The Nigel Kennedy Quintet is made up of some of Europe’s finest exponents of jazz. They have performed in concert halls and jazz clubs all over the world and have so far released one fantastic album filled with Nigel’s own compositions, the aptly titled “A Very Nice Album,” on sale just about everywhere.
PIOTR
Piotr Wylezol is considered one of the leading jazz pianists in Poland. He graduated from the Academy in Katowice Muzyczna in the Department of Jazz and Popular Music in piano. Piotr has repeatedly performed at festivals in Poland and several other countries in the world. Piotr collaborated with many of the most outstanding Polish and world musicians - saxophonist Bennie Maupin, bassist Steve Logan, guitarist Jaroslaw Smietana , and trumpeter Tomasz Stanko. Piotr has released three CDs with his own piano trio: “Yearning” (2001) with Adam Kowalewski and Lukasz Zyta; “Piano Trio” (2007) and “Children’s Episodes” (2009) both with Michal Baranski and Lukasz Zyta. You can buy “Yearning” and “Piano Trio" online at www.musiccorner.pl and “Children’s Episodes” at www.freshsoundrecords.com.
“the fluent soloing of pianist Piotr Wylezol…..” (THSH, “A Very Nice Tour”)
“Pianist Piotr Wylezol has an admirably clean touch…..” (Tony Augarde: Music Web International)
“ like pearls fallen from a broken necklace, the beautiful and virtuoso counter solos of pianist Piotr Wylezol are added to dazzling effect.….” (Emrys Baird : Blues and Soul Magazine)
ADAM
Adam Kowalewski is a great Polish bass player, who graduated from the Faculty of Jazz and the Music Academy in Katowice and has since 1999 been lecturer in the faculty in the class of bass and bass guitar. He also works with leading Polish jazz musicians, such as: Janusz Muniak, Tomasz Stanko, and Jaroslaw Smietana. He has played in all the major jazz festivals in Poland and abroad (including Mexico, Israel and Australia). He has also played alongside such international stars as Bennie Maupin, Eddie Henderson, and Gary Bartz.
“ the ever-inventive rhythm of bassist Adam Kowaleski …..” (THSH: “A Very Nice Tour”)
“Kowalewski lays down a solid line …..” (Tony Augarde: Music Web International)
“ the groove is taken care of with the drummer’s trusty bass sidekick, the deft Adam Kowalewski….."(Emrys Baird: Blues and Soul Magazine)
KRZYSZTOF
Krzysztof Dziedzic is a leading Polish jazz drummer, a graduate of the Academy of Music in Katowice. He debuted at the Jazz Jamboree Festival in 1994 and several times was the winner of the international competition for young bands the Jazz Juniors in Krakow. He was Individual prizewinner at the Jazz Festival in Odra in 1997. He collaborated with the Piotr Wojtasik Quintet, the Trio Adam Pieronczyk, as well as with Michal Urbaniak, Zbigniew Namyslowski, and Jaroslaw Smietana.
“very interesting to notice how quiet the crowd was during [Dziedzic’s] stunning solo .....” (LionNessy: YouTube comment)
“ Dziedzic lays down a frenetic rhythm that permeates this sound…..” (Elliot Simon: All About Jazz)
“Masakraaaa !!!!”…..(d21d3q: YouTube comment)
(This is a Polish word that means “massacre !” It’s high praise indeed. It means that Krzysztof, like Nigel, takes no prisoners !)
TOMASZ
Tomasz Grzegorski is a graduate of the Academy of Music in Katowice, in the Faculty of Jazz and Popular Music. He debuted in 1997 in the band Quintessence Eric Kulma. In 1998 , with the group Parnassus Jazz Quintet he was one of the winners at the festivals Jazz Juniors, Pomeranian Jazz Autumn, and in 2nd place at the Festival of Jazz Standards in Siedlce. In 1999 he began working with George Malka and his quintet. They won 1st place at the festivals: Jazz Juniors '99, Pomeranian Autumn Jazzowa '99 and the Competition for Young Jazz Groups in Gdynia, 2000. Tomasz Grzegorski also won 3rd place in the International Jazz Contest in Szczecinie in 2003. He has recorded with, inter alia: Janusz Muniak, Wojciech Karolak, and Jaroslaw Smietana. He has performed at numerous festivals in the country and abroad, such as Jazz on the Oder, Sopot Molo Jazz Festival, Jazz days in Leverkusen (Germany), the Hague Jazz Festival (Netherlands) and many others. Tomasz has also performed with his own trio in which he plays with Piotr Kulakowski and Tomasz Sowinskiego.
“Grzegorski coaxed a softly surging tenor solo of fluent double-time in the gently lyrical second piece…..” (John Fordham: The Guardian)
“the muscular tenor sax of Tomasz Grzegorski….” (THSH: “A Very Nice Tour”)
“the rich warm timbre of the tenor sax of Tomasz Grzegorski…..” (Emrys Baird: Blues and Soul Magazine)
And, of course, NIGEL !
But you know all about him, don't you ?
(All pictures courtesy Jarek Talacha.....thanks, mate !)
