Marek Bliziński

Hardly anybody knew about Bliziński's illness. He underwent an operation for skin cancer in 1985, which seemed to be a success. He was strongly advised to avoid the sun. He went on another cruise in 1988. Many months spent on sea had a negative effect on him. He started losing moral support, fell into depression and became weaker and weaker. Two weeks before the end of a cruise near Jamaica, the doctor on board ordered his immediate return home.

Bliziński was recruited by Zbigniew Namysłowski in 1983. He played with Air Condition on jazz festivals in Europe and Canada. Johnny Olson wrote in the Swedish paper Nya Wermlands-Tidningen on April 26, 1983:

He was an appraised theoretician. Taciturn and not particularly communicative in person, he was vastly knowledgeable. He published the book Jazz Guitar in 1983, written in surprisingly comprehensible language. This compendium of knowledge about guitar playing was complemented by his teaching experience, gained during jazz workshops in Chodzież and Mąchocice.

Bliziński's technique was dazzling. He worked very hard, practising constantly, aiming at maximal precision. He started his own trio in the late 70s, with which he played in jazz clubs and recorded his first album, The Wave (Poljazz). When the Jazz Forum magazine held a contest in 1982, Bliziński attracted the highest number of votes in the jazz guitar category. In the following years, Marek Bliziński and Jarosław Śmietana became the two most popular jazz guitar players in Poland.

In 1971 he was already collaborating with Krzysztof Sadowski and Wanda Warska. He founded the quartet Generacja ("Generation"), which won a prize in the Jazz nad Odrą festival; Bliziński himself won the 3rd prize in the instrumental category. In the years that followed, he played with Zbigniew Namysłowski, Michał Urbaniak, Tomasz Stańko, Jan Jarczyk, Włodzimierz Nahorny, Adam Makowicz, Novi, Bemibek, the Polish Radio's Jazz Studio conducted by Jan "Ptaszyn" Wróblewski, the Polish Radio and Television orchestra conducted by A. Trzaskowski, Wojciech Karolak and Janusz Muniak.

Bliziński grew up in a family with strong cultural traditions. He got hit first guitar on Christmas 1962 and taught himself how to play. He founded the band Czterech (The Four) in 1966, where he played the music of J.S. Bach transcribed for three guitars and drums. The band won the Igrce Gliwickie competition in 1967; Bliziński won the first prize in the instrumental category. He wrote in one of his letters:

Marek Bliziński (22 March 1947 – 17 March 1989) was a Polish jazz guitarist and composer. He played with Michał Urbaniak, Wojciech Karolak and Zbigniew Namysłowski.

In a Warsaw hospital he was diagnosed with dangerous metastases of an advanced cancer. He died three months later in a hospital in Potocka street in Warsaw, six days before his 42nd birthday.