Polish Jazz Pianist Receives Grammy
Randy Brecker and Polish jazz pianist Włodek Pawlik’s album Night in Calisia was awarded a Grammy on Sunday in the category Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album
Pawlik had earlier told Polish media that the day of the nomination was the happiest of his life, but we may surmise that the actual ceremony will have made the 56 year old pianist even happier:
I think that by using the instruments of a symphonic orchestra and fusing it with a jazz trio and Randy's brilliant trumpet, I end up with a dynamic and spacious, but simultaneously ethereal sound. And I think that the lyricism hides in the specificity of this sound, regardless of the character of the composition. And that was my goal. I would have never achieved that effect by arranging Night In Calisia for a typical big band. An important role is played here by percussion instruments like the marimba, the xylophone and many others, giving a couple of expressive recordings a rhythmical drive and an ethnic feel.
The album was commissioned by the Kalisz Philharmonic Orchestra director Adam Klocek in 2010 for the 1850 year anniversary of the city of Kalisz. After the Polish premiere in August 2013, Summit Records released the CD in the U.S. Night in Calisia (Kalisz), which heavily draws on the Polish city's history, was on the list of 50 most often played album in radio stations across the U.S.
The Grammy Award ceremony took place on the 26th of January 2014 at the Staples Centre, Los Angeles.
Editor: Mai Jones 09/12/2013 based on the Polish language article by AL, edited on 27/01/2014