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Grzegorz Karnas

A singer born in Upper Silesia, Poland, to a family devoid of musical traditions. Finished one year of classical guitar at the secondary music school in Rybnik. Graduate of the Jazz Institute of the Academy of Music in Katowice, considered prestigious in Poland. Karnas has worked with top-line younger artists of Poland's jazz scene as well as its legends. In 1998, he was awarded first prize at the International Jazz Vocalists' Meeting in Zamość (Poland). The following year, his debut album "Reinkarnasja" (Nottwo 2000) was released and put Karnas on the road touring throughout the main clubs and festivals in Poland and Slovakia (International Jazz Pianists' Festival in Kalisz, Bratislava Jazz Days). Summer of 2004 saw the premiere of Grzegorz Karnas' self-produced solo project "Sny-Dreams of a Ninth Floor" (DeBies 2004) promotion of which took place with a series of over 30 club and festival concerts in Poland (Warsaw Summer Jazz Days), Slovakia and Czech Republic (Prague Jazz Open, Jazz Goes To Town in Hradec Kralove , International Jazz Festival in Kosice), Germany, Romania (Sibu Jazz Festival) and many others. A new album "Ballads for the End of the World" featuring brilliant silesian cello player Adam Oleś was released in april 2006. Promotions of both projects continue in 2007. Also in 2006 Karnas was awarded first prize at Young Jazz Singers Competition Brussels. In august 2007 he was a winner of CREST JAZZ VOCAL competition in southern France. He is the artistic director of International Jazz Competition For Singing Musicians "Voicingers"

Awards

-Grand Prix - International Meeting of Jazz Vocalists Zamość 1998 -Grand Prix - Concours des Jeunes Chanteurs de Jazz de Bruxelles 2006 -Grand Prix - Concours des Chanteurs de Jazz Cest Jazz Vocal 2007

Gear

Grzegorz Karnas conducts music workshops for people who would like to engage in music-making using the instrument which is the human voice. Since playing music with the voice is based not only on play, but also on becoming familiar with several seemingly self- evident aspects of it, the issues dealt with during these workshops include: breathing, articulation and transmission of one's voice based on its natural tone, in keeping with its primary function – conveying emotions. Among other things, group sessions consist of creating so- called “cyclic cantos”, the aim of which is to broaden rhythmic awareness by bringing one into contact with what are known as poly-rhythms. This is a way to quickly create a live improvisational choir based on a group of people who - once familiar with a given rhythmic element, onto which a successive rhythmic element that creates a simple counterpoint to the first is then superimposed – are able to create a percussive effect. Notes in simple arrangements of intervals are then superimposed onto this mixture of rhythms. The melodies change in the course of their being sung, and the choir follows the cues of a leader.


Tags

2
Album Review

Grzegorz Karnas: Audio Beads

Read "Audio Beads" reviewed by Angelo Leonardi


Il singolare talento del cantante Grzegorz Karnas incontra sempre più consensi in ambito internazionale, come dimostrano le positive accoglienze ottenute da questo disco, inciso dal vivo al Jazzforum Budapest Festival del 2011. Originario della Slesia, Karnas è attivo sulla scena musicale polacca da almeno un decennio e questo è il suo quinto album, inciso con un organico quanto mai anomalo che mette assieme uno strumento folk ungherese (il cimbalom), uno appartenente alla tradizione accademica (il violoncello) e ...

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Recording

"Karnas" latest album from Vocalist Grzegorz Karnas

"Karnas" latest album from Vocalist Grzegorz Karnas

Source: Cezary L. Lerski

Vocalist Grzegorz Karnas's latest album, entitled Karnas, is a one-of-a-kind mixture of 'borrowed songs' and original compositions by this outstanding alternative performer, whose creativity draws from a broad range of musical genres which, by virtue of his tremendous expressiveness, unique lyrics and exquisite playing on the part of the band, are fused into a single, coherent, jazz-based whole. It's been more than fourteen years since Grzegorz Karnas led his own band. His project in concert is either a quartet or ...

“Polish quintet surprises at London Jazz Festival’s Saturday Showcase (…). Karnas’s group is pushing the eclectic extremes. A case of art imitating life.”

viewlondon.co.uk

Grzegorz Karnas: energy, sense of humor, sensitivity, audacity; polish singer Grzegorz Karnas has it all ! (...) A singer and group who will likely make promoters take notice.“

culturejazz.net France

"Karnas interprets standards with incredible inventiveness. He gleans each note from a melody, to subsequently bend and transform it, imbuing it with substance. It's been quite some time since such imagination has been seen in the jazz vocals genre."

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Photos

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Audio Beads

BMC Records
2014

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Audio Beads

BMC Records
2012

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Karnas

Hevhetia
2011

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Reinkarnasja

Hevhetia
2000

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Videos

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