The Intuition Orchestra feat. Grazyna Auguscik, Zdzislaw Piernik - Fromm (2012)

The Intuition Orchestra

Ryszard Wojciul – saxophones, bass clarinet, EWI
Bolesław Błaszczyk – piano, double bass, synth
Grażyna Auguścik – vocal;
Zdzisław Piernik – tuba, percussions
Jacek Alka – drums

Fromm (2012)

The moving force behind this project is Ryszard Wojciul. His career is reflecting the history of rapid economic and social changes in Poland in last 20 years. In last days of communism (80ties) he took part in vivid and rebellious Polish rock scene being member of such a significant bands as Róże Europy, Sztywny Pal Azji or Oczy Amelki. At he same time he studied musicology in Music Academy in Warsaw and his interests began to move towards more ambitious forms of music, especially the improvisation. That made him interested as much in jazz as in modern classical music. It also may be seen as fairly typical example of the musical way taken then (90ties) by many young musicians creating so-called yass movement. 

In 1989 Poland changed its political system from communist to capitalist which resulted first in a total economic meltdown. The culture lost almost entirely any financial support from the government. Even worse it coincided with a significant impoverishment of people. The result was a serious breakdown of once flourishing areas of Polish culture, be it cinema, literature or music. Most of the talented youths moved their interests from the art to business and Wojciul was one of those many. From 1995 to 2005 for ten years he was working for a big corporation which happened to be radio station but he basically ceased to be active musicician any more. And again, as many of his colleagues in recent years, he quit the job in corporation and returned to some of his artistic activietes. 

One of them is The Intuition Orchestra which is a band formed with his long-time companions Bolek Błaszczyk and Jacek Alka. The name of this project says it all: this is a music focused on improvisation where every concert is different from the other. Spontaneity, collective creative process, deep interplay, freedom is all this music is about. Sometimes such a attitude brings chaos and leaves a soul of listener confused. But rarely it allows him or her to transcend a meanness and prosaism of daily life into a redeeming artistic experience and this is the case of this album...

This catharctic experience would be impossible without artistic influence exerted by two guests invited to this project: Zdzisław Piernik and Grażyna Auguścik. Both are legends of Polish music but in a very different way. Piernik who plays on tuba is present on Polish scene for 40 years verging between classical, jazz and avantgarde projects. What distinguish him is a consistent and uncompromising creativity he displays in every project he is involved in. Auguścik is one of top three female jazz singers in Polish jazz with such mainstream albums as recent "The Beatles Nova" (2011). She is also participating is high quality international projects like for example this year in Matt Ulery "By A Little Light" (2012). And it is as much Piernik as her extraodinry free jazz vocalizes which catapult this music to artistic stratosphere! Her light, filigree and spontaneous singing saturates music with emotions and coulours making its rehearsal unforgettable experience. Brilliant stuff!

I would like to thank Rafał Garszczyński for his insightful interview with Ryszard Wojciul which help me a lot in writing this text. You can read it in Polish here: (link).

By Maciej Nowotny
http://kochamjazz.blox.pl

Track listing: 1. All in sounds 3:01 2. The sexual desire 4:12 3. Smigol Casrto Stup 5:42 4. Had to happen some misunderstanding 2:28 5. Wise creatures work 5:08 6. Day and night are seemingly the enemies 1:59 7. The lightning of the love 4:28 8. Sounds of the present 4:17 9. Heaven is the male 2:48 10. Causes of the neurosis 1:57 11. Various collections of the features 3:32 12. Fromm 4:08 13. The masculinity and feminity 3:15