Please do not file my music under jazz. Nor under pop, folk… whatever. I embrace a lot of influences. Jazz is by far the most important in its freedom, its harmony and its sense of time but I was brought up with the old Polish folk songs. So I’m kind of rooted here in all these Slavic landscapes and sounds.
— Anna Maria Jopek
On November 5, beloved Polish vocalist Anna Maria Jopek launches a “Best of…” tour of the US and Canada from November 5-9. Jopek will perform with top Polish jazz musicians, either as the AMJ Trio (with Marek Napiórkowski – guitar and Piotr Nazaruk – vocal, zither, flutes) or the AMJ Band (the trio plus Robert Kubiszyn – bass and Paweł Dobrowolski – percussion).
Anna Maria Jopek– composer, arranger and singer with respectful, honorable carrier, who has sold one million records and collaborated with the most outstanding musicians – Pat Metheny, Bobbi Mc Ferrin, Ivan Lins, Youssou N’Dour, Makoto Ozone, Richard Bona and others. With 14 albums of her own Anna Maria Jopek performed and recorded with all the important artists in Poland including numerous concerts and recordings with an ECM-based trumpeter Tomasz Stanko. During the Jazz Jamboree International Festival 40th Anniversary Gala she performed with one of the greatest jazz saxophonists of our times: Joe Lovano. In 2008 she performed with yet another all-time hero of hers, Bobby Mc Ferrin. Cameo appearances live with Chris Botti soon followed.
Anna Maria Jopek is as Polish as one can be—not only with her gentle beauty, but first of all with her music, coming straight from the heart. Yet her latest project features a bunch of true giants from around the world. The Brazilian bossa nova genius Oscar Castro Neves meets serene ECM recording pianist from Norway Tord Gustavsen. An exotic voice of Tunesian oud virtuoso and vocalist Dhafer Youssef blends with brave and adventurous notes of Branford Marsalis’ soprano saxophone. Richard Bona’s trademak Douala vocals and bass lines coexist with sensual French singing by percussion wizard Mino Cinelu. Manu Katche and Christian Mc Bride provide powerful grooves… yet then there is this amazing, sophisticated vocal (in fact – about a zillion of them so carefully layered!) by Anna Maria that makes it all work. That makes this dialogue of such different cultures not only possible, but fascinating to observe. That makes this music unique, one of the kind. Personal.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2014 | 9:30 PM & 11:30 PM
THE BEST OF ANNA MARIA JOPEK (AMJ Trio)
Joe’s Pub (The Public Theater, 425 Lafayette Street , New York, NY 10003)
Tickets & info: joespub.publictheater.org
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2014 | 7:30 PM
THE BEST OF ANNA MARIA JOPEK (AMJ Band)
Copernicus Center
5216 W. Lawrence Ave., Chicago, IL 60630
Tickets: 773-415-4910 or www.uptosound.com, www.copernicuscenter.org, www.bilety.com
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2014 | 6:30 PM
THE BEST OF ANNA MARIA JOPEK (AMJ Band)
Polish Cultural Centre – Toronto (Canada)
4300 Cawthra Rd. Mississauga, ON
Info & reservation: tel. 416 910 5714, 647 701 5813
[Sources: press release, annamariajopek.pl, uptosound.com]