About

Piotr Lemańczyk is considered one of the most prominent European jazz bassists. His artistic journey began in 1993, when a jazz band called Orange Trane emerged from the Kartuzy music scene.

After two years of activity, the group went to the Jazz Juniors 95 young musicians competition in Krakow, where the band won 2nd place, and Piotr Lemańczyk was awarded for his individuality, compositions, and as the best instrumentalist of the festival. In 1996 he moved to Gdańsk. There, he quickly began collaborating with significant names in the jazz world such as: Maciej Sikała, Emil Kowalski, Wojciech Staroniewicz, and Leszek Dranicki. He co-created the Gdańsk jazz community.

Subsequent career steps included a concert at the Jazz nad Odrą 96 festival and an award for best composition, as well as the Pomorska Jesień Jazzowa 96, where together with the Orange Trane band he received the "Key to Career". Shortly after, he was performing with legends of Polish jazz, including: Jan Ptaszyn Wróblewski, Janusz Muniak, Zbigniew Namysłowski, Jarosław Śmietana, Piotr Wojtasik, Tomasz Szukalski, and others.

He joined the band 0-58, with whom he played many concerts in Poland and abroad. Not long after, his artistic journey took on an international dimension. He began collaborating with world jazz stars such as: Randy Brecker, Mike Stern, Dave Douglas, Walter Smith III, Jerry Bergonzi, Seamus Blake, Dave Kikoski, Tim Hagans, Brian Melvin, Gary Novak, Avishai Cohen-tr, Leni Stern, Grażyna Auguścik, Soweto Kinch, Leszek Możdżer, Krzesimir Dębski.

He has recorded nearly 80 albums, including eight original ones, which have received excellent reviews in magazines such as Down Beat, JazzTimes, Jazz Forum, Jazzpress, and The Guardian. He has performed in the USA, Sweden, Canada, Israel, Malaysia, South Korea, Russia, Singapore, Bulgaria, Romania, Germany, Slovakia, France, Finland, Greece, Moldova, Austria, China, Japan, and many other countries.

At one time, he was the only European in the New York band BEATLEJAZZ. He is always highly rated in the annual Jazz Top poll of the Jazz Forum magazine. Piotr Lemańczyk is the initiator and artistic director of the Kartuzy Jazz Bass Days festival.