Mateusz Gawęda Trio will be on tour in Korea and China from 27 November to 8 December. The trio from Cracow will perform at 10 concerts in the biggest cities, including Seoul and Shanghai. The musicians will perform at the prestigious Evans Jazz Club and Lincoln Center. The tour is organized within the JAZZ PO POLSKU „Around the World” project.
The band consisting of Mateusz Gawęda (piano), Alan Wykpisz (double bass) and Grzegorz Pałka (drums) will give 10 concerts. In South Korea the band will perform in Busan, Jinju, Seoul and Yangsan (27-30 November). In China it will visit Chongqing, Hefei, Nanning, Shenzhen, Shanghai and Xiamen (1-8 December). The artists will also conduct workshops for students and the subject of meetings with local jazz adepts will be the issue of „the art of improvisation”. During the tour in Korea the band will be featuring a vocalist – Min Jin Seo, who had visited Poland on a concert tour in 2022.
Mateusz Gawęda Trio was formed in 2014 and it performs its original program comprising of the band leader’s compositions inspired by all musical genres but mainly jazz from the 1960s, European music of the 20th century and contemporary music. The words that best describe the band’s music are fresh, mature, emotional, fun and dark. During the tour in South Korea and China the group will perform their original repertoire, which includes songs from their two studio albums: „Falstart” (2018) and „Overnight Tales” (2016). The trio also prepared a special piece for audiences in China and Japan – Fryderyk Chopin’s „Prelude in E Minor”.
Mateusz Gawęda Trio’s concerts in South Korea and China are organized by the JAZZ PO POLSKU Foundation within the JAZZ PO POLSKU „Around the World” project. The project started in 2023 and has in time taken the form of an international concert tour inspired by the achievements of the Polish traveler, Paweł Edmund Strzelecki, who was the first Pole to circumnavigate the world (1834-1843). As part of the project „Around the World”, Polish musicians have already performed more than 150 times in 20 countries.
The Mateusz Gawęda Trio’s concert tour in Korea, China and Japan is organized by the JAZZ PO POLSKU Foundation. The honorary patronage over the project has been taken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Its partners include: Adam Mickiewicz Institute, Polish Airlines – LOT, the Industrial Development Agency Foundation and the Economic Diplomacy Institute Foundation as well. Strategic partner is: Marshal’s Office of the Podlaskie Voivodeship. Media patrons: Polish Radio Program 3 (Trójka), Jazz Forum Magazine and Warsaw Insider. Partners in China are the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Shanghai and the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland in Guangzhou. Partners in South Korea are the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Seoul and PM Music Hub. The sponsor of Chinese tour is Allrango.
MATEUSZ GAWĘDA TRIO Live in Asia 2024
Mateusz Gawęda – piano, Alan Wykpisz – double bass – Grzegorz Pałka – drums
27.11 South Korea, Seul, Club Evans
28.11 South Korea, Seul, Orient Express
29.11 South Korea, Busan, Buk-gu Culture and Arts Center (feat. Minjin Seo)
29.11 South Korea, Jinju, The Space Recording Studio, recording (feat MinJin Seo)
30.11 South Korea, Yangsan, PM Music Hub * masterclass (feat. Minjin Seo)
30.11 South Korea, Jinju, Klanghaus (feat. Minjin Seo)
1.12 China, Shanghai, Lincoln Center
3.12 China, Hefei, J&Z Cottage
4.12 China, Chongqing, NUTS Live House
6.12 China, Xiamen, RealLive and Books Live House
7.12 China, Nanning, Malt House Jazz Club
8.12 China, Shenzhen, Lavo
Mateusz Gaweda Trio is working together since 2014. The band has it’s own programme mostly written by Mateusz Gawêda, inspired by all music genres such as jazz from the 60., European music of the twentieth century and contemporary music. Words that describe the band’s music are: freshness, maturity, emotions, joy and darkness. Back in 2016 the band released a debut album „Overnight Tales” which was and still is well received by the audience and critics (”Overnight Tales” was nominated to Fryderyki 2017 in category Jazz Music – Phonographic Debut of the Year). Since 2018, the trio has been giving concerts and presenting material from the latest album – „Falstart”. The band also releases albums in the vinyl version.
“[…] Gaweda managed in a relatively short span of time to establish a respectful position on the local Jazz scene, both as a musician / composer and a colorful personality, which is a magnet of attention. His unique music and performances as well as his flamboyant dress code and glitzy / ritzy looks create a figure, which might have just stepped out form a black & white Hollywood gangster movie, in the best meaning of the idiom of course: elegant, stylish, charismatic and unmistakably himself. […] Of course the music is still full of the typical Polish melancholy and lyricism, not only within the melodic themes, but in the entire sonic expression the trio creates. Introvert, reflective and mercilessly serious, the music is completely overwhelming and stunning, but as usual in such cases requires truly attentive listening and repeated listening to get to the true essence of it. Overall this is a brilliant and highly rewarding piece of complex, but elegant and awe-inspiring music, which truly expands the Jazz idiom and which deserves both praise and attention. It is also another milestone album on the Polish Audio Cave label, which in the last four years managed to release some of the best Polish Jazz albums, consistently maintaining the highest possible level of artistic achievement. Well done and hats off!”. Adam Baruch about last album „Falstart” (The Soundtrack Of My Life).
