Robert Balzar is one of the best and busiest jazz bassists in town. His acoustic group, the Robert Balzar Trio, recently released a new CD of acoustic jazz originals and covers called Overnight. He also plays and records with a number of vocalists.

Unlike his previous two CDs with his trio, this one was recorded in Warsaw, Poland. "I met a great sound engineer who works for Polish Radio," Balzar says. "In an acoustic trio, you really need a good sound engineer to create a space and make clear sound."

Working with Tadeusz Mieczkowski — who made a hit CD with Pat Metheny and Polish singer and pianist Anna Marie Jopek — wasn't the only reason for crossing the border. "In Polish Radio they have eight Steinway pianos," Balzar says.

Of the nine songs on the new CD, three are covers and six are originals. While there are no lyrics, the original songs all have a meaning. "Ben in Jam" is inspired by his son Benjamin. "Lady Behind the Window" is dedicated to his girlfriend.

The covers, including "Moment's Notice" by John Coltrane, feature new arrangements. A new perspective on the songs is important when you are living in 2005, Balzar says. "It's different than it was in 1950." He borrows ideas from heroes such as Charlie Parker and Miles Davis but also works in influences from rock, funk, soul and world music. "Today you can feel more ethno music because the world is brought closer by the Internet and everything else," Balzar says.

Live shows with his trio, which includes Stanislav Mácha on piano and Jirí Slavícek on drums, feature songs from the new CD along with his previous two. While the shows aren't jam sessions, they generally aren't planned beyond the first three songs, after which Balzar tries to sense what the audience wants to hear. "We feel what they want, like more swingy stuff, more classical stuff," he says.

Balzar and his trio also back vocalist Yvonne Sanchez. "It is really a different sound when you play with singers," he says. That show consists mostly of standards like "All of Me" and "The Way You Look Tonight."

Balzar adopts a different style for his performances with chanson singer Hana Hegerová. "I play with the bow, more classical style, because this group doesn't use a drummer. That means the rhythm is on me."

Balzar also plays with Dan Bárta's groups Illustratosphere and J.A.R. He likes the interaction between jazz and rock, although the big shows are less intimate and spontaneous than playing in a jazz club.

One of Balzar's claims to fame is playing at Reduta with then-President Bill Clinton in 1994. "He's a nice person, very friendly," Balzar says. "He knows jazz standards by ear because he's an American and this is American culture." Not surprisingly, Balzar was more impressed by his opportunity to jam with Wynton Marsalis. "He takes you to a little bit of a different kind of rhythm."

Balzar plays a restored 150-year-old double bass that his father found in a church in a badly damaged state. "It was totally crushed, you know, a thousand pieces," Balzar says. Still, it was easier than finding a new double bass. "Now, the violin makers make [strictly] violins because for one violin they get the same money as for one bass. So nobody is making double basses anymore."