Four Times Paderewski - A Lecture, A Festival and Two Books, by Braun, and Trochimczyk (Vo. 17, No. 1)

Portrait of Paderewski in Paso Robles. Pioneer Museum in Paso Robles. 

Since October, when the International Chopin Piano Competition was held in Warsaw, and the discussions of the awardees have ended, musicians in California focused on Ignacy Jan Paderewski, not Chopin. Four projects completed in 2025 commemorated his music, life and achievements.

Poster for Paderewski Lecture-Recital, on 19 October 2025 at USC

The first was the annual Paderewski Lecture-Recital, held since 2002 at the University of Southern California.  This year, the event presented the life and music of Polish-Jewish emigre composer and journalist, Szymon Laks (1901-1983). Held on October 19, 2025, the event included a lecture by guest pianist Grzegorz Mania and performances of chamber music by Laks by USC Students—Maya Irizarry-Lambright and Nathan Nguyen, violins; Mathew Pakola, viola; and Miles Reed, cello. The program included Laks’s Piano Quintet with elements of Polish folklore.  As USC announced the event, "Paris-based Polish Jewish composer and writer Szymon Laks’s music uniquely balances elements of French modernism, Polish folk music and American jazz. The composer survived imprisonment at Auschwitz by conducting the camp orchestra, an experience which he later recalled in his hauntingly honest memoir entitled Music of Another World." 

Student Concert at Paso Robles

The second was the annual Paderewski Festival, held since 1993 in Paso Robles and since 2007 managed by the Polish Music Center of the University of Southern California. I did not attend the whole event, making time for two concerts on Friday, November 7 and Saturday, November 8, 2025. It was definitely worth driving up to Central Coast California to hear Adam Żukiewicz, both as a mentor of young pianist giving a Piano Master Class for five brave students, all amateurs, and then attend his solo recital with music from C.P.E. Bach and Haydn to Chopin, Paderewski and Scriabin. Both events were held at the Park Ballroom, downtown Paso Robles. Another treat was a concert of young pianists who won awards in the local piano competition.

Awardees of the Youth Piano Competition.

Adam Piotr Żukiewicz

The recital started with two Sonatas in D major by C.P.E. Bach and Joseph Haydn. The highlight of the recital was Chopin's Variations on Mozart's theme "la ci darem la mano," Op. 2, an virtuosic and difficult  piece in the brilliant style. This was one of the most memorable performances in a long while. There are pianists that just play the piano, after practicing eighth ours per day for 20 years, their fingers move fast and are accurate. But the sounds seem soulless. In contrast, Mr. Żukiewicz' interpretation of Chopin's Variations was sparling with wit, charm and brilliance. His hands produced a rich array of sonorities, creating a colorful  sonic patette. Scriabin's Sonata in F-sharp Major Op. 30 was a delightful finale. 

The pianist is an Associate Professor of Piano at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado. He has an extensive teaching experience and his ability to lead masterclasses was clear when he instructed the amateur pianist in improving their performances, without obvious criticism of their faults... Adam Piotr Żukiewicz is an award-winning, internationally acclaimed concert pianist. He performed across Europe, United States, Canada, Japan, Brazil, China, and his performances were broadcast in the USA, China, Canada, Italy, Slovenia, Germany, and Poland. 

Pianist's perfect hands on the piano.

His biography lists the following performances. "Highlights of recent performances include Saint-Saëns Piano Concerto No. 5 with the Boulder Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in New York City and Macky Auditorium in Boulder, Colorado, as well as recitals at the CBC Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, Weill Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City, St. Martin-in-the-Fields in London (UK), Royal Łazienki Theatre in Warsaw, and Chicago Cultural Center (Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series). Recent concerto performances include collaborations with the Shanghai Nine Trees Philharmonic, Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra, Flagstaff Symphony, Boulder Chamber Orchestra, Cheyenne Symphony, Loveland Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of the Springs, Greeley Chamber Orchestra, and Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Orchestra (Zlin, Czechia)."

