Peter Lipa’s, a Slovakian jazz pioneer, collective was formed in 1978 and until today enjoys extraordinary popularity in Slovakia. Perhaps its secret lies in the fact that the leader was the first to sing in Slovak on jazz scene. Moreover, these musicians love blues and often program it next to the original jazz standards or even arrangements of Beatles’ songs. The group’s musicians are the voices of Slovakian jazz elite.

Peter Lipa’s music career commenced in the student semi-professional collectives, because Maestro studied at the Faculty of Civil Engineering Slovak Technical University in Bratislava. Later he studied journalism and worked as an editor of the Czechoslovak Radio.

The singer tended to music since his childhood – he played the violin, trumpet, trombone and guitar. He started appearing on jazz scene in the early 60s. He was the lead singer of such bands as Strings, Istropilana, Blues Five, Gustav Offerman Orchestra, Revival Jazz Band, T + R Band and Lipa-Andršt Blues Band.

In 1976, along with Miloš Paška he launched an annual jazz festival – Bratislava Jazz Days. At the same time he also started MC-ing his own regular radio jazz program. He was also successful on stage – Jazz Forum Magazine included Peter Lipa into the top five men jazz vocalists.

The singer was lucky to perform on stage with Bobby McFerrin, whom he mentions among his most important inspirations next to Jimmy Rushing, Ray Charles, Al Jarreau and Joe Cocker.

Despite all his achievements, it was only at the age forty that Peter Lipa saw release of his first album. According to the singer, that happened because of the communist censorship. After the Velvet Revolution in 1989, the Slovak Jazz Society was established. Peter Lipa has served as the president since the beginning.

Today the vocalist’s discography amounts to 25 albums recorded in Slovak and English. For his CD Lipa spieva Lasicu he received five Aurel Awards (the Slovak equivalent of The Grammy Award).

His LIPA68 pays tribute to the 1968 events in Czechoslovakia.

Currently Peter Lipa and his main group perform and record his music and the group member’s compositions.

Since the beginning of his career he has collaborated with the leading Slovakian jazz pianists. The list of Peter Lipa’s stage partners includes Ladislav Gerhard, Milan Svoboda, Gabriel Jonáš, Emil Viklický, Peter Breiner, Boris Urbánek, Juraj Tatára, Pavol Bodnár. Recently the singer has mainly performed with his son Peter.

The jazz veteran’s other partners are Visegrad Blues Band, group Traditional club and his newest international formation EU4, which features Austrian keyboardist Raphael Wressnig, Italian guitarist Ruggero Robin and Hungarian drummer Tamas Berdisz.

Peter Lipa gives more than 100 annual concerts in Slovakia and abroad. Recently he toured in London, Paris, Berlin, Stockholm, Cairo, Chicago, Vancouver and Brussels.

Peter Lipa Band has been Maestro’s longest living group. Its line up has changed several times. Currently it involves leading Slovakian jazz masters. 

This concert is part of the programme Artscape.