The Kuba Wójcik trio was invited by the Polish Institute in New Delhi to play for Indian audiences as part of The Jazz po Polsku "Around the World" project. The distinguished trio comprising Kuba Wójcik — also the band's composer — on the guitar, Rafal Rozalski on the double bass, and Aditya Bhagavatula on percussion put up a short yet dazzling performance at the Calcutta School of Music recently.

The Jazz po Polsku "Around the World" project is an initiative of the JAZZ PO POLSKU Foundation. It celebrates the life and the accomplishments of the extraordinary Polish explorer and geologist, Sir Pawel Edmund Strzelecki, a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and author of the book, Physical Description of New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land, which was unsurpassed as the defining source of knowledge on Australian topography for nearly half a century since its publication. Sir Strzelecki was also credited with the discovery of Gippsland in southeast Australia which he named after Sir George Gipps, the then-governor of New South Wales. The explorations Sir Strzelecki undertook during the years, 1834-1843, and the geological and geographical research he conducted had significantly shaped contemporary knowledge systems.

It was thus refreshing to see that the spirit of exploration and discovery and the thrill of novelty that defines these singular experiences were perfectly captured by the Kuba Wójcik trio's characteristic avant-garde, experimental compositions and sound. Traces of traditional gypsy jazz were fused seamlessly with bluesy power drumming grooves to create a melody of seeming contradiction. Instrumental virtuosity propelled the 60-minute performance with fret-melting guitar lines, audacious percussion, and primal double bass enlivening the restrained atmosphere of Sandré Hall: the audience lapped up the melody. The performance was rather short, lasting barely an hour. Yet it was long enough to offer the audience a taste of the trio's brilliance.