cover - larger format

NEWS

New reviews in French (zicazic.com), Hungarian (bluesvan.hu) and Croatian (www.soundguardian.com)

New reviews from magazines: "BITS" (England), "Blues Blast" (USA) and "bluesnews" (Germany) - below.

Songs "Mansane Cisse" and “Mississippi reached No 1 in the ALP Radio Cracow Alternative Hit List (in January and April 2012).

Album "Afro Groove" of Magda Piskorczyk feat. Billy Gibson
received nomination to the Fryderyk Award of the Polish Phonographic Academy as the Blues Album of the Year !
www.zpav.pl/fryderyk

CD "Afro Groove" won as the Live Album of the Year in the "Blues 2011" readers' poll of the German Internet magazine wasser-prawda.de.
The CD was chosen the Live Album of the year by the magazine editorial staff.

Web portal "Magazyn gitarzysta" (Guitarplayer Magazine) published review with the excellent rank: 9/10 !

"Crossroads" from "Afro Groove" was chosen by bluesmagazine.nl for the luistertips (listening hints) section.

CD reviews of "Afro Groove" in German in Wasser-Prawda Magazine and in Dutch in bluesmagazine.nl

Album "Afro Groove" was also released in Japan by BSMF Records in November 2011.

INFORMATION

"AFRO GROOVE"

In this double CD album Magda Piskorczyk, as a musician and producer, invites the listeners to a musical journey through her closest sounds, cultures and traditions. She presents multicolour, dynamic and very personal collage, blending the music with the Afro-American roots (blues, soul, funk, jazz) and the ethnic rhythms or melodies, especially from the Western Africa.

Magda sings (primarily in English, but also in Tamashek, Bambara, Polish) and plays guitars: acoustic and bass. Traditionally, she regularly involves the audience in creating music together, especially the rhythm. Magda is accompanied by her band: Aleksandra Siemieniuk - dobro and electric guitar, Marcin Jahr - drums, Adam Rozenman - percussion plus a special guest from the USA.

Billy Gibson and Magda Piskorczyk met for the first time during Magda's visit in Memphis. In Summer 2010 they gave 22 concerts in one month - throughout Poland, Germany and Czech Republic.

The first CD of "Afro Groove" album presents almost 67 minutes of the concert recorded in Poland during this tour. In the second CD there are 3 bonus songs. "Rzezb Mnie" is a ballad composed by Magda with a text of a recognized Polish poet Bogdan Loebl.

The cover cartoons were made by Dariusza Pietrzak, cover design by Irek Graff and Magda Piskorczyk.

"Afro Groove" is the forth album of Magda Piskorczyk.

MAGDA PISKORCZYK
is a singer with a mature, low and unusual voice timbre. Described in France as "la voix noire et au costume blanc" (Black voice in a white costume). She performs music of Afro-American and African heritage. She is a two-time Semifinalist of the IBC contest in Memphis.

BILLY GIBSON
is a harp virtuoso, energetic frontman and vocalist from Memphis where he got the title: "The Prince of Beale Street". He is 2009 winner of the very prestigious distinction for bluesmen (former W.C. Handy Award) Blues Music Award Instrumentalist Of The Year - Harmonica.

Release: Poland: 10 Oct. 2011, Japan: 21 Oct. 2011, worldwide: November 2011.

Format: digipack, 2 audio CDs

Production and music production: Magda Piskorczyk
Mix and mastering: Adam Wojdak - Kanon Art Studio
Cover cartoons: Dariusz Pietrzak

Record Label: Artgraff (www.artgraff.pl)

PERFORMERS

Magda Piskorczyk - vocal, acoustic and bass guitar, arrangements
Billy Gibson - vocal and harmonica
Aleksandra Siemieniuk - dobro and electric guitar
Adam Rozenman - percussion
Marcin Jahr - drums
Bartosz Kazek - drums (in: "Rzezb Mnie")

SONG LIST

"Afro Groove"

CD 1
1. Save Us All
2. The Kokomo Medley
3. I'm a Woman
4. Love Everybody
5. Mississippi
6. One More Time
7. Too Much Stuff
8. Mansane Cisse
9. Cler Achel

