Jarek Śmietana
a giant of jazz guitar,
no.1 jazz guitarist in Poland for over 35 years and one of leading ones in the world was born in Kraków in 1951.
In 1972, with his first blues-inspired band „Hall”, he won an award at the Jazz nad Odrą festival.
Śmietana lead the band Extra Ball since 1974. He continued to lead this band until 1981. He later was the leader of the Sounds, Big Band Symphonic Sound Orchestra, the Polish Jazz Stars Band and many others. He was also a coleader of the Namysłowski-Śmietana Quartet.
Śmietana has performed at numerous jazz festivals, concert tours, and workshops in the USA, India, Asia and South America.
In 1998 he was the winner of the Fryderyk 1998 award for his „Songs and Other Ballads” album.
He was presented with the President of Cracow Prize for cultural achievement, Gloria Artis cross for cultural input and posthumously a Cross of Cavalier of Order of „Polands Revival” as well as many other awards and prizes.
During his musical career he collaborated and recorded with top artists, including Art Farmer, Freddie Hubbard, Eddie Henderson, Joe Zawinul, Gary Bartz, Carter Jefferson, Vince Mendoza, John Abercrombie, Hamiet Bluiett, Idris Muhammad, Ronnie Burrage, Harvie Swartz, Mike Stern, Jack Wilkins, Zbigniew Seifert, Cameron Brown, Andy McKee, Greg Brandy, David Gilmore, Nigel Kennedy, Dave Friedman, Didier Lockwood, Jerry Goodman and many other.
Śmietana composed over 200 jazz songs.
He has led many workshops and masterclasses.
He has recorded more than 40 albums as a band leader, as well as performing as a sideman on many recordings of other artists.
He is the father of violinist, viola player and multi-genre arranger Alicja Śmietana and a brother of violinist Krzysztof Śmietana.
He died prematurely in 2013.
Since 2015, a competition called the „International Jarek Śmietana Jazz Guitar Competition” was initiated in his memory. It is held every two years in Kraków.