Lounge Ryszards

Warsaw's free-jazz moloch Lounge Ryszards is one of the many projects to emerge from the eclectic scene of the city's late Klubojadalnia Eufemia club, taking a bit from each of the milieus represented on its stage—but certainly the only one that decided to play it all at the same time and maximum possible volume. The original line-up of Lounge Ryszards combined the noise rock pedigree of intuitive guitarist Mimi Cirocka (Zlota Jesień, Ugory, Polsoja) and bassist Jakub Tyro-Niezgoda (Vegetable Kingdom, Slipper) and the controlled chaos of saxophonist Michal Malota and drummer Michal Kasperek, both associated with the city's free improv scene. This line-up debuted in 2015 with the concert album Live at Czułość, and just three years later Warner Music Poland threatened to sue them for calling their studio debut Polish Jazz vol. 420. With a description full of cliches worthy of many a jazz copywriter (Their mastery of the jazz idiom allows them to experiment more daringly, but with respect for classical forms and canons), the material was described by Bartek Chaciński as a bomb of feedback dropped on jazz and has, willy-nilly, earned itself the self-proclaimed canonical status. Currently, Lounge Ryszards' line-up is rather fluid, and has over time comprised the likes of Tomasz Świtalski (Deadlock, Kryzys, Brygada Kryzys), Kuba Malinowski (Anatol, Złota Jesień, Sierść) and Trash Todd (Furminator).