” legend of Czech blues and jazz rock”
Friday, September 20, 2019 at 8pm, The Revue Stage, Granville Island
- Lubos Andrst – guitar
- Vit Pospisil – keyboards
- Filip Benesovsky – bass guitar
- Michal Hejna – drums
- Bill Runge – saxophone
LUBOŠ ANDRŠT (26 July 1948 – 20 December 2021) is rightly considered to be one of the most respected blues and jazz musicians in the Czech Republic. He is especially known for his proficiency and dexterity with the guitar. For years, he has regularly performed his musical undertakings, where many of his band members alternated and were swapped out. Andrst’s collaboration with other soloists, especially with the singer Michal Prokop, is significant. The repertoire of Luboš Andršt’s current band, Lubos Andrst Group, is based on Andrst’s own harmoniously elaborate compositions, which reflect the influences of jazz, Latin music and blues. These connections are evident in the two albums: “Acoustic set” and “Moment In Time”. Andrst’s unmistakably clever guitar play is complemented by two new members to the band: the experienced and highly sought-after musicians Filip Benešovský and Vít Pospíšil. On the other hand, drummer Michal Hejna, who has been playing with the group for 20 years, plays exclusively in instrumental bands like Rhythm Desperados, Jiří Stivín and others. Currently, his main responsibility, however, is the operation of the jazz club AghaRTA, where the LA Group performs regularly. Michal Hejna has also been instrumental in organizing the AghaRTA Prague Jazz Festival.
BILL RUNGE has been a successful performer, composer, arranger, and orchestrator for over 30 years. A multi-instrumentalist, he has performed and recorded on saxophones, flutes, clarinets, electric and string bass, piano and other keyboards, guitar, pennywhistle, and accordion. Bill has performed live shows at Jazz, Folk and Blues Festivals in Canada, Europe, the U.K., and the U.S. with such artists as The Funk Bros., Colin James, and Natalie Cole, Michael Buble, Taj Mahal, John Lee Hooker, Bo Didley, Sheena Easton, Roger Daltry, John Hammond Jr., Ben E. King, Bob Hope, Robert Cray, Marilyn Crispell, Don Thompson, Kenny Wheeler, Jimmy Witherspoon, Dave Holland, Slide Hampton, Jeff Healey, Michael Burgess, Strippers Union and dozens more.
Concert Review:
Thank you very much for the invitation to the Lubos Andrst sensational jazz group you brought to the Granville Island stage. We could have listened to them all night to the next morning. They were fantastic to listen to as they were innovative and ,as you know , I play drums in a band and we would call these players “very tight”. They read each other well and the audience. The local saxophone player they brought on stage fit in extremely well with I know would have been with very little “practice time”. Signs of true musicians!!
I understand that the concert was in celebration of the 30 year reunion of Czechoslovakia Velvet Revolution. You pick a great choice to celebrate that!! We hope there will be a 3000 year reunion! Bring them back for the 31st reunion !!!
All the best and thanks again. Great evening…… Will and Helen