Piotr Schmidt – Komeda’s Songs Without Words. Premiere February 12 (SJRecords 090)
The album is available on CD and as a downloadable WAV Hi-Res version (24/96) including artwork.
Double LP 180g gatefold will be available on March 28 and 29 during Wszystko Gra (VinylFest) – Targi Dobrej Muzyki at MCK in Katowice.
LP shipping starts on March 30.
Limited and numbered edition:
300 copies in the BLACK version at www.sjrecords.eu
200 copies in the CLEAR version at www.voiceshop.pl
Only here available with Piotr Schmidt’s autograph.
Attention!
Streaming platforms – 6 tracks
CD – 7 tracks
LP and WAV Hi-Res (24/96) – all 8 tracks
Komeda’s Songs Without Words is an album in which Piotr Schmidt reaches for some of Krzysztof Komeda’s most recognizable melodies, giving them new life as instrumental narratives. It is music rooted in the cinematic poetics of the 1960s, yet told in a contemporary jazz language—full of tension, subtlety, and open improvisation.
The originator of the project is Krzysztof Balkiewicz, president of the “Komeda” Association and artistic director of the Love Polish Jazz Festival in Tomaszów Mazowiecki.
Schmidt treats Komeda’s themes not as closed forms, but as starting points for the ensemble’s creative dialogue. From these melodies he draws pure lyricism and emotional depth, building a dramaturgy that unfolds naturally—without words, yet with a clear and evocative narrative. A key role is played by the chemistry within the band and the conscious use of silence, tone color, and dynamics.
The album is a live concert recording—the premiere performance of the material during the Love Polish Jazz Festival. Thanks to this, it preserves the energy of the moment, the organic sound, and the authenticity of collective music-making. Komeda’s Songs Without Words is a meeting of tradition and modernity, a tribute to one of Poland’s most important composers, and at the same time a personal, mature artistic statement by one of the leading trumpeters of the Polish jazz scene.
Piotr Schmidt – trumpet
Grzech Piotrowski – saxophones
Mino Cinelu – percussion
Paweł Tomaszewski – piano
Michał Barański – double bass
Sebastian Kuchczyński – drums
A magical evening of Komeda-inspired nostalgia, beautiful melodies that shaped decades of Polish jazz history—compositions originally written as songs with lyrics, presented here as purely instrumental pieces, deprived of text yet not of their wonderful melodicism and emotional depth. A masterful performance. The concert program also included several additional pieces. The audience listened, enchanted and grateful.
Present in the hall were Tomasz Lach, Krzysztof Komeda’s stepson and author of the album liner note, as well as Krzysztof Balkiewicz, artistic director of the Love Polish Jazz Festival and originator of the project.
— Paweł Brodowski, Editor-in-Chief of Jazz Forum, after the premiere concert at Jassmine Club, February 12, 2026.
Although Piotr Schmidt does not strive for populism (he resigned from the iconic ballad “Sleep Safe and Warm” from Rosemary’s Baby), he masterfully interprets Komeda’s famous and characteristic themes such as “Filiżanka Czarnej Kawy,” “Le Départ,” “Ja nie chcę spać,” “Nim wstanie dzień,” “100 Years – The Riot,” and “Z ręką na gardle.” The result is a set of modern jazz interpretations in which the composer’s melodic intention does not diminish the ensemble’s harmonic and sonic inventiveness.
Piotr Schmidt treats Komeda’s themes not as closed forms, but as a starting point for creative expression. From these popular melodies he extracts Komeda’s lyricism and emotional depth, constructing a dramaturgy that develops naturally—without words, yet with a distinct and suggestive texture.
— Dionizy Piątkowski (Era Jazz), full review at:
https://jazz.pl/piotr-schmidt-komedas-songs-without-words-sj-records/
Komeda’s Song Without Words by Piotr Schmidt is a necessary album, as it allows us to look at Krzysztof Komeda’s legacy from a different perspective and confirms the strength of his musical imagination. Thanks to such committed projects, the composer can continue to live in our awareness. His music deserves it—it shows that melody and song format need not be the final form of well-known originals if they contain timeless value. Most importantly, in this contemporary interpretation, one simply wants to listen. And to do so breathlessly.
Łukasz Dębowski (Polska Płyta Polska Muzyka), full review at:
https://polskaplyta-polskamuzyka.pl/2026/02/24/piotr-schmidt-komedas-song-without-words-recenzja/
My recommendation for the Europe Media Jazz Chart, March 2026
(...)There is a chemistry and improvisations are inspired. The trumpet and saxophone are taking the lead, singing and crying like a human voice. The music captures Komeda’s specific atmoshphere, which is hard to describe but felt and recognized instantly – the feeling of nostalgia, longing, regret, anxiety.(...)
— Paweł Brodowski, Editor-in-Chief of Jazz Forum
(...) Schmidt, our leading trumpeter and an inventive leader, has assembled a supergroup with a strong presence of Polish musicians. The ever-reliable Mino Cinelu, the French wizard of percussion instruments, appears as a special guest. The sound and tight interplay of this powerful lineup are impressive, and from the text alone one might easily guess that it is a top-tier American band performing. This impression is further strengthened by the fact that the album captures pieces recorded during the group’s enthusiastically received performance at the Love Polish Jazz Festival, documented with remarkable dynamic range. (...)
— Cezary Gumiński (Jazz Forum 3 / 2026)
From the very first bars, it is clear that we are dealing with an exceptional project. The virtuosity of Piotr Schmidt and the outstanding musicians he invited reveals itself immediately, leading the listener into a world of music filled with emotion, subtlety and true jazz expression. The album offers a very diverse atmosphere – from reflective, calm passages to moments bursting with energy and enthusiasm. This can be heard particularly well in the interpretation of the piece “Nim wstanie dzień,” where the musical tension is built gradually, only to reach its climax with tremendous power and expressive freedom. This album definitely does not allow the listener to get bored. There is truly a lot happening here – the arrangements are rich, and each instrument is given its own space and moment to shine. Thanks to the class of the performers, no element of this musical mosaic remains in the shadows. Each musician is capable of reaching their own interpretative peak, together creating an exceptionally cohesive and deeply emotional whole. (...)
— Janusz Sowiński (Audiomuzofans.pl, 3 / 2026)
See also the artist’s website:
www.piotrschmidt.eu
