LONDON: Jazzlive at The Crypt

Friday 29th September, 2023

8:00pm

Event information

Making a welcome return to The Crypt, as part of his new European tour, guitarist Przemyslaw Straczek brings his quartet to play music from 'Fig Tree', his sixth album. The music is characterised by a modern approach to the sound of the quartet with the use of instrumental colours and sonorisms. In the works, you will find a reference to various achievements of jazz music, including the Polish jazz school, from modal jazz through free jazz and contemporary harmony. Elements of these genres are filtered by the composer, reflecting his perception of today's music through the prism of the guitar as an accompanying and solo instrument.

Przemyslaw Straczek - jazz guitarist, composer, producer, is a graduate of the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice, a two-time laureate of the Master Jazz Guitarists' Competition in Warsaw, one of the seven finalists of the global solo competition Thailand International Jazz Conference Solo Competition in Bangkok.

For many years he has been present in the ranking of the best Polish guitarists according to the readers of Jazz Forum - Jazz Top. In 2013, he received the Special Award of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage for artistic achievements.

Since 2011, he has been co-creating international projects as a leader with musicians from different continents, presenting contemporary trends in jazz and ethno-jazz music. His sixth original album, Fig Tree, received wide coverage among music journalists and critics. He has collaborated and gives concerts with outstanding artists: Andy Sheppard, Xu Fengxia and Janusz Muniak. He also received the Award of the Marshal of the Silesian Voivodeship in the field of music for 2015. He has concert tours with his own music in many countries around the world performing at many international jazz festivals and in social and cultural centres.

Marcin Kaletka - tenor and soprano saxophone, Przemyslaw Straczek - guitar & compositions, Kuba Cywinski - double bass, and Patryk Dobosz - drums