Michał Urbaniak (born January 22, 1943) is a Polish jazz musician who plays

violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...

lyricon The Lyricon is an electronic wind instrument, the first wind controller to be constructed. Invented by Bill Bernardi (and co-engineered by Roger Noble and with the late Lyricon performer Chuck GreenbergIngham (1998) p.184), filed for patent o ...

, and

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...

. His music includes elements of

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

, hip hop, and symphonic music.

History

He was born in

Warsaw Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is officia ...

, Poland. Urbaniak started his music education during high school in Łódź, Poland, and continued from 1961 in Warsaw in the violin class of Tadeusz Wroński. Learning to play on the alto saxophone alone, he first played in a

Dixieland Dixieland jazz, also referred to as traditional jazz, hot jazz, or simply Dixieland, is a style of jazz based on the music that developed in New Orleans at the start of the 20th century. The 1917 recordings by the Original Dixieland Jass Band ...

band, and later with Zbigniew Namysłowski and the Jazz Rockers, with whom he performed during the Jazz Jamboree festival in 1961. After this, he was invited to play with Andrzej Trzaskowski, and toured the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

in 1962 with the Andrzej Trzaskowski band, the Wreckers, playing at festivals and clubs in Newport,

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish for " Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the fourth most populous in California and 17th ...

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, and

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

. After returning to Poland, he worked with

Krzysztof Komeda Krzysztof Trzciński (27 April 1931 – 23 April 1969), known professionally as Krzysztof Komeda, was a Polish film music composer and jazz pianist. Perhaps best known for his work in film scores, Komeda wrote the scores for Roman Polanski’s f ...

's quintet (1962–1964). Together, they left for Scandinavia, where, after finishing a couple of contracts, Urbaniak remained until 1969. There he created a band with

Urszula Dudziak Urszula Bogumiła Dudziak-Urbaniak (born 22 October 1943) is a Polish jazz vocalist. She has worked with Krzysztof Komeda, Michał Urbaniak (her ex-husband), Gil Evans, Archie Shepp, and Lester Bowie. In 2007, her 1970s song "Papaya" gained wid ...

and Wojciech Karolak, which gained considerable success and was later to be the starting point for the Michał Urbaniak Fusion. After Urbaniak returned to Poland and the violin (which he abandoned for the saxophone during the time in Scandinavia), he created the Michał Urbaniak Group, to which he invited, among others, Urszula Dudziak (vocals),

Adam Makowicz Adam Makowicz (born Adam Matyszkowicz; 18 August 1940) is a Polish pianist and composer living in Toronto. He performs jazz and classical piano pieces, as well as his own compositions. Biography Adam Makowicz was born into a family of ethnic ...

(piano), Pawel Jarzebski – bass and Czeslaw Bartkowski – drums They recorded their first international albums, ''Parathyphus B'', ''Instinct'' and played in many festivals, including Jazz Jamboree in 1969–1972. During the Montreux 1971 festival, Urbaniak was awarded "Grand Prix" for the best soloist and received a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music in

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

. After many triumphant concerts in Europe and the United States, in May 1973 he played for the last time before a Polish audience and emigrated with Urszula Dudziak on September 11, 1973, to the United States, where he now lives as a U.S. citizen. Despite getting an award from Berklee, he did not study there. Recommended by John H. Hammond, Urbaniak signed a contract with Columbia Records, who published the West German album ''Super Constellation'' under the name Fusion. For the tour, he invited Polish musicians, including Czesław Bartkowski, Paweł Jarzębski and Wojciech Karolak. In 1974, Urbaniak formed the band Fusion and introduced melodic and rhythmic elements of Polish folk music into his funky New York-based music. With this band Urbaniak recorded another album for Columbia in New York: ''Atma''. Urbaniak followed his musical journey with innovative projects such as Urbanator (the first band to fuse rap & hip-hop in jazz), , Urbanizer (a project with his band and four-piece R&B vocal group, 1978) and UrbSymphony. On January 27, 1995, UrbSymphony performed and recorded a concert with a rapper and a 60-piece symphony orchestra. Since 1970 Urbaniak has been playing his custom-made, five-string violin furnished especially for him, a violin synthesizer nicknamed "talking" violin; soprano, alto and tenor saxophones; and

, an electric saxophone-like horn. His fusion with a hint of folklore was becoming popular among American jazz musicians. He started to play in well known clubs such as the Village Vanguard and Village Gate, in famous concert halls such as Carnegie Hall, Beacon Theatre, and

Avery Fisher Hall David Geffen Hall is a concert hall in New York City's Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts complex on Manhattan's Upper West Side. The 2,200-seat auditorium opened in 1962, and is the home of the New York Philharmonic. The facility, desi ...

