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Franti�ek Uhl�r Team |
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hlavn� - o kapele, hr�ci - recenze - hudba - fotky - Franti�ek Uhl�r |
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Frantisek Uhlir, Darko Jurkovic, Jaromir Helesic - Maybe Later
Arta F10167
Bassist Frantisek Uhlir is probably best known in the UK for his work in pianist Emil Viklicky's trio, but on this album he leads a trio completed by Croatian guitarist Darko Jurkovic and drummer Jaromir Helesic.
Over Uhlir's characteristically lithe and flexible, but sonorous bass, Jurkovic (like Stanley Jordan) concentrates on the 'hammering on' technique rather than the more conventional plucking or strumming, and the result is a fleet, neat guitar sound particularly well suited to the refreshingly straightahead approach the trio favours.
In addition to compelling but sensitive visits to standards such as Hayman/Young's 'Love Letters' and Rodgers and Hart's 'I Married an Angel', there are seven in-band originals from either the bassist or guitarist, and the result is a thoroughly unpretentious but absorbing and wholly entertaining album packed with unfussy subtleties and unshowy felicities, at once thoughtful and brisk, robust and musicianly. na zac�tek / at beginningI had rather more luck with pianist Emil Viklicky's trio concert at the Pillar Room. The Czech jazz scene has produced some fine players. Some such as bassists Miroslav Vitous and George Mraz plus keyboardist Jan Hammer have moved to the US and acquired international reputations.
However, there are still some excellent players at home and it is surprising that the Czech scene is not better known especially given the success of Norwegian jazz in recent years. Perhaps the Czech musicians for all their ability are still too much in thrall to the American model. It must be said that the Norwegians have developed an entire sub genre of their own.
I first encountered Viklicky's playing on a visit to Prague in 1994. I have admired his work ever since and saw him guesting with British trumpeter Eddie Southern at Brecon a few years ago. However the chance seeing him with his regular trio here at Cheltenham was too good an opportunity to miss. He is certainly the best known of the home based musicians and internationally the news is beginning to spread about just how good this trio is.
They opened with "Father's Blues" an adaptation of Horace Silver's "Song For My Father". This incorporated the first of several stunning bowed bass solos from Frantisek Uhlir and the sizzling cymbals of drummer Laco Tropp.
Viklicky was born in the town of Olomouc in the province of Moravia and the adaptation of Moravian folk tunes as vehicles for jazz improvisation is the hallmark of the trio. Viklicky's entertaining announcements gave rough English translations of the original Czech titles. Thus we heard "A Little Bird Flew By" followed by "Highlands, Lowlands" the melody of which was also borrowed by Janacek.
Indeed Viklicky has been described as "the Janacek of Jazz", a title he seems quite happy with. This latter tune included a solo from Laco Tropp that was remarkable in its melodic construction.
The beautiful ballad "Love, Dear Love" was followed by a rollicking version of Duke Ellington's "Cottontail" with a rousing solo from Viklicky who for all his tenderness on ballads can really cut loose when he gets the chance.
Besides his mastery of his native folk music Viklicky has a complete grasp of all the idioms of American jazz and blues plus a thorough grounding in the classical tradition. He really is a talented all round pianist and like Cowley and Lapthorn before him plays with great physicality when he lets rip. This tune also offered the brilliant Tropp another chance to show his chops. He is a consummate timekeeper and an excellent soloist.
"Song For Jane", a composition by Uhlir was a set piece for the bassist's skills with the bow. His deep rich tone is as smooth as velvet and his playing a study of controlled emotion. This haunting piece is a genuine stand out number.
The folk melody "Desire" saw him demonstrate the supple pizzicato style that had been a factor throughout the set. This man is a world-class player in the tradition of great Czech bassists. He deserves to be ranked up there with Mraz and Vitous.
Finally came another Moravian tune a paean to drinking entitled "Vinko,Vinko" or "Wine, Oh Wine". This playful and joyous romp saw the band really enjoying themselves and the audience loving it too. They went down a storm and must have sold a lot of copies of their live album. This was yet another highlight and now the link has been established let's hope we see more Czech musicians next year.
na zac�tek / at beginningWeiden. Alle waren sich einig: Konzertbesucher, Initiatoren und Publikum �u�erten sich begeistert �ber die neuem R�umlichkeiten das Jazz-Zirkels in "Steger's". Dicht gedr�ngt sa�en die Musik-Liebhaber um die kleine B�hne, und es herrschte typische Jazzkeller-Atmosph�re. Mit seinem alten Backsteingew�lbe und den wei� get�nchten Steinw�nden erinnert die �rtlichkeit an einen Loft in New York.
