One of the veterans of Australian jazz, Jiri Kripac started playing jazz cornet at age 14 in Czechoslovakia (as it then was). His main influence at the time was Graeme Bell, the grandfather of Australian jazz. He came to Australia in 1969, where he continued playing, becoming a band leader for many ensembles (including The Harlem Swing) in Sydney, the Far South Coast (he was an originator of the Merimbula Jazz Festival) and the Central Coast of NSW as well as touring internationally. He a composer and vocalist as well as playing cornet. He is now living in Griffith.
Jiri’s Riverina-based ensemble, The Good Vintage Jazz Band, is dedicated to bringing you music from the early years of jazz in New Orleans, Chicago, Harlem, New York and around the world. The band celebrates 100 years of jazz since the 1920’s.
As well as being a musician, Jiri is a sculptor, working mainly on assemblages created from the moving parts of pianos after their lives as instruments have passed. His motto is “The piano is dead! Long live the piano!”
