Andre Bachleda - Climate Change. Premiere May 29 (SJRecords 094) 

Release date: May 29, 2026

Climate Change is an atmospheric and deeply emotional project that blends contemporary jazz, impressionistic harmonies, cinematic soundscapes, and subtle lyricism. The music was composed by Andre Bachleda – guitarist, vocalist, and composer whose remarkable artistic journey has taken him from the world of professional sports and Olympic competition to jazz stages and projects inspired by world music, folk traditions, and smooth jazz. A two-time Fryderyk Award nominee who has released music with Polish Radio, Kayax, EMI, and Warner, Bachleda has created a highly personal album – a musical reflection on life experiences, personal growth, change, and the world around us.

Andre Bachleda & Climate Change brings together five outstanding musicians from the Polish jazz scene whose artistic paths cross continents, genres, and generations. The ensemble is built not only on a shared musical sensibility but also on genuine friendship and mutual understanding, clearly audible in the natural and organic interplay between the musicians.

Personnel:

• Andre Bachleda – guitar, vocals, compositions
• Mateusz Pałka – piano
• Maciek Ślusarczyk – saxophone
• Alan Wykpisz – double bass
• Grzegorz Pałka – drums

Each musician contributes a distinctive artistic voice to the project. Mateusz Pałka, an acclaimed pianist, composer, and Doctor of Musical Arts, is widely regarded as one of the most expressive personalities in contemporary Polish jazz. Alan Wykpisz, an award-winning bassist and member of the renowned High Definition Quartet, provides the ensemble with its deep and spacious low-end foundation. Saxophonist, arranger, and composer Maciek Ślusarczyk has collaborated with some of the most important figures in Polish jazz, including Zbigniew Namysłowski, Leszek Możdżer, and Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski. Meanwhile, drummer Grzegorz Pałka brings both remarkable energy and subtlety, shaping a musical narrative rich in dynamics and emotional nuance.

The music on Climate Change is both delicate and intense. It combines free-flowing improvisation, lyrical melodies, and impressionistic harmonic structures to create a sound world filled with imagination and emotional depth. Bachleda’s compositions balance jazz freedom with cinematic storytelling, resulting in music that is evocative, painterly, and thoroughly contemporary.

As Andre Bachleda explains:

“I love jazz – it’s the music I listen to most often. This album is strongly inspired by my mature life, various experiences, and the world around us. I waited a long time to find musicians who would truly understand this music and be able to play it. The band is called Climate Change – the title is a reference to the great group Weather Report, but also to contemporary times and the climate changes in my own life. Above all, it is a group of friends, and at the same time, wonderful musicians.”

The album release will be followed by a special launch concert on June 14, 2026, at the Manggha Museum of Japanese Art and Technology in Kraków.

I do not wish to focus on the artistry of each individual outstanding musician. Suffice it to say that Bachleda gives every member of the ensemble their proverbial five minutes in the spotlight, making the statement that “the album was born out of a desire to make music and improvise together, and that the band functions as one organism, where the relationship between the musicians is more important than individual displays of virtuosity” anything but empty words. That is exactly how it is. Bravo. More, please.

– Piotr Iwicki, JazzGazeta

What I would particularly like to emphasize is that everything he creates bears a strong artistic imprint; it is refined, polished, and meticulously crafted in every detail. Just like this album.

– Piotr Iwicki, JazzGazeta

The album’s eight tracks, all composed by the bandleader, form a stylistically coherent musical narrative. It is a sophisticated recording, showing respect for every single note. The compositions feature engaging melodic lines and carefully crafted arrangements. Thoughtfully sequenced to maintain the listener’s interest, they display a variety of forms and moods.

– Marek Demidowicz, Music Journalist (Facebook)

This is an album free of unnecessary fireworks and without any pretensions toward avant-garde experimentation. It is a highly enjoyable listen, full of subtle details and intriguing sonic textures. I find great pleasure in exploring the secondary and tertiary layers, discovering individual sounds that catch the ear. The guitar style and tone differ slightly from track to track. In a way, it is a concise history of jazz guitar, from swing to fusion. I am delighted to discover yet another Polish jazz guitarist, especially since there is still a shortage of albums led by guitarists.

– Marek Demidowicz, Music Journalist (Facebook)

It takes great artistry to transform unconventional harmonic solutions into a personal musical language that ultimately shines with an original palette of colors and an inviting atmosphere enveloping the listener’s perception. This is precisely what happens on Climate Change, Andre Bachleda’s album, where the combination of ethnic influences, rock character, and jazz freedom produces remarkable results. What makes it even more compelling is that we are dealing with a living, organic musical substance, captivating through superb—indeed masterful—performance and a profound sense of artistry present in every moment of the recording.

– Łukasz Dębowski, Polska Płyta / Polska Muzyka

For listeners familiar with Andre Bachleda’s earlier albums, this material may seem to move quite far away from what he has done before. However, for those who appreciate a thoughtfully developed jazz concept, Climate Change may prove to be a first-rate album, full of twists and turns while simultaneously carrying a deeper meaning already suggested by the project’s title. Symbolically, it also represents a significant shift in the artist’s own creative thinking. Bachleda does not abandon his characteristic guitar impressions; instead, he skillfully integrates them into a new musical strategy. It is a pleasure to listen to.

– Łukasz Dębowski, Polska Płyta / Polska Muzyka

The structure of the compositions is built upon impressionistic harmonies and lyrical melodies that serve as a starting point for free improvisation, although improvisation itself is not overused here. The arrangements emphasize interaction between the musicians and the collective construction of the musical narrative, avoiding the spotlighting of individual virtuosity at the expense of the album’s overall coherence. Such eclecticism deserves high praise, as it gives the music a universal quality and successfully opens it up to audiences beyond the strictly jazz-oriented community.

– Robert Kozubal, Jazzda.net