CZESŁAW NIEMEN - Eclectic Prog • Poland

CzesŁaw Niemen biography (http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=2491)

Czesław Juliusz Wydrzycki - February 19, 1939 (Stare Wasiliszki, Byelorussia) - January 17, 2004 (Warsaw, Poland)

In 1958 he has repatriated to Poland. His scenical name is a pseudonym taken after the name of the river Niemen. Debuted as a rock and soul singer in the early 1960's. He recorded "Dziwny jest ten świat" (Strange Is This World) as a major Polish protest song in 1967, and was an early pioneer of psychedelic music in communist Poland in the late 60's. He recorded three albums with the band Akwarele, as well as later works with Enigmatic, Grupa Niemen, and Aerolit. His first self-acclaimed progressive work was entitled "Enigmatic", and was released in 1969. The most notable song from it was "Bema pamięci żałobny - rapsod" (A Mournful Rhapsody, in memory of Jozef Bem, a Polish solider who served as a Polish Army general in the Polish War of Independence (November Uprising). 

Like "Rhapsody", many of the other songs from "Enigmatic" were based Polish folk poetry. During his progressive period Niemen played keyboards extensively, including a Hammond, and later a mellotron and finally a Moog synthesizer.

In the early 70's Niemen recorded three albums for CBS International (Schaelplatten), including a 1974 release entitled Mourner's Rhapsody with Jan Hammer and Rick Laird of Mahavishnu Orchestra, electric violin and saxophonist Michal Urbaniak of Fusion, bassist the late Seldon Powell of the Buddy Rich Band, and session pianist the late Don Grolnick. The album featured a fifteen minute version of "A Mournful Rhapsody". In the latter 70's Niemen's musical work tended more toward jazz/fusion, and even electronica. He released seven additional albums and a retrospective collection before he passed of cancer in 2004.

Thanks to Bob (ClemofNazareth) for Biography.

His jazz/fusion work connects him with many other artists already featured on the archives, either as individual performers, or as members or session participants in works listed here (see some of these names above). In addition, his presence in the largely underground rock and psychedelic scene in communist Poland in the late 60's makes him by definition a progressive musician. The English-language albums Strange is This World, Ode to Venus, and particularly Mourner's Rhapsody and, to a slightly lesser extent, the Russian-language Russische Lieder all are worthy of consideration for their musical blend of jazz and electronic folk sounds, early use of electric violin, heavy use of mellotron, as well the tendency to derive subject matter for songs from contemporary popular poetry that tended toward social commentary. 

1970 - Enigmatic

1973 - Ode To Venus

1973 - Russische Lieder

1975 - Niemen Aerolit

1980 - Postscriptum

Dziękuję bardzo, Magal!