In 1962, Tomasz Stańko formed his first band, the Jazz Darings, with saxophonist Janusz Muniak, pianist Adam Makowicz, bassist Jacek Ostaszewski, drummer Wiktor Perelmuter.

Stańko established a reputation as a leading figure not only in Polish jazz, but internationally as well, working with musicians including Jack DeJohnette, Dave Holland, Reggie Workman,[4] Rufus Reid, Lester Bowie, David Murray, Manu Katché and Chico Freeman.

He was featured in a profile on composer Graham Collier in the 1985 Channel 4 documentary 'Hoarded Dreams' [11] In the mid-1980s, he began doing extensive work with Cecil Taylor, performing in his big bands and also led various groups of his own, including COCX (with Vitold Rek and Apostolis Anthimos).

In 1997, Stańko formed a group which performed the songs of pianist Krzysztof Komeda, touring London, Copenhagen, Stockholm and appearing at jazz festivals like those in Nancy and Berlin.

[6] Stańko lost his natural teeth in the 1990s, although over time he developed a new embouchure with the help of a skilled dentist and monotonous practice.

As a result of these experiences, in 2007 a new band, a Scandinavian quintet composed of Alexi Tuomarila, Jakob Bro, Anders Christensen and Olavi Louhivuori, was formed, with which Stańko recorded the 2009 album Dark Eyes for ECM.

His move to Manhattan saw him give regular concerts in New York venues and clubs, such as Birdland, Jazz Standard and Merking Hall.

New projects were spontaneously created, including those with Lee Konitz, Craig Taborn, Thomas Morgan, Gerald Cleaver, Chris Potter and others.

[16][17] In November 2010 he took part in the "Dzień Szakala" (The Day of the Jackal) charity concert, in Warsaw, in aid of saxophonist Tomasz Szukalski.

Its beginnings date back to 2009 when Jerzy Ilg, editor-in-chief of Znak Publishing House, invited the trumpeter to one of the last poetry nights of Wisława Szymborska.

He dedicated to her his album Wisława, recorded with a new New York quartet featuring Thomas Morgan, Gerald Cleaver and David Virelles, and released by ECM in 2013. in 2014 Stańko was invited to compose a suite on the occasion of the opening of the core exhibition of the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews.

It was released as the album POLIN, recorded in New York with Ravi Coltrane, David Virelles, Dezron Douglas and Kush Abadey.

[23] On 15 January 2014, he received one of the three honorary Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik (PdSK) awards, granted by an independent association of over 140 music journalists from Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

[28][29][30] The following day ECM Records published a video tribute to Stańko, on its YouTube channel, entitled "Remembering Tomasz Stanko".

[22] Derek Richardson, writing for the San Francisco Chronicle said, "Tomasz Stanko is not the first jazz musician to negotiate a rapprochement between gorgeous melodies and free improvisation.