Michal Urbaniak - Serenade For The City

Styles: Violin Jazz
Year: 1980
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 37:54
Size: 87,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:17)  1. Circular Road
(4:41)  2. Nanava
(5:02)  3. Sometimes
(4:49)  4. Serenade For The City
(4:28)  5. Samba Miko
(4:43)  6. Fall
(4:54)  7. Joy
(4:58)  8. Vanessa

Once Poland's most promising import in the jazz-rock 1970s, Michal Urbaniak's chief value in retrospect was as a fellow traveler of Jean-Luc Ponty, a fluid advocate of the electric violin, the lower-pitched Violectra, and the Lyricon (the first popular, if now largely under-utilized wind synthesizer). Like many Eastern European jazzmen, he would incorporate elements of Polish folk music into his jazz pursuits, and his other heroes range from the inevitable Miles Davis to Polish classicist Witold Lutoslawski. His electric violin was often filtered with a gauze of electronic modifying devices, and on occasion, he could come up with an attractively memorable composition like "Satin Lady." Urbaniak began playing the violin at age six, followed by studies on the soprano and then tenor saxophones. His interests in jazz developed chronologically from Dixieland to swing to bop as he grew up, and he studied at the Academy of Music in Warsaw while working in various Polish jazz bands and playing classical violin. In 1965, he formed his own band in Scandinavia with singer Urszula Dudziak (later his wife), returning to Poland in 1969 to found Constellation, which included pianist Adam Makowicz. Having won a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music upon being voted Best Soloist at the 1971 Montreux Jazz Festival, Urbaniak made the U.S. his home in 1973. He soon formed a popular jazz-rock group called Fusion, recording for Columbia and Arista in a Mahavishnu Orchestra/Ponty fashion, with Dudziak adding darting, slippery scat vocals. This group lasted until 1977, and Urbaniak's profile would never be as high again, although he performed with Larry Coryell in 1982-1983, led the new electric group Urbanator in the 1990s, and has performed and recorded in other styles ranging from bop to free jazz into the 21st century. ~ Richard S.Ginell https://www.allmusic.com/artist/michal-urbaniak-mn0000889276/biography               

Personnel:  Michal Urbaniak : electric violin, lyricon;  Urszula Dudziak : vocals;  Kenny Kirkland : keyboards;  Barry Eastwood : keyboards;  Doc Powell : guitar;  Marcus Miller : bass guitar;  Yogi Horton : drums;  Rick Galloway : percussion

Serenade For The City

---

Michal Urbaniak Jazz Trio - My One And Only Love

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 72:29
Size: 165.9 MB
Styles: Fusion
Year: 1981/1996
Art: Front

[10:17] 1. My One And Only Love
[ 9:22] 2. Bells
[10:17] 3. Folky Mazurka
[ 8:47] 4. Apology
[ 7:35] 5. More Michal Moore
[ 9:25] 6. Manha De Carnival
[ 8:34] 7. Summertime
[ 8:10] 8. Just A Little Waltz

Once Poland's most promising import in the jazz-rock 1970s, Michal Urbaniak's chief value in retrospect was as a fellow traveler of Jean-Luc Ponty, a fluid advocate of the electric violin, the lower-pitched Violectra, and the Lyricon (the first popular, if now largely under-utilized wind synthesizer). Like many Eastern European jazzmen, he would incorporate elements of Polish folk music into his jazz pursuits, and his other heroes range from the inevitable Miles Davis to Polish classicist Witold Lutoslawski. His electric violin was often filtered with a gauze of electronic modifying devices, and on occasion, he could come up with an attractively memorable composition like "Satin Lady."

