Jarek Śmietana

Śmietana was born in Kraków.[4] He studied at the Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice.[5]

Śmietana led the band Extra Ball in 1974.[5] He continued to lead this band until 1981. He was the leader of the Sounds Big Band Symphonic Sound Orchestra,[1] the Polish Jazz Stars Band.[6] He was also a co-leader of the Namysłowski-Śmietana Quartet.[5] He performed at festivals,[3] concert tours, and workshops in the U.S., India, Asia and South America.

During his musical career he played and recorded with Art Farmer,[7] Freddie Hubbard, Eddie Henderson, Vladislav Sendecki, Joe Zawinul, Janusz Muniak, 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, David Gilmore, Nigel Kennedy,[8][9] He recorded more than 25 albums as a band leader.[10]

He was the father of violinist Alicja Smietana. He died in 2013.[4] In 2015, a contest, the International Jarek Śmietana Jazz Guitar Competition was initiated in his memory. It was held in Kraków.[11]

In 1972, with the blues band Hall, he won an award at the Jazz nad Odrą festival. In 1998 he was the winner of the Fryderyk[12] 1998 award for Songs and Other Ballads. He was presented with the President of Cracow Prize for cultural achievement.[13]

• Official website (in Polish)
• Alicja Śmietana