jewish music, which was a way of religious experience. Such improvisation with strong influence of hasidic melodies is trying to cause a mystical state, restoring music its basic role – connecting community in religious experience.
Steve Swell – New York musician known from cooperation with many representatives of New York alternative and mainstream scene. Awarded with Trombone Player of the Year 2008 title by Jazz Journalists Association and the best trombone player of 2008 and 2009 by Argentinian magazine „El Intruso”. Recorded 25 LPs and participated in 90 other artists recordings. Gives concerts and conducts workshops all over the world.
Mark Sanders – Part of 90s London jazz scene. Together with Paul Rogers play as a rhythm section. He gave concerts and recorded with bands of Evan Parker and Elton Dean, Georg Grawe, Hellene Labarierre, as well as in NATO label projects, alongside Native American, Spanish and Moroccan musicians. Records with groups of dub-rock bass player Jah Wrobble, with Ronnie Drew from „The Dubliners” and latin-american musicians from „Molam Lao”. His interest in electro-acoustic music connected him with Pate Thomas, John Wall, Springheel Jack. He is an author of more than 100 recordings and a visiting professor of improvisation at Royal Academy of Arts.
Olie Brice – Jazz improviser, who have always dreamt about playing on a double bass. Known for his work with Evan Parker, Paul Dunmall, Mark Sanders or Steve Noble. Plays klezmer and balkan music. Currently is engaged in „Oi Va Voi”, „Shekoyakh” and „The Magic Trombolinos” groups.
Raphael Rogiński and international project
NEFESH (heb. soul)
Raphael Rogiński – guitars, ud, mandolin, cumbus (Poland), Cigdem Aslan – vocal (Great Britain) , Tahir Palali – kopuz, baglama (Great Britain), Peter Ole Jorgensen – drums (Denmark)
Project “Nefesh” (hebr. soul) is discovering music tradition of Sephardi Jews, mainly from northern Greece and Turkey. Musicians who participate in the project come from different ethnic and music cultures which allows mixing sephardi root music and modern free jazz and trip-hop. Traditional instruments are accompanied with electronics, making it easier to think of tradition as a part of contemporary culture. Original songs written to kabalistic words show how Otoman Empire was tolerant to different cultures.
Raphael Rogiński – Started playing electric guitar when he was 13. Educated in jazz an classical music, musicology and ethnomusicology. In his music mixes jazz and blues improvisation with ethnic and folk music. Leader of two projects that develop his interest in Jewish culture: “Shofar” and “Cukunft”. At the same time engaged in modern jazz ventures. Music composed by him is used in theatres and films. Have worked with Macio Moretti, Yale Storm, John Tilbury, Jarek Bester, Mikołaj Trzaska and Maria Peszek.
Tahir Palali – Muzyk-samouk, który rozpoczął swe życie muzyczne jako siedmiolatek od gry na baglamie. Jego zainteresowania obejmują pieśni anatolijskich Alewitów i Bektaszów. Rozpoczął grę w „Cemie” akompaniując słynnym Dede i Dertli Divani. Opanował również technikę gry na kopuzie. Od szesnastego roku życia mieszka w Londynie, dzięki czemu włącza do swej twórczości muzykę zachodnią. Współpracował z Owenem Lloydem Williamsem i Ozanem Toprtakiem. Obecnie pracuje jako aranżer i nagrywa w studiach Hijaz w Londynie.
Peter Ole Jorgensen – Centralna postać duńskiej sceny muzycznej, kreatywny perkusista i właściciel wytwórni płytowej Ninth Word Music. Skomponował muzykę do ponad 30 baletów, filmów i przedstawień, a sam wydał ponad 40 płyt. Współpracował z takimi artystami jak Fred Frith, David Moss, Phil Minton, Frank Lowe. Obecnie komponuje dla Davida (Pere Ubu) Thomasa. Jest laureatem wielu nagród za swoją twórczość kompozytorską.
Cigdem Aslan – is an Istanbul-born singer who sings in Turkish, Kurdish, Greek, Ladino and several other languages. She has always loved singing, as it was integral to her family life in Turkey. While studying English literature at Istanbul University, she studied and performed Rebetiko, Sephardic, Kurdish and other music from Turkey’s other ethnic groups with the Istanbul University Music Club Band. She moved to London in 2003 and is currently studying Music at Goldsmith’s University. Cigdem has broadened her repertoire and skills doing different music workshops like Bulgarian Singing, Turkish Classical Art Music, etc. Her unique vocal range – there are few who can sing so authentically in as many languages and styles of the region- has made her an in-demand singer in London with different bands. She joined She’Koyokh in 2008 and has performed with them in different festivals and concerts around Europe and the UK.
