We sat down with Vilém Spilka and Vlastimil Trllo to discuss JazzFestBrno. It was not the last night before the first day; there was still one week left. We did not discuss just the festival as such, but also music and some personal matters. Although they may have been personal, they were more or less related to the festival, jazz and music in general. I asked several personalities outside the festival “What does JazzFestBrno mean to you; how do you see it within the context of the European jazz scene?”
JazzFestBrno is being held for the twelfth time this year. For jazzmen and musicians, twelve is more symbolic than ten. Do you consider this event to be special in terms of this special anniversary?
Vilém: It is a magical number. A dozen once used to be a common unit of measure. Twelve is the twelve-bar blues. We have not prepared anything special to celebrate this anniversary; we have not invited more blues bands. But it is a special number for musicians anyway.
Vlastimil: There is also a movie rating system with twelve as one of the age limits. Our bands are suitable for even younger audiences.
The JazzFestBrno festival is a key element of the jazz scene in the Czech Republic. Young audiences are attracted by the overall modern concept of the festival, very interesting lineup and the ability of its organisers to promote the individual events. These listeners find out that jazz has a lot to say even in the 21st century and that it can sound modern and innovative.
I personally prefer the energic and groove-based jazz, so I enjoyed the performance by Donny McCaslin or Avishai Cohen. The festival works hard on its reputation and it is growing into a major European event, especially since it is able to attract jazz giants like Pat Metheny, Chick Corea, Bobby McFerrin or John Scofield.
Being a musician myself, I know very well that the technical aspects of concerts are just as important – you need to get the best instruments and equipment to ensure the best possible authenticity of your sound. I am happy to say people around Jazzfest Brno never underestimate these aspects; they always ensure excellent conditions for the performers. This is very important and this is why JazzFesstBrno is a European event.
Jakub Zitko, dramaturge of Jazz Dock, musician
What has so far made you most happy about this festival – in terms of music, organisation or otherwise?
Vilém: I am not enjoying anything at this point, as problems keep piling up, as this year’s thirteen seems to have affected the organisation. Some things are not going the way they should be going; it has been extremely stressful. We had to cancel one of the concerts – something came up with the performance of the Brecker Brothers. It was a technical issue that was not our fault but we were forced to cancel it altogether. Second, Ondřej Pivec will arrive with a different band because he lost the agreed-upon sponsors of airline tickets from the States where he lives. These are the things that piss me off and I am not happy about them.
Vlastimil: On the other hand, we are happy about the impact of the personality of Chick Corea. His concert was sold out fourteen days before the schedule date.
Was it tough to convince Chick Corea to come to Brno, or are you just lucky that his performance is a part of his tour?
Vilém: Generally speaking it is hard to get him here. In this case, however, we basically initiated his tour. In fact, we asked for him to come and he said yes. We did not even know, and we found out eventually, that he has a new band and is recording a new album. The album should be out during the first half of the year and it is supposed to be supported by a tour in the summer. But since he has had several offers to perform from all over Europe, he has agreed to start the tour even before the album is out, which is unusual.
Any aces up your sleeve for this year? Perhaps a lesser known band which can be a big surprise?
Vilém: I am a dramaturge so this is not my way of thinking.
Vlastimil: The general audience may be attracted by big names, but people who really know the festival are attracted by its overall quality. They know that many various jazz styles are represented in the lineup. Vilém knows a lot about the jazz scene, whereas I have never heard of some of these names. I don’t think I should name any particular band. All of them are good and all of them have a specific target audience.
Vilém: I don’t want to avoid answering the question altogether, so I’ll name three bands that really deserve to have their concerts sold out. Some of them need our support in attracting listeners, some don’t. I know they are excellent, but not everybody may know this. I am talking about Craig Taborn on 4 April – he is an excellent musician but he is not very well known in the Czech Republic – and Rez Abbasi with Rudresh Mahanthappa. The two are top-class composers and masters of their respective instruments. And finally, Will Vinson Quartet. They are the best of the best. I intentionally pointed out performers from the United States as the birthplace of jazz.
I think it is too early to view JazzFestBrno within an international context. It has not yet built any tradition for this attribute. That being said, it is an extraordinary event within the context of Czech music. I thoroughly enjoy its ambitious dramaturgy. Festivals are prepared by people who are enthusiastic and skilled. This mix of qualities is a guarantee of the top quality of a European music festival. Europe has many festivals to offer, which is why the most important thing is a loyal audience.
Peter Lipa, singer, composer and producer
What is it about music that attracts you the most?
Vlastimil: When it comes to listening, I enjoy new things. I appreciate new influences in jazz, be they based on ethnicity or otherwise. And since I am a musician as well, I feel some limits more than ordinary listeners do. It is great inspiration for my own music.
