Eastern Europeans have entered an unprecedented phase of renaissance marked by the fall of the iron curtain in the late eighties. A new generation of talented musicians is growing through rich musical soils previously restricted by barbed wire and political infringements. Igor Butman’s group gathers some of these talents into a cohesive unit performing, with a signature energy, compositions primarily written by band leader and saxophone phenomenon Butman. Igor Butman is among the best on the Russian jazz scene. During his tenure at NYC he was honored with numerous opportunities to perform as a featured soloist with small groups as well as in big bands including the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra lead by Wynton Marsalis. Butman’s most recent recording, Magic Land, features a cohort of top-notch musicians including drummer Jack DeJohnette, pianist Chick Corea, trumpeter Randy Brecker or vibist Stefon Harris. The saxophonist’s current group, consisting of seasoned representatives of the Czech and Slovak jazz scene, draws some of its repertoire from this album. Bassist, Tomáš Baroš is a talent whose impact will soon outgrow the boundaries of the Czech Republic. Marián Ševčík’s passionate and complex drumming reveals some Afro-American influences while Ondrej Krajňák’s piano solos can be compared to a steady stream of water, carrying its listeners down with the currents of their sound. There is no wonder why Butman has chosen this line up which both highlights his saxophone and lets it blend into the groups’ chemistry.

If one had to describe the great Russian saxophone player Igor Butman the nickname “Russian Jazz Ambassador” would likely enter your mind. One could use simple superlatives such as saxophone virtuoso, big band leader, or gifted musical composer and arranger but none would capture Butman’s real influence on the Russian jazz scene. If we were to look for the best Russian jazz musician we would have to look no further than Igor Butman.
Igor Butman is the artistic director at Le Club, Moscow’s top jazz venue, where he performs with his big band every Monday and has had the opportunity to introduce musicians such as Ray Brown, Chick Corea, George Benson, Kenny Garret, Randy Brecker, Gary Burton, Al Di Meola, Monty Alexander, Take 6 and many others. Igor Butman combines a mastery of his chosen instrument with joy and freedom while demonstrating an unquestionable amount of experience through his music. Jazztimes’s Ken Franckling called Butman “… a post bop performer with great stage presence, horn control and emotion. (…) There is a deep resonance to his up-tempo playing and a mature softness to his balladry.”
As a genuine jazz ambassador, Butman is visiting the Czech Republic to convince audiences in Brno City Theatre of his unprecedented reputation. When framed as the summit meeting of three jazz countries, Igor will be representing Russia. The Czech and Slovak Republic will be delegating the Gustav Brom Big Band and the renowned singer Peter Lipa who can be compared to Butman in terms of the influence he’s had on Slovak Jazz. His multifaceted approach to singing seems equally as flexible as Butman’s playing. Tonight’s performance will present Igor Butman’s versatility, beginning with a small band for the first half and concluding with big band pieces for the remainder of this night of great European jazz.

Jam sessions are the most spontaneous events in this international jazz festival’s framework and have become an inherent part of JAZZFESTBRNO’s history. These memorable sessions have often left a profound mark on visitors’ minds. The seventh annual festival is prepared to continue this tradition, which provides a meeting space for seasoned, as well as lesser known, musicians to improvise great music while breaking social barriers.

A mutual interest in playing original music brought these four great young Hungarian talents together to form a band. Three of the four members write original music which is later played with enthusiasm, and moreover enhanced with outstanding improvisations. All members of the quartet are not only great friends, but musicians with a strong reputation. They possess many collective and individual prizes from different festivals and competitions including City Lopot Days, Young Jazz Fest etc. Their extended tours of Central Europe are likely to kick off promising careers in this tight unit which performs contemporary jazz at its best. Let yourself be submerged in the distinct musical language of the Oláh Szabolcs Quartet!

