18th April 2018: Wojtek Mazolewski releases ‘Polka’ The Worldwide Deluxe Edition June 29th + Jazzahead! Concerts
Whirlwind signs Wojtek Mazolewski to release
Polka – Worldwide Deluxe Edition
June 29, 2018
CD/2x LP (180 Gram)/DL
Since the initial release of Polish double bassist and composer Wojtek Mazolewski’s album Polka, his band has performed some 200 concerts in 21 countries, with the quintet inspiring crowds (not exclusively jazz audiences) at some of the biggest music festivals: “It has been a while since a Polish jazz band stirred such positive emotions and attracted such large crowds”, wrote JazzSoul (Poland).
The English portal Wax Poetics noted, “If you know what’s what, you’ll agree that anytime an artist tackles The Art Ensemble of Chicago’s rare groove masterpiece ‘Theme de Yoyo’, it’s worth a listen. If that artist is bassist Wojtek Mazolewski and it’s part of his continuing effort to revive the bountiful ‘60s and ‘70s Polish jazz scene, well, that goes double”. Lonely Table (UK) appreciated the structure of the record: “What makes an album great is the narrative that’s constructed as you listen to it – the ups, the downs and the in-betweens that create the overall flow. What makes an album even greater is the way in which the narrative nurtures diversity yet fits together as a whole. Polka is one of these greater albums.”
The music of the Wojtek Mazolewski Quintet has climbed the Polish Radio charts and has been featured by BBC Radio DJ Gilles Peterson (Theme de Yoyo was one of his 50 best records of 2017). Polka went gold in six months and platinum in three years and the band has been featured on both Polish and international mainstream television. The follow-up vinyl single, London, was released in the UK in 2017 on Lanquidity Records.
Now for the first time, the music from Polka, Theme de Yoyo and London—the focus of the band’s live repertoire for 
the past few years—appear on this Worldwide Deluxe Edition and will be available June 29th 2018 containing music from all three releases and a new design in CD, Double LP 180 Gram Gatefold and Download. Stay tuned for pre ordering information.
Wojtek Mazolewski vigorously combines tradition and modernity; the analog sound of his quintet harking back to the jazz masters, yet infused with electronica and other contemporary influences. Echoes of Miles Davis, Eric Dolphy, Led Zeppelin, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Nirvana and Aphex Twin are all interwoven. Explosive and eclectic concerts are the trademark of Mazolewski’s music. The power of Polka is thrilling when experienced live, especially with his dream team of Joanna Duda, Marek Pospieszalski, Oskar Torok and Qba Janicki—like listening to history being reworked sonically with his uniquely contemporary twist.
Check out Wojtek Mazolewski Quintet’s performances at jazzahead! in Bremen, Germany this week, info below:
