| Hot Jazz Spring |
 This Festival was first organized in 2002 and met the enormous interest of music lovers of Częstochowa. The idea was created by the Five O’Clock Orchestra band – two-time winner of the prestigious “Golden Grate” (2001, 2002). The Festival is a cyclic event organized every year in spring. The full name of the event is Hot Jazz Spring Częstochowa – Traditional Jazz Festival.
The competition called “Swinging Crow” was a novelty of the second Hot jazz Spring Częstochowa ’2003. The competition was intended for solo instrumentalists and vocalists playing traditional jazz styles (including Swing). Participants must be under 30 years of age. The victor – the winner of the “Swinging Crow” presents his or her talent and skills during the evening concert. The first three editions of the competition were organized on the occasion of each Hot Jazz Spring. In 2005 it was decided to change the formula of the contest and organize it every second year. The festival lasts for three days. Three large concerts are arranged at this time. The Night Jam Session organized outside the Philharmonic is offered for music and jazz lovers who feel insufficiency after festival concerts and wish to “breathe” more jazz atmosphere. In the first two editions of the Festival among the artists were for example: Ben Rinia and his Yerba Buena Hot Five, Zygi Jazz Band, the Old Metropolitan Band, Siergiej Wowkotrub’s Trio, Andrzej D±browski, the Old Timers, Andrzej jagodziński’s Trio, the Jazz Band Ball Orchestra, Ray Smith, Aleksander Mazur’s Big Band, And His Band, Mieczysław Mazur and the Częstochowa Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Tomasz Chmiel.
The Third Hot Jazz Spring Częstochowa’ 2004 was took place/was held on 14-15 of May. Ewa Uryga, the Beale Street Jazz Band, the Five O’Clock Orchestra and Big Band of the Musical Academy in Wrocław, Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski and Henryk Mi¶kiewicz played among other artists. The “Honorary Swinging Crow” statuette was presented then for the first time and it was awarded to Henryk Majewski who celebrated his 45 years of artistic work. The Fourth Hot Spring jazz Częstochowa 2005 was organized in April. Among the artists there appeared: Wojciech Kamiński, Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski with Paweł Tartanus, Brad Terry (USA) & Kaczmarczyk, Barański and the Dobrowolski Trio. The winner of the “Honorary Swinging Crow” was a trumpeter from Australia, Oscar Klein. The fifth edition of the Hot Jazz Spring Traditional Jazz Festival took place during an April weekend (21-23.04.2006). During the four concerts the following jazz bands appeared: the Jazz Band Ball Orchestra, the Leliwa Jazz Band, Siergiej’s Trio and the Five O’Clock Orchestra. Henryk Mi¶kiewicz, the worldwide famous saxophonist, played as well and performed a composition by Jan “Ptaszyn” Wróblewski entitled “Altissimonica” with the Symphony Orchestra of the Częstochowa Philharmonic conducted by Tomasz Bugaj. The winner of the “Honorary Swinging Crow” of the fifth Hot jazz Spring Częstochowas 2006 was the saxophonist, Jerzy “Dudu¶” Matuszkiewicz, a legend of Polish jazz. The festival was accompanied by a photographic exhibition of Marek Karewicz “This is jazz”. |