Guitarist Roman Pokorný seems like a perfect example of the ubiquitous Brno brain-drain. His musical visions, great talents, original compositions, supreme craftmanship and sophisticated inventiveness eventually drew him away from the city of Brno, though he tried hard to combine the duties of a popular musician and his love for his native soil. Today he tours not only the Czech Republic, but abroad as well. His recent tour of Canada serves as clear evidence. The last release from Pokorný’s “manufacture for custom designed tunes” is an album aptly entitled Hot Jazz News. This record represents the guitarist’s recent return to his rock roots, which – in fact – he never abandoned. Although Pokorný discovered jazz years ago and this multifaceted genre opened plenty of new doors for him, rock remained in his blood. Even though he mentions Jim Hall and Canadian guitar phenom Ed Bickert as his main influences and inspirations for exploring guitar, he explores the realms of blues and jazzrock with similar verve. No wonder. Pokorný is not only a skillful instrumentalist with flawless rhythm and specific melodic sense, but an inventive songwriter as well. He knows how to write a tune someone can play by a campfire as well as in a rock club with a hard grooving rhythm section. The world needs great songwriters and Pokorný surely qualifies. Similar to John Scofield, he never ceases to search for unexplored musical paths, fresh visions and new friends. The new fusion guitar trio represents the most recent stop on his music path. He teams up with the cream of the Czech jazz crop Martin Šulc and Ondřej Podhájský to create a colorful mosaic with a distinctive signature. What is the Hot Jazz News for today? Pokorný is back in town.

According to present day eclectic trends, this exciting trio of young Austrian musicians mixes styles ranging from earthy jazzrock from the era of Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew to sentimental groove or dynamic world music. As Slow Mood drummer Emil Gross puts it: “There is no need to analyse our music, just sit back and float with it.” Slow Mood also experiments with different forms of multimedia. Occasionally they work with Christiane Dorner, an inventive visual artist, who provides space for the music of Slow Mood to accompany her films. However, Slow Mood knows how to draw attention even as a trio, a format allowing them to stretch out immensely. The possibilities for communication in a trio outreach any other format. The trio setting seems ideal for an ubiquitous exchange of ideas, going completely off the track, mutual inspiration and hearty competition. And because Gross, Petsovics and Preis have played together quite a while, group empathy is a standard feature of Slow Mood. Austrian jazz seems to be open to experiments, appears to adore eclecticism and enjoys pulling down style frontiers. Slow Moods comes with a similar motto. Duplicating American idols is only partially interesting for them. The rest of the interest is filled with natural musicianship and a mutual music philosophy to primarily entertain their audience, but themselves as well.

Have you witnessed the exhilarating performances of Austrian ensemble Radio String Quartet (RSQ) whom travels around the world with their original renditions of songs written by John McLaughlin? If not, you have a great opportunity during this year’s jazzfest. Believe it or not, this band can transfer legendary fusion material to a string quartet setting. Quite a feat if you consider how wild McLaughlin’s music can get. Most of the members of RSQ are outstanding classical music performers, however, their urge to improvise and yearning to explore jazz is overpowering.
Bernie Mallinger was infected with the jazz bug early in his childhood. Jazz is an extremely contagious disease and Malinger’s studies in the Graz Academy of Music helped in its development. He continued pursuing his studies in prime New York City institutions such as Julliard or New School of Music. Johanes Dickbauer joined the RSQ quite recently. He had a few international competitions to win and a few short stints with prestigious chamber and string orchestras including the one under the baton of Yehudi Menuhin to try out. The cellist Asja Valcic was coached by Russian, American, Croatian and German teachers to become a versatile musician capable of adjusting to a variety of different musical settings. She has earned current respect by working with world famous conductors Claudio Abbado and Zubin Mehta and she assesses it with the RSQ these days. Last but not least, Cynthia Liao came to Austria to study but nowadays she leaves her books behind to go on tour across the globe. In the past, she’s toured with the Alban Berg Quartet and Milano Symphony, and now with the Radio String Quartet, an ensemble, which abounds with a similar music power as McLaughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra ever did.

There is no need to waste words when describing Karel Růžička as a musician. Musician with a capital “M” will do. Růžička prefers playing rather than wasting words and he does so with terrific talent. He sits down at the piano in an enigmatic trance and connects disparate tones to create full and sometimes provocatively dissonant chords, to solidify the most sophisticated or conversely pure melody, to warp the most complicated rhythmic net or carve the most precise swinging eights in the realms of Central Europe.
Karel was simply born to play the piano and nobody was ever able to convince him otherwise. On the contrary, he started to use his talents with the Karel Krautgartner or Ferdinand Havlík bands. He helped to establish a sound of the unforgettable Luděk Hulan combo named Studio 5. Later he joined ensembles of Laco Deczi (Jazz Celula) and Karel Velebný (SHQ). Alongside his stints with these famous jazz bands he recorded and performed with Rudolf Dašek, Tony Scott, George Mraz, Jiří Stivín, Rudolf Rokl, Jean Luc Ponty, Carmell Jones, Andrew Cyrille, Jean Toots Thielemans, Tomasz Szukalski, and also with the Gustav Brom Bigband, Prague Bigband of Milan Svoboda, Finnish Radio Bigband-YLE, Danish Radio Bigband and as a conductor with an orchestra of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
Even today Karel Růžička is eager enough to keep up his role as a director of the Summer Jazz Workshop of Karel Velebný in Frýdlant and besides his performing and composing activities he teaches at the department of composition at the Jaroslav Ježek Conservatory in Prague.
Karel Růžička has always been extremely busy and he stays like that even today. It is also because he does not waste any time and any tones.