Mateusz Gawęda – he has collaborated with artists such as Billy Hart, John Scofield, John Medeski, Ralph Alessi, Gianni Gebbia, Albert Beger, Maciej Obara, Janusz Muniak and many others. He draws inspiration mainly from musicians such as Agustí Fernández, Mathew Shipp, Herbie Hancock, Ahmad Jamal, Igor Strawiński and Wojciech Kilar, but most of all from his love of music and the need to discover the world… In recent years, he has also explored topics related to spirituality and broadly understood internal development. He has released 14 albums. Winner of numerous awards at most of the most important competitions in the country. Performed at most Polish jazz festivals. In June 2023, he toured Japan and China with his trio, where material for the band’s new album was also recorded. For the album Mateusz Gawęda Trio „Overnight Tales” he was awarded, among others, a nomination for the Fryderyki 2017 award in the category Jazz Music – Phonographic Debut of the Year. Currently, he is working on his own solo project entitled „Overnight Spells”. Since 2022, he has been a member of the staff of the International Jazz Workshops “Cho-Jazz” in Chodzież.
Alan Wykpisz – one of the most awarded double bass player among the Polish young generation of jazz musicians. Nominated three times (2014,2016,2020) for best „Jazz Debut „, Polish phonographic academy „FRYDERYK” award. PhD alumni of the Katowice Academy of Music Jazz Department considered the most prestigious in Poland. Educator at Secondary Music School at M. Karłowicza in Katowice, during Voicingers Festival and other workshops. Performed with such musicians as: David Liebman, Randy Brecker, Joel Frahm, Michał Urbaniak, Janusz Muniak, Andrzej Olejniczak, Janusz Stefański, Adam Pierończyk, High Definition Quartet, Grzegorz Karnas, Aga Zaryan.
Grzegorz Pałka (PhD) – jazz drummer, born in Krakow in 1994. Laureate of many international competitions for drummers and jazz ensambles. In the years 2016 and 2018 he was awarded a scholarschip of the Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage. He has studied with such masters as Łukasz Żyta, Wojciech Fedkowicz, Billy Drummond, Marcus Gilmore, Eric Harland, Dennis Mackrel, Damion Reid, Kendrick Scott, Ari Hoenig. He has performed and toured with a wide range of musicians, including a number of renowned artists, such as: Janusz Muniak, Danny Grissett, Jacek Niedziela – Meira, Peter Bernstein, Henryk Miśkiewicz, Dominik Wania, Grzegorz Nagórski, Andy Middleton, Jorge Vistel, Piotr Wyleżoł, Piotr Baron, Rafał Sarnecki, Piotr Orzechowski, Szymon Mika, Kuba Badach, Justyna Steczkowska, Marek Napiórkowski and many others. He has been nominated to the Fryderyki award (category: Best Debut Jazz Album of the Year) 3 times: Overnight Tales – Mateusz Gawęda Trio; New Challenge – Łukasz Kokoszko Quartet; Bajka – Natalia Kordiak Quintet. Besides playing in major concert venues and jazz clubs throughout Europe (e.g. London Jazz Festival, Jazz Ahead, Jazz Jamboree, etc.) he has performed – to date – in North America (e.g. All Souls Jazz Festival, Indy Jazz Fest etc.) and Asia (e.g. Ubud Village Jazz Festival, Nine Gates Festival etc.).
Minjin Seo is a South Korean vocalist. She graduated from applied music at the Baekseok University in Cheonan and in Fall 2013 enrolled to Master Studies at CUNY Queens College in New York. Her professors were: Dee Daniels, Alison Wedding and Charenee Wade. After graduation MINJIN stayed in New York performing with her own project, recording a single with a renowned singer from China – Annie Chen. At the same time she was studying jazz singing privately with the vocal legend Nancy Morano. In July 2016, MINJIN recorded her debut album entitled „Filled with Song”, released in 2022 by Slovakian label Hevhetia. Currently MINJIN lives in her hometown Busan in South Korea. She performs with her own band and with other groups as featured guest artist. She teaches vocals at Universities in Busan and Daegu. In year 2019, among others, MINJIN toured Korea together with Polish guitarist Rafał Sarnecki and his quintet. Her repertoire already consists of more than 200 songs, which is still far from her dream goal: to repeat the legendary Ella Fitzgerald’s achievement and sing all songs included in The Complete Ella Fitzgerald Song Books. In July 2019 she opened her own private music school in Yangsan.
—
JAZZ PO POLSKU Foundation, presents a wide spectrum of Polish musicians from the jazz scene. It aims at refreshing the image of jazz music on the international arena through presenting the most prospective bands from the Polish music scene. It also helps in establishing cultural cooperation and brings together artists from many countries. Since 2012, the label has already organized more than 300 events for 100 Polish artists abroad, mainly in Asia. Also international bands have been touring in Poland as part of a bilateral cooperation.