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Jazz Clubs in Prague

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Last month I spent 3 nights in Prague and I thought I share my impressions from this trip with you.

It was my first time in this city, so I did the regular sight-seeing stuff like the Charles Bridge or the Castle, ate the famous Trdelník and enjoyed the perfect scenery in this exceptional city.

The evenings were reserved for visits to local Jazz clubs and I had the chance to see 3 different clubs:

1. Jazz Club Reduta: A very nice and cozy Jazz club. The band we saw was called “Tarapaca Jazz” and is formed around the pianist Jaroslav Bárta. The band played mainly their own compositions. The sound was pleasant, not too loud and not to soft,  the drinks were not too expensive and the program of the club is rather traditional, so if you search for a relaxing atmosphere with good Czech jazz musicians this is the perfect choice.

http://www.redutajazzclub.cz/en

2. Jazz and Blues Club Ungelt: We spent the second night in this club and we heard the “Luboš Andršt Blues Band”. They played very traditional Chicago-Blues, but Luboš is a great and very intelligent Blues guitar player. The club is rather small so expect it to be a little bit louder. The program of this club is more Blues-oriented and Luboš Andršt plays regularly here.

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http://www.jazzungelt.cz/

3. AghaRTA Jazz Club: This is the club with the more modern jazz oriented program. When we were there we saw Ondřej Kabrna & Flying Power. Ondřej is a excellent piano and organ player. He was accompanied by a cool guitar and bass player named Kryštof Tomeček.  The club is very popular and right next to the old-town square, so it might be difficult to find a seat when you arrive later in the evening.

http://www.agharta.cz/

All clubs have live music every night and they present local musicians. Prices for admission and drinks are reasonable. The musicians were all excellent and they find a mixed audience of local people and tourists every night.

Prague seems to have a very active and lively Jazz scene and if you want to escape from the beer-drinking crowds and selfie-stick equipped tourists then visit one of these clubs.

 

2016 CD Releases

Half of the year 2016 is almost over and I have seen and bought again a number of new CDs which I would like to present during the next few weeks.

I got a set of new CD Releases from Posi-Tone Records:

  • Ed Cheery: Soul Tree
  • Ken Fowser: Standing Tall
  • Tom Tallitsch: Gratitude
  • Walt Weiskopf: The Way You Say It

Then a new CD from Dr. Lonnie Smith called “Evolution”, I obviously bought Gregory Porter “Take Me To The Alley” and finally a brand new CD from the Daniel Bennett Group called “Sinking Houseboat Confusion”.

And after 40 years I finally got “Wish You Were Here” from Pink Floyd. Not much to say here except that I remember looking at this album cover every week in the store in the 70′s but never really had the guts to buy it….