Over the past several years, Gawlik has established himself as a distinctive voice on the European jazz and improvised music scene. From his early recognition with awards such as the Temple University Outstanding Soloist Scholarship and the Soloist Prize of the Karl Hofer Gesellschaft Berlin, to appearances at the North Sea Jazz Festival, London Jazz Festival, Copenhagen Jazz Festival, and venues like the Elbphilharmonie and Bimhuis Amsterdam, he has steadily built a reputation for fearless creativity.

His debut brings together a longstanding circle of collaborators: drummer Jim Black, vibraphonist Evi Filippou, and bassist Phil Donkin. Gawlik’s ties to each are deep and personal, forged through years of playing in each other’s bands. That sense of trust fuels the record’s spirit of exploration, allowing the group to move effortlessly between rubato melodies, abstract soundscapes, angular uptempo lines, and grooves that flirt with shuffle and swing.

Gawlik explains that the compositions were conceived as sketches – short, pointed fragments of melody and rhythm that spark improvisation without constraining it. Much of the music plays with contrast and layering: quiet clusters against high-energy improvisation, free-floating melodies over structured bass lines, and abstract textures evolving into clarity. The result is music that is alive in the moment, unpredictable yet cohesive, and deeply personal.

For all its complexity, It’s All in Your Head is less about virtuosity than about honesty and expression. Drawing on the influence of his personal heroes like Andrew Hill and Jeff Buckley, Gawlik’s music carves its own path. It’s a debut album that doesn’t feel like one, marking the arrival of an artist already in full command of his voice.