Janusz ‘Macek’ Mackiewicz plays both the double bass and the bass guitar and also composes and arranges music. He was born in Gdansk, Poland, where he has lived and worked all his life. Janusz runs an on-line workshop on playing the bass named “My – szkola†at www.mayones.com. A co-author of Janusz Poplawski’s “Szkola na bas†(Bass Lessons), he has published a number of professional books and articles on music as well.Born in 1957 in Gdansk, Poland, Janusz Mackiewicz began his adventure with music as a teenager in a rock band playing the bass guitar. Janusz entered the State School of Music in Gdansk in 1977 to study in professor Stanislaw Zubek’s double bass class. He made his debut as a doublebassist in the jazz Big Band of Jerzy Partyka. Throughout the 1981 year, Janusz perfected his skills in the New Coast band with such celebrated musicians as Maciej Sikala, Grzegorz Nagorski, Adam Czerwinski, and Cezary Paciorek. In 1981 and 1982, Janusz attended jazz workshops in Chodziez, Poland, coached by Bronislaw Suchanek and Zbyszek Wegenhaupt. In 1984, although still a State Secondary School of Music student, he started his six year long engagement with the orchestra of the Music Theatre in Gdynia. These years also brought him recording sessions for Radio Gdansk. In the early 90’s Janusz began a new chapter in his life. He set his cooperation with Przemek Dyakowski into practice and together they ran the Sax Club, acclaimed as one of the best Polish jazz clubs. He also organized jam sessions at yearly GSJD jazz festivals and performed there with numerous stars of the US jazz scene. Simultaneously, Janusz began a long-standing cooperation with the jazz clarinetist Emil Kowalski. In 1992, he recorded music accompanying a very popular “Szkola na bas†by Janusz Poplawski and, at the same time, became a standing collaborator of the “Gitara i Bass†(The Guitar and Bass) magazine where he promoted new bands and published tests of musical equipment. The 1990’s saw him also in concert tours where he performed with Piotr Baron, Wojciech Karolak, Tomasz Szukalski, Zbyszek Namyslowski, Janusz Muniak, Krystyna Pronko, Jan Ptaszyn Wroblewski, Jarek Smietana, and Leszek Mozdzer, to name but a few. Janusz Mackiewicz appeared at many renowned jazz festivals such as Sopot Molo Jazz Festival, Jazz nad Odra (Jazz on the Oder), and Komeda Jazz Festival. In 2003, Janusz Mackiewicz formed his own band and recorded his first CD “W Dzien Bozego Narodzenia†(On Christmas Day) featuring Christmas carols. At present, Janusz plays in Przemek Dyakowski’s „Take It Easy†band.The year 2008 Janusz begins with the release of his new album titled “Frogsville†featuring his own compositions.www.januszmackiewicz.com
