It is an open secret long acknowledged nearly everywhere: the best jazz musicians in other parts of the world are in a league with top players from the United States. Evidence of that excellence—if further evidence was 
needed—surfaced this summer in Prague when visiting American trumpeters Marcus Printup and Greg Gisbert sat in with pianist Emil Viklický (pictured) and his quartet of fellow Czechs. Printup and Gisbert were on tour with Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. They combined with Viklický, trumpeter Miroslav Hloucal, bassist Petr Dvorsky and drummer Jirka Stivin, Jr. We have two pieces from their impromptu encounter at Prague’s Reduta jazz club. The first in what Viklický calls a “trumpet summit†is Herbie Hancock’s “Dolphin Dance.â€
Hilarity and trumpetly brotherhood broke out in a romp through the harmonic structure of “Sweet Georgia Brown,†sparked by Viklický’s riff-like introduction.
In a message, Viklický adds,
In June 20, 2017 Wynton and Marcus walked into Reduta and joined my quartet on stage. (Unfortunately, we don’t have video of that—DR.) Wynton asked me to join the whole band in Dvorak Hall, Rudolfinum, the next day to play Monk’s “Raised Four.†He also asked me to write for the band new music inspired by Czech composers Dvorak and Janacek. Czechoslovakia was born on Oct 28th, 1918, so there will be the 100 years anniversary next year. I am already writing!