 

Adam Piotr Żukiewicz holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Toronto and Masters of Music degree from Indiana University. He has also studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London, UK, and was a music scholar at the United World College of the Adriatic in Duino, Italy. Similarly to Paderewski, Adam Piotr Żukiewicz is a Steinway Artist. He is a recipient of the Steinway & Sons Top Teacher Award.

Paderewski Piano at the Pioneer Museum in Paso Robles. 

Paderewski Monument in Paso Robles. 

Paderewski Essays & Poems by Maja Trochimczyk Present 

Poetic Portrayals of the Pianist, Composer and Statesman (Dec. 2025)

Paderewski Essays & Poems written and edited by Maja Trochimczyk is a book dedicated to a Polish pianist, composer, statesman and philanthropist, Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1840-1941) who gain international fame not only as a celebrated virtuoso pianist, but also as an architect of Poland's regained independence (1918, after 123 years of partitions). The richly illustrated volume consists of three parts. For the first part, "Paderewski Poems," Dr. Trochimczyk transcribed 52 poems about Paderewski, penned in English by American, British, Scottish, Irish and Australian poets, mostly in 1890-1940. The majority of these poems are from Paderewski personal correspondence preserved in Paderewski Archive at the Archive of Modern Records in Warsaw Poland. They have not been published before.  

The second part presents four essays about Paderewski by Dr. Trochimczyk. Two of these studies, written in 2001 (published in Polish Music Journal, Vol. 4) and in 2025 are dedicated to the textual and contextual analysis of the poems, The first describes a variety of poems about Paderewski that viewed him either as a musician or statesman, a Polish patriot. The second, traces the changing image of the pianist, from a virtuoso, through a divine messenger, comparable to a seraph or archangel, to a heroic Polish patriot, and finally to an immortal, spiritual master, akin to Ascended Masters of Theosophy, who led their faithful disciples on the path of spiritual ascension into enlightenment. In Paderewski's case, that path is outlined by the sound of his piano, reverently heard in the world's concert halls. 

Paderewski performs Chopin, Postcard from 1890, krakow.

The remaining two studies focus on the constructs of Paderewski stage persona and his reception, predominantly by his female audiences. A discussion of the idealized portraits of the pianist as an archangel, worshipped mostly by women, includes references to poetry, art, and philosophy of Aestheticism of the Gilded Age (2010, published in Polish American Studies, Vol. 67). The fourth essay explores the ramifications of the "Brighton Album" assembled in 1890-1898 (with some items from 1911-14) by one of Paderewski’s ardent female fans in England. Miss Madeleine Michell attended over 50 concerts and preserved hitherto not known documents about his career. In the last part of this volume, readers find a detailed calendar of Paderewski’s life and career, and lists of his writings, speeches, & music compositions, as well as a bibliography. 

ISBN 978-1-945938-87-0 (hardcover), $48.00. 274 pp..(xviii pp. prefatory + 256 pp.); Cover Photo - Paderewski's 1903 portrait by Davies & Sanford, Maja Trochimczyk Collection. 

ISBN 978-1-945938-88-7 (paperback), $32.00
ISBN 978-1-945938-89-4 (eBook, ePub format)

Three Paderewski Plays by Kazimierz Braun 

Commemorate the Great Pianist, Composer, Statesman

"Three Paderewski Plays" by Kazimierz Braun is a collection of theatrical works dedicated to the life, career, and impact of a famous Polish pianist, composer, statesman, and philanthropist, Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1840-1941). "Maestro Paderewski" is set as a play for one actor, illustrated with Paderewski’s  music, and presented as the virtuoso pianist-composer’s reflection on his career in music and politics. It previously appeared in the first volume of Braun's Dramaty Zebrane. Collected Plays published in 2024 in Polish and English.

The other two plays were included in a bilingual edition of Dramaty Zebrane. Collected Plays, vol. 4 in 2025. The play "Paderewski's Children" focuses on the patriotic activities of Lieutenant (later Colonel) Jan Chwalski – a poet, playwright, and the handler of the Paderewski puppet, during the creation of Polish Army in Canada in 1917 (it later became the Haller's Army and fought alongside Americans against the Germans in WWI). The play is in two parts and ends during World War II. 

