Libor Šmoldas Organ Trio: 10th Anniversary & Live Album Recording @ Jazz Dock | 18–19.8.2026
Whether you want to fulfil a teenage dream of appearing on a record, witness something truly unique, or simply listen to world-class jazz—or maybe all three at once—now is your absolute chance. Next Tuesday and Wednesday, the spectacular Libor Šmoldas Organ Trio will be celebrating their 10th anniversary (according to their own special jazz calculator) with a monumental two-night residency at Jazz Dock.
These two evenings will deliver the raw, intense energy of a classic Hammond organ trio. If that isn’t enough to get you to the riverfront, the band will be rolling the tapes to record a brand-new live album over both nights. It is not very often you get the opportunity to attend an excellent concert and later buy the official soundtrack from that exact evening! Talk about a unique chance to experience something different.
To break down the event and clarify their questionable anniversary math, I sat down with Libor for a quick, exclusive Q&A. Read on, pick a night—or find me there on both evenings—and come make some history at Jazz Dock next week.
🎙️ Catching Up With Libor Šmoldas
1. The Anniversary Math Mystery 🤔
Yka: Libor, let’s look at the books. The Organ Trio was formed in 2015, and your debut album Lay It Down dropped in 2017. So… how exactly does 2026 equal a “10th Anniversary” celebration? Walk me through your jazz mathematics!
Libor: To be completely honest, I’m not entirely sure myself! As far as I remember, our very first gigs happened back in 2015 right after I returned from a tour in Australia, which technically makes it eleven years. But somehow, we completely forgot to celebrate the actual 10th milestone last year. I figured we might as well do it now and combine the party with a live album recording! And hey—if we end up celebrating our 15th anniversary a year early down the road, it will all even out in the end! 😊
2. The Organ Spark (What Made You Call Jakub?) 🎹
Yka: It is no secret that your international project SoulMates laid the blueprint for this specific sound, and bringing in drummer Dano Šoltis was a no-brainer given your shared history dating back to 2006. But what was the exact spark that made you pick up the phone and call Jakub Zomer to anchor the mighty Hammond B3 organ?
Libor: Before starting this trio, my main lineup in the Czech Republic was a traditional piano quartet with bass and drums. I had run that format for a long time and was hungry for a total change of scenery and a fresh source of sonic inspiration.
As it turns out, it seems to be my absolute destiny to work with organ players. My very first real band was Ondřej Pivec’s Organic Quartet, and throughout my career, I’ve shared the stage with incredible organists like Brian Charette, Daniel Bulatkin, Jan Kořínek, and so many others globally. I simply love the Hammond trio format; I always find my way back to it.
Jakub and I actually met years ago at the conservatory and played some of our very first professional gigs together, so our roots run deep. He is not only an outstanding musician but also a truly wonderful human being. I feel incredibly lucky to have him as my musical partner.
3. Fresh Cuts at the Dock? 🎼
Yka: The Organ Trio is highly praised not just for its raw, unfiltered stage energy, but for its stellar original tunes. For this two-night residency at Jazz Dock, can the audience expect a setlist of brand-new, never-before-heard material written specifically for this live album?
Libor: We are planning a heavy combination of both older classics and brand-new material. Honestly, I love playing our older original tunes because the three of us approach them completely differently every single time we step on stage. They provide the perfect vehicle for spontaneous improvisation, which is the very essence of this band.
I don’t know yet which specific takes will make it onto the final record, but even if we end up using compositions that originally appeared on Lay It Down, I am convinced they will sound entirely different this time around.
4. Going Local vs. Global ✈️
Yka: Back in 2016 and 2017, you guys were on a grueling global sprint touring Europe, Australia, Japan, and the USA. This anniversary celebration feels much more intimate, focusing heavily on the home crowd back here in the Czech Republic. Why the shift to a local celebration?
Libor: It’s true that the Organ Trio concept has traveled internationally a lot, but historically, I usually worked with local musicians within each country—whether touring the USA, Japan, or Australia.
With the Czech lineup of Jakub and Dano, we have mainly focused our energy on our home audience in the Czech Republic, though we did complete an extensive, fantastic tour of Sweden together. Who knows—maybe this new live recording will be such a massive success that it kicks off another big world tour for the three of us!
5. Blast from the Rhythmic Past? 🥁
Yka: Since this is a massive 10-year milestone, any surprises behind the drum kit? Will early rhythm anchors like Jiří Slavíček or Václav Pálka make a guest appearance on stage at Jazz Dock, or is that a strictly kept secret?
Libor: While Jakub and I have always been the core pillars of the band, the drum seat has definitely evolved over the years. Before settling down permanently with Dano, we had the pleasure of working with great players like Václav Pálka (who now lives in Switzerland), Tomáš Hobzek, Jiří Slavíček, and Marek Urbánek.
Today, Jakub and Dano work so incredibly well together that I honestly couldn’t be happier. The creativity they bring to the stage is wild, fearless, and completely unstoppable. I used to experiment with having two drummers on stage simultaneously, which was great fun—but these days, it’s strictly Dano. Then again, he plays with so much power and groove that he sounds like two drummers anyway! 😄
6. The Final Drop 💿
Yka: Once the final note fades at Jazz Dock on August 19th and the tapes stop rolling, how long do we have to wait? When can we expect the official release of this new live album?
Libor: This live album is truly our independent project as a band—not just musically, but organizationally. At the moment, we haven’t decided which label will release it or exactly how it will drop. But one thing is already set in stone: we will celebrate the official album launch back at Jazz Dock on Saturday, February 20th, 2027. We would love to see you there!
For now, the most important task is to completely fill the club for the live recording sessions on August 18th and 19th. Come for one night—or even better, come for both! Who knows, you might just hear your own voice cheering on the final record when it hits the shelves.