Jarek Michaluk Trio & Maciej Sikała (PL):

For several years now, the Jarek Michaluk Trio has been developing an original project in which jazz meets the folk music of Podlasie and Scandinavian folklore. The band’s leader – a double bassist, composer and founder of the Podlasie Jazz Festival – builds his repertoire around original compositions and jazz arrangements of traditional melodies. The programme also features plenty of inspiration drawn from the music of Northern Europe, which the band performed for several years alongside the Swedish saxophonist Göran Larsen.

Today, Göran Larsen’s place is taken by Maciej Sikała – one of Poland’s most highly regarded saxophonists. A multiple winner of Jazz Forum magazine’s ‘Jazz Top’ poll, he has collaborated with, amongst others, Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski, Leszek Możdżer, Tomasz Szukalski, Henryk Miśkiewicz, Jarosław Śmietana, David Liebman, Kenny Wheeler and Lester Bowie. His distinctive sound and vast concert experience have brought new energy to the project, whilst retaining its intimate and melodic character.

Wojciech Sanocki will be at the piano – a pianist, composer and arranger associated with the jazz scene as well as film and theatre music. His musical imagination and harmonic sensitivity have for years been a key element of the band’s sound.

The line-up is completed by drummer Radosław Żyła – a musician who has been collaborating with Jarosław Michaluk for many years and is highly regarded for his musicality, precision and excellent sense of ensemble playing. Together they form a quartet in which each musician has their own voice, and jazz improvisation meets melodies rooted in the traditions of Podlasie and Scandinavia.

Line-up:

• Maciej Sikała – saxophones

• Jarosław Michaluk – double bass

• Wojciech Sanocki – piano

• Radosław Żyła – drums

2. Skalpel AV Set (PL):

For over two decades, Skalpel has remained one of the most recognisable Polish projects on the global nu-jazz and electronic music scene. The duo of Marcin Cichy and Igor Pudła gained international recognition through their collaboration with the legendary British label Ninja Tune, creating their own unique musical language based on the creative reworking of Polish jazz recordings from the 1960s and 70s. Their albums have become milestones in European electronic music, and their distinctive blend of jazz imagination with modern production continues to inspire successive generations of artists to this day.

Although Skalpel’s work is rooted in the sampling of archive recordings, the duo’s live performances have long been much more than just an electronic set. Marcin Cichy and Igor Pudło breathe new life into their compositions, developing them into an audiovisual experience. Their repertoire features tracks from their landmark albums *Skalpel*, *Konfusion* and *Origins*, as well as newer interpretations of material from their debut album released by Ninja Tune.

The evening concert at the Palace in Rybna will be a unique culmination of the festival day. Following an intimate encounter with acoustic jazz, the PalmJazz audience will hear music that draws with equal ease on the legacy of Krzysztof Komeda, Tomasz Stańko and the Polish school of jazz, whilst giving it a thoroughly contemporary sound. For years, Skalpel have been proving that tradition can be a starting point for bold exploration, and their concerts remain a fascinating journey through jazz, electronic music and hypnotic rhythms.