Jazz After The Castle

Lew Tabackin and the Emil Viklický Trio
Autoklub České Republiky
23.05.13

As President of the Czech Republic, Václav Klaus may have irritated the environmentalists but he delighted his fellow jazz lovers by hosting monthly concerts at Prague Castle. There were 90 Jazz na Hradě concerts in all, performed in the Castle state rooms and gardens, where some of the biggest names in world jazz performed alongside the cream of the Czech scene. While lacking the closeness and informality of club gigs, these prestigious showcases demonstrated Klaus's personal commitment to the music, and the associated sponsorship allowed a Prague audience to see players who would otherwise be unlikely to drop by. They also had the advantage that even the densest of tourists understood that this was a concert, not an opportunity to talk loudly and eat crisps, and so music could occur against a blank sonic canvas, not a symphony of morons.

New President Miloš Zeman has not continued with Jazz na Hradě but the concept, the logo, some of the organisers and the man himself have relocated. Under the title of Jazzová KLAUSura, the new concert series kicked off at the Autoklub České Republiky with American flute and tenor sax maestro Lew Tabackin. He needed a band to play with, and when the Czech Republic needs a pianist you know that Emil Viklický will probably get a phone call. With Petr Dvorský on acoustic bass and Tomáš Hobzek on drums, Tabackin had a band with which he could speak the language of music even if he couldn't pronounce their surnames.

It worked. This Czech trio were able to keep up with Tabackin through his own compositions as well as the standard songbook, and while he was the star of the show he also had star quality behind him too. The originals included "Desert Lady", the title track of his 1990 album held together with evocative flute work, and the hard swinging and smile-inducing "B flat". There were a couple of superb Duke Ellington interpretations, "Self Portrait (of the Bean)" and "Sunset and the Mocking Bird", which were performed with exuberance and panache, his virtuoso improvisations stretching out far beyond the recorded originals. Stalking around, stamping the stage and generally being cool, this was ninety minutes of music that started well and got even better as the band played itself in.

Everybody got some time in the solo spotlight and nobody abused it. Hobzek is maturing into an excellent drummer, making good on the potential he showed when he was with the Organic Quartet, Dvorský is one of the must-have bass names working in the country at the moment, and Emil is Emil. As much as we love his usual concerts it is always interesting to see a musician you know well doing something completely different, and it is unusual to see him in the role of sideman. He provided sophisticated but unselfish accompaniment, listening and responding to Tabackin, and that connection made the show so much more than just a star and some hired hands.

The Autoklub is smaller than the halls of Prague Castle, but what is lost in swank is gained in intimacy. Klaus had a smaller entourage and he was happily talking to people before and after the music. The lone protection officer stayed out of the way, enjoying his earpiece and radio, and while there were still some VIPs they were there for the music rather than to be seen and photographed. The machinery around Jazzová KLAUSura is just starting up. Hopefully there will be a web page soon, and a bit more promotion. It would have been easy for Klaus and the organisers to look back at almost a hundred Castle gigs and decide that it was time for the music to stop. Jazz enthusiasts in Prague should be happy that this did not happen, and although the new setting is less glamorous it may well turn out to provide an even better experience for the true music fan.

Interview: Emil Viklický

In March 2011 pianist Emil Viklický was interviewed by Detlaf A. Ott. The interview was translated into German and abridged slightly for publication in German magazine Jazz Podium. Emil very kindly sent us the original English transcript of the interview for publication on Prague Jazz.

Emil had previously recorded a concert in Leipzig, where this interview was done. It begins with Ott asking him about the recording if that album. Enjoy...



JP: One year ago you played an amazing concert with the English sax player Julian Nicholas. How does it sound to you today? Are you satisfied with the result?

EV: If you listen to the material immediately, let’s say in a week, you are too emotional to listen to the failure. After one month, or let’s say three months, listen to the material and if you still agree [that it is good] then it is probably good. If you hate it still after three months then it is bad. In this case – the concert in Leipzig - Julian and me, we chose about 65 minutes of good playing from the two hour concert for the CD.

JP: Can you tell me something about your collaboration with Julian Nicholas? When did it start? How did you get to know him? What do you think about him as a sax player?

EV: I know Julian for nearly twenty years. Back 1992-3 I was invited by the English Jazz Federation to be one of the tutors of the Welsh Jazz Society. I met Julian there. Then in 1994, when I was President of the Czech Jazz Society, I invited Julian Nicholas and drummer Dave Wickins to teach in the Czech Republic at a jazz workshop in Frýdlant . During our teaching we played together a lot and got the idea to record. The resulting CD is named after William Shakespeare, Food Of Love. It is interesting that this CD was already issued three times. The Melantrich company was bankrupt soon after they published the CD. They paid us peanuts. But I had the tapes and went with them to the Lotus company. That was the second printing. Julian had a friend in England at SYMBOL records. And so it was published there, too. Three different labels. I wonder which one will be the next…

Next month, on April 15, 2011 Julian and I will play at the Polička Jazz Festival, the city where Bohuslav Martinů was born, plus a few gigs in Prague and Olomouc. Julian is my kind of musician. He very much listens and can react very fast. There are so many great musicians around us who we don’t know. There is a bunch of incredible players in England and they are very little known. A classic example is the tenor saxophone player Bobby Wellins who was actually Julian´s teacher. He is now 75 years old. Practically nobody knows about him. Bobby is originally from Scotland. In the fifties he used to practise in London with Sonny Rollins, and after Rollins said “This is the best European saxophone player ever.” Sometimes the media will push the young musicians whether they are good or not and forget the old masters.

JP: I recognised that you played an Abdullah Ibrahim song in your concert. What is the tie to his music?

EV: Julian brought that song called “Wedding” in the afternoon before the concert in Leipzig. I met Abdullah once in Spain, at the Cadaques Jazz festival. Charismatic person. There is certain melodic sense in this South African music which is similar to old Moravian melodies. I talked to Moravian folklorist Zuzana Lapčíková - we did a few CDs together. She told me the “folkloristic” border cuts Europe in half and it goes down south. There are certain similarities between Hungarian and Turkish folk music, and this can go down as far as South Africa.

