Libor Smoldas

Libor Šmoldas was born on February 17, 1982 in Olomouc, but has lived inPrague since his childhood. He devoted himself to music at an early age,starting with the recorder and trumpet, then beginning to play guitar when hewas twelve. After initial forays into rock and blues he began to take aninterest in jazz, mainly due to his fascination with the recordings of CharlieParker. At sixteen he was already appearing in Prague jazz clubs with theblues band of American singer Phil Speat, as well as at Sunday jam sessionsat U Malého Glena. He took guitar lessons from Josef Kůstka, Luboš Andršt,Zdeněk Fišer and Petr Zelenka. After finishing primary school he attended theEvropská High School of Music in Prague before being admitted to the jazzguitar department of the Jaroslav Ježek Conservatory as a student of Jiř�-Šindler in 2001. Two years later he transferred into the Conservatory’snewly-opened Post-Secondary School, which is directed by Jarom�-r Honzák.There he studied under Petr Binder, Josef Štěpánek and David Dorůžka; aftergraduating he himself became a professor of guitar, ensemble performanceand rhythm training.

In 2005 he went to Freiburg to audition for a scholarship to the prestigiousAmerican conservatory, the Berklee School of Music. Although he wasawarded a scholarship, he decided to remain in Prague. That same year heplayed in Brazilian Mood, the band of Polish-Cuban singer Yvonne Sanchez,opening for Billy Cobham on a tour of Turkey and Cyprus. He performsregularly with organist Ondřej Pivec and his Organic Quartet at numerousEuropean festivals, including Cheltenham, Sibiu, Kishinev, Prague Spring, JazzBrno, Athens, Phillips Jazz Festival Prague (winning the Phillips Festival awardin 2005) or Getxo Jazz Festival (winning the award of the audience). Togetherwith the quartet, he recorded the albums Never Enough (2007) and Don’t GetIdeas (2006), the latter of which won the 2006 Anděl award for Best CzechJazz Album and was widely praised in both the Czech and international press.(AllAboutJazz, Hammondbeat USA, Music Web International, Harmonie, Lidovénoviny). With the Libor Šmoldas Trio he performs mostly his own music,although the ensemble also accompanied American trumpeter BobMontgomery at his 2007 concert in Prague as well as British trumpet playerSteve Fishwick. The trio was also chosen to perform at prestigious festivalYoung Prague in 2007. The first CD of this group "On The Playground" wasreleased in august 2007. Since 2006 he has also been performing with hiswife, singer Vendula Šmoldasová (Zeur�-tia), whose repertoire consistsprimarily of Brazilian bossa nova (CD Zeur�-tia, 2008, features top Polishmusicians Lukasz Zita and Michal Tokaj).Currently Libor has been leading his own quartet with basist Josef Fečo,drummer Tomáš Hobzek and pianist Petr Beneš. However the quartet'srepertoir consisting mostly of Libor's original music was recorded by anotherline-up in New York: Gerge Mraz, Jeff Ballard and Sam Yahel (CD "In NewYork On Time" 2010).Since 2010 is Libor a member of the blues band Groove, led by great organistJan Koř�-nek.

Despite his young age, Libor Šmoldas is an inseparable part of the Praguejazz scene, working with the legends of Czech jazz as well as with promisingyoung players. He teaches at the Jaroslav Ježek Post-Secondary School ofJazz and at New York University’s Prague campus, composes his own music,and is generally considered one of the best Czech jazz guitarists.

Awards

Best Czech jazz album 2007