Banjos, bag pipes, conch shells or a cimbalom… definitely a strange group of instruments in jazz! Yet, even jazz has its black sheep in a small herd called “Miscellaneous Instruments”, as defined in the Down Beat magazine. This vague category spans all the remaining instruments which fail to qualify in the “regular jazz instrument family“. Though there is no representative for the cimbalom/dulcimer clan in this particular group, there is a good chance that Marcel Comendant could enter the polls as a jazz cimbalom pioneer. He namely plays bebop on it!
The music of the Bashavel quintet is not limited to bebop, though. Actually it is more or less the other way around, even though Marcel likes to play intriguing bebop lines here and there. The group’s music is rooted profoundly in Slavic and Romany folklore, but remains anchored by many original scores written by group members. The music presents a singular musical shape almost impossible to be duplicated. All the members of the group are skilled musicians with unique voices: Stano Palúch is at home in jazz, classical and bluegrass, Bassist Robo Ragan stands out in small goup jazz settings as much as in the classical orchestra, pianist Klaudio Kováč swings hard and drummer Peter Solárik tastefully and comfortably keeps it all together. Bashavel will soon be sharing their talents with an overseas audience. Their virtuosity, self-confidence and positive energy is convincing and their music is unconventional. This exotic concoction, blended by five highly qualified music alchemists, is ready to be served.

Gifted young pianist, Luboš Šrámek, was a late bloomer on the jazz scene. Fortunately, his talent and great technique, well honed at the Bratislava Conservatory, enabled him to absorb plenty of jazz knowledge in an extremely short period of time. After a short stint with the Elie Quartet, he decided to broaden his knowledge of jazz and chose the Jazz Academy in Graz, where he finished studying four years ago. After his return from Austria, Šrámek has been surrounding himself with the best representatives of his, as well as a more seasoned, generation of Slovak and European jazz. He’s been putting his knowledge of the piano and composition into effect. His new aptly named Artsemble features elite members of the Eastern European jazz scene. Trumpeter Kornel Fekete Kovács and alto saxophonist Viktor Tóth are the best representatives of a new breed of promising young talents from Hungary. The saxophone and Rostislav Fraš are two unseparable entities, which merge into one progressive musical figure. Fraš occupies the septet’s front line space with a loose sense of time and outstanding melodic creativeness. Guitarist Matúš Jakabčic needs no introduction for he is already well known to Brno music lovers, not only as a former soloist of the Brno based Gustav Brom Bigband, but he as a skilled and respected composer and arranger. Štefan Bartuš is certainly one of the busiest bass players in his homeland. He astounds his audiences with bursts of energy, sonorous tone and solid time. The rhythm unit is topped off with the dynamic, and highly sought after drummer, Dušan Novakov. You can expect only a world class drumming performance from this seasoned player, who brings a lot of fresh energy to all the bands he plays with. The fact that the group plays mostly originals penned by Šrámek and his cohorts only enhances the quality of the group, whose plain personnel can guarantee an extraordinary musical experience.

David Dorůžka, Czech guitar phenomenon, met Josefine Lindstrand during his tenure in the States, where he spent great formative years in the exclusive company of some of the best jazz musicians. Josefine, who ranks among the best European vocal talents coming from Northern Europe alongside Rigmor Gustafsson and Victoria Tolstoy, honed her skills in the center of the jazz world. Their partnership therefore seems as natural as the way their guitar and voice blend together. Naturally, the Lindstrand – Dorůžka combo like to surround themself by the best available bandmates. Dorůžka often collaborates with the best Polish musicians as Poland serves as a bottomless pit of jazz talent. Michal Baranski may have chosen an ideal instrument for himself given that his abilities with the double bass appear so incredibly effortless. His mastery and virtuosity is embellished with precise tuning and ingenious creativity. Drummer Lukasz Zyta fills in available spaces in music with a delicate taste or he simply observes fantastic guitarist David with a smile on his face. This smile is certainly generated by an unspoken unity in musical thinking. The music of Lindstrand-Dorůžka Quaret can be sophisticated, contemplating, intensive, subdued or provoking, but it is always original. The core of their repertoire is written by the band leaders and holds a homogenous countenance. Baranski and Zyta merge it easily and using their inexhaustible energy they push it a little over the edge. The result is a great example of a current, open minded and mature musical statement in modern jazz.