Finally, "Paderewski's Return" is set in 1922 and presents the dilemma of the aging pianist’s return to the stage after a decade when he was dedicated solely to political activities and struggle for Poland’s independence. The book includes an introductory essay by the author, and general information edited by Maja Trochimczyk: lists of Paderewski's compositions and writings, and a selected bibliography.

This book is a companion volume to “Paderewski Essays & Poems” edited by Maja Trochimczyk, with 52 newly discovered English-language poems about the virtuoso pianist (written in 1890-1941 and in 2020s), as well as four studies of his life and music, a detailed calendar of life, and lists of his works and writings.

ISBN 978-1-945938-84-9 (hardcover), $44.00, 196 pages (vi introduction + 190 pp. text) 

ISBN 978-1-945938-85-6 (paperback), $28.00. ISBN 978-1-945938-86-3 (eBook)
https://moonrisepress.blogspot.com/2026/01/moonrise-press-publishes-two-books.html

Paderewski postcard by Artur Szyk, 1939.

Andrew Kolo's Paintings - A Memorial Exhibit with Poetry, Vienna Woods Gallery, Los Angeles (vol. 16, no. 4)

Poster of "Andrew Kolo - Painting" by Leonard Konopelski

On September 5, 2025, the Vienna Woods gallery in Los Angeles hosted the grand opening of the exhibition "Andrew Kolo – Painting," commemorating the painter, poet, and playwright Andrzej Kołodziej (1944-2025), known in the United States as Andrew Kolo. The exhibition was opened by Katarzyna Czerpak-Węgliński, president of the KrakArt painters' group, who thanked the members of the KrakArt Group who contributed to organizing the exhibition - Janusz Maszkiewicz the owner of the Vienna Woods Gallery, as well as Vito Wojcik and Leonard Konopelski who curated the exhibition, framed photos from over forty years of the group's history. She also thanked Jakub Nowicki whose private collection was the source of the paintings displayed at this colorful exhibition. 

Remarks were also delivered by Consul Mateusz Gmura and Dr. Maja Trochimczyk, president of the California State Poetry Society, who organized recitation of the artist's poems in English and Polish, with the participation of poet Konrad Tademar Wilk and actress Agata Nowicka.

President of KrakArt Group, Katarzyna Czerpak-Weglinski, Ms. Marta Gmura, Monique Lehman, Consul Mateusz Gmura, Maja Trochimczyk, with poetry brochures. 

Andrzej Kołodziej graduated from the Faculty of Fine Arts at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. In 1981, he founded the KrakArt group in Los Angeles, which has organized numerous important exhibitions in Poland and the United States.  Let me cite his biography on the KrakArt Group's page:

Born in Poland, the painter is residing in Los Angeles. He earned his master’s degree in painting and art education from the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Poland (1968). Kolo went on to study at the École de Dessin Appliqué in Paris (1973) and Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles (1977). He initially settled in New York (1973). He first went to California on vacation, which mesmerized him enough to make him want to stay. In art, he went from being fascinated with abstraction, through Californian landscapes, to depicting figures in motion. His works have been on display in the United States, but also in Europe and Asia. Kolo founded and managed the Polish-American art group called the Krak Group (currently the KrakArt Group.) He is interested in the theater, poetry, and photography.

‘Surrealism fascinates me. However, I use my own imagination as an exponent of the atypical view of the world that I have developed, rather than its inherent iconography of dreams. I look to visually transform the chaos of life, its balance, and asceticism. I do not strive to place my works in the present. Rather, I let them oscillate between the past and the future’ – Andrzej Kolo

At the exhibition, golden sunlight filled the gallery, shining from paintings (from Jakub Nowicki's private collection) featuring abstract Californian landscapes and equally abstract scenes of stylized puppets—often in swimsuits on the beach, on a playground, or playing tennis. 

Andrzej Kolo, "Examination" - oil on canvas, 2021.

The geometric simplicity of these scenes conceals deeper meanings.  One scene of three marionettes is arranged in the same way as the trinity of angels in the famous Andrei Rublov icon "Holy Trinity" - the three angels that visited Abraham are depicted as one goblet, the way they symmetrically bend and incline towards each other... 

