Jazz Crucible

Seeking inspiration from one another, playing in different configurations and always being open to new ideas – that’s jazz in a nutshell. The Young and Old, or Jazz in Kraków International Festival will be breaking down genre and generation barriers for the 24th time.

The festival prologue will be the performance by Cory Henry & The Funk Apostles on 18 April at Studio. Hailing from Brooklyn, the frontman is a charismatic, inspirational virtuoso of the Hammond organ. He is known for his work with Snarky Puppy (the group has been awarded two Grammy Awards) and his solo albums First Steps and The Revival.

The main festival events take place between 27 and 30 April. Radio Kraków hosts concerts revealing the vast diversity of projects by jazz musicians from Poland and abroad. The pianist Piotr Wyleżoł presents his album Human Things with the participation of Aga Zaryan and the American saxophonist Andy Middleton. We will also see the Austrian/Polish/Ukrainian ensemble accepDance, combining ethno jazz with contemporary music. The special concert Magic of Polish Jazz Songs brings together young vocalists. The festival once again joins in the celebrations of International Jazz Day on 30 April: the Manggha Museum hosts the Polish/Norwegian Maciej Obara Quartet with their project Unloved. And don’t forget to head to at least one nighttime jam session in a club format!

The festival closes with the only concert in Poland by the big band led by one of the greatest jazz double-bassists working today: Christian McBride. The winners of this year’s Grammy Award appear on 7 May at the Variété Theatre.

Igor Kuranda, Karnet magazine

18 April 2018, 8pm, Studio, ul. Budryka 4
CORY HENRY & THE FUNK APOSTLES
Cory Henry - hammond organ & keys
Adam Agati - guitar
Nicholas Semrad - keys
Sharay Reed - bass
TaRon Lockett - drums
Tickets: PLN 120/85

27 April 2018, 8pm, Radio Kraków, Al. Słowackiego 22
PIOTR WYLEŻOŁ „Human Things”
feat. Andy Middleton & Aga Zaryan
Andy Middleton (USA) - sax
Robert Majewski - flugelhorn
Grzegorz Nagórski  - euphonium
Piotr Wyleżoł - piano
Michał Barański - bass
Michał Miśkiewicz - drums
Special guests:
Aga Zaryan -  voc
Grzegorz Dowgiałło - voc
Tickets: PLN 50

28 April 2018, 8pm, Radio Kraków, Al. Słowackiego 22
AccepDance
Martin Wesely – guitar, mandoline
Piotr Domagała – guitar
Oleg Dyyak – accordion, duduk, clarinet
Andreas Schiffer – drums, krotale
Florian Hupfauf – double
Tickets: PLN 50

29 April 2018, 8pm, Radio Kraków, Al. Słowackiego 22
Magic of Polish Jazz Songs
Tickets: PLN 30

30 April 2018, 8pm, Manggha Museum, ul. M. Konopnickiej 26
International Jazz Day
MACIEJ OBARA QUARTET „Unloved”
Maciej Obara - sax
Dominik Wania - piano
Ole Morten Vagan - double bass
Gard Nilssen - drums
Tickets: PLN 50

7 May 2018, 8pm, VARIETE Theatre, ul. Grzegórzecka 71
CHRISTIAN McBRIDE BIG BAND
Christian McBride – bass, leader
Quincy Phillips – drums
Xavier Davis – piano
trumpets: Frank Greene, Freddie Hendrix, Brandon Lee, Nabate Isles,
trombones: Steve Davis, Michael Dease, James Burton, Douglas Purviance,
reeds: Steve Wilson (alto), Todd Bashore (alto), Ron Blake (tenor), Dan Pratt (tenor), Carl Maraghi (baritone),
Danny Ray – emcee
Tickets: PLN 120/80