“Tomasz Licak/Radek Wośko Quartet featuring Carl Winther” will be Live in concert this Friday, 20th March at The Elephant.
The quartet was formed in 2012, by drummer Radek Wośko. It initially began as a trio, consisting of Danish pianist Carl Winther, bassist Martin Buhl Staunstrup and Radek Wosko. In 2003 however, the stellar saxophonist Tomasz Licak joined the group and the quartet was birthed.
They all played separately before that in Szczecin in Poland and Denmark, but as fate would have had it, met in Denmark. This was at Carl Nielsen Academy of Music in Odense.
Their debut album is a labour of love, emanating from the wealth of experience gleaned whilst playing for different audiences. Critical acclaim in relation to their shows, led to the Quartet honoring their fans’ wishes to put out an album. It was recorded at RecPublica studio in Lubrza, in November 2013 during their sophomore tour. It has been described as a musical feast of the senses, with all songs showcasing the immense skill each member possesses.
Dubbed “Entrails United,” it narrates in excruciating detail the arduous journey that was the creative process that went into crafting their sound. Their album “betrays” the plethora of emotions that each band has to deal, with before finding an equilibrium. It is is characteristically jazz, laced with improvisation.
Tomasz Licak, a graduate of Carl Nielsen Academy of Music in Odense, undertook his postgraduate studies at the elite Rytmisk Musik konservatorium in Copenhagen.
Radek Wośko, also did his undergraduate at the Carl Nielsen Academy of Music in Odense. He spent his 2014 polishing and perfecting his skills whilst residing in both New York and Ghana. The juxtaposition of cultures opened him up to new influences, and a wide array of musicians. This is evident in his playing.
Carl Winther has bagged a number of awards from a myriad of international jazz competitions and audiences around Europe. He toured with musicians such as Jerry Bergonzi and George Garzone in the recent past, honing his skills and winning himself a legion of fans
Martin Buhl, is the only member of the Quartet still in school, and is a protégé of Greg Cohen. He is currently a student of the Berlin Jazz Institute.