The opening of the exhibition featured an appearance of the Consul for Polonia and Polish Cultural Heritage, Mr. Mateusz Gmura with his wife Marta.  He spoke about the importance of presenting the work of emigre artists and of keeping their memory alive, praising the organizers and contributors to this exhibition for their generosity and patriotism. 

Consul Gmura addresses the audience 

Consul Mateusz Gmura and Ms. Marta Gmura of the Polish Consulate in Los Angeles.

Consul Mateusz Gmura with Ms Marta Gmura, Barbara Nowicka and her son Jakub Nowicki, the owner of the artwork on display. 

Andrzej Kołodziej's vocation was art, but his passion was poetry. Together with Elżbieta Liebel and Konrad Tademar Wilk, he founded the Krak Poetic Group, which was later joined by Dr. Maja Trochimczyk. Andrzej's play "The Trial of Dali" (2019) was presented in Los Angeles, at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in June 2019, and in Sydney, Australia. In the exhibition, Andrzej Kołodziej's words became a sign of the artist's spiritual presence among his friends (such as tapestry artist Monique Chmielewski-Lehman and painter Leonard Konopelski). The exhibition was on view for one month, until the end of September 2025.

Since Kolodziej's life in California spanned five decades, there were many events that he participated in along with his painter friends - members of the KrakArt Group that he founded in 1981.  Another member of the group, Prof. Leonard Konopelski selected, printed, framed an organized a whole wall of photographs from the 40 plus years history of the KrakArt Group and the multitude of art exhibitions and events that the painters participated in along with their friends. 

The photos reproduced here are too small for details, but it was possible to stand close by the wall and identify individual artists and painters as they looked like 40 years ago. Monique Lehman, whom I found in two photos, was quite a beauty, with her long, blond hair. Some men had moustaches that have since disappeared and the hair on some heads also did a disappearing act... 

Monique Chmielewski Lehman and Andrzej Kolodziej at one of photographs on display.

After the initial speech by new president of the KrakArt Group, Katarzyna Czerpak-Weglinski, who presented an overview of Andrzej's career and profusely thanked all organizers of this colorful and lively exhibition, it was time for poetry. Together with Konrad Tademar Wilk, I was supposed to read Andrzej Kolodziej's poem in Polish and English. I thought it would be interesting to add a scene or two from Andrzej's play "The Trial of Dali" - and for that purpose, painter Joanna Fodczuk painted elegant moustache in the style of Dali on the face of Konrad Tademar Wilk who was supposed to impersonate the great surrealist artist. 

Two poets ready for the performance...

Joanna Fodczuk transforms Konrad into Salvador, Tademar into Dali... 

Konrad Tademar Wilk as Dali with Jakub Nowicki.

Decorated with the Dali-esque moustache Konrad Tademar Wilk later posed with Jakub Nowicki, his friend from the Polish School that they both attended at the Polish Church on Adams Boulevard. Nowicki's moustache and beard are real, though, not painted! The occasion was also an unlikely school reunion...

Owner of Vienna Woods Gallery, painter Janusz Maszkiewicz

One of the most generous activists of Polonia's art scene in Los Angeles is talented painter Janusz Maszkiewicz, the owner of the Vienna Woods Gallery who earns a living by restoring historical furniture and expresses his artistic talents in large-scale abstract paintings. Here he is, happy to show off the poetry booklet in front of some of Kolodziej's paintings and, in matching color, his restored table.  KrakArt Group owes him many important exhibitions, most recently of portraits of the artists painted by other artists from the group... In 2023, the gallery welcomed for two months a show  of "50 years of Art of the Modjeska Club" featuring designs by Stanislaw Szukalski and paintings by Zbigniew Nyczak, Leonard Konopelski, Slawek Wisniewski and Janusz Maszkiewicz - honored as the host of the event. 

Katarzyna Czerpak-Weglinski i Malgorzata Maszkiewicz.