CD 2
(bonus tracks)

1. Crossroads
2. Down Home
3. Rzeźb Mnie

VIDEO - "CLER ACHEL" (format HD)

www.youtube.com/piskorczyk

"Cler Achel" is a song from Mali, composed by Ibrahim Ag Alhabib - a leader of touareg band Tinariwen. Magda Piskorczyk sings this song in oryginal African language tamaszek and plays bass guitar. She is accompanied by her band: Aleksandra Siemieniuk - dobro and electric guitar, Marcin Jahr - drums, Adam Rozenman - percussion plus a special guest from the USA.: Billy Gibson.
Videoclip edited by Irek Graff, Artgraff.
Filmed by Adam Kliś at the XI Satyrblues 2010, Festival - produced by Ewa & Victor Czura.

SONG FRAGMENTS - MP3

PHOTOS FROM THE TOUR WITH BILLY GIBSON

> more photos from the tour with Billy Gibsonem

ORDERS

CDs can be ordered from:

Magda's website:
www.magdapiskorczyk.net/shop

CD Baby Shop:
www.cdbaby.com/all/piskorczyk

Amazon:
www.amazon.com

REVIEWS

Impressive introduction to the music of Magda Piskorczyk...

Polish guitarist, bassist and vocalist Magda Piskorczyk (pronounced peas-KOR-chick) has released a double album that celebrates the various types of music with African roots that have had a deep effect in her musical career. Afro Groove, her fourth album, ventures into the areas of African-American roots, such as blues, soul, funk, and jazz, as well as the rhythms and melodies of West Africa.
Magda sings primarily in English, although some pieces include vocals in Tamashek, Bambara and Polish. Her band includes Aleksandra Siemieniuk on dobro and electric guitar, Marcin Jahr on drums, and Adam Rozenman on percussion. Afro Groove also includes her American friend and special guest, Billy Gibson, on vocals and harmonica. Billy Gibson and Magda Piskorczyk met for the first time during Magda's visit to Memphis (Tennessee). In the Summer of 2010 they gave 22 concerts in one month throughout Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic.
Disc 1 contains live performances from the 2010 tour. The first part are spirited harmonica-fueled blues pieces, while the latter part contains sizzling West African-inspired material. Disc 2 features three more bluesy bonus songs.
Afro Groove is an impressive introduction to the music of Magda Piskorczyk, one of the finest young blues performers in Europe.

http://worldmusiccentral.org

Blues Blast e-magazine, USA

Afro Groove was recorded live in concert at Tarnobrzeg during a festival called Satyrblues in September 2010. Mahalia is a Warsaw studio recording with a larger ensemble aimed at a celebration of Mahalia Jackson's gospel music. Apart from Magda herself the only common musician is guitarist Aleksandra Siemieniuk. On Afro Groove Magda handles bass duties with Marcin Jahr on drums and Adam Rozenman on bass. Memphis harp player Billy Gibson is the special guest on the CD and plays harp and sings on several tracks. On the gospel set Roman Ziobro plays acoustic bass, Maksymilian Ziobro drums, Stanislaw Witta piano and organ and Jacek Namyslowski plays trombone on one track. A gospel choir features on four tracks.

Afro Groove. Magda has participated twice in the IBCs and that may well be where the connection with Billy Gibson was established. Fans of Billy's energetic personality might want to look out this CD for his contribution as he plays on most of the album, exceeding the normal role of a 'special guest'. Magda sings in English, Polish, Tamashek and Bambara and draws influences from Africa as well as the blues of the USA. The CD opens with a version of Tracy Chapman's "Save Us All" which certainly displays the amalgam of her influences, with the opening section being solo guitar with some North African feel before African percussion and harp join in. Magda has a deep voice which works well with the material; there is some trace of accent, but that does not detract from the listener's enjoyment. Mississippi Fred McDowell's "The Kokomo Medley" follows in similar vein and clocks in at over 10 minutes. A similarly extended version of Bo Diddley's "I'm A (Wo)Man" (via Koko Taylor) follows a more familiar bluesy approach with electric guitar and tough harp, the main African feel being in some of the percussion rattles.

