Wojtek Mazolewski Quintet
Biography Wojtek Mazolewski Quintet
Wojtek Mazolewski
bassist and composer, born in 1976 in Gdańsk. He is the founder and leader of Pink Freud and Wojtek Mazolewski Quintet. According to many critics, his musical activity brought the commercial boom of Polish jazz at the beginning of 21st century, and his unconventional manner influenced the new localization of the genre in the consciousness of the young listener. Others claim that Mazolewski has 'tamed' jazz and introduced it to top lists, the TV and the popular media.
Mazolewski has acted as a musical partner to Pete Wareham, Dennis Gonzales, Tim Berne, Tomasz Stańko, John Zorn, Pete Kowald, Tymon Tymański, Jerzy Mazzoll, Olo Walicki, Andrzej Smolik, Mikołaj Trzaska, Marcin Masecki, Wojtek Waglewski, Lech Janerka, Fisz, Emade and many others. He writes music for the film and theatre as well as a series of audio books released by Audioteka. He runs his own broadcasts on Polish Radio Gdańsk and Chlli Zet, and since January 2019 on Polish Radio Three. He has also won prestigious music awards from Polish Radio and Jazz Forum magazine.
Mazolewski is the founder of the Bassisters Orchestra supergroup. Originally it was to be a one-off project aimed at creating music for a theatre performance. After some time, the group evolved, as new artists joined Mazolewski. With Michał ‘Bunio’ Skrok (sampler), Piotr ‘Emade’ Waglewski (sampler), Bartosz ‘Fisz’ Waglewski (vocals), Mikołaj Trzaska (saxophone), and Macio Moretti (drums) aboard, Bassisters Orchestra recorded two albums: "Live at Wrzeszcz" (2004) and "Numer Jeden" (Number One, trans. MG; 2006). The premiere of the latter was followed by a concert tour. The group performed at, among others, Open’er Festival in Gdynia in 2007. The project was eventually suspended.
His flagship band is Pink Freud, with which he records for Universal Music Polska. The music he creates within the framework of Wojtek Mazolewski Quintet is also highly appreciated. Their last album Polka, released worldwide by Whirlwind Recordings, was received with particular enthusiasm by, among others, reviewers from Downbeat and The Wire.