JP: What role will this new CD with Nicholas play in your immense discography?

EV: Of course doing such a CD here in Leipzig is something special. It is the town where Bach lived, Wagner was born, and Mendelssohn and Schumann worked.

JP: You’ve said Bach was a mathematician. What does Bach mean to you and what are your main influences in music beside folk music?

EV: Yes, that’s what I’m saying. J.S. Bach! When I’m listening to Bach I’m always amazed how incredible his compositions are. If he wasn't a musician he would have been somebody like G.W. Leibniz, a mathematician. Bach music is so well constructed. I listened to the Goldberg Variations this morning and wondered, “Why do we try to write something? The best things are already written.”

I guess in his time it was natural to improvise. We know the story when Kaiser Wilhelm invited him to play a newly constructed pianoforte in Potsdam. J.S. Bach improvised a fugue not only with three voices but with six voices on the theme given him by Emperor. In a way he must have had the ability that most jazz musicians are trying to have today, to improvise out of the moment. I think he could do that pretty well.

JP: Julian Nicholas wrote in the liner notes to your CD Food Of Love in 2001, “We share a common European experience of jazz music.” What does that mean?

EV: What that means is hard to say. Europeans usually have more interest in harmony and form, having on our shoulders that great tradition of classical music: Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Wagner, Messiaen, Bartók, Janáček etc. American jazz players share a mainly rhythmical approach.

JP: What's the difference for you between playing in a trio or quartet with a rhythm section, and playing in a duo as you did with the Belgian sax player Steve Houben in 2009 or with Julian Nicholas. Is the work with only one partner more intensive?

EV: There is a big difference playing with a trio or quartet or in a duo. Playing in a duo you have to find a partner who can listen and respond. There are a lot of things that you can do only in a duo by closely following each other. Experience plays an important role in doing such things: to guess or intuitively expect what your partner will play.

To play with a rhythm section you have a completely different situation. You can’t expect that all of the four players will react similarly to some of the changes. Material used in trio or quartet must be more precisely structured.

JP: You’ve studied mathematics, left the science because of political reasons and became a jazz musician with SHQ. You then studied composition at Berklee in the 1970s. Why didn’t you decide to follow musicians like Jirí Mraz or Jan Hammer Jr. who left Czechoslovakia for the USA after 1968, or Jan Jankeje and Rudolf Dašek who played in West Germany?

EV: You asked me about my mathematical studies. Not long ago I joked and said, “I should be grateful to this communist rector of Mathematical Faculty.” When I finished in 1971 I wanted to play jazz. My thesis on “Symmetrical Polynomials” wasn’t bad at all, so I was recommended to do a doctorate in mathematics. And I said: “OK, I'll try.” After I finished my 5 years mathematical studies at Palacký University in Olomouc in 1971, I went with my thesis to visit the communist co-rector. He looked at me and shouted:” Viklický, I don’t care about your thesis. You want to have a doctorate, so you have to study Marxism-Leninism.” I didn’t say one word, took my papers, turned around and left the building. I haven’t been there since 1971.

In 1977-1978 I lived in the USA. In May 1978 I decided to stay there. Living in NYC, playing with Joe Newman, Ted Dunbar, Todd Capp and others was great. Mel Lewis told me: “Look Emil, if you stay here I can take you from September '78 as a member of my Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Big Band.” I said: “OK. I probably could do that.” In August 1978 I went back to see my family. After that, no more States. When Roland Hanna saw me playing in the club with Mel Lewis he came to me and said, “Hey, Emil. I thought you were a bass player.” I said, “Why?” “Because you always hang around with George Mraz.” He thought, he is Czech and so he must be a bass player. Sir Roland was surprised that I play piano. We sat down and chatted and I told him the difficulties about my decision. He said: “What’s the problem? Fuck the Communists. Stay here. I'll keep you busy. Don’t worry.” He liked my playing. Maybe I lost my career in the States, who knows?

JP: In his book Northern Sun | Southern Moon Mike Heffley called the Czech jazz musicians freelancing expatriates and not representatives of the official Czech scene. Where do you stand? Would you say that you represent your country and your roots, or does this mean nothing for a wide open mind like you?

EV: I was always trying to find my own way and expression - my own space. I realised that if I’m from Moravia why shouldn’t I find more influences from my heritage? I’m not a folk musician, but was trying to find what were sources of inspiration for Leoš Janáček (1854-1928), a Moravian composer that I admire. Janáček collected folk songs and used the “pattern of speech” method in his composition. When I recorded in New York with George Mraz and Billy Hart for the first time, in 2000, [the Morava album (Milestone/Fantasy MCD 9303)] the famous producer Todd Barkan suddenly said, “Now I know where George got that melodic sense from.” There is something of the Moravian melody in me, and of course also in George.

JP: You did an very interesting album, The Folk-Inspired Piano, on the Supraphon label.

EV: Yes, that’s my old one, before my stay in Berklee. When I was in the studio in 1977 to record the album somebody from the Ministry called and told that I was not allowed to go to the States. Antony Matzner - the producer - was so clever he didn’t tell me. He let me record and after he said to me, “Hey, Emil, on Monday I should have told you aren't allowed to go to USA.” But later on somehow they gave me the “stempel”.

JP: Years later you went back to the States. Recently you played a sold out concert at Dizzy’s with Mraz and Bittová and Moravian Gems. Why do you think your music so popular in the States? Does the Moravian inspiration make it exotic there?

EV: Probably. It was a sold out concert, twice. Both shows sold out, 19:30 and 21:30, 300 seats - simply incredible. And we were booked for a Monday date, January 3rd, 2011. Monday night is the worst one you can get. Of course on Friday, Saturday you can expect that it will be sold out at Dizzy´s. But not on Mondays. People came from everywhere: upstate New York, Connecticut, even from Boston, which is 300 miles away. They came to see the show. George Mraz had the 'flu, he couldn’t talk. So I was introducing the tunes we played. Dizzy’s is a wonderful place. From the concert grand Steinway you can look through those big windows down at Central Park and Columbus Circle. Very inspiring.

