Connoisseurs of the keyboard

A unique endeavor, the annual International Solo Jazz Piano Festival is always a highlight of Prague's fall jazz season. Held over three successive Saturday evenings, each concert offers both young and veteran pianists from the jazz circuit, and all performing on a Steinway to boot.

This year, the opening concert (Nov. 7) features Dezso Oláh from Hungary, Marc Perrenoud from Switzerland and Mario Canonge from French Martinique. Oláh (born in 1986 in Budapest) represents the new generation of Central European jazz, with influences ranging from Bill Evans and Lennie Tristano to Béla Bartok. Perrenoud (born in 1981 in Geneva) is another new-generation jazz player. He tours as a soloist, in duos and trios, and is a member of the Swiss-based group Piano Seven, which features seven pianists playing together. At times, Perrenoud's playing recalls the elegant, modern romantic lyricism of Brad Meldau's solo excursions; at other times, he displays influences ranging from old-time swing to drum 'n' bass.

Canonge, the headliner, (born in 1960), brings more of a New World touch to the program. Speaking on the video channel Yabla, Canonge explains he was born in Martinique but has been shaped more by living in Paris for the past 25 years. "There, music is my passion," he says. "And I am an advocate for Caribbean music, that is to say, Caribbean rhythms." He admits to having a lot of other influences, mainly from the jazz world, but uses Caribbean rhythms "to open other horizons."

The second concert (Nov. 14) includes Luboš Šrámek (born in 1977 in Bratislava), representing the new face of mainstream Slovak jazz, and Maral Yakshieva (born in 1968 in Turkmenistan) playing on the freer side of the jazz spectrum. Her duo improv recordings with the legendary Anthony Braxton solidified her status on the international scene. The headliner for that evening is Martin Tingvall, who is from a small village off the southern coast of Sweden. Tingvall also leads the Tingvall Trio, based in Hamburg, a groovy modern jazz unit with Cuban acoustic bassist Omar Rodriguez Calvo.

Headlining the final concert (Nov. 21) is Matthew Shipp, whose performance should be the highlight of the festival. Shipp (born in 1960 in Delaware) says his style came together in the fall of 1984 - which is to say, that's when he stopped playing like McCoy Tyner, Herbie Hancock, Cecil Taylor, etc. He was just finishing his studies at the New England Conservatory in Boston when he developed an open-ended style he describes this way: "It can absorb a lot of things, break them down, and then re-emerge as something else."

Shipp has been based in New York City for almost 25 years, and practically all of his recordings are on small, independent jazz labels, including Thirsty Ear (NYC) and RogueArt (Paris). He has strong musical bonds with bassist William Parker and saxophonist David S. Ware, and has also played with Roscoe Mitchell (of the Art Ensemble of Chicago). But, beyond that, he has not sought out bigger names to share the stage.

"It just worked out that way," Shipp tells The Prague Post. "What would there be to learn from playing with other established players? Nothing."

Shipp's DIY attitude, more akin to a punk or indie-rocker than his jazz compatriots, extends to his public persona, as well. He must be one of the last active musicians on earth without a MySpace page. "I have no interest in social network space," he says. "I am trying to cut myself off from everyone - not be more available."

Opening for Shipp will be a Czech, Vít Křištan, and Poland's Pawel Tomaszewski.

St. Lawrence is one of the best facilities in the city for chamber concerts, and offers a perfect setting for solo piano performances: intimate, with good acoustics and a reasonably priced wine bar. For jazz devotees, it could still be described as a house of the holy, especially with Shipp and Canonge on the program this year.

Tony Ozuna can be reached at
features@praguepost.com