Solitaire MH: Solitaire MH - CD

Singer and harmonica player Marek Hlavica recorded the album Solitaire MH, which was released in autumn 2019.

For many years, Hlavica had been putting off the decision to record something from his ever-growing number of unused songs. The turning point came when several of Hlavica's friends, including his blues companion Peter Jurkovič, passed away. All that remained of the postponed plans were words and ashes in an urn. This prompted Hlavica to approach his colleague from the band Žáha, the renowned jazz saxophonist, multi-instrumentalist, teacher, and music editor Jakub Doležal. “If Kuba had dismissed me, saying he didn't have time, I would have had to look elsewhere, and who knows if I wouldn't have lost my motivation. Fortunately, he gave me a lot of his time and most likely believed it was worthwhile. He's a busy man, a responsible professional, and I'm immensely grateful to him,” Hlavica recalls about the beginning of the project.

After a few sessions in the rehearsal room, a brief recording of about 35 songs was made, from which Hlavica then selected 13 for the album. The vast majority of those who participated in the recording had already collaborated with Hlavica in various groups (Radek Krampl, Petr Dvorský, Mirek Linhart, Jáchym Bašek, Pavel Razím, Karel Bárta, Jakub Doležal, David Babka). The cimbalom holds a specific place in the album's sound. It was played by one of the best players of this instrument, Petr Gablas from Uherské Hradiště.

The lyrics are also from Hlavica's workshop. Some of them deal with contemporary phenomena, while others traditionally focus on relationships. “This time, I wanted to put extra care into the lyrics. When you invest so much effort and resources into something, you shouldn't rely on the listener not caring about the lyrics,” adds Hlavica, noting that the lyrics were written exclusively to finished melodies.

Although Hlavica is primarily associated with the blues, the thirteen songs weave between genres and styles. They are united by an emphasis on strong melody and a distinctive vocal performance.

Tracklist

Creator/Dictator / Covered with the Blood / Raw Food Blues / Tribe / Hot but Too Little / Solitaire / Beast from the East / I'm Here to Stay / I Got No Baby / Hey Boss / No Sex with Anybody's Ex / Lullaby / Many Many Years