After that I played a duo with multi-instrumentalist Scott Robinson at the Bohemian National Hall, on 73rd Street. On YouTube you can find nearly all the songs we did.

JP: You studied composition at Berklee. How important is the relationship between composition and improvisation in your music? In a characteristic about Czech jazz Mike Heffley wrote: “…so the Czech jazz scene tended to foreground technically perfect composers-arrangers first, and technically brilliant improvisers only in the frameworks of those principles.” What is your point of view on this opinion?

EV: Well, who the hell is Mike Heffley? I don’t think he knows the scene well. He probably talked only to some Czech youngsters trying to sound like ECM. Or has seen some types of musicians who worked like that. But I think you can’t generalise musicians from a country in this way. I don’t work the way he describes. The part of improvisation in my music, e.g. with Julian Nicholas in Leipzig, is very important. Nearly nothing was prepared beforehand.

Czech composer Leoš Janáček used a compositional method he called “Pattern of Speech”. He listened to people talking, especially sentences they said with a lot of emotions. He notated these patterns down and used them later for composing. The classic example is in the third act of his opera Jenůfa. Mezzo-soprano “Kostelnička” sings the phrase: F♭ , F♭ , Eb♭ , D♭ , B♭. That is an absolutely typical jazz/blues phrase, but composed in 1900. Janáček couldn’t know anything about jazz. That brings me to another fact: Recently I just finished a piano concerto with full symphony orchestra - 25 minutes long. Somebody asked me, “Is this a “jazz concerto?”. I said, “No, I don’t think so.” I don’t really know what that means, a “jazz” or “non-jazz” motive. It is up to the musicologists to decide. I don’t really care whether this is jazz or not. It's just music.

JP: You wrote a composition for Wynton Marsalis with lyrics from Václav Havel. What is the story behind it?

EV: Legendary producer Todd Barkan recommended me for a Lincoln Center opening in October 2004 to write jazz melodrama for the Wynton Marsalis Big Band. Six different composers from the world were asked to write six jazz melodramas based on the texts of the world's leading politicians. My score The Mystery of Man used texts from former Czech president Václav Havel.

Todd called and asked me, “Emil, do you write for Big Bands?”. Of course, I studied in Berklee with Herb Pomeroy - only 15 students each year could study with him! – so we are small closed society of Herb Pomeroy´s students around the world. In the eighties I wrote charts for the Zurich Big Band, NDR (Norddeutsche Rundfunk), all the Czech Big Bands. I’m an experienced Big Band writer. Then there was a telephone conference with Wynton. He asked me a lot of questions and at the end he said, “Ok, do it.”

My melodrama The Mystery of Man got a few great reviews in the USA. What helped me tremendously was my operatic experience. In the period of 1999-2003 I wrote 3 full scale operas. My Phaedra was played in Berlin´s Unten den Linden opera house, my opera Ackermann und der Tod was played in Deutches Oper in Berlin as guest performance from Prague. My experience with writing the Ackermann und der Tod score helped me to write The Mystery of Man. I have discussed it with Václav Havel, we both agreed that I don’t need one narrator but two. When Mystery of Man was played in Prague later it was a big success, too. Perhaps, there will be another chance in Germany?

JP: As an old master who is looking back on deep experiences in jazz, how do you see the future of our culture? Discussions often go about the role of studying jazz at universities and less opportunities for young musicians to play jazz and get paid. How is the situation in your country?

EV: The Czech scene is not different to other countries. Young musicians have the tendency to go more to the commercial side. Jazz has something inside that I call the “self saving ability”. Jazz is able in certain moments to modify itself. We know that universities and music schools produce more and more musicians but there are no opportunities for them to play. Jazz is the type of music that has the improvisation in it, and such a music won’t die, I hope. Another characteristic of jazz is the spontaneity, which is mostly missing in contemporary classical music of today. You have very well trained contemporary musicians, technically impeccable. If the joy, happiness and spontaneity of jazz could mix with the contemporary classical music, this could lead to something special.

JP: Do you sometimes feel that you haven’t got enough of a reputation?

EV: It is hard to say. I am satisfied about what I did. I wrote a lot of film music, theatre music etc. Also I did music for the German TV series Ein Hamster im Nachthemd in Cologne. I was lucky to work with film cutter Miroslav Hajek who did all the early Miloš Forman movies. Mr Hajek liked me and recommended me for other movies, so I worked with high professionals. In America as a jazz piano player I would never have got the chance to get to the movies. I am grateful for that.

My last CD is on a Japanese Label VENUS Record.s It is a trio with Lewis Nash and George Mraz. The company is marketing it as The Janáček of Jazz. That’s an old title I was given by Chris Parker back in the 1997 in The Times, London. The Japanese writer Haruki Murakami is fascinated by Czech culture. He often speaks about Kafka and Janáček. That is how the producers decided to call me Janáček of Jazz. And now I’m selling CDs in Japan quite well. That’s crazy. Last year I played a solo piano concert in Tokyo, and Murakami came. He usually doesn’t go out in public. Very, very seldom. My next record in Japan will be a tribute to Murakami.

JP: What are you planning to do next?

EV: This month I have a short tour with Steve Houben, next month – April 2011 – I will play with Julian Nicholas again. With Richie Cole I will play a few concerts in Chicago in May and some festivals in Europe.

JP: A last question. What is the CD title?

EV: At first I thought about Mood Indigo because we destroyed this Duke´s tune so beautifully in a kind of Thelonius Monk-ish way. A friend of mine, painter Jiří Anderle,  has a picture called Spring Frenzy. Our concert was on March , it couldn’t be better description of the mood during that time. So, that´s it.

