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Ratko Zjaca

www.ratkozjaca.com

Ratko Zjaca ( short bio) -
 is an award winning guitarist, composer and recording artist  with 17 critically acclaimed recordings under his name 
he has recorded and performed with some of the most influential musicians in  jazz and modern  improvisation music. 
After completing his study at the Rotterdam Conservatory, he also studied at New York University School of Music. He started to work with own group and with American trumpet veteran Benny Bailey. Ratko participated at many international festivals and has been booked for the major club dates at the European and American scene. Ratko has constantly made major efforts to enrich his experience with appearances and recordings.
 He was also performing and recording with Benny Bailey, Randy Brecker, Gary Peacock, Reggie Workman, John Patitucci, Al Foster, Steve Gadd, Miroslav Vitous, Ron Carter, Jimmy Cobb, Jeff Tain Watts, Alvin Queen, Adam Nussbaum, Antonio Sanchez, John Riley ,Shawnn Monteiro , Denise Jannah etc.

Ratko endorses Mirabella Guitars.
Ratko Zjaca is nominated for best jazz guitarist in South American El Intruso New Creative Music Critics Poll Award for 2010.
The CD “ Don’t try this anymore” has won the Orpheus Award for 2016 - the best Italian production  for jazz music
 Ratko Zjaca receive The Award for achievement ,the authorship and artistic creation in jazz music from the Croatian Composer Society  -2019
Ratko received the European discography award for the artistic creation in jazz music from the biggest east European jazz festival-Nisville jazz Festival Organization 2021

 
Selected discography:

Ratko Zjaca Nocturnal Mission Quartet
"The Bag is Packed" - Benny Bailey Group
Ratko Zjaca Quartet “live” at  jazz festival
"A Day in Manhattan" - Ratko Zjaca, Reggie Workman, Al Foster
“Live" - Reggie Workman and Jim Cobb Sextet
"Shades of Spirit", Fretless Guitar Project - Ratko Zjaca and Stanislav Mitrovic
"Crossing The Border" - Ratko Zjaca, Stan Mitrovic, John Pattituci, Al Foster
"Continental Talk" - Ratko Zjaca, John Patitucci, Steve Gadd, Stan Mitrovic, Randy Brecker
"The Way We Talk" - Ratko Zjaca, Simone Zanchini, Adam Nussbaum, Martin Gjakonovski
"Now and Then" - Ratko Zjaca with Simone Zanchini, Miroslav Vitous, John Patitucci, Reggie Workman, Adam Nussbaum, Steve Gadd, Al Foster and others
"Beyond the Lines"  - Ratko Zjaca, Simone Zanchini, Adam Nussbaum, Martin Gjakonovski
"Dont try this anywhere" - Ratko Zjaca,Simone Zanchini,John Patitucci,Adam Nussbaum and Stefano Bedetti   

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5
Album Review

Nocturnal Four: Light In The World

Read "Light In The World" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


A band of the night embraces light. It's an equipoise in interests that propels this outing to great depths and heights. Croatian guitarist Ratko Zjaca, long a proponent for cross-cultural exchange in music, uses this dark yet illuminating platform to sow the seeds of accord with a band of brothers from different motherlands. He reunites with Italian saxophonist Stefano Bedetti and Slovenian organist Renato Chicco, who proved to be his perfect match(es) on Life on Earth (In ...

2
Album Review

Nocturnal Four: Life On Earth

Read "Life On Earth" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


What's in a band name? Sometimes, absolutely nothing; but in this case, a world of truth. Croatian guitarist Ratko Zjaca's Nocturnal Four infuses his music with vespertine vibes and shrouds it in shadows, living up to its name while carving out its own identity on an absorbing program calling to the moonlight. After forging a bandstand brotherhood through touring with saxophonist Stefano Bedetti and organist Renato Chicco, it was clear to Zjaca that they needed to be ...

