🎺 Prague Live Music: From Písek to Prague

My first encounter with this multinational, highly original jazz group—Alf Carlsson (g), Jiří Kotača (flugelhorn), Peter Korman (b), and Kristián Kuruc (dr)—goes back to last summer at the Písek Jazz Festival. I had already finished taking my photos, wrapped up my live blog, and was actually heading back to my quarters when the warm, velvety, and deeply atmospheric sound of a flugelhorn caught my attention. Those melancholic, crystal-clear sounds didn’t just grab my interest; for a moment, it felt as though the entire festival area stopped right then and there. The horn was very quickly joined by the guitar and a grooving rhythm section, and suddenly, heading back to my quarters didn’t feel important at all. Swap Písek for Prague, and with only a few minor modifications, you have the exact blueprint for the beautiful concert we witnessed last night at Jazz Dock.

For many of you, this level of mastery comes as no surprise—after all, they proudly carry a prestigious Anděl Award in their CV alongside many other notable achievements. The story of how Alf and Jiří met in the first place, and how that fateful connection blossomed into the Alf Carlsson / Jiří Kotača Quartet, actually shares a striking number of similarities with a world-famous group and a train station that started their legendary career back in the ’60s and are still rockin’ today

Last night also beautifully proved something to my personal liking: trying to compartmentalize music—which to many critics seems more important than the music itself—is sometimes completely impossible. The setlist gave us a magnificent tapestry of influences drawing from several musical genres. Their original compositions are highly melodic, meticulously built around a rich, clear variety of textures that focus heavily on the tones of the guitar and horn singing together.

Even though so much of the sonic magic is built around Alf and Jiří’s seamless cooperation, listeners often take the rhythm section for granted, which is a massive mistake. Yesterday was a flawless example of the undeniable fact that a quartet consists of four distinct individuals, not just two. The shared musical history between Peter and Kristián was completely evident. Because they know each other’s styles inside and out, they can stretch the tempo to its absolute limits or drop into a whisper-quiet lull at a split-second’s notice, giving the frontline all the room they need to breathe. In plain text: they are a killer unit!

Thank you, Alf Carlsson / Jiří Kotača Quartet! 😀