sloboda

Jazz has more than 90 years old tradition in Poland. Currently it counts among other genres with mass success which is in a way a specific feature in cultural life of Polish society. Political systems and economic changes influenced the character of jazz perception as a phenomenon in Poland. Jazz became a symbol of freedom, especially in intellectual and art world. This development and position analyzes a study from 1918 to date. The author talks about how jazz is becoming the symbol of free art concept and free life style. It acquired mass character especially in the 70s. Although quantitative reception of jazz had changed in different historical periods, jazz symbolicism in Polish music life as a democratic art opinion and American life style stays up to this day. The author portraits jazz as an underground culture and as a resistance against Nacists during World War II.He also describes the development of the first jazz festival in 1956 in Polish city Zopot as well as the development of Polish Jazz Federation, and the Warsaw based International Jazz Federation magazine “Jazz Forum” (1956, Polish, English and German language mutation). Polish Karol Szymanowsky Academy of Music in Katowice was established in 1968. The Department of jazz and entertainment music focus was on entertainmentmusic. The Academy of music earned the status of the university in 1979 and had been renamed to the Karol Szymanowsky University in Katowice.