STRANA 1 / SIDE 1
01. Ovocný trh (Fruit Markét) 10:30 (Tony Ackerman) & Magdalena 6:30 (Martin Kratochvíl)
02. Maňana 5:25 (Martin Kratochvíl)
STRANA2 / SIDE 2
03. Přijel Tony z Arizony (Here Comes Tony from Arizony) 4:25 (Martin Kratochvíl)
04. Snář (Dream-book) 4:45 (Martin Kratochvíl)
05. Vinen je vinohrad (Iťs the Vineyarďs Fault) 3:55 (Martin Kratochvíl)
06. Stará známost (Old Acquaintance) 5:20 (Martin Kratochvíl)
07. Zdálo se mi o Dvořákovi (I Dreamed of Dvořák) 2:55 (Martin Kratochvíl)
Martin Kratochvíl — piano
Tony Ackerman — guitar
info
This album presents a new duo on the European jazz scene, Czech pianist Martin Kratochvil and American guitarist Tony Ackerman. It might come as a surprise to those who know Kratochvil's previous work; in 1965 he formed, along with saxophonist Jifi Stivin, the group Jazz Q Prague, with a free-jazz orientation, and continued to lead the group for almost 20 years, changing its direction in the early 1970's to jazz-rock. He has become a major force in the Czech music world, both through the prominence of Jazz Q and through his many successful film scores. His latest projects have involved computer-controlled electronic performance. And now, here he returns to his beginnings - to the acoustic piano. A fresh and inspiring turn, in direct opposition to the programmed, synthesized productions with which he has been most recently associated.
His partner here is the American guitarist Tony Ackerman, who has been living in Prague since 1983. Born in Rome, Italy in 1950, he grew up in the two university towns of Berkeley (California) and Cambridge (Massachusetts), both centers of the urban folk revival of the 1960's. Thus he led a double musical life from early on; at the age of twelve, along with his classical studies on piano and violin, he was performing in local clubs on guitar, banjo and mandolin. He gradually moved through bluegrass to ragtime and blues guitar, and through a short stage of electric rock to free jazz. He then studied classical guitar in Rome for several years, and upon his return to the U. S. he turned to composition study. He became acquainted with Martin Kratochvil (b. 1946) in Prague in the early 1970's, and met with him later during Kratochvil's term of study at Boston's Berklee College of Music. Throughout these years, however, neither musician even dreamed that they two would one day meet on the concert stage, so different were their musical backgrounds - but it is precisely this diversity which gives their music its special character.
Take, for example, the initial piece here, Fruit Market, connected without a break to Magdalena. Here we hear several themes in succession which do not sound like "orthodox" jazz, from the melodious strains of a country music instrumental to a hard, funky section, leading to the third theme, which reminds us of Caribbean calypso. This medley was recorded without overdubs or editing; in the next piece, however, the Latin American Manana, each instrument does play two separate tracks, which results in an exciting, lively rhythmic interplay. A humorous mood pervades Here Comes Tony from Arizony, while the third piece on the side, It's the Vineyard's Fault, is the closest to a true jazz style. Dream Book was composed exclusively for this album, the only piece here (because of the overdubs) that is not part of the duo's live repertoire. The title piece, Old Acquaintance, has many layers of meaning: besides the long standing friendship of the two musicians, it evokes the affinity of these two wooden instruments, piano and guitar, each so familiar to us all, whose pure sounds blend together so naturally. The album's closing piece, I Dreamed of Dvorak, is Kratochvil's homage to the great Czech composer. When you listen to Martin and Tony's music, you feel the sincerity and simplicity of their expression. Throughout both the themes and the improvisations, the two instru¬ments weave around each other to create a special unity. It is simply a close conversation of two familiar instruments, to which two old friends have sat down to renew an Old Acquaintance - and also an example of how artistic collaboration can inspire and deepen friendships between nations.
Stanislav Titzl
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