Solo jazz piano: Jiří Polydor
Saturday 09. 09. 2023, 20:00
Pianist Jiří Polydor plays some well-known compositions from the 1920s, and has an excellent command of the style called stride piano, which is characterised by a very varied and sophisticated left-hand accompaniment. However, the focus of his repertoire lies in the 1930s and 1940s. He plays most of the more and less well-known pieces, his style is reminiscent of Fats Waller, Teddy Wilson, sometimes his improvisations sound like Errol Gardner or Art Tatum, but he does not directly copy any of these jazz greats, but has his own unmistakable signature. He is happy to play a swing piece at the audience's request.
The performers
Jiří Polydor ()
Pianist Jiří Polydor was formerly a long-time member of the legendary Classic Jazz Collegium, with whom he toured Europe (Holland, Spain). Later he was for several years the pianist of Klikarov's Original Prague Syncopated Orchestra, with whom he recorded the album Walking and Swinging (1997). On the next OPSO album he accompanied Jiří Suchý, with whom he later recorded another CD (2003), this time as a member of The Hottentots Orchestra. With renowned British musicians (trumpeter Danny Illeto, singer Fiona Duncan) he participated in engagements in Switzerland, in Berlin he accompanied former member of Armstrong's All Stars, clarinetist Joe Muranyi. In recent years he has also performed with singer Petra Ernyei at festivals in the UK (Bude, Keswick).
