DOMINIK WANIA - Stepping Out From The Shadows
Although a mainstay on the Polish and European jazz scene for many years, pianist Dominik Wania, will have come to the attention of a wider audience through his longstanding association with alto saxophonist Maciej Obara and appearance on the Quartet's two releases on ECM.
Two completely contrasting albums, Unloved (2017) and Three Crowns (2019) firmly placed the pianist at the centre of the action. In my review of Unloved the pianist was such a distinctive presence that I suggested that Obara may be in danger of losing his rhythm section, thinking that producer Manfred Echer might have designs on Wania for a trio album. Manfred Eicher did have thoughts on recording the pianist on his own session, but not as trio. After much discussion and reflection, it was decided that a solo piano recording would be an interesting avenue to explore. The resulting album, Lonely Shadows, was released was released in September 2020 to much acclaim, and it was therefore a pleasure to talk to the pianist about the recording and his music.
You came to the attention of Manfred Eicher and ECM through your association with alto saxophonist, Maciej Obara with whom you have recorded two albums for the label. How did you get together with Maciej, and how long have you been playing together?
I got together with Maciej during one of the concerts with Tomasz Stańko. I believe it was in 2010. Or maybe 2009. I don't remember exactly. But that was the concert with, with Tomasz and the Chamber Orchestra. We were playing a music of Krzystof Komeda, which was arranged for String Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra and for the quintet. In March, he was one of the invited guests in the bands. And that was actually one of the first concerts with Tomasz Stańko for me. I played with him for a week or two in 2008, and then there was a little break before we played together again. After that, he invited me to, to be a part of his quartet. So I met Maciej during this this time, and actually, after this he called me and said that he would like to invite me to join his band. At that time, he had a trio without the piano, just bass and drums and saxophone, and he wanted to try something with the harmonic instrument. He hadn't really wanted to have a harmonic instrument before, but after we met and we played this gig, he he felt like maybe he should give it a try to do something with the piano. And that how it happens. So later, he invited me to play with his trio. So now we became a quartet, and we ended up doing the record together. That was 2011, and that was a Polish quartet. Shortly after that Maciej took a part in the programme Take Five Europe, and he went to England for a workshop, and he met our friends from Norway at that time, and that was he established the Polish Norwegian quartet. So that was around 2012
Two completely contrasting albums, Unloved (2017) and Three Crowns (2019) firmly placed the pianist at the centre of the action. In my review of Unloved the pianist was such a distinctive presence that I suggested that Obara may be in danger of losing his rhythm section, thinking that producer Manfred Echer might have designs on Wania for a trio album. Manfred Eicher did have thoughts on recording the pianist on his own session, but not as trio. After much discussion and reflection, it was decided that a solo piano recording would be an interesting avenue to explore. The resulting album, Lonely Shadows, was released was released in September 2020 to much acclaim, and it was therefore a pleasure to talk to the pianist about the recording and his music.
You came to the attention of Manfred Eicher and ECM through your association with alto saxophonist, Maciej Obara with whom you have recorded two albums for the label. How did you get together with Maciej, and how long have you been playing together?
I got together with Maciej during one of the concerts with Tomasz Stańko. I believe it was in 2010. Or maybe 2009. I don't remember exactly. But that was the concert with, with Tomasz and the Chamber Orchestra. We were playing a music of Krzystof Komeda, which was arranged for String Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra and for the quintet. In March, he was one of the invited guests in the bands. And that was actually one of the first concerts with Tomasz Stańko for me. I played with him for a week or two in 2008, and then there was a little break before we played together again. After that, he invited me to, to be a part of his quartet. So I met Maciej during this this time, and actually, after this he called me and said that he would like to invite me to join his band. At that time, he had a trio without the piano, just bass and drums and saxophone, and he wanted to try something with the harmonic instrument. He hadn't really wanted to have a harmonic instrument before, but after we met and we played this gig, he he felt like maybe he should give it a try to do something with the piano. And that how it happens. So later, he invited me to play with his trio. So now we became a quartet, and we ended up doing the record together. That was 2011, and that was a Polish quartet. Shortly after that Maciej took a part in the programme Take Five Europe, and he went to England for a workshop, and he met our friends from Norway at that time, and that was he established the Polish Norwegian quartet. So that was around 2012
Unloved was our first studio recording with the band with the international quartet with Norwegian musicians. Before that, we had made three live records released for a Polish label,. so that was actually our first meeting in the studio with Manfred Eicher. So, we had to kind of deal with how we can bring our music, which usually happens in a live situation, how we can bring that to the studio. So, one can feel like this is totally different band. And we actually we became a different band in the studio, there are a lot of things that happened that helped us to create different music to be more focused on detail and on the sound. Actually, that was really important session, so we could add much more to our music. That's why I loved sounds like that because we were really amazed by the sound in the studio. We were inspired by the by the studio by this by the environment that studio had and the quality of the sounder. And that was, of course something new for us.
