Tonight in Brno, there will probably not be a single person who would be deciding between a concert of Adrian Belew and Pavel Zlámal. As if those were two separate worlds. However, the guitarist of the legendary King Crimson and the saxophonist from Brno still have something in common.
At first glance, it looks like a joke. A guitarist, probably one of the most influential players of the 1980s and the 1990s, on one side. He was discovered by Frank Zappa, with whom he had a brief engagement recorded on the album Sheik Yerbouti and a concert video by Baby Snakes. After that, a stellar career with King Crimson, Talking Heads, David Bowie, collaboration with Laurie Anderson, and solo projects. Belew never had a true stand-alone hit but he is equally unmistakable from all perspectives.
On the other side, saxophonist Pavel Zlámal, member of the jazz mainstream-oriented B-Side Band and collaboration with Vojta Dyk. A player in bands at the border between jazz and contemporary classical music Next Phase, the freely improvising Brno Improvising Unit and the Prague Improvisational Orchestra, and the leader of his own improvising big band Divergent Connections Orchestra. In addition, a member of the rock'n'roll band The Fireballs and an excellent solo artist in graphic scores. Except for the numbers of activities, nothing suggests a Belew–Zlámal unifying element at first glance.
It is usual for our jazz musicians to play in at least five bands and be guest performers in another five. Sometimes this brings up the feeling that the Czech jazz scene consists of some twenty musicians who rotate in all possible combinations – they can be easily counted. However, it is not a curse of only our jazz musicians . There are never enough excellent musicians and there is a lock of the phenomenal ones all over the world. It is, of course, difficult to compare Adrian Belew and Pavel Zlámal: their careers are incomparable, but their musical potential hides many similarities. And if one stops taking into consideration the media surface of the careers of both musicians, this fact comes to the surface.
The first and perhaps the most significant line of connection between them is openness combined with an emphasis on quality output. The incomplete lists of their engagements show that something like a genre does not play any role in musical activities of Belew and Zlámal. They enter every project with great musical and human potential based on perfect mastery of the instrument – at least in terms of the endless work with timbre. Both are ready to use a guitar or saxophone in any way and make them place absolutely improbable tones. They are not just superficial exhibitions. In addition to their playing skills, both musicians also share good judgment.
It is almost paradoxical, how good frontmen both can be, how they can lead the band, be the face and first part of the band and at the same time put themselves in the role of a sideman, support another leader and play second violin with all excellence and modesty. While both have a great sense of show and can sell the most complicated music in an entertaining manner. That is an ability that Czech jazz musicians and alternative musicians lack almost universally and Pavel Zlámal is a bright exception. When leading the collective improvisation of his Divergent Connections Orchestra, it is also theatre that irresistibly evokes the way how Frank Zappa conducted concerts of his bands. Who knows if and how Pavel Zlámal would succeed with him if they met in a time warp.
Belew's "never plays the same way twice➚" would certainly suit Pavel Zlámal's loose improvisations, open-minded listeners could find a similar kind of experience with both. However, only if they managed to free themselves from the image of a legend which the first one quite deservedly has around himself. One of the essential differences between the two players lies in the abilities of the musician who grows ups on the absolute edge of interest from a global perspective, while his famous colleague feels at home in the centre of world affairs.
This is also reflected in tonight's performance when Adrian Belew will play in the perfectionist Sono Centrum and Pavel Zlámal JAMU Concert Hall. A listener unequipped with magical superpowers to be in two places at once will not be able to compare both musicians today. Visitors at today's Belew's concert could also try it with Zlámal sometime in the future. And realise that remarkable things no longer occur only in a few world capitals.
