Interview with Prague Jazz Expert ? Tony Emmerson

Photograph of Emil Viklicky courtesy of Steph Sheehan

To highlight the extraordinary jazz talent in the Czech Republic, Steph Sheehan asked UK jazz bloggers to contribute questions towards an interview with Tony Emmerson, the oracle of jazz in Prague. Tony moved from London to Prague six years ago and now writes a wonderful blog, dedicated to Prague Jazz. Here he talks about his top 5 Czech jazz artists, how easy it is to make a living as a jazz artist in Prague and why this city has one of the best jazz scenes in Europe.

Ian Mann from thejazzmann.com asks. . .

Q1: I heard saxophonist Stepan Marovic on a Radio 3 special about jazz in Prague just prior to my trip and bought “Resolution” by his group Jazz Face while I was out there. Is Stepan Markovic still playing? Do you know anything as well about the trumpeter Juraj Bartos?

A1: ?těp?n Markovič still plays regularly in the Czech Republic and is known as one of the elder statesmen of the scene. He doesn’t play the Prague clubs so much, but was involved with opening a new club, Jazz Time. The last time I saw him was playing at one of the Jazz at the Castle concerts, attended by President Klaus. He often plays at jazz festivals. Juraj Barto? is still around too, although less high profile. Both are excellent players worthy of wider recognition.

Ian Maund from Sandybrownjazz.co.uk asks?

Q2: I?m interested to know about how the Czech Republic is encouraging young musicians in schools and colleges. What support do they get generally when they leave school and want to play professionally?

A2: I’m sure that many of the young musicians on the scene wish there was more support for them. It is tough to make it here, as it is anywhere, but at least the number of venues means that there are opportunities for young players. There is a saying here, that every Czech is a musician, and it is a very musical country. Therefore wanting to be a professional musician is not some outlandish dream but something that is seen as attainable for those with talent. The next stage, where you make enough cash to have music as your sole income, is much harder to reach and many musicians supplement their income with teaching or “normal” work. Many of the musicians here have studied jazz at one of the Czech conservatories, with some groups formed there enduring past graduation. Some of the clubs and labels (Jazz Dock and Animal Music come to mind) are happy to feature and promote young artists, giving them much needed exposure.

Lance Liddle from lance-bebopspokenhere.blogspot.co.uk asks. . .

Q3: Do you know of any jazz workshops or classes in Prague that visiting jazz dabblers can take part in?

A3: There is an annual Czech Jazz Workshop that attracts teachers and students from around the world, but it is a serious affair, not just dabbling. Some of the clubs host jam sessions, but the standard is high, so anyone who isn’t at that level won’t get a look in. Unless your skills and ability to improvise are top notch you’re pretty much restricted to hotel bars and pub gigs. That is the downside of having so many talented musicians running around the city!

Peter L Bacon from thejazzbreakfast.wordpress.com asks . . .

Q4: Can you name five Prague-based jazz musicians that we should be listening to? Maybe a combination of well-established names that we might have heard of and stars of the future…

A4:

Emil Viklick? is the greatest of the Czech jazzers and quite possibly the greatest pianist you’ve not heard of. He plays around the world, attracting a loyal following in the USA and Japan. His blending of jazz with Moravian folk songs makes him the voice of authentic Czech jazz. You can read an interview with him here http://praguejazz.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/interview-emil-viklicky.html.

Lubo? Andr?t is the country’s resident guitar god. Self-taught, he’s been highly regarded since the early 1970s. He has two parallel careers, playing both jazz and blues. He has everything a great guitarist needs: technique, emotion, and good taste.

Franti?ek Uhl?r is known as the “Paganini of the Bass”. Comparable with any of the great double bass players the jazz world has seen he is a true master of the instrument. He can make it sing in a way that many bassists can only aspire to achieve.

Beata Hlavenkov? is a very talented young pianist and keyboard player from the Ostrava region. She isn’t afraid to innovate, and her band sometimes features slightly unusual instruments such as the steel guitar. She is a good example of how Czech isn’t frozen in time and there are still musicians breaking new ground and finding an original voice while keeping true to the melodic nature of the local scene. Definitely one to watch.

Robert Balzar was the bassist in the band that played with Bill Clinton at Reduta in 1994. He has a well-established and vibrant Trio who play original material and standards. In 2008 they released an album with John Abercrombie, and toured Europe as a Quartet with the legendary guitarist.

Q5: The question that is always on my mind, and I suppose links to the one about young musicians but is more about the pros, is it possible for jazz musicians to make a living in Prague? Is there any state support? Do Prague venues pay a living wage?

A5: As I wrote in answer to an earlier question it is possible but it is not easy. The issue of how much venues pay is a live one, with some clubs having a reputation for being fair and others less so. Some musicians are quite vocal about not playing venues that don’t pay reasonably, but these clubs have enough willing musicians to fill their schedules. Either you have supplementary income (music related or otherwise), play most nights, or eat cat food. See my interview with Rene Trossman for more view on this: http://praguejazz.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/interview-rene-trossman.html The opposing view is that club gigs aren’t for money - they’re a workshop to hone your art - and revenue should come from elsewhere.

Steph Sheehan asks. . .

Q6: Do you ever miss the UK jazz scene at all? Have you always been a jazz fanatic or only since you moved to Prague?

A6: I always liked jazz but moving to Prague gave me a chance to see a lot more great music than I could when I was living in London. There are several venues in Prague where I can see world class jazzers in action every night and it costs less than a tenner to get in. The more I went, the more I got involved with the scene, the more I went… The style of Czech jazz also appeals to me - there is such a strong sense of melody and the tunes can be deliciously bitter-sweet. Emil V is the master of this - sometimes he plays and it is truly a transcendental experience. The music can be difficult, technical, challenging, but it always resolves itself in a pleasing way. Very few Czech musicians veer over into the harsher, “performance art” type of jazz that sounds like a piano being thrown down the stairs. It is possible to demonstrate sublime skills, improvisation and innovation while still playing a song.

Q7: Also (one more cheeky, one) ? what would be your perfect day/night out in Prague?

A7: That last question is the hardest of the lot. There is so much to do here… hot afternoons in beer gardens, rowdy evenings at the ice hockey or football, a night at the opera or ballet, and of course going to jazz clubs. Even just walking around the streets of the city on a sunny day or buying hot chestnuts at a Christmas market can be its own perfect moment. A good day is one where I wake up. A perfect day is one where I make it through to the end. Other than that it’s all good…

Steph Sheehan says;

Thanks very much Tony and everyone who contributed questions!

Further information on the Prague Jazz scene can be found at Tony Emmerson’s excellent and comprehensive Prague Jazz blog http://www.praguejazz.blogspot.co.uk

Ian adds;

I visited Prague back in 1994 and attended the Reduta and Agharta clubs. I’m pleased to say that both are still going strong but I’m sure that the city and its jazz scene have changed a lot since then.
At that time CDs in Prague were ludicrously cheap in comparison to the UK and I bought a stack of albums by Czech artists including Emil Viklicky, Stepan Markovic, Robert Balzar, Lubos Arndrst, Stanislav Macha, Karel Ruzicka Jr. and others. All were excellent, there are some superb players on the Czech jazz scene as Tony has confirmed.
More recently Emil Viklicky brought his trio featuring Frantisek Uhlir to the UK to play at Cheltenham Jazz Festival, their brilliant set was one of the highlights of the weekend.
The Prague jazz scene is one of the strongest in Europe and the city itself is beautiful with a fascinating history and some truly stunning architecture. I’d urge anybody reading this to consider making the trip. I still remember my visit with affection and don’t think you’ll be disappointed by either the city or the music.

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