Emil Viklický - New Album Rehearsals

It is always a time of excitement and anticipation here at PJHQ when Emil is working on a new album. His current project is Kafka On The Shore, an album for Venus Records in Japan. To give you a taste of what it will be like here's a clip of the band in rehearsal at Czech Radio's famous Studio A, where many great Czech (and Czechoslovak!) albums were recorded.

Gig Review: Tribute to Miles Davis (Jazz na Hradě)

Bigger than a normal jazz club.

Prague Castle
23rd May 2011


In Prague there are many places to experience live jazz. There are the clubs of course, heavily documented on this website and a magnet for tourists from around the world. And there are the restaurants where good musicians play for bad audiences and what should be a painting becomes little more than wallpaper. There's Czech Radio's Studio A where you can listen to Big Band concerts and feel decades of Czech music history. You can stand on Charles Bridge and listen to some buskers. Or you can go to Prague Castle and have top international jazz stars introduced by the President.

The Jazz na Hradě (Jazz at the Castle) concerts are no ordinary events. They are played in majestic rooms, such as the ornate Španělský sál (Spanish hall), in front of large audiences. Splendid surroundings deserve splendid musicians, and the Castle concerts are known for bringing together the cream of Czech and international talent. This time the honour of representing the home-grown species fell to pianist Emil Viklický, assisted by Jaroslav Jakubovič (a 1968 émigré currently living in NYC) on baritone saxophone. On the international team were Lenny White (d), who previously played with Davis, Corea, Getz and many others, Jon Faddis (t.) and Tom Barney (b). Barney also played with Davis, as well as with Hancock, Gillespie, Aretha Franklin and many rock acts including Clapton and Steely Dan.

The stage was set, in this case a temporary stage in a 17th century state room rarely open to the public. The audience gathered: a hefty slab of VIPs as was to be expected, a fair collection of musicians (Jiří Stivín easily identifiable in his hat, Elena Sonenshine sitting near the front, Ondřej Hejma in a military-styled suit), and of course the ordinary music fans. There was still room for us, and getting to the Castle early meant being able to get a good view and comfortable chairs; important at a concert performance without breaks.

The music was all Miles: either his own compositions or pieces that he recorded. After a short introduction by President Klaus they kicked off with “Ah-Leu-Cha" (C. Parker), following it up with “Some Day My Prince Will Come” (F. Churchill). Different sides of the band, just as there were different sides to Miles. The first a hard-bopping rapid-fire blaze, the second more lyrical, moody and (in terms of trumpet) muted. Faddis himself admitted that it was no easy for a job for a trumpeter, paying tribute to the man who had done so much to define the sound of modern jazz, but he did an excellent job. During “Some Day” his playing was fluid, caressing and coaxing the melody into existence; during the harder sections he made the instrument wail and cry.

“Summertime” (G. Gershwin) mixed things up: the familiar legato lines giving way to trumpet improvisations, while Emil added a touch of boogie-woogie underneath before taking his turn in the spotlight. His evocative bitter-sweet sound perfectly suited the song, and got a well deserved round of applause from the audience.

Ah... the audience. They were there too, perfectly behaved, perfectly mannered, looking like they'd all had a shower and a shave and were ready to say hello to the President. They were appreciative, or certainly wanted to be, and if someone set them off clapping in the right place they followed obediently. They were perfectly silent, essential for recording (all the Jazz at the Castle gigs are recorded) and good for my blood pressure. But a survey of heads and feet revealed few foot tappers, few rhythmic nodders, few beard strokers, few wry smilers. There were some. More would be better.

“'Round Midnight” (T. Monk) and “All Blues” (M. Davis) were very much familiar territory for Viklický, both being played regularly by his own Trio. The potential power of this ensemble finally broke through: brutal stabs and a menacing “All Blues” throughout which Barney's bass vamps beat like a pulse. Faddis may have introduced it as an example of the calmer side of Miles but this was a simmering interpretation, aided and abetted by the obedient listeners. One by one the players took their solos and dropped out , eventually leaving nothing but the ever-present bass against a backdrop of silence. No chatter, no chewing of salt peanuts, no camera flash and whir. A blank canvas on which a sparse pattern could be drawn. Just how it should be.

Lenny White was continually present, but tastefully so. When you've got his history there's nothing to be proved by unnecessary egotism, and throughout the concert he pitched it expertly. Shifting, dropping beats, playing around: he should have been the main inspiration for wry smiles exchanged between foot tapping beard strokers. A class act through and through he shone on “Bye Bye Blackbird” (R. Henderson), and when he finally took a full solo during “Walkin'” (R. Carpenter) it was worth the wait. The echo of the room added extra thunder as he worked his way around the kit. By the time he had finished even the suits knew they should go wild. Jakubovič also had his finest moment, growling through the bottom notes with a richness that makes you wish that more saxophonists would put down the ubiquitous tenor and go low.

The finale brought lots of flowers and photos with Klaus, and a final blast of “Milestones” (M. Davis) to complete 90 minutes of music, most of which will presumably emerge on a Jazz na Hradě album in the coming months. It wasn't an evening of cutting-edge far-out creation, and I (and perhaps about fifty other people in the room) would have liked to have heard some more esoteric numbers from the Davis repertoire. But we should not forget that this was a one-off, not a regularly gigging band, and so it was always going to err on the side of orthodoxy. What they did do they did very well, and it is always a joyous moment for a lover of Czech jazz to see local artists demonstrating clearly that they can hold their own alongside so much globally-recognised talent.

The Jazz na Hradě experience is not for everyone. Specifically it is not for people who want musical wallpaper. It is a listening concert. The Corridors (or in this case Halls) Of Power do not have the greatest acoustics in the world, but I've heard a lot worse and it is made up for by the lack of distraction. To all the foot tappers, rhythmic nodders, beard strokers and wry smilers out there who have never been, this is your call to arms. If you can stand to wear semi-smart clothing please join me. Let us march en masse to these gigs and help the VIPs time their applause. Jazz fans – to the Castle!

