To be successful, it is no longer enough to play Horace Silver themes. One shouldn't play material borrowed from records (...) I founded my own quartet and created my music to play what I want to and how I want to. (Zbigniew Namyslowski)
Namyslowski cites John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Wayne Shorter, and Joe Henderson as his favorite musicians but also draws inspiration from other sources, including blues, rock, and traditional Polish, Balkan, and Indian music. Namyslowski is also a very successful composer, including genres outside of jazz and encompassing anything from Polish version of funk to sophisticated pop music. In the field of composition, Namyslowski has created his own unique and easily recognizable language: the harmonic language, the swing that goes beyond the scale of musical transcription, the jazz tradition, and his always present appreciation of Polish music folklore.
This compilation includes comprehensive selection from Namyslowski's discography recorded between 1981 and 1997, and presents wide spectrum of Namyslowski's music from funk, to jazz-rock, to bop inspired by Polish folk songs and dances.
One of the best, though short-lived groups led by Namyslowski was the 1974-76 Quintet with Karolak, Szukalski, Jarzebski and Bartkowski. These excellent jazzmen were lucky to record, in March 1975, rather unusual music by Namyslowski: the highly original pieces that sparked again the touchy problem of Polish folklore presence in jazz.
One of the best, though short-lived groups led by Namyslowski was the 1974-76 Quintet with Karolak, Szukalski, Jarzebski and Bartkowski. These excellent jazzmen were lucky to record, in March 1975, rather unusual music by Namyslowski: the highly original pieces that sparked again the touchy problem of Polish folklore presence in jazz.
"Jazz fills my life. It means to me everything - said Namyslowski in 1966, - Playing in quartet suits me the best...Until recently I did not set great store by composition. But now to be successful one cannot merely play Horace Silver's themes and other people's arrangements. And so I have created my own quartet and my own music, to be able play what I want and how I want..."
The music on this record, marked by the individuality
of the composer - leader and his sidemen ... is varied
structurally, instrumentally and harmonically
throughout, with changing tempos and times.
This 1991 studio recording present Zbigniew Namyslowski Quartet with leader on flute, alto and soprano saxophones; Jamusz Skowron on piano; Zbigniew Wegehaupt on bass, and Cezary Konrad on drums.
ZBIGNIEW NAMYSLOWSKI - is one of the most versatile and active jazz musicians in Poland. This childish-looking, small, fairhaired man is, however, the oldest member of the group and its leader. He was born in 1939. He studied 'cello and then, trying various different instruments, he took up the alto sax and is now one of the best alto saxophonists in Europe. liner notes by ROMAN WASCHKO taken from the original 1964 DECCA album
The complete live performance (on 2-CD's) of one of the greatest performers of jazz on the violin, and an extraordinary and forward thinking improviser. This is the last recorded document of Zbigniew Seifert music. On this album he is joined by members of prog jazz group Laboratorium.
This deluxe edition of Seifert's masterpiece comes with 142-page booklet with many rare pictures, essays, Seifert's letters, and reviews - both in Polish and English languages. Collector item. Limited edition.
Live performance of one of the greatest performers of jazz on the violin, and an extraordinary and forward thinking improviser. On this album he is joined by members of prog jazz group Laboratorium.
A masterful improviser who could have ranked at the top with any jazz artist of 20th century, Zbigniew Seifert's early death robbed Poland of one of its top jazz artists.
Zbigniew Wegehaupt - Polish jazz bass player. Graduate of instrumental bass class at State College of Music in Katowice. H ecollaborated with many best Polish jazz musicians, among others: Jan Ptaszyn Wroblewski, Zbigniew Seifert, Tomasz Stanko, Janusz Muniak, Andrzej Kurylewicz, Jerzy Satanowski, Zbigniew Namyslowski and Wojciech Karolak. Wegehaupt is a lecturer at the Faculty of Jazz in the State School of Music at Bednarska in Warsaw.
He took part in many jazz festivals in Poland and abroad including Jazz Jamboree, Warsaw Summer Jazz Days, Jazz Festival in The Hague, Red Sea Jazz Festival, Bilbao Jazz Festival, Jazz Festival in Düsseldorf. He is a respected studio musician, beside numerous participations in jazz music recordings, he also worked in many pop music and film productions.
KOMEDA PROJECT, a jazz quintet, was brought to life from a desire to perform - on this side of the Atlantic - and be able to hear live, music of Krzysztof Komeda again.
"Komeda was par excellance a film musician because he understood intentions of a director earlier then anybody else, so he was composing film music". (Roman Polanski)
