Born 1955 in Gorlice, Poland, Vladyslav Sendecki, a child prodigy from the age of four, joined the Frederic Chopin Conservatory in Krakau when he was 11 and later studied at Krakau’s music academy. By the time he was 15 he had already toured as a classical concert pianist. But his passion was awoken when he discovered what was then forbidden in Poland – Jazz. The music of the likes of Mahavishnu and Weather Report was to resemble freedom to him living in a country where travel was so restricted. Vladyslav founded his own Jazz-Rock bands ‘Extra Ball’ and ‘Sunship’ and toured them successfully all over Europe. In 1981 the constant visa battle with the government became unbearable and Vladyslav left Poland in a cloak-and-dagger operation via Sweden to meet up with his wife and children later in Switzerland. His international career was then to flourish. In the years to come he played with the likes of Joe Henderson, Lenny White, Marcus Miller, Randy and Michael Brecker, Jaco Pastorius and Billy Cobham. By 1990 he had moved to Hamburg and joined the NDR Bigband in 1996 where he has proven himself not only as an outstanding performer but also as a composer of his own right with the big band suite ‘Anima Mundi’. His recordings ‘Listen to my story’ (1986) and ‘Men from Wilnau’ (1987) were his last solo CDs. After 20 years of soloistic silence ‘Piano’ seamlessly follows up on his career showing a matured but still very vibrant pianist with very much his own voice. ’Piano’ is the essence of Vladyslav Sendecki – curious, romantic, critical, sensitive and relentlessly honest.