One of the most beautiful voices on the Czech music scene. But not only that. There are many singers who are brilliant performers, for whom vocal mastery is the alpha and omega of everything they do. But Marie Puttnerová is a completely different case. She has something to say—and she says something important through her singing.

She began in the children’s choir Skřivánek, continued with the ensemble Ondráš, but her true career really started when she became a member of the genre-defying group Jablkoň, with whom she had already performed as part of Skřivánek. Over time, together with Michal Němec, Jablkoň’s frontman, she formed the duo Půljablkoň, and soon other artists began to take notice—mostly those who created anything but background music for relaxation. Among them was Jakub König, who invited her to join his project Kittchen as a guest and later as a full-fledged member of the “alternative big band” Zvíře jménem Podzim. She also collaborated with singer-songwriters such as Cermaque, Petr Linhart, and Mirek Kemel. Still, she was waiting for the opportunity to show, through a solo project, what she truly had inside.

That moment came in 2023, when she released her debut album Lajla Tov. Deep, introspective songs, created in collaboration with guitarists Martin Novák and Petr Uvira, and brilliantly produced by renowned Brit Eddie Stevens, became one of the highlights of the season. It’s no wonder the album won the Anděl Award in the folk category—even though its sound was far removed from traditional Czech perceptions of the genre. The album and its corresponding live program include not only Puttnerová’s own lyrics, but also musical settings of poetry by two writers: Vlastimil Třešňák and Jan Zahradníček, the latter a political prisoner under communism, whose testimony Puttnerová imbued with striking depth and tenderness.

Marie Puttnerová further cemented her place on the Czech music scene in 2024 with the album Zelená oblaka, růžové stromy (Green Clouds, Pink Trees), on which she sang songs by Zuzana Navarová—a legendary Czech songwriter—together with some of the finest musicians on the scene, under the production of Petr Ostrouchov. This was no easy feat—few would dare take on such a task. The overwhelmingly positive response confirmed that this bold move had been the right one.

Line-up: Marie Puttnerová – vocals, Petr Uvira – guitar, Martin Brunner – piano, Martin Novák – drums

If you have the chance to see a duo on stage who have collaborated on just three albums—two of which won Grammy Awards—there’s hardly a better recommendation for attending such an extraordinary soirée.

Taylor Eigsti was considered a child prodigy by the age of four. He quickly began showcasing his piano skills in live concerts, smoothly advanced through his musical education, and eventually left university during his second year to pursue a flourishing professional career. The list of artists he has performed or recorded with reads like a jazz encyclopedia: Dave Brubeck, Joshua Redman, Sting, John Mayer, Esperanza Spalding, Chick Corea, Snarky Puppy, McCoy Tyner, Dianne Reeves, Kurt Elling, John Patitucci, Joe Lovano, Terence Blanchard, and Julian Lage, to name just a few.

And that doesn’t even include the symphony orchestras with which Eigsti regularly collaborates, walking a parallel path in the world of classical music—both as a performer and a composer.

He recorded his first solo album, Tay’s Groove, in the classic piano trio format at the age of 14. His major-label debut, Lucky To Be Me, was released by Concord Records in 2006 and featured an all-star lineup including guitarist Julian Lage, bassist Christian McBride, and drummer Lewis Nash. The album earned Eigsti his first two Grammy nominations.

On his seventh album, Daylight at Midnight (2010), Eigsti invited vocalist Becca Stevens to join him. After more than a decade-long hiatus from recording, he returned to the studio to create Tree Falls, again featuring Becca Stevens. Three years later, they reunited for his most recent release, Plot Armor. Both albums won Grammy Awards. While they triumphed in the category of Best Contemporary Instrumental Album, there’s no doubt that Stevens’ vocal contributions left a lasting impression on the Grammy voting committee.

Becca Stevens has, for over a decade, ranked among the most beloved artists working at the intersection of jazz, pop, indie rock, and folk. Her distinctive voice and singular style have captivated not only Taylor Eigsti but also legendary figures such as David Crosby, pianist Brad Mehldau, and multi-instrumentalist Jacob Collier—with each of whom she has recorded multiple albums. She has also collaborated with major names like Esperanza Spalding, Gretchen Parlato, José James, and Snarky Puppy, all while developing a rich solo career, which has seen her release nearly ten albums of original material to the delight of her devoted fan base.