Interview: Julian Nicholas

If you went to see the Emil Viklický Trio in April you may have noticed that there were in fact four musicians on stage. This was because Emil had a special guest with him, saxophonist Julian Nicholas. Julian kindly took the time to tell Prague Jazz a little about his experiences with Emil and the Czech jazz scene. We started by asking him how he first met one of the legends of Central European jazz...

“I met Emil in Wales. We were both teaching on a Jazz Summer School and played in the 'club' in the evenings, finding a mutuality in our music that could be said to emerge from 'folk'-ish expression, and perhaps a Jarret-Gabarek ECM background. Emil invited the drummer David Wickins and myself to come and teach on the Frydlant Jazz School and play some gigs.

“My greatest regret over the years is that I haven't been able to reciprocate with engagements in the UK the kind of situations that Emil has set  up for so many of us in the Czech Republic, but next year I will be freer to promote myself in the UK and work towards making things happen for us there too. Last year we recorded a duo concert in Leipzig, and I believe the promoter may be open to the idea of us forming an international quartet there next time, but generally the plans are improvised like the music. Opportunity provides...

The Czech jazz scene not only has a significant heritage of world class artists, but continues to produce them through inspiring young players to go to college and gig a wide range of styles. However, it would be foolish to pretend that it doesn't suffer from all the same syndromes as every jazz scene the world over: clubs with a reputation and tourist interest not paying enough or knowing or caring enough, no real media coverage or airtime, no record company or publisher business development support, and film and television companies not distinguishing between the real thing and potted clichés. Therefore musicians are forced to exist in cliques or sub-scenes, often pressured to compete with one another instead of pooling resources and working together to combat the anti-jazz exploitative capitalism of the media, some clubs, and the so-called “commercial music scene”. But the upside is that there is, deep down, in most of Europe, Scandinavia, Japan and the United States, a culture of respect for the artistic endeavours and heritage of the Jazz Artist that hasn't survived in mainstream culture in the UK. It still exists in the Czech Republic.

“For example, on Friday we played at the festival in Polička, a small town that has hosted jazz musicians annually for 15 years, and has consequently enriched its local people with a greater understanding of the wide range of music under the jazz umbrella, bringing them together in a unique and very different atmosphere than 'pop' and classical musics can achieve.

“My memories of playing in the Czech Republic are rich with magic moments, like recording our album Food Of Love in the atmospheric orchestral [Český rozhlas] broadcasting Studio A in Karlín, all the times Emil has brought together truly individual players from the Czech scene and internationals like Steve Houben and Scott Robinson for tours or the gig at the Castle, and playing Emil's home town gig Olomouc and feeling 'spoilt' by the level of attention. Many more to come, I'm sure...”

Many thanks to Julian for his time and thoughts, and we look forward to seeing him in Prague again soon. For those of you who didn't get to see him play here's a treat – an “official bootleg” video of him in action recorded from the top of Emil's piano at the Polička Jazz Festival. The band are playing one of Julian's own pieces, "1000 Ships".

CD Review: Richie Cole Q & Emil Viklický (Jazz na Hradě)

Multisonic (31 0799-2)
2011

It is fair to say that Václav Klaus is not the least controversial politician in the world. He attracts attention on both the domestic and the international stages, and the critical coverage often seems to outweigh the positive. Where Klaus cannot be faulted is in his promotion of Czech jazz, not as some sort of historical relic but as a living, breathing cultural identity. The most visible evidence of his support for the genre is the Jazz na Hradě (Jazz at the Castle) concert series, played and recorded in the halls of Prague Caste itself. This is no mere paper endorsement: Klaus turns up and introduces the concerts himself. Whatever else you may think of him there is no doubt that Klaus is, in the words of Richie Cole, a "Jazz President".

The concert on October 17th 2010 brought together talent from both sides of the Atlantic. Richie Cole (as), Ted Hogarth (bar) and Ernie Adams (d) were joined by local guys Josef Fečo (b) and Emil Viklický (p). The resulting album is upbeat and joyous; a celebration of music and cultural collaboration.

The record is a mix of standards and original compositions, including two new Cole numbers penned for the occasion, "Castle Bop" and "Swinging With President Klaus". Cole is known for playing in the style of Charlie Parker, and during "Castle Bop" he revels in rapid twists and turns. Adams impresses with intricate percussion that never overwhelms the band but is worth listening to in its own right. Strong interplay between the two horns can be heard, with Hogarth blowing hard at the low end. Viklický tears it up during his solo, as would be expected. Although miles away from the Moravian interpretations for which he is famous, his playing is still infused with the innate sense of bitter-sweet melody that defines his sound.

It is Viklický who kicks off "Swinging With President Klaus" with an expressive, bluesy piano solo that leads into a strident and snappy piece. Fečo is reassuringly twangy and the melody is sweet enough. "Cacharel" is an infectious Viklický original during which the contrast between alto and baritone instruments is used with great effect.

There are two Gerry Mulligan pieces on the album, bringing the essence of cool jazz to the Castle. "Song For Strayhorn" unites the sax players in fragile and ethereal expression. The poignancy is even echoed in Fečo's bass solo. "North Atlantic Run" contains some of the most proficient ensemble playing on the recording: a good example to busy young musicians of how to not trip up over each other while still being able to do your thing.

Other names who are visited on this album include Ray Brown ("Buhaina"), Horace Silver ("Opus De Funk" - listen out for Adams as he sublimely shifts and changes his patterns under the angular romp of saxes and piano), and of course Charlie Parker. "Confirmation" is full-blooded bebop. They handle it well, audibly enjoying the furious pace. The Cole composition "Bossa Nova Eyes" ends the album in a calmer and more relaxing style; a fluid Latin-tinged workout with satisfying solos.

Just because you put a group of able musicians together on the same stage it does not mean that the gig is going to work. Lack of familiarly or a clash of styles can render the whole substantially less than the sum of its parts. However sometimes they seize the moment and fly. That is what happens here. It shouldn't be regarded as a Czech jazz album but as a world jazz album, recorded in Prague and with some Czech guys on it. There are a lot of Cole fans out there. Hopefully they will discover this disc, and with is discover two excellent Czech musicians who deserve the widest possible global audience.

