One of the most distinct trip-hop artists, Manchester-based duo Lamb will perform a concert at Fléda club (24 Štefánikova st.) on Sunday, February 5.

Lamb are famous for blending trip hop with jazz and elements of drum and bass. Wikipedia

Lamb consists of Andy Barlow and Lou Rhodes. The duo was active from 1996 to 2004; they reunited for the new album 5 and a tour in 2009.

On Sunday, Lamb will be supported by The Ramona Flowers and Jay Leighton. The concert starts at 8 p.m. Tickets cost CZK 550(pre-sale)/599.

David Dorůžka, one of the most prominent Czech jazz guitarists (source: Wikipedia Commons)

Michael Formanek Quartet, Dmitry Baevsky Quartet featuring Joe Cohn, The Stoner featuring David Dorůžka… and many more great jazz bands and musicians are going to perform in Brno between April 13 and April 21.

The 10th season of Jazzfest Brno starts next Wednesday and takes place mostly at Fléda and Semilasso clubs.

Schedule

April 13, 8:00 pm @ Fléda

Paradox (FRA)

Michael Formanek Quartet featuring Craig Taborn, Gerald Cleaver and Tim Berne (USA)

April 14, 7:30 pm @ Brno City Theater

Dmitry Baevsky Quartet featuring Joe Cohn (RUS/USA/CZ/SK)
Carla Cook Quartet featuring Darryl Ivey, Kenny Davis and Willard Dyson (USA)
Mju:z
Jam session

April 15, 8:00 pm @ HaDivadlo

Face of the Bass (CZ)
Limbo Electro Acoustic (CZ)

April 16, 8:00 pm @ Semilasso

Štefan “Pišta“ Bartuš JazzBrothers featuring Andy Middleton (SK/USA)
The Stoner featuring David Dorůžka (SWE/CZ)
Jam Session

April 17, 8:00 pm @ Semilasso

Will Bernard Trio (USA)
Mike Stern Band featuring Dave Weckl, Tom Kennedy and Bob Malach (USA)
Jam Session

April 18, 8:00 pm @ Fléda

Zuzana Lapčíková Quintet (CZ/SK)
Elena Sonenshine (CZ)

April 19, 8:00 pm @ Husův sbor

Tomáš Liška Trio featuring Daniele Di Bonaventura and David Dorůžka (ITA/CZ)
Vertigo Quintet and Dorota Barová (CZ/SK)

April 20, 8:00 pm @ Fléda

Robert Balzar Trio (CZ)
Dan Weiss Trio (USA)
Jam Session

April 21, 8:00 pm @ Semilasso

Vincenc Kummer Celebrates 70
JAZZFESTBRNO 2011 Celebrates 10

The festival has nice English-language website; tickets may be bought online, although it is not a “PayPal joyride”.

Amina Claudine Myers

The legendary American jazz pianist, organist, vocalist, composer, and musical arranger Amina Claudine Myers will perform with her trio in Alterna club (48 Kounicova st.) on Sunday, March 20.

Managers of the club claim that this is going to be “the event of the spring”, at least for Alterna. Amina Claudine Myers has performed in Carnegie Hall and New Orleans, so the tickets are totally worth CZK 199/260. See her bio.

Bobby McFerrin (source: Wikimedia Commons)

Don’t worry, be happy! American vocalist, conductor and ten-time Grammy Award winner Bobby McFerrin will perform in Vodova sport hall at Jazz Fest Brno 2011 on March 29.

Tickets price yet unknown.

I personally recommend Prague-based kletzmer band Trombenik (October 21)

Check out the complete schedule (PDF). It’s Czech, but I think you can understand a lot from the images of bands.

Ticket to the complete festival can be bought at the bar of Stará pekárna and costs CZK 490. Tickets to particular concerts cost around CZK 150.

International guitar festival Brno 2010 (English website, hurray) will spice up the summer in Brno with some flamenco and jazz.

I think that the most interesting event is the “Flamenco night” on August 7th – a performance of Spanish guitarist and composer Gerardo Núñez and dancer Carmen Cortés.

All concerts are going to take place in the courtyard New city hall at Dominikanské naměstí sq., only the flamenco night will be held in the courtyard of Špilberk castle.

Pernštejn castle (source: Wikimedia Commons)

One third of the festival is dedicated to baroque music, one third of Concentus Moraviae is consisting of jazz concerts and the last third is based on the concept of musical cross-over.

My personal highlight is the concert of jazzmen Tomáš Liška, David Dorůžka and Daniele di Bonaventura at beautiful Pernštejn castle on Monday, June 7 (details).

Tickets cost from CZK 150 to CZK 300 – I consider these prices to be very fair for the value offered.

Kurt Rosenwinkel Standards Trio (source: kurtrosenwinkel.com)

According to the culture editors of iDnes.cz, who know more about jazz than I do, highlights of the event are:

• Kurt Rosenwinkel Standards Trio / Saturday, April 24 @ Semilasso, CZK 290
• John Scofield Jazz Quartet / Monday, April 26 @ Semilasso, CZK 350
• George Duke Band / Tuesday, April 27 @ Brno City Theatre, Musical scene, CZK 450

The festival has a great English language website with detailed info about the artists and venues. Check it out.

Duke Ellington Big Band (illustrative photo, source: Wikimedia Commons)

Eight bands will perform at jazz fest in Metro Music Bar during March.

It looks like the highlight of the festival may be Cuban band Santy y su marabú (3/13) or B Side Band (3/29), a Brno-based band that will give the spectators a new CD for free.

The legendary jazz guitarist Rudy Linka will perform with his trio in Alterna club on Sunday, November 8, from 8:00 p.m.

Rudy Linka was born in Prague 49 years ago but he has been living and recording in the USA since 1986. He’s bringing two renowed american musicians with him to Brno:

Rich Huntley on drums is a New York City based percussionist . A partial list of the musicians he has played and or recorded with include: John Blake, Seamus Blake, Luis Bonilla, Cameron Brown, Billy Drewes,Richard Kimball, Frank London, Donny McCaslin, Mulgrew Miller, Shunzo Ono, Ralph Peterson, Jack Wilkins and Willie Williams.Rich has studied at Manhattan school of Music.

Dan Fabricatore on bass – based in New York working with musicians as John Abercrombie, Nora Jones, dave Liebman among many others. Recorded with Rudy Linka and Kenny Wolleson Cds Lucky Southern and Simple Pleasures.

Source: alterna.cz

Tickets cost only CZK 160 (€6.18) in pre-sale and CZK 190 (€7.35) at the place, so if you are a jazz afficianado, don’t miss it!

Poster of JazzFest '09

The annual international jazz festival is coming to Brno again! The event will start on April 20 and finish on April 30.

You can explore a detailed schedule on the website of JazzFest ’09, as well as the price of tickets and list of places where to buy the tickets.

Free jazz concerts

If you are short of money or don’t like to pay for something you don’t know well, try these concerts and jam sessions with free admission:

• Ploug – Pettersen – Badenhorst, April 20, 8:00 p.m., Metro Music Bar
• Infinite Quartet & Points Quartet, April 21, 8:00 p.m., Bar u Kouřícího králíka
• Bring-your-own-instruments-jamsession, April 23, 8:00 p.m., Bar u Kouřícího králíka
• Bring-your-own-instruments-jamsession, April 27, 8:00 p.m., Metro Music Bar