SBF 2015 opening concert!

Concert during SBF 2016
Thursday, 07.07.2016
Large Stage, Suwałki Culture Centre, admission paid

More than fourty years ago, two journalists, Wojciech Mann and Jan Chojnacki, made a decision, which was recorded on air, that they will be broadcasting a programme on Polish Radio Programme”Three” dedicated to blues music. That programme, “A Whiter shade of blues”, the only Polish blues programme, will be celebrating its 40th anniversary in Suwalki!

At the concert, you will get the chance to experience concerts of special guests: VOO VOO, Wovoka, Paddy Milner (UK), Jan Gałach, Bartek Łęczycki, Suwalki Gospel Choir. It will be trully a wonderful evening.

Jan Chojnacki about artists of the opening concert: “A Whiter shade of blues” programme is having 40^th anniversary this year. When the programme had its debut on air, most performers of the jubilee concert haven’t even been born yet. Blues has been inspiring young people ever since! Wovoka in an original way translates archaic credo of the old masters into contemporary musical language. Paddy Milner, a keyboards virtuoso, attractively ties up blues with boogie and translates it into rock message. And lets not forget about multi generational Voo Voo. Wojtek Waglewski and friends have their own unique phrase, but of course interspersed with blues overtones. This is thow “A Whiter shade of blues” 2015 looks like. You’ll find out all about it during the Suwalki Blues Festival inaugural concert!

Jan “Baobab” Chojacki describes his programme: A Whiter shade of blues came from friendship and common interests. More than 40 years ago, together with Wojtek Mann, we came into conclusion that we are fascinated by the same sounds.

In the mid-70s WM was already a  radio personality, and I was driving around the world in order to collect albums  for the blues collection. In 1975, we decided to share this collection to radio listeners in Poland. Unforgettable Maria Jurkowska was hosting in Radio Programme Three a  Radio show “Blues yesterday and today”, which presented mostly classics. We wanted to develop the idea of Muddy Waters, who developed a  blues baby – namely rock and roll. I had the name of the programme already; Wojtek just convinced -director of the Programme Three- Eva Ziegler to it. A Whiter shade of blues premiered in autumn 1975.

For nearly 6 years, we both hosted the show. We have presented, inter alia, full discographies of John Mayall, Eric Clapton, The Allman Brothers Band, Fleetwood Mac. Unusual thing, for the 70s, was a two-hour interview with John Mayall interspersed with his records – John was over the phone in Poznan, and we were in the  on the phone in the studio. And it went on air live! In the early 80s!  Wojtek went on a journey abroad, and although he soon came back, I have been hosting the programme ever since!

Under the name – A Whiter Shade of Blues (of course with the logo of Programme Three)  three albums were released: “A Whiter shade of blues” (LP – Wifon 1989), “A Whiter Shade Of Blues – Bielszy odcień bluesa” (CD / MC – Polton 1998) and “A Whiter shade of blues – Jan Chojnacki 25 years wit Programme Three”(CD – Universal, 2002). As a part of the programme we recorded several concerts in the Agnieszka Osiecka’s studio, where our friends redorded: Tadeusz Nalepa, Dżem, Irek Dudek, Cree, Kasa Chorych, Hoodoo Band, J.J. Band, Sławek Wierzcholski and Nocna Zmiana Bluesa, The Blues Band, Carlos Johnson, Bill Dowey, Chris Farlowe and many others.

In the autumn of 2009, when a  New came out, A Whiter Shade of Blues became a permamet show on the Programme Three offer –it is broadcasted every Thursday at 22:05.

Let the blues be with you!

For those who will not be alble to be at the concert in Suwałki, we have good news – we will be broadcasting the concert live on air, of course on Radio Programme Three! 

 

Jan Chojnacki, well known music journalist, radio and TV producer. Popularizer and blues enthusiast. Polish Radio Programme Three worker since 1975. That was the time when “A Whiter shade of blues’’ was streamed on air. He has been hosting the Programme ever since. He was also a co-author and an executive of the following programmes: “Not for Dummies”, “List of hits for teens”, “The tone Three”, “Everyone plays differently”, “Three under the moon”, “Radioman”, “Input taste” “Cheap playing”, “Song without Frontiers” and others. He is a member of the Music Academy of Programme Three. In 1997, he was awarded with “Majka” in the blues category. In 2013, he received the Medal of Honor from Polish Radio.

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