January 22, 1943 – December 20, 2025

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Violinist and saxophonist Michal Urbaniak passed away on Dec. 20, 2025 at the age of 82.

He was born in Warsaw, Poland on Jan. 22, 1943, began seriously playing violin while in high school and taught himself to play alto-sax.

Urbaniak first gained experience playing in a local Dixieland band and then worked with Zbigniew Namyslowski in the Jazz Rockers, playing at the Jazz Jamboree festival in 1961

He first visited the U.S. in 1962 when he toured with Andrzej Trzaskowski and the Wreckers.

Urbaniak worked with Krzyszlof Komeda’s quintet during 1962-64 and then left Poland for Scandinavia where he lived and performs into 1969, leading a band with his future wife singer Urszula Dudziak.

He was back in Poland during 1969-73 including heading a group that featured Dudziak and pianist Adam Makowicz; he and his wife moved to the U.S. in 1973 and became citizens.

With producer John Hammond’s recommendation, he signed with Columbia Records, featuring Polish musicians in his group Fusion.

After that time, Urbaniak led Urbanator (a pioneer in mixing jazz with rap and hip hop), Urbanizer and UrbSymphony along with other combos.

He worked with such musicians as Billy Cobham, Chick Corea, Elvin Jones, Freddie Hubbard, George Benson, Herbie Hancock, Joe Henderson, Larry Coryell and others, also recording part of the album Tutu with Miles Davis.

During 1968-2019 the prolific Urbaniak led at least 82 albums in addition to recording five led by Urszula Dudziak and sets as a sideman with many others including Rolf Kuhn, Oliver Nelson, Don Pullen, Larry Coryell, Michael Brecker, Billy Cobham, Earl Klugh, and Paul Bley.

Always an adventurous improviser without losing sight of his Polish roots, Urbaniak could be counted on to create dynamic violin solos.

From 1972, here is Michal Urbaniak and his group Constellation playing some avant-garde fusion with the leader on violin and alto, the wondrous voice of Urszula Dudziak, keyboardist Adam Makowicz, bassist Pawel Jarzebski, and drummer Czeslaw Bartkowski.

-Scott Yanow

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