The two quartet albums, Unloved and Three Crowns are very different. How do you feel the music change between the two recordings and how do you feel your role evolved within the quartet?
For this band, particularly as I mentioned we because we didn't have any studio recordings before Unloved that, and Three Crownsis different, and for me it's more in the direction that that this band is in a live situation, it has more energy. That was our second time in the studio, we knew already how can we react, and what we can do the studio, and how we can combine those things from the first recording session and from our live gigs. So we took all that together, and we were trying to do it on the Three Crownsrecording session. And the other thing is that there was no Manfred on the second recording session, because Manfred was very sick at the time. He sent Steve Lake, another great producer to be with us, and maybe that's the other part of it, that this session went a bit differently. But I think that the thing that what we kind of achieved is that we could be real, more authentic. I mean more in a way that, that we play live. And of course, it's different because it took exactly two years from the first session to record again. So of course, Maciej is growing as a composer and as a musician, as we all did, so it had to be different. Because we were totally different people after the first session, and we played a lot of gigs, a lot of tours within these two years in between the sessions. So I mean, it just had to be different. And my role in the quartet that i think it's it's the same no matter if it was the first recording session, and the other one is just the way how can I support the band, but also how can I lead the band as well, because each of us can be a leader, whenever you want in this in this band. So you can take the band into another, let's say level into another car harmonic level or dynamic level or rhythm level? It depends on you. Exactly. So the music that Maciej is preparing is just something that's it's just a starting point for us so we can do anything we want with this. And this is what's really important for me in this band, and what really gives me a button, I would say a freedom. This is what you what you expect from this kind of movement. And when you can work with such a great musician, such a great people, and you're allowed to do actually anything. So my role is, is still the same. I mean, I'm totally, totally free. In what I can do. And Maciej was really totally aware of that and he accepts everything.
The two quartet albums, Unloved and Three Crowns are very different. How do you feel the music change between the two recordings and how do you feel your role evolved within the quartet?
For this band, particularly as I mentioned we because we didn't have any studio recordings before Unloved that, and Three Crownsis different, and for me it's more in the direction that that this band is in a live situation, it has more energy. That was our second time in the studio, we knew already how can we react, and what we can do the studio, and how we can combine those things from the first recording session and from our live gigs. So we took all that together, and we were trying to do it on the Three Crownsrecording session. And the other thing is that there was no Manfred on the second recording session, because Manfred was very sick at the time. He sent Steve Lake, another great producer to be with us, and maybe that's the other part of it, that this session went a bit differently. But I think that the thing that what we kind of achieved is that we could be real, more authentic. I mean more in a way that, that we play live. And of course, it's different because it took exactly two years from the first session to record again. So of course, Maciej is growing as a composer and as a musician, as we all did, so it had to be different. Because we were totally different people after the first session, and we played a lot of gigs, a lot of tours within these two years in between the sessions. So I mean, it just had to be different. And my role in the quartet that i think it's it's the same no matter if it was the first recording session, and the other one is just the way how can I support the band, but also how can I lead the band as well, because each of us can be a leader, whenever you want in this in this band. So you can take the band into another, let's say level into another car harmonic level or dynamic level or rhythm level? It depends on you. Exactly. So the music that Maciej is preparing is just something that's it's just a starting point for us so we can do anything we want with this. And this is what's really important for me in this band, and what really gives me a button, I would say a freedom. This is what you what you expect from this kind of movement. And when you can work with such a great musician, such a great people, and you're allowed to do actually anything. So my role is, is still the same. I mean, I'm totally, totally free. In what I can do. And Maciej was really totally aware of that and he accepts everything.
I understand that it was during the recording sessions for Unloved that Manfred first discussed you recording an album for ECM. How did this come about, and was it always your intention to record a solo piano album?
No, not at all, I didn't think about a solo record. The initial discussion about recording an album under my own name came about at the end of the sessions for the Unlovedalbum. Thinking about the trio, I really wanted to record a trio album, but when I when I went for meeting with Manfred in Munich a few months later and we were discussing what could record together, Manfred said no to recording a trio album.
