It was her debut that Pietrzko handed to Stańko during his stay at a festival in Bielska-Biała. This bold move resulted in a short but unforgettable collaboration.
The next day he called and suggested we rehearse together, which is how our concert came about. Unfortunately, our cooperation was interrupted by the sudden death of Mr Stańko. After some time I realised that I should think about this concert as an honour, but also as a great lesson. A lesson in humility. Despite his fame and genius, playing with this outstanding musician I did not feel like someone lesser or unimportant.
As a bandleader herself, she was captivated by the way Stańko conducted the rehearsal. He talked to the musicians, he gave suggestions, but at the same time, he gave them space, so everyone in the band felt comfortable.
'Ephemeral Pleasures' and global recognition
The reflections of that meeting found their way onto the artist's second album which featured the piece titled For T.S. dedicated to Stańko. On Ephemeral Pleasures, released in 2020, Pietrzko is accompanied by Budniak and the experienced double bassist Andrzej Święs. Aaron Parks himself recommended the album in the liner notes:
It's been a joy to witness the remarkable and rapid evolution of Kasia Pietrzko's artistry. Her approach to the piano is at once patient, inquisitive, bold and filled with the sense of unforced discovery that marks true creative vision. As a composer, her voice continues to develop and deepen in ever more compelling ways.
It soon became apparent that this was no mere courtesy, as Ephemeral Pleasures received glowing reviews in Poland and abroad. Ted Panken, an American music critic who regularly contributes to titles such as DownBeat and JazzTimes wrote:
The quality that separates Pietrzko from other pianists with equivalently bravura technique is [...] her preternatural ability to capture a memory in notes and tones. [...] And so, although the pleasures that Pietrzko and company evoke on this pleasing album may be ephemeral, the music contained herein most assuredly is not.
Mary James writing for London Jazz News praised Ephemeral Pleasures, stating:
Pietrzko’s compositions are graceful and highly emotive, and she has a gift for unforced and memorable lyricism, something she probably absorbed from studying and then working with Stańko and perhaps her classical studies of Prokofiev.
As on the debut Forthright Stories, the precisely planned compositions are accompanied by improvised Episodes. Pietrzko describes the role of these miniatures:
They are a sort of comment that each member of the band leaves. Andrzej Święs, the double bass player, and Piotr Budniak, the drummer, were given plenty of rope since they are just as instrumental for the band as I am.
This formula makes the album easier to listen to, provides more space for the sound of the compositions written by the trio.
In addition to composing and performing her music, Pietrzko is a doctoral student at the Academy of Music in Kraków.
I analyse and characterise the work of Sergei Prokofiev: I look for common denominators with contemporary improvised music and jazz. The final result will be a composition written for my trio inspired by his work. However, there is still a lot of work ahead of me.
Written by Jan Błaszczak Aug 2021, edited by AZ