Vitold Rek (Germany/Poland)

 

One of the most appreciated Polish double bass players. Jazz instrumentalist, composer and teacher. He debuted in Kraków in the middle of 70's. He cooperated, among others, with bands of Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski and Jan Jarczyk. In the 80's he was a member of a group Sun Ship and coworker of Tomasz Stańko. He leaded his own bands (for example: Basspace). Now he's active in Germany, he works with brilliant European jazzmen and teaches in the conservatory in Frankfurt.

 

"In the hands of Vitold the double bass, this seemingly heavy and one-section instrument, becomes total soloist medium with outstanding potential. (…) The instrumental mastery and artist's imagination, which he presented on „Bassfiddle alla polacca”, amzed me absolutely. (…) It is exactly Polish music, next to the visionary power of Rek and his double bass that sounds like an orchestra, what makes it important. (…) We can find in this album another musical influences: classical, jazz and Middle-East folk (in one song Rek hits the strings in a way that next to a melody, brings to mind the sound of tabla), Hindu or Aboriginal, but the strongest ones are Polish elements. Vitold Rek plays music that is difficult to classify, the music beyond stylistic diversities. It's not jazz, it's not folk, it's not classical music. And if I had been forced to describe his music in one sentence, I would say that it's the Polish music played on double bass".

[Robert Buczek, „Jazz Forum”]

 

28.07.2005, 8:00 PM, Rotunda