Live in Vienna - U.S. Distribution

Our American readers will be happy to discover that Emil Viklický's excellent Live in Vienna album is available via the Blue Horse Trading Company. Blue Horse Trading is currently the exclusive U.S. distributor of this and other Cube-Metier releases. Follow the link to order your copy today!

A Funky Review From South Africa

It is always good to see Czech jazz artists getting the recognition they deserve from critics worldwide. You can read what the Mail & Guardian, a South African newspaper, says about The Funky Way of Emil Viklický here: Czech the funk

CD Review: Live In Vienna

Emil Viklický Trio
Cube Metier / MJCD 2945, 2010

Earlier in March pianist Emil Viklický told Prague Jazz that he believes his new Live In Vienna record has more raw energy than any of his Trio's previous live releases. He has a point, and a good one at that.

This album is an explosion of music. Emil's shows are never dull, never lacklustre and never half-hearted, but the one that he played on April 27th 2007 was something special. Live albums never convey the full effect of a gig, as anyone who has ever heard a recording of a concert they attended knows well, and so we can only imagine what it actually sounded like to the audience in Vienna. The rest of us will have to make do with this album: a second best, but a very fine second best.

The band was moving fast. Emil and drummer Laco Tropp had just flown back from America, where they had been gigging and recording with bassist Cleveland Eaton. According to Victor Verney's liner notes this was a journey that their luggage and Laco's cymbals failed to complete, their progress halting at Frankfurt Airport. In Vienna Laco and Emil joined up with regular bassist František Uhlíř, borrowed some cymbals, and went on the attack.

The strident opening of “Father's Blues” (F. Uhlíř) sets the tone for the whole record. There is an aggression in the piano playing that gives it percussive overtones even during the melodic phrases. Tropp trades thunderous exchanges with his travelling companion. Uhlíř plays with his customary refined woody twang throughout, breaking off only to unleash his bow upon the strings for an energetic sawing solo. They don't call him the “Paganini of the Bass” for nothing!

What stands out is how the three musicians are giving their all. There are no lazy moments, no lapses into ordinariness, no times of being merely average. And they can do all this without tripping over each other, without showing off to the detriment of the piece, and without even seeming to think about it.

“A Bird Flew Over” (E. Viklický) and “Highlands, Lowlands” (E. Viklický) are both pieces heavily influenced by Moravian folk tunes. The former starts off with the lilting bitter-sweetness that typifies that type of music but morphs into a rollicking piano-driven blues, a change hinted at in the opening bars but saved until later. Uhlíř plays another tuneful solo, this time eschewing the bow and getting stuck in with his fingers.

It is “Highlands, Lowlands” where the extra energy in this recording is located in greatest concentration. This piece will be familiar to everyone who has seen Emil's Trio live over the last few years. Its cascading depiction of the hills and the valleys is one of the most memorable moments of their shows. This incarnation still has the same melodies, but in jagged and rocky form. Initially it sounds like a pretty normal version, but the improvised section takes on a whole new dynamic as Viklický flings his elegant playing right to the ragged edge, calling back the theme as a reference point then ferociously cutting loose again. It is refined yet raw at the same time. Uhlíř's solo is a moment of rest by comparison, coming before the Trio hurtles the composition to resolution. This version of “Highlands, Lowlands” is possibly the most exciting piece of music recorded by a Czech jazz outfit in the last few years and is worth the price of the album in itself.

There is slower stuff on Live In Vienna too, including a beautifully expressive version of “Coral” (K. Jarrett) containing yet another great bass solo, and also the appropriately named “Longing” (E. Viklický). The latter contains delicate interplay between piano and legato bass while Tropp takes a back seat with his brushes.

“Wine, Oh Wine” (E. Viklický) speaks of one of the favourite pastimes of Moravia, and again the spirit of that part of the Czech Republic shines through strongly. It begins with sonorous chimes, in the same way that “Highlands Lowlands” does, but this time heads into a joyous romp via some teasing solo piano. There are comic bass slides from Uhlíř that always go down well with the crowd, while Tropp rides the metals and pushes from behind.

Laco Tropp's dynamic playing is worthy of special note. He was 68 when this album was recorded, and the events preceding the Vienna concert were hardly conducive to restful preparation. On “Wine, Oh Wine” he puts in a two minute drum solo, and not one of those gentle spacey ones either. He goes for the full works, assaulting the kit in a way that would be impressive for a man half his age.

Tropp is also working hard on “Buhaina” (R. Brown), the final track of the album and the final encore of the night. He grooves away tirelessly, the entire band going out with an air of triumph. This was a hot gig. Never mind being exhausting to play, this thing is exhausting to listen to, and that's without being 68 and having just endured an overnight transatlantic flight.

As well as the music this package also includes two other treats. Victor Verney's liner notes reveal a slice of Viklický's family history, and with it his enduring relationship with the city of Vienna. There is also the artwork, by Jiří Anderle, that makes one wish that CDs were sold with L.P.-sized covers.

Here at Prague Jazz we do not use a system of stars or marks out of ten, feeling that trying to crudely quantify something as complex as music is a pointless endeavor. However we do recommend, and we do fully recommend that you get Live In Vienna. Whether you are interested in Emil Viklický, Czech jazz, jazz with a national identity, or just piano jazz in general, this is one of the finest new recordings that you could purchase. Viklický has proven once again that he is a world-class pianist, composer and bandleader, as good as any and better than most. Their special gig has given us a special album.

If you would like to hear a free sample from the album as well as from other Emil Viklický albums then please visit his website.

Articles About Emil Viklický

Here at Prague Jazz we do say a lot of good things about Emil. Just in case some of our readers out there would like a second opinion here are a couple of articles (in English) about our favourite pianist:

First of all, here is a summary of his career from All About Jazz: http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/musician.php?id=15576

Respected US writer Victor Verney has recently penned a piece about Emil's latest activities. You can read it on Victor's own website here: http://verney.us/?page_id=689

Happy reading!

