Namysłowski Zbigniew, *9 September 1939 Warsaw, †7 February 2022 Warsaw, Polish jazz saxophonist (alto, soprano), multi-instrumentalist (flute, trombone, cello, piano), composer, arranger, leader. He graduated from the piano class at the Primary Music School in Krakow and then, until 1957, attended the Secondary Music School (cello) in Warsaw. He began his career as a pianist, in 1955, together with his school band Five Brothers, he made his debut at the Hybrydy club. In 1956, he played trombone in the Dixieland band of M. Wadecki, and later in W. Krotochwil’s Modern Dixielanders (in 1957, together with this group, he won an individual distinction at the Przegląd Studenckich Zespołów Jazzowych in Wrocław). He played (on cello and trombone) in K. Sadowski’s Modern Combo in 1957, with which he performed at the Jazz Jamboree; in 1958, together with the Hot Club Melomani, he took part in the first jazz concert at the Warsaw Philharmonic. Furthermore, in 1958, Namysłowski gave concerts in Denmark with J. Matuszkiewicz’s Polish All Stars, and with the Modern Dixielanders in France (these were the first trips of Polish jazz musicians to Western Europe); in the same year, he was a laureate of the second review of jazz ensembles in Krakow. In 1959, he collaborated with the Traditional Jazz Makers (performance at the Jazz Jamboree), the New Orleans Stompers, the Z. Wichary Band (the GDR tour), the Modern Jazz Group, the big-band Hot Club Hybrydy, and Hot Club Melomani; at this time, he started playing the alto saxophone, which soon became his main instrument. Between 1960 and 1963, he was a member of A. Trzaskowski’s The Wreckers, with whom he performed, recorded (including Jazz Jamboree in 1960, The Wreckers album) and participated in concert tours many times (countries of Europe, the United States, participation in the Newport Jazz Festival, 1962). At the same time, from 1961, he led his first band, the Jazz Rockers (with K. Sadowski and M. Urbaniak, among others). In 1962, he became Musician of the Year of the magazine “Jazz” (he also took first place in the “trombone” and “alto saxophone” categories); from then on, he remained the highest ranked musician in similar rankings. In 1963, he formed a new band (with T. Wójcik, W. Gulgowski and Cz. Bartkowski), with which he achieved success at the Jazz Jamboree. It was a turning point in his career – Namysłowski’s group performed at jazz festivals in Frankfurt, Bologna, Comblain-la-Tour in Belgium, Berlin, and England, where in 1964 they recorded the album Lola (it was the first album by Polish jazz musicians released in the West). During this period, he also began to gain recognition as a composer. Between 1962–1967 he collaborated with K. Komeda (albums Astigmatic, 1965; Meine süsse europäische Heimat, 1967; film and theatre music). In 1967, he was recognised by “Down Beat” magazine. From the mid-60s, he led his own groups (including the Zbigniew Namysłowski Quartet), with which he realised his own projects. The band members at various times were A. Makowicz, Cz. Bartkowski, T. Kozłowski, W. Karolak, T. Szukalski, K. Jonkisz, P. Jarzębski, and S. Kulpowicz. Between the 1960s and 1980s, he collaborated not only with jazz musicians and bands (Novi Singers, U. Dudziak, M. Wróblewska, A. Dąbrowski, M. Bliziński, Studio Jazzowe Polskiego Radia J. Ptaszyna Wróblewskiego, orchestra G. Gruntza, Chałturnik, Klaus Lenz Jazz and Rock Machine, Deborah Brown, band Chałturnik), but also with performers of popular (M. Tarnowski, F. Elkana) and rock music (Niebiesko-Czarni, Cz. Niemen, Maanam). In the 1970s he recorded albums, such as: Winobranie, 1973 (in a poll by the magazine “Jazz Forum” this album was named the second, after the Astigmatic by K. Komeda, the best album in the history of Polish jazz); Kuyaviak Goes Funky, 1975; Jasmin Lady, 1978. In the 1978–1980 spent time in the United States, where he worked with, among others, M. Urbaniak (Urbaniak, 1977) and U. Dudziak (Future Talk, 1979); also released his own album Namyslovsky (1977), which was recorded in Zurich. When he returned from the US, he formed the band Air Condition (Air Condition, 1981; Air Condition/Flaka Nights, 1984), and then the group The Q (concerts in the United States, Mexico, Cuba, albums: Open, 1987; Cy to blues cy nie blues, 1987). In the 1990s, he led further bands with which he recorded: Last Concert, 1992; Secretly, and Confidentially, 1993; Namysłowski Quartet & Zakopane Highlanders Band, 1995 (with a highlander band), Dances, 1998; 3 Nights, 1998; Mozart Goes Jazz, 1999. Releases after 2000 included: Standards (2003), Assymetry (2006), and Nice & Easy (2009). Namysłowski’s last album, Polish Jazz – Yes (2016), is a kind of summary of his experience with Polish folklore and was highly regarded by both critics and audiences.
Namysłowski, along with K. Komeda, T. Stanko and A. Trzaskowski, is one of the most significant figures in the history of Polish jazz. From the early 1960s, he was one of the most active and versatile artists on the Polish jazz scene. He took part in the recording of approximately 40 albums, performed at the most important festivals in Europe (and at almost all editions of the Jazz Jamboree Festival), and his achievements have had a major impact on subsequent generations of musicians. Namysłowskio initially played traditional jazz, in the 1960s he was inspired by the style of hard bop saxophonists (e.g., J. Adderley), and later modern jazz with elements of free (J. Coltrane, O. Coleman), which he enriched with his own achievements (especially in terms of metro-rhythmics and harmony) and elements of Polish folklore. In his compositions (e.g., Piątawka, Siódmawka, Kuyaviak Goes Funky) he used quasi-folk melodies (avoiding literal citations) and the scales and rhythmic-melodic structure of Polish folk dances (kujawiak, mazurka, oberek, krakowiak); he also introduced elements of Latin (Der Schmalz Tango, Very Sad Bossa Nova, Samba Under Control, among others), Balkan (Gogoszary) and pop music (Taki sobie Waltz, Walc na dwa) in his compositions. In the 1980s, he offered his own fusion version (the band Air Condition), and in the following decade he returned to acoustic music, continuing his attempts to synthesise jazz and folk (albums: Dances, Namysłowski Quartet & Zakopane Highlanders and Band). Namysłowski’s compositions are characterised by sophisticated melodicism, masterful handling of thematic material, advanced harmony full of surprising modulations, and also complex metres (e.g., 15/8), accents, and formal structure (e.g., Kuyaviak Goes Funky, suite Winobranie). As a saxophonist, he possessed a strong, clean, vibrantly expressive sound, which he often contrasted with moments of a more lyrical, “Slavic” character. He paid great attention to the arrangement of songs and details of performance. Namysłowski had always set very high expectations for the members of his ensembles, which for years were the breeding ground for young musical talents; his groups included, Z. Wegehaupt, M. Strzelczyk, J. Skowron, D. Oleszkiewicz, A. Dutkiewicz, K. Stankiewicz, L. Możdżer, C. Konrad, K. Herdzin, O. Walicki, S. Jaskułke and Namysłowski’s son, Jacek, currently the leading trombonist on the Polish jazz scene.
