An Homage to Karel Růžička

“Karel Růžička was one of the important teachers for me, but also a great friend and an inspirational personality,” says Jazz pianist, composer and frontman of the Tomáš Sýkora Trio about the leading personality of Czech jazz, who formed several generations of jazz musicians. Sýkora dedicated a project on the border of jazz and classical music, combining composed music and improvisation, to him. Jazzmen and members of the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra will meet in Holešovice’s DOX+ Centre for Contemporary Art. The programme will begin with Růžička’s song Lovebird in a new arrangement for a quartet of jazz musicians and an orchestra, built on the layout of grand jazz forms typical for modern big band arrangements. This will be followed by the Hidden Songs suite, which Sýkora wrote for his own jazz trio and an orchestra. The evening will culminate with the Grace and Gratitude Medley, Sýkora’s orchestral arrangement from the last album of Růžička’s son, New York resident saxophone player Karel Růžička Jr. He will close out the evening with the orchestra as the only improvising soloist. 

Karel Růžička: Lovebird (arr. T. Sýkora)
Tomáš Sýkora: Hidden Songs Suite
Karel Růžička jr.: Grace and Gratitude Medley (arr. T. Sýkora)

Karel Růžička ml. – saxophone
Tomáš Sýkora – piano
Tomáš Liška – bass  
Martin Novák – drums 
Štěpánka Balcarová – conductor