Several attendees dressed in white or cream, as shown in the attire of Katarzyna Czerpak Weglinski (left) and Malgorzata Maszkiewicz (right).  They pose in front of three paintings by Kolodziej, in the warm golden palette of rich hues, so the coloring of the attendees was well matched to the art on the walls.  In the group portrait of the ladies of KrakArt Group the most colorful was the sapphire dress and red-gold scarf of Maja Trochimczyk.

Kasia Czerpak-Weglinska, Malgorzata Maszkiewicz, Maja Trochimczyk, and the most recent member of the KrakArt Group, Katarzyna Krzykawska-Apolinarski. In the background - Andrzej Kolodziej's landscapes of California. 

For the event, I gathered the five poems and selected excerpts from "The Trial of Dali" play into a booklet that was printed with illustrations of some of Andrzej Kolodziej's paintings, including a dramatic and very colorful landscape reproduced above.  Seeing the matching yellows and blues, I decided to provide contract to the warm sunlight-hued yellows with a sapphire dress and I think that color worked well, just as it did in the sky of Kolodziej's painting. 

Maja Trochimczyk, Konrad Tademar Wilk, Agatha Nowicki.

As I did not quite look forward to reading any theatrical roles, or acting in a play alongside Konrad, I was thrilled to see in attendance a young, talented actress  - Agatha Nowicki - daughter of Modjeska Club member Barbara Nowicka. Agata agreed to read a couple poems in English, and to play the two roles needed for the excerpt selected for this performance from "The Trial of Dali." 

Thus, she first become Pablo Picasso who secretly came to Franco's Spain to meet up with Dali and later embodied the wicked Isabel who brought out the "indecency" accusations against Dali that resulted in his infamous trial. This virtuosic, unrehearsed acting duet with Konrad Tademar Wilk received abundant applause. The performance was very witty and emotional, and the audience loved the humorous text.  I think one reason that "The Trial of Dali" is such an impressive play, is due to its author being an artist, inspired by surrealism, and sharing with his protagonists the ideological and existential pressures that may impact art-making and negatively affect the artists' lives. 

                                             

Below are the English translations of Andrzej Kolodziej's poems prepared for the exhibition. Earlier versions of some of these poems exists, but were not used.  Most of the translations are by myself, some by the poet himself, others - a joint effort with Konrad Tademar Wilk.  Kolodziej's poems are written in free verse and portray various impressions of America by an immigrant from Europe - the vastness and diversity of landscapes, the fleeting fame and eternal rest in the Hollywood cemetery, the beauty of a young musician.  He reflects also on the timeless theme of Adam and Eve in Eden, and on the aesthetics of Picasso's art seen through his eyes that distort the world into what he sees and captures on canvas. Enjoy! 

  

Maja Trochimczyk

AN EMIGRANT’S AMERICA

The first thing the emigrant sees 

from the Boeing's windows

 are the sharp spires of Manhattan

and the Statue of Liberty

standing beside it, looking serious.

The center of the window is filled

with the green carpets of Des Moines farms. 

The horizon is illuminated by rays

of the fourteen-karat 

California sun, while atomic explosions

in Nevada are barely visible

in the fog, on the right.

He also sees millionaires and the less affluent,

and saints from Lynchburg, Virginia.

Until finally, the view from the window 

is blurred by Coca-Cola

gushing from the clouds.

Andrzej Kolodziej

PICASSO’S EYES

Did you know that Picasso's eyes

are the same as yours,

only more sensitive,

and more self-confident?

Did you know that Picasso's eyes

possess more colors and forms

than mine and yours combined,

filtering our world 

through the prism of Cubism?

Did you know that his eyes

directed at a painting,

are like the eyes of a vulture,

registering every

shade of color,

cold or warm?

Picasso's eyes are

like the eyes of a scarlet macaw.

Encountered beauty

instantly deforms,

and it doesn't matter 

whether it's a landscape

from his native Catalonia, 

a still life,

an unknown model,

or his next 

wife. 

 ~ Andrzej Kolodziej, published in the California Quarterly Vol. 51, no. 3 (2025)

GARDEN OF EDEN

In the Garden of Eden brightly colored

flowers and bushes never cease blooming

and never knew winter.

