The Beat Freaks is a music group featuring outstanding, highly acclaimed jazz musicians with Polish-Danish roots. The Scandinavian character of their music stems from the fact that half of the band developed their musical language while studying at the prestigious academy in Odense. This has profoundly influenced the band’s unique sound and their bold approach to form.

The band was founded in 2014 by guitarist Michał Starkiewicz, who invited tenor saxophonist Tomek Licak, bassist Paweł Grzesiuk, and Copenhagen-based drummer Radek Wośko to collaborate.

The band members have collaborated and performed with a stellar array of artists, including: Tomasz Stańko, Adam Bałdych (Damage Control), Carl Winther, Piotr Baron, Grzegorz Turnau, Mika Urbaniak, Kasia Nosowska, Skubas, Jan Smoczyński, Mietek Szcześniak, Marcin Pospieszalski, Natalia Niemen, Michał Kulenty, Marek Kądziela, Anders Mogensen, Grażyna Łobaszewska, Grzegorz Grzyb, Cezary Konrad, Entrails United, Entropy, K.R.A.N., and Outbreak Quartet.

Combining their diverse experiences from various musical formations, the band shaped their material over several sessions, debuting it in Szczecin in 2015 and at the Christiania Jazz Club in Copenhagen in February 2016. Most of the compositions are penned by the bandleader, Michał Starkiewicz. Both premiere concerts were warmly received, sparking a promotional tour in Poland and a session in the studio.

In March 2016, at Soyuz Studio in Łódź, the band recorded their debut album, which premiered in October of that year. Released by the Danish label Gateway Music, „Leon” was highly praised by both music critics and fellow musicians. Following its release, the band toured extensively in Poland, performing at festivals such as Szczecin Jazz, Spring Jazz Meetings (Wiosenne Spotkania Jazzowe), and Hanza Jazz Festival. The album was named one of the TOP TEN Polish jazz albums of 2016 by PolishJazz.blogspot.

In 2018, the band composed and recorded the soundtrack for „The Sculptor with a Camera” (Rzeźbiarz z kamerą), a documentary about August Zamoyski. The music was performed live at the Krakow Film Festival and the OKO Festival in Bydgoszcz.

In 2019, readers of Jazz Forum ranked the band in the top ten „Electric Jazz Bands” and in the „Jazz Band – New Hope” category.

Their sophomore album, „Stay Calm”, was released in 2019. Recorded at Monochrom Studio, it featured 13 original tracks and received wide critical acclaim both in Poland and abroad. Jazz Forum magazine once again ranked the group in the TOP 10 best electric jazz bands of 2019.

In 2023, Sicilian double bassist Flavio Gullotta replaced Paweł Grzesiuk. In 2024, the band released their third album, „Mechanics of Nature”, featuring American trumpeter Ralph Alessi (known for his work with ECM). The album was met with stellar reviews, becoming one of the most important Polish jazz releases of 2024 and landing on the European Jazz Network’s list of the most interesting jazz albums.

With each release, the band’s music evolves toward a more open, free-flowing narrative. Shunning predictable jazz clichés, they offer music rich in improvisation and diverse inspirations. At the same time, their sound remains remarkably fresh, drawing from contemporary jazz. The band’s signature trademark is their unconventional, open-minded approach to song structure and arrangement.

The band performs as a quartet or as a quintet featuring trumpeters Ralph Alessi or Dima Bondarev, with whom they performed at the Jazztrzębie Festival in 2025.