He really didn't want to have another trio on his label, especially for a debut record of mine. So he really wanted to have something special, something different, so I was thinking about duo records. Later, I thought that I can maybe I can use a drummer from a trio I wanted to record. Manfred kind of accepted the idea of having a drums and piano duo, but I also had some other ideas, maybe recording with another pianists. So, I thought about Craig Taborn, because I met him a few years back with I was playing with him with Tomasz Stanko on one of his projects, and I really like Craig as a musician, and as a person so maybe I can ask him to do it. And he was really interested in that. But he already did a record with Vijayj Iyer, in another piano duo, so again this idea was already impossible to realise. So after about a two years period, when I was really struggling, what should I should record with Manfred, because he was contacting me from time to time and asking 'How are things with the record and are there are any new ideas?', and actually, I couldn't really tell him that I wanted to do a solo record. So that was that was absolutely his idea. He wrote me an email saying 'Okay, so if we cannot find somebody to record let's focus on the solo album'. That was a totally Manfred's idea, so I was really happy that there was his suggestion. I mean, doing a solo record for such a label is something really unique and special.
The music on Lonely Shadows is all improvised. Again, was this always the intention to record free improvisations, and was this not a risky thing to do?
Yes, the music on Lonely Shadowsis entirely improvised. When Manfred told me, 'okay, let's do the solo record'. So my first thought was, yeah, I think it should be improvised. Later, I had a little think about maybe I should prepare something, or atleast some sketches, some harmonic ideas, or whatever. But actually, that went out quickly, and I was really wanting to focus on the improvised stuff. I wasn't really wanting to prefer anything. I knew that the record, possibly will be recorded in Lugano, in this great concert hall of Swiss radio with a great piano. So I was like, totally aware of that. And I wanted to kind of take the risk doing this and going there unprepared. I really wanted to be inspired by the venue, and by the by the instrument. And that's what actually happened. I didn't really have to prepare anything. Of course, there was a lot of influences because I'm a classically trained pianist. I was playing classical piano almost of my life. So this, this classical repertoire is in there somewhere. This is my backbone I'd say, this is my background. So it's still there, and I'm still using these kind of ideas, this kind of inspiration from many classical composers. Ofcourse, it's mostly contemporary, from the 20th century. But I was thinking about something like that but I can improvise, I can trust myself. I can be inspired with the place, with the venue. With the instrument I Can I have this kind of language that I can use, which is taken from from my classical background. And that's, that's how it happens. So I just wanted to try to not to prepare anything, and the only thing I was, I was kind of practicing before this recording session was how the forms of the pieces should be. Should it be one longer piece, like a one longer improvisation, or should I divide it into small,tunes or songs? So I decided to do shorter pieces, because it was much easier for me to have a control over the format of the songs. And I think I'm not that ready yet to be able to play for like a one hour set without interrupting. So that was that was the only thing I was aware of and yeah, that's that's how the recording went.
Lonely Shadows is not your first solo piano album, as you also recorded Twilight in association with the composer Zbigniew Preisner. You obviously enjoy playing solo, so how would you describe the very different playing disciplines of improvisation and composed scores as on Twilight?
It is very difficult, especially with the music which is mean, it's unique in a way. On one hand, it is written, but it's, it's really simply written. So there are not many things written out there, like simple melody lines, simple accompaniment parts for the left hand. So not too much written. And I could actually really, I mean, the composer gave me the opportunity to put my own interpretation into his music. But I didn't want to really to change too many notes, and I really had to be aware of that. It's a different kind of music, so I cannot put too much let's say jazz, in the manner of different voicings. I didn't really change much, the only thing I changed is the way the left hand, it's comping, or maybe some of the voicings were slightly adjusted to sound more advanced, let's say, in this kind of music. So, I mean the interpretation was something that I was allowed to do, totally freely based on the on the written score. but this is not something new for me because, as I mentioned before, I played a lot of classical music. I was studying classical piano, so playing somebody else's notes, this is something that I'm used to.
You background is from classical music. How did you begin your musical journey, and what drew you to jazz and improvisation?
