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Jan Truhlář - 3 BAGATELY

20th CENTURY CZECH GUITAR MUSIC series

part 3

 

    Impromptu by Jan Truhlář was the first piece of this series. It seemed natural to me to start with the composition that have actually contributed to my decision to work on the twentieth century czech guitar pieces. During the following search for the sheet music I was lucky enough to find Jan Truhlář’s Bagately. Once I started playing my way through them I was immediately captured by their strangeness and beauty to an unexpected extent. My interest in Truhlář’s work only grew stronger, however I’m going to work on the compositions of other authors now. 

     Hope you’ll enjoy this one

 

 

 

TOPOL

     Just what exactly is this TOPOL band? 

     I’ve met Topol when I was eighteen. My first band was recording it's first demo and he was the engineer in the control room, if you like. Since then, he has been in my life as a musician and as a friend. 

     He has been writing his own songs and ideas for them all along. Sometimes demoed some of it, sometimes something was played live, occasionally. In both cases I was often involved, somewhat naturally. 

     After more than twenty years, he's finally recording his songs properly. I am part of it, inevitably and happily. Many friends and musicians I like play on these. As well as three more lyricists besides Topol himself. Obviously it’s not just me who has been a fan of Topol songs. So far we’ve made two EP’s. Live gigs are happening as well. Our joyful cooperation resulted in a birth of a band whose line up is as extraordinary as it is natural. 

     Hear it in the Music section..

 

     Enjoy.

 

 

     J.

Tady to máš

     8th of November is the release date of the new album by my friend/"boss"/a guy I love - as well as the rest of the band - Tomáš Klus. the record is called Tady to máš. On all digital platforms. And there are CD's as well. Check it here.

     So far we have been pleasantly surprised by very positive reviews and reactions from our friends and fans. Thanks! Looking forward very much to play the new stuff live! See you on the spring tour

Štěpán Urban - Miniatures

     Part two of my Youtube series called Czech 20th century guitar music. After Impromptu by Jan Truhlář here is Miniatures by Štěpán Urban. The point is to learn to perform a particular composition and then record and film the performance, no editing just pure playing, as it is supposed to be, live in studio (or elsewhere in the future, I'm just getting started).

     I didn't want to pick just any pieces I like. I felt the series needs to have a certain continuity. I wanted compositions of "the same kind", if you like. So why 20th century Czech composers and guitar players? (KInd of weird pieces that are not played very often at all..) It certainly has nothing to do with being patriotic or anything.. The answer is I believe the best answer - I don't know, pure intuition. I've been just drawn to these pieces. When I'd encountered some of them while studying classical guitar I felt they are somewhat strange but strangely beautiful as well. They were weird but somehow I always felt how to play them so they would sound meaningful. (Maybe I was wrong - maybe I still am). And more so - when I heard some of them being performed by someone else I had this "no, not that way!" notion. Maybe I'm just arrogant but I felt the urge to perform them the way I believe they should sound. I'm still at the beginning of this and of course I hear how much work is ahead of me. But here are Miniatures. 

     Originally written in 1963. When you realize it you can see how innovative was Urban's approach. You didn't see people treating guitar like that back then, classical or electric.

 

Welcome Humans!

Welcome Humans!

Here we go. First post of my new website. The time has come to do more things on my own. First, here are some pictures. The photographer Ondra Zeman is a gifted artist who always has the ability to understand my strange visions. Thank you! 

In the MUSIC section you can find the info on Pylon15 - first recording I'm putting out under my own name. There is quite a story to be told about that one. Read it, hear it! 

Also check out my very own new Youtube channel. 

 

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