From bop to zal: jazz in Poland

[BillF]

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/nov/07/how-jazz-became-voice-of-freedom-in-poland

Watching the recent movie Ida, I was strongly reminded of the Polish Modern Jazz Quartet, which I saw and met in 1964.

[Big Beat Steve]

This is a somewhat puzzling piece to Continental European jazz fans. I suppose this is just an introduction to the subject for neophytes/outsiders and does not come from a feeling of having to make up for a blind spot of this part of jazz from an Anglo-centric perspective?

Because Polish jazz (particularly its more advanced forms) has always been very much part of jazz awareness over here from sometime in the 60s and at least all through the 70s and onwards.

Komeda and Kurylewicz were among the early ones, then Traszkowski, Namyslowski, Urbaniak, Dylag, Niemen, etc. They were present not only in East Germany (where of course touring bands were more frequent - due to the ease of cultural exchange between the two Communist countries) but also in West Germany where, in addition to live appearances, records of Polish jazz were nothing rare in the better jazz sections of record shops, either Polish imports on Muza etc. or German pressings/relases on insider labels such as Spiegelei as well as some majors here and there.

Anf of course the Japanese collecting nerds have been aware of Polish jazz as part of that "Eurojazz collecting mania" for a long time too (pushing prices for some collectible records to sky-high levels!).

[BillF]

This is a somewhat puzzling piece to Continental European jazz fans. I suppose this is just an introduction to the subject for neophytes/outsiders and does not come from a feeling of having to make up for a blind spot of this part of jazz from an Anglo-centric perspective?

Because Polish jazz (particularly its more advanced forms) has always been very much part of jazz awareness over here from sometime in the 60s and at least all through the 70s and onwards.

Komeda and Kurylewicz were among the early ones, then Traszkowski, Namyslowski, Urbaniak, Dylag, Niemen, etc. They were present not only in East Germany (where of course touring bands were more frequent - due to the ease of cultural exchange between the two Communist countries) but also in West Germany where, in addition to live appearances, records of Polish jazz were nothing rare in the better jazz sections of record shops, either Polish imports on Muza etc. or German pressings/relases on insider labels such as Spiegelei as well as some majors here and there.

Anf of course the Japanese collecting nerds have been aware of Polish jazz as part of that "Eurojazz collecting mania" for a long time too (pushing prices for some collectible records to sky-high levels!).

Article clearly introductory for a non-specialist audience.

But I clearly remember the "conversation" between my pianist friend Paul and the Polish Modern Jazz quartet's pianist. Neither knew the other's language and the "conversation" consisted of chords struck out on the piano and an esoteric lexis of "McCoy Tyner", "Wynton Kelly", etc.