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Tomasz Stańko
Tomasz Stanko.jpg
Stańko in 2007
Background information
Birth name Tomasz Ludwik Stańko
Born (1942-07-11)11 July 1942
Rzeszów, Poland
Died 29 July 2018(2018-07-29) (aged 76)
Warsaw, Poland
Genres Jazz
Occupation(s) Musician
Instruments Trumpet
Years active 1960s–2018
Labels ECM, PolJazz, PN Muza
Associated acts Krzysztof Komeda

Tomasz Ludwik Stańko (born July 11, 1942 – died July 29, 2018) was a famous Polish trumpet player and composer. He was known for his unique style of jazz music, especially free jazz and avant-garde jazz. This means his music was often very creative and experimental.

In 1962, Tomasz Stańko started his first band called the Jazz Darings. They played a new style of jazz inspired by artists like Ornette Coleman and Miles Davis. Many music experts say this group was the first in Europe to play free jazz. Later, he worked with pianist Krzysztof Komeda on his important album Astigmatic in 1965. Stańko became a very important figure in both Polish jazz and the international jazz scene. He played with many famous musicians from around the world.

Life and Music Journey

Early Years and First Bands

Tomasz Stańko was born in Rzeszów, Poland, on July 11, 1942. He first discovered jazz music by listening to radio shows and seeing concerts from the U.S. State Department. Poland was under Communist rule at the time, and jazz music felt like a symbol of freedom to him. In 1958, he saw his first live jazz concert by Dave Brubeck.

In 1963, Stańko joined the Krzysztof Komeda quintet. Here, he learned a lot about how music is put together. He toured and recorded many albums with Komeda until 1967. In 1968, Stańko formed his own quintet, which became very popular. He also joined the Globe Unity Orchestra in 1970 and worked with other artists like Krzysztof Penderecki. He formed a quartet with saxophonist Tomasz Szukalski and Finnish drummer Edward Vesala, and their performances are considered very important.

Music in the 1980s and 1990s

During the 1980s, Tomasz Stańko traveled to India and even recorded music by himself inside the Taj Mahal. He also worked with other jazz stars like Chico Freeman. In the mid-1980s, he started working a lot with Cecil Taylor's big band.

In 1993, Stańko created a new quartet with young Polish musicians: drummer Michał Miśkiewicz (who was only 16!), pianist Marcin Wasilewski, and bassist Sławomir Kurkiewicz. This group became very successful. That same year, he also formed an international quartet with musicians like Bobo Stenson. In 1994, this quartet released their first album with ECM Records called Matka Joanna. In 1997, Stańko formed a group to play the music of his old friend, Krzysztof Komeda. They toured in Europe and played at big jazz festivals.

Stańko faced a challenge in the 1990s when he lost his natural teeth. But he worked hard with a dentist and practiced a lot to develop a new way of playing the trumpet, even with false teeth. This showed his dedication to music.

Music in the 2000s

Tomasz Stanko Blue
Stańko performing in Kraków 2007

The early 2000s were a busy time for Stańko, with many international tours. His Polish quartet released a second album called Suspended Night. Billboard magazine even said it was one of the best-selling jazz albums in the United States in 2004. ECM Records also released a collection of his best recordings.

In 2005, the quartet recorded their last album together, Lontano. All their albums were celebrated across Europe and the United States. In 2005, the band also toured Asia and Australia for the first time. Stańko also created music for the Warsaw Uprising Museum called Freedom in August.

Later in the 2000s, Stańko started new experiments and looked for new sounds. In 2007, he formed a new band, a Scandinavian quintet, and they recorded the album Dark Eyes in 2009.

Later Years and Legacy

The early 2010s marked a new chapter for Stańko as he moved to Manhattan, New York. He played regularly in famous New York jazz clubs like Birdland. This gave him the chance to meet and play with many local musicians, which brought new ideas to his music. He started new projects with artists like Lee Konitz and Chris Potter. Eventually, his New York Quartet was formed in 2012.

TomaszStanko20101121
Performing at a charity concert in Warsaw, November 2010

Stańko's life story, called Desperado, was published in Poland in 2010. In 2011, the Smithsonian Institution, a very large museum and research center in the United States, included one of his songs, "Suspended Night Variation VIII," in their six-disc jazz collection, Jazz: The Smithsonian Anthology. This shows how important his music was.

In his later years, Stańko also started a new project inspired by poetry. He played his trumpet alongside the famous Polish poet Wisława Szymborska during her poetry readings. This meeting inspired new songs and album titles for him. He dedicated his 2013 album Wisława to her.

In 2014, Stańko was asked to compose music for the opening of the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews. This music was released as the album POLIN. His last studio album, December Avenue, came out in 2017. A jazz critic from The Guardian newspaper praised his unique trumpet sound, calling it "unique in jazz."

Tomasz Stańko received many awards for his music. In 2014, he received the "Polityka Passport" for his cultural leadership and the European Music Award of the Year in Paris. He also received an honorary award from German music journalists.

Stańko was also the director of the Jazzowa Jesień festival in Poland. Sadly, Tomasz Stańko passed away on July 29, 2018, in Warsaw, due to lung cancer. The day after he died, ECM Records shared a video tribute to him. Fellow musician Dave Holland described him as "a unique musician with deep feelings and a gentle soul."

What People Said About His Music

Tomasz Stańko Polish jazz musician
Stańko in 1993

Many critics praised Tomasz Stańko's music. Derek Richardson from the San Francisco Chronicle said that Stańko was great at mixing beautiful melodies with free improvisation, calling him "one of the most eloquent" musicians. Author Brian Morton compared Stańko's melodic style to that of jazz legend Miles Davis.

