Polish Jazz London Series: High Definition Quartet

"One of the most incredible bands if not the most incredible group I have ever played with" - Randy Brecker

High Definition Quartet's originality and musical freshness have created an impact in Poland and abroad. They’ve won a number of awards including First Prize at Jazz Hoeilaart 2011.

The Forefathers' Eve is a jazz interpretation of the II chapter of the most important Polish romantic drama "Dziady" Adama Mickiewicza. The "Dziady" concert created and performed by High Definition Quartet is a kind of jazz spiritualist session. The project is the first attempt in the musical interpretation of the second part of Adam Mickiewicz's drama in history, carried out in cooperation with the creators of electronic music - distant from the romantic context in which we used to write the work of Mickiewicz.

The concert is a combination of acoustic improvised music and contemporary electronic music. By invitation of the band, eminent creators of ambient music, William Basinski, Christian Fennesz, Krzysztof Knittel and Robert Rich joined the musical development of ghosts. These artists performed at the premiere implementation of the project, and for its further presentation and registration on the album they provided their own electronic sets prepared especially for the High Definition Quartet.

The plot of the literary source text is reflected in the layer of music by juxtaposing opposing spheres: human (acoustic music with elements of improvisation) and spiritual (electronic sets). The role of participants in the ritual is played by a jazz quartet, and the recordings prepared by the invited creators of electronic music signal the appearance of further phenomena.