Tomasz Sowiński graduated from the Faculty of Jazz and Light Music at The Stanisław Moniuszko Academy of Music in Gdańsk, Poland, in 1995. Since 2006, he has been a lecturer at the faculty of Jazz and Light Music in a post-secondary school (Studium Jazzu i Muzyki Rozrywkowej) at the Academy of Music in Gdańsk. Tomasz first started playing the piano and the drums at the age of seven. He was probably inspired to become a musician by his father: an oboist.
He is the founder and the leader of the Collective Improvisation Group, which offers a fresh avant-garde sound. The group is formed by: Sowiński: drums, Piotr Mania: piano, Jerzy Małek: trumpet, Darek Herbasz: saxophone, Piotr Pawlak: guitar, Adam Żuchowski: double bass, and Łukasz Ruszkowski: percussion. The ensemble has a strong presence on the new Polish coastal scene. Nevertheless, they do not refer to the yass heritage, as they draw more from the American sound, like AACM.
Tomasz Sowiński has performed with various bands and many Polish musicians: Leszek Możdżer, the Piotr Mania Trio, Mikołaj Trzaska, Raphael Rogiński, the Maciej Sikała Trio, the Maciej Sikała Quartet. The collaboration with Maciej Sikała –both in the quartet and the trio– resulted in two nominations for the “Fryderyki” Award. In 2010, as part of the Piotr Wania Trio, he was awarded a Fryderyk.
Sowiński has performed at a bunch of festivals both in Poland and abroad, in Germany, Slovakia, The Czech Republic, Hungary, Austria, Israel, Romania, Bulgaria, France, Sweden, and Lithuania.
Sowiński is also connected with the theatre, he has composed music for performances in Częstochowa, The National Theatre in Brno.
Active projects:
The Collective Improvisation Group: Tomasz Sowiński: drums Piotr Mania: piano,
Jerzy Małek: trumpet, Darek Herbasz: saxophone, Piotr Pawlak: guitrar, Adam Żuchowski: double bass i Łukasza Ruszkowskiego: percussions.
Piotr Mania Trio:
Przemek Dyakowski-Quintet:
Hot Jazz Cellebration:
Warsong, with Mikołaj Trzaska and Rafael Rogiński
Selected discography
2012: Take it Easy, Przemek Dyakowski, Soliton
2010: Synegry, Tomasz Sowiński and The Collective Improvisation Group, Multikulti Project
2010: Pearl, Piotr Mania Trio (“Fryderyki” Award)
2009: Hurry Up, Ilona Damięcka, Siloe
2009: Maciej Sikała Trio, Maciej Sikała Trio, BCD Records
2007: Melisa, Przemek Dyakowski, Outside music (Gold Award)
2007: Shalom, Cezary Paciorek, Polonia Records
2006: Another One For..., Maciej Sikała Quartet, BCD Records (nomination for “Fryderyki” Award)
2006: Illustration, Tomek Sowiński and the Collective Improvisation Group, Not Two
2003: Follow the soul, Piotr Lemańczyk, Allegro Records
2003: Playing Benny Goodman, Emil Kowalski, Soliton
2002: Sanktoria, Emil Kowalski, Dariusz Herbasz, Piotr Lemańczyk, Tomasz Sowiński, Not Two
2002: Sopot, Hamburg Jazz Quintet, Not Two
2002: High above thus falcon soared..., Folklore Ensemble, Maciej Sikała & Tomek Sowiński, (złota
płyta)
1999: The Sheep Is Found , The Maciej Sikała Trio, (nomination for “Fryderyki” Award)
cinema music
2004: Tulipany, music by Leszek Możdżer, directed by Jacek Borcuch
theatre music
2000: Tango z Lady M., music by Leszek Możdżer, directed by Ewa Wycichowska, Polish Dance Theatre, Poznań, Poland,
Awards and distinctions
2002: first prize, Peral, Piotr Mania Trio, “Fryderyki” Award
2000: The Sheep Is Found, Maciej Sikała Trio, nomination for “Fryderyki” Award
Collaboration
The Emil Kowalski Quintet, The Maciej Sikała Trio and Quartet, Wojciech Staroniewicz – Hand Made,, Leszek Możdżer Trio, The Sławek Jaskułke Trio, Sikała-Wojtasik Quartet, THe Sopot Hamburg Jazz Quintet, The Jerzy Małek Quintet, Jan “Ptaszyn” Wróblewski, Janusz Muniak, Wojciech Karolak, Jerzy “Duduś” Matuszkiewicz, Tomasz Szukalski, Piotr Cieślikowski, Miłość, Mikołaj Trzaska, Andrzej Stasiuk, The Irek Wojtczak Quartet.
Created by: Anna Początek (Jazzarium.pl): revision: Terry Deal; Jazzarium.pl, Warszawa 2014.