Big Band issues are among the royal disciplines for a jazz arranger and composer.
After performing in several bands of this type, I gladly took the opportunity to take arranging lessons with Matúš Jakabčic. Matúš showed me various compositional techniques and arranging tricks, which I then used when creating songs for his CZ-SK Big Band.
I wrote several mainstream compositions for the ensemble, and in the project Blázni z Chelmu I tried to combine the klezmer tradition with jazz improvisational areas. In addition, I adapted my composition Tiesňava for Ester Wiesnerová, which we had previously played together in a smaller quintet.
The CZ-SK Big Band is made up of top musicians from the region of the former Czechoslovakia. I am very happy that the band „elegantly“ and with great verve took on this repertoire and played several successful concerts.
CZ-SK BIG BAND MATÚŠA JAKABČICA
Drevá: Miroslav Poprádi (as, cl), Rostislav Fraš (ts, ss, fl), Martin Uherek (ts), Erik Rothenstein (bar. sax)
Trumpets and flugelhorns: Ádám Gráf, Jiří Kotača, Lukáš Oravec
Trombones: Richard Šanda, Jozef Vörös, Michal Motýľ (bass tbn)
Rhythms: Matúš Jakabčic (guitar), Ľuboš Šrámek (piano), Peter Korman (kontrabas), Marián Ševčík (drums)
The „Matúš Jakabčic CZ-SK Big Band“ was first presented to the public in 2004 at the Přerov festival. During its existence, it has performed at almost all major festivals as well as solo concerts in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It has also performed in Serbia (festivals in Novi Sad and Valjevo) and in Austria (ORF Radiokulturhaus, Vienna’s Porgy & Bess, Graz, Jazz & Wine festival in Poysdorf). The collaboration with ORF together with the leading Austrian saxophonist Harry Sokal resulted in several recordings; the recording of the concert at the Radiokulturhaus was released on the CD „Matúš Jakabčic CZ-SK Big Band featuring Harry Sokal – Live“ by ORF. The CD „Matúš Jakabčic CZ-SK Big Band“, which was released as part of the „Jazz na Hradě“ edition, contains a recording of a concert at Prague Castle organized by Czech President Václav Klaus. The CD also includes a recording of the Volksbank New Year’s Concert 2009, which featured the Matúš Jakabčic CZ-SK Big Band with soloists Sigi Finkel and Berc Balogh.
„Matúš Jakabčic CZ-SK Big Band“ consists of leading jazzmen from the Czech Republic and Slovakia, who have extensive experience in large jazz orchestras; in recent years, Ádám Gráf has also been a permanent member of the orchestra as 1st trumpet, a regular member of the Modern Art Orchestra from Budapest. The focus of the big band’s repertoire is the compositions of M. Jakabčic, as well as his original arrangements of well-known jazz standards. Since 2010, its program has been enriched with compositions from the project „The Fools of Chełm“, in which, in addition to M. Jakabčic, Erik Rothenstein also participates as an author, as well as compositions by other authors – members of the orchestra (Michal Motýľ, Radovan Tariška/Miroslav Hloucal).
Jakabčic’s several-year collaboration with Harry Sokal also resulted in a joint suite for big band and solo tenor/soprano saxophone.
The orchestra also has Ellington/Strayhorn’s „The Nutcracker Suite“ in its repertoire – Ellington and Strayhorn’s arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker.