Line-up: Taylor Eigsti – piano, Becca Stevens – vocals, Reggie McNeill – keys, Marta Bagratuni – cello, Jonathan Maron – bass, Zack Grooves – drums

The eccentric flutist in a beanie has, for decades—and still today at eighty-two years old—been a kind of visual “logo,” the embodiment of Czech jazz. And that’s despite the fact that Jiří Stivín has spent most of his life crossing and transcending that narrow category in every imaginable direction. One such direction is his lifelong passion for photography, which will be showcased in a retrospective exhibition as part of JazzFestBrno.

It all began with the fact that he didn’t originally study music at all—he studied cinematography at FAMU. No surprise there: his mother, Eva Svobodová, was a prominent Czech film actress. His first noteworthy band, where he played the saxophone, was the rock’n’roll group Sputnici, but his serious journey into jazz began in 1964, when he co-founded the group Jazz Q with pianist Martin Kratochvíl. After a few years, he left the group and began focusing on various projects under his own name. His first major international success came with his unique duo with guitarist Rudolf Dašek, known as System Tandem. The duo’s live album recorded in Lublin, Poland, was also highly successful.

Jiří Stivín absorbed a wide range of musical influences—from early music, through various developmental phases of jazz and rock, to avant-garde and contemporary classical music—and transformed them into something uniquely his own in both recordings and live performances. Some of his most notable albums include the genre-defying Zvěrokruh (Zodiac), the free-jazz collaboration Výlety (Excursions) with percussionist Pierre Favre, the minimalist Zrcadlení (Reflections) with vocalist Mirka Křivánková, and Status Quo Vadis, where he shared the spotlight with rock guitarist Michal Pavlíček. Unlike the carefully crafted studio projects of the 1970s and 1980s, most of Stivín’s discography since the 1990s consists of live concert recordings. That’s because a key element of Jiří Stivín’s artistry—alongside his ever-present wit and virtuosity—has always been his relentless passion for improvisation. There were times when attending a Stivín concert meant being prepared for anything: you never knew what lineup he’d appear with, what style he’d explore, or what kind of show he’d put on. And Jiří Stivín remains faithful to his reputation as a dynamic live performer to this day.

A pianist and composer regarded as one of the greatest jazz talents in the United Kingdom—a claim that is not just a wishful boast, but a logical consequence of his accomplishments so far.

Ashley Henry studied at the Royal Academy of Music. After graduating in 2016, he performed with artists such as Jason Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, Jean Toussaint, and at the International Piano Trio Festival with Robert Glasper. He was also a finalist in the Unisa International Piano Competition in South Africa.

Henry’s debut album, Beautiful Vinyl Hunter, was released in 2020 and received significant critical acclaim. BBC 6, for example, nominated it for Album of the Year, making it only the second jazz album ever to achieve such recognition. That same year, Ashley Henry was named New Jazz Artist of the Year by France Jazz Magazine.

Ashley Henry’s sound reflects both his London upbringing and his Caribbean heritage. While grounded in his classical music education, he is unafraid to stray from formal training whenever his distinctive music demands it. His intellectual and musical inspirations include James Baldwin and Angela Davis, as well as Ahmad Jamal, George Benson, Geri Allen, and Aretha Franklin.

In 2023, Ashley Henry founded his own label, Royal Raw Music, with the aim of continually advancing and expanding the boundaries of artistic expression and collaboration. The following year, he released his second and most recent studio album, Who We Are. The answer to that question will surely resonate during his November concert at JazzFestBrno.

John Medeski feels equally at home behind a Steinway piano, Hammond organ, Wurlitzer electric piano, or any other vintage keyboard instrument. He is a highly sought-after improviser, a creative composer, and the driving force behind numerous unique projects.

Medeski has become one of the most influential figures at the crossroads of modern jazz, funk, and avant-garde music. His name is inseparably linked with the legendary trio Medeski Martin & Wood, with which he defined a unique sound and attracted an entirely new generation of listeners to instrumental music. At the same time, he is not afraid to venture into completely uncharted territories, where he enjoys blending different musical worlds—whether on a purely improvisational basis or through carefully pre-prepared concepts.

