Performers

An outstanding Polish double-bass player, whose talent was recognised by Jan ‘Ptaszyn’ Wróblewski during the Jazz Juniors 1983 festival in Cracow. Over the following five years he performed regularly in Poland and abroad with the bands of ‘Ptaszyn’ Wróblewski, Zbigniew Namysłowski, Tomasz Szukalski, Henryk Majewski, Wojciech Karolak, and Andrzej Jagodziński. In 1988 he travelled to Los Angeles to develop his skills, and a year later obtained a scholarship to study with Charlie Haden at the California Institute of the Arts. On graduation in 1992 he took over from his mentor as a teacher at the CalArts, where he has since led jazz bands and taught the bass.

Oleszkiewicz has performed and recorded with the greatest jazz masters such as Brad Mehldau, Billy Higgins, Pat Metheny, Joe Lovano, Eddie Henderson, Charles Lloyd, John Abercrombie, Bennie Maupin, Lee Konitz, Peter Erskine, Alan Pasqua, Art Farmer, Alice Coltrane, Ravi Coltrane, James Newton, Geri Allen, Billy Hart, Kevin Hays, Munyungo Jackon, Steve Hass, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Marian McPartland, Tom Harrell, Larry Goldings, Bill Stewart, Chris Potter, Kei Akagi, Billy Childs, Bob Sheppard, Joe LaBarbera, Teri Lynn Carrington, Buddy De Franco, and Terry Gibbs.


Phot. Bob Barry