RATKO ZJACA
Contemporary Guitarist - Performer - Composer - Recording Artist - Educator
News
New CD release with ZZ Quartet
A new CD with original music from all members of the quartet will be out in June 2013.
Ratko Zjaca's Mirabella Chambered Ten
After a successful collaboration in 2009 with the Mirabella Jazz Moderne Electric guitar, which Ratko used to record his last two CDs, the great Cris Mirabella just finished a new, unique guitar for Ratko: the 2013 Ratko Zjaca Mirabella Chambered Ten signature model. This guitar was a special construction. An idea of Ratko Zjaca, which Cris Mirabella then put to design and applied to wood. The resulting guitar is a unique and exciting collaboration from these two artists.
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Ratko Zjaca and Cris Mirabella with the new Chambered Ten guitar at Mirabella's workshop in New York
Best guitarist nomination
Ratko Zjaca is nominated for best guitarist and musician in South American El Intruso New Creative Music Criticts Poll Award for 2010 by an international vote of journalists.
Now and Then: CD release
A new CD with the title "Now and Then" is out now.
The Way We Talk: CD release
Ratko just released a new album with his new group with Simone Zanchini, Adam Nussbaum and Martin Gjakonovski. The record features eleven original compositions from Ratko and Simone.
Simone Zanchini - Ratko Zjaca - ZZphony
Ratko just started a new project with a virtuoso Italian accordeon player, Simone Zanchini. It's a great band and a lot of fun to play.
New record
Ratko just recorded new music for his coming CD: All original music with great musicians John Patitucci on bass, Steve Gadd on drums, Stan Mitrovic on sax and Randy Brecker on trumpet.
Coming soon: Tour with the legendary bass player Miroslav Vitous
In October 2008 Ratko will play with a new quintet, with legendary bass player Miroslav Vitous. See the Concerts page for details.
Godin Guitar
Ratko just received from Godin an LGXT-SA guitar. He will play mostly on this guitar in 2007.
March 2006 - New York City, recorded a new CD: Crossing The Border
Ratko Zjaca, John Pattituci, Al Foster, Stan Mitrovic
Crossing The Border is a new record, just recorded in New York City with Stan Mitrovic, John Pattituci and Al Foster. There are twelve brand new compisitions, written by all the members of the quartet. The CD will be released soon.
New World project CD
Ratko is busy recording a new CD on fretless, baritone, resophonic, sitar, soprano, electric and acoustic guitars. The CD will be released at the end of 2006.
Quartet October Tour with special guest Miles Griffith
Ratko Zjaca - Stanislav Mitrovic in The Knitting Factory, New York City
Ratko and Stan just finished their last Concert in New York.
Village Of The Unfretted
Ratko also plays on a new CD "Village Of The Unfretted", which was released at the end of August 2005.
Godin Guitar Players
Ratko just received a new fretless guitar from Godin Guitars.
Coming soon - New CD
Ratko is busy recording a new CD on which he plays various fretless guitars, sitar guitar and baritone guitar.
Shades of Spirit - Out now!
A new CD, "Shades of Spirit", which features Ratko playing fretless guitar is out now!
'Spirit', just a little word derived from Latin 'spiritus', literally means 'breath'. A little word that exists in all languages, in all ancient spiritual traditions, and that points at the grand rhythmic energy that constitutes our being. Also it is a dynamic metaphor for the world ground or universal soul. So, our personal essence and the cosmic essence are made from the same 'spirit', share the same 'pulse'.
Ratko Zjaca and Stanislav Mitrovic inspiringly voice this pulse in their music that slowly but firmly awakes our soul. Gently it refreshes our heart's memory concerning our origin, our deepest nature and our connection with all beings and worlds - a nourishing and oasic experience so many souls yearn for in these times of spiritual atrophy and hostile cultural gaps. Masterly versed in all conceivable styles of contemporary music, Ratko and Stanislav liberate, reflect and resonate their own eclectic essence in a sophisticated trance-musical universe in which the cosmic breath seducively whispers and sings to us in exotic colors with syncopated texture. Their compositions soft but firy breeze through different tonalities using diverse vocabularies to shape the multifaced flow that ultimately unites us. The springlike songs whirl like shades of the all-pervading light of spirit, like passionate stories from an unspeakable source of compassion.
At the end of the day this is what music of the heart is about: transcending and transforming our unique personal and cultural individuality in cosmic flowering shades of that one and only spirit - the reciproque emanation of diversity and unity. A wonderful marriage between inspiration and creativity. A true celebration of life as love itself.
Come, listen and enter the shady oasis of spirit.
Chord melody book
Ratko's book "30 Jazz Standards Arranged for Chord Melody Guitar" is available. It contains 30 jazz standards, such as All of me, All the things you are, Black Orpheus, Body and soul, Green Dolphin Street, Stella by Starlight and other songs. To order this book, contact Ratko or the publisher.