Billy Gibson takes over the vocals for a trio of songs, starting with Willie Foster's "Love Everybody" followed by his own and David Bowen's "Mississippi", an amusing song based on a nursery rhyme for children to encourage them to remember how to spell the name of their state. David Bowen's "One More Time" is more uptempo before Magda returns to the microphone on Eric Bibb's "Too Much Stuff". The track starts off with percussion that is almost Latin in feel and a catchy guitar motif. Billy's harp subtly underlines Magda's vocal lines. Of course, as a non-Polish speaker the stage announcements and band introductions are lost on me, but it IS a live album!

The main CD closes with two tracks that are definitely more African in feel. "Mansane Cisse" is credited as traditional and sounds a little like The Doors "The End" with sweeping cymbal flourishes and tolling guitar chords. Magda's voice is really strong on this one and Billy's harp manages to fit in very well. "Cler Achel" comes from the open of Ibrahim Ag Alhabib and opens with that rippling guitar that is so often heard in African tunes, as well as some scary vocal flourishes that are very African in feel. The audience can be heard clapping along with the rhythm and are clearly enjoying the show!

I do not understand why the set has been split into a CD + Bonus when the total time of both is well below the maximum size of a CD these days. The bonus CD starts with a second Tracy Chapman tune, "Crossroads" that again has that African guitar and percussion vibe. "Down Home" is another David Bowen/Billy Gibson composition, a tribute to Beale Street, Memphis and it seems odd to hear it played so far away in Poland. Billy's harp is the main featured instrument and he really goes for it on this track, as well as delivering the vocal about his home town. The final track was not recorded on the same date but is a studio recording, a Polish poem set to music by Magda.

This is a well presented CD with nice artwork, including excellent caricatures of Magda and Billy which adorn the CDs and the sleeve. It is good to hear the blues being reinterpreted by artists from other countries and the fact that Billy Gibson has become involved in this project suggests that it is worth a listen. [...]

John Mitchell, Blues Blast Issue 6-11, March 16, 2012

What a good sound and great vibrations
what a groove !!!

Francis Rateau - President of Collectif des Radios Blues, France

Blues in the South

[...] this 2 CD set presents the Polish singer and guitarist (plus her fine band) back with the blues, recorded live in September 2010, and with a couple of West African-styled numbers also included, reflecting Magda's interest in the roots of the blues (hence the CD title).
She also has along the excellent Memphis out of Mississippi harpman Billy Gibson, who takes the lead vocal on four numbers and makes massive instrumental contributions to most tracks; try the wailing break on 'Crossroads', which, no, isn't that one, or the even fiercer playing on 'Down Home' - incidentally, these two are on the second CD, along with a moody, jazzy studio number in Polish, so that this disk is really more of a 20 minute EP rather than album length. Magda's own style is highly individual but songs such as the slide guitar propelled 'The Kokomo Medley' and the stop time 'I'm A Woman' (which highlights her deep voice) are enough to prove that she is one very talented lady. Lovely packaging too…

BITS Blues in the South Magazine, England, 2012-04
Norman Darwen

Magazine "bluesnews", Germany

Die polnische Sängerin Magda Piskorczyk hat zeitgleich zwei höchst unterschiedliche Alben auf den Markt gebracht. Da ist zum einen der auf zwei Silberlingen nachzuhörende Konzertmitschnitt ihres Programms "Afro Groove", in dem sie Bluessongs mit Kompositionen mischt, die rhythmisch und melodisch deutliche Einflüsse westafrikanischer Stile tragen. Piskorczyks tiefe, warme und zugleich rauchige Stimme beherrscht die Szenerie, ihre Band ist bei den ethnisch geprägten Songs weniger für Soli, sondern vor allem für die Grooves zuständig. Das gilt auch für die Bluesnummern, weil hier als Gast der Harp-Spezialist Billy Gibson aus Memphis den Ton angibt. Die beiden Schwerpunkte Blues und Ethno/World Music ergeben eine Bipolarität, die aber nicht trennt, sondern durch den speziellen Sound der Band eine gemeinsame Basis erhält. [...]