My musical journey, and what what drew me to improvisation? Actually, it's not that complicated story, because since very beginning, I would say I was introduced to different musical worlds other than classical music. My father has a quite a big collection of records, jazz records, but also jazz rock records. So at that time, I think I was three or four years old. I really loved to listen to Blood, Sweat and Tears, the great American jazz rock bands and that's that was the actually the first band that drew me into different music than the classical music. And of course, later I was introduced to some pianists like Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson and McCoy Tyner. In 1994, I took part in first in my live jazz workshop. That was a workshop in the city of Krakow, which was led by American musicians from Webster University and University of Maine. So there is like the focus, of course on American jazz just based on the standards, but that was the first and the most important event in my life because I kind of was introduced to what's going on in the theory, and just how the voicings should be built. Because I didn't know anything, I was playing George Gershwin's pieces before but didn't really know all about with the harmony. So that was the first jazz workshop in 1994 was like the most important thing for me, and so that's actually how it started. After that, I was taking part in some other jazz workshops, and I took some private lessons from time to time. And yeah, that's that whole interaction went. I was playing classical music and I was trying to improvise at the same time, and I was getting interested more in improvised music in the Standard Jazz repertoire, but I didn't have any jazz education until after I graduated from the classical conservatory. Then I went to the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston for two years studying the Master's programme in jazz. So this is actually my only just education, formal education.
No, not at all, I didn't think about a solo record. The initial discussion about recording an album under my own name came about at the end of the sessions for the Unlovedalbum. Thinking about the trio, I really wanted to record a trio album, but when I when I went for meeting with Manfred in Munich a few months later and we were discussing what could record together, Manfred said no to recording a trio album.
He really didn't want to have another trio on his label, especially for a debut record of mine. So he really wanted to have something special, something different, so I was thinking about duo records. Later, I thought that I can maybe I can use a drummer from a trio I wanted to record. Manfred kind of accepted the idea of having a drums and piano duo, but I also had some other ideas, maybe recording with another pianists. So, I thought about Craig Taborn, because I met him a few years back with I was playing with him with Tomasz Stanko on one of his projects, and I really like Craig as a musician, and as a person so maybe I can ask him to do it. And he was really interested in that. But he already did a record with Vijayj Iyer, in another piano duo, so again this idea was already impossible to realise. So after about a two years period, when I was really struggling, what should I should record with Manfred, because he was contacting me from time to time and asking 'How are things with the record and are there are any new ideas?', and actually, I couldn't really tell him that I wanted to do a solo record. So that was that was absolutely his idea. He wrote me an email saying 'Okay, so if we cannot find somebody to record let's focus on the solo album'. That was a totally Manfred's idea, so I was really happy that there was his suggestion. I mean, doing a solo record for such a label is something really unique and special.
The music on Lonely Shadows is all improvised. Again, was this always the intention to record free improvisations, and was this not a risky thing to do?
Yes, the music on Lonely Shadowsis entirely improvised. When Manfred told me, 'okay, let's do the solo record'. So my first thought was, yeah, I think it should be improvised. Later, I had a little think about maybe I should prepare something, or atleast some sketches, some harmonic ideas, or whatever. But actually, that went out quickly, and I was really wanting to focus on the improvised stuff. I wasn't really wanting to prefer anything. I knew that the record, possibly will be recorded in Lugano, in this great concert hall of Swiss radio with a great piano. So I was like, totally aware of that. And I wanted to kind of take the risk doing this and going there unprepared. I really wanted to be inspired by the venue, and by the by the instrument. And that's what actually happened. I didn't really have to prepare anything. Of course, there was a lot of influences because I'm a classically trained pianist. I was playing classical piano almost of my life. So this, this classical repertoire is in there somewhere. This is my backbone I'd say, this is my background. So it's still there, and I'm still using these kind of ideas, this kind of inspiration from many classical composers. Ofcourse, it's mostly contemporary, from the 20th century. But I was thinking about something like that but I can improvise, I can trust myself. I can be inspired with the place, with the venue. With the instrument I Can I have this kind of language that I can use, which is taken from from my classical background. And that's, that's how it happens. So I just wanted to try to not to prepare anything, and the only thing I was, I was kind of practicing before this recording session was how the forms of the pieces should be. Should it be one longer piece, like a one longer improvisation, or should I divide it into small,tunes or songs? So I decided to do shorter pieces, because it was much easier for me to have a control over the format of the songs. And I think I'm not that ready yet to be able to play for like a one hour set without interrupting. So that was that was the only thing I was aware of and yeah, that's that's how the recording went.
