The East West European Jazz Orchestra, an international orchestra of the highest level combining Western and Eastern jazz, Josef Vejvoda's jazz suites and Martina Barta’s tribute to Burt Bacharach accompanied by a symphony orchestra and the bravura saxophonist Ondřej Štveráček are the programme pillars of this year's 41st edition of the international jazz festival JAZZFEST KARLOVY VARY 2024.
The festival concerts present a wide range of musical trends focused on modern jazz and its fusion with other genres. This year marks a significant milestone for the JAZZFEST organizer, the Jazzový kruh company, led by musician Milan Krajíc, as the Jazzový kruh celebrates its full quarter-century of its hosting. The festival is traditionally held with the support of the City of Karlovy Vary and the Karlovy Vary Region, the patronage provided by the Mayor of Karlovy Vary Ing. Andrea Pfeffer Ferklová, MBA and the Governor of the Karlovy Vary Region Ing. Petr Kulhánek.
The festival opens on September 26th in the Drahomíra Cinema with Jazz Inspiration V, a special part of the Poetry & Jazz series. Readings of lyrics by American singer-songwriter Tom Waits, performed by the Drahomíra Poetry Group, will alternate with a live production by the Jazz Fancies group with singer Petra Brabencová and will be led by the excellent saxophonist Milan Krajíc. Afterwards, the Czech blues-rock band Five Rivers Blues Band will perform. Founded by jazz drummer Ivan Audes, the band performs their own compositions as well as those of foreign composers such as Roben Ford, Jimi Hendrix, B. B. King, etc.
The main festival concert on October 26th at the Karlovy Vary Municipal Theatre will feature the international East West European Jazz Orchestra in its line-up for the 2024/2025 concerts. The orchestra, which integrates different cultures and seeks out emerging and professional jazz musicians from different European regions, is led by conductor Uwe Plath. Special guests of the ensemble are Ukrainian saxophonist Orest Filipov, Serbian pianist Bojan Cvetković and Czech musicians, trumpeter Miroslav Hloucal and saxophonist Ondřej Štveráček. Serbian singer Bojana Stamenov, Indonesian singer Rafiando Kresnanto and Brazilian singer and guitarist Alexandre Santos perform as vocal soloists with the orchestra. Due to the soloists' engagements, their presence on different stages may vary.
The second festival concert will take place on October 31st in the Atrium of the Imperial Baths and will feature the traditional Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra. The first part of the evening will feature two suites by Czech jazz legend, drummer and composer Josef Vejvoda - Celebration and Brazilian Pearl Jubilee. In the suites, the symphony orchestra will be joined by a quartet consisting of saxophonist Milan Krajíc, pianist Lev Rybalkin, double bassist František Raba and drummer Milan Krajíc jun.
The second part of the concert will feature the singer Martina Barta, hailed as a discovery of the jazz scene, in her project Tribute to Burt Bacharach. Barta, who performs in Germany with various musical ensembles and also performs with her sister, pianist Kristina Barta, will perform the world's greatest hits by one of the most successful American composers, accompanied by the KSO.
The festival will conclude with a concert at the Art Gallery on November 20th, featuring first American drummer, composer and poet Doug Hammond followed by a concert by the Ondřej Štveráček Quartet feat. Jesse Simpson.
American drummer, composer and poet Doug Hammond has worked with world jazz names in his rich career, including Sonny Rollins, Charles Mingus, Ornette Coleman, Nina Simone, Earl Hooker, James Blood Ulmer and many others. He has also served as a professor at the Anton Brukner University in Linz. He has appeared at JazzFest in the past, but always as a drummer. This year he will be performing his compositions as a singer accompanying himself on the Africaninstrument sansa and as a pianist.
Saxophonist Ondřej Štveráček has been one of the most prominent figures of the domestic jazz generation for more than two decades. He is a core player of the Gustav Brom Orchestra, Matus Jakabčice Bigband and, alongside his activities as a sideman, he has been diligently developing his own system of saxophone playing, unmistakably inspired by the jazz tradition. Štveráček has been described as a saxophonist of Coltrane inspiration, but in recent years his own musical personality has been strongly manifested in his playing.
Ondřej Štveráček's quartet includes pianist Klaudius Kováč, a musician with extensive international experience who has worked in several groups, double bassist Tomáš Baroš, one of the most sought-after players on the domestic and international scene, and American drummer Jesse Simpson, among others a pupil of legendary drummer Donald „Duck“ Bailey, with experience of working with many famous jazz musicians.