28th International Open Air Festival Jazz at the Old Town

July 2nd - August 27th, 2022, Warsaw, Old Town Square, 7 PM, free entrance

Organizer:
Fundacja Jazz Art.
Honorary patronage:
Minister Kultury i Dziedzictwa Narodowego, Prezydent m. st. Warszawy
General director, author:
Krzysztof Wojciechowski
Art director, spokesperson:
Iwona Strzelczyk Wojciechowska

The 28th edition of the popular Jazz at the Old Town festival will begin in Warsaw on July 2nd. 2022 and it will last until August 27 th.2022. The Old Town Square will once again become the music heart of Warsaw and for two summer months will beat to the rhythm of jazz.

There will be jazz discoveries, unique projects and returns of legendary formations as well as concerts of Polish and international jazz stars. We will hear an original- stylistically diverse program, including the most valuable Polish and international phenomena and trends. International Open-Air Jazz at the Old Town Festival is a festival that has its own brand, reputation, beautiful achievements and impressive audience.

It is one of the most popular and the largest - in terms of the audience - jazz festivals in Poland. Only last year the festival attracted over 20 thousand people and its website had 113 thousand hits. For 27 years of its existence the festival has created many artists but it also has its own audience numbering about one million people.

The Jazz at the Old Town Festival is the only festival of this kind in Poland with an international scope addressed to a wide audience and completely free of charge. For years it has been Warsaw's artistic calling card and tourist attraction in the summer.

It is distinguished by an original program, diversified in terms of style - including the most valuable phenomena and trends in Polish and international music. The festival has a beautiful heritage and an impressive list of names of the artists who participated in the festival.

Among those we can find all the top legends of the Polish jazz and many international stars, names such as: Archie Sheep, David Murray, Christian McBride, Nicholas Payton, James Carter, Roy Hargrove, Joey Calderazzo, Ernie Watts, Bill Evans, Chico Freeman, Lee Konitz, Jacky Terrasson, Alfredo Rodriguez, Richard Galliano, Dino Saluzzi, Kevin Mahogany, Avishai Cohen, Hiromi, Bobo Stenson, Kenny Wheeler, John Taylor, Tord Gustavsen, Enrico Pieranunzi, Stefano Bollani, Enrico Rava, Fabrizio Bosso, Marilyn Mazur, Jeff Lorber, Shai Maestro, Mike Stern, Stanley Jordan, Palle Mikkelborg, Terje Rypdal, Charnett Moffett, Birelli Lagrene, Ulf Wakenius, Greg Osby, Omar Sosa, Cyrus Chesnut, John Pizzarelli.

For many years the festival has been widely present in the Polish media and the Internet. We have been featured on BBC World and Deutche Welle TV.

Ewa Bem & Andrzej Jagodziński Quartet

2 July 2022

Unquestionably the first Lady of the Polish Jazz. Her unique voice has an extraordinary color, enchanting musicianship, and sense of swing. She started her great career with the band Bemibek, a unique formation on the Polish music scene of that time. She cooperated with the greatest personalities of the Polish jazz scene such as Wojciech Karolak, Zbigniew Namysłowski, Jan "Ptaszyn" Wróblewski and Henryk Miśkiewicz. She has recorded 15 albums, sang hundreds of concerts before audiences in Poland, Europe, America, Africa and Asia. Now, after a few years' break, Ewa Bem returns with magnificent concerts accompanied by Andrzej Jagodziński Quartet, an excellent pianist, composer and arranger with whom she has worked since 1987.

Emmet Cohen Trio

9 July 2022

This is an emerging figure of the highest class in the world of jazz. At just 31 years old, he has become a reference point for future generations of jazz musicians. The versatile, award-winning American jazz pianist and composer is one of the most important artistic figures of his generation on the New York jazz scene. The industry is captivated by his" harmonious vocabulary, musical erudition and individuality".

Downbeat Magazine writes of Emmet Cohen's piano phenomenon: "A stellar, expressive trio representing a kaleidoscopic sense of musical narrative. "Master class in stylistic juxtaposition - an innovative sound for the future of jazz". His concert in Poland will certainly be an event and discovery for jazz piano fans.

Kacper Smoliński Quintet

16 July 2022

A young virtuoso of the harmonica creates his own intriguing sound. The leader of the band is one of the few jazz harmonica players in Poland and in the world. Working on and developing his individual sound, he created a band consisting of leading Polish musicians where each member has his own individual voice. He has won numerous individual awards in Poland and abroad. He is also a co-founder of Weezdob, a band appreciated at many festivals and competitions, a member of Poznań Jazz Philharmonic Orchestra, and co-founder of Jazz Forum Talents, a group bringing together the greatest new talents in the Polish jazz. He has performed with such artists as Leszek Możdżer, Włodek Pawlik, Krzysztof Herdzin, Agnieszka Duczmal, Billy Cobham, Jean-Luc Ponty, Stanley Jordan. He gives concerts in Poland and abroad.

