Leszek Kułakowski is a recognized and awarded composer, pianist, music theorist and teacher. 'Visionary of jazz' and the so-called guru of The Third Trend, who combines contemporary music with jazz, reaches for works of the great romantic to give Chopin's compositions a jazz texture. This lyricism is dear to Kułakowski, yet he shapes his language of expression, which is attractive to both jazz fans and the philharmonic audience.
Leszek Kułakowski in an interview for
jazzforum.com.pl said: '(...) this is what I specialize in so that a common language between the symphony orchestra, classical musicians and jazzmen can be found. It is very difficult, but I have a method developed for it (...) '. It is also confirmed by the critics who note that there aren’t many Polish musicians capable of acting at the border of classical and jazz. Dionizy Piątkowski writes in
jazz.pl 'Leszek Kułakowski is an artist with a huge musical imagination, he has creatively experimented with his music, being also inspired not only by Chopin, Kashubian folklore, third trend, but also 'comedy' projects with yassists and arrangements of Krzysztof Komeda's compositions for symphony orchestra (for Tomasz Stańko) '.
'Sketches for jazz trio and symphony orchestra' is a composition that appeared on the album released in 2012 by the DUX record label (this is a concert recording with the Polish Baltic Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra in Gdańsk, conducted by Szymon Bywalec). Ryszard Borowski writes in
jazzforum.com.pl that it is a free piece, and the music draws in with its changeability. There are real improvised jazz and an orchestra in a dialogue: 'There is a lot of lightness and musical wit, although, at the same time in terms of design, it is quite serious music'.
Some of the other compositions that will be heard during the Szczecin concert have also been previously recorded in the studio. In 1994 the album 'Chopin and Other Songs' (Leszek Kułakowski Trio and the Słupsk chamber orchestra) was released and in 2017 Leszek Kułakowski in the recording of the album 'Chopin Impressions', to which the compositions were arranged for a jazz quintet, accompanied by, among others Mikael Godee and Ebba Westerberg.
