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"The music that Stańko pushed from his horn sang out serenely, each sublime melodic phrase practically melting into the next" - Chicago Tribune

Jazz spoke loud and clear to Tomasz Stańko when he first heard it played in Communist Poland more than 50 years ago. Freedom, it said. The trumpeter, composer and free-jazz pioneer is now legendary on the European jazz scene and in 2002 won the inaugural European Jazz Prize. The jury described him as "a world-class player... a charismatic performer and original composer" whose music is "unmistakably his own, rooted in his Slavic heritage, romantic upbringing and classical education". The rest of the world has also taken note of the ‘Polish Miles Davis', with The New Yorker calling him "one of the world's most original and inventive jazz trumpeters". Stanko has travelled the globe with his complex yet delicate compositions, performing and recording with the likes of Cecil Taylor, Jan Garbarek, Chico Freeman and Howard Johnson.

For a sneak preview of the Tomasz Stańko Quartet concert, check out the track "Powtanie", a live performance excerpt, on the Wellington Jazz Festival jukebox.

Listen to Tomasz Stańko Quartet

Event information

Tomasz Stańko official link: http://www.tomaszstanko.com

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