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Marek Napiorkowski

Marek Napiórkowski is a leading Polish jazz guitarist and composer. For many years he has proven himself as an all-around artist with unique musical language of his own. Difficult to put labels on: with each musical journey, he takes us into even more intriguing worlds, bound together with his signature sound.

Ever since the beginning of his career, his name has been featured in the top musician rankings. Since 2012, the readers of Jazz Forum magazine have consistently selected him as the Jazz Guitarist of the Year. Napiórkowski has been acclaimed by both the industry and critics becoming a six time nominee of the prestigious Music Award FRYDERYK in Jazz Musician of the Year and Jazz Album of the Year categories. He also has been awarded the Szczota prize by the Polish National Radio Program III.

His name has been credited on more than 150 albums with various artists. His solo albums include:

★ NAP (2005, Universal Music Group) – featuring Anna Maria Jopek, Leszek Możdżer and Henryk Miśkiewicz

★ Wolno (2007, Universal Music Group) – featuring, amongst others, Grégoire Maret, Mino Cinelu, Michał Miśkiewicz and Robert Majewski. The album achieved a gold record status

★ KonKubiNap (2011, Universal Music Group) – a live album, in a trio with Robert Kubiszyn and Cezary Konrad

★ UP! (2013, V-Records) – a production of an almost orchestral grandeur featuring Clarence Penn, Adam Pierończyk, Krzysztof herdzin, Henryk Miśkiewicz, Robert Kubiszyn and a symphonical nonet

★ Celuloid (2015, V-Records) – a duet with Artur Lesicki presenting Polish film music in jazz arrangements, as well as the musicians' own material

★ Marek Napiórkowski Sextet - Trójka Live (2016) - a live album in sextet with extraordinary polish jazz players: Adam Pierończyk, Henryk Miśkiewicz, Krzysztof Herdzin, Robert Kubiszyn and Paweł Dobrowolski

In the years 1993-2004 Marek Napiórkowski was a co-leader of Funky Groove, which has been nominated twice for The Electric Band of the Year by Jazz Forum magazine readers.

During his eighteen-year-long co-operation with Anna Maria Jopek, Napiórkowski participated in her most prominent projects as the closest musical partner. Amongst those, especially worth pointing out are Pat Metheny & Anna Maria Jopek "Upojenie" and the pinnacle of this co-operation, a concert held under the same name in the Warsaw Congress Hall; "ID" and "Jo&Co" tours featuring Richard Bona, Mino Cinelu and Dhafer Youssef; a concert with Ivan Lins; "Polanna" project featuring Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Gil Goldstein; "Sombremesa" project (live) featuring lusophone musicians such as Yami, Marito Marquez and João Balão.

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"Napiorkowski may be a largely unknown quantity in Britain but on the strength of this album he has both the artistic ambition and sense of measure to warrant wider recognition." Jazzwise Magazine, Kevin Le Gendre (UP!, 2013)

“The sound, the performance, the arrangements – all those are the top level. A real, musicial treat!” Artur Tabor, Magazyn Gitarzysta (UP!, 2013)

"The Trinity consisting of musicians from the top rankings plays magnificently, sounds just the same, and what's more – it also applies to the live shows. Yes, KonKubiNap is the ultimate trio." Maciej Karłowski, Polish National Radio Program II (KonKubiNap, 2011)

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Marek Napiórkowski...

Polskie Radio S.A.
2016

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Celuloid

V-Records
2015

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UP!

V-Records
2013

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KonKubiNap

Universal Music Group
2011

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Wolno

Universal Music Group
2007

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