SLOW is releasing their 3rd album „Under Everchanging Sky” on Jun 24th.2022. The music this time was composed, arranged and produced by the group’s leader and guitar player Tomasz Kaczmarczyk. This new CD from SLOW is much more stylistically diverse than previous releases. We can find here mainly melodic contemporary jazz, but also pieces inspired by classic bebop and world music. Leading themes, guitar and saxophone improvisations by Leszek Szczerba are set in the harmonic landscape created by the pianist Krzysztof Wermiński - they define the sound of the band since its debut in 2011. The whole thing is built on the foundation of a very strong rhythm section, bassist Tomasz Grabowy and drummer Sławomir Berny. Berny plays a double role here, because apart from the drum set, he plays also dozens of various and often exotic percussion instruments.
In terms of arrangement, this music is also quite diverse - from calm and spacious ballads (Yolanda, Under Everchaning Sky) through multi-layered, rhythmically complex and powerfully grooving sound structures (Grasshopper, The Entanglement) to crazy tempos and wild improvisations (Bebop Baroque) and trance rhytms of North Africa (Jemaa el-Fna).
The coherence of the album is ensured by sound of the soloists - saxophones and various guitars played by Tomasz Kaczmarczyk, who uses willingly both electric and acoustic instruments, however his trademark is definitely the sound of a nylon string guitar.
The media partners of the album are Magazyn Gitarzysta and Radio RAM from Wrocław. The album was recorded in the new Slowmusic Studio in Kąty Wrocławskie. ​
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Click on the picture or click here to listen to Bebop Baroque by SLOW online via your favourite streaming service.

The story behind this piece is long and tricky.  I wrote the main theme about 10 years ago. It didn't end up on any of our previous records because the tune was so much different stylistically. As the tittle says, it's where two of my big musical inspirations interweave - baroque and bebop music.. It's not very controversial to say that these two species represent some.of the highest peaks of  excellence in Western music history. Although spread in time for approx. 250 years, they both share some common features - the way in which phrases are build and their relation to the underlying harmony - to name just the obvious. I hope I managed to capture the spirit of both everlasting music idioms and I would love to see your comments after you take a listen. 

I cannot be neutral about the guitar parts here but speaking of the saxophone and the rhythm section I can say that my friends just flew out to outer space when recording this piece and they still haven't come back.

Click the image to hear Grasshopper on your favourite streaming service. The 1st single is an opening track from our 3rd album "Under Everchanging Sky".
This record was tracked completely in our Slowmusic Studio.

The musicians on the record are: 
Tomasz Kaczmarczyk - guitar
Leszek Szxczerba - saxophone
Krzysztof Wermiński - piano, synths
Tomasz Grabowy - bass
Sławomir Berny - drums, percussion

Recording engineer - Robert Jurowicz
Mix - Rafal Smolen Westgate Productions
Master - Robert Szydło

The story behind this track is quite funny. First, the main theme was supposed to be played by my guitar but at some point I passed it to a tenor saxophone. From that moment on the tune kind of "wrote itself", part by part was coming out naturally and without usual "99% of perspiration". Just pure "inspiration" which is quite rare in my composing endeavours. 

So I've thought that, just like in real life, it's much better not to force or push anything if it doesn't come naturally, then probably it's not the right time or right direction. This is a little out of nowadays spirit when everyone is supposed to shape "the best version of oneself" and to work constantly and persistently to achieve one's goals. I mean that it's okay to be sometimes a little politically incorrect, a little lazy and self-confident and not necessarily be hard on yourself to get what you want. 

Have a listen and check by yourself if you like the tune:)