Zbigniew Seifert is recognized as one of the great performers of jazz on the violin, and an extraordinary and forward thinking improvisor. Seifert was born in June, 6th, 1946. He began studying the violin at the age of six and ten years later also took up the saxophone. He studied violin at the University Of Krakow, while also playing alto in his jazz group. The music of John Coltrane proved to be a strong influence throughout Seifert's career. The violin took precedence as Seifert' main instrument when he was a member of Tomasz Stanko 's quintet from 1969 to 1973. He moved to Germany in 1973, played with Hans Koller 's Free Sound from 1974-75 and freelanced with various musicians(including with pianist Joachim Kuhn ). Seifert played at the Monterey Jazz Festival with jazz legend John Lewis in 1976 and the following year recorded with Oregon . In the mid to late seventies, Seifert recorded a series of solo records, that established him as one of the most unique voices in jazz, and one of the most sophisticated improvisors on the violin.
During his career, " Zbiggy " played and recorded with a number of top musicians including Michael Brecker , Randy Brecker , John Scofield , Eddie Gomez , Jack Dejohnette , McCoy Tyner , Phillip Catherine , Billy Hart , Joachim Kuhn , and many others. Seifert passed away at the age of 32 from cancer, leaving a legacy that still influences musicians to this day.
Below are some link to some pages with features on Zbigniew
Zbigniew Seifert's Discography
Interview with Zbigniew Seifert
