Jan Spálený & ASPM

Jan Spálený

A musical director, dramaturg, and nocturnal radio-tale narrator known as the father of Czech blues, Jan Spálený was born on December 4, 1942, in Prague's Královské Vinohrady district as the firstborn son of musically gifted parents. He began violin lessons as a child but found little success. Only after adolescence did he discover dixieland - his first gateway into jazz and improvisation - and wind instruments, to which he remained devoted throughout his life.

After completing secondary school, he worked as a laborer at the Rudý Letov factory. From 1964 to 1968, he studied at the Prague Conservatory, playing trombone, tuba, and baritone saxophone in rotation; at fifty-six, he began learning the cornet. He progressed through dixieland, rock and roll, and rhythm and blues, co-led the bands Hipp's and Apollobeat with his brother Petr, and performed with pop ensembles and classical musicians. Since 1984, he has devoted himself entirely to ASPM.

Throughout his life, he composes, writes lyrics, arranges, and provokes.

ASPM

The Amateur Association of Professional Musicians performs in its current lineup:

Jan Spálený - piano, cornet, vocals,
Michal Gera - alto saxophone, trumpet, vocals,
Filip Spálený - tuba, bass,
Filip Jeníček - drums,
Radek Krampl - vibraphone