Prague’s jazz scene regularly produces an abundant amount of projects with fluctuating originality and lifespan, however, the Hlavenka couple initiated an extraordinary project that defies the odds. Pianist Beáta Hlavenková had profiled herself as an above-average creative and skillful musician even before she left the University of Massachusetts. In the male dominated world of jazz, such talented women come across as somewhat of an apparition – let us recall for instance the pianists Renee Rosness, Geri Allen or Eliane Elias. They understand how to, not just review the whole spectrum of human emotions, but to extract even the tiniest dynamic nuances out of the piano on both extremes of the sound spectrum. The band, Open Sextet, mostly features compositions from the Hlavenka clan. The slightly avantgarde spaces mingled with meticulously composed sections, inspired solos and aptly selected colors for their instruments, create a mesmerising atmosphere, which is even further strengthened with a delectable contribution from the remaining members of the ensemble: trumpeter Oskar Török, saxophonist Marcel Bárta, phenomenal basist Rasťo Uhrík and vigorous drummer Dano Šoltis. Furthermore, when new creative impulses are presented, the band goes even further in its interplay and improvisational vitality. This fresh impulse, almost at times surreal, is the presence of the featured soloist Rich Perry. As an irreplaceable element in the Maria Schneider Jazz Orchestra and a breathtaking saxophone genius, Perry sets the stage for creative storms. If he is going to give away his soul with every single tone he plays, the remaining band mates might as well join him.

The musical path chosen by Aga Zaryan, the singer, has been quite an intriguing one. It began in Poland, continued to different Czech destinations including Prague jazz clubs and workshops and now resides in the United States and Poland. Aga Zaryan is one of few European singers, who possess the unique gift of being absolutely convincing. By simply closing your eyes you can forget you are in Brno and can easily imagine yourself in a jazz club somewhere in the East Village in New York City. Under the positive influence of the great players of the David Dorůžka Trio she dives into profound jazz waters, whose exploration she undoubtedly enjoys and where she evidently feels comfortable. There is no wonder to her comfort because she is backed up by one of the finest guitar trios from our region, three brilliant individual voices which make a tight band with a rapport, which only few in Europe can emulate. Great musicians never receive enough compliments, however, in the case of David Dorůžka, compliments have become almost redundant. He speaks for himself, with flawless technique in the service to the Music, craftsmanship and creativity and obviously an unmatchable capability to accompany singers. Knowing this, Aga Zaryan did not waver on who to pick as an accompanyist for the European tours, which promote her newest release Picking Up the Pieces. Drummer Lukasz Zyta, as well as bassist Michal Baranski match with the frontline perfectly. Zyta’s sensible drumming and Baranski’s outstanding abilities on the double bass not only complete a great band, but add two additional original voices of today’s European jazz. What an inspiring environment for Aga Zaryan to let her feelings blossom and just go with the flow.

What would happen if you put an exceptional female voice, for whom more men would fight for than anyone could imagine, and the musical perfectionism of four individuals permanently intoxicated with music, in a test tube? Hard to say. But you may get the answer if you go to the Toxique concert. Legend says this group cliqued when washing test tubes in the secret labratories of the Chemistry and Techology College. Others witnessed how even experts from the Musical Enthusiasm Supression at Ježek’s Conservatory couldn’t stop the creative side effects caused by this fusion. In a final attempt, they were transported to a liquidation zone to be ground down by the show-business mill. This was, however, also unsuccessful so it is with a warning that you will be listening to this band’s music today. Their music remains intoxicating, with full of venomously beautiful and catching sounds. Their melodies, motifs and riffs can capture any listener. However, the warning remains: LISTEN AT YOUR OWN RISK! The Toxique transcends music genres. The band members themselves say that they play music at the edge of retropop, souljazz and grooverock. Their main musical idols are Stevie Wonder, Amy Winehouse, Gwen Stefani, John Mayer, the Moloko, or the Morcheeba, and other similar bands. In our domestic scene, the Toxique musicians work with a number of other musicians, such as Lenka Dusilová, Yvonne Sanchez, Ondřej Konrád or Kamil Střihavka.

