There is something both completely Polish and non-Polish about Lautari, the band featured this week in our series of Polish bands KEXP recorded while at the OFF Festival in Katowice. The award-winning ethno-jazz quartet, whose members hail from central and southern Poland, draw their name from the wandering Romainian musicians, or Gypsies, of the mid-1800's. Named for lute players back then, historic lautari fostered a rich history that spread among central, southern and eastern Europe and now informs the very contemporary approach by our modern Lautari, who blend traditional folk music with classical composition and jazz improvisation into a unique mix with as many cultural influences as Poland itself has today.
We were fortunate that Lautari wandered in to the dusty abandoned space of Fabryka Porcelany Śląskiej, the historic porcelain factory in Katowice, so that we could record this captivating acoustic set. Watch it now and then check back next Tuesday for more in our series of Polish artists recorded by KEXP in Katowice, Poland, made possible by the OFF Festival and the Adam Mickiewicz Institute's Don’t Panic! We’re from Poland! initiative.
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We were excited when we heard legendary singer/songwriter Paul Weller would stop by the KEXP studios for an acoustic session, but little did we know, he'd be bringing his five-piece band with him for this very special unplugged set. The intimate performance spotlighted his twelfth solo release Satu…
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So far in our weekly series of Polish bands KEXP recorded while at the OFF Festival in Katowice, we've heard the inventive, experimental, electronic, traditional, and emotive sounds of contemporary Polish bands, but you might still be wondering, can they rock? The Stubs are here to say, hell yes! O…
