Rostislav Fraš

Saxophonist Rostislav Fraš, whose untimely death in 2019 was a great loss to the Czech jazz scene, was an incredibly versatile player collaborating with many musicians at home and abroad. In addition to his own solo projects, he was a sought-after sideman and member of the wind sections in some of the foremost jazz big bands, including East European Artsemble of Luboš Šrámek, Gustav Brom Czech Radio Big Band or Matúš Jakabčic Big Band. He recorded his compositional debut, the album Use the Moment, at the age of forty, in collaboration with two of the top performers on the world jazz scene, Italian pianist Antonio Faraò and American drummer Jeff Tain Watts. The album makes use of his earlier experiences gathered in the studio and concert performances with various world-renowned musicians. Rostislav Fraš was also a popular teacher at the jazz department of Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Brno.