Jacek Kochan

http://www.jacekkochan.com/


Jacek Kochan
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacek_Kochan


Jacek Kochan is a Polish born drummer, composer, arranger and music producer. After having started his adventures in music in Poland in the seventies he moved in the early eighties first to New York and then to Canada. There he worked with among many others Michel Donato, Karen Young, Andrew Leroux, Yannick Rieu, Oliver Jones, Jean-Pierre Zanella, Michel Cusson, John Abercrombie, Jerry Bergonzi, Pat Labarbera and Kenny Wheeler[citation needed].

In 1995 he returned to Europe where he continues to compose, play, tour and record music with artists like Dave Liebman, Greg Osby, Marc Copland, Gary Thomas, Joey Calderazzo, Palle Mikkelborg and Eddie Henderson. Kochan has released several albums as a leader[citation needed]. Among those are "One eyed horse" (2004) and "Yearning" (2006).









http://www.polishjazz.com/pjn/profiles/kochan.htm





Jacek Kochan is a monster drummer.

Born in Poland, he has been active in the musical scenes of Poland, USA, and Canada since the late 1970s. He is also an arranger, imaginative composer and music producer, but most of all - a superior drummer. His very distinctive modern drumming style is jam-packed and full of rhythmical gradations with stylistic references from the whole history of jazz. He is fully aware of versatile jazz and contemporary music traditions, but at the same time is completely immersed in contemporary fusion, funk, electronic and club beats. He is also very fluent in the language of free jazz, but in contrary to many others modern European drummers, he has no complex of avant-guard. He is a master of sound sampling, and has an exceptional gift of time and style. His smart and intelligent music is filled with nuances, full of space, with layers of acoustic and electronic sounds, and complex textures. As a drummer he does not over-emphasize the role of his instrument, but in contrary he focuses on collective sound, melodies, adventurous arrangements, original harmonies and rhythms.

Kochan's astonishing improvisational creativity makes him one of the most highly regarded and in-demand drummers on the Polish and European jazz scenes. His music engages the listeners, keeps them interested, sometimes puzzled, but always longing for more. Furthermore, Kochan excels in a recording studio environment, where he is able to masterfully utilize many wonders of the modern recording technologies, and at the same time able to restrain himself from the traps of artificial apparatus.

During the last decades, Kochan has played with many of the most important figures of American and European jazz. The list is too long to quote, but he is primarily an accomplished leader of a variety of his own bands. As a leader Kochan continuously encourages other band members to express their artistic creativity, and at the same time, he stays in charge of the band's musical direction and style, always leaving no doubt that the final creative output is his own.
Biography:

Jacek Kochan, composer, arranger, producer and drummer begun his adventure with music in seventies.

In early 80-ties he moved to New York. There he have played and recorded with jazz, funk and r&b bands and studied among the others.with Jaco Pastorius, Mike Clark, Robbie Gonzales.

By the mid 80's, Jacek moved to Montreal, where he further expanded his musical lexicon to include writing for choirs and orchestra (Tudor Singers, Repercussion) as well as playing and recording ethnic music (latin , african , balkan). There he worked with Michel Donato, Karen Young, Andrew Leroux, Yannick Rieu, Oliver Jones, Jean-Pierrre Zanella, Michel Cusson, Katleen Dyson, Helmut Lipsky, Lazaro Saucedo, Geoff Lapp, Johnny Scott and many others, perfoming at the clubs and jazz festivals.

In 1990 , after moving to Toronto, he started to work as a leader and sideman in countless live and recording projects with artists like John Abercrombie, Jerry Bergonzi, Pat Labarbera, Kenny Wheeler, Don Thompson, Mike Murley, Neil Swainson, Reggie Schwager, Lorne Lofsky, Bernie Senensky, John MacLeod, Dave Restivo and Brian Dickinson.

In 1995 he returned to Europe where he continues to compose, play, tour and record music with artists like Dave Liebman, Greg Osby, Marc Copland, Gary Thomas, Joey Calderazzo, Palle Mikkelborg, Eddie Henderson, Dave Tronzo, Briggan Krauss, Cuong Vu, Eric Vloeimans, Lars Danielsson, Dave Fiuczynski, Bo Stief, Christian Spering, Michel Benita, Furio DiCastri, Franz Hautzinger, Klaus Dickbauer , Eddie Schuller, Uchihashi Kazuhisa, Axel Dorner, Ernesto Molinari, Francois Corneloup, Krzysztof Knittel, Skerik, Tomas Stanko, Zbigniew Namyslowski, Adam Pieronczyk, Piotr Wojtasik, Assif Tsahar, Tomasz Szukalski, Maciej Sikala and Piotr Baron.









Jacek Kochan ...... Double Life of a Chair (Mikkelborg)





Polish drum wiz, groove-king and multi-bandleader has upwards of a dozen discs out, each with different personnel from around the world, as well as some of downtown's best (Tronzo & Krauss here). Jacek seems to dig trumpet players and has worked with Kenny Wheeler, Cuong Vu, Eric Vloeimans, Franz Hautzinger and here he uses ECM great Palle Mikkelborg. This disc features a fine seven-piece band, the largest assemblage Jacek has recorded so far. Jacek works his wonders setting up sly, spacey, somewhat funky grooves that players can add their tones and colors to and solo on occasion. Often these slamming grooves push the soloists to come up with something different than what they are use to in their own situations. With so many fine musicians Jacek often selects melodic patterns that violin and accordion or the guitar and sax can add their harmonies to. Both Tronzo and Briggan Krause contribute one short piece each, mainly a solo interlude. On a couple of tracks Jacek sets up a quiet, spacious, slow groove so that Palle's muted trumpet and Tronzo's ultra subtle guitar can float on top. Rather than just set up some all-star jam sessions, Jacek works out each piece in advance so that the groove and background textures or loops provide a different challenge on each piece. I find Jacek Kochan to be more consistently successful than Nils Petter Molvaer who often provides a similar set-up, yet his results I find often less-than-engaging.




