Krzysztof Komeda Quintet

The Profile

Krzysztof Komeda (born Krzysztof Trzciński; April 27, 1931 – April 23, 1969) was a Polish jazz pianist and composer, central to Polish jazz and noted for the mid-1960s album Astigmatic and for his film music.

Komeda led the quintet that recorded Astigmatic (mid-1960s); the ensemble included trumpeter Tomasz Stańko. Komeda also composed film scores and collaborated with film directors such as Roman Polanski.

The available review praises Astigmatic as a cinematic, hypnotic work that reshaped Polish jazz in the mid-1960s. Komeda (Krzysztof Trzciński) is presented as a pivotal figure linking jazz and Polish cinema. The record is described as a restless, one-breath experience led by Komeda and featuring Tomasz Stańko.