Bill Clinton knows the Reduta
Prague has a vibrant and groovy jazz scene. It has some great jazz clubs and bars. In an unusual place, right on the waters on the Vltava River, you’ll find the modern Jazz Dock. It’s famous for its top concerts by musicians from home and abroad, not to mention the beautiful views of the river and the historical centre of Prague.
Another place every jazz lover always calls in at when visiting Prague, former U.S. President Bill Clinton included, is the Reduta Jazz Club, located on Národní třída, just a stone’s throw away from the National Theatre. Reduta has been ranked several times by the Guardian magazine as one of the 10 best jazz clubs in Europe.
The nearby Jazz Republic is a smaller club that hosts regular jazz concerts and blues and funk gigs. Another tip for a groovy laid-back chill-out is the Jazz Club Ungelt, which boasts vaulted ceilings dating from the 16th century. One really popular club near Old Town Square is the AghaRTA Jazz Centre. It opened on 29 September 1991, a day after the death of American jazz trumpeter Miles Davis.
The Brno jazz scene
Czechia’s second biggest city, Brno, also has a hot jazz scene. Most gigs are hosted by three clubs: Stará Pekárna, U Kouřícího Králíka and Metro Music Bar. And of course there also Brno’s most famous gig venue, the Fléda Music Club. Brno’s also a city with some great jazz festivals. The Stará Pekárna club hosts Jazz Brno, every autumn, a series of concerts featuring stars from Czechia and abroad. Although the name is similar, JazzFestBrno is a bigger event, held all over the city in the summer. Another popular venue is Klub Parník in Ostrava, a city like no other.
Jazz goes to town
Czechia also puts on some amazing jazz festivals! The Bohemia Jazz Fest, organised by world-famous jazz guitarist Rudy Linka, is held in July on the historical squares of various towns and cities around the country, the most familiar being none other than Old Town Square in Prague. Prague also hosts the International Jazz Festival. This is one Europe’s oldest jazz festivals and is held every October. It’s also worth checking out the Czechoslovak Jazz Festival, which regularly attracts some of the top jazz stars to Czechia. Another tip worth mentioning is the Jazz Goes To Town show in the romantic city of Hradec Králové.
This is Ondřej Pivec, the most famous Hammond organ player:
