This was the first live Cosmic Jazz since early January and it provided an opportunity for Derek to connect with a region he has just visited and to catch up with some excellent and recent Polish music. All available on this site via the MixCloud tab.

Having recently been near to the island of Guadeloupe in the French Antilles and finding the radio dial full of stations from that island playing zouk and related music, it was a good opportunity to search out some jazz from Guadeloupe. That is not as difficult as it might sound – courtesy of a splendid compilation on the French label Heavenly Sweetness released in 2016 called Koute Jazz. It features musicians from Guadeloupe and also from Martinique, some of whom, by the time of recording, were based in Paris. There were two tunes played from the album. Firstly, Soprann aux Antilles from saxophonist and producer Camille Soprann Hildevert, a prolific artist and mainstay of the Guadeloupian music scene. Secondly, a tune with the name of the island Gwadloup from trumpeter Edmony Krater with Zepiss a group he formed when he arrived in Paris in 1983.  Krater saw the music as a way to strengthen the island’s identity and as having spiritual and political significance. Trumpeter Don Cherry was a big influence on Krater’s music.

As always with the Polish music we owe a big debt to Steve’s Jazz Sounds for connecting us with some of the latest sounds. Very good they are too. The Tubis Trio have featured before on the programme and this week’s show includes Flashback, the title tune from a previous album as well as the title tune of their latest album So Us. It’s the classic jazz trio format of double bass, drums, with leadership from pianist Maciej Tubis. Their sound is accessible but interesting: it definitely feels like European jazz and jazz writers have cited EST as an influence.

I am pretty sure that we have not previously played music on the show that made reference to the sixteenth century religious Reformation in Germany.  But this week we did. It came in the form of Solus Christus from the band Soundcheck and was one piece of a six-part suite dedicated to the German religious thinker Martin Luther, a key figure in the Protestant Reformation. Soundcheck are led by sax player Maciej Kocinski and their first album since 2012 is more reflective and reserved than their earlier work – not surprising given the religious references. Apparently the music was originally part of Kocinski’s PhD thesis. Interesting.

Although all the Polish music featured this week is recommended, if you were to consider purchasing music from just one of the three Polish groups featured this week, the one we would select comes from trumpeter Piotr Damasiewisc & the Power of the Horns Ensemble from their album Polska. Again it is their first album for some time – in fact, since 2013 to be precise. Damasiewisc is influenced by two great Polish trumpeters, Piotr Wojtasik – whose music we love here on Cosmic Jazz – and the more widely recognised Tomasz Stanko. The band are a collective and the album acknowledges their 10th anniversary together. The group includes ECM artists Maciej Obara on sax and Dominik Wania on piano, whose music has previously featured on the show. This is deep, free, intense music and we featured two tracks from this outstanding album, including a second tune dedicated to the much admired bass player William Parker. Psalm for William Parker ended the show this week but we shall be back to this great new record in subsequent shows. In the meantime, don’t forget to check out Steve’s Jazz Sounds: this is music is rarely reviewed in the UK press but really deserves much more exposure.

1. Camille Soprann Hildvert – Soprann aux Antilles from Koute Jazz
2. Edmony Krater & Zepiss – Gwadloup from Koute Jazz
3. Tubis Trio – So Us from So Us
4. Tubis Trio –  Flashback from Flashback
5. Soundcheck – Solus Christus from Martin Luther Suite
6. Piotr Damasiewisc & the Power of the Horns Ensemble – Polska II from Polska
7.  Piotr Damaseiwisc & the Power of the Horns Ensemble – Psalm for William Parker from Polska

Derek is listening to…..

1. Kassav – Zouk La Sel MediKaman Nou Ni
2. C. J. Lewis – Sweets For My Sweet
3. Mr. Killa – Soca Storm
4. Busy Signal – Free Up
5. Third World (feat Damien Marley) – Not The Only One