Extra BallEXTRA BALL is a recent discovery in the field of Polish jazz. Although its young members used to appear as still half-amateurs, the group started off only at the festival ,,Jazz on the Oder-River" in 1974. At this most important Polish jazz competition the ,,Extra Ball" won the second and a year later first prize. Also the musicians who make it up won awards at that same Wroclaw competition: Jan Cichy in 1974, Jaroslaw Smietana in 1974 and 1975, Wladyslaw Sendecki in 1975, and Andrzej Olejniczak in 1976. Their concerts were received very warmly by the critics, one of whom wrote: "This is the only group in this country which can rank just behind the Namyslowski group" (JAZZ, No 5/1976). These opinions of the critics have coincided with the feelings of the audiences with whom the "Extra Ball" have become recently very popular. — Jan Poprawa. |