81
Album Review

Ratko Zjaca: Now & Then: A Portrait

Read "Now & Then: A Portrait" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


Boiling a decade's worth of work down to one CD must be a frustrating yet gratifying process. Frustration likely surrounds the idea of reducing ten years of blood, sweat, composing and performing into a single package, but the recorded evidence of one's artistic growth and reach is the ultimate reward. Such is the case with the music on Now & Then: A Portrait, which serves as a survey of Croatian guitarist Ratko Zjaca's output from 2000 to 2011.

173
Album Review

Ratko Zjaca / Simone Zanchini: The Way We Walk

Read "The Way We Walk" reviewed by Nicholas F. Mondello


Jazz musicians are, in essence and practice, explorers and high-wire artists. The finest improvising players use their instruments to mine the dimensions of sound, rhythm and emotional perception, doing so without a safety net. Like its keyboard cousin the piano, the accordion as an instrument that challenges its players to explore the technical and harmonic universes out there. Unlike the piano, however, the accordion has only recently crossed cultural barriers into jazz and into more abstract playing. ...

284
Album Review

Ratko Zjaca / Simone Zanchini: The Way We Talk

Read "The Way We Talk" reviewed by Karl Ackermann


Little more than a year ago, the great Croation guitarist, Ratko Zjaca, released the terrific Continental Talk (In + Out Records 2009) with his longtime collaborator, saxophonist, Stanislav Mitrovic, and some all-star American support. Not content to follow even a highly successful formula, Zjaca has teamed with Italian accordionist Simone Zanchini, Macedonian bassist Martin Gjakonovski and American drummer Adam Nussbaum for The Way We Talk. Zjaca's new--but still global--quartet represents a change, not only in group structure, but in its ...

139
Album Review

Ratko Zjaca / Simone Zanchini: The Way We Talk

Read "The Way We Talk" reviewed by Dan Bilawsky


Guitarist Ratko Zjaca's previous albums have been cross-cultural affairs, with top-flight American jazz musicians joining the Croatian guitarist on his musical journeys. While these players have vastly different backgrounds, Zjaca's music has acted as a binding agent, allowing these disparate musical personalities to coalesce into a solid working unit that moves together in service of the music. The Way We Talk continues this global trend with an American drummer, Italian accordion player and Macedonian bassist joining the guitarist, but the ...

291
Album Review

Ratko Zjaca: Continental Talk

Read "Continental Talk" reviewed by Karl Ackermann


When a group's credentials include bassist John Patitucci, drummer Steve Gadd and trumpeter Randy Brecker, it's not an unreasonable expectation to hear some quality jazz. What may be more surprising is that leader, guitarist and composer, Ratko Zjaca and his longtime collaborator, saxophonist, Stanislav Mitrovic, steal the show on Continental Talk. This revelation is almost entirely due to the relative obscurity of these Croatian musicians in the U.S. As a teenager, Zjaca was inspired by performances from both the John ...

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Music Industry

IN + OUT RECORDS announces new releases from Johnny Griffin, the Sun Ra Arkestra under the direction of Marshall Allen, and Ratko Zjaca with John Patitucci, Steve Gadd and Randy Brecker

IN + OUT RECORDS announces new releases from Johnny Griffin, the Sun Ra Arkestra under the direction of Marshall Allen, and Ratko Zjaca with John Patitucci, Steve Gadd and Randy Brecker

Source: Michael Ricci

IN + OUT RECORDS, one of Europe's most enterprising and acclaimed independent jazz labels, with a reputation as a producer of recordings of the highest musical and technical quality established through its twenty-plus years of releasing cutting edge music created by both American and European artists, announces its second release of new recordings to be distributed exclusively in the United States by the Allegro Media Group. Following up on its initial Allegro distributed release of recordings by Billy Cobham, Odean ...

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Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Archtop Avenue - solo...

In + Out Records
2023

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Light In The World

In And Out Records
2020

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Life On Earth

In + Out Records
2018

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The Way We Talk

In + Out Records
2011

buy

The Way We Walk

In+out record
2011

buy

Now & Then: A Portrait

In+out record
2011

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