MICHAL URBANIAK

Jazz is my life. 

Fusion, reggae, samba, salsa, hip-hop, rap, r&b- it's all jazz to me. 

New York has been my home for over thirty years. It's where I have recorded over sixty records. With music as my travel agency, I have traveled the world. 

Now, thanks to the Internet, I can be at home in all these places.

-Michał Urbaniak

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Michał Urbaniak (born January 22, 1943) is a Polish jazz musician and composer born in Warsaw, playing mainly the violin, lyricon and saxophone during concerts and recordings. He played a central role in the development of jazz fusion in the 1970s and 1980s, and has introduced elements of folk, R&B, hip hop, and symphonic music to jazz.

Biography

Urbaniak started his music education during high school in Łódź, and continued from 1961 in Warsaw in the violin class of Tadeusz Wroński. Learning to play on the saxophone alone, he first played in a Dixieland band, and later with Zbigniew Namysłowski and the "Jazz Rockers", with whom he performed during the Jazz Jamboree festival in 1961. After this, he was invited to play with Andrzej Trzaskowski, and toured the USA in 1962 with his band "The Wreckers", playing at festivals and clubs in Newport, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington, and New York City.

After returning to Poland, he engaged on work with Krzysztof Komeda's quintet (1962–1964). Together, they left for Scandinavia, where, after finishing a couple of contracts, Urbaniak remained until 1969. There he created a band with Urszula Dudziak and Wojciech Karolak, which gained considerable success and was later to be the starting point for the famous "Michał Urbaniak Fusion".

After Urbaniak returned to Poland and the violin (which he abandoned for the saxophone during the time in Scandinavia), he created the self-named "Michał Urbaniak Group", to which he invited, among others, Adam Makowicz (piano) and Urszula Dudziak (vocals). They recorded their first international album, Parathyphus B, and played on many festivals, including Jazz Jamboree in 1969–1972. During the Montreux'71 festival, Urbaniak was awarded "Grand Prix" for the best soloist and scholarship by the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. After many triumphant concerts in Europe and the USA, in May 1973 he played for the last time before a Polish audience and emigrated with Urszula Dudziak on September 11, 1973, to the United States, where he now lives as US citizen.

In spite of getting an award from Berklee, he did not study there. Recommended by John H. Hammond, Urbaniak signed a contract with Columbia Records, who published the west-German album Super Constellation under the name Fusion. For the promotion tour, he invited Polish musicians, including Czesław Bartkowski, Paweł Jarzębski, and Wojciech Karolak. In 1974, Urbaniak formed the band Fusion, and introduced melodic and rhythmic elements of Polish folk music into his funky New York based music. Urbaniak followed his musical journey with very innovative projects like: Urbanator ( first band fusing rap & hip-hop in jazz), "Urbanizer" (project with his band and 4 piece R&B vocal group - 1978) and UrbSymphony, (where on Jan. 27th 1995 jazz group with rapper and Apple computer played concert and recorded cd & dvd with 60 piece full symphony orchestra)

Since 1970 Urbaniak is playing on a custom-made, five string violin furnished especially for him, violin synthesizer called "talkin'" violin, soprano, alto and tenor saxophones and on lyricon (electric sax-like horn). His fusion with a hint of folklore was becoming popular among the leaders of American jazz, and also provided opportunity for many new musicians (Harold Williams, Steve Jordan, Marcus Miller, Kenny Kirkland, Omar Hakim, and Victor Bailey. He started to play in well known clubs such as Village Vanguard and Village Gate, in famous concert halls such as Carnegie Hall, Beacon Theatre, and Avery Fisher Hall. In this period he played with such stars as Weather Report, Freddie Hubbard, Elvin Jones, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, George Benson, and Billy Cobham.

Urbaniak has invited and has been invited by many other well known jazz stars, including Lenny White, Wayne Shorter, Marcus Miller, Joe Zawinul, Ron Carter, Kenny Barron, Buster Williams and Quincy Jones. In 1985, he was invited to play during the recording of Tutu with the father of fusion, Miles Davis. Davis is reported to have said on this occasion: "Get me this fucking Polish fiddler, he's got the sound!"

