GigTips: June 2011

There are so many jazz gigs in Prague that it would be impossible to list all the good ones, even with careful selection to weed out the routine and the mundane. Instead we offer you a handful of gigs each month that we feel could be of special interest.

If you enjoyed last month's videos of Piňa co. & Lada then you can catch them live at Balbínova poetická hospůdka on 3/6. "Balbínka" is a tiny music club in the heart of the city, and most definitely not a tourist or expat hangout. Acting like a tourist or an expat will win you nothing but curious stares. It's a great little place to see live music and well worth a visit, even if it does have the most miserable barman alive. If you enjoy the Balbinka experience you may want to return there on 17/6 to see Prague's resident Chicago bluesman Rene Trossman.

Should you want to visit another iconic Czech music venue, and indeed see an iconic Czech band, then you can go to Malostranská beseda on 28/6 to see Jan Spálený & ASPM. ASPM are more of a blues outfit, but some of the names associated with the band (Michal Gera, Radek Krampl, Pavel Razím) should be familiar to all local jazz fans.

There are exciting things happening at Jazz Dock in June for fans of great music and great thrift alike. František Uhlíř plays there on 5/6 with KUK (Kagerer/Uhlíř/Knod). František, commonly referred to as "the Paganini of the bass" is one of the legends of the Czech jazz scene and any project that he is involved with is sure to be worth investigating. Jazz Dock will also be acting as a stage for the United Islands of Prague festival, where admission is free and acts include the excellent Matěj Benko Quintet (25/6) and the Kalfus / Doležal Quartet (24/6).

If you're a foot tapping, beard stroking jazz fan who knows when to clap, and you fancy adding some atmosphere to the President's 70th birthday party, then the details of the next Jazz at the Castle are below:

Finally for June, if after reading this month's album review you're keen to experience the Ondřej Štveráček Quartet then they'll be playing at Jazz Time on 9/6 and 14/6.

If you go to any of the gigs listed here please let us know what you thought, and please do tell the venue that you saw the gig tipped on Prague Jazz.