Mikolaj Trzaska

Mikolaj Trzaska is a musician - saxophonist, bass clarinettist and composer. He is one of the founders of the yass scene in Poland (yass is an improvised avant-garde of jazz music). He works together with many recognized musicians and plays in different line-ups. His solo career is an unceasing journey and concert. ’Once in everybody’s life there is a time when one has a chance and duty to be revolutionary.’ This is a statement made by Trzaska himself and it applies to his life to a great extent. He admits that you have to learn from others but there is a point when you say ’no’ and do something against the canon. Building tradition means questioning the canon all the time. Although Trzaska is a mature artist following a chosen path he still feels like a warrior and claims that warriors create Great Culture by observing the reality in a critical way and by trying to influence it.Mikolaj Trzaska was born on 7 April 1966 in Gdansk. Already in high school In 1987 he started studies at the Academy of Fine Arts. At that time he met Ryszard Tymon Tymanski who invited him to play together in the group "Sni Sredstwom Zauklanianie" which was transformed into "Milosc" (Love). Fascinated by the life and music of John Coltrane he started playing the alto saxophone and does it until now. "Milosc" absorbed him completely and he left the Academy after two years of studies. In 1993 he founded the group "Loskot" (Clatter) which had its debut at Gdynia Summer Jazz Days Festival. The following year he formed a duet "Maslo" (Butter) together with Tymanski. In 2001 he left "Milosc" and concentrated on work with "Loskot" and solo projects. He also formed a trio Oles/Trzaska/Oles together with Marcin Oles - double bass and Bartlomiej Oles - percussion.
Thanks to cooperation with Peter Friis Nielsen and Peeter Uuskyla he feels closer to Scandinavia as well. Mikolaj Trzaska is a seeker. He can’t play with one line-up only. He wants to meet and work with new people and in this way find inspiration for his own music. He claims that it is when you play with interesting musicians and not when you imitate them that you create your own, original music.
When he improvises he listens to the space even if the only thing he hears is silence. ’It’s most important to maintain a certain frame of mind - be a listener and performer at the same time’ - he says. Every place is appropriate to play; he has performed on streets, in shops, on fields, in woods, in small clubs and in big concert halls, during weddings and funerals. He likes experimenting with other artists and artistic genres. He has performed together with writers Andrzej Stasiuk and Yuri Andrukhovych.
Up till now he has collaborated with Lester Bowie, Peter Friis Nielsen, Peter Brötzmann, Joe McPhee, Ken Vandermark, Michael Zerang, Clementine Gasser, Peter Ole Jorgensen, Macio Moretti, Raphael Roginski, Peeter Uskyla, Johannes Bauer, Joe Giardullo, Peter Ole Jørgensen, John Tchikai, Noel Akchote, Dominik Duval, Franz Hautzinger, Jay Rosen, Tymon Tymanski, Leszek Mozdzer, Jacek Olter, Paul Wirkus, Johannes Frisch He has recorded more than 40 albums, half of them are his own, self composed projects. Considered one of the best Polish jazz musicians he performs all over Europe.
Recently Trzaska’s music image has changed. He has become a composer of theatre music and concentrates on solo music projects. Since 2001 together with his wife Ola he runs an independent recording company "Kilogram Records".
information from official site: http://www.trzaska.art.pl
photos from: http://www.dzyga.com.ua/2007/fest/jazzbez/12_06-lylka.html