KRZYSZTOF
POPEK is
a leading
Polish jazz flute player topping the jazz rankings of the Jazz Forum
monthly (The European Jazz Magazine) for many years and also owner
of a well-known label POWER
BROS.
He
started off as a jazz musician at Jazz Juniors ’82 and Jazz
Nad Odra ’85 festivals
winning individual awards at both.
He plays the soprano and alto flute. Besides, he is a composer,
arranger and inspirational leader of his numerous bands of which
Young Power
stands out as the most renowned and popular.
The album “Letters and Leaves” also proved to be a success. It was recorded by KRZYSZTOF POPEK QUINTET and was nominated for the Polish Grammy Award – Fryderyk ’96 and came second in Jazz Forum’s Album of the Year ’96 ranking.
In 2005 he recorded important "House of Jade" with a magnificent American rhythm section: Victor Lewis, David Friesen and Randy Porter. - " Popek is a precise player with beautiful technique ... " Elliot Simon, November 2006, ALLABOUTJAZZ - NEW YORK
In
2006
You
Are In My Heart with Joe LaBarbera,
David Friesen, Randy Porter and Piotr Wojtasik and in 2007 together
with Victor Lewis, Cameron Brown, Stephen Scott and
Piotr Wojtasik - Estate.
Now, he plays and records with INTERNATIONAL QUINTET with Kirk Lightsey, Stephen Scott, Cameron Brown, Victor Lewis, Joe La Barbera, David Friesen, Randy Porter, Ed Schuller, Jasper van't Hof, John Betsch, Piotr Wojtasik and Piotr Baron.
He has performed in major clubs in Europe, and also at such festivals as Warsaw Jazz Summer, Jazz Jamboree, Molde International Jazz Festival, Göttinger Jazzfestival, Leverkusener Jazz Tage, Nancy Jazz Pulsations, Berlin Jazz Tage, Stockholm Jazz and Blues All Stars Festival and many others. In 1997 Krzysztof Popek and his Quintet performed in Bonn, Germany to celebrate Poland’s accession to NATO.
The
most important prizes:
Every
year since 1988 (also in 2008) Krzysztof Popek has been awarded the
Flute Player of the Year ( Jazz Forum - The
European Jazz Magazine )
1987
– Krzysztof Popek awarded the Musician
of the Year (Jazz Forum - The
European Jazz Magazine)
1987
– Young Power (Krzysztof Popek’s big band ) awarded the Big
Band of the Year (Jazz Forum - The
European Jazz Magazine)
1988
– Krzysztof Popek awarded the Musician
of the Year (Jazz Forum - The
European Jazz Magazine)
1988
– Krzysztof Popek awarded the
Arranger of the Year (Jazz Forum - The
European Jazz Magazine)
1988
– Young Power (
Krzysztof Popek’s big band
) awarded the Band
of the Year
1996
- Krzysztof Popek
Quintet’s “Letters & Leaves" Album
of the Year (Jazz Forum - The
European Jazz Magazine)
1996
Krzysztof Popek Quintet’s
“Letters
& Leaves" was
nominated for the Polish
Grammy Award – Fryderyk ’96
The
nineties are the time of Krzysztof
Popek’s “double action”
as a musician, and, on the other hand, as a producer and record
editor. 
Since
1992 his firm Power Bros edited full series of Polish jazz classics
and also many records by world-known stars, like Joe
Lovano, Billy Harper, David Liebman, Victor Lewis,
Tomasz
Stanko, Buster Williams, Billy Hart, David Friesen, Edward Vesala,
Jon Christensen, Arild Andersen, Ed Schuller, Bernt Rosengren, Ben
Riley, Ronnie Burrage etc.
The firm gained the worldwide recognition by editing multimedia
records, containing music by Krzysztof
Komeda.
“Power
Bros” sells its records not only in Poland. They are
distributed in twenty countries around the world, among which are
United States (Cadence Building), all Europe including
Scandinavia and Great Britain.
They are also available via the net, sold by “Power
Bros”, by Cadence Building and by Amazon com,Amazon de.
The
records from the firm’s catalogue can be found in prestigious
publications, like “Penguin
Guide of Jazz”. They were favorably noticed by jazz magazines,
among them “Wire”, “Jazz Podium”,
“Jazztetic” and many others.
Also on the Polish jazz scene the publications of “Power Bros” are yearly recognized among the best albums of the year and are highly esteemed by critics.
Photos:
Ewa i Jacek Filipowicz