ŚLIWA/PŁUŻEK/PARKER/PARKER QUARTET (US/PL)

Mateusz Śliwa – sax
Kuba Płużek – piano
Mike Parker – double bass
Frank Parker– drums

tickets: 20/25 pln

MIKE PARKER

A native of New York, Mike began his professional career at the age of 17 playing funk and rock gigs in New York City clubs. Now at the age of 28, he has toured all over Europe and America with both jazz and rock groups, won several international contests and awards, studied with and played with some of the greatest musicians alive, and recorded 3 albums of his own compositions.  Mike attended Skidmore College where he studied Evolutionary Psychology and Music and spent a semester abroad studying Jazz Bass at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam.  After graduating with highest honors, he traveled extensively around Europe before settling in Krakow, Poland. Since then, Mike has had many fruitful collaborations there including recording his second album of original material (‘Embrace the Wild’).  When not playing in jazz clubs in Krakow, he can be found touring around Europe with his ‘Trio Theory’ project or the New York-based rock/funk ‘Nat Osborn Band’.

http://www.mptheory.com/

FRANK PARKER

Frank Parker has had a distinguished career as a jazz musician for over 20 years. He has been nominated for 2 Grammy Awards and can be heard on dozens of albums. A member of the Kurt Elling Quartet for 5 years, Frank has performed extensively throughout the USA, Canada, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. He has played on some of the jazz world’s biggest stages (at the North Sea, JVC, and Monterey Jazz Festivals among many others) with such notable artists as Freddie Hubbard, Chris Potter, Randy Brecker, Benny Carter, Joe Lovano, John Patitucci, Nicholas Payton, and many others.

Born and raised just outside Chicago, Frank began playing drums and piano when he was only 5 years old. He was awarded a scholarship to Western Illinois University where he graduated in 1995 with a degree in Music Business. He then returned the Chicago area and began performing full-time. In 1999 Frank joined the Kurt Elling Quartet, who he toured the world with and recorded the Grammy-nominated album ‘Man In the Air’ for Blue Note.

Frank now resides in both the USA and Europe and currently performs with Michal Urbaniak, Marcin Pospieszalski, Piotr Baron, Maciej Fortuna, and other top artists in the region in addition to Mike Parker’s Trio Theory and his own ensembles The Frank Parker Trio/Quartet.