ARTISTS: JURAJ GRIGLAK

Juraj Griglak is one of the most important double bassists and electric bassists on the Central European jazz scene, whose artistic career has combined various performance traditions from the very beginning. He comes from a musical family – his father was a clarinetist in a radio orchestra and his mother was a singer in a folk band – so he had contact with music from an early age. Initially, he trained as a pianist, then played the drums and guitar, until finally, while studying at the Conservatory in Bratislava, he chose the double bass. Parallel to his studies, he was already active as a stage musician, performing in funk and big band ensembles and gaining experience in professional radio and television orchestras.

In the 1980s and early 1990s, he became a recognizable figure in fusion jazz in Central Europe. He performed at numerous festivals, including in the Netherlands and France, regularly appeared at the Bratislava Jazz Festival, and was particularly remembered for his jam session with Stanley Clarke. An important stage in his career was his work with the group Stop Time and later with The Quartet, with whom he recorded the album Alice in Jazzland (1992). At the same time, he developed his career as a sideman, participating in the recording of about a hundred albums, which established his reputation as a versatile instrumentalist with a stable groove and very precise articulation.

Since 2000, he has been intensively developing his own music. His debut album Bass Friends, featuring Ron Affif, gained international recognition from the industry press, and his subsequent albums – especially Time to Fly, featuring Poogie Bell – earned him awards, including the Slovak Esprit Award and Crystal Wing Award. In his recordings, the leader combines mainstream jazz, fusion, and funk, using both acoustic double bass and electric bass guitar, which is one of his trademarks.

At the same time, Griglak pursues a full-fledged classical career – he has been a member of the Slovak Philharmonic since 1991 and has performed on most continents, previously also in Mahler's youth orchestra conducted by Claudio Abbado. He currently performs with his own band and in many international projects, and conducts jazz workshops in Europe. His position is defined by a rare combination in jazz: he is an instrumental virtuoso, an experienced orchestral musician, and an active teacher, functioning simultaneously in the worlds of improvised and classical music.

Juraj Griglak will be appearing at Guitar Expo on Saturday!