Lonely Shadows is not your first solo piano album, as you also recorded Twilight in association with the composer Zbigniew Preisner. You obviously enjoy playing solo, so how would you describe the very different playing disciplines of improvisation and composed scores as on Twilight?
It is very difficult, especially with the music which is mean, it's unique in a way. On one hand, it is written, but it's, it's really simply written. So there are not many things written out there, like simple melody lines, simple accompaniment parts for the left hand. So not too much written. And I could actually really, I mean, the composer gave me the opportunity to put my own interpretation into his music. But I didn't want to really to change too many notes, and I really had to be aware of that. It's a different kind of music, so I cannot put too much let's say jazz, in the manner of different voicings. I didn't really change much, the only thing I changed is the way the left hand, it's comping, or maybe some of the voicings were slightly adjusted to sound more advanced, let's say, in this kind of music. So, I mean the interpretation was something that I was allowed to do, totally freely based on the on the written score. but this is not something new for me because, as I mentioned before, I played a lot of classical music. I was studying classical piano, so playing somebody else's notes, this is something that I'm used to.
You background is from classical music. How did you begin your musical journey, and what drew you to jazz and improvisation?
My musical journey, and what what drew me to improvisation? Actually, it's not that complicated story, because since very beginning, I would say I was introduced to different musical worlds other than classical music. My father has a quite a big collection of records, jazz records, but also jazz rock records. So at that time, I think I was three or four years old. I really loved to listen to Blood, Sweat and Tears, the great American jazz rock bands and that's that was the actually the first band that drew me into different music than the classical music. And of course, later I was introduced to some pianists like Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson and McCoy Tyner. In 1994, I took part in first in my live jazz workshop. That was a workshop in the city of Krakow, which was led by American musicians from Webster University and University of Maine. So there is like the focus, of course on American jazz just based on the standards, but that was the first and the most important event in my life because I kind of was introduced to what's going on in the theory, and just how the voicings should be built. Because I didn't know anything, I was playing George Gershwin's pieces before but didn't really know all about with the harmony. So that was the first jazz workshop in 1994 was like the most important thing for me, and so that's actually how it started. After that, I was taking part in some other jazz workshops, and I took some private lessons from time to time. And yeah, that's that whole interaction went. I was playing classical music and I was trying to improvise at the same time, and I was getting interested more in improvised music in the Standard Jazz repertoire, but I didn't have any jazz education until after I graduated from the classical conservatory. Then I went to the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston for two years studying the Master's programme in jazz. So this is actually my only just education, formal education.
Another recent album of yours that I have enjoyed is Psalmy with Małgorzata Hutek and the Atom String Quartet. Again, very different from your ECM recording. Can you tell me about this album?
Yeah, the album songs Psalmy. It's a wonderful project of singer, Margarita Hutek, and the Atom String Quartet improvising. It was it was recorded, I think, three or four years ago, and I was actually invited to this project because it's like with as many written parts, like in a normal classical manner with piano and string quartet, which are written parts and pre-arranged, but of course it has a lot of open space for improvisation.
And I was really happy that was invited for that because that means that my aesthetics is good enough for these people that they really wanted to have my sound and my piano within this music. And of course, the music and lyrics are based on the Psalms and, but the music is really a mixture of jazz of classical and this is something that really feels comfortable for me. This is something I'm still kind of trying to, to combine and trying to be inspired with the classical music and use it in improvised music in a more open form so the more of these kinds of projects I can do I'm really happy about.
Another album that has given me much enjoyment is Filling the Profile with Jacek Kochan Trio feat. George Garzone. Can you tell us about this recording that is very different from more recent recordings and has some fiery playing from yourself?
Yeah, Filling The Profile, that was an album that we recorded in 2008. If I remember correctly, that was right after I got back from Boston. I met George Garzone, he was one of my teachers and I had some combo classes with him, and some theory. This was a really great time, and my friend Jacek Kochan , a Polish drummer who I met in 2002 he has this idea of inviting George Garzone to record with him. So as I mentioned, there was just just a time when I got back from Boston. And yeah, there was, there was a time for me that I was kind of trying to search, to find my place in music. After the US, I I decided to go back to Poland, and I was involved with many projects in Poland. And it is very important the association with Kochan because he has so many other projects also, like electronic music and we did, I think four or five records together so far. So many different kinds of inspiration, the different kinds of setup, and as well as a trio or trio with strings, electronic trios, so many different kinds of stuff. And there was a time for me that I was like after this time in Boston, and yeah, I was I was a totally different musician, because I was younger and wanted to play as much as I could. I wanted to play more. And that was the time before I met Tomasz Stanko, and I started to play with him. And there was a still a period that I really wanted to play so many notes maybe. Yeah, I mean, I like the record, Filling theProfile, because it's kind of the culmination of what, what was my aesthetics back then. I mean, the great, great opportunity to perform with George Garzone, we did a little tour in Poland before the recording. So that was something really unique and it's still owes a lot from George, and from these people I really admire.
