JazzCorner Presents: Sylwester Ostrowski & JAZZ FORUM Talents From Poland

Sylwester Ostrowski and Jazz Forum Talents' new album Jammin With KC featuring Bobby Watson, Logan Richardson and Keyon Harrold was released on October 16th via the Agora record label. To celebrate the release, Ostrowski and Jazz Forum Talents will present a special concert, streamed on JazzCorner, one of the most popular US digital platforms for jazz, on Thursday, November 5th at 4pm EDT, 22.00 UTC + 1.

The concert will include Ostrowski on saxophone, Kacper Smolinski on harmonica, Tomasz Chyla on violin, Maciej Kadziela on alto saxophone, Jakub "Mizer" Mizeracki on guitar, and Kasia Pietrzko on piano. Joris Teepe will join on bass and Eric Allen on drums. This event is financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland as part of the Multi-annual Programme NIEPODLEGŁA 2017-2022 and with support from Szczecin Jazz , JAZZ FORUM oraz Instytut Adama Mickiewicza& Culture.pl.

Jamming with KC is a postcard from Kansas City. This momentous album results from the Polish Jazz musicians' expedition to the birthplace of Charlie Parker. The Polish-American encounter was part of the Centennial celebration for Parker, and the timing is important as it took place in February 2020, just before the pandemic outbreak.

They spent a jazz-filled week in Kansas City. The trip included a pilgrimage to Charlie Parker's grave, a visit to his childhood home, checking out historical Jazz places including 12th Street and Vine, Jazz District at 18th Street and Vine, and the American Jazz Museum. They experienced the historical late night to early morning jam sessions at the Mutual Musicians Foundation. They explored the Kansas City Jazz scene and jammed with local musicians in clubs like The Majestic, The Phoenix, Green Lady Lounge, the Blue Room, and they kicked off the inauguration of the Centennial celebrations at The Ship.

Ostrowski strategically brought together jazz artists from three generations. The first generation has Bobby Watson on alto saxophone and Eric Allen on drums. The second generation has Sylwester Ostrowski on tenor saxophone, Logan Richardson on alto saxophone, and Dominique Sanders on bass. The third-generation includes new and upcoming artists from Poland. Pianist Kasia Pietrzko, saxophonist Marek Kadziela, guitarist Jakub Mizeracki, violinist Tomasz Chyła, and harmonica player Kacper Smoliński. They are the winners of last year's Jazz Forum Showcase powered by Szczecin Jazz, hence the name Jazz Forum Talents.

Dominique Sanders and Ostrowski are the music producers, and the recording took place at Make Believe Studios in Omaha, Nebraska.

Sylwester Ostrowski is an accomplished tenor saxophonist, composer, producer, and bandleader. He has built a career around collaborations with other artists and partnering with jazz institutions through his organization, Szczecin Jazz. His work has earned the city of Szczecin his hometown, the label "The Jazz Capital of Poland," and the title of Honorary Ambassador of Szczecin City. For this concert, he is joined by a group of five of the top rising stars of Polish jazz, selected from among the musicians who took part in last year's Jazz Forum Showcase, powered by Szczecin Jazz: Kacper Smolinski, Tomasz Chyla, Maciej Kadziela, Jakub "Mizer" Mizeracki, and Kasia Pietrzko. Each musician is already well-established on the Polish scene, including receiving top honors in Jazz Forum's annual readers' polls.