Music Albums

As a Leader

Year Title Label
1974 Fish Face Poljazz
1975 TWET with Tomasz Szukalski, Edward Vesala, Peter Warren PN Muza
1975 Tomasz Stańko & Adam Makowicz Unit (pl)
with Adam Makowicz and Czesław Bartkowski
JG Records
1976 Unit (pl)
with Adam Makowicz, Paweł Jarzębski and Czesław Bartkowski
PSJ
1976 Balladyna ECM
1976 Live at Remont with Edward Vesala Quartet Helicon
1979 Almost Green Leo Records
1980 Music from Taj Mahal and Karla Caves Leo Records
1983 Stańko (W Pałacu Prymasowskim)
("At the Primate's Palace")
Poljazz
1984 Music 81 PN Muza
1985 A i J Poljazz
1985 C.O.C.X. Pronit
1986 Korozje with Andrzej Kurylewicz Poljazz
1986 Lady Go... PN Muza
1988 Witkacy Peyotl / Freelectronic Poljazz
1988 The Montreux Performance a.k.a. Switzerland
Tomasz Stańko Freelectronic
PN Muza / ITM Germany
1989 Chameleon Utopia
1989 Polish Jazz Vol. 8 (compilation of PN Muza releases) PN Muza
1991 Tales for a Girl, 12, and a Shaky Chica JAM
1992 Bluish Power Bros
1993 Bosonossa and Other Ballads GOWI
1994 Balladyna – Theatre Play Compositions GOWI
1996 Roberto Zucco Polonia
1997 Leosia ECM
1999 From the Green Hill ECM
2004 Selected Recordings - Rarum XVII ECM
2005 Wolność w sierpniu ("Freedom in August") FIRe
2008 Freelectronic in Montreux NewEdition
2014 Polin Polin

Tomasz Stańko Quintet Albums

Title Album details Peak chart positions Sales Certifications
POL
US
Jazz
Music For K
  • Released: 1970
  • Label: Polskie Nagrania Muza
  • Formats: LP, CD
Jazzmessage from Poland
  • Released: 1972
  • Label: JG Records
  • Formats: LP, CD
Purple Sun
  • Released: 1973
  • Label: Calig Records
  • Formats: LP, CD
Dark Eyes
  • Released: October 19, 2009
  • Label: ECM Records
  • Formats: CD, digital download
5 16
  • POL: 10,000+
  • POL: Platinum
"—" means the album did not chart or was not released in that country.

Tomasz Stańko Quartet Albums

Title Album details Peak chart positions Sales Certifications
POL
US
Top
Jazz
Matka Joanna
  • Released: September 4, 1995
  • Label: ECM Records
  • Formats: CD, digital download
Soul of Things
  • Released: January 14, 2002
  • Label: ECM Records
  • Formats: CD, digital download
20
  • POL: 10,000+
  • POL: Gold
Suspended Night
  • Released: March 16, 2004
  • Label: ECM Records
  • Formats: CD, digital download
10 20
  • POL: 10,000+
  • POL: Gold
Lontano
  • Released: August 29, 2006
  • Label: ECM Records
  • Formats: CD, digital download
16 14
  • POL: 5,000+
  • POL: Gold
"—" means the album did not chart or was not released in that country.

Tomasz Stańko New York Quartet Albums

Title Album details Peak chart positions
POL
Wisława
  • Released: February 12, 2013
  • Label: ECM Records
  • Formats: CD, digital download
10
December Avenue
  • Released: March 31, 2017
  • Label: ECM Records
  • Formats: CD, digital download
-
"—" means the album did not chart or was not released in that country.

Tomasz Stańko Septet Albums

Title Album details Sales Certifications
Litania: Music of Krzysztof Komeda
  • Released: September 23, 1997
  • Label: ECM Records
  • Formats: CD, digital download
  • POL: 10,000+
  • POL: Gold

Video Albums

Title Video details Notes
Sounds Like Christmas
  • Released: November 16, 2004
  • Label: Euroarts
  • Formats: DVD
  • with Angelika Kirchschlager,
    Gottfried von der Goltz
    and the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra

Soundtracks

Title Album details
A Farewell to Maria
  • Released: 1994
  • Label: GOWI Records
  • Formats: CD
Reich
  • Released: February 13, 2001
  • Label: Universal Music Poland
  • Formats: CD
Egzekutor
  • Released: September 4, 2001
  • Label: Universal Music Poland
  • Formats: CD
Homeland Netflix series music of end 4th season

Guest Appearances

Album Year
Krzysztof Komeda – Astigmatic 1966
Globe Unity Orchestra – Globe Unity 67 & 70 1970
Dżamble – Wołanie O Słońce Nad Światem 1971
Piotr Figiel – Piotr
Tadeusz Prejzner – Spacer Brzegiem Morza 1972
Maryla RodowiczWyznanie
Novi Singers – Rien Ne Va Plus 1973
Jan "Ptaszyn" Wróblewski – Sprzedawcy Glonów
Edward Vesala – Satu 1977
Edward Vesala – Heavylife 1980
Gary PeacockVoice from the Past – Paradigm 1981
Graham Collier – Hoarded Dreams 1983
Cecil TaylorWinged Serpent (Sliding Quadrants) 1985
Nicolas Simion – Dinner for Don Carlos 1991
Leszek MożdżerChopin – Impresje 1994
Mark O'Leary and Billy Hart – Levitation 2005

Books About Tomasz Stańko

  • Stanko, Tomasz (2010). Desperado!. Krakow: Wydawnictwo Literackie. ISBN 978-8308053263.
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