. Urbaniak has played with

Billy Cobham William Emanuel Cobham Jr. (born May 16, 1944) is a Panamanian–American jazz drummer who came to prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s with trumpeter Miles Davis and then with the Mahavishnu Orchestra. He was inducted into the ''Mode ...

, Buster Williams, Chick Corea,

Elvin Jones Elvin Ray Jones (September 9, 1927 – May 18, 2004) was an American jazz drummer of the post-bop era. Most famously a member of John Coltrane's quartet, with whom he recorded from late 1960 to late 1965, Jones appeared on such widely celebrate ...

, Freddie Hubbard,

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the 1960s, play ...

, Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson, Joe Zawinul, Kenny Barron, Larry Coryell, Lenny White, Marcus Miller,

Quincy Jones Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...

, Ron Carter,

Roy Haynes Roy Owen Haynes (born March 13, 1925) is an American jazz drummer. He is among the most recorded drummers in jazz. In a career lasting over 80 years, he has played swing, bebop, jazz fusion, avant-garde jazz and is considered a pioneer of jaz ...

, Vladyslav Sendecki,

Wayne Shorter Wayne Shorter (born August 25, 1933) is an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Shorter came to prominence in the late 1950s as a member of, and eventually primary composer for, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. In the 1960s, he joined Miles Dav ...

, and

Weather Report Weather Report was an American jazz fusion band active from 1970 to 1986. The band was founded in 1970 by Austrian virtuoso keyboardist Joe Zawinul, American saxophonist Wayne Shorter, Czech bassist Miroslav Vitouš, American drummer and voca ...

. In 1985, he was invited to play during the recording of '' Tutu'' with

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of musi ...

. In 2012, he acted in the Polish film ''My Father's Bike''.

Discography

As leader

* ''Urbaniak's Orchestra'' (1968) * ''Paratyphus B'' (1970) * ''Inactin'' (1971) * '' New Violin Summit'' with Don Harris,

Jean-Luc Ponty Jean-Luc Ponty (born 29 September 1942) is a French jazz violinist and composer. Early life Ponty was born into a family of classical musicians in Avranches, France. His father taught violin, his mother taught piano. At sixteen, he was admitt ...

(1972) * ''Super Constellation'' (and ''Constellation in Concert'') (1973) * ''Polish Jazz'' (1973) * ''Atma'' (1974) * ''Fusion'' (1974) * ''Funk Factory'' (1975) * ''Fusion III'' (EMI, 1975) * ''Body English'' (1976) * ''The Beginning'' (Catalyst, 1976) * ''Tribute to Komeda'' (BASF, 1976) * ''Urbaniak'' (Inner City, 1977) * ''Ecstasy'' (Marlin, 1978) * ''Urban Express'' (EastWest, 1979) * ''Daybreak'' ( Pausa, 1980) * ''Music for Violin and Jazz Quartet'' (1980) * ''Serenade for the City'' (1980) * ''Folk Songs: Children's Melodies'' (Antilles, 1981) * ''Jam at Sandy's'' (Jam, 1981) * ''My One and Only Love'' (SteepleChase, 1982) * ''The Larry Coryell and Michael Urbaniak Duo'' (Keynote, 1982) * ''Recital'' with Władysław Sendecki (1983) * ''A Quiet Day in Spring'' (Steeplechase, 1983) * ''Take Good Care of My Heart'' (Steeplechase, 1984) * ''New York Five at the Village Vanguard'' (1989) * ''Songs for Poland'' (Ubx, 1988) * ''Milky Way, Some Other Blues, Mardin'' (1990) * ''Cinemode'' (Rykodisc, 1990) * ''Songbird'' (SteepleChase, 1990) * ''Michal Urbaniak'' (Headfirst, 1991) * ''Manhattan Man'' (Milan, 1992) * ''Milky Way'' (L & R, 1992) * ''Burning Circuits, Urban Express, Manhattan Man'' (1992) * ''Urbanator'' (1993) * ''Friday Night at the Village Vanguard'' (Storyville, 1994) * ''Some Other Blues'' (Steeplechase, 1994) * ''Code Blue'' (1996) * ''Urbanator II'' (1996) * ''Live in Holy City'' (Ubx, 1997) * ''Urbaniax'' (1998) * ''Fusion'' (1999) * ''Ask Me Now'' (SteepleChase, 2000) * ''From Poland with Jazz'' (2002) * ''Urbsymphony'' (Ubx, 2003) * ''Decadence'' (Ubx, 2004) * ''Urbanizer'' (Ubx, 2004) * ''Urbanator III'' (2005) * ''Michal Urbaniak's Group'' (2005) * ''I Jazz Love You'' (Ubx, 2006) * ''Sax Love'' (Ubx, 2006) * ''Polish Wind'' (Minor Music, 2007) * ''Miles of Blue'' (2009)

