Yesterday was the mid-point of Cryptogramophone’s recording sessions with Bennie Maupin and his Polish Quartet in Warsaw. Please see my previous posts below to get a feeling about where we’ve been and where we’re going. Last night, after recording a piece of Bennie’s entitled “Early Reflections,” we took a break so Bennie could put the finishing touches on a new piece called “Prophet's Motives,” written for the late writer, painter, filmmaker, and philosopher Richard Prophet Jennings, whose paintings have graced such jazz album covers as Eric Dolphy’s Out There and Outward Bound.
“Prophet's Motives” was quite challenging for the musicians, especially having to learn the complicated melodies on the spot. As our studio finishing time of 8PM was approaching and the musicians were still learning the music, Sebastian, our engineer began to worry we wouldn’t have time to record anything. However, at about 7:30 we started rolling tape (so to speak), and by 8PM, we had a burning take that sounded like these guys had been performing this music for years. (See exhausted musicians below)
Today (Saturday) is the final day of recording, and we are welcoming a special guest, a talented and unique singer named Hania Chowaniec-Rybka who specializes in folk music of the Polish Highlands, music that has influenced many musicians including the Polish composer Karol Szymanowski. Hania has an incredibly expressive voice with a wide range that sparkles in the high end, and has a very warm quality in the lower register. Bennie's group played some concerts with her in Zakopane, a small town in the mountains about 5 hours from Warsaw, and they had such a deep connection, that he asked her to come sit in on some tunes for this session.
However, since the band was here early and Hania hadn’t arrived yet, I suggested that they try another tversion of “The Jewel in the Lotus” since that was the first tune we started with on Thursday, and everybody was so much more in the groove now. This turned out to be a great idea since this take really had some great energy, and Bennie played his ass off.
Now we’re recording a more recent piece of Bennie’s called “Atma.” Atma is the name of the house in the Highlands where Szymanowski lived and wrote most of his music. Atma also means soul in Sanskrit. Hania’s voice sounds incredible on this piece, lending an earthy, modal quality to the improvisations, with her unique embellishments and folksy improvisations. What a great instrument she has! Check out this clip on Youtube of Hania with Bennie's Quartet at a recent concert in Zakopane, Poland.
Thanks for checking in. Come back later for more!
