Wojciech Konikiewicz

A graduate of the State Secondary Music School for 2nd grade, then there were individual studies - composition and the piano in Wrocław, Warszawa, Germany and France. In 1977-1983 he studied electro-acoustics and psycho-acoustics in Telecommunication and Acoustics Institute at Politechnika Wrocławska and Philosophy at Wrocław University as free listener.

Portrait image

Podpis obrazka portretowego

Photo: Krzysztof Machowina

Tytuł w nagłówku (deprecated)

Wojciech Konikiewicz

In the 80's he was connected with progressive movement of Polish jazz creating Tie Break, Session Acoustic Action, Green Revolution and cult band Free Cooperation. In 1985 he started working with musicians of British band Pinski Zoo. He performed with other famous British rock, reggae and ethno musicians: Benjamin Zephaniah, J.J.Burnell (The Stranglers), Ian Paice (Deep Purple) and Asian Dub Foundation. He recorded and performed with the greatest rock musicians of Polish scene: Grzegorz Ciechowski, Tomek Lipiński, Robert Brylewski, Lech Janerka, Wojtek Waglewski, Muniek Staszczyk and Tomek Budzyński. He has recorded soundtracks to movies, theater and ballet. He worked with many Polish and foreign directors: Jerzy Domaradzki, Waldemar Szarek, Krzysztof Krauze among others.

He recorded dozens of records and some of them were published by reputed world record publishing houses: Warner and KOCH International. His record Tribute To Miles Orchestra - Live as the first in the history of Polish jazz was published by Warner Bros. The CD Zone K published in 2003 with two English musicians Steve Harris and Jan Kopinski was highly evaluated by British press, e.g.: The Guardian, The Wire, Jazzwise, Jazz Views, Oxford Times, Jazzword.

Wojciech Konikiewicz played concerts in many countries: Austria, Finland, Norway, Switzerland, Japan and South Korea. Among his collaborators are famous Japanese artists: painter and performer Nobuhiko Utsumi and composer, double-bass player Hideto Kanai.

Projects:

Free Cooperation
Pinski Zoo
Kopinski & Konikiewicz
Transgroove Trio
Tribute To Miles Orchestra

Selected discography:

"W sferze dotyku" Sesja'80 Acoustic Action (KMN, 1984)
Pinski Zoo with Wojtek Konikiewicz - Live in Warsaw (Poljazz)
Pas De Deux (1985)
Green Revolution "Na całość" (1986)
Free Cooperation "Our Master's Voice" (1988)
Another Form Of Communication (1993)
Tout Est Couleur (1994)
"Matulu" Maria Krupowies (Polonia Records, 1996)
Tribute To Miles Orchestra - Live (Warner Music Poland, 1998)
Cyber Ya2z (Audio Element Records, 2000)
Portraits of R. (2001)
Zone K (Slam Productions, 2003)

Opinions:

Another Form Of Communication

"This music is similar to the hypnosis - you are susceptible to it or not. I do not want to say that this music is hypnotic although it influences some people in this way (...) Musicians accompany the leader very well in walking as well as in their smooth solos." (Ryszard Borowski, Jazzi Magazine)
Portraits of R.

"This record is a collection of 13 solo piano impressions inspired by portraits of Roman Polański made by painters and sculptors from several European countries ordered by the Gallery ADI ART in Łódź. (...) I recommend it for concentrated music lovers but not limited, running spontaneously thanks to interesting associations. To listen in the late evening." (Grzegorz Tusiewicz)
Zone K

"Alto and tenor saxophonist Jan Kopinski has been leading Nottingham's free-funk jazz quintet Pinski Zoo for 23 years. The group have just reconvened for an album and tour after two years set aside for the various solo projects.

Kopinski's collaboration with Polish keyboardist Wojtek Konikiewicz stretches back almost as far to the early 1980's, when they began a regular programme of touring and recording. This live set was recorded in February and March 2002 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Gainsborough and Nottingham. Kopinski has captured a big, open sound, even if it hasn't enough reverb to fill between the instruments. Pinski Zoo's drummer Steve Harris seals this trio with his perpetually suspended percussion smears. He keeps up a cascade of ringing snare and flashing cymbals, anticipating and facilitating the shifting momentum of their lengthy workouts. The trio share a vocabulary of jazz fusion, albeit with a gritty edge that discourages any backsliding. Though some of Konikiewicz's sounds shimmy straight out of his keyboard's standard settings booklet, his attack gives them a slightly distorted edge, and a crackling immediacy. Kopinski, meanwhile, sometimes smears his lines with electronic effects, wah-wah pedalling or harmonizing them into chortling abstraction. The opening 'Corner Jam' is a tense 13 minute prowl that sprawls over into 'Night To Dream', with Kopinski ruffling his sore-flesh tone with a rough vibrato. When he switches to alto for 'Troika', he's more evidently in thrall on Ornette Coleman, as Harris underlines the track's folksy bounce with a curtly snapping tattoo. The restful solo piano interlude of 'Impresja XV' is soon erased in the closing standoff between Kopinski's electronically distended saxophone and Konikiewicz's quicksilver piano rushes." (Martin Longley, THE WIRE, April 2003)

Author: Marek Romański, January 2009.

Session Acoustic Action

Green Revolution

Free Cooperation