Iva Bittová @ Palác Akropolis through my phone

Cuneiform Records artists BENT KNEE in Czech Republic

BENT KNEE :: August 4, Eurocentrum, Jiraskova 9, Jablonec Nad Nisou 46601, Czech Republic

5PM :: OPEN AiR :: FREE ENTRY

www.cuneiformrecords.com

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FREEjAZZ iS MUSiC, vol. IV

Here are some recordings and photos from last freejazz session at Žižkostel, Prague.

SEiZAN OSAKO - alto and soprano saxes, shakuhachi
PETR VARJU - baritone and alto saxes
ESKO MÄKiNEN - double bass, harmonium, melodica, flutes
VLADiMiR GOROSHKO - drums and cymbals

Live @ Žižkostel, Žižkov, Prague, June 8, 2o16

MiKOLÁŠ CHADiMA and Ex-EXTEMPORE MEMBERS plays THE CiTY @ Žižkostel, June 23

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Album of the month: BARRY GUY - The Blue Shroud (2o16)

This new recording of bassist, composer and director Barry Guy (born 1947) and his Blue Shroud Band was recorded in Warsaw and merges worlds of free jazz and baroque music, an area, where master improviser Guy is no stranger (for years, he was bassist for serious classical orchestra aside of his jazz activities). Memorable are also his numerous contemporary classical compositions, performed by such groups as The Hilliard Ensemble or Fretwork viols consort. For long years, main vehicle for his large compositions was London Jazz Composers Orchestra and later also Barry Guy New Orchestra. On The Blue Shroud, he gathered his old and new cohorts in the field of free jazz, aside of Greek singer Savina Yannatou and his life partner, baroque violinist Maya Homburger. Incorporated in original compositions are works of baroque masters H.I.F. Biber and J.S. Bach.

Iva Bittová and Paolo Angeli plays Palác Akropolis, Prague

Violinist, singer, improviser and actress Iva Bittová (1958) is one of the most prominent and most respected artists on the Czech alternative, jazz, and world music scene. Her musical range extends from Moravian and gipsy folk songs through classical music to free improvisation. She released numerous albums, solo and in collaboration with various artists and ensembles, including Bang On A Can All Stars, Nederlands Blazers Ensemble, Fred Frith, Pavel Fajt, Vladimír Godár, George Mraz or her own band Čikori. In 2013, ECM records released her solo album named Iva Bittová. Recently she also played concerts with prominent freejazz drummer Hamid Drake or clarinetist Don Byron. As she lives now mainly in United States, Prague audience will see her after long time.



Her partner in concert at Palác Akropolis on June 21st will be Italian Paolo Angeli, the excellent soloist, who finds his musical inspiration mainly in the traditional music of Sardinia and contemporary experiments. Angeli is master improviser and inventor of his own Sardinian prepared guitar: an orchestra-like instrument with 18 cords, a hybrid between guitar, violoncello and percussion, gifted with hammers and pedals. Paolo elaborates, improvises and composes unclassifiable music, suspended between free jazz, folk noise and minimal pop. In 2003, on request by Pat Metheny, he started the project of a new model of his Sardinian prepared guitar. Result was two guitars that were born, one of which was adopted by the American musician. Among his musical collaborators are Evan Parker, Hamid Drake, Mats Gustafsson, Fred Frith and others.



www.bittova.com
www.paoloangeli.com
Concert is organised by www.rachot.cz

Graphic scores of Jan Steklík by diverse line-ups

Jan Steklík (born June 5, 1938 in Ústí nad Orlicí) is Czech graphic artist, solitaire, co-founder of legendary Křižovnice School of Clear Humour without Joke. Graphic scores (or Grafické partitury in Czech) represents small part of his large output, full of soft humour, irony and refined style. Steklík created them sometimes in 70's, and they probably remained unplayed until recent years, when group of musicians, organised by enthusiast and art historian Pavel Straka, started series of performances at various places. Graphic scores are of course good vehicle for improvisation and inspired playing, so result is as much adventurous as Steklík's paintings inside and between stave. Playing at various times  were Mikoláš Chadima, Michal Hrubý and Jan Grunt - tenor saxophones, Petr Tichý - double bass, Adriana Voráčková - violoncello, Zsolt Sőrés - electronics and 5-string viola, Anna Romanovská - violin and koto, Vlastislav Matoušek - fretless bass guitar, Jan Faix and Jan Polanský - electronics, Tomáš Míka - banjo and Kateřina Vožická - hurdy gurdy. Album was released by Guerilla Records in late 2o15.