He became bass guitar player around 1973. Then he started experimenting with capabilities of bass guitar and had been invited by Janusz Grzywacz to join a professional band “Labolatorium”. “Experimenting” is an appropriate word to describe Krzysztof’s artistic work with his bandmates. Janusz as a keyboard player and the band’s leader was a man with “an open head and mind”. He eagerly welcomed the band members’ new ideas and it was the factor which contributed to birth of “Labolatorium”’s sophisticated sound. Playing with “Labolatorium” made Ścierański’s talents and skills flourish. He had an unsual rhythm sense and was assigned the band’s solo instrumentalist. Following Jaco Pastorius’ ideas of using bass guitar during performances he had shown a whole new way of playing the bass guitar as a leading and a solo instrument.
Ścierański’s incredible skills, enhanced by his hard work, helped him to create a new kind of bass music. In following years, Krzysztof had been a member of loads of the best Polish jazz bands. He had been playing with Zbigniew Namysłowski in “Air Condition”, Krzesimir Dębski in “String Connection”(the best Polish jazz band in 80’s) and with many more.
He has been and still is the Number One on an annual bass players list publicated by Jazz Forum magazine. After all the years of his musical experiences it’s hard to say that Krzysztof is playing the bass guitar.
Currently it’s better described as..painting. He’s using a palette full ofncolours. Obviously, he’s playing a four-stringed electric bass guitar including a special device- Peave Midi Bass. It gives him an additional space by special sound modules altogether with a sampler and Lexicon MamMan loopers. His performances are travels through time and space including warm evening sunsets in India, hot and beautiful Kalahari desert, savannas of Africa, atmosphere of Cuba, magic of the Middle West… Krzysztof Ścierański’s carrer has a long and interesting story.
Krzysztof Ścieranski fot. Dariusz Kalbarczyk
Over 50 records with multiple artists, 10 long-plays of his own and many other CD’s where he recorded his own solo music or the music with his musician friends he had met on the way. He had performed in various places all around the globe; UK, USSR, USA, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia and many more. He composed a couple of songs which became mile-stones in development of Polish pop music.
Now, some technical information about Ścierański’s style of playing his bass guitar. One of the most astounding things is that he’s capable of performing all by himself(!). Using advanced equipment like samplers, drum machines, loopers and midi-bass combined with his miraculous talent, musical intuition and an amazing instumentalist’s technique he’s definitely a second-to-none bass guitar player.
When playing in duo, he usually plays with a friend of his- Bernard Maseli who is a master of a special kind of vibraphone- Midi Kat Controller(sort of an electronic version of vibes). Maseli uses keyboard instruments and devices using specific sound modules as well. They’ve been performing together for many years, either in Poland and beyond the border, which eventually gave fantastic results.
Nowadays, he usually plays in two formations- a trio and a quartet. His trio consists of Marek Raduli(guitarist), Michał Dąbrówka(drums; one of the most skilled jazz musicians and side-men in Poland) and himself.
As for quartets- for the last three years, Ścierański has been playing with Zbigniew Jakubek(keyboard), Marek Napiórkowski(electric guitar) and with Dąbrówka(like in his trio). His trio and quartet are extremely powerful jazz-rock bands. They can play gently at first only to go on a full blast later on(like C-4 or a volcano!!).
In the time of need, the musicians can be replaced only to create a whole new band which would give a completely new musical experience. This short article hardly describes Krzysztof’s musical work on a full scale.
The best way to get know with his work and to travel with him through time and space is simply to listen to some of his masterpieces. This musical trailblazer shouldn’t be left unnoticed.
If you are interested in jazz or any other similar genders of music, you should just grab one of his albums and simply dwell in the atmosphere of an emotionally and technically mesmerizing music.
Source: Official Website
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