Prizes in one of the oldest and most prestigious jazz competitions in Poland were awarded during the first day of the festival.
The morning of the 60th anniversary edition of the Jazz on the Oder festival was full of performances by representatives of the young music scene. The jury consisting of: Darek Oleszkiewicz, Piotr Wojtasik, and Eddie Henderson listened to the performances of the seven finalists – Cyryl Lewczuk Quartet, Funky Bomba Trio Collective Project, Karolina Błachnia Quartet, Mateusz Kaszuba Trio, Maciej Prokopowicz Quartet, Sylwester Bugajak Quintet and Szymon Paciora Quartet.
The Grand Prix of the Wojtek Siwek 2024 Jazz Individuality Contest in the amount of PLN 25,000 – a prize funded by the Mayor of Wrocław, Jacek Sutryk – and the Rybotrąbka statuette were awarded to the Mateusz Kaszuba Trio band (consisting of: Mateusz Kaszuba – piano, Michał Rutkowski – double bass, Artur Małecki – drums). The band also received an award in the form of an advertising and promotional session in Jazz Forum – both the paper and online version, and an award funded by Radio 357 – a performance as part of the Garaż 357 series. The artists will also play on the second day of the festival before an exceptional line-up: Darek Oleszkiewicz – Brad Mehldau – Jorge Rossy.
Mateusz Kaszuba Trio presents a modern approach to ensemble interaction – the musicians believe that playing in a band should be based primarily on listening to and inspiring each other on stage, resulting in the unique sound of every concert of the trio. The band focuses primarily on its leader’s original compositions and modern arrangements of jazz standards.
The individual prize founded by ZEGARKI.PL, distributor of the Oris brand – the Oris DIVERS SIXTY-FIVE watch – was received by Maciej Prokopowicz (trombone) from the Maciej Prokopowicz Quartet band. A special prize was also sponsored by Culture Zone Wrocław – the Cyryl Lewczuk Quartet band will play a concert in Wrocław later this year.
The jury report is available here.
photo credit: Dunvael Photography
