RATKO ZJACA
Contemporary Guitarist - Performer - Composer - Recording Artist - Educator
Ratko Zjaca - Stan Mitrovic Quartet
Ratko Zjaca is an innovative musician, who is widely recognized as a technically advanced guitarist. He is known for being a relentless individualist, which is evidenced in his improvisational style. Ratko has had a prolific and extensive session history as a recording guitarist having played on many released recordings. He is a highly versatile player covering many areas of music but is best known for his work in the modern jazz and improvisation idiom. Ratko has released a number of albums as leader and has performed and recorded with many leading world American and European musicians.
Ratko Zjaca is considered a very gifted stylist, assumes many roles in his macrocosm of music: contemporary guitarist, composer, performer and educator. His unique musical vision absorbs and reflects all manner of music while retaining an enviable individualism and high quality craftsmanship that can span from quiet intimacy to searing intensity. Diverse musical backgrounds, which include jazz, world music, and free improvisation. He has been working on original compositions as well as crafting beautiful and haunting improvisations. He invented a unique style that is fearless, ambitious and volatile. He studied and graduated from Zagreb University. In his drive for the necessary knowledge and the enormous need for studies he sought his refuge in The Netherlands at the Rotterdam Conservatory. There he could get teachings by well-known masters. He also followed masterclasses and personal courses with Joe Pass, Jim Hall, Pat Metheny, Mike Stern, Bob Brookmayer, John Abercrombie, Mick Goodrick, Hariprasad Chaurasia and others.
Unlike some of his colleagues Ratko is not focusing only on saxophone phraseologies, but is continuously expanding the guitar's vocabulary within today's world of music. Whilst improving his performance to create his typical own sound and style, Ratko as a gifted teacher with a loaded teaching schedule, is capable of transposing most advanced phrases and concepts into structures, suitable for every musician. He gives master classes all around the world for guitar and fretless guitar, in countries like Slovenia, the Netherlands, France, Croatia and the United States.
After completing his study at the Rotterdam Conservatory where he studied jazz guitar, composition and Indian classical music, he also studied at New York University School of Music. He started to work with own group and with American trumpet veteran Benny Bailey group. Ratko participated at many international festivals and has been booked for the major club dates at the European and American scene. Ratko has constantly made major efforts to enrich his experience with appearances and recordings. He was also performing and recording with Benny Bailey, Gary Peacock, Reggie Workman, John Patitucci, Al Foster, Jimmy Cobb, Steve Gadd, Alvin Queen, Ron Carter, Randy Brecker, Miroslav Vitous, Jeff Tain Watts, Adam Nussbaum, Kirk Lightsey, Simone Zancini, Anders Bergcrantz, Shawnn Monteiro, Denise Jannah etc.
In April 2000 Ratko recorded "A Day in Manhattan" in New York with members of John Coltrane and Miles Davis rhythm section, Reggie Workman and Al Foster.
Ratko is currently composing music and working on a new world music project on which he plays baritone, sitar, fretless, soprano, electric and acoustic guitars - this will be the second part of his previous record Shades of Spirit, Fretless Guitar Project.
Ratko started a new quartet with the legendary bass player and composer Miroslav Vitous.
Ratko released a quartet recording, Crossing The Border, in New York City with John Patitucci, Al Foster and Stan Mitrovic, with all original compisitions of all members of the quartet.
Ratko released a new record, Continental Talk, with John Patitucci, Steve Gadd, Randy Brecker and Stan Mitrovic.
Ratko is a co-founder and member of the ZZ Quartet together with Simone Zanchini, Adam Nussbaum and Martin Gjakonovski.
He just released a new CD "The Way We Talk" with Simone Zanchini, Adam Nussbaum and Martin Gjakonovski.
"Now and Then" is Ratko's latest CD with his favourite musicians: Miroslav Vitous, John Patitucci, Reggie Workman, Al Foster, Randy Brecker and others.
A new CD of the ZZ Quartet, "Beyond The Lines", on In+Out Records will be out in May 2013.
Ratko endorses Mirabella Guitars.
Ratko endorses Godin Guitars.
Ratko uses CP-1A pickups for acoustic guitar from Carlos Juan.
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.
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Stan Mitrovic - Tenor / alto saxophones, bass clarinet He took first piano and then clarinet lessons at the state music school. Played in different balkan traditional oriented bands from age of 16. Move to The Netherlands in 1988, where he studied saxophone and bass clarinet at the conservatory of Rotterdam. Co-founder and composer - arranger of "Double B", a world-jazz inspired reeds duo together with Akos Laki (Dutch jazz price 1996), recorded CD "Cha-chack train". Recorded with Herbie Hancock Headhunters-rhythm section (Paul Jackon, Mike Clark) CD "Ethno-funk". Played with Burton Green quartet and Greenes klezmer band Klezmokum, CD "Le dor va dor". Numerous times played at North Sea Jazz Festival. Played with Ratko Zjaca-Reggie Workman Quartet tour. Endorsers for Selmer instruments. Played tenor, alto saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet, electric wind instrument, several traditional flutes and keyboard. CD: Continental Talk with Ratko Zjaca, John Patitucci, Randy Brecker, Steve Gadd CD: Crossing the Border, with Ratko Zjaca, John Patitucci and Al Foster. |
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Johnny Tevreden - Double Bass, Bass guitar and Tabla Johnny Tevreden was born in Suriname. He studied at the Hilversum Conservatory and performed with the Quartet and Big band of Billy Brooks. In 1998 he performed at the North Sea Jazz Festival with 'Boi Akih'. Besides playing double bass in the 'Ratko Zjaca quartet', Johnny is an excellent bass guitar player. Recently he also started studying Tabla, which developed his bass playing in rhythmic originality. As a freelance bass player Johnny accompanied too many artists to mention all, but to name a few: Deborah Carter - Singer, Robert Rook - Piano, Charles Green - Trumpet, Michiel Borstlap - Piano, Saskia Laroo - Trumpet, Denise Jannah - Singer, Gijs Hendriks - Reeds, Elisabeth Cutler - Guitar and Nippy Noya - Percussion. |
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Ben Schroeder - Drums Started playing guitar and drums at age twelve, turned professional late seventies. Played with numerous Dutch trios and combos in all Dutch venues and all around the world. Played many times at North Sea Jazz Festival (The Hague) and Jazz Festival Jamaica. Accompanied many international stars, including Benny Bailey, Teddy Edwards, Scott Hamilton, Reggie Workman, Miroslav Vitous and many others. |