Polish jazz: era-defining records from behind the Iron Curtain

Jazz arrived in Poland after the First World War and the first Polish jazz band, The Karasiński & Kataszek Jazz - Tango Orchestra, formed not soon after, in 1923. Homegrown jazz flourished in Poland in the 1930s with the influx of Jewish musicians from neighbouring Nazi Germany. Banned first by the Nazis and then by the communists behind the Iron Curtain, the genre nonetheless found a way to exist underground, where it had become synonymous with the fight for freedom. Stalin’s death brought a cultural revival of Polish jazz and a new generation of musicians to the fore. Next week, Monday 10 April, Calvert 22 Space will celebrate this legacy with a special talk presented by indie record label Lanquidity Records and one of the leading figures of the 21st century Polish jazz movement, Gdansk-born Wojtek Mazolewski. These record sleeves, selected by Lanquidity Records’ founders Mateusz Surma and Adrian Magrys, give a sneak peak into some of the defining records of the period between the 1960s and 1980s, which the trio will be discussing and playing on the night. The event is free and will take place from 7pm — 9 pm, just remember to RSVP here.