Jerry & The Pelican System aka Jerzy Mączyński, a young Polish jazz and experimental saxophonist and composer, will present music from his latest release “Sariani”, combining electronic ambient textures with a deeply rooted love for free jazz, on Saturday 2 July 2022 at Jazz Cafe POSK. His previous, debut album was released in 2019 as part of the prestigious Polish Jazz series and contains music that defies classification.
UKJazz News: What inspired you to create “Sariani”?
Jerzy Mączyński: The very title of “Sariani” was born during my travels around India. It is the name of an invented Indian superhero who fights for women’s rights.
All the compositions on the album were inspired by my reflections on Indian culture, my adventures, and conversations with people I met. It is also the result of my study of Carnatic music and my friendship with the outstanding violinist Apoorva Krishna.
I was in India for 3 months; it was an amazing time for me, and I am very happy that I was able to create a record of these emotions in the form of a beautifully released vinyl thanks to the Dutch label Yeyeh.
UKJN: What about the music itself …
JM: It’s a fusion of many genres, but my adventure with Carnatic music definitely had a big influence on this music, like using different scales (rag), polyrhythm, different approach to composition. More trance, longer forms. You can hear it all on “Sariani”.
Certainly the term ambient / jazz comes to the fore somewhere. But I don’t want to label it that way. It is a very polished material for me. I have been creating it for three years, and there is a lot of my musical inspiration there. Starting from free-jazz music to Indian music and ending with club music.
UKJN: What will your performance be like at Jazz Cafe POSK on Saturday 2 July?
JM: “Sariani” is my electronic solo material. Each track from the album is roughly one concert. Thanks to this, I have a wider range of colours within this material. Each of these six compositions was inspired by a different mix of styles and has its own unique character. I will definitely play one of the compositions from the album in an extended concert version, but there will also be a lot of new stuff. I already have a lot of new ideas for my next solo album!
UKJN: Plans for the near future?
JM: Big. A huge publishing matter is coming up at the beginning of 2023. But before that, I play a concert during the Off Festival, which is one of the most important festivals in Poland, where I have always dreamed of playing, and it just so happens that my first time there will be a solo performance!
Jerry & The Pelican System will perform at Jazz Café POSK on Saturday 2 July 2022. Tickets are £15 on the door or Eventbrite.
Tomasz Furmanek is Artistic Manager at Jazz Cafe POSK
