Michał Aftyka Quintet - Frukstrakt (2023) Hi-Res

Listening to the debut album of Michał Aftyka's quintet is like taking a walk through the Museum of Lost Flavours. This jazz double bass player from the town of Bełcząc near Radzyń Podlaski recently won the main prize in the national competition for improvised music WSPÓŁBRZMIENIA.

The voracious appetite for novelty in all spheres of our life often causes us to fall into the trap of momentariness, or worse, of conservatism. In the Museum of Lost Flavours, we make a connection between these two oppositional attitudes.

Searching for the word frukstat in the dictionaries would be in vain. It came to Michał in his sleep, and it perfectly reflects the nature of his compositions. "Frukstrakt'' encompasses both a deeply personal experience and a generational communal experience.

The formation consists of Marcin Konieczkowicz - alto saxophone, Marcin Elszkowski - trumpet, Tymon Kosma - vibraphone, Michał Aftyka - double bass and Stefan Raczkowski - drums.

The vigorous narration, often initiated collectively, leads the listener into the world of vigilant unconstrained jazz chamber music, sparkling with swinging and mysterious melodies. The improvisations are not overly complicated, but are at the same time surprisingly melodic, emotional and always of artistic value.

Michał Aftyka Quintet is the winner of the Jazz Debut Phonographic Programme in the 2023 edition. The album was recorded in cooperation with the National Institute of Music and Dance, an entity subordinate to the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.