Piotr Schmidt International — Comedy Songs

Some of Krzysztof Komeda's most beautiful melodies, world-class artists and a unique line-up specially prepared for the concert at NOSPR. On February 3, 2027, Piotr Schmidt will present in Katowice an extended concert version of the project “Songs of Komeda” — a personal look at the work of one of the most important composers in the history of Polish jazz.

For more than six decades, the music of Komeda has been delighting with unusual melody, cinematic imagination, melancholy and emotional depth. Subjects written for films and songs have long gone beyond the boundaries of their original forms, becoming part of Polish culture and the canon of European jazz.

Piotr Schmidt reaches for them with great respect, but without museum distance. The starting point is the material from the album Komeda's Songs Without Words (SJRecords, 2026) — instrumental interpretations of the most recognizable Komeda compositions, in which unforgettable melodies become a space for improvisation and the contemporary language of jazz. Here lyricism meets tension, silence with expression, and the film dramaturgy of the Comedy meets the individuality and extraordinary creativity of the invited artists.

The concert at NOSPR will be a unique development of this project. On one stage, an international line-up of outstanding musicians representing different musical worlds will meet and present the music of Komeda in new arrangements.

Piotr Schmidt's ensemble will be joined by Aaron Parks — one of the most respected American jazz pianists of his generation, an artist with an extremely distinctive, spatial and lyrical musical language. Percussion instruments will be played by the legendary Mino Cinelu, whose musical path led through bands of the greatest figures in world music, including Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny and Sting.

Marcin Wyrostek, a virtuoso of the accordion, will bring a special colour, whose extraordinary imagination, expression and characteristic sound will open up Komeda's compositions to completely new spaces. He will be joined by Grzech Piotrowski — saxophonist, composer and artist who has been pushing the boundaries between jazz, film music and world music, as well as spatial improvised music for years.

In addition, a female voice will appear as part of this project. The special guest of the concert will be Marta Król — an excellent jazz and soul singer, whose presence will allow us to look at the selected Komeda compositions also from the perspective of their original, song-like character.

The line-up will be completed by outstanding representatives of Polish jazz: Paweł Tomaszewski — piano and keyboards, Andrzej Święs — double bass and Sebastian Frankiewicz — drums.

For Piotr Schmidt, this is the next chapter of a long-standing artistic dialogue with the music of Komeda. After the project Komeda Unknown 1967 (2022) — dedicated to the unknown compositions of the master found after more than half a century, the album Tribute to Tomasz Stańko (2018) — which featured, among others, the famous lullaby from the film Rosemary's Baby, as well as the albums Dark Forecast (2020) — alongside the author's compositions also presenting two ballads from the film “Nez w vode Polański” the trumpeter returns to the music of Komeda this time in the largest and most diverse cast of the project.

Different generations, personalities and musical languages will come together at NOSPR. They will be united by Komeda — its melodies, space and a unique world of unique emotions.

The concert promises to be a kind of dialogue with the music of Komeda — through improvisation, imagination and sound of the artists, and all this will be embellished with exquisite arrangements by the leader.

Piotr Schmidt — leading trumpeter of Polish jazz, composer, producer and publisher. Graduate, PhD and long-time lecturer at the Academy of Music in Katowice, assistant professor at the PANS Jazz Faculty in Nysa. Winner of numerous awards, including the Grand Prix at the Getxo Jazz Festival 2010 along with the award for the best soloist of the festival. He has collaborated with icons of Polish and world jazz, including such artists as: Leszek Możdżer, Aaron Parks, Mino Cinelu, Walter Smith III, Adam Bałdych, Krzysztof Herdzin, Michał Urbaniak, Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski, Włodzimierz Nahorny, Zbigniew Namysłowski, Henryk Miśkiewicz and others...

Leader of bands, creator of musical projects. He has 19 original albums, including Tribute to Tomasz Stańko and Komeda Unknown 1967. For years he has been in the top Jazz Top of Jazz Forum magazine — Trumpeter of the Year 2023 and 2025. His original album Hearsay has been recognized four times as the jazz album of 2023. The album Ether won twice the award for jazz album of 2025 — it was appreciated among others in the Jazz Forum ranking.

Duration is subject to change.

The concert is organized by Agencja Koncertowa.eu

More:

www.piotrschmidt.eu

www.sjrecords.eu

www.koncertowa.eu

Performers: Piotr Schmidt — trumpet; Marta Król — vocals; Aaron Parks — piano; Mino Cinelu — percussion; Marcin Wyrostek — accordion; Grzech Piotrowski — saxophones; Paweł Tomaszewski — piano, keyboards; Andrzej Święs — double bass; Sebastian Frankiewicz — drums