Tomasz Stańko

Polish trumpeter Tomasz Stańko was a major force in bringing European jazz, especially avant-garde and post-bop sounds to a wider global audience. A daring improviser with a brooding, cinematic style, Stańko often drew comparisons to Miles Davis, but his work was largely shaped by his musical contemporary, pianist/composer Krzysztof Komeda, with whom he recorded 1965's landmark Astigmatic. After Komeda's death in 1969, Stańko emerged as a leader, paying tribute to his friend with 1970's Music for K and releasing a string of influential albums, including 1976's Balladyna, 1982'...