Ondrej Stveracek
Lesson Feesfrom $50.00 / 60 Minutes
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About
Czech hard-bop saxophone star Ondřej Štveráček has been a rising star on the Czech jazz scene for nearly a decade, stepping out from the pervasive influence of John Coltrane’s “sheets of sound” technique into a style that can veer from touchingly tender to raving with passion. A must-see... Prague Post, March 2012
Be-bop, scales, pentatonics, hexatonics, etc.
Sketches is a tenor player’s delight. The Coltrane influence is something I love hearing. The passion and spirituality in the music is moving. Also Ondrej’s soprano sound is other worldly and adds a great musical ingredient. Jerry Bergonzi (Jazz Saxophone Legend)
Prague-based saxophonist Ondrej Stveracek and his sterling quartet are a driving force in Central Europe’s thriving jazz scene and the group’s stellar outing on The Form, is more than ample testament to this claim. A young lion from the Czech Republic, Stveracek was inspired by the music of John Coltrane and, although drawn in by his style, he clearly distinguishes himself by developing a voice of his own. The album presents an audacious session of post-bop jazz where his own musical style and the approach on such pieces as the electrifying high-octane opening title track, provide further evidence of the drift from the Coltrane influence. All About Jazz Ondrej Stveracek Quartet: The Form (2014) – Edward Blanco (6.4.2014)
Ondrej Štveráček’s thunderous tenor sax recalls ‘new breed’ reedmen like Steve Grossman and Dave Liebman who honed their sound in the billowing wake of John Coltrane’s legacy. It is impossible not to hear echoes of the icon in this young Czech lion – a whole-horn, sound-for-its-own-sake approach with chops to support any idea that occurs – but he is clearly on his way to a more original concept with What’s Outside. On “Out-Sight” and Coltrane’s “Africa” Štverácek nearly melts the remaining varnish from his faded sax, taxing his reed with overblown immediacy while “Weaver of Dreams” reveals a gentler side; unlike his idol, he eschews ‘shaggy-dog’ storytelling in favor of succinct, songserving narratives.
TOM GREENLAND (New York City Journalist, 2011)
Prague-based saxophonist Ondrej Stveracek and his sterling quartet are a driving force in Central Europe’s thriving jazz scene and the group’s stellar outing on The Form, is more than ample testament to this claim. A young lion from the Czech Republic, Stveracek was inspired by the music of John Coltrane and, although drawn in by his style, he clearly distinguishes himself by developing a voice of his own. The album presents an audacious session of post-bop jazz where his own musical style and the approach on such pieces as the electrifying high-octane opening title track, provide further evidence of the drift from the Coltrane influence. All About Jazz Ondrej Stveracek Quartet: The Form (2014) – Edward Blanco (6.4.2014)
Ondrej Štveráček’s thunderous tenor sax recalls ‘new breed’ reedmen like Steve Grossman and Dave Liebman who honed their sound in the billowing wake of John Coltrane’s legacy. It is impossible not to hear echoes of the icon in this young Czech lion – a whole-horn, sound-for-its-own-sake approach with chops to support any idea that occurs – but he is clearly on his way to a more original concept with What’s Outside. On “Out-Sight” and Coltrane’s “Africa” Štverácek nearly melts the remaining varnish from his faded sax, taxing his reed with overblown immediacy while “Weaver of Dreams” reveals a gentler side; unlike his idol, he eschews ‘shaggy-dog’ storytelling in favor of succinct, songserving narratives.
TOM GREENLAND (New York City Journalist, 2011)
Czech hard-bop saxophone star Ondřej Štveráček has been a rising star on the Czech jazz scene for nearly a decade, stepping out from the pervasive influence of John Coltrane’s “sheets of sound” technique into a style that can veer from touchingly tender to raving with passion. A must-see... Prague Post, March 2012
PLAYED WITH: Gene Jackson, Dave Liebman, Jerry Bergonzi, George Mraz, China Moses, Allen Vizutti, Paul Bollenback, Harry Sokal, Alex Sipiagin, Roberta Gambarini, New York Voices, Igor Buttman, Brian Charette, Uwe Plath, Piotr Wojtasik, Eric Vaughn, Douglas Sides, Dennis Rowland, Ryan Carniaux, Kevin Mahagony, Kalman Olah, Joe Cohn, Benito Gonzales, Poogie Bell, Mel Canady, Philip Harper, Jorge Vistel, Kuba Stankiewicz, J.D.Allen, Peter Beets, Joris Teepe, Erik Ineke, Boris Kozlov, Kornel Fekete-Kovacs, Erik Doelman, Udo Van Boven, Rob Van Bavel, Eric Vaughn, Radovan Tariška, Oskar Rozsa, Osian Roberts, Tzumo Arpad Olah, Mark Aanderud, Ondrej Krajňák, Klaudius Kováč, Pavel Wlosok, Martin Valihora, Jonathan Crossley, David Dorůžka, Pablo Held, David Patrick, Deitra Farr, Eric Allen, Jaromír Honzák, Karel Růžička, Karel Růžička Jr. , Matuš Jakabčic, Ida Kellarová, Iva Bittová, Yvonne Sanchez, Najponk, Jaromír Honzák, Laszlo Sule, Emil Viklický, Najponk, Juraj Griglák and more…
Born November 3rd, 1977, Most, Czechoslovakia.
Starts to play clarinet when he´s 10 years old, switches to tenor saxophone at 15 and joins Litvínov Big Band, where he gets prize for best soloist in 1995 in Czech Republic Big Band competition.
In 1998 moves to Prague for studying at Jaroslav Ježek Conservatory and starts to play at Prague Jazzclubs and czech top jazz players.
In 2003 finalist of prestigious International Jazz Contest Hoeilaart in Belgium.
From 2006 member of legendary GUSTAV BROM Big Band, MATUŠ JAKABČIC CZ/SK Big Band, EAST-WEST EUROPEAN JAZZ ORCHESTRA.
Debut album “ONDŘEJ ŠTVERÁČEK QUARTET – WHAT´S OUTSIDE” was nominated as THE BEST JAZZ ALBUM 2010 and second album “THE FORM” was picked as ONE OF THREE BEST JAZZ ALBUMS 2013 by jazz critics.