Biography
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Born
8 January 1947
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Born In
Warsaw, Mazowieckie, Poland
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Died
2 August 2012 (aged 65)
http://tomasz.szukalski.w.interia.pl
Tomasz Szukalski (born end of December 1947 in Warsaw, Poland; died August 2nd, 2012 in Piaseczno) was a talented jazz musician. His main instrument was tenor saxophone, but he was also a master of soprano saxophone and bass clarinet. Tomasz was playing with Rashied Ali, Arild Andersen, Palle Danielsson, Gil Goldstein, Dave Holland, Antti Hytti, Albert Mangelsdorff, Palle Mikkelborg, Terje Rypdal, Tomasz Stańko, Edward Vesala, Michał Urbaniak, John Surman, to name but a few, and was recording for the famous ECM label as well.
In the late 70’s together with Sławomir Kulpowicz, Janusz Stefański and Paweł Jarzębski he founded The Quartet - one of the best European jazz bands.
Tomasz "Szakal" (The Jackal) Szukalski performed classic jazz tunes with the sound and feeling of John Coltrane or Ben Webster, as well as fusion (Wojciech Karolak, SBB, Apostolis Anthimos Quartet), free jazz (Tomasz Stańko, Edward Vesala), Christmas carols (Karin Krog, Józef Skrzek) or ethnic and avant-garde.
Although Tomasz was THE Polish/European saxophone player, he performed mostly as a sideman, therefore you will not find many records under his own name. He was the gray eminence behind the scenes of Polish and European jazz.
Tomasz Szukalski was one of the most important but probably most underappreciated Jazz musicians in the history of Polish Jazz. He was a multi-talented artist who contributed to the numbers of most important milestones of Polish and European Jazz, including albums by leaders like Zbigniew Namysłowski, Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski and Tomasz Stańko. His charisma on those recordings was always very distinct and always present, in many cases he almost "steals" the record from the leader (just listen to Szukalski on Edward Vesala's "Satu")
Szukalski was a graduate of Warsaw Music College PWSM, where clarinet was his main instrument. Performing musician since his high school days, he self-taught himself to play tenor and soprano saxophones. After early collaborations with pop group Partita, Big Band Stodoła and bands of the leaders like Janusz Muniak, and Tomasz Ochalski; in 1972 he joined Zbigniew Namyslowski group with whom he extensively toured and recorded legendary albums "Winobranie" and "Kujaviak Goes Funky". He quickly established himself on Jazz scene in Poland and collaborated with Włodzimierz Nahorny, Tomasz Stańko ("Balladyna", "TWET", "Almost Green", "Live at Remont", "Selected Recordings:rarum XVII") , and Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski ("Sprzedawcy Glonów").
In 1977, Szukalski joined probably the most important band in Polish Jazz of 1980s - The Quartet. In 1984 along with Czesław Bartkowski (drums) and Wojciech Karolak (keyboards), Szukalski co-leaded another "band without a leader" - Time Killers. The group recorded only one self-titled album but it marked the history of Polish Jazz. Jazz Forum's critics survey in 1990s found "Time Killers" to be the Best Polish Jazz Record of 1980's, and in many critics opinion probably the best example of exciting adaptation of Weather Report's language into Polish Jazz idiom.
During the rest of the 80s, 90s and to the present time Szukalski has remained active and productive on Polish Jazz scene. He is continuing many fruitful collaborations with old musical friends (Stańko, Namysłowski) as well as with many new ones: Janusz Szprot, Krzysztof Sadowski, Józef Skrzek, Stanisław Soyka, Artur Dutkiewicz, Andrzej Cudzich, Piotr Wojtasik, Apostolis Anthimos, Jarek Śmietana, Wojciech Majewski, and Grzegorz Karnas.
Tomasz Szukalski died August 2nd 2012, homeless in a nursing asylum in Piaseczno after being depropriated and massively invigilated by stalinist opressors resulting in a long period of illness. He was 65 years old.
Discography:
by recording date (almost)
1972 - Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski "Koncert podwójny na 5 solistów i orkiestrę"
1972 - Marianna Wróblewska "Sound of Marianna Wróblewska" (Polskie Nagrania Muza SXL 0847)
1972 - Niebiesko-Czarni "Naga 1" (Polskie Nagrania Muza SXL 0881)
1972 - Niebiesko-Czarni "Naga 2" (Polskie Nagrania Muza SXL 0882)
1973 - Zbigniew Namysłowski "Winobranie" (Polskie Nagrania Muza SX 0952)
1973 - Novi Singers "Rien Ne Va Plus" (Polskie Nagrania Muza SXL 1009)
1973 - All Stars After Hours "Night Jam Session in Warsaw 1973" (Polskie Nagrania Muza SXL 1033)
