Brian Jackson x EABS [Astigmatic Week]

On the very first day of the Astigmatic Records showcase, we will witness a collaboration that perhaps no one expected. Thanks to the cultural influence of Jassmine club, an extraordinary fusion of two different worlds will take place, fulfilling several dreams as the impossible once again becomes possible. New, exciting Polish jazz will meet an icon of American soul-jazz from the past half-century. Brian Jackson, best known for his legendary duo with Gil Scott-Heron, will join forces on stage with the band EABS to reimagine the artist’s body of work, focusing on his universal and socially engaged lyrics, which, despite being written decades ago, remain relevant today.

The Wrocław-based band is known primarily for their instrumental work and has avoided featuring guest vocalists since their formative years at the Puzzle club, making this collaboration with Brian Jackson something truly exceptional. Who knows what the future might hold? The set will mostly consist of songs from the 1970-1980 period, arranged by EABS, but one should expect the unexpected, as who knows what might happen when six improvising musicians come together.

In 1971, the Scott-Heron-Jackson duo released *Pieces of a Man*, the first of nearly ten joint projects in the 1970s that set a new standard in jazz music and contributed to the artistic immortality of the musicians. Jackson’s calm, atmospheric compositions, dominated by piano and flute, provided an ideal backdrop for Gil’s poetry. After their partnership ended, the composer remained in the background, collaborating with a host of renowned artists like Will Downing, Earth, Wind & Fire, and Kool & the Gang. In 2021, Jackson made a comeback with an album from the phenomenal *Jazz Is Dead* series, a project overseen by A Tribe Called Quest’s Ali Shaheed Muhammad and multi-instrumentalist Adrian Younge.