Cigdem recently performed ‘Songs of Smyrna’ in a live session on BBC Radio 3’s World on 3 presented by Lopa Kothari and as support for Yasmin Levy in the Cadgon Hall, London.
“On stage Aslan is a fresh, natural and relaxed performer with a beautiful voice. Her facility to slip from Greek to Turkish and several other languages is a real asset.” Simon Broughton, Songlines.
Paul Brody
Światowej sławy trębacz i kompozytor wychowany w Kalifornii w rodzinie kultywującej bogate i różnorodne tradycje muzyczne: od Schumanna i Strawińskiego po „The Beatles” i „The Ventures”. Studiował klasyczną trąbkę, kompozycję i twórczość literacką na uniwersytecie w Bostonie. Brał udział w europejskim tournée broadwayowskiego show Duka Ellingtona „Sophisticated Ladies”. Koncertował z takimi gwiazdami jak Barry White, David Moss, Steve Bernstein, Anthony Coleman, Carlom Bica. Od lat 90. mieszka i tworzy w Berlinie. Przy wsparciu Berlin Arts Council i wytwórni Tzadik nagrał wraz z zespołem „Paul Brody’s Sadawi” eksperymentalną muzykę klezmerską, która zdobyła popularność na licznych festiwalach, m. in. Krakowskim Festiwalu Kultury Żydowskiej, co zaowocowało współpracą z takimi gwiazdami sceny klezmerskiej jak Frank London, David Krakauer, Theodore Bikel, Michael Alpert, Josh „Socalled” Dolgin. Występuje gościnnie jako solowy trębacz na najbardziej prestiżowych scenach Europy, angażuje się w projekty filmowe i teatralne. Zainspirowany muzykowaniem z własnymi dziećmi komponuje i wydaje cieszące się uznaniem i popularnością płyty z piosenkami dla dzieci.
The Sejny Theatre Klezmer Orchestra
The Sejny Theatre Klezmer Orchestra was created by a group of young people connected with the Borderland Foundation and the Centre “Borderland of Arts, Cultures and Nations”, Sejny. Both institutions refer in their educational and artistic work to the multicultural heritage of Central and Eastern Europe. The band was founded a few years ago during the work on the staging of Szymon An-ski’s play Dybbuk. The fascinating adventure with the klezmer music begun then by the young people from the Sejny borderland continues until now. Today this already involves a new generation of Sejny musicians. Many youth of Sejny have already had an opportunity to become initiated into the secrets of klezmer music. New generations come to replace their friends who leave entering their adult life. Also the range of instruments changes. The Sejny band participated a number of times in the Krakow Jewish Culture Festival that brought them in close musical contacts with outstanding klezmer musicians from across the ocean: David Krakauer, Michael Alpert, Deborah Strauss, Jeff Warschauer, Stuart Brotman, Frank London and Paul Brody. Its origin in these friendships had the musical meeting “The Musicians Raft – New York to Sejny”. In the lively musical space met the masters of klezmer music from America, the descendants of the Jewish emigrants from Europe and young musicians from Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, and Rumania looking for inspiration in the Jewish music, long silenced in Europe. Similar events, and also permanent work for the local youth, make klezmer music present in the White Synagogue, Sejny on an everyday basis.
The band will present traditional klezmer music resounding both with the tunes of the nations of Central and Eastern Europe and experimental sounds inspired by the music from the borderland of jazz and rock. The concert will include songs sung in Yiddish and Ladino.
The ensemble includes: Sylwia Olszewska – trumpet, Marta Golkowska – trumpet, Dominika Korzeniecka – drums, Bartek Bizio – contralto saxhorn, Rafał Dziemitko – slide trombone, Karol Dziemitko – trumpet, Patryk Masłowski – valve trombone , Piotr Janiec – tube, Kacper Szroeder – first trumpet, Maciej Soroko – slide trombone, Marcin Dąbrowski – trumpet, Stanisław Czyżewski – double bass, Michał Moniuszko – double bass, Tomasz Stawiecki (clarinet), Małgorzata Sporek-Czyżewska – vocals, Wojciech Szroeder – accordion, band leader.