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Leader, Composer, Arranger , Violinist, Saxplayer & Multiinstrumentalist 

Miles Davis, George Benson, Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, Larry Coryell, Kenny Garret, Kenny Barron, Ron Carter, Eumir Deodato,Stephane Grappelli,Oliver Nelson, Lenny White, Larry Young, John Hendricks, Joe Williams, Elvin Jones,Buster Williams, Joe Henderson, Johny Griffin, Ted Curson, Astor Piazzolla, Freddy Hubbard, Tom Browne, Steve Gadd, Anthony Jackson, Victor Bailey, Omar Hakim, Bernard Wright, Marcus Miller and many others.

"As a boy prodigy violinist, I played many recitals and concerts with philharmonic orchestras. I took part in competitions for adults and was awarded a scholarship to study in Moscow with the famous David Ojstrach. At the same time I fell in love with American Jazz along with it's culture and a passion for this other musical life began to emerge. One might say that after I began to play Jazz I felt as though a second musical identity came to being. Dr. Jekyll was the straight A student in music school practicing intensely everyday until the afternoon. After which Mr. Hyde would appear experimenting with the new sound of Jazz at local clubs and bars. I dreamed of a time in my life when these two musical identities of mine could be combined somehow.

However, much time passed before my dream could become a reality. I made a promise to my mother that I would not take that scholarship for violin in Moscow. I put the violin aside altogether and began traveling the world as a young saxophonist. I left Poland for good knowing that playing with promising young musicians who played real American Jazz there is more to learn than anywhere in Europe, at least at that time. So I finally came to live in the New York I dreamed of for years and the victory was sweet. 

Eight years after I thought I had given up the violin for good I dusted it off and arduously began to teach it to play Jazz as I had done with the saxophone. As a jazz violinist I started a band in which I began connecting the music of my youth and all my experiences of jazz, rock and funk. I was never indifferent to what I heard around me and that is how Fusion came to exist. The experimentation of many musical elements and seeing how they can be used to compliment and ignite eachother was fascinating. In New York I discovered a group of incredible young musicians from Jamaica Queens whose innocence, passion, professionalism and profound precision enabled this experimentation to take place. After playing Fusion for a while my music began to evolve further into Acid Jazz; combining the melodic soul of Jazz with the then very fresh beats of Hip hop. 

Shortly after the release of Urbanator I felt the need to introduce my classical roots to the new sound of Hip Hop. An official meeting of both loves was due. So, on 27th of January 1995, for the first time in the history of music, a rapper preformed with a philharmonic orchestra. That day I had proved to myself that which I knew always to be true: God created music and people devided it into categories. "

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Michal Urbaniak, jazz saxophonist, violinist, composer and arranger; born 22 January 1943 in Warsaw.

As a student of the Music Secondary School in Lodz, Urbaniak played in a Dixieland band Tiger Rag. A self-taught saxophonist, he enrolled at the National Higher School of Music in Warsaw in Tadeusz Wronski's violin class in 1961, simultaneously approaching Zbigniew Namyslowski's Jazz Rockers, the band with which he would have his debut at the "Jazz Jamboree" Festival in Warsaw the same year. The following year he left for the United States to concertise in jazz clubs with Andrzej Trzaskowski's quintet The Wreckers and to appear at jazz festivals in Newport and Washington. In 1962-64 he played in Krzysztof Komeda's Quintet, and in 1965 appeared in the film "Jazz aus Polen", made by Joachim Berendt for West-German television. In 1965-68 he stayed abroad, mostly in Scandinavia, playing and recording with the local musicians.

