Maciej Obara, courtesy of the artist. Credit: IKSEV PR materials
With growing interest in Turkey’s EU membership process, the 21st edition of the Izmir European Jazz Festival brings together performers and bands from Turkey, Poland, Germany, Austria, Italy, France, the Netherlands and Greece, whose experimental and electronic works constitute the finest examples of European Jazz.
As one of the three biggest international events taking place in Turkey, the event promotes the presentation of Polish Jazz straight from the heart of Europe. In the previous years, Izmir European Jazz Festival has shown interest in Polish artists including Tomasz Stańko and Marcin Wasilewski.
See previous festivals:
http://culture.pl/en/event/marcin-wasilewski-trio-takes-polish-jazz-to-turkey
http://culture.pl/en/event/apollon-musagete-rounds-off-izmir-festival
The festival is a part of the Europe Jazz Network (EJN) and is organized as part of the 2014 cultural programme celebrating 600 years of diplomatic relations between Poland and Turkey, supported by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute and culture.pl.
More on Polish Jazz
Program:
On 3 March, Monday at 8:30 pm FURIO DI CASTRI QUARTET will be live on stage, followed by ULRICH DRECHSLER & STEFANO BATTAGLIA DUO on 4 March, Tuesday at 8:30 pm. On 5 March, Wednesday at 8:30 pm KALIMA will meet audiences, while the OPEN JAZZ ORCHESTRA FINALE CONCERT will take place on 6 March, Thursday 8:30 pm. BENJAMIN HERMAN TRIO will be performing on 10 March, Monday at 8:30 pm.
Turkish collectives TRIBUTE TO KÜRŞAT AND will perform alongside Eda And Trio as well as Jazz Masters on 11 March, Tuesday, starting at 8:30 pm for a full night of local jazz. Lithuanian collective DAINIUS PULAUSKAS GROUP will be on stage on 12 March, Wednesday at 8:30 pm. Slovakia's ONDREJ KRAJNAK well go live on 13 March, Thursday at 8:30 pm, followed by French musician GREGORY PRIVAT performing on 14 March, Friday at 8:30 pm.
Germany's ULI KEMPENDORFF QUARTET will take to the stage on 15 March, Saturday at 8:30 pm, followed by Turkish collective TİMUÇİN ŞAHİN QUARTET on 17 March, Monday at 8:30 pm.
Main stage will showcase JANUSZ PRUSINOWSKI TRIO featuring ADAM STRUG and MONODIA POLSKA & EWA GROCHOWSKA VOCAL ENSEMBLES featuring Turkish guests with two special performances on 18 and 19 March at 8:30pm.
The Closing Concert will be by MACIEJ OBARA INTERNATIONAL QUINTET , on 20 March, Thursday at 8:30 pm.
Workshops:
The festival brings audiences together with a wide selection of professional jazz musicians from around Europe for educational purposes. The 21st edition specifically features key figures from Poland.
Workshops begin on 4-5-6 March 2014 with FURIO DI CASTRI QUARTET, followed by Uli Kempendorff Quartet and Compositions, as well as Improvisation with TİMUÇİN ŞAHİN on 16 Mart 2014.
The main event, The Lifelong Travel of the Songs and Dance- Their meeting from Poland to Turkey, is a 3-day workshop held 16-18 March. The workshop will include various key figures of the Polish Jazz scene collaborating with local Turkish audiences. Participating names include JANUSZ PRUSINOWSKI TRIO featuring ADAM STRUG with Piotr Piszczatowski, Michał Zak, Szczepan Pospieszalski, Piotr Zgorzelski and MONODIA POLSKA & EWA GROCHOWSKA VOCAL ENSEMBLES with Kaja Prusinowska, Justyna Piernik and Maniucha Bikont.
In light of traditional songs and dance, the artists aim to develop a common musical language across the two cultures. JANUSZ PRUSINOWSKI TRIO featuring ADAM STRUG MONODIA POLSKA & EWA GROCHOWSKA VOCAL ENSEMBLES will hold a final concert on 19 March, Wednesday at 8:30 pm.
Rafał Olbiński, courtesy of the artist. Photo credit: Paulina Pułka
Exhibitions:
Rafał Olbiński’s Jazz on the Cover Exhibition will also be on view throughout the festival at the AASSM Entrance Level East-West Wing Galleries. Olbiński will also hold a Graphic Design Workshop on 11 March 2014. A renowned Polish surrealist painter and illustrator, Olbiński’s close relationship with the Polish jazz scene began during his years in Warsaw in the late 70s, while he worked as an art director for the Polish jazz magazine Jazz Forum, designing its covers and layouts. The exhibition, together with Zbigniew Seifert Foundation, will display Olbiński’s covers from the 60s and 70s. Olbiński decided to relocate to New York City after the start of Polish martial law in 1981. The artists has received over 150 international awards since.
More about Olbiński
The 12th Jazz Festival Poster Competition Exhibition will also be on view thoughout the festival at the AASSM Foyer.
Closing Concert:
On 20 March 2014, the MACIEJ OBARA INTERNATIONAL QUINTET will host an Improvisation Workshop , followed by the Closing Concert on 20 March, Thursday at 8:30pm. Maciej Obara will be on the saxophone, Tom Arthurs on the trumpet, Dominik Wania on the piano, Ole Morten Vaagan on the bass and Jon Falt will be on the drums.
Polish composer and alto saxophonist Obara burst onto the scene in 2006. He played extensively with Wania, after their meeting at the legendary Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stańko’s band. In 2011 Maciej Obara was nominated for the Fryderyk Jazz Musician of the Year Award and won a scholarship from the Młoda Polska Programme. In 2012 he was chosen to participate in the 12 Points Festival in Portugal with his Polish Quartet and in a showcase in Budapest.
More on Maciej Obara Quintet
All workshops will take place at the IKSEV main building.
For ticket information visit: biletix.com
Source: IKSEV
Edited by Elcin Marasli/ 12.02.2014