KOMEDA PROJECT, a jazz quintet, was brought to life from a desire to perform - on this side of the Atlantic - and be able to hear live, music of Krzysztof Komeda again.
... updating his (Krzysztof Komeda's) music within a
contemporary hard bop context ... that would not have been out of place on a
Blue Note album ..., with high energy solos to boot.
Jazzwise (leading UK jazz magazine)/April 2007
Tracks:
1. Crazy Girl - Krzysztof Komeda
2. Kattorna - Krzysztof Komeda
3. Ballada - Krzysztof Komeda
4. Is That Your Final Answer? - Andrzej Winnicki
5. Svantetic Prelude - Krzysztof Komeda
6. Svantetic - Krzysztof Komeda
7. Tail Peace - Andrzej Winnicki
8. Stop Time - Andrzej Winnicki
9. Sleep Safe and Warm - Krzysztof Komeda
All music arranged by Andrzej Winnicki
Personnel:
Andrzej Winnicki - piano
Krzysztof Medyna - tenor and soprano saxophones
Russ Johnson - trumpet and flugerhorn
Michael Bates - bass
Dave Anthony - drums
Recorded:
Recorded 11.22.05 and 1.25.06 at The Studio, New York City
About:
“An innovator with a complex of tradition, romanticist expressing himself in the
contemporary idiom, poet of piano – this was Krzysztof Komeda, one of those
musicians who have widened the essence of jazz” (Adam Slawinski).
In his short life (until untimely death after a tragic accident in Hollywood at
the age of 38), Krzysztof Komeda (1931-1969) wrote music for more than 60 films,
including classics of the Polish cinema by the Academy Award winners Roman
Polanski and Andrzej Wajda. It was Polanski who gave Komeda his first
commission in 1957, and used his music in almost all of his films over the next
decade (including “Knife in the Water”, “Repulsion”, “Cul-de-Sac”, “Tenant” and
“The Fearless Vampire Killers”); inviting him to Hollywood in 1967 to score his
American film debut, “Rosemary’s Baby.” According to Polanski himself, the
popular and critical success of “Rosemary’s Baby” owed much to Komeda’s empathy
and creative imagination. Even though Komeda’s film scores quite often made use
of Jazz and improvisation, it is the music he wrote to perform and record as a
pianist with his own jazz groups, especially 1965 recording of “Astigmatic,”
that helped to develop a uniquely European (in structure and lyrical content,
especially) style in jazz composition.
Krzysztof Komeda’s compositions are often kept in an “open” form and are
eminently suitable for various performing styles. KOMEDA PROJECT, a jazz
quintet, was brought to life from a desire to perform - on this side of the
Atlantic - and be able to hear live, music of Krzysztof Komeda again. Their
musical roots in Poland, founders of KOMEDA PROJECT, pianist Andrzej Winnicki
and saxophonist Krzysztof Medyna toured Europe extensively during the 1980's
with their original jazz group Breakwater. The group was featured at European
jazz festivals, won an international jazz competition (best group and best
instrumentalist - Krzysztof Medyna), and was broadcast on television and radio.
Later, Medyna also performed and recorded as a member of the group In/Formation,
frequently touring side by side with ECM recording artist, trumpeter Tomasz
Stanko who worked on all of Krzysztof Komeda’s Polish soundtracks from 1964
onwards and was the composer’s closest musical associate and band member from
1963 until 1968. In the United States, Winnicki and Medyna revived their
original group during the 90’s under the name Electric Breakwater, performing in
such places in the New York Tri-State area as Zanzibar, The Five Spot, 55 Bar,
St. Peter's Church, Lincoln Center, Trumpets, Club Bene, and many others.
Electric Breakwater’s CD “In the Bush” with Mark Egan on bass and Rodney Holmes
on drums (drummer on Carlos Santana's "Supernatural" megahit album as well), is
still available on amazon.com. The following musicians complete the current
lineup of the KOMEDA PROJECT group: Trumpeter Russ Johnson, a Manhattan School
of Music graduate, is an active performer in the jazz, improvised, and
contemporary classical music scenes throughout the U.S. and abroad. He has
performed and/or recorded with a long list of heavyweights including: Lee Konitz,
Kenny Wheeler, Bill Frisell, Joe Lovano, Richie Beirach, Mark Ribot, Charles
Earland, David Liebman, The Jazz Passengers, Oliver Lake, Elvis Costello, Debbie
Harry, Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, Brian Blade, Aretha Franklin and Tony Malaby.
A native of Canada, bassist Michael Bates is a graduate of the University of
Toronto and has studied with bassist/composer Mark Helias, Don Thompson, Dave
Young and has also worked under the former principal bassist of the Tokyo
Symphony, Yoshio Nagashima. He has toured Hong Kong, China, Korea and Japan and
performed across the United States and across Canada. Michael Bates is on
faculty at the Banff Centre of the Arts as Program Coordinator of the
International Jazz Workshop where he works with the artistic director, Dave
Douglas. Drummer Dave Anthony also holds a degree from Manhattan School of
Music. He began his professional career touring and recording with Oscar Award
winning Tan Dun, composer of "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" movie score. He has
recorded and/or performed with Glen Burtnick (songwriter/Styx), "Electric
Breakwater" and Broadway’s "Swing" and “Moving out”.
Bringing Krzysztof Komeda’s wondrous music back to life is what KOMEDA PROJECT
is all about. “He expanded the range of expression in jazz by adding a
dramatized lyricism – it’s force reaching the intensity of ecstatic and mystical
experience.” (Adam Slawinski).)
It deserves not to be forgotten.
(all text courtesy of KOMEDA PROJECT)