Das Trio mit dem Meister-Bassisten Frantisek Uhlir sorgte f�r Hochstimmung in Steger's Bar. (Bild: Reitz) Nur ein paar Scheinwerfer, eine Wandtafel mit dem Emblem des Jazz-Zirkels, sowie ein altes Klavier in der Ecke lassen vermuten, dass es sich hier um eine "Klangwerkstatt" handelt, einen Ort, wo neue Kl�nge und Ideen entwickelt und vorgestellt werden.
Auf der B�hne steht Frantisek Uhlir, Urgestein der Weidener Jazz-Szene, am Kontrabass. Seit Jahrzehnten z�hlt er zu den Stammg�sten beim Jazz-Zirkel. Er ist pr�destiniert, die neue �ra im neuen Domizil einzul�uten. Fest im Mainstream des Modern Jazz ist das Programm des Trios verwurzelt. Es erklingen Standards, die von ausdrucksvollen Balladen bis zu nerv�sen Bebop-Kl�ngen reichen, garniert durch einige Eigenkompositionen, die aber fest in der Tradition wurzeln.
Der kroatische Gitarrist Darko Jurkovic ist eine musikalische Sensation: Er ist einer der wenigen Vertreter des "Two Hands Tapping", einer Spieltechnik, die eher an einen Pianisten erinnert. Hier entsteht der Ton ohne Anschlag der Saiten, beide H�nde sind am Griffbrett. W�hrend die linke Hand Akkorde und Basslinien spielt, wird mit der rechten Hand die Melodie gespielt. Das alles geschieht in einem rasend schnellen Tempo, und bei geschlossenen Augen vermutet man zwei Gitarristen auf der B�hne. Zwar konnte man diese Technik schon gelegentlich im Fernsehen mit ihrem amerikanischen "Erfinder" Stanley Jordan bestaunen, aber so hautnah hatte man diese au�ergew�hnliche Spielweise noch nie erlebt, denn sie hat bisher kaum Nachahmer gefunden.
Frantisek Uhlir gilt als eins der ganz gro�en europ�ischen Talente auf dem Kontrabass. Unter seinen Fingern singen die Saiten. Er pr�gt den Sound des Trios, �bernimmt aber auch Melodie und Thema und zeichnet sich in den hohen Lagen durch perfekte Intonation aus. Zu den H�hepunkten eines Auftritts geh�rt es, wenn er zum Bogen greift und eine Ballade intoniert, die unter die Haut geht.
Schlagzeuger Jaromir Helesic z�hlt zu den gefragtesten Musikern der Prager Jazzszene. Bekannt wurde er durch sein Zusammenspiel mit Ludek Hulan. Man findet seinen Namen bei Gruppen vom Rockjazz bis zur Bigband. Er agiert musikalisch und ordnet sich dem Gruppenkonzept unter, im Solo zeigt er sich als dynamischer, expressiver K�nstler. Ein gelungener Start ins n�chste Jahrzehnt beim Jazz-Zirkel!
na zac�tek / at beginning
Pr�spevek pridal Stanislav Novotn�
Streda, 24 srpen 2005
HODNOCEN�: ****
Obsazen�: Darko Jurkovic - guitar; Franti�ek Uhl�r - double bass; Jarom�r Hele�ic -drums
Seznam skladeb:
1.Banana Split; 2.Corcovado; 3.My Secret Love; From Heart To Hearts; 5. Zase nejsi doma; 6.Old Folks; 7.Wawe; 8.Fly
Time
JUH MUSIC 2003; Recorded 22.4.2002 Jazz Club �elezn� Praha; Total Time 59:25
Sly�et, ale hlavne videt, hr�t takov�ho kytaristu, jak�m je chorvatsk� kytarista Darko Jurkovic u n�s, ani ve svete, nen� mnoho. Pou��v� toti� stejn� kytarov� techniky jako jeho slavnej�� kolega Stanley Jordan, toti� techniku "two hands", co� znamen� hran� na hmatn�ku n�stroje obema rukama soucasne. Pripom�n� to hru na klav�r. Touto technikou ve svete hraje m�lo muzikantu, �dajne i v oblasti rockov� muziky tak nekdo hraje.
To ov�em zdaleka nen� to hlavn�, proc poslouchat CD tria Jurkovic-Uhl�r-Hele�ic LIVE 2002. Na uveden�m albu, kter� si muzikanti vydali vlastn�m n�kladem, najdeme skladby Jurkovicovy, Uhl�rovy, ale i p�snicky prevzat�.
