Performers

BBC Concert Orchestra
Tom Richards conductor
Rob Luft guitar
Emma Rawicz saxophone
Avishai Cohen trumpet
Alice Zawadzki singer
Marcin Wasilewski Trio

Repertoire: A tribute to Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stańko

The great Polish jazz musician and composer, who died in 2018, first brought his eloquent lyricism to European jazz in the 1960s, gaining international renown. His career entered a majestic second act in the 1990s, with ten standout albums over the next two decades.

When he first heard live jazz, he concluded that ‘the message was freedom’. Over the years, his creative curiosity led him from seminal free jazz exploration in Europe to New York-based collaborations with cutting-edge American players, including Cecil Taylor, Don Cherry and the Globe Unity Orchestra.

His meditative, brooding sound was instantly recognisable. ‘Nobody,’ wrote the Guardian, ‘holds a single, long-blown trumpet note like Stańko'.

As the Tomasz Stańko Quartet, the players of the Marcin Wasilewski Trio shared a remarkable chemistry with Stańko over 15 years.

Marcin Wasilewski, Sławomir Kurkiewicz and Michał Miśkiewicz are tonight joined by the dynamic New York-based trumpeter Avishai Cohen, whose brooding stylings have been compared to Stańko’s.

The first half of the evening upholds Stańko’s commitment to the freshest sounds in jazz, showcasing young British talent - details of which will be announced in due course.

The Tomasz Stanko Story with BBC Concert Orchestra and members of the Martin Wasilewki Trio: Listen live on BBCR3 on Wednesday 16 November at 7:30pm