Wojtek Mazolewski Quintet releases new album ‘Live Spirit I’ on WMQ Records
Wojtek Mazolewski Quintet | Credit: Micha Korta
“fosters a notion of cosmic togetherness. . . stupendous” - Record Collector
Today, European jazz luminaries Wojtek Mazolewski Quintet release their highly anticipated new album ‘Live Spirit I’. Recorded live at Warsaw’s iconic Witold Lutosławski Concert Studio, the release features four brand-new compositions alongside electrifying new takes on WMQ classics, including a 20-minute version of “Polka”, the title track from their best-selling record. To celebrate the release, the band have shared a new video for the focus track ‘Air’. The stunning video was filmed in Chile during the quintet’s last tour and is the perfect accompaniment to the gentle, soaring track.
Watch the video for ‘Air’ & stream/order the album here
Speaking on the single, Mazolewski says “My motivation was to offer both myself and the listener a moment of calm—a breath of relief in these fast and difficult times. I imagined us floating on the melody like clouds, letting our thoughts drift away. The piece also embraces the principle that less is more—a truth that revealed itself here with clarity and grace.”
Deeply rooted in Polish jazz tradition, elevated by the spiritual depth and uninhibited virtuosity of improvisation, and shaped by a distinctly modern sensibility and urban energy, ‘Live Spirit I’ is not just a celebration of the group’s unmistakable sound - it’s a vehement reflection of their ongoing evolution. The album was recorded during the international tour for their critically acclaimed studio release ‘Beautiful People’. Alongside the Warsaw concert, the quintet performed dozens of shows worldwide - selling out London’s Jazz Café, appearing at We Out Here Festival, and earning ovations in Chile, Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico.
Going on to speak about the album, Mazolewski says, “Jazz, to me, is music that reconciles opposites—free spirit and formal discipline, lyrical subtlety and raw emotion, individual charisma and euphoric unity. WMQ’s music is my response to an anxious world. I want our sound to offer people a sense of relief, an escape from everyday chaos, and a way to connect with something bigger - and better - within ourselves.”
As both a virtuoso bassist and composer, Mazolewski seamlessly blends traditional jazz with contemporary influences, creating a sound that is both hypnotic and emotionally charged. His 2014 album ‘Polka’ was named one of the five best jazz records of the year by DownBeat and earned high praise from Stereogum, BBC Radio 6 Music, Jazz FM, Jazzwise, UK Jazz News, Worldwide FM, CLASH, Record Collector, The Wire, and more. The follow-up, ‘When Angels Fall’ - featuring re-imaginings of Krzysztof Komeda’s compositions - was also widely acclaimed.
Mazolewski’s creative reach extends beyond WMQ, including his experimental Tryp Tych Trio project with Tamar Osborn and Sarathy Korwar, and collaborations with artists such as Pete Wareham, Tomasz Stańko, Urszula Dudziak John Zorn, Tim Berne and Dennis González.
His latest studio project ‘Beautiful People’ - released in collaboration with !K7 -showcases a bold immersion in spiritual jazz traditions, while remaining deeply rooted in Slavic culture and sharply attuned to the pulse of the present. His latest single, the album’s title track, has accumulated over 420,000 streams on YouTube and Spotify to date. In total, Wojtek Mazolewski has surpassed 6 million views on YouTube and over 8 million streams on Spotify.
‘Live Spirit I’ captures WMQ in peak form: a tightly unified collective that shifts effortlessly from meditative focus to ecstatic improvisational flights, powered by the energy of a live audience. Mazolewski’s compositions flourish in this setting, revealing a potent mix of vitality and groove—qualities that have kept jazz relevant across generations and continue to attract new listeners.
Tracklisting:
1A Live Spirit
2A New Energy
3A Kalaczakra
4B Exist
5B Air
6B Sun
7B Taste of Music
8C Polka
9D Beautiful People
10D Art
11D Beautiful Hands
12D We Love You
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