"bluesnews" 69, April - Juni 2012

Wasser-Prawda Magazine

CD Review of "Afro Groove" in German Wasser-Prawda Magazine

www.rootstime.be

[...] Dit vierde album van de Poolse gitariste, bassiste en zangeres is een dubbel album geworden met een hommage aan verschillende soorten muziek met Afrikaanse Roots die een effect hebben gehad op haar muzikale ideeën. Je vindt hier dus invloeden van blues, soul, funk, jazz en West-Afrikaanse ritmes en melodieën op terug. Magda zingt voornamelijk in het Engels maar evenzo wordt je geconfronteerd met zang in het Pools, Tamashek , Bambara en keelzang zoals je die wel eens in het zuiden van Afrika kan horen. Deze songs kan je voornamelijk op de eerste schijf beluisteren terwijl het tweede gedeelte enkele meer bluesy bonus songs bevat.

Live opnames van de tour die haar in 2010 samen met haar band, Aleksandra Siemieniuk (dobro en elektrische gitaar), Marcin Jahr (drums), Adam Rozenman (percussie) in Tsjechië, Duitsland en Polen bracht, worden hier weergegeven. Magda heeft een iet wat apart stemtimbre, maar best aangenaam om te beluisteren. Het is wat wennen hoor, men weze verwittigd. Denk soms ook aan Tinariwen, en als dat soort muziek je bevalt zal je hier wel je gading in terugvinden.

Wij hebben het wat moeilijk dat dit soort songs wat schril in contrast staat met de songs waar de schreeuwende, jammerende, klagende harmonicalijnen van Gibson de hoofdrol krijgen toebedeeld. Niets mis mee hoor, wel integendeel. Het lang uitgesponnen "I'm A Woman" is een boeiend werkstuk. We vrezen alleen dat het het voor de luisteraar iets te moeilijk wordt om van songs als "Mississippi" abrupt te worden geconfronteerd met "Mansane Cisse". Maar als je je daar mee kan verzoenen krijg je een best wel boeiend werkstuk voorgeschoteld. [...]

Luc Meert, www.rootstime.be

www.zicazic.com

[fragment]
On est spontanément tenté de commencer par "Afro Groove" tant on se demande ce que Magda Piskorczyk a bien pu cette fois nous réserver comme surprise et c’est en totale harmonie que l’on traverse un répertoire particulierement vaste dans lequel la chanteuse s’attache traditionnellement a s’exprimer en Anglais mais ou elle s’essaie aussi parfois a chanter en Polonais, en Tamashek ou en Bambara. La chaleur du live dynamise encore un peu plus la voix de la diva et c’est un véritable plaisir de la retrouver en solo ou en duo sur des titres qui coulent de source comme "The Kokomo Medley", "I’m A Woman" ou "Mississippi" pour ensuite s’éloigner un peu du continent américain et se diriger vers l’Afrique pour y gouter a de vibrants et intenses "Mansane Cisse" et "Cler Achel" dont la saveur est quelque peu surprenante mais en meme temps tellement intéressante. Avec déja plus d’une heure de concert sur l’ouvrage, on aurait presque pu se contenter de toutes les bonnes choses que Magda et Billy Gibson nous avait déja offertes mais dans un élan de générosité, c’est trois titres bonus et une vingtaine de minutes de plus que l’artiste nous offre avec a la clef toujours les memes effets de percussions et le meme harmonica virevoltant mais avec également en toute fin de parcours la tres délicate ballade "Rzezb Mnie" adaptée a partir d’un poeme polonais …

Ecrit par Fred Delforge, jeudi, 26 avril 2012
www.zicazic.com

Mladen Loncar in Croatian

[fragment]
Poštovani posjetitelji i čitatelji glazbenog portala SoundGuardian.com i njegove rubrike Blues Corner pred Vama je album Afro Groove van serijske poljske blues glazbenice Magde Piskorczyk. Ovaj dvostruki koncertni album objavila je izdavačka kuća ARTGRAFF prošle godine. No, nije to 'samo neko' izdanje to je album koji je osvojio nominacjiu za 'Award of the Polish Phonographic Academy' za 'Blues Album of the Year '. Naravno sve to nije bez veze, dapače…Magda je u potpunosti opravdala apsolutno sva očekivanja a mene, osobno jednostavno je ostavila bez daha. Naravno, tu je njen specijalni gost, fenomenalni Billy Gibson na usnoj harmonici ( wow…man, you can really blow …blow us away! op.a.). Toliko za uvod. Evo…nastavka. [...]

