Henryk Miskiewicz & Simple Acoustic Trio - Lyrics (2001)

Henryk Miskiewicz & Simple Acoustic Trio

Henryk Miśkiewicz - alto & soprano saxophone, bass clarinet
Marcin Wasilewski - piano
Sławomir Kurkiewicz - bass
Michał Miśkiewicz - drums

Lyrics (2001)

The story of Simple Acoustic Trio goes back to the beginning of ‘90s. Still being students of the Music High School S.A.Trio. made their debut in 1991. They won the third prize at the Polish jazz contest-Jazz Juniors ’91. In the same year, a sixteen-year old band leader - Marcin Wasilewski won the fourth prize at the International Jazz Pianist festival in Kalisz, Poland. Two years later the band won the first prize at the 7th International Festival of Jazz Bands “Chorus ‘93” during Jazzin’ Sorgues Festival in France. In 1996 the band participated in two jazz competitions. In Getxo, Spain, the band won the first prize and Marcin Wasilewski was chosen the best soloist of the festival. In the same year the band became a prizewinner of the Leverkusen Jazz Festival, and again Marcin Wasilewski was considered the best soloist.

So far the S.A.T., formed by Marcin Wasilewski - piano, Slawomir Kurkiewicz - double-bass and Michal Miskiewicz – drums, has recorded four CDs. The first one called “Komeda” (Gowi Records) released in February 1995 was inspired by a successful live performance dedicated to Krzysztof Komeda during the Jazz Jamboree’94. “Up-dated” version of this album re-titled “Lullaby for Rosemary’s” was released on Not Not in 2001. “When will the blues leave” (Polonia Records) is the title of the second release from December 1995. “Live in Getxo” (Hillargi Records) was recorded during Getxo Jazz Festival 1996. In October 1999, the band performed at “Jazz All Fil De L’oise” festival in France, and the fallowing month recorded their fourth CD “Habanera” (Not Two). The fall of 2001 brought the release of “Lyrics”. The album came from co-operation between Polish saxophonist Henryk Miskiewicz and Simple Acoustic Trio, and was awarded the most prestigious prize in Polish phonographic industry “Fryderyk” 2001 for the best jazz album of the year. In the meantime S.A.T. was voted the best acoustic band by the readers of a polish magazine “Jazz Forum”. In 2007 S.A.T. released its first album titled “Trio” for ECM.

Individually and as a group the members of S.A.T. have performed with prominent international jazz stars such as Jan Garbarek, Manu Katche, Louis Sclavis, Dino Saluzzi, Palle Danielsson, Jon Christensen, Bernt Rosengren, Arthur Blythe, Joe Lovano, John Surman, Bobo Stenson, Anders Jormin, Gianluigi Trovesi and also have worked with Tomasz Szukalski, Piotr Wojtasik, Michal Urbaniak, Janusz Muniak, Zbigniew Namyslowski. Since 1994 the musicians of Simple Acoustic Trio have worked with Tomasz Stanko as members of Stanko quartet. This co-operation became a springboard for their artistic and commercial success; Tomasz Stanko Quartet has made a great deal of tours all over the world.

Stanko argues that “In the entire history of Polish jazz, we’ve never had a band like this one. I’m surprised by these musicians every day. They just keep getting better and better”. But the pianist, bassist and drummer are much more than Stanko’s “backing band”.

The trio is very much a group, and as Don Heckman observed, reviewing them with Stanko for the Los Angeles Times, “Their years together have resulted in an ensemble with an utterly symbiotic creative flow, solos darting through collective passages as the music streamed fluidly from one selection into another. Kurkiewicz and Miskiewicz play with a fertile combination of swing and subtlety…Wasilewski’s piano soloing displayed a coalescing talent, a potentially emerging jazz star in his own right”.

Tracklist:
1. Half Note
2. Lyrics
3. Gush
4. Furiozi
5. Song About Song
6. Thema from Spartakus
7. Gate of the Happiness