Musician, writer, cinematographer and director, Martin Kratochvil rose to fame throughout Eastern Europe in the 1970’s, when he brought jazz-rock and live electronic performance to the region with his legendary group Jazz Q Praha. Together with Jazz Q, Kratochvil has released over a dozen albums, and has won prizes at many international festivals, including San Sebastian and Zurich. In 2014 Jazz Q celebrated 50 years of playing together, and in March of this year the band released their new CD, Talisman (2016). Jazz Q will thrill the Vancouver audience with numbers both from the new CD, as well as much loved favourites from the past. Take a listen here.

Kratochvil is most at home behind the piano keyboard, where he has developed a style reminiscent of Keith Jarrett, Thelonius Monk or John Cage, depending on the piece of the moment; he combines a hard percussive attack and rhythmic drive with gentle and lush harmonies, and when the musical tension mounts he is not afraid to strike or pluck the piano strings with any object at hand.