Awards:

• Their CD TRAVELLING was voted 1998 CD of the Year by Czech Radio "Jazz Test".

• CD ALONE was voted 2000 CD of the Year.

• R.Balzar Trio was voted 2000 Group of the Year

Articles, reviews...

ROBERT BALZAR - bass

He was born in 1962 in Nachod in Czech republic. He graduated from the Brno Conservatory - double bass,piano. He has been performing in Prague since 1985, beginning with TV bigband. After he has played with the Gabriel Jonas; Jazz Face; Emil Viklicky Q.; Karel Ruzicka Q.; David Friedman (USA); Allan Praskin (USA); Larry Porter (USA); Joe Newman (Count Basie Big Band); Benny Bailey (formerly with Quincy Jones); Tony Scott (formerly with Bill Evans, John Coltrane); Hal Galper Trio; Benny Golson; Wynton Marsalis; Lew Tabackin; Tony Lakatos; Victor Lewis... He was also a memeber of elite group that played with U.S. President Bill Clinton at the Reduta Jazz Club during Clinton's 1994 visit to Prague. He has performed at a number of internacional festivals, such as the North Sea Jazz Festival, the Prague Internacional Jazz Festival and the Karlovy Vary Internacional Jazz Festival. And he has toured Norway as a member of Benny Bailey Quartet as well as toured the United States and Canada.In 1996 group under his own name - Robert Balzar Trio and recorded first CD with this group called TRAVELLING. In 2000 R.Balzar Trio recorded second CD called ALONE.

"....he sound great, his solos are thought through, he's got unerring rhythm, he creates just the right sound for the band."

George Mraz

Discography:

1986 - JAZZ MAGMA;J.Buchar Q (Panton) 1987 - EAST WEST CONNECTION (Panton) 1988 - BIGBAND; V.Zahradníka (Panton) - TRIBUTE (Arta) - FAR AND YET NEAR (Arta) 1991 - ROUND MIDNIGHT; E.Viklicky (Arta Rec) 1992 - IMPRINTS; L.Andršt (Arta) - SUBWAY (Bliss Rec) 1993 - BOHEMIAN NIGHTS (Gemini Rec) - RESOLUTION;Jazz Face-(Arta) 1994 - TWO PRESIDENTS; Bill Clinton,   Václav Havel (Čs.Rozhlas) 1995 - FOOD OF LOVE (Melantrich) 1998 - TRAVELLING; R.Balzar Trio (Jazzpoint) - SPRING ROLLS Q; Růžička, Jonáš, Balzar, Zbořil (Cube)

1999 - DISTANCE; S.Loescher (HLM Rec) - JUST SQUEEZE ME (Cube) - BIRDS IN BLACK; Najponk, Balzar, Šulc (Gallup) - BALLADS BLUES AND MORE; Najponk Trio (Cube) 2000 - ALONE; R.Balzar Trio (Cube) - ILLUSTRATOSPHERE; D.Bárta (Sony Music/Bonton) 2001 - SIX SONGS; Darkk Bros. (AFresh Production) 2002 - INVITATION; Y. Sanchez (Cube) 2003 - I REMEMBER LOVE; Benny Bailey (Laika Rec) - ENTROPICTURE; D.Bárta (Sony Music/Bonton) 2005 - OVERNIGHT; R.Balzar Trio (SonyBMG)

STANISLAV MÁCHA - piano

Stanislav Macha was born in 1971. He graduated from the Secondary Art School in Prague and has studied music privately since childhood. In 1992, he won the International Jazz Festival in Karlovy Vary with his group The Four. In the next few years, he performed with a number of prominent Czech jazz combos. He was a member of the Czech Radio Big band. He has also performed with several inernationally renowned musicians, such as Wynton Marsalis, Piotr Baron, Nicholas Simion. Macha has performed in Germany, France, Finland, Denmark and Switzerland. In 1994, he was a member of the band that accompanied Bill Clinton at the Reduta Jazz Club. He has been a member of the Robert Balzar Trio since 1996 and recorded with this group CD TRAVELLING and CD ALONE.

Discography:

1993 - SPACE AND RHYTHM; The Four (Arta Rec) 1994 - TWO PRESIDENT'S JAM SESSION (Čs. Rozhlas) - YOU'RE NEVER ALONE; Big band Čs. Rozhlasu - MAGIC HOLIDAYS; R.Pokorný Quartet (Arta Rec) 1997 - YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN; K.Růžička jr. (Arta Rec)

1998 - TRAVELLING; R.Balzar Trio (Jazzpoint) 2000 - ALONE; R.Balzar Trio (Cube) - ILLUSTRATOSPHERE; D.Bárta (Sony Music/Bonton) 2002 - INVITATION; Y. Sanchez (Cube) 2003 - ENTROPICTURE; D.Bárta (Sony Music/Bonton) 2005 - OVERNIGHT; R.Balzar Trio (SonyBMG)

JIŘÍ SLAVÍČEK - drums

Jiri Slavicek was born in 1969. He graduated from the Ostrava Conservatory. He has been performing in prague since 1992, beginning with the critically acclaimed group The Four. With that group he won the Karlovy Vary Jazz Festival competition. He has performed with many bands and recorded several albums. He has performed with such international stars as Wynton Marsalis, Art Farmer, Piotr Baron, Kuba Stankiewicz and Sandy Lomax. He joined the Robert Balzar Trio in 2000 and recorded CD ALONE.

Discography:

1993 - SPACE AND RHYTHM; The Four (Arta Rec) 1998 - JAZZ PERCEPTION; R.Pokorný (Arta Rec) 1999 - POCTA R.A.DVORSKÉMU; P.Kořínek Jazz Orchestra (Jazz Art Production) - BLUE POINT; R.Pokorný Trio (Arta Rec)

2000 - ALONE; R.Balzar Trio (Cube) - ILLUSTRATOSPHERE; D.Bárta (Sony Music/Bonton) 2002 - INVITATION; Y. Sanchez (Cube) 2003 - ENTROPICTURE; D.Bárta (Sony Music/Bonton) 2005 - OVERNIGHT; R.Balzar Trio (SonyBMG)