Since the 1960s, “Jazz made from Poland” has been a mark of quality. Zbigniew Namyslowski and Tomasz Stanko were well-known musicians. The explosive atmosphere of underground jazz and Polish catacomb is now a thing of the past, given the political turmoil in Europe at its end of 1980s. It is the country’s cultural image that is set by its pianists today. Marcin Wasilewski, Leszek Mozdzer and their many projects are gaining worldwide recognition as the creators of a new music language. Three young Polish musicians could be mentioned together in the future. Dominik Wania (piano), Jacek Koukan (drums) or Michal Kapczuk(bass) are all part of the “NAK Trio”, a cryptic slogan that creates a unique community of interest. These names are representative of the unusual approach to the combo. They move like a thread through their actions, not looking straight ahead but always thinking outside-the-box. NAK is not the initial letter of the protagonists’ last names as in other formations. Instead, it stands for the final letter: KochaN – WaniA- KapczuK. The title of their debut album, “The Other Side Of If”, continues this trend. from www.challengerecords.com
