Karolak Trio + Don Ellis

October 28th and 29th, 1962 (same concert order both nights)
5:30 pm
National Philharmonic Hall?
Warsaw, Poland

Personnel:

Don Ellis, trumpet; others unknown

Tracks:

1. Unknown Title (see first note)
2. Unknown Title (see second note)
3. Unknown Title (see third note)
4. Nihil Novi (Andrzej Trzaskowski)

Notes:

• "First piece in the Third Stream section [of the concert] features alto, clarinet, tenor saxophone, and guitar, all jazzmen. Only notes and basic instructions given... All else is improvised. It points an important direction for other men to follow.

• "Composition using string quartet, organ, percussion, and jazz quintet of piano, bass, drums, guitar, and vibes is next. Some nice moments occur (strings all playing different figures above the bridge)... Utilizes improvisation and indeterminacy along with written music.

• "Woodwind quartet, string quartet, drum quartet, piano, bass, and vibes or marimba follows. Controlled improvisation very hair-raising in the beginning when all four drums are playing, cutting in and out of each other's solos, but it sort of degenerates into swing tempo with the piano and vibes playing some written licks. Strange form."

• "Nihil Novi by Andrzej Trzaskowski is rather loose-jointed. Goes from a very pointillistic 12-tone first secion into 4/4 modal section a la Miles. Surprising that a pianist whose favorite is Horace Silver would be doing something like this. Uses woodwind section and vibes-marimba-percussion player, plus piano, bass, and drums. Gives me a nice chance to stretch out in two solo cadenzas. Audience breaks into spontaneous applause after one solo."

-Don Ellis, downbeat magazine (Jan. 3rd, 1963)

Although Ellis played on at least one of these performances, he does not always make it clear exactly which he performs on. It would appear that he only plays on the 4th tune, because that is the only one on which his contribution is distinctly mentioned, and it is the only tune with a title listed in the article.

"The instrumentalists are all from the Philharmonic orchestra."

In reference to the Oct. 29th performance: "Television cameras and lights blaze on during my solo cadenza."

Releases:

Unreleased session.