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Nocna Zmiana Bluesa
Foto: offisielt bandfoto, lastet opp av Sławek Wierzcholski (CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons)
Traditional Blues

Nocna Zmiana Bluesa

Also known as: Sławek Wierzcholski i Nocna Zmiana Bluesa

• Poland• Active: 1982–i dag
Traditional BluesChicago BluesHarmonica Blues

Poland's most enduring blues band, founded in Toruń in 1982 by harmonica player Sławek Wierzcholski, with 15 albums and 40+ years on stage.

Instruments
Vokal, Munnspill, Gitar, Bass, Trommer, Fiolin
Labels
Polskie Nagrania "Muza", Independent
from
Toruń, Polen
Few bands have shaped the very idea of Polish blues as clearly as Nocna Zmiana Bluesa. The band was founded in Toruń in the spring of 1982 by harmonica player and vocalist Sławomir "Sławek" Wierzcholski, together with Wojciech Gembala on guitar, Tomasz Kamiński on violin and Krzysztof Mróz on bass (Source: bibliotekapiosenki.pl). The lineup has shifted over the years — Sławomir Kiwak took over bass in 1984, Andrzej Gulczyński after Kiwak's death in 1986, Marek Dąbrowski took over guitar in 1991, and Grzegorz Minicz joined on drums in 1993 (Source: bibliotekapiosenki.pl) — but Wierzcholski's rasping harmonica and voice have remained the constant core through all 40-plus years. The debut album "Nocny koncert" came in 1986, and since then the band has released 15 albums in total, among them "Blues mieszka w Polsce" (1994) and "30" (2012) (Source: pl.wikipedia.org). "Harmonijkowy as" was certified gold and "Historia choroby" platinum, both in 2006, and the live album "Koncert w Suwałkach" was certified gold in 2010 (Source: pl.wikipedia.org). Nocna Zmiana Bluesa has played concerts and festivals in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Lithuania, Hungary, Russia, the Netherlands, Germany, France and even Zimbabwe, and opened for B.B. King in Warsaw in 1996 and for the Blues Brothers in Nuremberg in 1989 (Source: bibliotekapiosenki.pl). The band is the subject of two books, "Chory na bluesa" and "Cały ten blues – przypadek Sławka Wierzcholskiego" (2014), and celebrated its 25th anniversary at Warsaw's Summer Stage on 5 August 2007 (Source: bibliotekapiosenki.pl). Today's lineup is Sławek Wierzcholski (harmonica, vocals), Witold Jąkalski (acoustic/electric guitar, slide), Wiesław Kryszewski (electric guitar), Piotr Dąbrowski (acoustic bass, vocals) and Kamil Długoborski (drums) (Source: pl.wikipedia.org).

Musical Influence

Sławek Wierzcholski is regarded as one of Poland's foremost harmonica players and one of the cornerstones of the traditional, Chicago-inspired branch of Polish blues, having inspired an entire ecosystem of younger harmonica players and blues bands in the country (Source: bibliotekapiosenki.pl; pl.wikipedia.org). Blues Top 2024 ranked Nocna Zmiana Bluesa as Poland's 5th best blues band, recognition of the band's continued relevance across four decades (Source: twojblues.com/blues.pl Blues Top rankings).

Formative experiences

  • •Spring 1982: The band was founded in Toruń by Sławek Wierzcholski (Source: bibliotekapiosenki.pl).
  • •1986: The debut album "Nocny koncert" was released, the band's first of 15 albums in total (Source: pl.wikipedia.org).
  • •1996: The band opened for B.B. King in Warsaw (Source: bibliotekapiosenki.pl).
  • •5 August 2007: The band celebrated its 25th anniversary at Warsaw's Summer Stage (Source: bibliotekapiosenki.pl).

Stories & Anecdotes

"Nocna Zmiana Bluesa has played concerts in as far-flung a country as Zimbabwe, alongside tours across much of Europe (Source: bibliotekapiosenki.pl)."
"The band's history is documented in two books, including "Cały ten blues – przypadek Sławka Wierzcholskiego" from 2014 (Source: bibliotekapiosenki.pl)."

Watch & Listen

Featured

Sławek Wierzcholski i Nocna Zmiana Bluesa - koncert

YouTube

Sławek Wierzcholski i Nocna Zmiana Bluesa

Sławek Wierzcholski i Nocna Zmiana Bluesa

Benefis - 40 lat na scenie, cz. 1

Benefis - 40 lat na scenie, cz. 1

Watch & Listen

Henter videoer fra YouTube…

Discography

YearTitleProducerStudioLabelChartSalesMusiciansYouTubeNotes
1986Nocny koncert——Polskie Nagrania "Muza"———Debut album. Source: pl.wikipedia.org.
1994Blues mieszka w Polsce——Independent———Source: pl.wikipedia.org.
2006Harmonijkowy as——Independent———Gold certified. Source: pl.wikipedia.org.
2006Historia choroby——Independent———Platinum certified. Source: pl.wikipedia.org.
2010Koncert w Suwałkach——Independent———Live album, gold certified. Source: pl.wikipedia.org.
201230——Independent———Anniversary album. Source: pl.wikipedia.org.
2023Koncert w Rozmarino——Independent———Live album. Source: pl.wikipedia.org.

Famous songs

01Blues mieszka w Polsce (1994) — Title track from the album of the same name.
02Harmonijkowy as (2006) — From the gold-certified album.
03Koncert w Suwałkach (2010) — From the gold-certified live album.

Awards & Recognition

2006
Gold record
"Harmonijkowy as"
2006
Platinum record
"Historia choroby"
2010
Gold record
"Koncert w Suwałkach"
2024
Blues Top
#5 Band (Poland)

External links

Official website Official website Wikipedia (PL) Biblioteka Piosenki

Booking / Contact

Booking agency
Not publicly available
Agent/management
Andrzej Woźny
Booking email
andwoz@wp.pl
Booking phone
+48 694 177 974

Manager Andrzej Woźny (Kilde: nocnazmianabluesa.pl/kontakt).

Source

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Sources

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