ROLAND ABREU TRIOLOGY (Cuba, Croatia/The Netherlands, Slovenia)
Ratko Zjaca, guitar
Roland Abreu, acoustic bass guitar
Jože Zadravec, drums
This collaboration of three outstanding artists forms a peerless combination of guitar, acoustic bass and drums, leading to stunning results in terms of sound and arrangement, sparkled with rhythmic ideas, texture and space. The artists’ enthusiasm, passion, intensity and warmth can be experienced in every moment of their live performance presenting an inspiring and enjoyable powerhouse of original compositions.
Cuban musician Roland Abreu is a double bassist, electric bassist, and composer. He began his musical journey at the renowned Guillermo Tomás Bouffartigues Conservatory in Havana, where he received formal training in both classical and contemporary music. During his studies, he actively performed as a member of the Coro Azul choir and the school’s symphony orchestra, appearing at numerous festivals and national competitions, including Cantorías Nacional and the National Festival of Symphony Orchestras. In parallel, he refined his double bass technique through masterclasses with esteemed pedagogues such as Roman Patkoló, Miloslav Gajdoš, and Miloslav Jelínek. At the age of thirteen, he founded his first jazz ensemble, with which he performed at prominent events including the JoJazz competition and the Jazz Plaza Festival. He later collaborated with youth orchestras of the Guillermo Tomás Conservatory and shared the stage with world-class artists such as Wynton Marsalis, Kool & The Gang, Klazz Brothers & Cuba Percussion, Bobby Carcassés & Afrojazz, Michel Herrera & Jovenjazz, Jadasni Portillo, Emir Santacruz, and Ernesto Camilo. After relocating to Poland, Abreu graduated with distinction from the Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław, where he performed under the baton of noted conductors including Tomasz Bugaj, Marek Pijarowski, Jacek Rogala, and Tadeusz Zathey. In 2017, he founded the ensemble Roland Abreu & The Cuban Latin Jazz, with which he has toured extensively across Europe. As artistic director, double bassist, and principal composer, he has released two albums to date: Juntos por Siempre (2019) and Roots (2020), both of which have garnered critical acclaim. Abreu regularly appears at major international jazz festivals, including the Borneo Jazz Festival, Jazz nad Odrą, Krokus Jazz Festival, Jazz Bez, Vertigo Summer Jazz Festival, Art Jazz Cooperation, Pianists’ Festival in Kalisz, Women in Jazz, and the International Summer Double Bass Academy.
Ratko Zjaca is an award winning guitarist, composer and recording artist with many critically acclaimed recordings under his name. He has recorded and performed with some of the most influential musicians in jazz and modern improvisation music such as Benny Bailey, Randy Brecker, Gary Peacock, Reggie Workman, John Pattituci, Al Foster, Steve Gadd, Miroslav Vitous, Ron Carter, Jimmy Cobb, Jeff Tain Watts, Alvin Queen, Adam Nussbaum, Shawnn Monteiro etc. He is an innovative musician, widely recognized as a technically advanced guitarist, known for being a relentless individualist, which shows in his improvisational style. Ratko is considered a very gifted stylist and he assumes many roles in his macrocosm of music: contemporary guitarist, composer, performer etc. He graduated at Zagreb University. In his drive for the necessary knowledge, he sought his refuge in The Netherlands at the Rotterdam Conservatory, famous for its studies of modern music. There he could get teachings by well-known masters. He also followed masterclasses and personal courses with Joe Pass, Jim Hall, Pat Metheny, Mick Goodrick, Mike Stern, Bob Brookmayer, John Abercrombie, and others. After completing his study at the Rotterdam Conservatory, he continued at New York University School of Music, where he created his own music group and started collaborating with American trumpet veteran Benny Bailey. Unlike some of his colleagues Ratko is not focusing only on saxophone phraseologies, but is continuously expanding the guitar’s vocabulary within today’s world of music. Whilst improving his performance to create his typical own sound and style, Ratko, as a gifted teacher, is capable of transposing most advanced phrases and concepts into structures, suitable for every musician. He gives guitar master classes all around the world (the Netherlands, France, USA, Croatia, Slovenia etc.). Ratko was nominated for best jazz guitarist in South American El Intruso New Creative Music Critics Poll Award for 2010. The CD Don’t Try This Anymore has won the Orpheus Award for 2016 – the best Italian production for jazz music. He also received the 2019 Award for achievement, authorship, and artistic creation in Jazz Music from the Croatian Composers’ Society, and in 2021, the European Discography Award for Artistic Creation in Jazz from the largest Eastern European jazz festival – Nišville Jazz Festival.His solo guitar album Archtop Avenue was ranked 33rd among the top 100 jazz albums of 2023 by the American Jazz Journalists Association.
Percussionist and drummer Jože Zadravec studied under Prof. Erich Bachträgl and Prof. Klemens Marktl at the Austrian State Conservatory in Klagenfurt. He continually refined his skills through educational workshops with Gregory Hutchinson, Willie Jones III, Billy Hart, Jimmy Cobb, Gary Bartz, Bob Mintzer, Armen Donelian, Don Menza, and others. Throughout his extensive career, he has collaborated with exceptional jazz musicians such as Simone Zanchini, Ton Risco, Martin Gjakonovski, Primož Grašič, Vid Jamnik, Vasko Atanasovski, Maja Keuc, Aleksandra Ilijevski, Elda Viler, and many more. He has performed at numerous major European jazz and music festivals. In addition to his active concert engagements, Jože Zadravec also dedicates himself to teaching. Since 2017, he has been teaching drums, rhythm, and reading in the jazz department of the Conservatory of Music and Ballet in Maribor.
Admission free.
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