Heavy Metal Sextet

23 July 2022

Reactivated, award-winning jazz band with a perverse name will play at the festival. It was formed in 1982 at the initiative of Mariusz Bogdanowicz, a recognized double bass player and composer. Currently the core of the band consists of Mariusz Bogdanowicz, Janusz Kowalski and Mirosław Sitkowski. Musicians of younger generation, Dominik Mietła and Tomasz Białowolski were invited to join this line-up. HMS initially drew from the hard-bop tradition, but after some time it widely expanded its style and added their own compositions to the songs of the Kind of Blue era.

Denys Baptiste Quartet - The Late Trane

30 July 2022

A giant of the British jazz scene, a great saxophonist who has been called by the Time Magazine " an icon of the British jazz" Denys Baptiste has the most distinctive and recognisable sound. He is an award-winning jazz artist, composer and arranger who played and recorded with some of the greatest jazz artists including McCoy Tyner, Andrew Hill, Martin Taylor, Lonnie Plaxico and Billy Higgins.

He is an extremely versatile musician and although his roots are in the traditional jazz he masterfully combines other musical genres to create repertoire that is contemporary and multi-layered.

Young Power New Edition - Freedom

6 August 2022

The legendary jazz-rock band (created by the outstanding flutist Krzysztof Popek), brings together the most outstanding Polish jazz and rock musicians of the younger generation. After more than thirty years the group has re-emerged as YOUNG POWER - NEW EDITION - FREEDOM. In the 15-member band alongside the “old” musicians play the most talented of the youngest jazz generation. The new line-up: Krzysztof Popek (flute), Jorgos Skolias (vocal), Włodzimierz KINIOR Kiniorski (saxophone), Alek Korecki (saxophone), Józek Ziut Gralak (trumpet), Bronek Duży (trumpet), Grzegorz Kapołka (guitar), Marcin Pospieszalski (bass guitar), Adam Lemańczyk (keyboards), Jerzy Małek (trumpet), Cyprian Baszyński (trumpet), Marta Wajdzik (saxophone), Przemek Florczak (saxophone), Tomas Sanchez (percussion), Paweł Dobrowolski (percussion) is very impressive.

Flip Philipp & Bertl Mayer Quartet - Vocation

13 August 2022

Austrian masters of their instruments - Bertl Mayer on chromatic harmonica and Flip Philipp on a vibraphone. The former is one of the few jazz musicians who have achieved perfection on the chromatic harmonica. He plays with the Vienna Art Orchestra as well as with international jazz stars. The other is a member of the Wiener Symphoniker and the Vienna Art Orchestra, the Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna, and has played with renowned orchestras under the baton of conductors such as Claudio Abbado and with jazz legends such as Joe Zawinul, Art Farmer and Benny Golson.

They interpret their most favorite jazz classics so he quartet's program includes arrangements of works from the repertoire of Wes Montgomery, George Shearing, John Lewis and others.

Marcin Wasilewski Trio - En Attendant

20 August 2022

"There is a whole plethora of stars in today's jazz universe... but few pianists shine as brightly as Marcin Wasilewski” - BBC Music Magazine

The band is considered to be one of the most outstanding and unique jazz formations of its generation, and is highly respected on the national and international music scene. Throughout 25 years of playing together, the trio's trademark has been a unique fluidity and symbiosis of sound. This makes the work of Wasilewski and his Trio absolutely unique. We will hear the last, Fryderyk Award-winning album of the trio “En Attendant” It is the seventh album of the group recorded for the prestigious ECM label.

Rosario Giuliani Quartet & Luciano Biondini - Cinema Italia

27 August 2022

Rosario Giuliani is one of the most eminent contemporary alto saxophonists, composer and leader of his own ensembles. He is appreciated for his virtuoso improvisational skills and his excellent performance technique.

He is the winner of many prestigious awards and collaborates with the most prominent figures in world of jazz. Luciano Biondini, along with Richard Galliano, is one of the few masters of the accordion in Europe. An Italian virtuoso of this instrument and a versatile artist, he bases his love for jazz on references to the Italian musical tradition.

In the program "Cinema Italia" beautiful film themes by masters Ennio Morricone and Nino Rota are performed in their new, original interpretations by the outstanding Italian jazzmen. "Lyricism that goes straight to the heart and the art of jazz improvisation reach the highest heights".