“This fig tree belongs to you — my dearest

and the olive one — to me.

Make yourself comfortable in their aromatic shade.”

In the tangled branches the snake is hissing softly. 

Under an apple tree Adam and Eve, embracing.

“I’ll give you sons and daughters” — she whispers

tucking him into an animal fur coat.

“This delicious fruit called ‘an apple’

can only make you stronger — my beloved.”

 the first snowflakes begin to fall 

 upon the flowery Garden of Eden —

 like the first sins.

Andrzej Kolodziej, Published on the Village Poets blog, 2019. 

CEMETERY OF THE STARS

The gaunt palm trees 

stood motionless,

as if they were afraid to move

in this old cemetery.

The rays of the sun

revive the lethargy of the graves.

On one of the tombstones

a golden inscription reads: Marilyn Monroe.

White chrysanthemums held

by someone's grateful hand,

And the wind, that remembers

Marilyn's sincere smile, galloped

among the palms and tombstones.

It froze in the sky

like a shining star.

 ~ Andrzej Kolodziej

Andrzej Kolodziej, "End of the Road," oil on canvas, 2019.

Andrzej Kolodziej, "Spanish Guitar," oil on canvas, 2019.

MISS CONCENTINA 

The wind whistled softly

through the snow-covered branches

of the park, as if to spite

the great gale.

Miss Concentina

stood majestically beside me.

The stone goddess

of Roman temples.

Snow covered the world,

veiled its secrets.

Miss Concentina touched

her head to mine, as gently

as crystal goblets

touch with sparkling liquor.

She closed her eyes,

beautiful and peaceful.

Touched by the warmth

of her breath, 

the world around us 

began to melt—

~ Andrzej Kolodziej

Andrzej Kolodziej "Good Kiss" - oil on canvas, 2019.

Andrzej Kolodziej "Winter Competition" - oil on canvas, 2021.

Aga Zaryan and Darek Oleszkiewicz with Friends - Second Time Around! (Vol.16, No. 3)

A legendary jazz vocalist Aga Zaryan presented an unforgettable concert in Los Angeles, broadcast live on Facebook. She came from Poland to record a new jazz album with accomplished and experienced musicians, Darek Oleszkiewicz, bassist, Larry Koonse, guitarist, and Munyungo Jackson, drummer. Entitled “Second Time Around,” this is their second album with the same crew of musicians that worked on the recording in August 2025. Their concert on Saturday, August 9, 2025, took place in Paul Kulak's studio, known as Kulak's Woodshed, crammed with photographs and posters, and bizarre decorations (chairs on the ceiling, CDs strung up like laundry...). This unique space holds a secret: a set ultra-professional video and sound equipment is tucked away and video cameras move on tracks around the performance space creating attractive visuals… The program was packed with world premieres, but also with beloved jazz standards... But first, let's introduce the performers.

AGA ZARYAN‘s mellow, expressive voice and impeccable musicality have earned her many accolades from the music critics. The artist owes her worldwide recognition to a unique style, with a characteristic lightness of phrasing and a warm tone of voice. She was the first Polish artist to release records under New York’s legendary Blue Note Records label that has issued recordings of such legends as: Norah Jones, Nina Simone, Miles Davis and Bobby McFerrin. Aga Zaryan is a recipient of the most important awards in the music world, including the Fryderyk for a CD dedicated to poetry of Warsaw Uprising. She is one of Poland’s finest jazz vocalists and a winner of multiple Vocalist of the Year honors from Polish Jazz Forum magazine. 

DAREK OLESZKIEWICZ, known professionally as DAREK OLES, is a Grammy-nominated jazz bassist and educator, the pillar of Los Angeles jazz world.  Born in Wrocław, Poland, Darek began his musical education early and played various instruments before focusing on the acoustic bass. He gained recognition in Poland through numerous awards and performances with leading jazz groups. In 1988, he moved to Los Angeles, where he studied with Charlie Haden at the California Institute of the Arts. Oles has since become a faculty member at both CalArts and the University of Southern California. He has performed and recorded with jazz luminaries such as Brad Mehldau, Pat Metheny, Joe Lovano, and many others. His extensive discography includes about 100 albums, several of which have been nominated for Grammy Awards.

