Joe Kučera (born Josef Kučera; 8 July 1943) is a Czech jazz saxophonist and flautist. He was born in

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...

Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia The Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia; cs, Protektorát Čechy a Morava; its territory was called by the Nazis ("the rest of Czechia"). was a partially annexed territory of Nazi Germany established on 16 March 1939 following the German oc ...

(now the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

). He began playing clarinet at age of seventeen and later changed his instrument to saxophone and flute. Since 1967, he played with Michal Prokop's band

Framus Five Framus Five is a Czech rock band founded in Prague in 1963 and led by singer and guitarist Michal Prokop. The band also includes guitarist Luboš Andršt and violinist Jan Hrubý. The group disbanded in 1971 but reunited in 1978 under the sli ...

and two years after, he emigrated to Austria with fellow jazz musician Sammy Vomáčka. Later he went to Berlin. He worked with many musicians, such as

Jackie Leven Jackie Leven (18 June 1950 – 14 November 2011) was a Scottish songwriter and folk musician. After starting his career as a folk musician in the late 1960s, he first found success with new wave band Doll by Doll. He later recorded as a sol ...

, Werner Lämmerhirt and many others. He founded jazz festival Jazz Meeting Berlin in 1997.

Discography

As leader

*''Balance'' (1986) *''Dillema'' (1998) *''Memories/Looking Back'' (2017)

As sideman

;With Jesse Ballard *''Livin' Like Fire'' (1977) *''Jesse Ballard's Paradise Island Band'' (1998) *''Talkin' to the Rain'' (2003) *''Constantly in View'' (2007) *''Cut It All Loose'' (2014) ;With Jasmine Bonnin *''Keine Angst'' (1979) ;With Paul Esslinger *''Journey to Mandalonia'' (1987) ;With Hans Hartmann *''Swindia'' (1984) ;With Nino Hilmann *''No Identity'' (1980) ;With Ikarus *''Solaris'' (1982) ;With Werner Lämmerhirt *''White Spots'' (1978) *''Crossroads'' (1982) *''SaitenZauber'' (1999, Stockfisch) *''Heimspiel'' (2003, Toca Records) ;With

*''Control'' (1975 LP) *''Great Songs from Eternal Bars'' (2001) ;With Spinning Motion *''Confidence in the Future'' (1980) ;With Michal Prokop *''Blues in Soul + 9x Bonus'' (1995)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kucera, Joe 1943 births Living people Jazz saxophonists Jazz flautists Czech saxophonists Czech flautists Musicians from Prague 21st-century saxophonists 21st-century flautists