released June 20, 2020

Kasia Pietrzko is a Polish pianist, composer, and arranger. She made a striking debut in Sept 2017 with her trio album “Forthright Stories” (recorded with Corcoran Holt on bass and Piotr Budniak on drums) and was hailed a sensation by critics and audience alike. Her performance at Sopot Jazz Festival that year, at the invitation from Greg Osby, got a
mention in Downbeat Magazine. That year, Kasia received prestigious “Mateusz” awarded by Polish Radio 3 and Grand Prix Jazz Melomani in the Debut category. In 2018 she was nominated for Fryderyk Award, in the Debut of The Year category, and is ranked as the second New Hope in the monthly Jazz Forum in 2019. In the opinion of distinguished
Polish jazz musicians, she is characterized by her improviser’s instinct, harmonic imagination and tonal creativity. Kasia took many lessons with the greats in New York: Aaron Parks, Aaron Goldberg, Kenny Werner. Since 2017, the artist has been a member of The Tony Williams Tribute, which is led by outstanding drummer Michal Miskiewicz. She has also worked with Adam Larson, Troy Roberts, Henryk Miskiewicz, Mateusz Smoczynski, Logan Richardson, Eric Allen, Adam Baldych. On February 14th, 2018 she played her first concert with Tomasz Stanko, at the Cracow club Alchemia, and successive concerts were planned for that year.
Kasia has performed internationally, including festivals in Spain, Serbia, Romania, Slovakia, The Czech Republic Hungary, and in China. Only last year Kasia Pietrzko Trio played at Brno Jazz Fest – on the same bill as Branford Marsalis Quartet, in Hamburg, at NDR Jazz - Rolf-Liebermann-Studio, Jazz au Chellah in Morocco and 12Points festival at Bimhuis, Amsterdam.
Bassist Andrzej Swies studied and received his Master’s Degree at the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Academy of Music in Poznan (2005), as well as at the Jazz Institute of the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice (2008). His debut on the jazz scene was in 2004 with Pawel Tomaszewski Trio at Cracow’s Jazz Junior competition (2nd Prize) followed up with 1st Prize in 2005 and Bielska Zadymka Jazz Festival (Bielsko – Biala 2006), Grand Prix “Jazz nad Odra” Festival with the band Soundcheck (2005) and also Individual Distinction at the same festival (2008). He has performed with a wide range of musicians, including a number of internationally renowned artists such as: Greg Osby, Lee Konitz, George Garzone, Raul Soot, Jan “Ptaszyn” Wroblewski, Janusz Muniak, Zbigniew Namyslowski, Adam Pieronczyk, Grzegorz Nagorski, Joachim Mencel, Kuba Stankiewicz, Jorgos Skolias, Judy Bady, Grace Kelly, Ewa Bem, Lukasz Zyta, Krzysztof Dziedzic, Harald Tanschek and others. Andrzej has performed internationally in Germany, Austria, France, Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark, Italy, Hungary, Russia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Bulgaria, among others.
Born in 1991, drummer and composer Piotr Budniak, is a graduate of two Academies of Music – in Katowice and in Cracow. The laureate of the majority of the most important Polish jazz competitions (Jazz Nad Odrą, Jazz Juniors, Bielska Zadymka Jazzowa, Azoty Tarnow Jazz Contest, Blue Note Jazz Competition, RCK Pro Jazz), he is successful also on the European scene. He performed, among others, in China, South Korea, Estonia, Spain, Romania, Russia, France, Belgium, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary and Ukraine.
He is the member of many jazz bands of young generation (among others: Adam Jarzmik Quintet, The Forest Tuner, Klara Cloud & The Vultures). The leader of his own band called Piotr Budniak Essential Group. He also gave concerts with Janusz Muniak, Zbigniew Namyslowski, Piotr Wojtasik and Piotr Wylezol.