Biography
Przemysław Strączek (1976) – jazz guitarist, composer, arranger, producer, educator. Completed studies in music education at the Silesian University in Cieszyn, as well as receiving a degree from the Jazz Institute at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice. He is also a laureate of the Marek Bliziński Master Guitarists’ Competition in Warsaw, which he won in 2001 and 2003, and the All-Poland Competition for Guitar Improvisation in Kielce, in 2005. From 1998 to 2006 he led his first group, Tres Jazz, with which he recorded the album “The Shape of Melody” in 2004. Since 2006 he has been realizing himself as a leader in various musical projects of his own, including the Przemek Strączek Trio and Przemysław Strączek Group, recording two more albums under his own name to date: “Earthly Room” in 2007, and “Light & Shadow” in 2010.
He is also the author of a manual for jazz guitarists called “Elementary principles of jazz improvisation on the guitar, parts I and II”. In 2008 he was honored with an Individual Award from the city of Jastrzębie Zdroj for extensive achievements in the area of Arts and Culture. In 2011 He was qualified as a one of seven finalist (only musician from Europe) to 3rd Thailand International Jazz Conference Solo Competition.
In his music, Przemek Strączek blends elements of mainstream, modal music, Latin-American styles, the blues, and also classical, creating an artistic conception that is his own. He draws inspiration from such artists as Jim Hall, Charlie Parker, Bill Evans, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Johann Sebastian Bach, Mark Turner, Brad Mehldau, Gilad Hekselman, Lage Lund, Adam Rogers, as well as many others.
Musicians he has recorded and/or works with include Andrzej Zielak, Sebastian Frankiewicz, Maciej Garbowski, Jerzy Małek, Sebastian Kuchczyński, Grzegorz Masłowski, Maciej Adamczak, Andrzej Trefon, Karol White, Michał Kapczuk, Piotr Schmidt, Francesco Angiuli, Flavio Li Vigni, Peter Waugh and Teriver Cheung.
Besides a formal musical education, he has expanded his knowledge and abilities through participation in various kinds of jazz clinics and private lessons, both in Poland and abroad, including during time spent in Switzerland, Thailand and the US, where he became familiar with the teaching methods employed in several of New York’s renowned jazz schools. Performing on the club stages of New York, he came into contact with a number of fantastic artists – experiences which left their mark on his music. He studied jazz music from Kurt Rosenwinkel, Danilo Perez, Andreas Oberg, Gilad Hekselman, David Friedman taking part into their private and group workshops.
He has performed on radio and television shows, as well as playing at festivals such as: Guitar City in Warsaw, the International Jazz Festival in Usti nad Labem (Czech Rep.), Świdnica Jazz Nights, Silesian Jazz Meeting in Rybnik, Jazz at the Ruins in Gliwice, Easy Jazz Festival in Żory, Jazz Camping Kalatówki in Zakopane, Summer Jazz Festival in Krakow, Thailand International Jazz Conference. He has also performed in the Czech Republic, United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Thailand ,Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, and the United States.
Important dates:
2001 – third prize at the Marek Bliziński Masters’ Competition for Jazz Guitarists in Warsaw
2002 – second prize at Miles Davis Jazz Improvisation Competition in Kielce
2003 – first prize at Silesian Jazz Meeting in Rybnik with Tres Jazz
2003 – third prize at the Marek Bliziński Masters’ Competition for Jazz Guitarists in Warsaw
2005 – second prize at Improvisation Competition for Guitarists in Kielce
2006 – final of International Jazz bands Competition in Usti Nad Labem (Czech Republic) for Przemek
Straczek Trio
2008 – The prize of president of city Jastrzebie Zdroj for particular artistic achieviements
2009 – appearances in New York
2010 – Promoting Light & Shadow in Spain (Madrid)
2011 – Final Round in Thailand International Jazz Conference Solo Competition
2011 – Promoting Light & shadow in United Kingdom (London, Coventry)