Concert of jazz/blues/soul music

Originally, the project Prague Ska Conspiracy was intended as an instrumental group put together from members of Vertigo and Green Smatroll. Those who have lived in Prague ska – jazz scene for some time know, that these two names mean very quality sound by professionally educated musicians.

It was supposed to be an instrumental group, and it was for some time. But things changed rapidly when Mariana, the new singer with African roots, who decided the new direction in the first minute – the instrumental part became just a mount for her singing, very much jazzy, reggae, soul and African.

The group in its present form belong to the prominent musical ensembles of Prague, if we look at the overall quality of sound. You can hear them today, in club Cross, Plynarni street at Holesovice, where else than Prague.

O2 Arena is a new name for Sazka Arena, which is the largest multipurpose hall in Middle Europe. It hosts stars of the world scene, like R.E.M, and now even Lenny Kravitz comes to show his skills.

Leonard Albert “Lenny” Kravitz (b. 1964) is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer, and arranger whose “retro” style incorporates elements of rock, soul, funk, reggae, hard rock, psychedelic, folk, and ballads.

In addition to singing lead and backing vocals, Kravitz often plays all the guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, and percussion himself when recording. He won the Grammy Award for “Best Male Rock Vocal Performance” four years in a row from 1999 to 2002. He has sold an estimated thirty million albums worldwide.

The star has published a new album called it is time for a love revolution, featuring Hendrix rock, black soul and Kravits’ songstering. His Love Revolution Tour will go around Europe, the tickets are 990-1690 czk apiece in pre-sale. Prague, 23th June 2008, Sazka – O2 Arena

Funk Corporation is a Czech music group formed in 2000. Nine members of this group got over many succesful performances on club scene, and within festivals. They play classical funk, mixed with soul, and if you have some favorite classics of this genre, they have lots of their own arranges.

djs: Ben Reef (7th reef, france), Roman Rai – live set (tribal vision, solstice rec.), Slater (tribal vision)

Free Entrance, start 20:00, 31th March 2008, Roxy Promotion, Dlouha 33, Prague 1

The Slackers are one of the more well-known bands emerging from the New York City ska scene, having been formed in Brooklyn in 1991.

The band’s sound is a mix of ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub, soul, swing, garage rock, and jazz. The Slackers’ notability is credited to their prolific career, tours of North America, Europe, and elsewhere, and signing to notable punk label Hellcat Records.

Greensmatrol is a recognizable Czech SKA Group, with an English front man, playing good Ska-jazz at various clubs and festivals. They remain active in Prague, where they are well-know not just on the SKA scene.

28th February 2008, THE SLACKERS (ska/rocksteady, USA), GREEN SMATROLL (Rude Jazz Prague, CZ) 20.30 + DJ, Tickets 280,-, Rock Café, Narodni 20, Prague 1

Regina Carter (b. 1966) is an American jazz violinist. She began as a classical violinist but became increasingly interested in jazz , and is considered one of the finest violinists in the genre. She is the cousin of famous jazz saxophonist James Carter.

Carter attended Cass Technical High School with close friend, Carla Cook, who was enthusiastic about jazz, and introduced her to the likes of Ella Fitzgerald. Carter received a degree in music from Oakland University and studied at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston before forging her jazz career.

This Afroamerican belongs to the big world jazz stars. The sole fact that the concert of her quintet concludes this year of festival Struny Podzimu (Strings of Autumn) speaks of high quality of the performance.

A woman of jazz, who cooperated with such names as Cassandra Wilson, Wynton Marsalis, Richard Bona or Dee Dee Bridgewater.

Dvorakova sin Rudolfina (Dvorak’s hall in Rudolfinum), Alsovo Nabrezi 12, Prague 1. 18th November 2007. Tickets here.

Maceo Parker (born February 14, 1943) is a noted American funk and soul jazz saxophonist, best known for his work with James Brown in the 1960s. Parker was a prominent soloist on many of Brown’s hit recordings, and a key part of his band, playing alto, tenor and baritone saxophones. Parker’s rhythmic and rapid playing style draws on the earlier innovations of be-bopper Charlie Parker (no relation), and Cannonball Adderley, mixed with Brown’s own innovations in funk music.

