MATÚS JAKABCIC QUARTET_Slowakei

MATÚS JAKABCIC QUARTET_Slowakei

Im Rahmen unseres diesjährigen Schwerpunktes WELCOME – die musikalische Vorstellung der neuen EU-Länder – setzt die Republik Slowakei fort:

lineup:
Matus Jakabcic_git
Radovan Tariska_as, ss
Juraj Griglák_el. bass
Marián Sevcík_dr

The “Matus Jakabcic Quartet” has originated spontaneously at the beginning of the year 2001. Renowned Slovak jazzmen of the middle age generation /Jakabčic, Griglák/ connect their experiences and enthusiasm together with vitality and energy of two young talents /Tariška, Ševčík/. Tariška and Ševčík are big promises of Slovak jazz. The band focuses on modern jazz, playing mostly original compositions written by Matúš Jakabčic. The repertory and the sound of the group are diverse and colourful, since the players use guitar and/or guitar synthesizer, double bass or electric bass.
The band recorded for the Slovak Radio, performed in clubs and festivals in Slovakia, Czech republic, London, UK and Dublin, Ireland. They are preparing their own CD.

Matus Jakabcic

– Guitarist, composer, arranger, educator; born Bratislava, Slovakia, September 14,1961
-His parents Viera Zilincanova and Michal Jakabcic both are/were internationally acclaimed painters (his father passed away in 2001)
-Matus started playing guitar at the age of 15
-Studied mathematics and computer science at the Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia. Graduated here in 1984
-Studied composition (classical) at the State Conservatory in Bratislava, Slovakia, graduated in 1992.
– 1994 – 1995 studies at the Berklee College of Music, Boston where he received several scholarships and awards – i.e. the Charles Mingus award for achievements in jazz composition. Studies with Herb Pomeroy, Greg Hopkins, Ken Pullig, Jon Damian…Graduated in Jazz Composition in 1995.During his studies in Boston he got the opportunity to arrange for the Greg Hopkins Big Band.
-Since September 1995 he teaches jazz composition, arranging, harmony and leads the Conservatory Big Band at the State Conservatory in Bratislava.
-Jakabcic was the leader of a modern jazz/fusion group „Stop Time“ with which he played festivals all over Europe, Algiers and Cuba. In 1988 Stop Time won the first prize at the International Jazz Festival in Karlovy Vary in Czech. In 1990 „Opus“, a Slovakian record label released their album „Stop Time“. The group can also be heard on the CD „Slovak Jazz 1992“.
-In 1991 Matus recorded a CD with one of Europe’s finest pianists Gabriel Jonas entitled „Far and Yet Near“ for the Czech record label „Arta“.
-In 1993 he got the prize of the Slovak Music Found as Jazzman of the year.
-In 1986-1991 he worked for the TV-orchestra in Bratislava, Slovakia as guitarist/composer/arranger.
-He performed with many outstanding Slovak music groups including the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra.
-In 1993 he composed, arranged and conducted the music for the musical „To Die For Beauty“ by Abbe Prevost.
-He also is a member of the Gustav Brom Big Band. For their latest two CDs he arranged 11 tunes. He also wrote music for three movies.
-With the „Matus Jakabcic Tentet“ he performed at the Jazz Festival Bratislava 1995 as well as at the Bratislava Music Festival in October 1996 (with special guest Greg Hopkins). A CD of the Tentet with G. Hopkins was released in April 1998.
-In 1999 he led an international big band consisting of players of all over Europe; the band was put together especially for the “Days of Europe “ festival in Bratislava and played his music and arrangements. The concert was broadcasted on TV and radio several times.
-Lately he was presenting his music with his band BEE CONNECTION CD – “Bee Connection” (released 2000) and on the solo CD of our premier bass player Juraj Griglak “Bass Friends” (released 2001) In 2001 a CD of the trio “Madhouse” (Jakabcic/Griglak/Valihora) as well as a live CD with Gabriel Jonas was released.
-In 2000 he was commissioned to write an extended piece for the European Jazz Youth Orchestra that later appeared on their CD “Swinging Europe vol.3”
-Since it’s beginning Jakabcic is a member/composer for the Euro Jazz Big Band (EJBB), based in Paris and led by Thierry de Micheaux and Sophie Uvodic. The band recorded 2 CD´s: “EJBB Live “ (1998) and “ Beyond Borders” (2002)
-In February 2002 he took part at “6 Culture”, a concert/recording in the Radio Warsaw, where each country provided one player/composer.
-In March 2002 he recorded his new compositions with his Quartet for the Slovak Radio Bratislava.
-In April 2002 he played a concert /recording in the ORF – radio Vienna with a special for this occasion built group consisting of 2 Austrian (Sigi Finkel, Richard Filz) and 2 Slovakian (Gabo Jonas, Matus Jakabcic) musicians.
-Matus is also a member of the group “Bassfriends” with which he played on festivals in Czech and Slovakia in 2003
-In October and November 2003 Matus Jakabcic Quartet performed his compositions in London, UK and Dublin, Ireland at International Conferences where Slovakia as an entering country to the European Union was presented.
-In November 2003 he and Gabriel Jonas performed a duo performance at the “Jazzycolors” festival in Paris
-In December 2003 the duo Juraj Bartos/Matus Jakabcic represented Slovakia at the “Festival Jazz Mitteleuropeo” in Rome, Italy. They both also performed with the “Central European Jazz Connection” at the same festival.
-Matus also can be heard as a sideman on several other CD’s. (See Matus’s discography)

Radovan Tariska

Born on: 14.8.1979
– Alto and soprano saxes, is one of the greatest new young talents on the Slovak jazz scene. He was given the Ladislav Martonik prize for jazz last year. With Juraj Bartos, the well known and internationally recognized trumpet player, he co-leads the band Hot House. In 2002 a live CD “Hot House” was released. Tariska also can be heard on the pianist’s Miki Skuta and bassist’s Oskar Rozsa CD’s. He is also a member of the G.Brom Big Band.

