New York, NY. (Top40 Charts/ Manhattan's Birdland) - An Artist Who Debuted With Legendary Krzysztof Komeda, Represented Poland In Marshall Brown's International Youth Band At The 1958 Newport Jazz Festival, And Has Shaped The Polish Jazz Scene For Half A Century
Manhattan's Birdland hosts a legendary jazz quartet from Poland in a concert on Tuesday, May 1, 2007, at 7 p.m. ? the Ptaszyn Wroblewski Quartet, led by the acknowledged godfather of Polish jazz, the saxophonist Jan "Ptaszyn" ("Birdman") Wroblewski. The concerts at Birdland and earlier at Washington's International Jazz Jam! (April 29, 4 p.m.) are presented by the Polish Cultural Institute in New York.
JAN "PTASZYN" WROBLEWSKI [YAHN PTOSH-shin vroo-BLEFF-ski] – a leader of the Polish jazz scene, originator of numerous unconventional projects, and animator and promoter of jazz in Poland for half a century – can surely be regarded as the godfather of Polish jazz. Born in 1936, he's from the generation that, in the Stalinist era, discovered jazz on clandestine radios when it was considered degenerate, immoral, and subversive. Now, well into his sixth decade of performing, he is internationally acclaimed as a maestro of the tenor and baritone saxophone and more ? a bandleader, composer, arranger, jazz journalist, and conductor of jazz bands on many radio and TV programs. His weekly broadcast on Polish Public Radio, Forty-Five Minutes of Jazz, has been on the air since the 1970s. "Ptaszyn" has mentored, launched, promoted, or played with virtually every well-known jazz musician in Poland.
There is a nice coincidence in his appearance at Birdland, which got its name from its opening headliner in 1949, saxophonist Charlie "Bird" Parker. Sax player Wroblewski was nicknamed "Ptaszyn" by Krzysztof Komeda, a term that roughly translates as "Birdman" or "Birdie" and was inspired by his surname's derivation from "sparrow".
Wroblewski's professional career was launched during the post-Stalinist thaw, when he debuted at the first Sopot Jazz Festival in 1956 with Krzysztof Komeda's Sextet. "Ptaszyn" participated in their recording of the score for Roman Polanski's famous student film, Two Men and a Wardrobe.
In 1958 "Ptaszyn" was chosen by George Wein, founder of the Newport Jazz Festival, to represent Poland in the International Youth Band conducted by Marshall Brown at the 1958 Festival. He was the first musician from behind the Iron Curtain to perform in the group. The Band's performance with a guest appearance by Louis Armstrong was memorialized in the American cult classic documentary "Jazz on a Summer's Day." As a result, "Ptaszyn" toured the US (Boston, NYC, LA), Holland, and Belgium, where he gave several concerts at the American Theatre at Expo'58 in Brussels, next to Sarah Vaughan and Teddy Wilson. After coming back to Poland, he incorporated jazz motifs heard in America into the tunes of his own band, the Jazz Believers.
Jan "Ptaszyn" Wroblewski collaborated with all the prominent Polish jazz musicians, including Krzysztof Komeda (in whose Sextet he debuted), and Andrzej Kurylewicz (in his Quintet since 1962). His own bands formed generations of musicians: Jazz Believers (1958-1959), Poznan Quintet (1958-59), Jazz Outsiders (1960-61), Polish Jazz Quartet (1963-66), leading Polish straight-ahead jazz band Mainstream founded together with Wojciech Karolak (1973-77), Ptaszyn Wroblewski Quartet (1978-84), New Presentation (1982-83), the mini-orchestra Made in Poland (1992 – present), created in order to present Polish jazz compositions, and the new Ptaszyn Wroblewski Quartet (1996 – present). "Ptaszyn" toured with his groups extensively in Europe, Africa and Asia.
During the 1970s, the third decade of his career, Wroblewski was already an accomplished tenor and baritone sax player, leaning with his own groups towards a straight-ahead approach. But the milestone in his career was his leading of the Polish Radio Jazz Studio and an adventure with free jazz. Directed by "Ptaszyn", the Studio existed during the period 1968-1978. The Studio was a unique blend: part venue for free expression by virtuosos and soloists and part workshop for musicians and composers. The Studio featured all the prominent Polish jazz performers, including Tomasz Stanko, Zbigniew Namyslowski, Michal Urbaniak, Andrzej Trzaskowski, Wlodzimierz Nahorny, Adam Makowicz, Janusz Muniak, Tomasz Szukalski, Wojciech Karolak, and many others. Without the Studio and its leader, Wroblewski, Polish jazz would not have been the same. From the 1960s to 1980s, Jan "Ptaszyn" Wroblewski also collaborated with the Flemish Radio in Brussels (BRT Orchestra conducted by Etienne Verschueren) as arranger, composer and performer. He was invited for the recordings – as a soloist together with Benny Bailey and Nathan Davis – and as the conductor of his own scores.
A distinguished composer and arranger in the main current of world jazz – straight-ahead jazz / mainstream – as well as in free jazz, he also specializes in writing Third Stream symphonic compositions such as: "Maestoso Combinato," "The Warsaw Variant," or "Altissimonica." Since 1975, his compositions have been performed by leading Polish orchestras, including the National Philharmonic Orchestra.
A high point for the original Ptaszyn Wroblewski Quartet (1978-84), following tours of Europe and India, was its 1981 US tour, with appearances at New York's Village Vanguard and the NAJE Convention in St. Louis. The new "Ptaszyn" Wroblewski Quartet has been playing with today's line up since 1996: Jacek Niedziela on double-base, Wojciech Niedziela on piano, Marcin Jahr on drums. Currently the quartet is on a successful tour in Poland promoting their newly released CD Supercalifragilistic (March 2007). At 71, the godfather of Polish jazz keeps on playing, organizing and nurturing.
„Ptaszyn" has released numerous albums; the most significant include: "Jazz Believers" (1958), "Jazz Outsiders" (1962), "Polish Jazz Quartet"(1964), "Jazz Studio Orchestra of the Polish Radio" (1969), "Mainstream" (1973), "Seaweed Paddlers" (1973), "New Presentation" (1983), and "Made In Poland" (1993). Through much of the 1990s and beyond, the prolific Wroblewski was a consistent winner of the Jazz Forum Magazine readers' polls. A more detailed biography follows.
LISTINGS:
WHAT: "BIRDS OF A FEATHER..." with the "Ptaszyn" Wroblewski Quartet, led by the godfather of Polish jazz, saxophonist Jan "Ptaszyn" ("Birdman") Wroblewski
WHEN: Tuesday, May 1, at 7 PM
WHERE: Birdland, 315 W. 44th Street (just West of 8th Ave., 2 blocks from Port Authority Bus Terminal)
TRANSPORTATION: Subway: A,C,E to 42nd St. Buses: B'way, 8th & 9th Ave., 42nd St. Discount Parking Garage directly across the street.
ADMISSION: $25 (plus $10 food/drink minimum per person at tables; at the bar, the music charge includes one drink), 212-581-3080 or www.birdlandjazz.com