And plans for the future?
Let's see. As you know, it's a really bad time for musicians for artists, not only for musicians, for artists in general, and for so many people. So actually, I'm not trying to plan anything because I'm happy that my records for ECM came out. Everything was kind of done according to plan. I mean, I wish I could play live more with material on the album. I'm not really sure if there'll be any concerts abroad outside Poland. For now, we're having some online events, and I already had a premiere of my record on November 18 last year. I'm trying not to plan anything because you don't know what's goong to happen tomorrow. I mean, we'll see in the in the few months probably what's going to happen with the pandemic. I wish we could be back to normal, but probably will never be back to normal as we remember. So yeah, I mean we'll see what's going to happen, and if we'll be able to play in front of an audience, because playing in front of the of the cameras, it's really not something that I would like to do to the rest of my life.
Yeah, the album songs Psalmy. It's a wonderful project of singer, Margarita Hutek, and the Atom String Quartet improvising. It was it was recorded, I think, three or four years ago, and I was actually invited to this project because it's like with as many written parts, like in a normal classical manner with piano and string quartet, which are written parts and pre-arranged, but of course it has a lot of open space for improvisation.
And I was really happy that was invited for that because that means that my aesthetics is good enough for these people that they really wanted to have my sound and my piano within this music. And of course, the music and lyrics are based on the Psalms and, but the music is really a mixture of jazz of classical and this is something that really feels comfortable for me. This is something I'm still kind of trying to, to combine and trying to be inspired with the classical music and use it in improvised music in a more open form so the more of these kinds of projects I can do I'm really happy about.
Another album that has given me much enjoyment is Filling the Profile with Jacek Kochan Trio feat. George Garzone. Can you tell us about this recording that is very different from more recent recordings and has some fiery playing from yourself?
Yeah, Filling The Profile, that was an album that we recorded in 2008. If I remember correctly, that was right after I got back from Boston. I met George Garzone, he was one of my teachers and I had some combo classes with him, and some theory. This was a really great time, and my friend Jacek Kochan , a Polish drummer who I met in 2002 he has this idea of inviting George Garzone to record with him. So as I mentioned, there was just just a time when I got back from Boston. And yeah, there was, there was a time for me that I was kind of trying to search, to find my place in music. After the US, I I decided to go back to Poland, and I was involved with many projects in Poland. And it is very important the association with Kochan because he has so many other projects also, like electronic music and we did, I think four or five records together so far. So many different kinds of inspiration, the different kinds of setup, and as well as a trio or trio with strings, electronic trios, so many different kinds of stuff. And there was a time for me that I was like after this time in Boston, and yeah, I was I was a totally different musician, because I was younger and wanted to play as much as I could. I wanted to play more. And that was the time before I met Tomasz Stanko, and I started to play with him. And there was a still a period that I really wanted to play so many notes maybe. Yeah, I mean, I like the record, Filling theProfile, because it's kind of the culmination of what, what was my aesthetics back then. I mean, the great, great opportunity to perform with George Garzone, we did a little tour in Poland before the recording. So that was something really unique and it's still owes a lot from George, and from these people I really admire.
And plans for the future?
Let's see. As you know, it's a really bad time for musicians for artists, not only for musicians, for artists in general, and for so many people. So actually, I'm not trying to plan anything because I'm happy that my records for ECM came out. Everything was kind of done according to plan. I mean, I wish I could play live more with material on the album. I'm not really sure if there'll be any concerts abroad outside Poland. For now, we're having some online events, and I already had a premiere of my record on November 18 last year. I'm trying not to plan anything because you don't know what's goong to happen tomorrow. I mean, we'll see in the in the few months probably what's going to happen with the pandemic. I wish we could be back to normal, but probably will never be back to normal as we remember. So yeah, I mean we'll see what's going to happen, and if we'll be able to play in front of an audience, because playing in front of the of the cameras, it's really not something that I would like to do to the rest of my life.
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For more information visit ECM Records and dominikwania.com
