A series of jazz concerts by the Smietana Quartet from Poland will be
held in Hanoi and HCM City to celebrate Polish Independence Day which
falls on November 11.
They will perform songs by F Chopin, W
Montgomery and O Colleman, as well as pieces composed by Jarek Smietana,
leader of the quartet. He is one of Poland's premier jazz musicians.
Between
1975 and 1981, he was the leader of the legendary Polish jazz group
Extra Ball. Since 1982, he has played with the Sounds, the Symphonic
Sound Orchestra and the Polish Jazz Stars Band while co-leading the
Smietana Quartet, who have played all over the world.
During his
career, he has been featured and recorded with some of the world's
greatest jazz artists such as Art Farmer, Freddie Hubbard, Eddie
Henderson, Joe Zawinul and Gary Bartz. He has also written hundreds of
songs and has led many workshops and clinics.
All the notes fall
naturally into place. Never garrulous or merely exhibitionistic, it is a
jazz concert of the highest calibre. Each phrase is swinging and is
full of drive and feeling. That is how musician Leszek Kotarski
described Jarek Smietana on Jazz Forum in Poland.
"Being one of
the most outstanding Polish jazz musicians, he has created his own music
style and individual sound, always personal yet constantly
communicative. His first priority is the highest possible artistic
level," said Kotarski.
Drummer Adam Czerwinski was born in 1965
and is one of the best Polish jazz drummers. He has played with most
major Polish jazz groups and became a member of the Smientana Quartet in
1991. He has made more than 30 recordings.
Marcin Lamch is an
acoustic and electric bass player, composer and producer for the
quartet. He has worked with many prominent artists from different
musical genres including pop, rock, new folk and jazz.
Pianist
Pawel Tomaszewski works as an organist, keyboardist, composer, arranger
and producer for the group. He is also the front man for the Tomaszewski
Trio and The Gentlemen, and has supported top Polish and international
artists. His music has won him prizes at many important jazz
competitions in Poland.
The first performance will take place at
the Vietnam National Academy of Music Concert Hall, 77 Hao Nam Street,
Hanoi, at 8pm, on November 9.
Free tickets can be collected from
the venue. Two days later, the artists will perform at the HCM City
Opera House where tickets will cost 100,000-300,000 VND .
The
quartet will also perform at 9pm on November 12 at Tran Manh Tuan's Sax
n'Art Jazz Club (28 Le Loi Street, HCM City) and at 9pm on November 14
at Quyen Van Minh's Binh Minh Jazz Club (65 Quan Su Street, Hanoi).
Saxophonist Tuan will join the performance in HCM City as a guest artist./.