Spojen� techto tr� skvel�ch muzikantu bylo v�ce ne� �tastn� a hlavne pr�nosn� pro ne samotn�, tak i pro n�s, posluchace. Album nebylo jen nejak�m jam seession nahran�m �ive v �elezn�, ale bylo provereno dlouhou koncertn� �nurou, kterou trio absolvovalo u n�s i v zahranic� a bylo v�dy doprov�zeno zaslou�en�mi ohlasy z rad publika i odborn�ku. Na jejich hre byl zn�t obrovsk� v�voj a pokrok v celkov� souhre tria, co� mohou dolo�it posluchaci v na�� republice, napr. v Pardubic�ch, Slan�m a i jinde.
Darko Jurkovic je nesm�rne invencn� kytarista a jeho neobvykl� technika mu umo�nuje daleko lep�� vyu�it� kytary jako n�stroje. Zapojen� obou rukou do hry prin�� s sebou dal�� mo�nosti technick�ho roz��ren� kytarov� hry. A pokud se k tomu prid� i v�tecn� invence, jako tomu v pr�pade Jurkovice skutecne je, o dobr� v�sledek je postar�no.
T�m nikterak nechci sni�ovat v�kony dal��ch clenu tria, jak Franti�ka Uhl�re, tak i buben�ka Jarom�ra Hele�ice. To, �e Franti�ek Uhl�r patr� k cesk� kontrabasov� �picce je zbytecn� ps�t. Nav�c jeho kontrabas je v�dy naprosto technicky skvel�, s kr�sn�m dlouh�m t�nem a dobrou reprodukc�, sluchu posluchacu lad�c�. Jeho hra m� obrovsk� tah a jeho veden� basov� linky je modern� i pou��v�n�m stylu hry smyccem ci hran� dvojhmatu nebo dokonce akordu na n�stroj.
Potrebn� drive triu dod�v� buben�k Jarom�r Hele�ic. Ten sice nem� na CD tolik mo�nost� jako Jurkovic a Uhl�r, ale i jeho hra je pru�n� a zcela ji podrizuje potreb�m dan�ch skladeb k celkov�mu vyznen� tak, aby v�sledkem byl naprosto kompaktn� celek.
Poslouchat CD Live 2002 je opravdu radost i proto, �e skladby muzikantu si v nicem nezadaj� s doplnuj�c�mi evergreeny. Nav�c pro toho, kdo mel mo�nost se i vizu�lne d�vat na kytaristu, pou��vaj�c�ho tento ne pr�li� u��van� zpusob hry,je z�itek dvojn�sobn�.
na zac�tek / at beginningThe Czech Frantisek Uhlir is one of the greatest bassists in the world. He works frequently in the trio of his countryman pianist Emil Viklicky, another great European player about whom most Americans know little. I just ran across a brief note I made when I was in Prague twelve years ago, helping American economists teach market economics to Czech journalists newly released from communism.
June 10, 1993: Went to Agartha last night to hear Frantisek Uhlir, the wonderful bassist. Earlier in the day one of his fans told me he is better than George Mraz. Maybe, maybe not, but he is superb, world class. Uhlir is a short, powerful, chubby man with a pleasant round face. His tone is round, too, and centered, and he is fast, agile and swinging.
Vicklicky�s trio with Uhlir and the Slovakian drummer Laco Tropp backs the multi-instrumentalist Scott Robinson on Robinson�s lovely Summertime CD released last year on the Czech label Cube Metier. In my Jazz Times review of the album and one by Robinson of Louis Armstrong compositions, I wrote:
One of the best contemporary pianists, Viklicky's soloing and comping, his touch, voicings and intervals have a good deal in common with fleet, tasteful pianists like Tommy Flanagan, Jimmy Rowles and Bill Charlap. His individuality is deeply informed by the music of his native land, and particularly by that of Moravia.
To read the review of both albums, go here.
na zac�tek / at beginning
With the possible exception of guest trumpeter Dusko Goykovich, chances are you've not heard(or even heard of) these gentlemen before-and if that is indeed true, as I suspect it is,perhaps it's time you were introduced. Frantisek Uhlir, who leads this excellent trio, is a truly phenomenal bassist, and his colleagues-guitarist Darko Jurkovic and drummer Jaromir Helesic-are no less accomplished. Any time a jazz group is introduced to concert-goers by the president-not of the local musicians' union, but of the country-there can be little doubt that it has something special to offer.