A native Californian, born in San Diego, LARRY KOONSE grew up in a musical family and began studying guitar at age seven, deeply influenced by his father, jazz guitarist Dave Koonse. At fifteen, he recorded his first album with his dad (Dave and Larry Koonse; Father and Son Jazz Guitars). In 1984, he became the first to earn a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from USC. His career highlights include international touring & collaborations (six years on tour with the John Dankworth quartet and vocalist Cleo Laine), being featured on over 300 albums, including Mel Tormé, Luciana Souza, Natalie Cole, Rod Stewart, Lee Konitz, Bob Brookmeyer, and others, and multiple Grammy nominations with Billy Childs’s chamber sextet (Lyric and Autumn: In Moving Pictures) and Luciana Souza’s projects (Tide, Book of Chet). Koonse also led and co-led groups such as the L.A. Jazz Quartet and released critically acclaimed solo albums on Jazz Compass label. He appeared as a soloist at Carnegie Hall, Disney Hall, Sydney Opera House, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and more. 

Four-time Grammy winner MUNYUNGO JACKSON is a percussionist, composer, arranger, and producer, bringing an ever-growing collection of instruments to his craft.  The rich array of his traditional and unusual percussive sonorities may be heard on recordings in diverse musical genres, from funk, pop, and jazz to Latin, reggae, and the traditional dance music of Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Haiti, Brazil, and Cuba. Munyungo was born in Los Angeles, California, into a creative family that well prepared him for a 30-year music career. His parents, Arthur Jackson Jr. and Genie Jackson, were both deeply involved in music, dance, and writing, and Munyungo is the nephew of the legendary jazz, pop, and blues singer-pianist Nellie Lutcher, who recorded for Capitol Records. Munyungo’s exceptional versatility made him a highly sought-after performer for studio sessions, concerts, and tours. Throughout his career, he has shared the stage with iconic artists such as Miles Davis, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Kenny Loggins, Herbie Hancock, Dianne Reeves, the Zawinul Syndicate, George Howard, Ronnie Laws, The Temptations, Four Tops, The Supremes, Bennie Maupin, Bill Summers, Marcus Miller, and many others. He has also worked with numerous ethnic music and dance ensembles, further showcasing his talents.

The first joint album of this group of expert musicians, Picking Up the Pieces (2006/2011), is a deeply expressive, critically and commercially successful CD that marked Aga Zaryan’s transition from national to international acclaim. Featuring a potent mix of jazz standards and a few original pieces, it explores emotional and spiritual narratives centered on women’s experiences. The album was a major breakthrough: it achieved double platinum in Poland and became a European adult contemporary bestseller. Critics praised its intimate feel and fresh interpretations. Newsweek highlighted Zaryan’s “charm and talent.” Almost 20 years later, now is the time for "Second Time Around"!

Having such an impressive ensemble to support her flexible and enchanting voice, Zaryan began the evening with the Oscar-winning title song from the film "The Thomas Crown Affair," written by Michel Legrand. It set the tone for the first part of the program that was ballad-like and reflective. The program featured world premieres of original compositions by Oleszkiewicz and Koonse with lyrics by Zaryan herself, including the touching "Save the Children." The singer perfectly matched this poignant tune with her interpretation of Sting's little-known song, "The Russians"—who perhaps "also love their children…" regardless of what else they do… 

Consul General of the Republic of Poland, Paulina Kapuścińska,

Next, since the concert was in early August, Zaryan decided to honor the fighters and victims of the Warsaw Uprising (which began on August 1, 1944) and performed a song from her CD dedicated to the Uprising's young poets. This song, with lyrics by Krystyna Krahelska was a sweet love poem written about a month before her death on August 2, 1944. The contrast of delicate youthful sentiments and the tragic premature death of the poet was deeply poignant. personal connection was mentioned by Zaryan: her grandparents and those of Michal Tokaj the song’s composer also fought in the Uprising. Consul General of the Republic of Poland, Paulina Kapuścińska, spoke the heroism and patriotic zeal of the brave fighters and the tragic loss of life and destruction of Warsaw in her preliminary remarks. Interestingly, after the recital, Aga Zaryan and the Consul discussed the tragedy of the Uprising with an audience member, Professor Andrzej Targowski, honorary president of the Association of the Children of the 1944 Uprizing. As a 7-year-old, he survived the murder of his family, shot in one of massacres of civilians by German forces.