Lucerna Music Bar, Vodickova 36, Prague 1. Start: 21:00

Pee Wee Ellis was born to play music. In Texas Pee Wee got to see blues greats like Bobby “Blue” Bland and Fats Domino. With clarinet and sax lessons in school, he was skilled on reeds as well as piano when his family moved to Rochester, New York at age 16.

Pee Wee joined James Brown in 1965 and soon came up with the first pure hardcore Funk hit, Cold Sweat, followed by 26 others that defined what we think of as Funk to this day. Pee Wee has been called The Man Who Invented Funk.

Pee Wee’s effect on music was huge, leading directly to George Clinton, Sly Stone and, in a circular twist, Miles Davis 70s work.
By 1970 Pee Wee worked as arranger and musical director for CTI-Kudu records, the most popular jazz label of the 70s. He worked with Esther Phillips as well as George Benson, Hank Crawford and dozens of other CTI artists.

The Pee Wee Ellis Assembly regularly tours and he has worked with UK jazz singing sensation Clare Teal. In 2005 he visited Japan with the Cuban pianist Omar Sosa and in 2006 they played together again, in South Africa and at Yoshis in Oakland.

The father of Jazz you can see and hear in Prague within the International Jazz Festival 2007, in Lucerna Music bar, Vodickova 36, 25th November, 2007.

In the era of overproduced Pop and electronic DJ superstars, the Rotterdam Ska-Jazz Foundation (RSJF) keeps it real. Taking the music of the sixties as a starting point, they start where others have left. But be careful! The Rotterdam Ska-Jazz Foundation is NOT a retro band in any perspective. Armed with drums, bass, guitar, piano, organs, and a wide range of horns, the Rotterdam Ska-Jazz Foundation has been refining their mix of Ska, Jazz, Rock-Steady, Reggae and Soul over the past seven years.

The Rotterdam Ska-Jazz Foundation has recorded an EP single and two full length studio albums. All released on the Grover Records (Germany). Their latest album ‘Sunwalk’ is recorded by Max Bolleman at his famous Studio 44 in Monster, and is recently also released in the United States by Megalith Records. Furthermore, their music appears on various sampler CD’s and LP’s throughout the world. However, the best way to experience this lubricated off-beat locomotive is live on stage. Let the intricate melodies and harmonies of the horns and the steady grooves of the rhythm section seep into your system. Rocking Ska-Jazz with a rough edge. Check out this Motiv Loco live! Don’t worry about a language barrier, let the music of the Rotterdam Ska-Jazz Foundation do the talking.

Rotterdam Ska-Jazz Foundation concert in Prague within the XXXI. International Jazz Festival Prague 2007,
27th November, Rock Café, Narodni Trida, Prague

There are not many artists, that would avoid Pigeonhole principle as much as Dee Dee does. She has basically gained real depth of artistry in every medium she stepped into. If you are interested in things that are really special, you should buy a ticket in advance for this performer, singer, actress and UN Ambassador, a person who left Broadway and London’s West End astounded, Ms. Dee Dee Bridgewater.

Woman of Heart, Woman of Soul

Indeed, it would be hard to find an artist, whose list of awards would be so diverse; She has been rewarded with Broadway’s coveted Tony Award (Best Featured Actress in a Musical – The Wiz), nominated for the London theater’s West End equivalent, the Laurence Oliver Award (Best Actress in a Musical – Lady Day), won two Grammy® Awards (1998’s Best Jazz Vocal Performance and Best Arrangement Accompanying a Vocal for “Cottontail” – Slide Hampton, arranger – “Dear Ella “), and France’s 1998 top honor Victoire de la Musique (Best Jazz Vocal Album).

Dee Dee’s new album Red Earth is definitely a jazz step towards African native music. She comments it that it was, above all, an important step for her self-understanding:

“ … For so long, for so many women of color, we’ve been afraid to embrace our ‘blackness’ fully, whole-heartedly … but my spirit grew restless, my physical being began to make visible statements, my music began to turn to rhythms, to the drum. I instinctively knew it was time…time to find my way home. And so, as it is impossible for me, like so many of my sisters and brothers of the darker hue, to trace my past, I decided to let the musical universe be my guide. Africa was calling, but I was not sure which part of Africa. Not until I heard a particular music, from a particular land, did the call become distinctively clear.”

