Michal Urbaniak

Urbaniak started his music education during high school in Łódź, and continued from 1961 in Warsaw in the violin class of Tadeusz Wroński. Learning to play on the saxophone alone, he first played in a Dixieland band, and later with Zbigniew Namysłowski and the "Jazz Rockers", with whom he performed during the Jazz Jamboree festival in 1961. After this, he was invited to play with Andrzej Trzaskowski, and toured the USA in 1962 with his band "The Wreckers", playing at festivals and clubs in Newport, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington, and New York City.

Since 1970 Urbaniak is playing on a custom-made, five string violin furnished especially for him, violin synthesizer called "talkin'" violin, soprano, alto and tenor saxophones and on lyricon (electric sax-like horn). His fusion with a hint of folklore was becoming popular among the leaders of American jazz, and also provided opportunity for many new musicians (Harold Williams, Steve Jordan, Marcus Miller, Kenny Kirkland, Omar Hakim, and Victor Bailey. He started to play in well known clubs such as Village Vanguard and Village Gate, in famous concert halls such as Carnegie Hall, Beacon Theatre, and Avery Fisher Hall. In this period he played with such stars as Weather Report, Freddie Hubbard, Elvin Jones, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, George Benson, and Billy Cobham.

Urbaniak has invited and has been invited by many other well known jazz stars, including Lenny White, Wayne Shorter, Marcus Miller, Joe Zawinul, Ron Carter, Kenny Barron, Buster Williams and Quincy Jones. In 1985, he was invited to play during the recording of Tutu with the father of fusion, Miles Davis. Davis is reported to have said on this occasion: "Get me this fucking Polish fiddler, he's got the sound!"


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Urodzony w Warszawie, Urbaniak dorastał i kształcił się w liceum muzycznym w Łodzi. Tam także odbyły się jego pierwsze koncerty (w klubie Pod Siódemkami).

Od 1970 Urbaniak gra na specjalnych, pięciostrunowych skrzypcach wykonanych specjalnie dla niego, na syntezatorze skrzypcowym zwanym "gadającymi" skrzypcami, na saksofonach sopranowym, altowym i tenorowym i na lyrikonie (instrumencie elektronicznym przypominającym saksofon). Wplatane przez niego elementy folklorystyczne zyskały uznanie czołowych amerykańskich jazzmanów, jak również otwierały nowe możliwości dla wielu nowych muzyków (Harold Williams, Steve Jordan, Marcus Miller, Kenny Kirkland, Omar Hakim, Victor Bailey). Grał w popularnych klubach (Village Vanguard, Village Gate) i w słynnych salach koncertowych (Carnegie Hall, Beacon Theatre, Avery Fisher Hall). Grał z gwiazdami takimi jak Weather Report, Freddie Hubbard, Elvin Jones, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Miles Davis, George Benson, Billy Cobham. Urbaniak zapraszał i był zapraszany do współpracy przez wielu znanych jazzmanów (Lenny White, Wayne Shorter, Marcus Miller, Joe Zawinul, Ron Carter, Kenny Barron, Buster Williams, Quincy Jones). W 1985 uczestniczył w sesji nagraniowej z Milesem Daviesem do płyty Tutu.