Damasiewicz Project (PL)
Piotr Damasiewicz – trumpet
Maciej Obara – alto saxophone
Gerard Lebik – tenor saxophone
Maciej Garbowski – double bass
Wojciech Romanowski – percussion instruments
The roots of this quintet date back to the year 2008 when Piotr Damasiewicz invited the cream of Polish jazz scene (Gerard Lebik, Wojciech Romanowski, Maciej Garbowski) to participate in his own “Mnemotaksja” project. The very same year the group performed to rave reviews at a number of festivals both in Poland and abroad. Their live album is slated for immediate release by the For Tune label.
In 2008, commissioned by the organisers of the Jazztopad Festival in Wrocław, the group started work on a new composition, adding alto saxophonist Maciej Obara to its already impressive line-up. In this way, Damasiewicz Project Mark Two came to life, becoming an integral and organic part of “Hadrons”, the orchestral piece in which Damasiewicz managed to marry twentieth-century chamber music with the sound of the contemporary jazz quintet, simultaneously alluding to widely-understood improvised music.
In 2011, the quintet, accompanied by the Marek Moś-conducted Aukso - one of Europe’s leading chamber orchestras, recorded the composition in the prestigious Alvernia studios. Next year saw a number of accolades being bestowed upon the band: Gazeta Wyborcza, Polish premium daily newspaper, awarded the group its annual prize - Warto (Worth) Award. The album was also chosen the best jazz debut record of the year, receiving the Fryderyk Prize.
During the Festival Damasiewicz will unveil the yet another reincarnation of the group, referencing his output from the times of “Mnemotaksja” and “Hardrons” as well as broadening the ensemble’s musical palette by adding latest pieces, extending the repertoire and exploring new avenues of musical perception.