TWO-VOICE INVENTION. PIOTR BARON / MICHAŁ TOKAJ
At the end of August 2023, the masterful duo of Piotr Baron and pianist Michał Tokaj recorded a studio session at the Impart Centrum in Wrocław. The album „Two-Voice Invention” is set to be released in 2024. The artists delved into jazz, film themes, and even songs, arranging them in a romantic and characteristic manner. The album features plenty of space, moods, as well as dynamic playing and emotions. The recording is managed by Marcin Popielnicki and Adam Milwiw-Baron, known for their prestigious jazz productions with the Modern Music School team.
Piotr Baron is one of the most important saxophonists and leaders of Polish jazz music alongside Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski, Tomasz Szukalski, and Zbigniew Namysłowski. He is an instrumentalist, educator, journalist, producer, composer, arranger, orchestra director, and also the head of a musical family (Adam from Pink Freud, Aleksander from Afromental, and Marysia – a student at the Wrocław Academy of Music). Piotr Baron’s musical paths crossed with legendary jazz musicians in Poland and worldwide, including Ray Charles, Art Farmer, Wadada Leo Smith, Tomasz Stańko, Billy Harper, David Murray, Kevin Mahogany, and Eddie Henderson. For a quarter of a century, he has remained in the top ranks of the „Jazz Top” survey by „Jazz Forum” magazine.
Michał Tokaj is a composer, arranger, virtuoso, and leader of the Michał Tokaj Trio. He collaborates with the Piotr Baron Quintet, and recently, he has been heard on the excellent and multiple award-winning album „Masovian Mantra” by Michał Barański. Michał has also worked with Tomasz Stańko, Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski, Janusz Muniak, Tomasz Szukalski, Ewa Bem, Henryk Miśkiewicz, Piotr Wojtasik, Darek Oleszkiewicz, Grzegorz Nagórski, Leszek Żądło, Zbigniew Namysłowski, Aga Zaryan, Bennie Maupin, Eddie Henderson, Victor Lewis, Kevin Mahogany, and Monty Waters. He has been nominated several times for the Fryderyk Award for his arrangements for Aga Zaryan and his own recordings. In 2004, he won the award for the best jazz album: „Bird Alone.” And in 2011, Michał was awarded the Fryderyk Award for Composer of the Year.
Planned Tracklist*:
Beauty and the Beast (Wayne Shorter)
Butterfly (Herbie Hancock)
Can It be done (Wilson Tee)
Chelsea Bridge (Billy Strayhorn)
Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen)
Lush Life (Billy Strayhorn)
Chan’s Song (Never Said) (Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock)
Once upon a summertime (Johnny Mercer, Michel Legrand, Eddy Marnay, Eddie Barclay)
Estate (Bruno Martino)
Setembro (Ivan Lins)
Cinema Paradiso (Ennio Morricone)
