A star cast of Czech jazz. The first two are legends. Pianist Martin Kratochvíl and guitar wizard Tony Ackerman, an American who now lives in the Czech Republic, met in a Prague jazz club in the eighties and have been playing together ever since. The connection to the brilliant percussionist father and son Zangi is literally explosive.

Kratochvíl, Ackerman, Zangi & Zangi jr. (CZ | USA | IRN)

Martin Kratochvíl, the first Czech graduate of the American Berklee College, who was also the first to bring jazz rock behind the Iron Curtain in the 1970s, still captivates many fans with his band Jazz Q today. Tony Ackerman, an American by birth who settled and still lives in the Czech Republic, is a guitar magician who has fused folk, jazz, bluegrass and blues into a unique style of guitar virtuosity. They met in a Prague jazz club in the 1980s and have been playing together ever since, and have been at the forefront of the Czech jazz scene for over 25 years. Imran Musa Zangi, a doctor of Iraqi-Iranian origin practising in Prague, is the most sought-after jazz percussionist on the Czech scene. Together with his son Filip, they master the whole range of percussion instruments, which Martin does on the keyboards and Tony on the guitar. This combination is explosive in the truest sense of the word. Dynamic and lyrical positions change just as quickly as genres. From Latin American to wooden American melodies, world music, folk and folklore to rock somewhere - but always individually and with breathtaking instrumental perfection. The unique sound combines the elements of their three home nations (Czech Republic, USA, Iran) with the raw energy of jazz improvisation and amazing harmony. An absolutely captivating experience! Martin Kratochvíl currently devotes himself alternately to music, trekking in the Himalayas and filming documentaries of his adventurous travels. Tony Ackerman learned all the contemporary folk and blues styles as a young boy in Boston and then honed his skills during several years of studying classical guitar. His custom-made seven-string guitar sounds extremely pleasant and natural. He currently teaches, leads meditation courses and spends a lot of time with amateur ensembles from the region. Musa Zangi plays his own kit with congas, bongos and a whole range of small percussion instruments that give the quartet not only rhythm but also a whole spectrum of timbres and ethnic colours.

Martin Kratochvíl - piano

Tony Ackerman - guitar

Imran Musa Zangi - percussion

Filip Zangi - percussion

Support: JazzBand Reného Habicha (CZ)

The jazz band of René Habich (formerly Erwin Schrödinger's Jazz Band) is a group that deals exclusively with jazz standards. The repertoire consists mainly of compositions from 1912 to the Second World War. Among the best known are Swett Georgia Brown, Topsy, All of me, Bye, bye blackbird, Autumn leaves, Black and Blue, Black Orpheus... . More recent compositions are Blue Bossa, Periscope and others. The interesting thing about the band is that it includes both mature jazz musicians and talented young students. A jazz project of two generations that is worth paying attention to!

René Habich Jr. - keyboards

René Habich Sr. - trombone

Janek Habich - trumpet

Karolína Duchková - vocals