ROBERT MAJEWSKI QUARTET

Robert Majewski – trumpet
Michał Tokaj – piano
Sławomir Kurkiewicz – double bass
Krzysztof Dziedzic – drums

tickets: 30/40 zł

ROBER T MAJEWSKI is one of the best Polish jazz trumpet players. During his 30-year long career he performed with the real masters of Polish jazz scene as well as world-renowned jazzmen such as: N.H.O. Pedersen, Clark Terry. Nicholas Payton, Roy Hargrove, Palle Danielsson Gary Bartz, Mino Cinelu, Nils Landgren, Billy Hart, Bobo Stenson or Joey Baron.

His musical versatility and jazz artistry have made him an excellent sideman to co-operate and perform with the best singing artists, among others with Ewa Bem, Hanna Banaszak, Katarzyna Groniec, Anna Maria Jopek, Kasia Kowalską, Grzegorz Turnau, Marek Grechuta, Grzegorz Ciechowski and Michał Bajor. He also worked with film music composers such as Zbigniew Preisner, Jan Kanty Pawluśkiewicz and Krzesimir Dębski.

He’s a prize winner of numerous national and international competitions such as: Kraków Jazz Juniors 1983 1st team prize (New Presentation band), Leverkusen 1985 1st team prize (New Presentation band), Leverkusen 1992 1st prize for the best soloist (together with Tomasz Gąssowski’s In Spector band).

In 1995 he recorded his first authorial album „Robert Majewski plays Komeda”. The album earned high praise of both the critics and the audience, while its performance at Jazz Open Festival in Stuttgart drew a standing ovation and was recorded on DVD.

In 1997 Robert Majewski Quintet’s album „Coś dla ludzi” [Something for the people] was released. There, he proved himself to be an outstanding instrumentalist and extraordinary composer. His latest album „My One And Only Love”, released in February 2011, was rewarded the Fryderyk Prize 2012 for the Best Jazz Album. Among the artists who took part in that recording were world-renowned jazzmen Bobo Stenson, Palle Danielsson and Joey Baron.

He performed in a leading role in „Pogłos”, a movie directed by Andrzej Jakimowski, which was a fascinating experience in his artistic career. The movie was then awarded at the Jazz Film Salon in Warsaw.

Robert Majewski continued the family tradition with the Old Timers Band, an ensemble formed by his late father, Henryk Majewski.

Additionally, he teaches trumpet at Jazz Department and Henryk Majewski Jazz College at the Music School in Warsaw (ul. Bednarska). In 2008-2012 he was an instructor at the Jazz Institute of the P.W.S.Z. in Nysa.

For over 25 years he’s been sharing his knowledge and artistry with the participants of jazz workshops in Chodzież, Puławy, Brzozowice, Leszno and many others.

MICHAŁ TOKAJ  b. 24.02.1974 in Warsaw where he completed his primary and secondary education at the Karol Szymanowski Public Music School (1993). A graduate of the Katowice Academy of Music’s Jazz and Popular Music (1998).

He made his debut on the Jazz stage s a member of legendary drummer Kazimierz Jonkisz’s quartet in 1993. As a member of the group “Joint Venture” he was a co-recipient of 1st place honors at the Jazz Juniors ’95 Festival in Kraków, the Jazz Standards Festival ’96 in Siedlce and the award for most promising young group at the Europ’ Jazz Contest in Hoelaart, Belgium in 1996. The following year saw him garnering top honors at Jazz Juniors ’97 with saxophonist and flautist Marcin Zupanski quartet.

In 1999 Michal Tokaj won 1st Prize at the International Jazz Improvisation Competition in Katowice and has participated in numerous other international festivals among them: Jazz Goes To Town, Jazz Fest Brno, Jazz Jamboree, Poznan Jazz Fair, Jazz On The Odra, Sopot Molo Jazz Festival, the Kalisz Jazz Pianists Festival, Jazz On The Old Town.

The pianist has performed in the USA, Israel, Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovakia, Ukraine and Lithuania. He was worked and sour recorded with Jan Ptaszyn Wroblewski, Janusz Muniak, Tomasz Szukalski, Ewa Bem, Henryk Miśkiewicz, Piotr Wojtasik, Piotr Baron, Darek Oles, Grzegorz Nagroski, Leszek Żadło, Zbigniew Namysłowski, Eddie Henderson, Victor Lewis and Monty Waters.

Since 2001 Michal Tokaj has been a teacher and instructor with the Fryderyk Chopin Association of Music Schools in Warsaw.

The year 2002 saw the pianist receiving a nomination for a Fryderyk Award (the Polish equivalent of GrammyTM) in the Jazz Musician of the Year category, while vocalist Agnieszka Skrzypek (Aga Zaryan) CD “My Lullaby” which he arranged and co-produced was nominated for the Jazz Record of the Year.

Michal Tokaj works on a steady basis with Czech bassist Jaromir Honzak’s quintet. The CD “Present Past” which they recorded together was named Best Jazz Album of the Year in 2003 by the Czech magazine Harmonie as well as receiving an Angel award – the Czech equivalent of the GrammyTM.

In September of 2004 the pianist’s own CD “Bird Alone” a trio effort recorded with bassist Darek Oles and drummer Łukasz Żyta, was released on the Japanese label Gats Production.

Bird Alone took Fryderyk as the Best Jazz Album of the Year 2004 in Poland and became gold.

The last few years has resulted in projects such as: Grzegorz Karnas “Dreams” or “Ballads at the end of the world”, “Question To All Your Answers” with Jaromir Honzakiem (another Andel for the best jazz album in the Czech Republic) and”The Beauty is Dying “- Aga Zaryan album dedicated to the 63rd anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising, where you can hear the piano compositions written to the texts of Polish poets of the period World War II. The album won the Fryderyk 2008 in the category Album of the Year – Music poetic.

CD “Looking Walking Being” created in collaboration with Aga Zaryan released in March 2010 under the name American label Blue Note after a month went platinum, and Tokaj received the award for the Best Improvisation of the Year and also Fryderyk for Jazz Composer of The Year.

April 2008 took an important event. Michal Tokaj Trio recorded with American legendary saxophonist and clarinetist Bennie Maupin album “Early Reflections”. Promotional concerts were organized with the participation of a pianist in Los Angeles and in New York in April 2008.

Best Jazz Improvisation in 2010. I create “Seeking My Love” and Frederick in the category Jazz Composer of the Year.

And after 10 years, in 2014, Michal Tokaj find some time and released with Łukasz Żyta and bassist Michal Baranski. Now they has the second album called The Sign for Slovak label Hevhetia.

http://michaltokaj.com/