Vilém: In my case, music aims straight for emotions, that is what I love about it. Music does not need any intermediary or a detour; its impulses go straight to the heart. Music as a phenomenon works this way and this is the reason people love it. And since it generates so many emotions in life, it is just as good as interpersonal communication.
Vlastimil: You can see it on the festival with its excellent lineup. There are people in the audience who know nothing about jazz – or music for that matter – and they are so touched that they do not care about the genre. They are thrilled. On the other hand, there are excellent musicians who have 150 people in the audience. They are satisfied but I am disappointed. Had there been one thousand people, there would have been one thousand thrilled people. It is extremely hard to promote a concert to convince people that there is a reason to come to see a relatively unknown performer.
You are promoters and musicians at the same time; is it better to organised concerts or to play the guitar and bass?
Vilém: Each role has its pros and cons. I enjoy being the promoter as well. It allows me to offer people music that I think is worth hearing. Playing your own music is very entertaining; bringing music to people is nice too.
Vlastimil: The two roles are interconnected. You cannot do them without enthusiasm. Organising a festival under present-day social conditions is quite hard. However, I do think some personal connection is necessary…
“…I don’t understand it, I am just selling” is not the right approach.
Vilém: It can be an advantage. Some people apply a strictly-business approach. I am not very good at that. This approach is more suitable for mass genres.
In my opinion JazzFestBrno is currently the best international jazz festival in the Czech Republic. In addition to its superb and multinational dramaturgy, it offers excellent communication with audiences and visual style. We let ourselves be inspired by the work of its team, even though we are a public-benefit organisation whose style of work is different.
Marie Kučerová, Director of the Brno Philharmonic
What is your favourite place in Brno for music?
Vilém: The name of the performer is the most important criterion for me. I do not care if they play in Besední dům, the Janáček Theatre or Alterna. I am as demanding a listener as I can be when it comes to acoustics, sound and other technical issues. The things I appreciate about music include its energy and detail; which is why I need appropriate conditions.
Vlastimil: Indeed, the name is most important. However, the musicians I really want to see usually play elsewhere. They do not come to Brno that often, unless we invite them to our own festival.
Do you think a permanent jazz club could survive in Brno?
Vilém: There could be a club with a jazz atmosphere, but it would hardly be able to offer live music on a daily basis. A club of this type – I mean one with jazz patina – could exist. It would require full-time management. An establishment like this cannot offer ten things at the same time just to make ends meet.
Vlastimil: We have seen these experiments in Brno before. Some of them crashed and burned and some of them are hardly surviving. It is hard to keep things going without big compromises.
JazzFestBrno is one of the best festivals. It always features interesting and progressive Czech artists along with excellent musicians from all over the world. Thanks to the festival it is the Czech premiere for many of them. Communication with organisers has been great, which further improves the overall atmosphere of the event. I wish them well and I wish they could have even more sponsors because times are rough.
Beata Hlavenková, pianist, composer, arranger
What does the work on JazzFest give you personally?
Vlastimil: My biggest reward is the fact that we are able to bring musicians who otherwise would never have come to Brno. I am also doing all this for the satisfaction…
…I missed a restaurant with good cuisine so I opened my own.
Vlastimil: Basically, yeah.
Vilém: It is a matter of the heart. I don’t think I would be able to do anything else with this level of enthusiasm. It is the reason why I am excited about going to work every morning… even after all those years. It has not become a routine for me and I don’t need to think of reasons to shift up because there are several of them every day.
If you could invite anyone to JazzFestBrno – living or dead, regardless of their paycheck, whose name pops to your mind first?
Vlastimil: Naming names would mean revealing secret plans for the upcoming years.
Vilém: I have the list of the guests of my dreams in my head. I want to work down the list and start bringing the people to Brno one by one.
Regardless of the festival and your genre, who do you think should come and perform in Brno?
Vilém: I could name one musician from every genre whom I would like to see in Brno. I think excellent classical musicians should come more often. The question is whether we have suitable conditions for that.
Vlastimil: We would love to invite musicians who represent more than just one genre, more than just jazz. A representative of world-class contemporary pop would be nice.
Pianist Renata Lichnovská Ardaševová avoided a straight answer but her opinion on jazz is a nice summary of the interview:
I love jazz and I enjoy listening to jazz because some classical music composers let themselves be inspired by this genre or they use jazz elements in their works. I am fascinated by jazz improvisation. I root for the implementation of “Introduction to Jazz” in the curricula of secondary schools of music. I think it would be useful, and not just for the analysis of the work of Bohuslav Martinů.
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