Jarek Smietana, Wojtek Karolak - I love the Blues

Jarek Smietana, Wojtek Karolak
I love the Blues

Label: JSR, 2011
Catalogue No: JSR 0012
Format: CD

Tracks:

1. His Majesty Blues
2. Saint Louis Blues
3. I Love You More Then You'll Ever Know
4. Dukatari
5. Not Fade Away
6. One For My Baby
7. Nordic Blues
8. Camden Town
9. Basin Street Blues
10. You Don't Know What Love Is
11. Free Market Blues
12. I Need Your Love So Bad
13. Birthday Blues
14. Good-bye Pork Pie Hat

Line-up:

Jarek Smietana - electric and acoustic guitars
Wojtek Karolak - Hammond organ and keyboards
Pawel Maciwoda - bass guitar
Adam Czerwinski - drums
Z-Star - vocal (tracks 1, 8)
Bill Neal - vocal (tracks 3, 5, 12)
Karen Edwards - vocal (track 10)

About:

'I Love The Blues' will be the 46th record in the Polish jazz legend Jaroslaw Smietana's discography. Smietana is a musician, composer and producer well-known in the Polish jazz world. For years he has been working with Wojciech Karolak with whom he also created the upcoming record. On 'I Love The Blues' they will try to show the various shades of blues (classic blues, Chicago-blues and even rock and fusion) and mix them up in a spicy jazz sauce. Smietana and Karolak worked on the record with Polish and foreign artists including vocalists Karen Edwards, Z-Star and guitarist Bill Neal.

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Guitar player, composer and producer Jarek Smietana has lways beend very active on the Polish Jazz scene leading many groups, including 'Extra Ball', 'Sounds', 'Symphonic Sound Orchestra', and 'Polish Jazz Stars Band'. He also had a series of very successful cooperation with other leaders such as Zbigniew Namyslowski, Slawomir Kulpowicz, Jan 'Ptaszyn' Wroblewski, Henryk Majewski, Piotr Wojtasik, and Wojciech Karolak. Leszek Kotarski wrote about Smietana at the 'Jazz Forum': 'All the notes fall naturally into place. Never garrulous or merely exhibitionistic, it is a jazz concert of the highest caliber. Each phrase is swinging and is full of drive and feeling. In brief, that is how you can describe the music of Jarek Smietana, one of the most outstanding Polish jazz musicians. He has created his own music style and individual sound, always personal yet constantly communicative. His first priority is the highest possible artistic level'.

Jarek Smietana continues his contributions to Polish Jazz in the 21st century. His 2004 album 'The Story of Polish Jazz' included first Polish Jazz rap, with lyrics co-written by Smietana himself and drummer Jacek Pelc. This CD is a tribute to the greatest players and sonic journey into the history of Polish Jazz. His latest projects include albums with Smietana's take on music by some of his favorites: Jimi Hendrix, Ornette Coleman, Zbigniew Seifert, and the Blues.