Preview: 6th annual Free Jazz Festival

What if they held a series of "free" jazz concerts with first-rate American and European musicians, and hardly anyone came? Not likely in a jazz-friendly town like Prague. Now, what if they held a series of "free jazz" concerts with first-rate American and European players and hardly anyone came? This is certainly likely in Prague, but, surprisingly, even more so in America, the birthplace of free jazz.

Free jazz is a hard sell these days, but the sixth annual Free Jazz Festival in Prague is stronger than ever. The first night of the festival opens with European avant-garde improvisers Trio Hot: master clarinetist Theo Jorgensmann, violinist and fiddler Albrecht Maurer, both from Germany, and double-bassist Peter Jacquemny from Belgium. Trio Hot puts a postmodern spin on traditional "hot jazz:" at times, they can be soothing; other times, and especially with their vocals, they sound like a madhouse set to erupt.

Headlining the festival Friday is Trio Bouge, featuring Luc Ex, bass guitarist of the legendary Dutch punk/post-punk/no-wave-band the EX from 1983-2002. Since, he has continued to be a force on the sonic-experimental music scene in Europe. Luc now plays acoustic guitar, joined by the veteran German jazz trombonist Johannes Bauer and the vocal hysterics of Isabelle Duthoit from France.

Headlining the second evening of the festival are two American heavyweights of free jazz, both based in New York City: pianist, saxophonist and percussionist Charles Gayle with his trio, and alto and tenor saxophonist, flutist, clarinetist, conductor and poet Sabir Mateen with his ensemble.

Mateen was in Prague earlier this year for the first time with his group Omni Sound, but the turnout was quite low. Mateen, in a most understanding way, tells The Prague Post that this was partly because it was a last-minute engagement, adding he was actually satisfied with the small turnout.

"I think that the audiences in Eastern Europe, in general, really know how to listen and really appreciate the music," he says. "Usually we have good audiences in Europe. Usually the worst audiences are in the States. I think the home fans take us for granted. Since we are home, they think that if they miss us, they can come out at any time and we'll be there. They don't understand that the music changes every day, and they miss a lot of great musical things that happen."

It is getting harder for free jazz musicians or even classic jazz musicians to find venues in the United States, according to Mateen, who calls this "the worst period for jazz in America I've ever seen."

"They promote and record the wrong bands who really sound terrible. They usually base this on age and race. It's also happening here in Europe too but not as bad; it's only starting. In order for this to change, all of this other crap must stop," he says.

Mateen is from Philadelphia, but he got his schooling in Los Angeles, playing with the great Horace Tapscott and his Pan-Afrikan People's Arkestra from 1977 to 1981. Mateen is a melodious and lyrical player, as well as a hard blaster, but this is in line with the music of Tapscott, his mentor, and also with the icons free jazz, the legendary Sun Ra Arkestra, with whom Mateen has played.

Since he has been based in New York, Mateen has played with Cecil Taylor, William Parker, Dave Burrell, William Hooker and many others. He has also played with the multi-instrumentalist Charles Gayle, who co-headlines Saturday night.

"Charles is a very good friend of mine, one of my biggest musical influences and inspirations. He can play anything he puts his hands on," he says.

Charles Gayle is better known as a pianist than an alto saxophonist. He was also homeless for roughly 20 years, playing his music on the subway and on the streets of New York. Since 1988, he has been recording regularly for the Swedish label Silkheart Records and for Knitting Factory in New York. Gayle is as independent and free as anyone in music today.  

The Europeans at the festival this year tend to be more akin to sophisticated anarchists, who've outgrown punk and "traditional" free jazz. Their performances are absurdist theater with spurts of noisy instrumentation. While the Americans will still devote space to jazz tradition, they're also free to discard it at their whim. And the audience is free to take it all in, in all its beautiful dissonance, or not. That's free jazz.

Tony Ozuna can be reached at
features@praguepost.com