She brought new African musicians into her group, who added even more spice (to the already spicy jazz she does), by djembe drums and other instruments of the African tradition.

If you are interested, her concert takes place in Prague within the annual Jazz Festival, 24th November, 20:00, Congress Center, Vysehrad, Prague. Tickets: 390 – 1.190 CZK (13 – 40 €)

Joe Cocker comes to present his new album Hymn for my soul on 12th December to Prague. This charismatic British singer is called “the father of white soul”. He will play music from his new album and also songs which made him famous.

So come and see this rock legend in Sazka Arena in Prague. Buy the tickets in Sazkaticket and Ticketrpo. Prices range from 790 CZK (26,3 €)to 1290 CZK (43 €).

Read the whole article HERE

Erik Truffaz, one of the most respected European jazz musicians of the present time, will perform in Prague, Palac Akropolis, on Thursday. His music combines experimental jazz with hip hop and drum´n´bass and he is therefore called “Miles Davis of acid jazz”.

The music of “Erik Truffaz Quartet” (trumpeter Truffaz, keyboardist Muller, jazz drummer Erbetta and bassist Giulliani) is appreciated as creative, uncompromising and masterful. Erik Truffaz has already recorded more than 10 albums and he has achieved success also in the USA.

Music fans in the Czech Republic will have a chance to hear Erik Truffaz Quartet on Tuesday (18.9.) in Ostrava, on Wednesday 19.9. in Brno and 20.9. in Prague. The show in Prague starts at 7:30 pm and a ticket costs 400,- CZK (available at Ticketpro). Palac Akropolis is situated in Kubelikova Street 27, in Prague Zizkov district. Truffaz will be supported by Sophia Hunger.

On Wednesday the 19th of September, the 35th sequel of “Jazz on the Castle” is going to take place. The president Vaclav Klaus is going to initiate consers of such outstanding jazzmen as an American tenorsaxophonist Johnny Griffin, one of the most remarkable characters of the modern jazz.

Provided that there will be nice weather, the musicians will start playing at 8pm in the garden “Na Valech”. In the case of rain the consert will take place in Spanish hall.

The primary initiative of jazz conserts came after the Velvet Revolution. Jazzmen and rockstars arrived to Prague to play as a praise for the former president, Vaclav Havel, who is a big fan of rock and jazz music, and a symbol of the overturn to the west culture.

Do you want to enjoy jazz music while you are staying in Prague? Summer in Prague offers many opportunities to listen to jazz in many places, either in the cellars of old houses or on a boat on the Vltava river.

One of the options where to go is Akord Club in V Celnici street. Besides jazz you can listen to blues, funky, rock and world music. You can also share your love to jazz with many local people.

Another place, mostly visited by tourists, is a music club U maleho Glena near Lesser Town Square. This August you can hear melodies performed by Ondrej Pivec, awarded by Golden Angel, Vertigo band or the trio of contrabass player Robert Balzar who played with Bill Clinton during Clinton’s visit of Prague in 1994.

Jazz is the programme every day in Reduta Club in Narodni street, U Stare pani in Michalska street, Agharta in Zelezna street or Ungelt. A floating boat with jazz musicians on board can be joined every day at 20:30 under the Cechuv Bridge.

John Mayall, considered by many people to be the king of British blues, will perform in Prague tomorrow. Accompanied with the band The Bluesbreakers, he will introduce his newest album In The Palace Of The King, that was issued on 16th April.

John Mayall is the teacher and co-player of such musicians as Eric Clapton, Mick Taylor (The Rolling Stones) or Mick Fleetwood (Fleetwood Mac). The concerts of John Mayall are big music events (not only) for lovers of blues.

The concert will take place in Prague hall Folimanka (Na Folimance 2 street, Prague 4) at 20:00 tomorrow. Tickets can be bought via Ticketpro for 935 CZK – 735 CZK.

Guitar player Mike Stern comes to Prague to perform together with famous bass player Anthony Jackson and drummer Dave Weckl. These three names will definitely please all jazz lovers.

