Klaus Kugel & hosté

German drummer and percussionist Klaus Kugel will immediately return to two Czech collaborations at the same time

A prominent personality of the European improvisation scene, German drummer and player of non-traditional sound objects Klaus Kugel, in the Czech Republic he has already performed and released albums in a duo with Pavlo Hrubý and with the trio Anna Romanovská / Petr Tichý / Michal Hrubý. During a double concert in Prague's Atrium on December 4, 2024, visitors will have the opportunity to participate in another adventure of inner musical communication between the members of both projects.

The performance of Klaus Kugel's duo with woodwind player Pavel Hruby in addition, at the same time also by christening the record. Two original musicians came together in 2019 when they performed at the Prague Free Jazz Festival and the Králové Hradek Jazz Goes To Town festival. And it was the recording of the second of the concerts that was recently released under the name Going Where The Wind Takes Itby Slovak label Hevhetia. Culture magazine UNI wrote in a review about the album: “The title Going Where The Wind Takes It could be translated as Where the Wind Takes It, but it is not. The example of the free improvisation of Pavel Hrubé and Klaus Kugel works better for the basic lesson of Taoism, following taa. The music does not go against the waves, but flows smoothly with the flow of shared experience. But without giving up the musicians to decide where to steer downwind. Whether into the silences, or into the murky or swirling waters. We can then follow the tao of the musician, that of the listener, sail where the wind of fantasy takes us." Although the duo's music itself, focused on improvising or, if you prefer, composition in real time, is of course unrepeatable.

The improvisational trio Romanovská/Tichý/Hrubý expanded Kugel into a quartet several times. As part of a mini-tour and individual concerts in 2020, 2021 and 2022. During the 2021 concerts, there was also a quintet with the soprano and harpist Hana Blažíková. It is not surprising that the multinational improvisation group is already connected to each other "extra-sensory" thanks to regular meetings. The tangible result of the collaboration of the Romanovská/Tichý/Hrubý group with Kugel was the CD Odobí důlních taťá (2022), recorded in the acoustically favorable environment of Dobrohoř Castle in 2020. Thanks to the actually very disciplined and concentrated gradual construction and changes of the sound, they naturally graduate and fancifully 'draw in'. Subtle and filigree percussion rightfully gets a lot of free space," said the reviewer of UNI magazine at the time.

Drummer, percussionist, composer and improviser Klaus Kugel truly deserves the reputation of a sound a magician. The respected American server All About Jazz wrote about him: "V He belongs to Europe's busiest and most articulate modern jazz players." He has collaboration with personalities such as Vijay Iyer, Tomasz Stańko, Zbigniew Namysłowski, John Lindberg, Charles Gayle or Steve Swell. In addition to playing the usual drum kit, often non-traditional techniques (for example, a bow on the edge of a cymbal), he also controls a constellation of percussive instruments from different corners of the world. But he creates unusual sounds with taste even on random objects.

Saxophonist, clarinetist, bass clarinetist, etc. Pavel Hrubý is known to the audience primarily as member of the band Limbo, currently celebrating 20 successful years on the scene. From a changing ensemble Tellemark. Or from a duo with piano legend Emil Viklický. However, he also participated in the Phoenix improvisation project with Michal Nejtek, Jaromír Honzák and Daniel Soltisim. Last but not least, he has an excellent profile album Between The Lines.

Trio Romanovská/Tichý/Hrubý is a trio of seemingly disparate musicians, but that's the point the band's music more original and interplay more interesting. Violinist and koto player Anna Romanovská has a classical musical education, she is at home in the area of ​​contemporary "serious" music (Berg Orchestra, PMP Ensemble, Ostrava New Orchestra). At the same time, however, she enjoys improvising and she is also no stranger to elements of oriental music. Double bass player Petr Tichý belongs to the perceptive ones to multi-genre instrumentalists, with entries on dozens of albums ranging from contemporary music to jazz, experimental electronics, alternative rock or pop to folk. He gained fame above all thanks to the HLASkontraBAS project with singer Ridina Ahmedová. Clarinetist, saxophonist and a player of various folk pipes (concovka, fujara...) Michal Hrubý again started in big beat, however, he was soon captivated by the variety of world music and the magic of improvisation. Which did not prevent him from on the way to contemporary music, such as a guest appearance at the Berg Orchestra. Together he has a trio, occasionally expanded by guests such as Garth Knox, Hana Blažiková and of course Klaus Kugel, already has seven full-length albums.