As sideman

With

* 1976 ''Urszula'' * 1977 ''Midnight Rain'' * 1979 ''Future Talk'' * 1983 ''Sorrow Is Not Forever...But Love Is'' With others * 1971 '' Swiss Suite'',

Oliver Nelson Oliver Edward Nelson (June 4, 1932 – October 28, 1975) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, arranger, composer, and bandleader. His 1961 Impulse! album ''The Blues and the Abstract Truth'' (1961) is regarded as one of the most signifi ...

* 1974 ''

Journey Journey or journeying may refer to: * Travel, the movement of people between distant geographical locations ** Day's journey, a measurement of distance ** Road trip, a long-distance journey on the road Animals * Journey (horse), a thoroughbred ra ...

'',

Arif Mardin Arif Mardin (March 15, 1932 – June 25, 2006) was a Turkish-American music producer, who worked with hundreds of artists across many different styles of music, including jazz, rock, soul, disco and country. He worked at Atlantic Records for o ...

(Atlantic) * 1977 '' Tomorrow's Promises'',

Don Pullen Don Gabriel Pullen (December 25, 1941 – April 22, 1995) was an American jazz pianist and organist. Pullen developed a strikingly individual style throughout his career. He composed pieces ranging from blues to bebop and modern jazz. The great ...

* 1977 '' The Lion and the Ram'', Larry Coryell * 1980 ''Swish'',

Michael Brecker Michael Leonard Brecker (March 29, 1949 – January 13, 2007) was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. He was awarded 15 Grammy Awards as both performer and composer. He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Berklee College of M ...

* 1981 ''Stratus'',

Charly Antolini Charly Antolini (born 24 May 1937) is a Swiss jazz drummer. Career Born in Zürich, Antolini started playing the traditional Swiss Basler drum. In 1956, he went to Paris, where he played with Sidney Bechet and Bill Coleman. He joined the Tre ...

* 1984 ''Islands'',

Scott Cossu Scott Cossu is an American New-age music, new-age pianist. He released a large number of albums on Windham Hill between 1980 and 1992, some to considerable sales success: 1987's ''She Describes Infinity'' reached number 24 on the U.S. Billboard ma ...

* 1986 '' Tutu'',

* 1987 ''Music from Siesta'', Miles Davis/ Marcus Miller * 1987 ''

The Camera Never Lies ''The Camera Never Lies'' is a jazz vocal album by Michael Franks (musician), Michael Franks, released in 1987 by Warner Bros. Records. Track listing Personnel * Michael Franks (musician), Michael Franksbanjo, guitar, mandolin, vocals * Ra ...

'', Michael Franks * 1989 '' Whispers and Promises'',

Earl Klugh Earl Klugh ( ; born September 16, 1953) is an American acoustic guitarist and composer. He has won one Grammy award and thirteen nominations. Klugh was awarded the “1977” Best Recording Award For Performance and Sound” for his album “Fin ...

* 1994 ''Rejoicing'',

Paul Bley Paul Bley, CM (November 10, 1932 – January 3, 2016) was a jazz pianist known for his contributions to the free jazz movement of the 1960s as well as his innovations and influence on trio playing and his early live performance on the Moog and ...

* 1994 ''Mo' Jamaica Funk'', Tom Browne * 1995 ''Present Tense'', Lenny White * 2002 ''Glass Menagerie'', Billy Cobham * 2003 ''Nevertheless'',

Bob Malach Bob Malach (born August 23, 1954) is an American jazz saxophonist. Malach learned several reed instruments in his youth, and played with Philadelphia soul bands such as The Stylistics and The O'Jays while still a teenager. He played in the big b ...

* 2004 ''Music for Planets, People, and Washing Machines'',

Randy Bernsen Randy Bernsen (born July 15, 1954) is an American jazz guitarist. Career Bernsen was born in Needham, Massachusetts and grew up in Florida. He attended high school in Plantation and was active in the clubs of South Florida, starting at age 1 ...

References

External links

*
Michał Urbaniak
at

Filmweb Filmweb is an online database of information related to films, television series, actors and film crew personnel. Since 2011, the database also contains video games. Filmweb was launched on March 18, 1998. It is a Polish-language site, and the l ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Urbaniak, Michal 1943 births Living people Male jazz composers Polish jazz composers Polish jazz musicians Polish jazz violinists 21st-century violinists 21st-century male musicians