July 8-15: Bohemia Jazz Fest

The Bohemia Jazz Fest, which Downbeat magazine lists as one of the world’s most important cultural events, was founded in 2005 by acclaimed jazz guitarist Rudy Linka.

Thanks to its sponsors and patrons, the Bohemia Jazz Fest has become a summer ritual with jazz fans from all over Central Europe gathering on the squares of historic Czech cities to see and hear the world’s greatest jazz performers. In addition to jazz, there will also be a thrilling blend of blues, funk and world music.

The headliner in Prague will be Wolfgang Muthspiel Quintet, Stefano Bollani Napoli Trip, and Tuck & Patti.

The guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel, born in 1965, lives in Vienna and is considered to be one of the most influential guitarists of his generation. From the mid-90s, he lived and worked in the Jazz capital, New York. During this time, he daringly took sensitive excursions into the world of pop music with Rebekka Bakken, while pursuing the electronic project Muthspiel/Muthspiel with his brother.

Jazz pianist Stefano Bollani began playing piano as a child in order to accompany his singing but soon concentrated solely on the instrument, enrolling in a conservatory in Florence when he was 11. There, he studied both jazz and pop music, and after graduating in 1993, added his keyboard skills to albums for many of Italy's top pop stars, including Laura Pausini, Irene Grandi, and Jovanotti. 

Tuck & Patti are an American jazz duo consisting of guitarist William Charles "Tuck" Andress and singer Patricia "Patti" Cathcart Andress.

By 2010 Bohemia Jazz Fest was drawing more than 70,000 jazz fans to historic town squares throughout the country, making a significant economic impact.

All the concerts are open-air, featuring headline performers playing in spectacular medieval settings. And they’re all free.

from  www.praguemorning.cz