Wojciech Staroniewicz - North Park (2019)

..this is a first-rate acoustic jazz, (…) devised by the leader to be played not only on a big stage but also unplugged, without microphones and amplifiers. On one hand it is a return to the roots of jazz playing, on the other hand, they are aesthetically pleasing variations based on uninhibited mainstream music enriched by Staroniewicz’s mastery in composition and harmony. In places radical, yet restrained when required, Staroniewicz proves with every single note that in Poland, in this type of jazz, he is in a class of his own. Piotr Iwicki „Jazz Gazeta”

Wojciech Staroniewicz is a well-known Polish saxophonist and composer, who has been performing in front of audiences for over 25 years and he keeps on surprising his fans with new original musical projects. His broad spectrum of musical style has been captured on 8 albums to date: Quiet City, Karambola, Hand made, Conversession, Alternations, A’freak-an Project, Tranquillo and A’FreAk-KomEdA Project. His entire discography includes over 40 titles.

Staroniewicz has also been invited to collaborate as a side-man with other well-known musicians and bands which include (but are not limited to) the Norwegian band Loud Jazz Band, Wlodzimierz Nahorny Sextet and the Metro musical. Throughout his career he has been performing with a variety of excellent musicians such as: Andrzej Jagodziński, Włodek Pawlik, Cezary Konrad, Krzysztof Herdzin, Adam Cegielski, Nippy Noya, Helge Lien, Erik Johannessen, Brian Melvin and most of the leading jazz musicians of Trojmiasto.

Wojciech Staroniewicz is the only Polish saxophone player (and one of only 21 other saxophonists that qualified from all around the world) to have gone as far as semifinals
of the International Jazz Improvisation Competition in Washington, D.C. ‘91. Other awards include: the 1st collective prize and the first individual prize for the best composed piece at the Jazz Juniors Festival ‘85; 1st prize Golden Key to Career at the Pomeranian Jazz Autumn with the band Set-Off; 2nd prize at the International Contest for Youth Orchestras in Hoeilaart, Belgium. Staroniewicz is also a winner of the prestigious Sopocka Muza award (‘09, in the category of art and culture), funded by the mayor of Sopot.

Wojciech performed on the main stages of: Jazz Jamboree, Warsaw Summer Jazz Days and Gdynia Summer Jazz Days – the same stages where Kenny Garrett, Chick Corea, David Sanchez, James Carter and Yellow Yackets also performed.
Most recently, Staroniewicz has been active as a soloist with the Polish Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra (conducted by Wojciech Rajski) and also with his own band which plays contemporary jazz based on his original compositions.