Dr Irmina and Prof. Andrew Targowski, Consul General of the Republic of Poland, Paulina Kapuścińska,

The second part of the program featured Zaryan’s lively interpretation of the standard, "Second Time Around," with a score by Sammy Cahn and music by Jimmy Van Heusen, familiar from the repertoire of Frank Sinatra. Melodies by Wayne Shorter, Tina Turner, and Steve Wonder, performed at a more upbeat pace, were interspersed with a series of the singer’s duets with bassist Darek Oleszkiewicz and guitarist Larry Koonse. Percussionist Munyungo Jackson enlivened the atmosphere with delicate accents of an unusual array of “noise-makers” and demonstrated his class in playing polyrhythms on the bongos. Listeners also praised Zaryan's warm, honeyed voice, which blended beautifully with the ensemble. I didn't know it was possible to have such wonderful dialogues while singing with a double bass, but my fellow attendance member, a jazz vocalist Karolina Naziemiec, confirmed that indeed, Darek is a great partner for singers in jazz duets, and the proof is in her own recording posted on Spotify.  

All the performers deserved praise since they are all masters of the highest caliber, with a vast list of achievements and awards, including Grammys and Fryderyk Awards. Moonrise Press sponsored this exclusive event, and the Paderewski Musical Society helped with its promotion.  We look forward to the album, "Second Time Around"!

Dr Maja Trochimczyk

INFORMATION ABOUT THE VENUE AND EVENT ORGANIZERS

KULAK’S WOODSHED is a Live Music Video Recording Venue that seats 49, with 24 Track Pro Tools audio and Webcast created for the promotion of singer songwriters. Artists here range from beginners to Grammy winners.Created by Paul Kulak in 1999, Kulak’s Woodshed evolved into a community labor of love, operated by skilled volunteers and supported by audience donations. All are welcome, any age, and music styles. Self serve snacks, soft drinks, tea, and coffee. Pet friendly. Their last Polish event was a concert by Ewa Zmijewska and Shandy Caspar in 2019. 

Established in 2008, the PADEREWSKI MUSIC SOCIETY is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that honors the legacy of Ignacy Jan Paderewski, the celebrated concert pianist, composer, philanthropist and Prime Minister who guided Poland to independence after WWI. Paderewski edited Chopin's scores for publication and is known as THE person who brought Chopin's works to light with his rousing worldwide performances in the early 1900s. Since its inception, in addition to having organized three international piano competitions, the Society has sponsored concerts, piano recitals, masterclasses, fundraising events and film screenings. The roster of world-class artists presented included well-established names as well as the most promising members of the younger generation and included Lee Kum Sing, John Perry, Piotr Kosinski, Hubert Rutkowski, Xiayin Wang, Andrew Yang, Zheeyoung Moon, Adam Wibrowski, Edward Wolanin, Peter Toth, Gloria Campaner, Dmitry Rachmanov, Gloria Cheng, Kamil Pacholec and Wojciech Kocyan. Most recently, the Society established a scholarship fund to aid in the education of most deserving young pianists.

Since 2008, MOONRISE PRESS (President Maja Trochimczyk), published over  20 books of poetry and studies of Polish culture. Past publications include Gorecki in Context: Essays on Music (2017), two histories of the Modjeska Club in Polish and English, and 15 volumes of poetry by California poets.  Current projects include Four-volume Collected Plays by Kazimierz Braun (vol. 4 is in preparation), 168 sonnets by Konrad Tademark Wilk, and more. The press also contributed to USC Polish  Music Center’s Paderewski Lectures and Modjeska Club events.