The four members of this jazz quartet found themselves in autumn 2015, when they first met and soon played together. Immediately, they understood each other and it was clear, that there is a special vibe among their playing. Wisely, they find a way to reach a musical depth in their expression without losing the steadiness of a simple and catchy theme. 


Name of the musical group: PURPLE IS THE COLOR

Web site of the musical group: www.purpleisthecolor.com

Facebook of the musical group: www.facebook.com/purpleisthecolor

Members of the musical group:
1. Mr Simon Raab - piano (Austria)
2. Mr Stepan Flagar - sax (Czech Republic)
3. Mr Martin Kocian - bass (Czech Republic)
4. Mr Michał Wierzgoń - drums (Czech Republic)

When: Tuesday, September 10, 2019 at 7:00 pm

Where: Embassy of the Czech Republic, 50-M Niti Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi (entry from Gate No. 2 from Tenzing Norgay Marg)

Tickets: free, but prior registration is mandatory at zip.er.cz/purple

 

About the musical band:

Austrian composer and musician Mr Simon Raab met his future Czech musical partners Štěpán Flagar, Martin Kocian, and Michał Wierzgoń in 2015 at a jam session in Linz, Austria, the city where he was finishing his studies, and where the other three had recently began theirs. It became clear to all four of them that there is some potential there, and they decided to form a jazz band called now PURPLE IS THE COLOR.

Mr Simon Raab has steadily made a name for himself in the Austrian scene, playing in a variety of groups and genres, mainly with singer Ms Lucia Leena in the pop group "Listen to Leena" and the contemporary jazz quintet "Luzid Chaos". Teaming up with his Czech companions also shows Raab’s keen ear and instinct for talent.

Saxophone player Mr Stepan Flagar had his own Czech jazz band that time which was already shortlisted for the 2015 European Jazz Competition.

Czech drummer Michał Wierzgoń won the prize for best soloist that year at the same 2015 European Jazz Competition.

The band’s music borrows from the rich jazz quartet tradition, but does not shy away from incorporating elements of pop and folk music, weaving it all together
into a modern soundscape. In that sense one could say that there is something distinctly European about their sound, one that stems from an eclectic mix of cultures as well as the ever present influence of classical music, more so than from a blues-driven tradition as is the case of many American bands. European also in that it embraces the serious and the whimsical, treating them both as different sides of the same coin.

This might also be the reason behind the group’s name and their reluctance to label themselves as a „jazz band“. Purple can only exist as a result of the
combination of blue and red.

In the case of the band, their music is the result of equal parts composition and improvisation. On one hand there is an ethereal and expansive quality to their music to be found in the form of beautiful melodic lines played with utmost clarity and no sense of haste. On the other an interplay of driving and grounding grooves, that sometimes lead to short interludes of intended chaos.

The four blend together perfectly, having found a common language that is contemporary but nevertheless warm, and that allows each
musician to explore freely.

PURPLE IS THE COLOR hits all the right notes when it comes to finding the right flow between composition and improvisation – this is a group with a strong individual sound and most definitely a band worth keeping an eye on.