Alex Machacek
Alex Machacek (* 1972 in Tulln ) is an Austrian , in the United States live jazz - and fusion - guitarist and composer .
Live and act
Machacek comes from a Czech refugee family who came to Austria in the 1960s. He grew up in Vienna, where he had classical guitar lessons from the age of eight. In his youth his interest shifted from rock to jazz; early role models were Joe Pass , Mike Stern and John Scofield . At the age of 16 he attended the Vienna Conservatory and studied jazz guitar and also performed with various groups ranging from Dixieland Jazz , the singer-songwriter scene to pop cover bands . Under the influence of the music of Allan Holdsworth and Frank Zappa , he developed his style further; Terry Bozzio 's drum solo in Zappa's “The Black Page” from the album Zappa in New York had a particularly formative influence . In 1993 he attended the summer course in Perugia , after which he studied at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and again in Vienna to obtain a degree in jazz music education.
His first solo album, Featuring Ourselves , was released in 1999 and he worked with Terry Bozzio at the Vienna Jazz Festival. 2001 a joint album with Bozzio and the saxophonist Gerald Preinfalk Delete and Roll was created under the band name BPM . Machacek went on two European tours with the band in 2002. In 2003 Machacek and Bozzio played with the former Zappa bassist Patrick O'Hearn , whose collaboration was documented on the DVD Out Trio . Machacek has lived in Los Angeles with his wife Sumitra since 2004 , where he works at the Musicians Institute . In 2007 he played in the UKZ band project with Eddie Jobson , the former King Crimson bassist Trey Gunn , Marco Minnemann and Aaron Lippert. With the drummer Herbert Pirker and the bassist Raphael Preuschl he forms FAT - First Austrian Trio .
Discographic notes
- BPM: Delete and Roll (Next Generation Enterprises, 2004)
- The Out Trio: Live at the Steamboat (DVD, Altitude Digital, 2004)
- [Sic] (Abstract Logix, 2006) with Terry Bozzio
- Alex Machacek, Jeff Sipe, Mathew Garrison: Improvision (Abstract Logix, 2007)
- Alex Machacek / Neal Fountain / Jeff Sipe: Official Triangle Sessions (Abstract Logix, 2009)
- Alex Machacek / Marco Minnemann: 24 Tales (Abstract Logix, 2010)
- Gary Husband / Alex Machacek: Now (Abstract Logix, 2013)
Sources / web links
- Web presence
- Biographical portrait of Steve Leggett in Allmusic
- Biographical portrait at All About Jazz
- Portrait of Ian Patterson at All About Jazz
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Machacek, Alex |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Austrian jazz musician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1972 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Tulln on the Danube |