In Polish, Za Górami is a way of saying ‘once upon a time’ (“za górami, za lasami”/“behind the mountains, behind the forests”). So says singer and violinist Alice Zawadzki of her latest album (released on ECM in September): a collection of folk and ancient songs spanning across cultures and traditions. On 23 November, Zawadzki presented Za Górami at King’s Place for the EFG London Jazz Festival, alongside Misha Mullov-Abbado (bass) and Fred Thomas (drums, piano, vielle).
Staying true to the album’s title, there’s a strong storytelling element to these songs: stories of romance, passion, madness and longing. Zawakdzi’s voice was wonderful and she delivered these songs with a theatrical flair that felt appropriate, whether through dance or gestures such as clutching her chest or, as in one particular moment, almost obscuring her face with her hands.
As mentioned, the songs on Za Górami traverse a range of cultures. The trio itself represents a diverse European heritage and the geographical pool that they drew from last night was even larger; songs from Poland, Argentina, France, Sardinia and Mexico; Sephardic Jewish folk tunes sung in Ladino; and even a composition from the trio’s own Fred Thomas, which takes the lyrics from a James Joyce poem. Guest oud player Saied Silbak joined for a few pieces: “Pizzica de San Vito” was a lively tarantella with excellent interplay between Silbak and Mullov-Abbado on bass, and “Al Rozana” added Silbak’s own Palestinian heritage into the mix.
Other highlights included “Leaving Limerick”, an Irish folk tune that had Zawadzki playing a shruti box – a drone instrument originally from India – and Thomas (a formidable multi-instrumentalist) on the vielle, a medieval fiddle. The following piece, “Los Bilbilikos”, layered all the strings at the ensemble’s disposal, including vielle, violin, oud and bowed double bass, in a beautifully rich harmony. And the ensemble’s rendition of the traditional Sardinian “Tancas Serradas A Muru” was fun and upbeat. It’s only a shame that some of these pieces, which included my own personal favourites, are not featured on the album itself.
Zawadzki described this coming together of different ancient music as revealing hidden messages, giving a sense that time is no longer linear. I won’t discuss theories on the metaphysics of time here, but what I will say is that this gig was a mix of impressive individual talents in a melting pot of styles and cultures, and the intimacy of Hall One in King’s Place was a perfect setting for it.
Photo credit: Monika S Jakubowska/ Kings Place
