Zbigniew Namysłowski | en

Zbigniew Namysłowski (b. 1939) is a Polish jazz alto saxophonist, flautist, cellist, trombonist, pianist, and composer.

Born in Warsaw on 9th September 1939, he studied piano and 'cello in Krakow and Warsaw. In 1957 he played both instruments in his first jazz performance, at the Sopot International Jazz Festival. He went on to play trombone in traditional groups, but soon switched to the alto saxophone, which became his main instrument.

In the early 1960s he formed the group Jazz Rockers, which included Michal Urbaniak on tenor sax. In 1962 they both joined The Wreckers quintet for a month-long, coast-to-coast tour in the U.S., culminating in their appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival.

Namysłowski went on to form his own quartet, with which he considerable success in England, where he recorded an album in 1964: Lola.  He went on to perform all over the world; he also recorded in Poland, Germany, England, Sweden (with Tony Williams on drums), Italy, Greece, Hungary, and the U.S. Hist best known recordings, Winobranie and Kuyaviak Goes Funky, blending jazz with Polish traditional music, became hits in Poland, and won second and third place in a list of “Best Polish Records of All Times”; he came second as the second personality in Polish jazz. .