Piotr Wojtasik Quintet feat. Anna Maria Jopek — Crocus Jazz Festival

“On one side is a group of performers who create what they feel and then present it to the audience. On the other hand, there are artists who go on stage to play to the audience what they want to hear. We are in the first group.” — Piotr Wojtasik

The collaboration between Anna Maria Jopek and Piotr Wojtasik began in 2019 during a joint concert as part of the Wodecki Twist Festival in Krakow. Piotr Wojtasik, at the invitation of Kasa Wodeckie-Stubbs, created arrangements for Zbyszek Wodecki's songs. In 2020, Anna Maria Jopek invited Piotr Wojtasik to the project “Przedworza”, on which Piotr took over the musical direction. This remarkable musical collaboration continues and continues to develop. This time Anna Maria Jopek will be a special guest of Piotr Wojtasik.

On stage, in addition to the leaders, excellent Polish jazzmen who make up the Piotr Wojtasik Quintet band will appear: Marcin Kaletka (saxophone), Michał Tokaj (piano), Michał Barański (double bass) and Łukasz Żyta (drums). Anna Maria Jopek and Piotr Wojtasik invite us on an extraordinary jazz journey!

The undisputed virtuoso of the trumpet, an outstanding improviser and composer, has been speaking his own unique musical language for over 40 years. He has recorded and toured in most European countries, Morocco, Israel, Canada, the United States, Japan and India. He constantly collaborates with such musicians as: John Betsch, Joris Teepe, Viktor Tóth, Steven McCraven, Nicolas Simion, Michał Barański, Michał Miśkiewicz, Kazimierz Jonkisz, Michał Tokaj. For years he has been invited to collaborate by the legendary saxophonist Billy Harper. He has participated in numerous special projects with the participation of giants of world jazz such as: Kenny Garrett, Joe Lovano and Archie Shepp. At the same time, he performed as a sideman in other bands that included musicians of such rank as: Victor Lewis, George Cables, Kirk Lightsey and Joe LaBarbera. He is one of the few Polish musicians who are regularly invited to international projects, such as the Michel Donato Quintet or the European Jazz Ensemble. He has participated in the recording of more than a dozen albums. He has 14 original albums to his credit, which have won high praise among critics and music lovers. The albums “Circle” and “Hope” received the prestigious award of the Polish music industry — Fryderyk. The others, for the most part, were nominated for it — including the album “VOICES” containing original compositions for jazz septet and synagogue choir. Wojtasik himself received two Frydericas: in 2003 and in 2008, in the category of Jazz Musician of the Year. He has won several times in the Jazz Top ranking of Jazz Forum magazine.

Born on December 14, 1970 in Warsaw. As a child of soloists of the band Mazowsze, she grew up in the world of art. Her artistic and at the same time folk character left a significant imprint on the artistic sensitivity of the singer. In this aesthetic, to a considerable extent, it moves to this day. The stylistic framework of Anna Maria Jopek's activity consists of three areas of musical experience: a love of folklore brought from home, a classical musical education (a graduate of the piano class at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music) and a love of jazz. These three planes present in the work of Anna Maria Jopek in different proportions, maintain her work in a wide stylistic spectrum, from (especially in the early period) works in the convention of modern pop, through her original stylistically autonomous compositions, to that part of her work that is often referred to today as “contemporary eclectic jazz”. A common feature of all her artistic activities is an extraordinary attention to level. Both at the conceptual, executive-interpretive and production levels. This level of professionalism, the highest artistic value and constant development have led to the fact that today Anna Maria Jopek has (apart from most of the most important Polish performers) cooperation with such giants of world jazz as: Pat Metheny, Branford Marsalis, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Makoto Ozone or Richard Bona. Every concert of Anna Maria Jopek that you can witness is a small section of the path of her development, which she constantly follows.