Mike Stern, Bill Evans, Tom Kennedy and Dennis Chambers are the main guests of the 19th Summer Jazz Festival at Piwnica pod Baranami in Kraków. This year’s program, covering over 100 concerts, was started by Neworleans Sunday at the Main Square.
The Festival was organized for the first time in 1996 during celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Piwnica pod Baranami club. Witold Wnuk – founder and director of the Festival inspired by legendary Piotr Skrzynecki, has presented during July a cycle of everyday concerts at the Piwnica club.
Each year the Festival expanded presentions beside 31 everyday concert at the Piwnica club for more additional events at the Krakow’s Philharmonics, Krakow’s Opera, Radio Krakow auditorium, theaters, art galleries and open air concerts on the Main Market and the Archeological Museum grounds. Starting on year 2001 the festival prize of “Jazzowy Baranek” was granted to the laureates.
“Baranek jazzowy” (Jazz lamb) is a bronzestatuette by Marian Gołogórski. The prize is granted to outstanding jazz musicians linked to the history of jazz in Krakow and in Piwnica Pod Baranami club and cabaret. The first has been delivered in year 2001 to Jerzy “Dudus” Matuszkiewicz – saxophonist – Polish jazz personality and leader of legendary “Melomani” combination.
