Overview of my musical projects and activities

Fully improvised theatrical-musical performances: Jaroslav Dušek - acting, speaking, singing, dancing; Pjér Lašéz - guitars, djembe, singing and speaking; Zdeněk Konopásek - drums, trumpets; Viktor Zborník - lights

Divadlo Vizita is a life-long theatrical project of Jaroslav Dušek - actor who recently became widely known by some of his film roles (Musíme si pomáhat [Divided We Fall] - Oscar nomination in 2000), but who has also been systematically developing methods of free improvisation in theatre (and music). I started playing with Divadlo Vizita in the Archa Theatre (Praha) in 1999-2000. The lineup of these times (Dušek, Lašéz, Konopásek) was renewed in 2005, with occasional guest appearances such as collaboration with Dan Bárta (voice, instruments) and occasional switches to an alternative lineup with Miroslav Vitouš (contrabass) during 2006-7. A number of people have played with Divadlo Vizita throughout the years, either actors or musicians, e.g.: Jaromír Honzák (contrabas), René Pařez (guitar), Radomil Uhlíř (action), Alan Vitouš (percussions), Martin Zbrožek (action, violin, singing), Oldřich Kužílek and Jan Borna (actors) and many others.

Theatrical performance of Jaroslav Dušek. Also participating: Pjér Lašéz - vocals, guitars, author of songs; Zdeněk Konopásek - drums, trumpets, percussions (as guest); Viktor Zborník - lights.

Theatrical performance inspired by the book of the same title written by Don Miguel Ruiz. It has been a successful piece for several years, part of the program list of the club Lavka (Praha). Dušek is accompanied by Pjér Lašéz (guitars, vocals) and Alan Vitouš (percussions), light design by Viktor Zborník. Old Toltec wisdoms are played out and exemplified by everyday life situations, especially related to child education. Since 2008 I occasionally participate as guest in this performance, replacing Alan Vitouš during gigs outside Prague, often planned as joint gigs with the Vizita improvised shows (where I play regularly).

Wild free improvisation band: Radomil Uhlíř - voice; René Pařez (until 2005)/Joe Karafiát (since 2005) - guitars; Zdeněk Konopásek - drums, trumpet; Jan Štolba (since 2006) - sax; and others

I played with the Quartet in 1991-93 and then again (and mainly) in 2002-2008. This weird musical group was/is dominated by the actor, poet, visual artist, traveller and singer, Radomil Uhlíř. The band initiated as a reincarnation of late Dvouletá fáma (Uhlíř, Vik, Konopásek). A number of musicians have played with the band throughout the years, e.g.: Vratislav Kydlíček (drums), Lumír Gajda (guitar), René Pařez (guitar) and Zdeněk Hmyzák Novák (trumpet). In 2002-2008 I especially enjoyed playing with the following lineup: Radomil Uhlíř, Joe Karafiát, Jan Štolba and Oto Sukovský (bass, since 2007). In 2006 a double CD was released by Guerilla Records: Skrývám se, ale nikdo mne nehledá [I am hiding, but nobody is looking for me]. In spring 2008, after a deep personal conflict with Radomil Uhlíř, I left the band.

Alternative rock band: Vladimír Línek - vocals, keyboards (leader); Tomáš Vodňanský - guitar; Jiří Jelínek - sax; Jarda Kašpar - bass; Zdeněk Konopásek - drums.

I joined the group soon after its start in 2002. We played nice songs written by the poet and band leader Vladimír Línek, a big admirer of Oldřich Janota, but also of such diverse artists as Tom Waits or Jon Anderson from Yes. A number of concerts and two demo CD-Rs left behind this band. In 2005 Tomáš Vodňanský left for one year, travelling abroad, and we stopped playing. It was the same time when Kvartet Dr. Konopného [Dr. Konopny Quartet], which I enjoyed very much, started preparation for recording CD.

In 1997-2000, the band consisting of: Pjér Lašéz - vocals, bass, lyrics; Zdeněk Konopásek - drums; Tomáš Havlík (Mr. Giss) - keyboards (since 1999?); Petr Mareš (Berous) - guitar (also since 1999?).

A band that came to existence when I and Pjer Lasez started rehearsing as bass and drums duo. We were old friends, but in 1984-97 we hardly see each other - Pjer had written some lyrics for songs of Dvouletá fáma and in 1984 we shortly considered musical collaboration. After we started playing together in 1997, two other players subsequently joined us, so that our final recording was made under the title Duo Profesores, Mr. Giss, and one guitar, please. No live performances, only one CD-R full of funny songs and appearance in a weird TV series by Jaroslav Dušek called Dokoláč (broadcasted around 2000).

Collaboration with Oldřich Janota, Czech songwriter and musician, minimalist guitarist and poet

In 1989-90 and then in 1996-97 I collaborated with Oldřich Janota. I played drums & percussions as well as trumpets on his two records (Oldřich Janota, Panton 1990; Sešité, Indies Records 1987) and occasonally performed at a couple of concerts with him.

Reincarnation of the former new wave band: Radomil Uhlíř - vocals; Martin Vik - guitar, keyboards; Zdeněk Konopásek - drums; Josef F. Matoušek (Ferda) - bass (in 1988).

Alternative rock band established already in 1980s, but renewed a few years later with different lineup. The style was wilder and darker - written songs were injected with improvised passages. In early 1990s the band transformed into a loosely linked group of musicians entitled Kvartet Dr. Konopného [Dr. Konopny Quartet].

Musical collaboration with guitar player Pavel Richter (one of the legends of the Czech alternative scene) and his friends

In the mid of 1980s I participated in some projects of the Czech guitarist (actually, multiinstrumentalist), Pavel Richter and of some other related musicians. I met Pavel Richter when he was helping us as sound engineer and producer during recording sessions of Dvouletá fáma, my first Prague-based band. After Dvouletá fáma (its first incarnation) splitted up, I spent several years by doing music at home and by occasional collaborations, such as: recording music of Pavel Richter and Pavel Švec for theatrical version of The Hobbit, there and back again (dir. by Ctibor Turba in 1984); recording sessions with Pavel Richter and friends; as guest-drummer, playing occasionally with bands such as Vyšší populár (Luboš Fidler, Franta Skála, Lesik Hajdovský and others) and Zapomenutý orchestr země snivců (Jaroslav Kořán and others).

New wave band of early 80s: Jana Macháčková - vocals; Martin Vik - guitar; Ivan Benda - bass; Zdeněk Konopásek - drums, vocals.

My first band in Prague. We played concerts mainly at the legendary Chmelnice club in Prague, occasionally elsewhere. Our favorite bands of the time were, for instance, The Residents and Snakefinger, XTC, B52s, Public Image Ltd - and all this somehow melted together in our music. Several years after this lineup splitted up, in late 1980s, the band was reformed and got darker and rougher - see Dvouletá fáma II.).

New wave band based in Karlovy Vary: Ivan Kováč - vocals, guitar, keyboards; Milan Voříšek - bass; Zdeněk Konopásek - drums, vocals

One of the first new wave bands in the country, established and run in Karlovy Vary (Western Bohemia). Three private concerts and several demos, out of which Milan Vorisek compiled a home-made CD-R many years later. At the end, trumpet player Marek Kraus joined the band. Inspirations and favorite bands of the time: Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson, The Police, Talking Heads, The Specials, Madness. The band ceased to exist in 1981, when I left to Prague where Dvouletá fáma, another band of mine, was established.