Reedman Felix Slováček (b. 1943 in Gottwaldov) holds a special position among Czechoslovak instrumental soloists for two reasons he is uncompetively the most popular of them and is appreciated invarious musical genres, as well. After graduating from Kroměříž Conservatory and Janáček Academy of Musical Arts in Brno, where he studied clarinet, he had practically attained such a musical versatility. He became a laureate of young interprets'competition in Brno, he inter preted Clarinet Concerto composed by old master of Czech origin Karel Stamitz on Prague Spring Festival and guest appeared as a soloist of saxophone and clarinet literature with leading Czechoslovak orchestras. Slováček became a much sought for interpreter of the compositions of the "third stream", especially of its leading composer Alexej Fried, his recordings of Fried's compositions Moravian Wedding (with Gustav Brom big band). Fried's two clarinet concertos, Quintet for Soprano Saxophone and string quartet, inspired by and named after Pablo Picasso's Guernica, attracted great attention. You will find some of these compositions as well as Concerto for Alto Saxophone and Alexander GlazunovString Orchestra on Supraphon record 1110 2750.
If we can say; that classical music has been an occasional menu for Felix Slováček, popular music became daily bread for him. He started his musical carreer as a member of Mirko Foret Dance Orchestra in Brno, but he soon attracted the attention of most famous Czechoslovak band leader Karel Vlach. This Prague orchestra opened him thepath to Ladislav Štaidl Orchestra, well knowr also as an orchestra accompanying Czechoslovak pop singer No. 1 Karel Gott. Felix Slováček asserted himself step by step through his instrumental turns on concerts of this pop star and became thus the first Czech instrumentalist, whose fame surpassed the popularity of many even outstanding singers. He recorded 6 LP's for Supraphon and Polydor Hamburg labels. The album The Very Best of Felix Slováček was edited especially for export (Supraphon 1113 2713) and we have to add also numerous LP's of Karel Gott, recorded in Czechoslovakia and abroad and four albums of Ladislav Štaidl Orchestra Music Therapy. The favourite of this record is a clarinet, while Felix Slováček preferred soprano saxophon on all his former pop albums. Besides other compositions we find here the evergreens popular alt the time from repertoire of Slováček's instrumental "solleagues" Sidney Bechet and Mr. Acker Bilk - Petite Fleur andStranger On The Shore, two famous songs, well known from Barbara Streisand's interpretaion - The Way We Were and Women In Love, charming epilogue from Leonard Bernstain's West Side Story Somewhere, well-known Sammy Fain's melody, sung almost by all cantilena pop singers including Karel Gott - Love Is A Many Splendored Thing, and also a melody with which Slováček's band leader Ladislav Štaidl was very successful as a composer and singer - Early Dawning Days Let this "Seventh" of Felix Slováček be lucky for him and let you enjoy his velvet sound, as well.
Leo Jehne, 1982