Our orchestra of course specialises in concerts of classical symphonic music from the 18th–21st century, but we also like to take up interesting, creative and unconventional challenges – in June, we had the pleasure to take part in a unique event: the recording of a new version of the famous song My Way from 1968 (English cover of the French original, Comme d’habitude performed by Claude François and Jacques Revaux, translated and paraphrased by Paul Anka). It is one of evergreens in music, and its best known performer was Frank Sinatra. During the recording sessions, the Polish version of the song was performed by Andrzej Dąbrowski – a rally driver, singer, jazz drummer and vocalist, whose warm and soft voice is unmatched in such hits as Zielono mi, Do zakochania jeden krok and Bywaj nam Mary Ann. In his long and varied career, he cooperated with the world’s greatest jazz musicians, such as Josephine Baker, Stan Getz, Don Ellis, Art Farmer, Annie Ross, and Johnny Griffin.

Andrzej Dąbrowski sang the great hit My Way with new lyrics written by Antoni Libera – a free adaptation of the original of great literary value: Bądź wierny sobie, accompanied by the Jerzy Semkow Polish Sinfonia Iuventus Orchestra conducted by Marek Wroniszewski and Piotr Baron Quintet. By making the recording the music community also paid homage to the doyen of the Polish music scene – an active artist in excellent vocal shape. The single is coproduced and published by Polskie Radio Music Agency, and the project is co-funded by ZAiKS (Polish Society of Authors and Composers) as part of the Creativity Support Fund.

Performers:
Andrzej Dąbrowski
Piotr Baron Quintet with: Piotr Baron – saxophone, Robert Majewski – trumpet, Łukasz Żyta – drums, Maciej Adamczak – double bass, Michał Tokaj – piano.
Jerzy Semkow Polish Sinfonia Iuventus Orchestra conducted by Marek Wroniszewski.

Sound, postproduction and mastering – Tadeusz Mieczkowski