News: Emil Viklický Trio's New Live Album

Live in Vienna, the new live album from one of the true giants of Czech jazz, has been released!


We will of course be reviewing the album as soon as our copy arrives, but until then here is what Emil himself has to say about it:

"In the span of nine years my Trio issued 3 live recordings:

1/ Bratislava 2001 TRIO 01, recorded 2001, issued 2002 by ARTA
2/ Cookin´in Bonn, recorded 2004, issued 2005/6 by Dekkor Records, London
3/ Live in Vienna, recorded 2007, issued 2010, by Cube Métier

In Bratislava reviews said we were the best group of the festival. There is also a DVD issued [of the set]. Bonn was good as well, but I do feel that Vienna has the most raw energy. That is due to Laco Tropp's playing. Laco is terribly excellent on Live in Vienna.

He was 68 when [Live in Vienna was] recorded, but playing his "Philly Jo" style with incredible stamina and energy. Of course it is partly because of our short tour in Alabama. We had played a trio with Cleveland Eaton - bassist for Count Basie, Donald Byrd, Herbie Hancock, Ramsay Lewis and founding member of Earth Wind and Fire!!! Cleve was so enthusiastic of Laco's groove that he offered him a position in his US band for a year. Laco's self confidence of course went up, and you can easily hear it on this CD."

Photos: Emil Viklický & Eve Quartet

On December 14th Emil played a one-off concert with the Eve Quartet in Prague. It was a rare chance to hear some of his music created for piano and string quartet: complex pieces that show a whole different side to his writing. Here are a few photographs from the unique occasion:





Many thanks to Zuzana Peřinová and the Eve Quartet for the photographs. More information about the Eve Quartet at www.evequartet.com.

News: Emil Viklický - More Free Samples And Yet Another Album!

Exciting news from Emil: there is yet another album on the way. This one will be a recording of his Trio playing live in Vienna. It was recorded on April 26 2007 with Viklický playing a Steinway Model D. It will hopefully be released in February 2010 on the Cube-Metiér label. More news when we get it.

Meanwhile, if you would like to listen to some free tracks from Viklický then here are a couple of links.

First of all there two samples from his recent Funky Way album on DJ Lou Kash's blog:

I Want The Funky Way!

If you would like to hear a wide selection of Emil's work, including collaborations with George Mraz and Marcus Printup, then check out the samples on Emil's own site:

I Want The Whole Lot!

News: Free Music from Emil Viklický

The good news (part 1): Emil has yet another album out! Sinfonietta - The Janáček Of Jazz features him playing alongside George Mraz on bass and Lewis Nash on drums.

The bad news: It is only available in Japan at the moment.

The good news (part 2): There are free samples available on the Venus Records website. Just click the link below to listen.

Yes - I want to hear some excellent free music!

CD Review: The Funky Way of Emil Viklický

Emil Viklický
Vampisoul / VAMPI CD 115, 2009

It was November 2008 when Emil Viklický, a pianist whose work is revered not only in the Czech Republic but also globally, told Prague Jazz that there would be a release of some of his jazz-rock work from the 1970s and 1980s. The wait was long but now, one year later, The Funky Way of Emil Viklický is here!

Those who are familiar with Emil's piano work can be forgiven for looking puzzled. He is famous for his technical but melodic compositions, his fusion of jazz with Moravian folk melodies, and his effective treatment of jazz standards. There are many ways to describe his recent output, all of them complimentary, but “funky” would not be on the list. So, can Emil Viklický, grandmaster of the grand piano, really play funk? Of course he can...

The Funky Way is a collection of his work with different outfits from between 1975 and 1987. Some of the tracks were originally released by Supraphon and Panton on hard-to-locate vinyl albums, singles and EPs, and there are also four pieces that were previously unreleased. Real care has been taken with the sound quality: Ian Shepherd's 24-bit transfers of the original analog tapes are clean but still colourful. Care has also been taken with the presentation: there are extensive and interesting liner notes from Lukáš Machata (DJ Lou Kash) and some fantastic 1970s photographs provided by Emil and singer Eva Svobodová.

Five of the tracks, spread out across the album, are from a 1979 Prague session with Vinne Johnson (drums), Kermit Driscoll (bass guitar) and Bill Frisell (electric guitar). Friends from his year at Berklee, they came to Prague for a two-day recording session with Viklický. These pieces, originally from the Okno LP, are pure funk. The grooves are strong, with big bouncy bass riffs and tight, precise drumming. The keyboard parts will come as a revelation to those who consider Viklický solely as a pianist: here he's working on analog synthesizer, electric piano and clavinet.

“Trochu Funky” (“The Funky Way”, E. Viklický) is opened by the rhythm section before keyboards and guitar join in. The melodic approach and attention to detail that typify Emil's piano playing are much in evidence. There are washes of sound and delicate highlights as well as the down and dirty funk. He plays fast with a lot of intricate touches, and there is some good interplay and union with Frisell on guitar.

“Květen” (“Maytime”, E. Viklický) opens with a sweep before falling into a jaunty pattern. There are some sweet escalating chord progressions and Johnson employs a light and airy touch while still keeping things pinned down. There is more electric piano and some nice bendy synth notes. Frisell again goes for the burn before the whole thing rises to a powerful climax.

“Boston” (E. Viklický) is rapid and choppy, the quartet on overdrive. Leads are shared between keyboards and guitar, and Johnson gets to do a drum solo without abusing the privilege. “Zase Zapomněli Zavřít Okno” (“They've Left The Window Open Again”, E. Viklický) is a slower-paced funk experience, although still with a satisfyingly fat, squidgy sound. Less fiery and more contemplative, it shows a different side of this quartet. “Jumbo Jet” (E. Viklický), the final piece from this session, is again a slower and spacier number and is thoughtfully delivered.

