Piotr Baron is one of the most renowned musicians in Poland and he is respected by lots of young Polish musicians, and also holds the esteem of musicians from all over the world. He had the opportunity to perform with Ray Charles, Art Farmer, Wadada Leo Smith, Tomasz Stańko, and Krzesimir Dębski, just to mention a few.
Baron's debut took place in 1977. At the beginning of the nineties he became co-founder and co-leader of the Travelling Birds Quintet, with Piotr Wojtasik, Darek Oleszkiewicz, Kuba Stankiewicz and Cezary Konrad. They released two albums, the first in 1994 and the second in 1997. In 1998, Piotr was a concert master, as first alto saxophonist, with the European Broadcasting Union International Big Band in Stockholm, Sweden.
Piotr Baron released seven projects under his leadership. Some of them included jazz legends such as Art Farmer, Eddie Henderson, Wadada Leo Smith, John Hicks, Victor Lewis and Marvin Smitty Smith. He is also featured as a sideman on more than 80 albums and he has released seven albums under his leadership. He has been chosen as an endorsee for Henri Selmer Paris (saxophones and clarinets) and Rico (reeds and accessories).
Piotr Baron has been teaching saxophone, jazz harmony and improvisation at the State Higher Vocational School in Nysa, the Wroclaw School of Jazz and Popular Music and the University of Zielona Góra. He has conducted various jazz workshops in the United States, Turkey, the Czech Republic, and Ukraine. He also conducts annual summer workshop programmes in various cities around Poland.
Between 1994 and 2011, Piotr Baron used to host a weekly radio jazz show on Polish Radio Wrocław. Since 2010 he has collaborated with RadioJAZZ.fm. He also wrote for Diapazon.pl and has been freelancing as a reviewer and publicist for Jazz Forum.
Active projects
As a leader
Piotr Baron Quintet
As a sideman
Jacek Niedziela-Meira, Krzysztof Herdzin, Natalia Niemen, Marcin Wawrzynowicz, Wierba & Schmidt Quintet, Zbigniew Zbigniew Czwojda “WrocLove” Big Band.
Selected discography
As a bandleader
2011: Kaddis, Celestis,
2008: Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, celEsTis
2007: Salve Regina, CelEsTis
2004: Reference, Sony Jazz
2000: Bogurodzica, Universal Music Group (nominated to “Fryderyki” Awards as best jazz album)
1997: Blue Rain, Power Bros
1996: Tango, Polonia Records
1995: Take One, Polonia Records
Other:
2003: Monada 4, Cezary Duchnowski, Piotr Wojtasik,
1994: Travelling Birds Quintet, Travelling Birds Quintet
1995: Return to the Nest, Traveling Birds Quintet
Author
2013: Techniczna szkoła na saksofon, PWM Editon, ISBN/ISSN: 83-224-1033-6
Awards and distinctions
Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis.
2008: Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, nomination for the “Fryderyki” Award as the best jazz album
2000: Bogurodzica, nomination to “Fryderyki” Awards as the best jazz album
1984, Grand Prix for a soloist at the San Sebastian Festival Jazz “Aldia” in Spain.
1980: 2nd prize in the soloist category at the Jazz nad “Odrą” Festival (festival over the Oder River), Poland.
1978 1st prize in the soloist category at the Jazz nad “Odrą” Festival (festival over the Oder River), Poland.
For the last 20 years Piotr Baron has won the annual Jazz Forum poll in the category of tenor and soprano saxophnone (Jazz Forum is a Polish jazz magazine, and has been published since 1965).
Collaboration
Zbigniew Namyslowski, Tomasz Stanko, Henryk Majewski, Henryk Miskiewicz, Jaroslaw Smietana, Wojciech Karolak, Zbigniew Lewandowski, Krzesimir Debski, Janusz Muniak, Tomasz Szukalski, Darek “Oleś” Oleszkiewicz, Piotr Wojtasik, Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski, Bo Stief, Jasper Van't Hof. He has performed with many jazz stars from USA such as: Ray Charles, Art Farmer, Al Porcino, Billy Harper, David Murray, Kevin Mahogany, Victor Lewis, Roy McCurdy, John Hicks, Jon Mayer, Eddie Henderson, Marvin “Smitty” Smith, Carter Jefferson, Bobby Watson, Kei Akagi, Larry Koonse, Joe LaBarbera, Charlie Shoemake, Mark Soskin, Kevin Hays, Billy Hart, Harvie Swartz, David Friesen, Clarence Seay, Ed Schuller, John Betsch, Wadada Leo Smith, Ronnie Burrage, Greg Bandy, Malcolm Pinson, Skip Hadden, Wayne Bartlett, Carlos Johnson, and Karen Edwards.
Contact:
http://www.baron.cba.pl/
http://www.baron.cba.pl/nx/contact.php
Created by: Anna Początek (Jazzarium.pl): text; Terry Deal: revision; Jazzarium.pl, Warszawa 2014.