Vitold Rek
Vitold Rek ( born October 18, 1955 in Rzeszów, Poland Witold E. Szczurek ) is a resident in Germany of Polish bassist and composer of the Creative Jazz. He began his career under his Geburtsmanen Witold Szczurek - inter alia, as a longtime sideman for Tomasz Stanko. Characteristic is his preference for the virtuoso playing arco. In recent years, he turned increasingly to the diverse roots of European music.
Life and work
Vitold Rek studied classical bass at the Music Academy in Krakow and played around 1975, with major Polish jazz musicians such as Jan Ptaszyn Wroblewski Jan Jarczyk, Sławomir Kulpowicz, Zbigniew Namysłowski, Vladyslav Sendecki, Tomasz Stanko or Kazimierz Jonkisz. Since the late 1980s, he lives and works in the Rhine -Main area. Live performances and recordings with Karl Berger, Albert Mangelsdorff, Emil Mangelsdorff, John Tchicai, Peter Giger, Charlie Mariano, Gerd Dudek, Heinz Sauer, Jasper van't Hof, Ralf Hübner, Bob Degen, Christof Lauer and Makaya Ntshoko prove that the bassist plays an active role in the European jazz scene.
As a major festival appearances, the Jazz Jamboree in Warsaw ( 1978-88 ), Montreux Jazz Festival are (1987 ), the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague (1990 ), Jazz in Willisau (1991 ), the Berlin Jazz Festival (1992 ), the Leipzig Jazz Days (2004), the ISB Double Bass Convention Indianapolis, USA ( 2001) and the banlieues Bleues call in Paris ( 2006).
His style on bass reflects both his jazz background and his classical training. For several years he turned more and more of the ( Eastern) European folklore. In his album Polish Jazz Explosion make a traditional folklore ensemble and renowned European Free Jazz musicians each other. The music of its recent formation, the East Wind West, with the Akkordionisten Jarosław Bester of the Cracow Klezmer Band and percussionist Ramesh Shotham, sits down, inter alia, with the traditional music of his homeland, the klezmer, apart.
Vitold Rek also works with German authors, by improvising to their readings. With Oskar Ansull and Theo Jörgensmann he has developed a Johannes - Bobrowski program. Even with the poet Johann P. Tammen he has recorded a CD.
He teaches jazz bass and directs ensembles at the universities of Music in Mainz, earlier in Frankfurt am Main.
Prizes and awards
For the CD recording with the Emil Mangelsdorff Quartet Blues Forever ( Bellaphon CDLR 714 427 ) Rek has received the Prize of the German Record Critics 1-2008. In the fall of 2008, the 5 CDs full album by Tomasz Stanko " 1970-1975-1984-1986-1988 " ( Metal Mind Productions ) in Poland was the platinum record awards ( Rek participated in three of the recordings (Music 81, Lady Go and Switzerland- Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival) ) with. He was awarded the Hessian Jazz Award 2013.
Disco printing specifications
- Flyin 'Lady JAN - Pt. Wroblewski Quartet ( Muza Pl ); 1978
- C.O.C.X. - Tomasz Stanko ( Pronit Pl ); 1983
- Freelectronic: The Montreux performance - Tomasz Stanko (ITM 0023); 1987
- The Art of Duo Vol.1 - John Tchicai, Vitold Rek ( Enja 8008-2 ); 1993
- Jazzz - with Peter Giger and Gerd Dudek (B W 029 GB); 1993
- Elvira plenary Vitold Rek - with Elvira plenary ( Bellaphon CDLR 45089 ); 1994
- Luna Moth - with Christof Lauer & Ralf Hübner ( FreeFlow Music 0796 ); 1996
- The Erik Satie Project - Fritz Hart Shoe Quartet ( nexus KCD 5086 ); 1998
- Bassifiddle alla polacca - Vitold Rek Solo - double bass, vocals (TMP 503); 1997 & 1998
- John Tchicai, Vitold Rek, Karl Berger - 2 x 2 (TMP 505); 1991, 1992 & 2000;
- The Polish Folk Explosion - Kapela Resoviana feat. Albert Mangelsdorff, Charlie Mariano, John Tchicai, Vitold Rek, Gilbert Matthews, Ryszard Bajor, Lukasz Plis, Sebastian Karpiel - Bulecka, Marek Maja Labunowicz, Edward Markocki, Kasia Pikor (TMP 507); 2001
- Charlie Mariano & Vitold Rek feat. Peter Reiter - Cathedral vol. 1 (TMP CD 611 ); 2005
- Home - East West Wind featuring Jaroslaw Bester & Ramesh Shotham (TMP CD 515); 2007