Soon after obtaining hid degree, Olejniczak received multiple awards at some major Polish and international jazz contests. In 1983, with his group “String Connection” he won the first prize at Jazz Hoeilaart in Belgium.The ensemble also participated in the Montreal Jazz Festival in Canada.
In the meantime he began to collaborate as a soloist with the Polish Radio and Television Orchestra in Łódź, the Radio and Television Orchestra in Poznań, and the Big Band of the National Radio and Television in Warsaw. He worked extensively with many Polish bands such as Extra Ball, Sunship, Novi Singers, playing concerts in Poland and abroad.
In 1984 he moved to Spain, where he teaches the clarinet and saxophone at the School of Music in Bilbao and Lejona. In 2002 he became a professor at the Superior Music Center of the Basque Country.
Starting from 1985, he worked for 4 years with Tete Montoliú, playing at Jazz Festivals in Spain, Italy and France. In 1986, Olejniczak performed at the International Jazz Festival of San Remo (Italy) as part of the International Big Band conducted by Gerry Mulligan. Since 1991 he has been leading his own groups.
In 1994, he recorded his first CD in Spain Catch with the Andrzej Olejniczak – Iñaki Salvador Quartet, which was announced Spanish jazz CD of the year. Five years later, his quartet recorded Cycle Man for Satchmo Jazz Records. His next CD Andrzej Olejniczak Quertet live at Altxerri was released in August 2004 and was highly rated in the Jazz Forum.
His latest CD Different Choice with music for a string quartet and saxophone was recorded in 2011.
Andrzej Olejniczak has performed with the Bilbao Symphony Orchestraas a soloist and realized a project for a jazz quartet and symphonic orchestra, performed at the festival in Bilbao. He has also appeared at the Festival of Contemporary Music in Lejona.
He has worked with Joe Newman, Kenny Drew, Horace Parland, LouBlackburn, Jimmy Owens, N.H.O. Pedersen, Alvin Queen, Ranee Lee, Oliver Jackson, Georges Arvanitas, Randy Brecker, among others. He has also played and recorded with some of the most important groups and soloists of pop music in Spain such as La Orquesta Mondragón,Mecano, Miguel Ríos, Manzanita, Itoiz and Oskorri.
Some of his latest concerts include International Jazz Festival Quito in Ecuador in 2006, Jazz in Palmengarten Frankfurt, 2007, Krakow Jazz Festival 2009, Canada Tour in 2008, Canada & USA Tour in 2010, Gulf Jazz Festival in Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar in 2010.
Selected discography
Andrzej Olejniczak Kwintet: Jazz Nad Odra’76
Extra Ball: Birthday (1976)
Extra Ball: Aquarium Live No.3 (1977)
Kazimierz Jonkisz Kwintet: Tiritaka (1979)
Andrzej Dabrowski - Pawel Perlinski Kwintet (1980)
Big Band Katowice: Music For My Friends (1981)
Jozef Skrzek: Ambitus Extended (1981)
String Connection In Concert ( 1982)
String Connection: Workoholik (1982)
Bass Line (1982)
Di Rock Cimbalisten Act One (1982)
String Connection: New Romantic Expectation (1983)
Zbigniew Lewandowski (1983)
String Connection: Live (1984)
Itoiz: Espaloian (1985)
Juan Carlos Perez: Flannerty Eta Astakiloak (1986)
Oskorri: In Fraganti (1986)'
Itoiz: Eremuko Dunen Atzetil (1988)
Mecano: Descanso Dominical (1988)
Orquesta Mondragon: Una Sonrisa Por Favor (1989)
Orquesta Mondragon: Musica para Camaleones (1990)
Golden Apple Quartet (1991)
Juan Carlos Perez: Atlantic River (1994)
Andrzej Olejniczak – Iñaki Salvador Quartet: Catch (1994)
Angel Celada: Angelitos Negros (1995)
Ruper Ordorika: 2 Xamurragoa Zen Orduan (1995)
Juan Carlos Perez: Hau Berua (1996)
Orquesta Mondragon: Memorias De Una Vaca (1996)
Victor Celada: Punch (1997)
Angel Rubio Trio & Banda Del Foro: Jazz Hondo (1998)
Julio Blasco, Paco Garcia: Clinica Tubu’ (1998)
Andrzej Olejniczak Quartet: Cycle Man (1999)
Mario Delgado: Filactera (2002)
Blue Note Poznan Jazz Club: Birthday Live (2003)
Halina Zimmermann: ‘Round Midnight (2003)
Andrzej Olejniczak Quartet: Live At Altxerri (2004)
Juan Carlos Perez: Hiriko Istorioak (2006)
Andrzej Olejniczak: Different Choice (2010)
String Connection: 2012 (2012)
Andrzej Olejniczak/Vladyslav Sendecki Quartet- Birthday Live 2014
Contact:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aolej?fref=ts
Email: olej@movistar.es
