Roman Pokorny

Roman Pokorny was born on April 2nd, 1966 in Moravsky Krumlov. He spent his childhood in small village Horni Dunajovice. He was very interested in music since the age of 3 and by 6 he was playing already in the family band during various events. At first he took drums and base guitar lessons, later he chose guitar as his main instrument. In his students years he played in various bands. Later he fell into jazz and following his ideals, guitarists Jim Hall, Ed Bickert, Kenny Burrel, Wes Montgomery, Johny Smith or Grant Green, he studied harmony and all theories related to good quality jazz music. Roman started his professional career in 1991 in Brno, where he performed in the famous Gustav Brom big band combos of soloists. He was fortunate to play under bandmasters Jaromir Hnilicka, Gunter Koci, Josef Audes or Mojmir Bartek. Here Roman obtained his first professional experiences. He was also part of the Ornis of Jazz expert Jan Beranek. In 1993 Roman became part of Ostrava band of Boris Urbanek TUTU. The same year he was nominated by the Czech Jazz society The New Musician of the Year. In 1994 Roman intensively absorbed in his own music established Roman Pokorny Quartet. He also founded Trio of chamber jazz with Jarda Hnilicka. Again he was nominated by the Czech Jazz Society The New Musician of the Year and his band was nominated The Band of the Year. In 1995 he published his CD Magic Holidays and CD Sun Dance (the later with TUTU band). He was involved on both CDs as a composer as well. Roman worked with Michal Pavlicek on Roman Dragouns’ CD - Stin my krve (Shadow of My Blood). He was awarded The Best Solo Interpret of the Trencin Jazz Festival. Nominated again by the Czech Jazz Society The New Musician of the Year and Band of the Year. In 1997 Roman established Roman Pokorny Trio (guitar, drums and bass). He also started long term cooperation with singer Yvonne Sanchez. Nominated by the Czech Jazz Society The New Musician of the Year and Band of the Year. In 1996 worked with Emil Viklicky and Boris Urbanek on the CD UV Drive. Nominated by the Czech Jazz Society The New Musician of the Year and Band of the Year. In 1998 Roman put out a CD Jazz Perception. It involved septet – Roman Pokorny Trio and Gabo Jonas (organ), Juraj Bartos (trumpet), Stepan Markovic (sax) and Svata Kosvanec (trombone). Finally was his band awarded The Best Band of the Year and he himself was nominated The Musician of the Year. The same year Roman published with Vincent Kumr and Lada Kerndl CD Tribute to Duke Ellington. In the Czech Jazz Society and magazine Harmonie inquiry was Roman awarded The Best Jazz Guitar Player of the Year 1998. The same year he started producing albums also of other singers and bands. In 1999 Roman performed on jazz festivals in Beirut and Berlin and he had successful USA tour. He put out CD Blue Point. His CD Jazz Perception was awarded by the Czech Jazz Society The Best Jazz CD of the Year. Editor’s office of the magazine Stereo a Video awarded The Best Album of the Year Romans’ work Acoustic Grooves, which was made for Studio Fontana. In 2000 Roman established Jazz Formation Analogic. He was inspired by the hard rock, blues, soul and funky of 60’s and 70’s. Using his own expressive means Roman made original fusion of the above mentioned music styles and jazz. He performed at the Jazz festival in Riga, arranged authors’ vocal album for Lada Kerndl. Often Roman performed with excellent singer Tonya Graves and played concerts and worked on a CD with his formation Roman Pokorny & Blues Box Heroes. During 2001 Roman played with his Jazz Trio, Blues Box Heroes, with band of Yvonne Sanchez and with Tonny Blues Band with Juwana Jenkins. He published CD I Suddenly Realised with Lada Kerndl. On this album Roman composed 10 pieces and 3 standards were arranged to fit the form of the album. It was the first lyric authors’ jazz album in the Czech Republic. The year 2002 was significant for cooperation with Italian Hammondist Alberto Mersico. Roman published CD with Bady Zboril (drums) and Alberto Marsico, in production of Arta records. The simple name of this CD ’03 was mainly Romans’ work as an author. Blues Box Heroes presented their debut album in 2003 with old well-proven blues standards as well as Roman authors’ compositions. After 2 years Roman put out his multimedia double-CD 2 Faces. On one CD we find live performance of the Trio from Jazz club U Stare Pani and on the other long awaited album of the Blues Box Heroes on which are lyrics from British singer Jamie Marshall and as one of the performers Yvonne Sanchez. On the CD is also a short film in the format MPEG2 and PC game for fans of the Roman Pokorny Trio “ROBOX” – simulation of this band. Both additional bonuses are made for PC. 2005 was a breaking year for Blues Box Heroes and Roman as an author using more and more of his own composed music, in which are new Jazz and Hard Rock elements, still respecting blues essence. Jazz Trio grew into Quartet which have guitar, trumpet, bass and drums. On the Quartet concerts Roman currently presents both his older and more recent pieces from the album 2 Faces. The CD 2 Faces became within very short time the bestseller among Romans’ albums.