Juraj Griglak

Born on: 27.06.1963
– Electric bass, double bass is a graduate of the State Conservatory and the Music Academy in Bratislava. He started his professional career already during his studies by playing in top bands in Slovakia as Tamis, Tagore, Martin Kratochvíl’s Jazz Q, Esprit band, Vlado Valovič’s VV System (they performed at the Copenhagen Jazz festival in 1987), Czechoslovak Radio Big Band and the Czechoslovak Television Big Band. He scored success as the member of the fusion group Stop Time (they performed at the Jazz festivals- Jazz in Duketown (Hertogenbosch, Holland), Jazz festival Aix en Provence (France) He has repeatedly appeared at the Bratislava Jazz Festival. Many people still remember his jam session with Stanley Clark, at BJF 1985. In the early nineties he played in ASH Band and The Quartet. With The Quartet he recorded CD Alice in Jazzland (1992) the music of which reflects the mainstream of the nineties
– Juraj also is a very successful studio musician He appeared on the profile CD of Madre (1994); he played in the Matúš Jakabčic Tentet and recorded with them the CD Matúš Jakabčic Tentet, featuring Greg Hopkins (1998). In 2000 he recorded his first CD Bassfriends with special guest Ron Affif.
– In 1994 he was given the award of the Slovak Music Found „Jazzman of the year“.
– He teaches on jazz workshops. (12th International XXXL JAZZ Workshop 2001 Innsbruck- Tyrol-Austria, International Jazz Workshop Jazz and Wine Summer 2000,01,02 Poysdorf -Austria,)
Presently he plays with funk band Bee Connection, jazz and fusion trio Madhouse, Matus Jakabcic Quartet- modern jazz, Hot House – bebop and Gustav Brom Big Band”.
Juraj divides his time between jazz and classical music. In 1988, he toured Europe with the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra conducted by Claudio Abbado, Václav Neumann, and James Judd.
Since 1991 he is a member of the Slovak Philharmonic. With S.P. he performed in most European countries, Japan, and the United States.
– Concerts and tours with: Ron Affif, Greg Hopkins, Larry Smith, George Cables, Charlie Mc Coy, Jigs Wigham, Zbigniew Namyslowski, Cennet Jonsson, Andy Middletone, Sheila Cooper, Harry Sokal, Nicolas Simion, Janusz Muniak, Damon Brown, Eta Cameron, Karen Edwards, John Whitney, Andy Jaffe, Mark Weinstein, Piotr Baron, Johan Svensson, Georgij Garanjan, Melvin Canady, Michael Keul, Uli Bartel, John Bestch, Allan Praskin, Martin Kern, Oliver Kent, Harvig Gradischnig, Charlie Antolini, Juraj Bartos, Matus Jakabcic, Emil Viklicky, Lubos Andrst,….
Jammed with: Stevie Wonder (1989), Stanley Clark (1985)
– Something „special“: Juraj Griglak played bass guitar with Luciano Pavarotti and Kosice philharmonic orchestra on concert in Kosice (16.5.1998) Recorded and performed Concert for Bass guitar and Cimbal (Hungarian folk instrument) with String Chamber Orchestra (by Slovak composer Ivan Burlas)

Marián Sevcik

Born on: 27.07. 1978
– Drums – was studying at the State Conservatory in Žilina, but graduated at the State Conservatory in Bratislava, Slovakia in 1998.
During his studies in Žilina he was playing in the school orchestra – Big Band Slovak Young Swing Generation.
Since 1997 he was a member of Elie Quintet in Bratislava. He has played in Slovakia and abroad together with double bassist Juraj Kalász and pianist Ľubomír Šrámek, saxophone-player Miloslav Suchomel, with a Cuban’s trumpet-player Lazaro Cruz and African percussionist Theo Agiar (Juraj Bartoš, Jaromír Hnilička).
1997 – He has taken part at jazz workshop in Erfurt (Germany) lead by Mr. Leroy Lowe.
1998 – He has been awarded by prize for the best instrumental performance at the festival New Faces in Jazz.
He has played in Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Netherlands and Switzerland. He has cooperated with well-known Slovak musicians – Peter Lipa, Juraj Bartoš, Juraj Kalász, Štěpán Markovič, Gabriel Jonáš, Matúš Jakabčic, Juraj Griglák as well as with some fine foreign players e.g. Shawn T. Loescher, Lazaro Cruz, Janusz Muniak, Vahag Petian, Anna Lauvergnac, Oliver Kent, Peter Cardarelli, Pavel Wlosok, Greg Burg, Rick Shilling.
Currently he also plays with the bands “Hot House”, the “Milos Suchomel Quartet” and “Ondrej Krajnak Trio”.