Darek Oleszkiewicz

Darek Oleszkiewicz (born February 20, 1963), also known as Darek Oles, is a Polish jazz bassist, composer, arranger, and educator.

Biography

Oleszkiewicz was born in Wrocław on February 20, 1963.^[1] He was a protégé of Charlie Haden.^[2] In the late 1990s and early 2000s he built a reputation on the West Coast of the United States.^[3] His first album as leader was Like a Dream,^[4] which consisted largely of his own compositions.^[3] It included quartet and trio tracks, and duets with pianist Brad Mehldau.^[4] He had earlier played on Mehldau's Largo.^[5] Oleszkiewicz was featured prominently on guitarist Larry Koonse's 2006 album Storybook.^[6]

In 2010 Oleszkiewicz was a co-leader with Peter Erskine, Bob Mintzer, and Alan Pasqua on the album Standards 2: Movie Music.^[7] Oleszkiewicz was co-leader with Adam Czerwniński for the album Raindance.^[8]

Oleszkiewicz is a faculty member at California Institute of the Arts,^[9] and at the University of Southern California.^[1] He continues to record, including on trombonist Bob McChesney's Chez Sez in 2015,^[10] and with other USC faculty members, including on Kait Dunton's Mountain Suite in the same year.^[11]

Playing style

On his debut as leader, Oleszkiewicz's style was described as containing "the inevitable lineage to Scott LaFaro and Bill Evans, [...and] combines a certain economy of style that is reminiscent of Charlie Haden".^[3] The woodiness of his tone was also compared with Haden's, with the addition of "a certain Gary Peacock-like edge to it".^[3]

Discography

As leader/co-leader

• Like a Dream (Cryptogramophone)
• Raindance (Allegro), co-led with Adam Czerwniński
• Standards 2: Movie Music (Fuzzy Music), co-led with Peter Erskine, Bob Mintzer, Alan Pasqua

As sideman

With Bill Cunliffe

• Live at Bernies (2001)

With Kait Dunton

• Mountain Suite (2012)

With Yelena Eckemoff

• Flying Steps (2010)

With Peter Erskine

• The Interlochen Concert (2009)

With Terry Gibbs

• Wham (1999)

With Anna Maria Jopek

• Upojenie (2003)
• Barefoot (2002)
• Bosa (2000)

With Larry Koonse

• Storybook (2006)

With Charles Lloyd

• The Water Is Wide (1999)

With Bennie Maupin

• Penumbra (2003)

With Bob McChesney

• Chez Sez (2015)

With Brad Mehldau

• Largo (2002)

With Josh Nelson

• Let It Go (2007)

With Sara Niemietz

• Fountain & Vine (2015)

With Jack Nimitz

• Live at Capozzoli's (1997)

With Alan Pasqua

• My New Old Friend (2005)

With Bobby Shew

• Play the Music of Reed Kotler (2001)

With David Sills

• Big (2002)

With Gavin Templeton

• Asterperious Special (2012)

With Ben Wendel

• Simple Song (2009)

With Mike Wofford

• Time Cafe (2001)

With Aga Zaryan

• A Book of Luminous Things (2011)

Main source:^[12]

References

Bibliography