Agharta is the name for jazz
Agharta. An unusual mystical word for a lost mythical kingdom in Tibet, a source of hidden spiritual energy and power. A seminal Miles Davis record. And, a well-known and much respected club here in Prague. Located near the city's busy Wenceslas Square Agharta is the place to check out the local jazz scene, from modern to fusion to funk. Though not alone in a wide field of venues, Agharta has one advantage: a large emphasis on home-grown talent and guaranteed live music every single night.
One of the things that make Prague great says club manager Michal Hejna.
"I think that the situation in Prague is very good with clubs. Show me a city in Europe that has five everyday jazz clubs - it's not usual. The Prague jazz scene has good credit and a lot of young musicians who play very well, and new bands are coming. I think it's not bad."
Many of the clubs you can visit in Prague these days arguably put too much emphasis on the latest interior design: patina walls, assorted found objects - a kind of ravaged, but ultimately well-orchestrated cool. Count Agharta out - this club is not one of them. To put it another way: Agharta's interior is about the basics: simple seating, wooden tables, a number of assorted pictures of jazz greats. That's about it. Why? Well, it's the music that matters, silly - a good view of the stage and the band - those are the impressions, first and foremost, the management want you to take away.
Which is not to say Agharta doesn't have character - with its dark green walls, and mid-room arches, it is intimate and cosy enough. One interesting detail is that each table is emblazoned with its own jazz title, mine on this night - Miles Davis' 'Kind of Blue'. If there were waiters I could imagine them saying another beer for "Round Midnight" and a double scotch for "Traning In". Or something of the sort. Only, there aren't any: it's strictly self serve at the bar.
By now, it's almost nine o'clock and the band sets up. This week night the act is Chicken Soup - a five piece funk ensemble, whose name sounds promising enough. Dominant from the first seconds: the floating and full notes of a Gibson guitar, bass, and most notably 70s style keyboards.
Visitor from Belgium:
"Very nice. This is a very cosy environment, very special. I like the band: it's a kind of modern funk jazz. I like the bass player a lot - probably because I am a bass player myself."
British student:
"I dunno. It's not an unpleasant experience. We're probably going to enjoy the second half more, because we've had a few drinks."
Czech girl, early twenties:
"It's a very good club, yes... we like it!"
Unlike jazz clubs in the U.S., like the Village Vanguard or the Blue Note, one thing you won't see at Agharta is late night jamming - the venue closes its doors at 12 p.m. and it can't be any other way. On the other hand, you can get a real chance to see many different styles of music performed any given week, something the club's manager Michal Hejna can not live without. Though he admits with chagrin that he rarely catches acts because of his busy schedule, you may still see him at Agharta or any other of Prague's better jazz clubs. The reason? Well, he himself is a musician performing in several bands; he is a person for whom jazz is more than just a business, it is also food for the soul.
