ŁUKASZ OJDANA SOLO
16 JANUARY 2021, SATURDAY, 02 PM (EST), 11 AM (PST), 08 PM (CET)
National Forum of Music, Red Hall
Free live streaming at Lincoln Center
Polish Music Center USC Thornton School of Music
RADEK NOWICKI QUARTET
13 FEBRUARY 2021, SATURDAY, 02 PM (EST), 11 AM (PST), 08 PM (CET)
National Forum of Music, Main Hall
Free live streaming at Jazz at Lincoln Center
Polish Music Center USC Thornton School of Music
MANIUCHA & KSAWERY
19 FEBRUARY 2021, FRIDAY, 02 PM (EST), 11 AM (PST), 08 PM (CET)
National Forum of Music, Red Hall
Free live streaming at Center for World Music
Polish Music Center USC Thornton School of Music
Center for Traditional Music and Dance
The Ukrainian Museum
Jazztopad Festival, in partnership with Polish Cultural Institute New York presents The Great Improvisation series online live streamed from the National Forum of Music (NFM) in Wrocław, Poland. The series presents various faces of jazz – from bold avant-garde and daring improvisation through to the mainstream. The ideal acoustics of the NFM halls provide a perfect environment for both young Polish bands as well as established artists. The series has presented such musicians as Wynton Marsalis, Bobo Stenson, Gregory Porter, Tomasz Stańko, Kuba Więcek, Brad Mehldau, and Dianne Reeves.
The Polish jazz scene has been a strongly recognizable brand in the world, both in terms of quality of festivals and the craft of artists. Jazztopad Festival has been running for the past 17 years under the umbrella of the National Forum of Music. Jazztopad’s most distinctive feature is its commitment to commissioning new music and presenting special projects tailored for the festival. As the only Polish festival, Jazztopad has built relationships with the most important jazz centers in the world, supporting the promotion of Polish improvised music and cultural exchange for many years. Since 2015 Jazztopad has had annual editions in New York.
Saturday, January 16, 2021 at 02 PM (EST), 11 AM (PST), 08 PM (CET), 08 PM (CET), outstanding Polish jazz pianist and composer Łukasz Ojdana will present his solo album Kurpian Songs & Meditations, an exploration and blending of jazz with traditional music of the ethnic region of Kurpie in Poland. Free live streaming at Lincoln Center and Polish Music Center USC Thornton School of Music.
Saturday, February 13, 2021 at 02 PM (EST), 11 AM (PST), 08 PM (CET), Radek Nowicki Quartet. Free live streaming at Jazz at Lincoln Center and Polish Music Center USC Thornton School of Music. One of the most distinctive voices of Polish jazz saxophone brought together an all-star band to explore improvisation deeply rooted in and inspired by tradition of such jazz giants as Wayne Shorter or John Coltrane.
Friday, February 19, 2021 at 02 PM (EST), 11 AM (PST), 08 PM (CET), Maniucha & Ksawery. They are a vocal and bass duo drawing inspiration from the deep-rooted yet endangered traditional songs of the vast Polesie region in Ukraine. Their compositions combine jazz improvisation with songs of spring, harvest, weddings, lullabies and love, to create a narrative of the cycles of nature and human life. Free live streaming at Center for World Music, Polish Music Center USC Thornton School of Music, The Ukrainian Museum, and Center for Traditional Music and Dance.
The Great Improvisation online series is presented by Jazztopad Festival and National Forum of Music, in partnership with Polish Cultural Institute New York, and in collaboration with Lincoln Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center, Center for World Music, Polish Music Center USC Thornton School of Music, and Center for Traditional Music and Dance.
All concerts will also live stream on the websites and social media channels of National Forum of Music, Jazztopad Festival, Polish Cultural Institute New York and Europe Jazz Network.