Nakon onda dva promo CDa jednostavno sam bio toliko 'nabrušen' da konačno čujem nešto u cijelosti u potpunosti, da… jednostavno nisam mogao dočekati da počnem pisati malo više o ovoj izuzetnoj glazbenici, koja usput budi rečeno ima doista respektabilnu diskografiju iza sebe. Neprestanim nastupanjem ali i stalnim suradnjama sa brojnim glazbenicima Magda je izgradila svoj, originalni glazbeni izričaj, koji ima uporište u svemu, a zapravo je toliko originalan. Svojim vokalom ali i gitarističkim rukopisom Magda svakako da plijeni pozornost svih onih, koji su imali prigode čuti za njen rad i djelovanje. Osobno, sam nažalost, tek ove godine saznao za nju i njen apsolutno respektabilni rad i stvaralaštvo. Uostalom, tko bi se samo tako usudio zapjevati legendarnu Mahaliu i biti još tako svijetle puti; zaista vrlo HRABRO! No, Magda je to učinila bez većih problema i ono što sam imao prigode čuti; učinila je to MAESTRALNO.

Doista, jako mi je žao što nisam dobio cijele albume, već samo PROMO CDe, ali tako je, kako je…no, nećemo se žaliti jer ovim dvostrukim albumom Magda je zadovoljila i preko mjere sve moje nasušne blues apetite ( hmmm, bilo bi dobro da su samo oni prisutni, ali nisu… možda bih stvarno trebao stati na loptu op.a.). No, ostavimo se toga; imamo prečeg posla… Magda Piskorczyk feat. Billy Gibson sa albuma Afro Groove + 3 Bonus Track objavljen je u studenom prošle godine a materijal je snimljen tijekom Satyrblues Festivala 2010. godine. Svatko neupućen, onako na prvu rekao bi samo još jedan u nizu festivala bluesa, koji se održavaju diljem Europe. No, na ovom festivalu gost je bio fenomenalni harpista iz Memphisa, doista briljantni i nepredvidljivi Billy Gibson. Naime, i Magda i prateći band uz Billyja pružili su zaista van serijski blues doživljaj. Tijekom samog koncerta ovo društvo djeluje toliko uigrano, toliko zavodljivo prezentiraju svoju glazbu, svoj blues da je to prosto očaravajuće. Svih 12 snimljenih pjesama zrače nevjerojatnim blues ugođajem i doslovno vas zapljuskuju ogromnim valovima' blues notes'. [...]

U gotovo sat i pol pred vama poštovani posjetitelji Blues Cornera Magda, Billy & band otvaraju neke nove glazbene horizonte i snažno utječu na vaše duhovno biće. U nekoliko navrata, zaustavljao sam disk i vraćao se na početak, nevjerujući kako to dojmljivo zvuči. Osobno, držim da bi bilo doista smiješno kada bih isticao i jednu pjesmu …posebno. Kada se udobno smjestite u neku sjedalicu, malo zamračite prostoriju i uz čašu crnog vina …krenete na fantastično blues krstarenje beskrajnim plavetnilom ovih briljantnih glazbenika.

www.soundguardian.com

IMORE INFO AND CONTACT:

Release: Poland: 10 Oct. 2011, Japan: 21 Oct. 2011, worldwide: November 2011.

Format: digipack, 2 audio CDs

Produced by / Music production: Magda Piskorczyk

Record Label: Artgraff (www.artgraff.pl)

Management: phone: 48 606-141-688

PATRONS AND PARTNERS