The compositions of guitarist Ratko Zjača, who lives and works in the Netherlands, give off a distinctive signature based on openness to friendships, spiritual upliftment, discipline and dedicated work, but also on the tradition of jazz music. His guitar skills are unquestionable, and his works exude a special atmosphere, a touch of nostalgia, tell stories, and arouse fantasies. Inspiration for creation is drawn from various arts: literature, painting, theater, cinematography...

Croatian guitarist and composer Ratko Zjača, who has lived and worked in the Netherlands for decades, is one of our most important jazz musicians and representatives at the world jazz scene. He was nominated in the categories of best guitarist and musician for the South American El Intruso New Creative Music Critics Poll Award, in which the world's most famous critics choose creative and distinctive musicians. It was the first time that world critics nominated a Croatian musician for such an award in South America. This musician is aware that his musical roots are European, but he is open to all musical styles, starting with American jazz through Indian classical music to rock and European classical music, and on this basis of openness to various influences and musical forms and shapes, he builds his own taste and creates authentic musical works. He is a great lover of music, travel, painting, film art, Buddhism and psychology, all of which greatly influences his music and his life in all segments: emotional, spiritual and intellectual.

There is no doubt that Zjača is an excellent guitarist who has studied the entire tradition of this instrument, but he also explores new ways of interpretation, and his priority is not guitar playing but music, communication with the band members. He needs the skill of playing the guitar in order to be able to create music of the moment, without premeditation, whether it was a studio recording or a performance in front of an audience. Although he is the leader of the band, he does not insist on his own prominence, on the guitar and its leading role in the band, but thinks about the music he wants to create with his equal collaborators. He respects them as artists and people, shows that he values ​​their opinions and musicality. By thinking about the musical affinities of each member of the quartet, he manages to create a stimulating environment for relaxed cooperation in interludes in which each member realizes his ideas and makes a personal contribution to the musical template. Thanks to this, Zjača is today one of our most important jazz musicians and representatives at the world jazz stage. He performs all over the world and collaborates with the biggest stars jazz.

As a leader or one of the leaders, he has recorded about fifteen albums so far. He is particularly active with the "ZZ Quartet", which he leads with the Italian accordionist Simone Zanchini, and with the quartet "Nocturnal Four", and he also collaborates with other musicians. In his performances of diverse character, jazzy incendiary songs and gentle ballads, folk music motifs and the aesthetics of European classical music, acoustics and occasional experiments with electronically modified sounds alternate. He most often plays in international lineups; when choosing collaborators, it is important to him that they come from different cultural backgrounds and can bring something of their roots, while at the same time being versatile musicians whose creativity is universal.

He also plays solo, and in that context he recorded the album "Archtop Avenue - Solo Guitar", the release of which paid tribute to the great guitarist Joe Passo, who was one of his teachers, but also to his other teachers, those who opened his musical horizons, such as Jim Hall, Joe Diorio, Mick Goodrick and Vic Juris. Zjača has always been dedicated to learning. Although he completed his education by graduating jazz guitar in Rotterdam Royal Conservatory and became an assistant professor at the Rotterdam Erasmus University and was educated at the prestigious New York University School of Music and today he passes on his knowledge to the younger generations, he will remain an eternal student. For example, his book "30 Jazz Standards Arranged for Chord Melody Guitar", which contains arrangements of thirty jazz standard, sold all over the world. This album was born from another of his passions. In addition to Passo, he dedicated it to prominent guitar builders. It is the result of his many years of research on archtop guitars. The album, which he recorded for the centenary arctop guitar, he wanted to show the evolution of these instruments from their beginnings to the present day by playing each song on a different guitar, so he chose twelve different guitars from the most famous archtop builders such as John D'Angelico, Jimmy D'Aquist, Chris Mirabella, Bryant Trenier, Linda Manzer, Bob Benedetto, Jim Triggs and others.

Zjača is the winner of the "Miroslav Sedak Benčić" award from the Croatian Composers' Association for authorial creativity in the field of jazz music (2018). He received it for 25 years of composing and recording career. From the very beginning, his releases have featured original compositions that reveal a recognizable style based on openness to all artistic forms, friendships, spiritual elevation, discipline and dedicated work, and, above all, on a healthy tradition jazz music. His works exude a special atmosphere, a touch of nostalgia, they tell stories, they arouse imaginations, which is why legends like to play them. jazz, the musicians who recorded them with him, including Reggie Workman, Al Foster, John Patitucci, Steve Gadd, Adam Nussbaum, Miroslav Vitous, John Riley, Ron Carter, Antonio Sanchez, Gary Peacock, Jimmy Cobb and Randy Brecker.

From the very beginning, his releases have featured original compositions, of which he has documented around fifty to date. He draws inspiration for his creations from the works of greats jazz such as Thelonious Monk, Charles Mingus, Wayne Shorter and Ornette Coleman, but also the study and passionate enjoyment of various arts: literature, painting, theatre, cinematography... For example, he wrote compositions under the direct influence of the work of Federico Fellini and Wassily Kandinsky.

Since Zjača is a world traveler, many of his works are inspired by his travels. In addition to performing on almost all continents, Zjača takes every opportunity to travel to various destinations; he absorbs smells, colors and sounds, goes into nature, sometimes without thinking about the dangers that lurk, makes friends with various people, learns about the history of various nations, studies their music. And so on for years. That is why his works are spiced with a wide spectrum of colors and sounds of musical traditions distant in time and space: South American, Asian, African, Balkan... For example, he was inspired to write one composition by a visit to the small town of Baracoa, located in the province of Guantánamo near the eastern tip of Cuba. Fascinated by contrasts, from disappointment with the seemingly depressing city to delight in the people, especially the artists with whom he felt a deep emotional, spiritual and creative connection, he extended his stay for an unplanned five days, and he brought this story to his music.

His work has long been strongly influenced by Indian music theory. connacol i such which he has studied and practiced for years, although he is aware that it is a demanding musical field that is usually studied for decades; he uses it discreetly, almost imperceptibly, as if it were a logical, natural addition to his jazz creations. He stores all these experiences in his ethno chest, from which he later draws what he needs most in a particular situation. Thanks to this, his music is always refreshed and changing.

Davor Hrvoj

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