Born: June 17, 1971 Primary Instrument: Bass, acoustic
Rafal Mazur's involvement with music began in his youth with violoncello studies in Krakow. He switched to bass guitar in the late 1980's. Since 2000 he has played an acoustic bass guitar built to his own specifications by luthier Jerzy Wysocki. He has developed an advanced and individual approach to his instrument, and to improvisation in general, in which sonority, extended technique and gesture combine effortlessly in performance.
He has taken an important role in Kraków to support young artists and improvised music. A founder of the ImproArt studio of improvisation, he has performed jazz and improvised music in clubs and festivals across Poland and Europe, and in China, South Korea and Israel. In recent years he has collaborated with Lisa Ullen, Frederic Blondy, Charlotta Hug, Raymond Strid, Keir Neuringer, Zsolt Sores and Attila Dóra and others. His current focus is the trio Ensemble 56. He is an organizer of the Laboratory of Intuition, a series of spontaneous art presentations in Kraków.
Mazur's main field of interest and activity is collective and solo free/spontaneous improvisation. In his practice as an improvising musician and on his way to mastery he studys Chinese philosophy (Jagiellonian University). He regards Taoism as a strong base for the enrichment of the improviser's attitude, and to this end he practices the Taoist's martial art TaiJi Quan Chen. For Mazur, following the masters of Chinese philosophy and martial arts is crucial in the development of a state of mind prepared for the unexpected situations an improviser encounters in the act of collective free improvisation.
Mazur's most recent work is the first album of solo acoustic bass guitar free improvisation: 'Sonor Forms'. Released by independent label DTS Records in Krakow on its Transidiomatic series, the disc is the result of investigation into the practice of solo free improvisation.
"Sonor Forms" - Transidiomatic 2
DTS Records
2009
Personnel: Rafal Mazur - acoustic bass guitar
Duo
"Night in Krakow"
Insubordinations
2007
Personnel: Marzena Lis - grand piano
Rafal Mazur - acoustic bass guitar
"Elan Vital"
Insubordinations
2008
Personnel: Eve Risser - grand piano
Rafal Mazur - acoustic bass guitar
"Improwizje"
Insubordinations
2010
Personnel: Keir Neuringer - alto saxophone
Rafal Mazur - acoustic bass guitar
"Unison Lines"
Not Two Records
2010
Personnel: Keir Neuringer - alto saxophone
Rafal Mazur - acoustic bass guitar
Trio
Ullen/Dóra/Mazur Trio
"Beyond and Behind" - Transidiomatics 1
DTS Records
2009
Personne: Lisa Ullen - grand piano
Attila Dóra - saxophones
Rafal Mazur - acoustic bass guitar
Ensemble 56
"Toward Sky Flight of Dragon"
Not Two Records
2008
Personnel: Mieczyslaw Górka - drumms
Attila Dóra - saxophones
Rafal Mazur - acoustic bass guitar
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