My One And Only Love mc
My One And Only Love zippy

---

Michal Urbaniak - Fusion III

Styles: Violin Jazz
Year: 1975
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:54
Size: 114,6 MB
Art: Front

(5:29)  1. Chinatown (Part I)
(6:15)  2. Kuyaviak Goes Funky
(5:48)  3. Roksana
(2:41)  4. Crazy Kid
(5:21)  5. Prehistoric Bird
(4:22)  6. Bloody Kishka
(4:44)  7. Cameo
(6:22)  8. Stretch
(4:46)  9. Metroliner
(4:00) 10. Chinatown (Part II)

With song structures similar to Mahavishnu Orchestra and electric-era Return to Forever, Michal Urbaniak's Fusion III appealed to the same fusion-buying clientele. What most distinguishes this music from that of its contemporaries was the unique vocalizing of Urbaniak's wife, Ursula Dudziak. She could sound at times like a Polish Flora Purim, at other times like a synthesized presence from another world. On this recording, Urbaniak's playing is fresh and engaging, and his compositions occasionally sound like Frank Zappa's instrumental work from this same era. John Abercrombie and Larry Coryell turn in blistering guitar passages, and bassist Anthony Jackson and drummer Steve Gadd provide a funkified rhythmic foundation. ~ Jim Newson https://www.allmusic.com/album/fusion-iii-mw0000917962

Personnel: Michal Urbaniak (violin); Urszula Dudziak (vocals, synthesizer, percussion, electronic percussion); John Abercrombie (guitar); Wlodek Gulgowski (electric piano, electric organ, Moog synthesizer); Anthony Jackson (bass guitar); Steve Gadd (drums).              

Fusion III

---

Michal Urbaniak - Manhattan Man

Styles: Violin Jazz
Year: 1992
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 53:12
Size: 156,7 MB
Art: Front

(5:47)  1. Manhattan Man
(5:48)  2. Street Talk
(6:25)  3. Paris Groove
(5:06)  4. Don't Wait
(4:36)  5. City Lights
(5:38)  6. Torn Apart
(5:56)  7. Beauty & Hope
(4:00)  8. You Only Love Once
(4:31)  9. Zephyrus
(5:20) 10. Manhattan Man (Reprise)

One never knows what to expect from violinist Michal Urbaniak, who has recorded bop, free jazz, funk and junk throughout his career with equal enthusiasm. Unfortunately, funk and junk are the main course on this CD, particularly during its first half. An odd collection, the set features plenty of electronic percussion and aimless grooves along with a few worthwhile moments. Urbaniak is overdubbed on strings, keyboards and saxophones but buries most of his guests under the mechanical percussion, including harmonica great Toots Thielemans on "Manhattan Man" and an otherwise acoustic trio featuring pianist Herbie Hancock on "Paris Groove." An odd record. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/manhattan-man-mw0000075203

Personnel: Michael Urbaniak (violin); Bervine Harris (vocals); Peter Burman, Toots Thielemans (harmonica); Herbie Hancock (piano); Bobby Baldwin (keyboards); Gregg Jones (bass); Lenny White (drums); Darren Quinland (drum programming)

Manhattan Man

---

Michal Urbaniak, Horace Parlan Trio - Take Good Care Of My Heart

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:22
Size: 124.5 MB
Styles: Fusion
Year: 1986
Art: Front

[6:02] 1. Sweet Lee
[6:04] 2. Blues For Pinky
[6:21] 3. Power Of Love
[6:12] 4. Take Good Care Of My Heart
[4:21] 5. Mean And Mine
[5:10] 6. The Time Will Reveal
[4:09] 7. Back Where We Belong
[5:56] 8. Romance
[5:15] 9. Spiritual
[4:46] 10. Let's Do It Again

Violinist Michal Urbaniak teams up with pianist Horace Parlan's Trio (which also includes bassist Jesper Lundgaard and drummer Aage Tanggaard) on this mostly straight-ahead outing. Rather than interpret standards this time, Urbaniak and his group perform six of his better originals and three obscurities. The tunes are often tricky, but the results are generally swinging and feature the violinist in prime form. ~Scott Yanow

Take Good Care Of My Heart

---