Performers
Kuba Stankiewicz
A leading Polish jazz pianist, graduate of Boston’s Berklee College of Music (1987–1990, Oscar Peterson Prize winner), semi-finalist of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz International Piano Competition in Washington, and member of the orchestra led by the legendary clarinettist Artie Shaw. In the late 1980s Stankiewicz played in Jan ‘Ptaszyn’ Wróblewski’s band, and later with Zbigniew Namysłowski’s ensembles as well as in a quartet, which he founded with Henryk Miśkiewicz, Adam Cegielski, and Cezary Konrad. In 1993 he took part in the recording of CD Northern Song (Album of the Year in the ‘Jazz Forum’ readers’ poll), later – of Big City Streets (Osiecka’s songs) and Chopin Songbook. Member of Traveling Birds, he has also played with Scott Hamilton, Art Farmer, Sheila Jordan, Janusz Muniak, Tomasz Szukalski, and Anna Maria Jopek. In 2012 he recorded his original album Spaces (A Fryderyk 2013 nomination for Jazz Album of the Year) and a solo CD of film music by Wojciech Kilar in his own interpretations. 2014 saw the release of his Los Angeles album of Victor Young’s music (with Peter Erskine and Dariusz Oleszkiewicz).
Stankiewicz’s piano style, rooted in classical US models, tends more often toward Romantic-type lyricism than toward dynamic extremes. He plays genuine jazz rooted in a convincing sense of timing and open to what his stage partners have to offer. Recently Stankiewicz has also dedicated himself to academic teaching (at Wrocław’s Academy of Music, where he obtained a postdoctoral degree).
Phot. Zsolt Birtalan
Stankiewicz’s piano style, rooted in classical US models, tends more often toward Romantic-type lyricism than toward dynamic extremes. He plays genuine jazz rooted in a convincing sense of timing and open to what his stage partners have to offer. Recently Stankiewicz has also dedicated himself to academic teaching (at Wrocław’s Academy of Music, where he obtained a postdoctoral degree).
Phot. Zsolt Birtalan
