Concert lineup:

Piotr Schmidt – trumpet
Grzech Piotrowski – saxes (optional)
Paweł Tomaszewski – piano
Michał Barański – double bass
Sebastian Kuchczyński – drums

Komeda’s Songs Without Words is an album in which Piotr Schmidt reaches for some of Krzysztof Komeda’s most recognizable melodies, giving them new life as instrumental narratives. It is music rooted in the cinematic poetics of the 1960s, yet told in a contemporary jazz language—full of tension, subtlety, and open improvisation. The originator of the project is Krzysztof Balkiewicz, president of the “Komeda” Association and artistic director of the Love Polish Jazz Festival in Tomaszów Mazowiecki.

Schmidt treats Komeda’s themes not as closed forms, but as starting points for the ensemble’s creative dialogue. From these melodies he draws pure lyricism and emotional depth, building a dramaturgy that unfolds naturally—without words, yet with a clear and evocative narrative. A key role is played by the chemistry within the band and the conscious use of silence, tone color, and dynamics.

The album is a live concert recording—the premiere performance of the material during the Love Polish Jazz Festival. Thanks to this, it preserves the energy of the moment, the organic sound, and the authenticity of collective music-making. Komeda’s Songs Without Words is a meeting of tradition and modernity, a tribute to one of Poland’s most important composers, and at the same time a personal, mature artistic statement by one of the leading trumpeters of the Polish jazz scene.

More information on sjrecords.eu