14 Facts About Tomasz Szukalski

Tomasz Szukalski was a Polish jazz saxophonist, composer and improviser.

Tomasz Szukalski studied clarinet but preferred to perform on tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone and on special occasions on bass clarinet or baritone saxophone.

Parallel to touring Scandinavia and West Europe with other jazz musicians, Tomasz Szukalski performed in Poland with the Silesian rockband SBB.

In 1977, Tomasz Szukalski consolidated his own band The Quartet, which soon gained high reputation.

The duo realized the album "Ambitus Extended" and Tomasz Szukalski performed with Jozef Skrzek and his short living project Jozef Skrzek Formation.

In 1985, Tomasz Szukalski consolidated his new quartet with Piotr Biskupski, Andrzej Cudzich and Andrzej Jagodzinski and eventually his friend and neighbour, the drummer Marek Stach, but the new quartet did not survive due lack of performances and the atmosphere of martial law.

Tomasz Szukalski's custom made Henri Selmer Paris tenor saxophone and Julius Keilwerth soprano saxophone have been stolen in Warsaw a couple of months before he moved to his cabin outside Warsaw.

At his hermitage cabin outside Warsaw Tomasz Szukalski was visited by his friends and musicians inviting him to their recording sessions and performances, most often by the pianists Artur Dutkiewicz and Wojciech Majewski who always relied on "uncle Tom's" advice.

Tomasz Szukalski lost his father's home, divorced and spent nearly two decades in his primitive cabin outside Warsaw, where he lived permanently since 2003.

Around 2009, homeless and ill, Tomasz Szukalski gained some attention from friends, especially from Artur Dutkiewicz, who organised "The Day of The Jackal" benefit concerts in several major Polish cities.

In 2012, Tomasz Szukalski was posthumously awarded with the Medal for Merit to Culture - Gloria Artis for his achievements for the Polish culture and in 2013 with Fryderyk, the Polish equivalent of the Grammy Award, for the works of his lifetime.

Tomasz Szukalski was able to present his enormous wisdom, which would otherwise afford many years of education in a very condensed and simple form, which attracted many young jazz musicians consulting "uncle Tom" at every possible occasion, most often backstage after his performances or in jazz clubs, to gain some knowledge and practical advice.

Tomasz Szukalski picked up and educated young jazz talents, who otherwise wouldn't be noticed and often performed as special guest promoting their debut recordings.

Tomasz Szukalski was very creative in the band, what we mostly appreciated was his sound, his expression.