The concert will take place in the Lucerna Music Bar in Vodickova street on Sunday 22nd July 2007 at 21:00. Tickets are available in advance in Lucerna Music Bar.

The concert is held within the Prague Jazz Week 2007, introducing new young talents as well as stars of jazz music. Lovers of jazz can also go to AghaRTA Jazz Centrum from 17th to 21st July (the concerts start at 21:00) or to the Old Town Square on 22nd July (from 15:00 to 20:00).

World known musician of Czechoslovakian origin Laco Deczi is together with his band Cellula New York on his annual spring tour through Czech and Slovak towns.

Laco Deczi was born in Czechoslovakia but moved to the USA in 1985. He’s a great jazz musician and the author of many scenic and film music.

The concert of Laco Deczi and Cellula New York will be held tomorrow at 19:00 in Divadlo Na pradle (Besedni street 3, Prague 1 – Ujezd). Tickets can be bought in advance for 150 CZK or on the venue for 180 CZK.

One of the legends of blues and soul, Terry Evans, is right now on his tour via the USA and Europe. Prague will be one of his stops on his busy tour. Prague audience can hear him on 18th March in Prague Lucerna.

Terry Evans used to work with the band The Knights and cooperated with Bobby King. It was Bobby King who recommended Terry Evans to Ry Cooder with whom he issued several albums. Terry Evans issued five solo albums, the latest one in 2005. Among Terry Evans’s famous songs belong ‘Dowin in Mississippi’ or ‘Crossroads’.

Prague concert of Terry Evans starts in Lucerna Music Bar (Vodickova 36) at 20:00. Tickets are available for 380 CZK via Ticketpro.

All those, who love swing and elegance, should not miss Prague’s concert of Glenn Miller Orchestra that will take place in Smetana’s Hall of the Prague Municipal House on 28th April 2007.

During his short music carrier, Glenn Miller became the most popular swing orchestra leader in the world. Some of his songs became America’s most popular tunes at that time. He presumably died in a aircraft accident in 1944. His body was never found.

The leadership of the orchestra was assumed by many great musicians. Prague’s audience can listen to the orchestra melodies directed by Wil Salden. Tickets can be bought via Ticketpro for 1.760 – 429 CZK.

Updated: Organizing agency Intervisions announced that Glenn Miller Orchestra will add one more performance in Prague. Thanks to high demand for tickets, there will be another concert on Sunday 29th April in Prague’s Lucerna Music Bar.

Harlem Gospel Singers & Band celebrate their 15th anniversary of their foundation by the music concert full of gospel, jazz, blues, R&B and soul in Prague. The concert of Harlem Gospel Singers & Band does not offer only great music performance but also great choreography and show.

The main star of the show is Queen Esther Marrow who performed with Harry Belafonte, Ella Fitzgerrald, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, Chick Corea or B.B.King. Her concerts were visited by American presidents Reagan, Clinton and Bush and the British Royal family. She considers the biggest success of her career several performances for the Pope John Paul II. She was awarded prestigious Elly Fitgerald for her life’s work.

The show of Harlem Gospel Singers & Band takes place in Congress Centre in Prague (Tr. 5. kvetna 65 street) on 10th December at 20:00. Ticketpro sells tickets from 1690 CZK to 690 CZK.

World famous Harlem Gospel Choir consisting of the best singers and musicians from Harlem’s “black churches” will appear in Prague during their tour God Bless The Children – World Tour 2006.

This popular choir is known for their charitable work for children and propagation of understanding between people and nations through their music. Their concerts take place in big churches, synagogues and monasteries.

Harlem Gospel Choir can be seen in the presence of famous people, such as Bon Vow from U2, Avril Lavigne or Diana Ross. They performed with English band Gorillaz during the prize-giving ceremony of Grammy Awards. The choir is sometimes titled “Cultural Ambassadors of Harlem”.

Harlem Gospel Choir will perform in several cities in the Czech Republic, Prague concert is planned for 4th November in St. Cyril and Methodius Church (Kostel sv. Cyrila a Metodeje, Krizikova 57 street). Tickets can be bought through TicketPro and Ticketportal for 440 CZK.