milli janatková duo/trio
Milli Janatková Trio and Milli Janatková Duo link to “Proměna / Transformation” solo project album released in February 2013. Original compositions, songs and improvisation cross over Latin American rhythms, jazz and world music alternative genres.
milli janatková
Vocal, Guitar, Percussion
Milli Janatková´s creative work takes in music, visual arts and dance. Her most personal instrument is her voice. She has studied at the Departments of Music and Theatre at the University of Évora, Portugal, which inspired her to use Portuguese in her songs. There were two singers, among others,- who inspired her in the classes during her journey— Portuguese singer, Joana Machado, and Polish jazz star Aga Zaryan. Apart from singing, Milli has been playing the guitar since childhood and, more recently, has added percussion and drums. Fascinated by improvisation, her experimental approach uses her whole body—breath, voice, and movement—and rhythms “played on just about anything” to make music that combines elements of jazz, Latin American and World music, as well as experimental electronics and ambient music.
Besides occasional musical cooperation (with Brazilian guitarist Nelson Faria, Portuguese accordeonist João Gentil, double- bassist Jaromír Honzák, Feng- Yün Song, Jana Koubková, Alan Vitouš) — and her regular trio— she has collaborated with singers Ridina Ahmed, Antonia Nyass and Jaroslav Kořán (the latter on his project Orloj snivců, Horologe of Dreamers). The recording “porto” with the experimental project “katsa.theo” was nominated for an Anděl 2010 award in Alternative music genre.
In February 2013, Milli Janatková released her debut album “Proměna” /Transformation/ and she has focused on solo concerts under the same title presenting songs from the album and incorporating improvisation with her voice, expressive movement, various instruments and loop station, against a backdrop of her original painting. She adapts her songs for jazz arrangement as the Milli Janatková trio with pianist and composer Marek Novotný and double- bass player Petr Tichý.
Milli also leads creative workshops that bring together her rich experience with the voice, movement and visual arts. She has also taught vocal improvisation classes and visual arts classes at Prague Duncan Centre Conservatory.
marek novotný
Composer, arranger & pianist
In 2010, Marek finished his masters in jazz composition at the University of Massachusetts Amherst – USA, where he received a full scholarship under the tutelage of Grammy award winner Jeffrey Homes. In 2007 he received the Norwegian Government’s scholarship for jazz piano studies at the University of Stavanger – Norway. Also in 2007, he finished his PhD in music theory at the University of J.E. Purkyne Usti nad Labem – Cze. From 2002-2010 was in position of assistant professor at the department of music University of J.E.Purkyne (CZE) running university orchestra writing all compositions and arrangements.
During the last 10 years Marek was a member of many music projects and ensembles such as Feng – Yün Song, (along with the Trio PUO he toured China and competed at the music festival in Chang – Sha/CHINA and received the main prize). He cooperated also with such musicians as Marcel Bárta, David Dorůžka, Ridina Ahmedová, Gabriela Vermelho, Tomáš Hobzek, Petr Tichý, Luboš Soukup, Petr Dvorský, Tomáš Herian, Martin Novák, and Martin Zbrožek. (In USA): Aubrey Johnson, Carl Clemens, Paul Lieberman, and Bob Weiner. After graduation at UMASS (USA) he worked with American film composer Alexander Janko (My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Man on the Moon). During his days in New York he studied with one of the greatest living piano players, Fred Hersch. Marek toured Germany, Norway, Denmark, Great Britain, USA and China with his various projects. Marek’s compositions could be placed somewhere between worlds of jazz and classical music. Czech and World folklore music is also another source of inspiration for him. Marek wrote many compositions for all varieties of music ensembles. Not only for jazz combos, but also for big band, vocal ensemble, saxophone quintet, studio orchestra, and string quartet. He graduated with his “Summer Suite” consisting of five movements for reduced symphonic orchestra. After coming home to the Czech Republic, he immediately connected with the Prague jazz scene and established his jazz quintet including one of the best and unique musicians found in Czech.
The quintet performs only Marek’s original compositions. Leading figure of the band are young international stars David Doruzka on guitar and Marcel Bárta on saxophone, clarinet and bass clarinet. Petr Tichý (double bass) and Tomáš Hobzek (drums) together form the amazing rhythm section.
petr tichý
Kontrabas
Was born in Jablonec nad Nisou (CZ). The son of flute player and drummer Vaclav T., member of the legendary Czech R.A.Dvorský band. Petr played volleyball as a child but also invested time in his budding interests in music, playing piano, flute, trombone and guitar. It wasn’t until he was a teenager that he became mezmerized by the sound of the bass. During his studies at the Jaroslav Ježek Conservatory under the leadership of Petr Kořínek, Karel Růžicka and Sarka Dvořák, he made his entry into the Prague jazz scene where he has remained active ever since. In 1997, he received the Berklee College of Music Certificate (Bruno Raberg, Greg Hopkins). Later he studied with his great mentor Jaromír Honzák at the Prague College of Jazz. While there, he studied also with professors Milan Svoboda, Jan Hála, David Dorůžka and Jakub Zitko, before graduating in 2009.
Today, Petr has taken up graduate level studies of jazz bass at the Academy of Performing Arts, Prague. He is pursuing his studies on an electro-acoustic double bass of his own design, constructed by violin maker Jiří Petlach.
In the jazz arena, Petr has collaborated with players and bands such as the Paul Novotny Trio, Peter Curtis, Bharata Rajnošek, the Jiří Kalous Trio, Marcel Bárta, the Marek Novotný Quintet, and his own experimental trio NTS (Michal Nejtek and Štepán Smetáček). His Latin American musical abilities shine in projects like the Vesna Caceres band and Miloš Vacík band. In 2007 he cooperated with the Hradec Kralové Philharmonic (CZ) and in a project with Juan Jose Mossalini and Peter Ružička. Petr is well-known for his mastery as an accompanyist, having collaborated with singers such as Sylvie Krobová, Feng-jun Song & trio Puo, Pavlína Milcová and Peter Binder, Tonya Graves, Jana Šteflíčková and Kůň, and Erisha. His versatiliy stretches into Celtic music through his cooperation with bands like Bran and J.Eoin, dance and alternative music with Floex, Alvik, SeventySun and Tonya Graves Band among others, or pop music, with the acoustic project “The best of Pavol Hammel”, Ondřej Škoch – Manon 15 and Nitky. Despite his involvement in such a variety of projects, Petr saves time to exploit his own original compositions through his project “Petr-kontra-tichý-bas” and also together with singer Ridina Ahmedová.
GRAPHIC DESIGN: YVONE BAALBAKI
CREATED BY JIŘÍ BEZEMEK IN WORDPRESS.