Boleros y Masecki
Artists:
- Marcin Masecki – piano, vocals
- Eldar Tsalikov – saxophone, clarinet
- Miłosz Pieczonka – saxophone
- Jan Harasimowicz – trumpet
- Brunon Wojnarski – trumpet
- Michał Daszkiewicz – trombone
- Filip Zgorzelski – trombone
- Max Mucha – double bass
- Jan Pieniążek – drums
Program:
- Boleros and other pieces from Latin America recorded on the new album of Marcin Masecki
He spent the first seven years of his life in Popayán in Colombia, he shares his life with an Argentinian woman and his grandparents met in Buenos Aires – Marcin Masecki is connected with South America in more ways than one could think. This incredibly versatile pianist who graciously transgresses the boundaries of stylistic conventions has proven on numerous occasions that he is a true musical chameleon. His solo albums entailed the essential classical music pieces, he revived Polish songs from the interwar period with the Jazz Band Młynarski-Masecki, he reinterpreted the ragtime with Jerzy Rogiewicz and created the soundtrack to the movie “Cold War” for Paweł Pawlikowski.
“At some point I discovered – or rather, remembered – that I am half-Polish and half-Latino. I decided to discover what exactly this means” said Masecki in the interview for “Mint Magazine” conducted by Jakub Knera. The album “Boleros y más” from 2023 is the result of this discovery process. On this album Masecki utilized what he calls the “classics of popular music” from Latin America – Venezuelan waltzes, Mexican boleros and Brazilian choros – which he treated with his signature improvisational flexibility. It was also his first career appearance not only as a piano player and arranger, but also as a vocalist. “It is a strange situation: I have been a musician for a long time, I know music well and I feel very confident with my instrument. However, as a vocalist I only have my sensitivity and feeling – I do not have any technique whatsoever […] And yet, despite this lackluster skillset I believe that the most important part of singing are the emotions. […] Irrespective of whether one sings well or badly” said Masecki in the same interview.
The new album “Boleros y Masecki” released in September of 2025 is the continuation of the latino debut which received a warm welcome. The pianist developed his jazz trio into a chamber orchestra with a five-person brass section and cut loose in his arrangements even more than previously – the charming melodies of dance standards are treated as starting points for musical explorations that last for over ten minutes. They become something between the jazz deconstructions typical for Masecki and miniature symphonic poems.
Compere: Andrzej Zieliński (The Polish Radio)
Top photo: Marcin Masecki, promotional materials of the artist
