Crime Jazz Month: Krzysztof Komeda (Knife In The Water)

Krzysztof Komeda was a hero of the international jazz scene, keeping the music alive amidst the suspicion and repression of the Polish Communist Regime.

The music is remixed by Bonny Larmes out of Komeda’s score for Roman Polanski’s 1962 directorial debut: Nóż w wodzie (Knife In The Water), a terse psychological thriller in which an unhappily married couple pick up a stray hitchhiker and offer to take him sailing with them. Complications ensue, including threats of violence, simulated drowning, and infidelity. The film generated enormous critical acclaim, allowing Polanski to leave Communist Poland where the film was not well-received. Komeda remained behind, using his growing influence as a film composer to push for jazz’s acceptance behind the Iron Curtain.

Sadly, both Komeda’s score and Bonny Larmes’ remix album remain out-of-print and hard to find. Most of Komeda’s score, however, is available on Last FM:

http://www.last.fm/music/Krzysztof+Komeda/Knife+in+the+Water