Tercet Imperial

PPA production: Michał Litwiniec, Beata Szczepańska

Musicians: Jan Emil Młynarski, Piotr Zabrodzki, Joanna Sztucka

Musicians with jazz roots — though by no means confined to jazz — Piotr Zabrodzki and Jan Emil Młynarski have been travelling to the Polish countryside for years in search of knowledge and inspiration. For a long time, they have also collaborated with rural musicians, mainly from the Radom region.

By studying the melodies and rhythms of the oberek, they reached striking conclusions about the similarities between traditional music from the Polish countryside and ritual music from West Africa and India, as well as certain genres of electronic music. This unique fusion formed the basis of the new band’s musical concept: traditional melodies, originally played on fiddles or accordions, were recreated using vintage synthesisers and rural “jazz” was replaced by an electronic analogue drum setup.

The duo was joined by young singer and dancer Joanna Sztucka, a student of the legendary folk singer Maria Siwiec from Gałki Rusinowskie. Thus, Tercet Imperial was born: a band that approaches tradition with deep respect. Melodies, chants and rhythms retain their original form, yet through an original, non-traditional performance setup, they gain a contemporary edge and flow across time and space. For the group, the universal meaning hidden in seemingly hermetic tradition is what matters most.