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./.