After he had returned to Poland, he led the Michal Urbaniak Group which included, in different periods, Adam Makowicz (piano), Pawel Jarzebski, Michal Komar and Janusz Kozlowski (bass), Czeslaw Bartkowski and Andrzej Dabrowski (drums) and Urszula Dudziak (vocal). It was with the Group that Urbaniak released his first foreign record, Parathyphus B, in 1970 to a wide "Jazz Podium" readership acclaim. The Group was active from 1969 to 1972, and Urbaniak appeared with it at the Jazz Jamboree festivals in 1969-72 and at the European festivals in Nurnberg, Kongsberg, Molde, Heidelberg and Montreux (Grand Prix in 1971). In 1971 he performed with Violin Summit at the Berliner Jazztage and took part in Wolfgang Dauner's jazz workshop. In May 1973 he played a farewell concert to the Polish audience and, accompanied by his wife, Urszula Dudziak, left for the United States. Although he had received a scholarship, he did not take up studies at the Berklee College of Music. Instead, with John Hammond's support, he signed a recording contract with Columbia, and the label released his West-German record Super Constellation under the name of Fusion in the US. The record's promotional concerts featured Polish jazz musicians Czeslaw Bartkowski, Pawel Jarzebski and Wojciech Karolak. Urbaniak's next Columbia records, Atma and Fusion III, sparked off a streak of success for himself and Urszula Dudziak in America.

In 1975-89 he led the group The Michal Urbaniak Fusion with young American musicians such as Kenny Davis, Tom Guerin, Harold Williams, Ronnie Burrage, Joe Caro, Basil Farrington, Gerald Brown, Bernard Wright and Steve Jordan. Together they recorded and concertised in prestigious jazz clubs (Village Vanguard and Village Gate), concert halls (Carnegie Hall) and festivals (New York, Newport and Washington). Urbaniak appeared a number of times in Europe, touring the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Sweden. He worked with the big names of jazz, including George Benson, Lenny White, Wayne Shorter, Marcus Miller, Billy Cobham, Joe Zawinul, Ron Carter, Stéphane Grappelli and Miles Davis (on the Tutu project). After a thirteen-year break Urbaniak visited Poland in 1986 and performed at the Jazz Jamboree with his American Michal Urbaniak Constellation. Since then he has kept in close touch with his home country, playing in the "Komeda zywy" / "Komeda Live" concert in 1989, at Jazz Jamboree in 1991, at the "Jazz nad Odra" festival in 1982 and at Zbigniew Namyslowski's jubilee concert in 1994.

Urbaniak has also composed theatre, film and TV scores for Polish and foreign productions. His scores to Krzysztof Krauze's Dlug / The Debt and to Andrzej Czeczot's Eden won him awards at the Polish Feature Film Festival in Gdynia in 1999 and 2002, respectively. He has come top in a number of Polish and foreign music magazine rankings: was named no. 2 tenor saxophonist by "Jazz" readers in 1962-63 and was Down Beat's critics choice in talent deserving wider recognition in 1975, no. 2 jazz violinist in 1976 as well as no. 2 record of the year, no. 5 musician of the year, no. 5 jazz electronic combo, no. 9 composer and no. 4 violinist in 1992. Readers of the "Jazz Forum" magazine have voted him the violinist of the year several times.

Source: http://www.culture.pl/en/culture/artykuly/os_urbaniak_michal

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Once Poland's most promising import in the jazz-rock 1970s, Michal Urbaniak's chief value in retrospect was as a fellow traveler of Jean-Luc Ponty, a fluid advocate of the electric violin, the lower-pitched violectra, and the lyricon (the first popular, if now largely underutilized wind synthesizer). Like many Eastern European jazzmen, he would incorporate elements of Polish folk music into his jazz pursuits, and his other heroes range from the inevitable Miles Davis to Polish classicist Witold Lutoslawski. His electric violin was often filtered with a gauze of electronic modifying devices, and on occasion, he could come up with an attractively memorable composition like "Satin Lady." 

Urbaniak began playing the violin at age six, followed by studies on the soprano and then tenor saxophones. His interests in jazz developed chronologically from Dixieland to swing to bop as he grew up, and he studied at the Academy of Music in Warsaw while working in various Polish jazz bands and playing classical violin. In 1965, he formed his own band in Scandinavia with singer Urszula Dudziak (later his wife), returning to Poland in 1969 to found Constellation, which included pianist Adam Makowicz. Having won a scholarship to the Berklee School upon being voted Best Soloist at the 1971 Montreux Jazz Festival, Urbaniak made the U.S. his home in 1973. He soon formed a popular jazz-rock group called Fusion, recording for Columbia and Arista in a Mahavishnu Orchestra/Ponty fashion, with Dudziak adding darting, slippery scat vocals. This group lasted until 1977, and Urbaniak's profile would never be as high again, although he performed with Larry Coryell in 1982-83, led the new electric group Urbanator in the 1990s, and has performed and recorded in other styles ranging from bop to free jazz. ~ Richard S.

