Jazztopad commissioned Fox on Hill from Jakob Bro, one of the most esteemed guitarists in contemporary jazz. The artist will perform it with drummer Midori Takada, trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, and the Polish Cello Quartet. In this work, all memories and intergenerational encounters intertwine, as if in a dream, crossing different places and times.

Jakob Bro is one of the most respected guitarists in contemporary jazz, but he considers himself above all composer and creator of musical situations – encounters that can yield new, interesting sounds. His works have been performed by artists such as Lee Konitz, Bill Frisell, Joe Lovano, Marilyn Mazur, Jason Moran, Thomas Morgan, Palle Mikkelborg, Craig Taborn, and Ben Street. Two more world-renowned musicians will soon join this distinguished group: Midori Takada and Wadada Leo Smith.

Commissioned by the festival, Bro composed and, together with superb instrumentalists, will perform Fox on Hil – a six-movement piece for trumpet, percussion, marimba, guitar, and cello quartet. Through it, he journeys from East to West, drawing inspiration from protest movements and contemplating the spirits, stories and musical cultures of North America, Central Europe, and Asia. In the dreamlike reality that thus emerges, he pays tribute to the legacy of Komeda, Stańko, and all his deceased heroes.