His debut recording “Mafiosi” came out in 2000 with Cube Metier jazz label and a few years after Zelenka decided to try his luck in France. He ended up in Paris. Obviously – it is a center of the French and to a certain extent even European jazz. He established himself on the scene easily and started to earn quite a few gigs with Xavier Richardeau, Fabien Mary, Olivier Zanot, Yoni Zelnik and “Coda” tentet. His new trio with French cohorts performed at the international jazz festival Trouville-sur-Mer and later toured the Czech Republic. He came back home, as a more accomplised musician, recently to resume the musical relationship with the best Czech jazzmen. His current music status is enhanced with plenty of experience from different parts of Europe and reveals his folkloristic roots. It also bears a bit of contemporary classical tinge as well as arabic, Indian and scandinavian influences. “I think the new directions in jazz always began as an assimilation of something which had never been a part of the genre before,” says Zelenka. “An assimilation of something standing outside of the jazz tradition, but fresh and full of possibilities.” Petr Zelenka Quartet is a conglomerate of immaculate and competent musicans. Let us leave the superlatives to the leader himself: “I have chosen my bandmates for their enormous music experience,” Zelenka comments. “Primarily Jaromír Honzák, who I have been playing with for ten years. The remaining musicians of a younger generation, beside their unquestionable professional reputation add the necessary spark and energy to my music.” Looping at the band’s personel one has to agrese with Zelenka’s characteristics. Let us look forward to hearing the result of their mutual musical path.

The Vertigo Quintet was founded at the end of 2002 as a project of musicians, who wished to play original music in their own way. The repertoir of this superb and accomplished ensemble consists mostly of original scoress written by all the band members. Not only the Czech club scene functions as a home for this group. Quite a few foreign festivals, as well as an abundance of clubs abroad, have already embraced this promising band. In april 2005 the group released their recording debut Vertigo Quintet with Amplion label, followed by a live release at Stara Pani a year later. The quintet’s musical product is a meaningful mosaic of different influences, including classical music (primarily impressionism), but also inspirations drawn from the music of Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis or the gurus of avantgarde Ornette Coleman or John Zorn. The list of influences for all the band members could certainly go on for a few pages, however, the desire for an individual musical expression as well as unrepeated group sound has cardinal relevance. With this philosophy the group meets a possibly illustrious future even at a time, when some might assume that everything has already been written or played. This is, however, not the case and thanks to bands like Vertigo Quintet we can still appreciate musicians with comprehensive skills, strong opinions about music, and open minds capable of naturally blending musical cultures and influences. Vertigo Quintet’s musical open mindedness is well represented by fresh collaborations with vocalist and cellist Dorota Barová, better known to local audiences as a member of the world music duo Tara Fuki. Her earthy and natural voice, never spoiled by formal education, blends with the music of Vertigo Quintet in an outstanding and unmatched alliance.

It takes a rare artist to make a statement through music while extending his or her legacy through the act of paying tribute to someone else. Eliane Elias is one of the few who can pull off this contradictory tour de force. Throughout Something for You: Eliane Elias Sings and Plays Bill Evans, her latest album and the first to mark her return to the Blue Note Records family, she does exactly that. While touching the essence of the late great Bill Evans, she also brings her own unique gifts to the surface, as a composer, interpreter, outstanding instrumentalist and beguiling vocalist as well.
Something for You is, above all else, a supremely conceived and well executed album, recorded over the space of just four days, with the renowned pianist, bassist Marc Johnson (Elias’ husband), and drummer Joey Baron (for current European tour replaced by another drumming genius, Adam Nussbaum). Together, they deliver exquisite interpretations of tunes inspired by or drawn from the Evans catalogue – including a couple of tunes that have never been recorded until now.
“I felt a strong connection to Bill’s music throughout every phase of this project,” Elias says. “But it was especially strong when we were in the studio. When the red light goes on, there are only a few moments to compose yourself and try to enter into that concentrated place where all that remains is what we hear and play together. When I find that place where I can let go and allow the emotion to pass directly from me to what you can hear on this record, that’s making my tribute to Bill in the most sincere and beautiful way that I can.” And that, ultimately, pays tribute as well to Eliane Elias and to those who will draw from her example in their own music, in years to come.