Ian Ritchie’s SOHO Project (UK/CZ)

For over 30 years a phenomenal saxophonist Ian Ritchie has been making music on stage and in the studio with an array of well known figures. He has produced records for Roger Waters, Pete Wylie, Laurie Anderson and The Big Dish. He has played on recordings by The Beach Boys, Wham, Dee C. Lee, The Boomtown Rats, David Grant or Steel Pulse. Ritchie has also composed many memorable TV themes including music for The Lonely Planet series and The Globetrekker series.

He plays saxophones and flutes in a range of styles and is equally at home playing solos from "The Dark Side Of The Moon" and "Wish You Were Here" with Roger Waters, ambient free improvisations with URUBU, jazz with his own SOHO Project and Ian Ritchie Allstars and rock n' roll with legendary band Deaf School.

The first album "Ian Ritchie's SOHO Project" took it's inspiration from the streets and places in Soho, London. "South of Houston" takes it's titles from the streets of SoHo, New York City. The songs explore rhythms less common in jazz including reggae, hip hop and funk as well as a smattering of swing. Clear rhythmic concept drives the band leaving endlessly inventive bass to wander over the groove. Piano complements and completes the rhythm section supplying the perfect underpinning for Ritchie's solos, then  launches into his own surprising and compelling individual forays. Ritchie's strong tenor playing clearly outlines the melodies before extemporising in an attractively melodic fashion. All in all this is highly interactive music that always remains fresh and clear in it's goal to arrest the listeners attention and keep him/her entertained. Being a member of Roger Waters band, Ian also plays during his SOHO concerts some of the Pink Floyd classics in jazz arrangements.

After a very successful SOHO tour in spring 2014 in the Czech Republic and Slovakia including playing in famous clubs such as Jazz Dock or Blue Note, Ian and his band also performed as one of the headliners of South Bohemia Jazz Festival alongside Richard Bona and Dave Douglas Quintet.

Ian Ritchie - ts, Jan Andr - p, Miloš Klápště - b, Oli Lipenský – dr

Admission:  seating CZK 250, standing CZK 150.

Band website: www.ian-ritchie.com