1973 - "Interjazz 3" (Supraphon 1 15 1739)
1974 - Wojciech Karolak "Easy!" (Polskie Nagrania Muza SXL 1069)
1974 - S.P.P.T. Chałturnik "Chałturnik" (Polskie Nagrania Muza SXL 1079)
1974 - Tomasz Stańko - Edward Vesala - Peter Warren - Tomasz Szukalski "Twet" (Polskie Nagrania Muza SXL 1138)
1974 - Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski "Sprzedawcy glonów" (Polskie Nagrania Muza SXL 1141)
1975 - Zbigniew Namysłowski Quintet "Kuyaviak Goes Funky" (Polskie Nagrania Muza SX 1230)
1975 - Krzysztof Sadowski "Three Thousands Points" (Polskie Nagrania Muza SX 1277)
1975 - SBB "Sikorki" (2004, Metal Mind Productions)
1975 - Karin Krog / Zbigniew Namysłowski Quintet "Jazz Jamboree 75 Vol. 2" (Polskie Nagrania Muza SX 1340)
1975 - Tomasz Stańko "Balladyna" (Stańko, Holland, Vesala) (ECM 1071, 1777597)
1976 - Sami Swoi "Ach! Jak Przyjemnie" (Polskie Nagrania Muza SX 1353)
1976 - Czesław Bartkowski "Drums Dream" (Polskie Nagrania Muza SX 1419)
1976 - SBB "Anthology, Vol. 05" (2004, Metal Mind Productions)
1976 - Edward Vesala "Rodina" (Stańko,Vesala, Aaltonen, …) (Love Records LRLP 189)
1976 - Edward Vesala "Satu" (Vesala, Rypdal, Danielsson, Mikkelborg, Stańko, …) (ECM 1088)
1976 - Tomasz Stańko - Edward Vesala Quartet "Live At Remont" (Stańko, Vesala, Hytti) (Helicon HR 1002)
1977 - Jan Wallgren - Benet Ernryd Quartet "Love Chant" (Dragon)
1978 - Tomasz Stańko "Almost Green" (Stańko,Vesala, Danielsson) (Leo 008)
1978 - Zbigniew Namysłowski "Jasmine Lady" (Polskie Nagrania Muza)
1978 - The Quartet "The Quartet"
1979 - The Quartet "Loaded"
1979 - Krzysztof Sadowski "Swing Party" (Polskie Nagrania Muza SX 1796)
1979 - Edward Vesala "Neitsytmatka" (Maiden Voyage) (Vesala, Stańko, Kulpowicz, Jarzębski, …) (Polarvox LJLP1014)
1980 - Józef Skrzek "Józefina" (Wifon LP 037)
1980 - Józef Skrzek & Tomasz Szukalski "Ambitus Extended" (Helicon HR 1006)
1981 - Józef Skrzek "Wojna Światów - następne stulecie" (Skrzek, Gola, Ziomber, …) (Polskie Nagrania Muza SX 2342)
1981 - Józef Skrzek Formation "Wojna Światów - Live" (Skrzek, Gola, Ziomber, …) (Wydawnictwo 21 21.014)
1981 - Józef Skrzek & Tomasz Szukalski "Kolędy" (Helicon HR 001)
1982 - Stanisław Sojka "Matko, która nas znasz…" (Helicon HR 1009)
1983 - Józef Skrzek & Tomasz Szukalski "Kolędy" (Helicon HR 002)
1984 - Wojciech Karolak - Tomasz Szukalski - Czesław Bartkowski "Time Killers" (Helicon HR 1012)
1985 - Tomasz Szukalski "Tina Kamila" (Polskie Nagrania Muza SX 2250)
1985 - Stanisław Sojka "Radioaktywny" (Polskie Nagrania Muza SX 2661)
1986 - Tomasza Szukalski Quartet "Tina Blues" (Poljazz/Emscherland PSJ 172, Wipe 7084)
1986 - Milan Svoboda & The Polish - Czech Big Band "Interjazz 5" (Supraphon)
1986 - "Music From Poland at MIDEM '86" (Polskie Nagrania Muza SX 2292)
1987 - "Polish Jazz Vol. 1" (Wipe 7081)
1988 - Grażyna Auguścik "Sunrise Sunset" (Polskie Nagrania Muza SX 2615)
1989 - Mulatu Astatke "Plays Ethio - Jazz" (Poljazz PSJ 252)
1989- Tomasz Szukalski - Janusz Szprot "Blues Duo SZ - SZ" / "Sz-Sz Blues" (Wipe 7079)
1989 - Jazz Chorał & Tomasz Szukalski Quartet "Borżomski Wąwóz / Body And Soul" (Polskie Nagrania Muza)
1991 - Tadeusz Nalepa "Absolutnie" (Polskie Nagrania Muza SX 3011, PNCD 149)
1991 - Tomasz Szukalski Quartet "Body And Soul" (Polonia Records CD 003)
1993 - Tomasz Stańko "A Farewell To Maria" (GoWi Records CDG 12)
1994 - Tomasz Stańko "Balladyna" Theater play compositions (GoWi Records CDG 16)
1996 - Tomasz Stańko "Selected Recordings (:rarum XVII)" (Stańko, Holland, Vesala) (ECM 8017)
1997 - Stół Pański "Gadające Drzewo" (ZBIG records 001)
1999 - Artur Dutkiewicz "Lady Walking" (Universal Music 546070-2)
1999 - Piotr Wojtasik "Escape"
1999 - SBB "Anthology, Vol. 14" (2004, Metal Mind Productions)
2000 - Tomasz Szukalski - Jarek Śmietana Quartet "Phone Consultations"
2000 - Anna Maria Jopek "Barefoot" (EmArcy 016 299-2)
2000 - Anna Maria Jopek "O co tyle milczenia" (Universal Music Polska)
2001 - Wojciech Majewski Quintet "Grechuta" (Sony Music Polska)
2002 - Agnieszka Skrzypek "My Lullaby" (NotTwo / Cosmopolis MW 737-2)
2003 - Wojciech Majewski Quintet "Zamyślenie" (Sony Music Polska)
2004 - Grzegorz Karnas "Sny" (DeBies 002)
2005 - Józef Skrzek "O Panie przebacz mej myśli, że nie dość jeszcze Miłuję"
2005 - Tomasz Stańko "Wolność w Sierpniu" (Stańko, Anthimos, …) (Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego)
2005 - Carrantuohill "SESSION Natural Irish & Jazz" (Celt / Rockers Publishing CC08)
2005 - "The Best Of Polish Jazz 2005"
2010 - Tomasz Szukalski "The Day of the Jackal" (Mariusz Zych - limited private edition)
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