Michał Urbaniak facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michal Urbaniak
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Michal Urbaniak in 2019
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| Background information | |
| Born | 22 January 1943 Warsaw, Poland |
| Genres | Jazz, jazz fusion, funk, hip hop |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Violin, lyricon, saxophone |
| Labels | Ubx |
| Associated acts | Urbanator, Miles Davis, UrbSymphony |
Michał Urbaniak (born January 22, 1943) is a famous Polish jazz musician. He plays the violin, a special electric wind instrument called a lyricon, and the saxophone. His music mixes different styles like folk music, rhythm and blues, hip hop, and symphonic music.
Contents
Early Life and Music Journey
Michał Urbaniak was born in Warsaw, Poland. He started learning music in high school in Łódź, Poland. Later, he continued his violin studies in Warsaw in 1961.
He taught himself to play the alto saxophone. His first band played Dixieland music. Then, he joined Zbigniew Namysłowski and the Jazz Rockers. They performed at the Jazz Jamboree festival in 1961.
First Tours and International Success
After that, Michał was invited to play with Andrzej Trzaskowski. In 1962, he toured the United States with Andrzej Trzaskowski's band, the Wreckers. They played at many festivals and clubs in cities like Newport, San Francisco, and New York City.
When he returned to Poland, he worked with Krzysztof Komeda's group from 1962 to 1964. They traveled to Scandinavia. Michał stayed there until 1969. During this time, he formed a band with Urszula Dudziak and Wojciech Karolak. This group became very successful. It was the start of the Michał Urbaniak Fusion band.
Returning to the Violin
Michał later returned to Poland and started playing the violin again. He had focused on the saxophone in Scandinavia. He then created the Michał Urbaniak Group. This group included Urszula Dudziak (vocals), Adam Makowicz (piano), and others.
They recorded their first international albums, Parathyphus B and Instinct. They also played at many festivals, including Jazz Jamboree. At the Montreux festival in 1971, Michał won a "Grand Prix" award. He also received a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
After many successful concerts in Europe and the United States, Michał moved to the U.S. in 1973. He is now a U.S. citizen.
New York Sound and Innovations
Even with the Berklee award, he did not study there. Instead, he signed a contract with Columbia Records. They released his album Super Constellation under the name Fusion. For his tour, he invited other Polish musicians.
In 1974, Urbaniak formed the band Fusion. He mixed Polish folk music melodies and rhythms with his funky New York style. With this band, he recorded another album for Columbia called Atma.
Michał Urbaniak continued to create new music projects. One was Urbanator, which was one of the first bands to mix rap and hip hop with jazz. Another project was Urbanizer, and later UrbSymphony. In 1995, UrbSymphony performed a concert with a rapper and a large symphony orchestra.
Unique Instruments and Collaborations
Since 1970, Michał Urbaniak has used a special five-string violin made just for him. He also plays a violin synthesizer he calls his "talking" violin. He uses soprano, alto, and tenor saxophones, and the lyricon. His unique blend of jazz with folk influences became popular with American jazz musicians.
He has played in famous clubs like the Village Vanguard. He has also performed in well-known concert halls such as Carnegie Hall.
Michał Urbaniak has played with many legendary musicians. These include Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, and George Benson. In 1985, Miles Davis invited him to play on his album Tutu.
In 2012, Michał Urbaniak also acted in a Polish film called My Father's Bike.
Music Albums
Michał Urbaniak has released many albums as a band leader. Some of his albums include Urbaniak's Orchestra, Super Constellation, and Atma. He has also played on albums with other artists, like Urszula Dudziak and Miles Davis.
See also
In Spanish: Michał Urbaniak para niños
