My Content
Membership has its privileges! Sign up or sign in to gain full access to both All About Jazz and Jazz Near You. Learn more.
The MUH Trio: The MUH Trio – Prague After Dark
Dating back to the 1980s, Italian jazz pianist Roberto Magris had been working with jazz luminaries such as Kai Winding and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis while also performing extensively with Eastern and Central European artists. Late in that decade he recorded three albums with his quartet/quintet formation on they performed across that same region. In the 1990s Magris developed an affinity for the Hammond organ and toured throughout the Americas in that capacity. Among the dozens of top artists he has worked with, are Albert "Tootie" Heath and Idris Muhammad. Magris now returns to his Eastern European inspirations with his MUH Trio on Prague After Dark.
The trio name is an acronym for its members, Margis, bassist František Uhlíř and drummer Jaromír Helešic, the rhthym section, both natives of the Czech Republic. Along with a host of regional associations, Uhlíř has worked with Dave Weckl, Phil Woods and Palle Mikkelborg. Helešic is considered a legend of modern Czech jazz and has also performed with groups on three continents. Though the three musicians have a history that dates back twenty-five years, Prague After Dark is their debut album.
As new music, MUH falls into an informal hybrid that blends straight-ahead jazz, swing and bop; upbeat and often intricate, the music is modern and erudite. Margis and Uhlíř individually contribute seven of the ten compositions on the album beginning with the two highly engaging opening numbers "Another More Blues" (Margis) and Nenazvana (Uhlíř). Both are mainstream pieces but with inventive piano and bass solos. Herbie Nichols' "Third World" and Don Pullen's "Joycie Girl" sees the group break out with freer and more resourceful improvisations. The title track is the lone ballad on this otherwise energetic collection.
Despite sharing credits on thirty recordings and touring in more than forty countries, Margis is not well known in the West and that is a shame. An excellent pianist and accomplished composer, he is in good company on Prague After Dark. Uhlíř bass work—both arco and pizzicato—is outstanding as is Helešic's subtle touch in guiding the group through its more involved passages. Prague After Dark is a more than a characteristic piano trio album and should please mainstream jazz audiences.
The trio name is an acronym for its members, Margis, bassist František Uhlíř and drummer Jaromír Helešic, the rhthym section, both natives of the Czech Republic. Along with a host of regional associations, Uhlíř has worked with Dave Weckl, Phil Woods and Palle Mikkelborg. Helešic is considered a legend of modern Czech jazz and has also performed with groups on three continents. Though the three musicians have a history that dates back twenty-five years, Prague After Dark is their debut album.
As new music, MUH falls into an informal hybrid that blends straight-ahead jazz, swing and bop; upbeat and often intricate, the music is modern and erudite. Margis and Uhlíř individually contribute seven of the ten compositions on the album beginning with the two highly engaging opening numbers "Another More Blues" (Margis) and Nenazvana (Uhlíř). Both are mainstream pieces but with inventive piano and bass solos. Herbie Nichols' "Third World" and Don Pullen's "Joycie Girl" sees the group break out with freer and more resourceful improvisations. The title track is the lone ballad on this otherwise energetic collection.
Despite sharing credits on thirty recordings and touring in more than forty countries, Margis is not well known in the West and that is a shame. An excellent pianist and accomplished composer, he is in good company on Prague After Dark. Uhlíř bass work—both arco and pizzicato—is outstanding as is Helešic's subtle touch in guiding the group through its more involved passages. Prague After Dark is a more than a characteristic piano trio album and should please mainstream jazz audiences.
Track Listing: Another More Blues; Nenazvana; Third World; Prague After Dark; Joycie Girl; From Heart to Heart; Song for an African Child; Summer’s Kiss; Iraqi Blues; In Love in Vain.
Personnel: Roberto Magris; piano; Frantisek Uhlir: bass; Jaromir Helesic: drums
Title: The MUH Trio – Prague After Dark | Year Released: 2017 | Record Label: JMood
Tags
The MUH Trio
CD/LP/Track Review
Roberto Magris
Karl Ackermann
JMood
Kai Winding
Eddie Lockjaw Davis
Albert "Tootie" Heath
Idris Muhammad
Dave Weckl
Phil Woods
Palle Mikkelborg
Herbie Nichols
Don Pullen
The MUH Trio – Prague After Dark
View All Events
| Date | Detail |
|---|---|
| Oct31Wed 8:00 pm |
The Roberto Magris Quintet Featuring Mark ColbyJazz ShowcaseChicago, IL |
| Nov3Sat 8:00 pm |
The Roberto Magris Quintet Featuring Mark ColbyThe Jazz EstateMilwaukee, WI |
Related Articles
Live ReviewsEuropean Jazz Conference Lisbon 2018: Portuguese showcases
by Henning Bolte
Published: October 12, 2018
InterviewsAlan Broadbent: Intimate Reflections on a Passion for Jazz
by Victor L. Schermer
Published: October 12, 2018
Live ReviewsKuching Waterfront Jazz Festival 2018: New Contender on the...
by Rob Garratt
Published: October 10, 2018
Showcase
-
Don't You Feel My Leg (The... by Maria Muldaur
-
Venetian Blinds by Mike Freeman
-
The Heart Intact by Wataru Uchida
Shop Amazon
Story of the Day
I was first exposed to Jazz when a couple of dear friends of mine turned me onto it around 1971. I was already into Progressive music, R n' B, Soul, Motown, Latin Rock and other styles that were a great ladder to Jazz
Read more
By David Freshman
Member since: 2018
Top 100 Jazz Venues
Help us identify the world's top 100 jazz venues. Cast your vote today. It takes less than a minute!
