In addition to these jazz legends, younger artists at the cutting edge of modern improvised music are also returning to the city.

The highlights of this year’s Krakow Jazz Autumn will be two weekly concert blocks –  Mats Gustafsson’s NU Ensemble in October and Ken Vandermark’s Resonance in November.

In Autumn, they will come to Krakow not only as the stars of the first part of the festival but also as a workshop band, as an orchestra and as a collection of small line-ups, whose performances for 4 consecutive evenings in Alchemia will be a prelude to the grand finale at the Manggha Centre.

Following a 2 year break, Ken Vandermark’s Resonance will play in November, a group very important in the festival’s history and one which embodies one of the essential aspects of the festival, namely, the creation of artistic events between artists from different countries.

Here are the details:

November 19. 2013 Alchemia
-Magnus Broo, Tim Daisy, Mark Tokar
-Per-Âke Holmlander, Steve Swell, Christof Kurzmann, Michael Zerang
-Dave Rempis, Mikołaj Trzaska, Ken Vandermark, Wacław Zimpel

DJ: Tim Daisy

November 20. 2013 Alchemia
-Tim Daisy, Steve Swell, Wacław Zimpel
-Christof Kurzmann, Ken Vandermark
-Magnus Broo, Mark Tokar, Mikolaj Trzaska, Michael Zerang

DJ: Christof Kurzmann

November 21. 2013 Alchemia
-Christof Kurzmann solo
-Magnus Broo, Per-Âke Holmlander, Steve Swell
-Tim Daisy, Dave Rempis, Mark Tokar, Mikolaj Trzaska

DJ: Ken Vandermark

November 22. 2013 Alchemia
-Tim Daisy, Per-Âke Holmlander
-Waclaw Zimpel, Michael Zerang
-Tim Daisy, Dave Rempis, Ken Vandermark, Michael Zergang

November 23. 2013 Alchemia
Paweł Postaremczak & Paweł Szpura Duo
Paweł Postaremczak saxes
Paweł Szpura drums
IMPROGRAPHICS
Piotr Damasiewicz trumpet
Gerard Lebik saxes
Max Mucha bass
Gabriel Ferrandini drums

November 24. 2013 Manggha
RESONANCE
Ken Vandermark (USA) tenor & baritone saxes, clarinet
Magnus Broo (Szwecja) trumpet
Tim Daisy (USA) drums
Per-Âke Holmlander (Szwecja) tuba
Christof Kurzmann electronics
Dave Rempis (USA) tenor & alto saxes
Steve Swell (USA) trombone
Mark Tokar (Ukraina) bass
Mikołaj Trzaska (Polska) alto sax, bass clarinet
Michael Zerang (USA) drums, percussion
Wacław Zimpel (Polska) clarinet, bass clarinet

All concerts start 7pm

Ken Vandermark (phot.K. Penarski)

Over 6 years in existence, the US-Swedish-Ukrainian-Polish band, has become one of the most important, regularly playing ensembles on the improvised music world stage. It was however, here in Krakow that the group was born. Their first recordings were made here, recorded by Krakow’s Not Two Records as part of an impressive 10 disc box set that documented the work of both small formations as well as a great orchestral finale.

Resonance returns to the festival in both an intimate version and as a large format band, but with a slightly different line-up. Along with old friends from the past such as Tim Daisy, Dave Rempis, Michael Zerang, Steve Swell and Mikolaj Trzaska, there are musicians with a slightly shorter presence in the group, such as Devin Hoff, the American bass player and Waclaw Zimpel, a clarinetist well-known to the Polish audience.

The Polish improvised music scene is also an integral part of the Krakow Jazz Autumn, especially given that over the years it has grown stronger and more artistically vibrant, more boldly engaged in the history of European improvised music. Among the guests are both already recognized musicians and representatives of the upcoming generation of Polish improvisers. A detailed list of Polish guests at the festival will be announced in the coming weeks.

Not only about concerts, workshops and musical presentations, for years the event has gathered together the most important representatives from the media:  famous journalists, prestigious magazine editors and festival organizers from throughout Europe and the world. Since last year, these people have also acted as panelists in the Contemporary Music Agenda – an institution established as a forum to discuss the most interesting directions of musical development, its place in the media and its most effective means of promotion.

 More info on Official Website of Krakow Jazz Autumn