Born in 1965 in Louisville, Kentucky, Medeski was regarded from an early age as a child prodigy blessed with extraordinary musical talent and devoted himself to the piano. He studied at the prestigious New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, focusing on classical music while also immersing himself in jazz. In the late 1980s, he moved to New York and became part of the city’s dynamic, progressive jazz scene, where he began experimenting with various sounds and genres. It was during this period that he met bassist Chris Wood and drummer Billy Martin, with whom he soon joined forces in a groundbreaking project.

In 1991 they formed the trio Medeski Martin & Wood, a group that disrupted traditional jazz formats. Although they were initially associated with the acid jazz movement, their music quickly evolved into something entirely original. The band built a strong reputation thanks to their live performances, always full of energy and surprising musical turns. It is said that no two of their concerts were ever alike—and this reputation for uniqueness made them a cult legend.

Alongside Medeski Martin & Wood, the now sixty-year-old John Medeski has pursued a rich solo career and a long list of collaborations that showcase his versatility. Together with his core trio, he worked repeatedly in the studio and on stage with the phenomenal guitarist John Scofield.

He was also a member of The Word, a band featuring steel guitar virtuoso Robert Randolph and members of the renowned blues group North Mississippi Allstars. Medeski has collaborated extensively on albums and concerts with saxophonist, composer, and key figure of New York’s avant-garde John Zorn. He has also recorded with Iggy Pop, Sean Lennon, Marc Ribot, Irma Thomas, Blind Boys of Alabama, and many others. Medeski’s most recent major side project was the band MadSkillet, which included, among others, a sousaphone player. The group performed at the Blues Alive festival in 2017 and released its debut album the following year.

John Medeski also devotes himself to solo piano projects. His first such recording, A Different Time, was released in 2013. At his solo concerts, Medeski reveals his classical roots and improvisational mastery—scaling back his experimental tendencies while letting his sense of melody, a touch of melancholy, and, not least, his ability to connect the music with the intimate settings he often chooses for these performances shine through. For that reason, Medeski’s concert at Villa Tugendhat can be expected to rank among the season’s most significant events.

One of the most acclaimed British bands, GoGo Penguin freely blend jazz with a wide range of other genres – and their audience reflects that diversity. Few acts can so effortlessly bring together a die-hard jazz fan, an electronic partygoer, and a rocker.

This British instrumental trio quickly earned global recognition with their very first album Fanfares in 2012, thanks to their unique and innovative sound. Often described as “acoustic electronica,” their music resists simple categorization. While rooted in jazz, from the beginning they have infused their work with elements of trip-hop, breakbeat, minimalism, and progressive rock.

The true strength of GoGo Penguin lies in their hypnotic and emotionally charged compositions. They create the impression of intricate electronic music while relying solely on acoustic instruments – piano, double bass, and drums. Drummer Jon Scott plays with a precision reminiscent of drum machines, yet always with the creativity of a live musician. His pulsing, complex beats provide the solid foundation for the band’s sound. Pianist Chris Illingworth crafts minimalist, melancholic, and energetic motifs that layer and evolve like a cinematic soundtrack. And double bassist Nick Blacka anchors rhythm and harmony, serving as the vital link between piano and drums with his dynamic playing.

After their debut Fanfares, the band released v2.0 (2014), which marked their breakthrough far beyond the jazz world and earned them a nomination for the prestigious Mercury Prize. Their next album, Man Made Object (2016), was their first on the legendary Blue Note Records, confirming their position on the international jazz scene. Two more Blue Note albums followed – A Humdrum Star (2018) and the self-titled GoGo Penguin (2020).

In 2023, the trio signed with XXIM Records, releasing Everything Is Going to Be OK and, this June, their latest work Necessary Fictions. The musicians themselves describe the album as an attempt to capture “what we believe to be our essential, authentic qualities in this moment.” It is their boldest record to date, with a heightened focus on electronics, including modular synthesizers. Yet they have by no means abandoned the acoustic approach that earned them worldwide acclaim. On Necessary Fictions, GoGo Penguin are at their very best – and that is exactly how they will appear at JazzFestBrno.