Born: January 22, 1943, Warsaw, Poland
Active: '70s, '80s, '90s, 2000s
Genres: Jazz
Instrument: Violin, Lyricon, Sax (Tenor)

Source: Ginell, All Music Guide

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Legendary jazz sesions featuring master virtuoso jazz violinist Michal Urbaniak 
With legendary jazz rhythm section featuring jazz greats like Ted Dunbar, Kenny Barron, Buster Williams, Roy Haynes.
A must-hear!!
Michal Urbaniak is one of the biggest EuropeaNew York jazz stars. Violinist, Saxophonist, composer, arranger, developer of young talents. Since 1973 has lived in New York. Michal Urbaniak became a world famous jazz star after he recorded the “TUTU” album with the greatest Miles Davis. He is also leader and founder of Urbanator Band
Worlds leading legendary Jazz Violinist, Leader, Composer & Arranger. One of the few main creators of Fusion of 70s, 80's and Acid Jazz of 90s & 21th Century. 
Symphonic works & Film music for 15 full feature soundtracks to his credit. Recorded over 40 albums under his own name in the USA. 
Came to U.S. in 1973 from Europe and live in New York. Won Grand Prix Mantraux Jazz Festival for the best soloist. Many times winner of Down Beat Magazine's Readers Poolas Best Violin Player and in top 10 as Musician of the Year,Record of the year, Composer, Arranger, Electric Group of the year and Misc. Instruments-Lyricon. His Recording, "Take Good Care of My Heart" was nominated for the Record of the Year in Down Beat Magazine 1985. 
Toured around the Globe and played most of the Jazz Festivals and Clubs in US and worldwide. Many Television appearances worldwide. Three times guest of world famous Johny Carson's "Tonight Show" on NBC TV. Michal Urbaniak played and recorded (among others) with Miles Davis(Tutu), Quincy Jones(The Wiz), George Benson, Toots Thielmans, Doc Sevrinson, Ariff Mardin, Billy Cobham, Herbie Hancock, Jaco Pastorius, Roy Haynes, Elvin Jones, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Sticks Hooper, John Abercrombie, Larry Coryell, Kenny Garret, Kenny Barron, Ron Carter, Eumir Deodato, Stephane Grappelli, Oliver Nelson, Lenny White, Larry Young, John Hendricks, Joe Williams, Elvin Jones, Buster Williams, Johny Griffin, Ted Curson, Astor Piazzolla, Freddy Hubbard, Tom Browne, Steve Gadd, Anthony Jackson, Victor Bailey, Omar Hakim, Bernard Wright, Marcus Miller and many others.

Source: http://cdbaby.com/cd/urbaniak

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Discography

Paratyphus B (1970)
Inactin (1971)
New Violin Summit (with Don "Sugarcane" Harris, Jean-Luc Ponty, Nipso Brantner, Terje Rypdal, Wolfgang Dauner, Neville Whitehead, Robert Wyatt) (1972)[1]
Super Constellation (and Constellation In Concert) (1973)
Polish Jazz (1973)
Atma (1974)
Fusion (1974)
Funk Factory (1975)
Fusion III (1975)
Body English (1976)
Urbaniak (1977)
Music For Violin And Jazz Quartet (1980)
Serenade for The City (1980)
New York Five at the Village Vanguard (1989)
Songs For Poland (1989)
Milky Way, Some Other Blues, Mardin (1990)
Cinemode (1990)
Songbird (1991)
Burning Circuits, Urban Express, Manhattan Man (1992)
Urbanator (1993)
Code Blue (1996)
Urbanator II (1996)
Urbaniax (1998)
Fusion (1999)
Sax, Love & Cinema (2001)
I Jazz Love You (2004)
Urbanator III (2005)
Jazz Legends" #1 (2006
Jazz Legends" #2 (2007)
Jazz Legends" #3 (2008)
Jazz Legends" Box (all 3 records-2008)