Pop Fiction

Piano virtuoso, composer, producer, doctor of instrumental sciences and winner of over 20 leading Polish and European music festivals, Mike Verba - known in Poland as Michał Wierba - has played over 700 concerts and recorded over 20 albums. His musical path has connected him with great names such as Michał Urbaniak, Ronnie Burrage, Wayne Escoffery, Reggie Washington, Darryl Hall, Piotr Wojtasik, Nimrod Speaks, Maciej Sikała and many others. With his first authorial album, the musician wants to redefine the concept of solo piano in the musical (genre, stylistic) and social context. The album is therefore maintained in the convention of a "one man show" - all soundtracks, arrangements, production and implementation of the songs are created by the Artist. The title of the album - "Pop-Fiction" - refers to the American, postmodern cinema of the second half of the 20th century, eclecticism, collage technique and playing with conventions. The pianist, "winking" at Quentin Tarantino, offers the audience a new dimension of jazz piano playing and the concept of a solo artist - intertextual, close to the aesthetics of kitsch, Verba focuses on advanced, demanding, but at the same time egalitarian piano playing. The album is divided into two parts. The first consists of pieces from the border of electronics, jazz and pop music, the second is maintained in the convention of a solo piano album and the modern-classic genre, with a non-standard selection of repertoire. Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Nirvana, George Michael, Ed Sheeran and Sting. Importantly, "Pop-Fiction" is planned as an interactive project in the nature of a performance, and not a traditionally understood album. The cover and visual setting of the album are maintained in the style of a comic book. The album is an important step in the artistic development of the experienced pianist, who in this project is responsible for almost everything - composition and arrangement, sound production (except for the acoustic piano), production and comprehensive performance. Composing from the tradition of jazz music, knowing it and respecting it, Verba breaks the convention of a solo piano album. He creates highly diverse material in which classical piano technique meets electronic sounds, using the full range of technical solutions and instrumental tools dedicated to pianists.