The four previously unreleased tracks on The Funky Way feature Viklický in yet another role unfamiliar to many of his fans: as the leader of a big band. The Emil Viklický Studio Big Band pieces, arranged and conducted by the man himself, are 2-track recordings and so their sound quality is not quite as good as the rest of the collection. It is still pretty decent though, and the brass comes over brightly. Given the quality of the arrangements and their historical significance (they're out of Emil's own archives), their inclusion is most welcome.

“Ještě Jednou Slunce” (“Once Again Sun”, E. Viklický) is a full-blooded affair with stomping bass and punchy brass. It is mainly led by saxophone, with keyboard instruments taking a back seat. The arrangement is sophisticated and satisfying, blending the traditional big band sound with a funky rhythm section. “70. Východní” (“East 70th Street”, E. Viklický) starts with a brassy fanfare before opening out into busy high-tempo big band jazz. It is tight and precise stuff from this outfit of (according to the liner notes) unknown personnel.

The majestic “Hromovka” (“Thunderhouse”, E. Viklický) has a melancholy opening but soon settles into the funky pattern once more, with a slower ultra-groovy bass riff and staccato piano rumbling away under a wide-screen sleazy feast of brass and woodwind. “Siesta” (E. Viklický) picks up the pace again, with some mellow sax and piano moments being juxtaposed against powerful brass.

The Okno session and the Studio Big Band are both projects that are no longer currently active, but that is not true of some of the other collaborations featured on The Funky Way.

There are two tracks from SQH, the outfit that Viklický joined in 1974. SQH also featured Karel Velebný on vibraphone, Ivan Smažík on drums, Jaromír Helešic on percussion, and František Uhlíř on double bass. Yes... the same František 'Paganini of the Bass” Uhlíř who currently plays in Emil's Trio. When you see them play together their communication is almost telepathic. Little surprise, given that their shared history reaches back over 35 years!

“Týden” (“Week”, E. Viklický) is a joyfully airy piece of jazz-rock that feels good. It's fast and it bounds along with playful interaction between vibes and piano, often falling back into satisfying phrases. Drums and percussion are busy and skittish, and Uhlíř's melodic bass twang sounds very much like it does today. The second SHQ piece also features Eva Svobodová on vocals. Yes... the same Eva Svobodová with the same velvet voice that it is worth going to Reduta to see. “Země Plná Lásky” (“A Land Full Of Love”, E. Viklický / V. Čort) heads more into acid-jazz territory, with disjointed rhythms, super-rubbery bass, and a gorgeous sweet chorus excitingly delivered by Svobodová who sounds like she is having real fun. Some slightly surreal spoken comments from Velebný to the rest of the band also help to keep the acid vibe going. It may only clock in at 3:44 but every second is a pleasure.

“Kam S Tím Blues” (“Chega De Saudade”, A. C. Jobim / V. Čort) is taken from Svobodová's own album, Můj Ráj, on which Viklický appeared as part of her backing band. The wooden twangy bass tones give Uhlíř away without even having to look at the credits. It's an enjoyable track, as would be expected from the fusion of an interesting and talented singer with an interesting and talented band.

Last but not least, The Funky Way includes two tracks by 1970s Czechoslovak jazz-rock legends Energit, a band that also included guitarist Luboš Andršt. Yes. The same one.

“Zelený Satén” (“Green Satin”, E. Viklický) dates back to 1976 and is one of several recorded versions of this award-winning piece. The opening melody is lyrical and haunting, played on electric soprano sax by Rudolf Ticháček. Viklický solos on electric piano before making way for a hard-edged burst from Andršt. The conclusion is a reprise of the initial evocative melody.

The last track is the mini-epic “Ráno (Part 1)” (“Morning (Part 1)”, L. Andršt). This is a slightly edited version, but at 13:13 it is still a substantial beast. Intense jazz-rock, with more than a hint of progressive rock in there too, it again kicks off with Ticháček's electric sax. This time the mood is sinister, with unsettled electric piano and guitar patterns swirling underneath. Andršt's solo is fast and jagged. Ticháček walks the line between control and chaos. The electric piano solo is bluesy, the underlying rhythms are funky, and the overall effect is not dissimilar to one of the early 1970s jazzed-up incarnations of King Crimson, only done better. A suitably prolonged outro ends the track and the album.

And so there we have The Funky Way of Emil Viklický. It was worth the wait. The music is very different from the sort of material that he is usually heard playing, and yet it sounds so natural that it is hard to believe he is not a dedicated full-time funk and jazz-rock musician.

For fans of Emil's piano work it is a fascinating insight into his other lives. For those interested in Czechoslovak jazz it is an essential archive collection of excellent and important material. It is also a great listen: a recording full of life and excitement and fun. That is the Funky Way. The only question now remaining is whether Viklický could ever be persuaded hit the road with a Funky Tour...

News: Emil Viklický - Janáček Of Jazz

Emil's latest album, Sinfonietta - The Janáček Of Jazz is finally out on Venus Records. More details can be found at the All About Jazz website here.

Details Of The Funky Way

For anyone interested in Emil Viklický's new album, a collection of his jazz/rock work from 1975-1987, full details can be found here. The credits do read as a pretty impressive collection of Czech jazz stars, with some players from the world stage thrown in for good measure.

Our copy should be arriving soon, and a full review will follow.

News: The Funky Way Of Emil Viklický

Great news for all fans of Emil Viklický: the collection of his 1970s and 1980s work with some of the other great names of Czech music (and indeed some great names from around the world) is almost with us.

It will be released on CD and also LP (there are some real audiophiles working on this project) by Vampisoul.

For more details please look here.

We'll be running a review here on PJ as soon we we get our hands on it!

News: Emil Viklický Album Release Date

Hot news from the man himself: The new Emil Viklický Trio album, Sinfonietta - Janáček Of Jazz, will be out on October 29th, 2009.

The prospect of this record is causing no little excitement here at PJHQ - obviously we will post review of the album as soon as we get our hands on it!

Emil Viklický London Review

There was a very interesting review of the recent concert at which Emil appeared alongside two Swedish acts, marking the handover of the European Union presidency. It was published in Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper: you can read it it here. Emil may not have been the headline act but he was the star of the show!