The trio has the first half of the concert to itself, and plays marvelously on a pair of original compositions by Uhlir ("June in Prague," "From Heart to Hearts") and two more by Jurkovic ("Fly Time," "Banana Split"). The breezy "Fly Time" is especially delightful, soaring easily skyward behind nimble solos by all hands. Durkovic, who embodies the trio's melodic nature, brings to mind Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel or Tal Farlow, Uhlir the late NH?P or Ray Brown, while Helesic could easily be mistaken for Roy Haynes, Jeff Hamilton or Ed Thigpen. Everyone swings buoyantly on "Prague" and "Split" before slowing the tempo on "Hearts," whose opening passage is embellished by Uhlir's gently bowed bass.
Goykovich joins the trio for the last four numbers, and what was already a memorable concert becomes even more so, as the veteran trumpeter is absolutely awesome on "Secret Love," Antonio Carlos Jobim's "How Insensitive," Dizzy Gillespie's "Ow!" and another standard, "I'll Close My Eyes." There's no letdown by the trio, which lends Goykovich unwavering support as its members craft admirable solos on every number.
Goykovich, who has performed with world-class musicians and groups all over the world and logged time in bands led by Maynard Ferguson and Woody Herman, not to mention France's legendary Clarke-Boland band, has a clean, lyrical style that for purposes of comparison may be likened to that of Bobby Shew, Marvin Stamm, Joe Wilder or the late Blue Mitchell, among others. Here he's as cool, confident and creative as ever, whether playing open, as on the first three numbers, or muted on "I'll Close My Eyes.
Thanks to the trio's expertise, and its dexterous interplay with Goykovich, the Prague concert is impressive from start to finish, an opinion that is reinforced by the album's first-rate sound and generous playing time. I am left with only one more thing to say-I wish I'd been there. Visit Frantisek Uhlir Trio on the web.
Track listing: Introduction by President V�clav Klaus of the Czech Republic;
Fly Time; June in Prague; Banana Split; From Heart to Hearts; Secret Love; How Insensitive; Ow!; I'll Close My Eye
(64:01).
Personnel: Frantisek Uhlir: bass;
Darko Jurkovic: guitar;
Jaromir Helesic: drums. Special guest:
Dusko Goykovich (6-9): trumpet, flugelhorn.
Es kommt nicht alle Tage vor, dass ein leibhaftiger Staatspr�sident eine Jazzband ank�ndigt. So geschehen auf der Prager Burg im Februar dieses Jahres. Im Rahmen der regelm��ig stattfindenden Jazz-Reihe trat das Frantisek Uhlir Trio auf, gest�rkt vom jazzbegeisterten Pr�sidenten Vaclav Klaus.
Das Uhlir Trio - der j�ngst erschienene Live-Mitschnitt beweist es - besticht durch kreativen Mainstream, der auch schon mal, vor allem, wenn Gast Dusko Goykovich zur Trompete greift, in rasanten Bebop m�nden kann. Auf den meist rhythmisches Fundament, gest�tzt von Schlagzeuger Jaromir Helesic. So kann Gitarrist Darko Jurkovic solistisch gl�nzen. Die Saiten werden nicht gezupft, sondern geklopft oder beidh�ndig ber�hrt. Ein Musterbeispiel bestechender Tap-Technik. Melodie und Akkorde sind in flie�ende Swing-Str�me eingebunden.
Hierf�r nimmt Bandleader Uhlir immer wieder die Rolle des Begleiters ein. Sein souver�nes Spiel von schn�rkelloser Pr�senz, ist auf Ego-Trips nicht angewiesen. Dank seines virtuosen Pizzicato-Stils, seiner imponierenden Bogen-Kunst und seiner kr�ftigen Walking-Bass-Linien muss Uhlir zu den besten Bassisten Europas gez�hlt werden.
Reiner KobeFranti�ek Uhl�r - bass; Darko Jurkovic - guitar; Jarom�r Hele�ic -drums; feat. Dusko Goykovich - trumpet
Multisonic 2006; Recorded 22.2.2006 M�covna Pra�sk�ho hradu; Total Time 1:04:11
1.�vod - prezident V�clav Klaus; 2.Fly Time; 3.June In Prague; 4.Banana Split; 5.From Heart To Hearts; 6.Secret Love; 7.How Insensitive; 8.Ow! 9.I�ll Close My Eyes
Z�znam koncertu por�dan�ho Spr�vou Pra�sk�ho hradu, kter� zaznamenal Cesk� rozhlas Praha v �noru leto�n�ho roku, je jedn�m z dal��ch koncetn�ho cyklu Jazz na Hrade. Trio Uhl�r - Jurkovic - Hele�ic a jejich host, skvel� trumpetista Dusko Goykovich, pripravili posluchacum v s�le, i n�m doma, skvelou hodinku dobr� pohody.
