Founded by Cezary L. Lerski in February 2000, the Polish Jazz Network is a dynamic coalition of musicians, professionals, and jazz enthusiasts. Our website, PolishJazz.com, is the world’s longest-running platform dedicated to Polish jazz.
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THE SHORT STORY POLISH JAZZ 1945-1999
by Cezary L. Lerski, All rights reserved, unauthorized use is not allowed.
1940s - 1950s
After 1945 and the Yalta Conference, Poland, like the rest of Eastern and Central Europe, fell under Russian communist rule. Jazz music, along with modern art, decent toilet paper, and the right to travel abroad, was banned as the music of the enemy. Young people, often against the regime, rediscovered jazz, which was said to go "into the catacombs." Jazz could only be played at private homes and parties. One band came to dominate this hidden landscape of the Polish jazz scene: Melomani. Melomani consisted of a wide array of ever changing musicians who played what they considered to be jazz. The quality of their music did not compare to Western European or American standards at the time, but this did not matter to Melomani's fans. They embraced it because it was illegitimate, revolutionary, banned by authorities, and, most importantly, it was theirs. There was no jazz music on Polish radio, no jazz records in the stores, no books, and no sheet music for sale. The only way to access the real thing was to tune in to Willis Conover's programs on the Voice of America. So, they listened to Conover’s American drawl, dreaming and hoping for more freedom. After Stalin's death in 1953, it became more acceptable to play and listen to jazz. The first legal jazz gathering took place in Krakow on November 1st, 1954, leading to a tradition of jazz festivals, magazines, and jazz clubs in Poland that continues to this day. But even when acknowledged by the rulers of Poland, jazz has remained an intellectual escape from communism and totalitarianism. To be a jazz lover meant to subconsciously resist the system.
1960s
Moving into the 1960s, Polish jazz became more diverse, sophisticated, and stylish. It evolved into three basic styles: Dixieland (traditional), straight-ahead (mainstream), and avant- garde (free). Many bands played their own version of the "original New Orleans style" of jazz, mimicking the Dixieland revival that had occurred earlier in Western Europe. It is difficult to clearly distinguish between mainstream and avant-garde jazz in Polish jazz of the 1960s and 1970s, as many musicians walked the fine line between the two. The most famous players of that era: Komeda, Kurylewicz, Trzaskowski, and "Dudus" Matuszkiewicz, were all former Melomani musicians. During this time, Krzysztof Komeda released his album Astigmatic, a daring, visionary, and collaborative work that changed not only Polish jazz but also European jazz as we know it today. In 1962, a young trumpet player named Tomasz Stańko created the Jazz Darings, later described by jazz critic J.E. Berndt as the "first European free jazz combo," a musical group responding to the free jazz concepts pioneered by John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman.
1970s
Created in 1968, the Studio Jazzowe Polskiego Radia was a venue and workshop for musicians and composers. It would be virtually impossible to find any important Polish jazz composer or soloist who, at some point in their career, had not been involved with the Studio. This space fostered a collaborative collective consciousness for jazz. Without it and its leader, Jan "Ptaszyn" Wróblewski, Polish jazz would not be the same. The 1970s produced some jazz superheroes. In 1973, Michał Urbaniak released the groundbreaking album Fusion. This LP, recorded and released in the USA, accurately captured Urbaniak’s innovative artistic personality: straight-ahead expression paired with Slavic ingenuousness, musical eclecticism, contemporary articulation, and the influence of Polish folk music—all flawlessly incorporated into the vocabulary of American jazz. Similar rave reviews were often written about another giant of Polish jazz, Zbigniew Namysłowski. Willis Conover himself once said, "When I first visited Poland, I was quite unprepared to hear Polish musicians at such a high level. Namysłowski was clearly the best. He honors three traditions: of jazz, of Polish, and of himself." Since the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s, Tomasz Stańko explored different shades of free jazz, especially successfully with his Quintet. After the end of his legendary Quintet, Stańko continued his career, focusing on free jazz, fusion, electronica, and solo projects. Later, during his tenure at ECM, he redefined the concept of the jazz quartet established by Miles Davis in the 1960s. Until his death in 2018, Stańko remained one of the most important, successful, and creative jazz musicians in Europe and the world.
1980s - 1990s
Starting in the late 1970s, the focus of Polish jazz began to shift. In the early 80s, the rebellious “Young Power" movement, led by composer and flutist Krzysztof Popek, started questioning the existing hierarchies of Polish jazz, musical styles, and languages, introducing many artistically diverse influences. As the Young Power musicians blended into the Polish jazz scene over time, they rekindled a creative fire that had previously been lost. Polish jazz matured, expanded, and grew even more. History repeated itself in the next decade with the emergence of "Younger Power" as the most creative stream of Polish jazz in the 1990s. They called their music "jass” to distinguish it from conventional "jazz" music. Although sometimes very unorthodox, jass remained improvised music, based on the same doctrines and conventions essential to jazz. The band "Miłość" (Love) was a superstar of the jass movement and its leading force. Four musicians emerged from the band, and after its breakup in 2002, they pursued solo careers: double bass player and guitarist Ryszard Tymon Tymański, pianist Leszek Możdżer, and saxophone players Mikołaj Trzaska and Maciej Sikała. Although stylistically very different, all alumni of Miłość significantly enriched and influenced the Polish jazz scene in the following decades.
Today
Deep into the third decade of the 21st century, Polish jazz stands as a testament to both its maturity and its ceaseless evolution. Born from the fervor of radicals, it remains an ever-evolving art form that delves into uncharted territories, exploring new places, concepts, and emotions. This enduring genre continues to push boundaries, challenging the status quo and inviting listeners on a journey through the rich tapestry of human experience. Whether reflecting the tumultuous past or envisioning a boundless future, Polish jazz is a dynamic force that embodies creativity, innovation, and resilience.
Welcome to Polish Jazz!