Articles by Cezary L. Lerski

Maciej Lewenstein: Quantum Mechanics of Polish Jazz

by Cezary L. Lerski
October 11, 2015

Maciej Lewenstein was born in 1955 in Warsaw. He is a theoretical physicist and currently an ICREA professor at Institut de Ciències Fotòniques (ICFO) in Castelldefels near Barcelona, Spain. He has written more than 500 scientific papers and is the recipient of many international and national prizes. Next to theoretical physics his other passion is music and jazz in particular. First edition of his new English-language book Polish Jazz Recordings and Beyond, was published in 2014 by ...

Polish Jazz for Dummies: 60 Years of Jazz from Poland

by Cezary L. Lerski
October 14, 2005

Introduction After 1945, like the rest of the Eastern and Central Europe, Poland fell under the dominance of Stalinist Russia-- and the Soviets certainly did not dig the swing!! Consequently, only certain musical forms were allowed to flourish, particularly those with folk rhythm, without syncopation. One tempo was prescribed for everybody and army marching bands rose in importance. The process of political and cultural oppression intensified after 1949 and jazz music was outlawed as the music of the ...

Tomasz Stanko: A Mix of Two Extremes

by Cezary L. Lerski
June 14, 2004

I've always been a mix of two extremes... The conversation with Tomasz Stanko.

This interview was conducted via phone on May 18th, 2004 by Cezary Lerski from Polish Jazz Network one month before Tomasz Stanko Quartet tour in the United States and Canada.

All About Jazz: Dear Tomasz, your music has always been for many, myself included, an extreme of musical sophistication, the art form that requires special effort to comprehend, the art form accessible only to few ...