Prvn�ch ctyri skladby hraje pouze zm�nen� trio a teprve na posledn� ctyri prizvali svetozn�m�ho trumpetistu. Skladba druh� a ctvrt� je z autorsk� d�lny Darko Jurkovice, Franti�ek Uhl�r je podeps�n pod titulem tret�m a p�t�m. S Dusko Goykovichem hraj� skladby pouze prevzat�.
Hnac�m motorem tria je Uhl�ruv n�dherne znel� a "dlouh�" kontrabas. Skvel� veden� basov� linky mu usnadnuje vytr�ben� technika hry a to i arco. Dokladem toho mu�e b�t napr�klad Uhl�rova balada From Heart To Hearts. Pri ka�d�m ozvl�tnen� harmonie Uhl�ruv kontrabas reaguje velice citlive a v�dy tak, �e vytv�r� ono patricn� napet� s n�sledn�m rozveden�m tak, aby se posluchac ani na vterinu nenudil.
Chorvatsk� kytarista Darko Jurkovic patr� k tem nekolika m�lo kytaristum, kter� na n�stroj hraj� technikou "two hands", hran� na hmatn�ku kytary obema rukama soucasne, podobne jako se hraje na klav�r. Stejnou techniku pou��v� napr. i jeho slavnej�� kolega Stanley Jordan. Pri koncertech tria doch�z� tak k paradoxu, �e je nejen co poslouchat, ale je i na co se d�vat. Darkova nesm�rne invencn� hra a neobvykl� technika hry mu dovoluje daleko lep�� vyu�it� mo�nost� n�stroje. Poslouchat, a pr�mo se d�vat na jeho styl, je opravdu z�itek.
Tret� clen tria, Jarom�r Hele�ic, dr�� ote�e cel�ho tria pevne v rukou a v�dy, podle potreby, okam�ite reaguje na spoluhr�ce a vytv�r� onen povestn� z�klad, kter� jede, ale nestrh�v� pozornost posluchacu na sebe. Jeho hra je velice pru�n� a prizpusobiv�.
Dusko Gojkovich, rod�k z Cern� Hory, je excelentn�m trumpetistou, kter� se prosadil mezi svetov�mi muzikanty, mimo jin� i t�m, �e proslul jako clen trumpetov�ch sekc� cel� rady svetozn�m�ch kapel, od Maynarda Fergusona a� po Woody Hermana, nebo Big Band Kenny Clarka & Francy Bolanda. V soucasn� dobe vystupuje prev�ne jako s�lov� hr�c. S triem si zahr�l nejprve slavn� evergreen Secret Love, a i kdy� tato skladba byla nahr�na ve stovk�ch, mo�n� tis�c�ch, aran�m�, presto nen� jen obehr�v�n�m zn�m�ho t�matu. Jeho kultivovan� t�n a obrovsk� technika hry mus� ka�d�ho okam�ite zaujmout. Jeho s�la maj� patricnou v�stavbu a spr�vnou gradaci. Skvel� a lehounce odp�chnut� Jobimova How Insensitive predch�z� dal��mu evergreenu, skladbe Ow!, legend�rn�ho trumpetisty Dizzy Gillespieho, ve kter� Gojkovich posluchace presvedc� nejen sv�m celkov�m v�bu�n�m pojet�m. Nahr�vka je z�roven i jednoduch�m dukazem toho, �e vlastne hr�t se d� v�echno, a z�le�� pouze na pr�stupu interpretu, zda obycejn� t�ma pov��� na umeleck� z�itek. Celkov� dojem ze hry tria a slavn�ho trumpetisty je velice pozitivn�. V�ichni ctyri pusob� jako kompaktn� celek a je dobr�, �e k takov�mu spojen� do�lo a bylo i zaznamen�no.
Jazzov� pr�znivci, kter� sleduj� hru samotn�ho tria u� od roku 2002, kdy vydali svoje prvn� CD Live, mus� konstatovat, �e jejich hra je jako v�no. C�m d�le spolu hraj�, t�m jsou lep��. Spojen� techto tr� jazzmanu je �tastn� a pr�nosn� nejen pro posluchace. Jejich spolecn� muzic�rov�n� bylo provereno celou radou koncertn�ch �nur u n�s, i v zahranic�, s pr�zniv�mi ohlasy.
Milovn�ci jazzu, kter� i v na�� republice meli �anci trio sly�et, jejich kvality jiste potvrd�.
Stanislav Novotn