Yet, among his many prominent associates, Billy Harper and their long-lasting friendship is worth mentioning. They met in the late 1990s when Wojtasik was working on his album entitled Quest. To date, they tour together from time to time and feature on each other’s albums.
Thirty years into his career, Piotr Wojtasik has become one of the most celebrated trumpeters and a leader of his generation in Poland. He featured numerous times in the Jazz Forum poll Jazz Top, his albums are regularly nominated for Fryderyk Awards (the most important music industry award in Poland), which he won in 2008 in the categories of ‘Best Jazz Artist Of The Year’ and ‘ Best Jazz Album Of The Year’ for his album Circles – recorded with an extended set of woodwinds and brasses, based on the legendary rhythm section of Jean-Jacques Avenel on double bass and John Betsch on the drums. He has toured all around the world visiting the most exciting festivals and legendary jazz clubs (like Vienna’s Porgy & Bess and Paris’ Sun Set).
He does not record often. So far, 12 albums signed under his name have been released but every time they have appeared, they have immediately turned out to be significant and appreciated works. This was the case of the already mentioned Circles, as well as Blackout, recorded with the participation of exquisite singer Judy Bady.
Wojtasik’s subsequent records included an array of outstanding jazz musicians. On Old Land he was accompanied by Grzegorz Nagórski (trombone), John Betsch and Billy Hart (double drums), Sylwester Ostrowski (saxophone), Kirk Lightsey (drums), Essiet Essiet (double bass) and vocalists Angelika Anozie, Anna Maria Mbayo and Marta Florek. Amazing Twelve was recorded with a quartet consisting of excellent Hungarian tenor saxophonist Viktor Toth, double bassist Michał Barański and drummer John Betsch. Wojtasik’s next album was a musical tribute to one of the symbols of the Polish jazz scene – the Warsaw club Akwarium. On Tribute to Akwarium the trumpeter was accompanied by Sebastian Sołdrzyński, Marcin Kaletka, Leszek Możdżer, Marek Kądziela, Dominik Wania, Dariusz Oleszkiewicz, Eric Allen and Jakub Miarczyński.
The album To Whom it May Concern from 2018 crowns Piotr Wojtasik’s 30-year career. It is the 12th album recorded under his direction. The material was produced in 2016 in Les Studios de Meudon in France. It consists of eight original compositions by Wojtasik, played by an international band: Viktor Tóth (Hungary), Sylwester Ostrowski, Bobby Few (USA, France), Joris Teepe (the Netherlands) and John Betsch (USA, France).
Piotr Wojtasik holds the academic title of professor. He lectures at the Institute of Jazz and Popular Music at the Academy of Music in Katowice. During his dozen or so years of teaching at the music academies in Katowice and Wrocław, as well as conducting music workshops and individual lessons, he has become a highly respected tutor, whose contribution to raising the substantive level of teaching over the past decades is invaluable.