Tomasz Szukalski - Tina Kamila (1986/2005)

Recorded: January 1986, Warsaw, Poland // Performed by: Tomasz Szukalski - tenor sax; Grand Standard Orchestra - Jan Ptaszyn Wroblewski, leader; Wojciech Karolak - piano; Dariusz Oleszkiewicz - double bass; Czeslaw Bartkowski - drums // аbout: Tomasz Szukalski is one of the most important but probably most underappreciated jazz musician in history of Polish jazz. He is multi-talented artist who's who has contributed to the numbers of most important milestones of Polish and European jazz, including albums by leaders like Zbigniew Namyslowski, Jan Ptaszyn Wroblewski and Tomasz Stanko. His charisma on those recordings is always very distinct and always present, in many cases he almost 'steals' the record from the leader (just listen to Szukalski on Edward Vesala's 'Satu') Szukalski is a graduate of Warsaw Music College - PWSM, where clarinet was his main instrument. Performing musician since his high school days, he self-taught himself to play tenor and soprano saxophones. After early collaborations with pop group Partita, Big Band Stodola and bands of the leaders like Janusz Muniak, and Tomasz Ochalski; in 1972 he joined Zbigniew Namyslowski group with whom he extensively toured and recorded legendary albums 'Winobranie' and 'Kujaviak Goes Funky'. He quickly established himself on jazz scene in Poland and collaborated with Wlodzimierz Nahorny, Tomasz Stanko (Balladyna, TWET, Almost Green, Live at Remont) , and Jan Ptaszyn Wroblewski (Sprzedawcy Glonow). In 1977, Szukalski joined probably the most important band in Polish Jazz of 1980s - the Quartet. Created by four equally talented musicians, it was the typical 'band without a leader.' The ensemble consisted of Slawomir Kulpowicz (piano), Tomasz Szukalski (saxophones), Pawel Jarzebski (bass) and Janusz Stefanski (drums). Although the promise of the Quartet, which formally existed for only two years (1978-1980), has never fully materialized, the band won a permanent place in the history of Polish jazz. It was probably the most ambitious and original attempt by any Polish jazz musicians, except Zbigniew Seifert, to re-interpreted the music of late John Coltrane and McCoy Tyner. In 1984 along with Czeslaw Bartkowski (drums) and Wojtek Karolak (keyboards), Szukalski co-leader another 'band without a leader' - Time Killers. The group recorded only one self-titled album but it marked the history of Polish jazz. Jazz Forum's critics survey in 1990s found 'Time Killers' to be the best recoding Best Polish Jazz Record of 1980's, and in many critics opinion the best example of exciting adaptation of Weather Report's language into Polish Jazz idiom. During the rest of the 80s, 1990s and to the present time Szukalski has remained active and productive on Polish jazz scene. He is continuing many fruitful collaborations with old musical friends (Stanko, Namyslowski) as well as with many new ones: Janusz Szprot, Krzysztof Sadowski, Jozef Skrzek, Staszek Sojka, Artur Dutkiewicz, Andrzej Cudzich, Piotr Wojtasik, Jarek Smietana, Wojciech Majewski, and Grzegorz Karnas.