The Hania Derej Quintet project was formed in 2022, presenting itself at the CHOJAZZ2022 International Jazz Workshop in Chodzież. Since then, the leader, a pianist, has begun to compose and augment her concert material. The pieces, which were created on the run, on the move, between lessons or on the train, are a reflection of the artist's state of mind, emotions, reflections and situations she was in when she was in her final year of high school. In June 2023, the quintet performed at the 25th Bielska Zadymka Jazz Orlen Jazz Festival in Bielsko-Biała. The reception of the audience was very positive, which prompted the artist to record an album. The material was recorded in October 2023 in the studio of the Polish Radio Katowice. Hania was offered the opportunity to cooperate with the Dutch label ZenneZ Records, which is based near Amsterdam, and it was under this label that the album entitled ‘Evacuation’ was released. ‘Evacuation’. The release date for the album is 21 June 2024 and the release dates for the two singles preceding it are 3 May and 31 May. Both the first and second singles (‘Busy Day’ and ‘FUNky Time’) have made it onto prestigious playlists in Poland and abroad, such as ‘New Music Friday Poland’, ‘EQUAL Spotify’ ‘Fresh Finds Poland’ and ‘Fresh Finds Jazz’ (USA). Media patrons JazzForum and JazzPress. The music from the ‘Evacuation’ album has reached 142 countries, with the highest listening figures in the United States, Poland, Canada, Germany and Japan respectively. Since May 2024, the band has played dozens of concerts promoting the album in jazz clubs and at festivals such as the Junior Jazz Festival in Wadowice, Jazz in the Ruins, Summer Jazz Festival in Kraków, Jazz on the Borderlands in Zamość, Mrowna Jazz Festival in Grodzisk Mazowiecki and the International Jazz Pianists Festival in Kalisz.
The album ‘Evacuation’ was recorded with the following line-up:
Hania Derej - compositions and piano
Cyryl Lewczuk - tenor saxophone
Tymon Okolus - trombone
Filip Hornik - bass
Jakub Długoborski - drums