I just got hip to Polish drum-king Kochen in the last year or so, Actually I had an earlier CD of his "Corporate Highlanders" but it just had not registered that this guy would be a monster writer and bandleader.
Kochen has put out in the last few years a couple dates that are on my "heavy rotation" list....


JACEK KOCHAN:
DOUBLE LIFE OF A CHAIR
GOWI RECORDS, CDG 55(CD)
(P)(C)2002 GOWI RECORDS, POLAND
RELEASED: 2002, POLAND
J-ISSUED: BOMBA RECORDS, BOM22162(CD)
RELEASED: 2002, JAPAN

CREDITS (productions) :
All arrangements by Jacek Kochan
Produced by Jacek Kochan; Executive Producer: Zdzislaw Gogulski
Recorded by Rene Cambony at Grapehouse, Copenhagen,
Tomek Dukszta at Chrost Studio, Waeszawa,
Jacek Gawlowski at Q-Sound, Waeszawa, Norbert Blacha at Studio B1, Gliwice
Mixed and mastered at Grapehouse by Rene Cambony and Jacek Kochan
Design and original art by Marta Kochan
Jacek Kochan plays Sabian Cymbals

CREDITS (musicians) :

Jacek Kochan : drums, bass, keyboards, loops, sampler
Palle Mikkelborg : trumpet
Dave Tronzo : guitar
Briggan Krauss : alto saxophone
Anthony Alexander : acoustic piano, electric piano
Henryk Gembalski : violin
Slawek Jaskulke : accordion


TRACKS (total time 57:45) :
1. Alberta (8:34) [Jacek Kochan]
2. Momentations (1:31) [David Tronzo]
3. Indiano (5:51) [Jacek Kochan]
4. What About Them Penguins On Hudson Pkwy (4:04) [Jacek Kochan]
5. Tjame (5:39) [Jacek Kochan]
6. El Toro (7:13) [Jacek Kochan]
7. WHat's Left (3:25) [Jacek Kochan]
8. Gash (4:46) [Jacek Kochan]
9. Day In Apparatus (:55) [Briggan Krauss]
10. Corporate Highlanders (5:59) [Jacek Kochan]
11. Kowloon (7:31) [Jacek Kochan]
12. If You Went That Far (1:42) [Jacek Kochan]


Kochen's "Double Life of a Chair" features one of my all-time favorite players The underrated danish trumpet Monster Palle Mikkelborg. Now, I can go on about Palle Mikkelborg but suffice to say if you dig the things Nels Petter Molvaer, Erik Truffaz and Jon Hassell are doing some of the sounds are due to this master!
"Chair" also features a killer varied cast (see above) with to me the big surprise is slide player Dave Tronzo playing at times what for him is a pretty straight guitar.
Alberta the sessions opener features Mikkelborgs muted sounds. Its beautiful, dreamy "fourth world" stuff with electronic weirdness adding tension.
Momentations, is an interlude with Tronzo's slide floating in space...Indiano is back to the ensemble, dark and foreboding but with a funky thang. Can you get with some Laswell?
Other highlights include Gash with Briggan Krauss's ripping sax over "space-age" sounds!
The for-mentioned Ms Krauss kicks in with a composition "Day In Apparatus" which is melded into Kochen's composition "Corporate Highlanders". The re-working is funky and harsh, with tripped out background electronics and a twisted string section. Kochen even add's accordion to the mix...its kitchen sink time and it works well.
Kowloon brings us back to earth, with the sound at time similar to Molvaers "Khmer" but there's more here. A whole different flavor is added with violins (real one's!) just texture here.
If You Went That Far..closes the set, and it ask's a good question...ripping ripping ripping. Jay D.



"New Expensive head"
Bomba Records BOM 22177, GOWI Records CDG 58

Jacek Kochan - drums, bass, keys, samplers, loops,
Cuong Vu - trumpet, trumpet fxs,
Skerik - tenor sax, sax fxs,
Eivind Aarset - guitar, guitar fxs

1. More (Kochan)
2. Part Time Vip (Kochan)
3. New Expensive Head (Kochan)
4. Less (Kochan)
5. Nott: Chain of Being (Kochan)
6. Lai-sien-kee (Kochan)
7. Mo Bu (Kochan)
8. Three Dollars Wiser (Kochan)
9. Faast (Kochan)
10. Scout's Inamorata (Kochan)


New Expensive head opens with a bang....More is more, as with Kochen's 02 release, "Double Life of a Chair" you can tell that Kochens been listening to the ground breaking Norwegian trumpeter Nel Petter Molvaer. In fact for "New Expensive head" Kochan
has added Molvaers right-hand man Eivind Aarset to bring his signature sound to the project.
But that's not to say Kochen merely "apes" molvaer's sound...far from it. Kochan is way further out than Molvaer, a somewhat more "difficult listen at times. As with his earlier project "chair" Kochan has brought in a Reed player with a fat, full ripping sound.
On Head its the up and coming Skerik, who clearly has been listening to late period Coltrane as well as Pharoah and Ayler.
Its an interesting mix with an avant ripping sax over layers of electronics.
This is definitely one of my favorites of late. Jay D.






some vid links....



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ww8bI-NuRT8


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaXHi_ZLaAA


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0XwzKxiffY


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddUk80lxCis


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDrpOmu8cEQ