Karel Ruzicka Jr.

Jazz and blues organist, pianist, composer, and arranger. He studied jazz piano with Willie Pickens at Northern Illinois University where he earned a Bachelor of Music in Performance (Jazz Studies). He earned a Master of Music in Jazz Studies (Composition) and a Performance Certificate from DePaul University.
He has performed with many musicians including Billy Branch, Eddie C Campbell, Bo Diddley, Little Arthur Duncan, George Freeman, Phil Guy, Jeff Hamilton, Harold Jones, Bob Lark, RJ Mischo, Joe Moss, Nick Moss, Pinetop Perkins, Tim Ries, Lynwood Slim, Little Mack Simmons, Ira Sullivan, Junior Watson, Phil Woods, and the list goes on. As a blues pianist, he has been playing with numerous bands. He has performed at the Chicago Hope Festival (w/ Bo Diddley & Billy Branch, 2000), the Chicago Blues Festival (w/ Rob Stone, 2002), the Waterfront Blues Festival in Portland OR (w/ Phil Guy, 2002 and w/ Nick Moss, 2002), the Baltimore Blues Festival (w/ Nick Moss, 2002), the Taste of Chicago (w/ Phil Guy, 2008), and several other festivals as well. He has recorded the CDs "Got a New Plan" (w/ Nick Moss, Blue Bella Records, 2001), and "Movin' Out" (w/ Chicago Blues Angels, Blue Bella Records, 2001). He has appeared on the Fox Chicago Morning News (w/ Bo Diddley, 2000), and the blues shows Speakin' of the Blues on TV (w/ Arthur Duncan, 2002 and w/ Eomot RaSan, 2003).
He has studied jazz organ with Tony Monaco and Chris Foreman, and he has been leading his jazz organ trio. He released his first CD "Midnight Shuffle" (2006) with his jazz organ trio. He has regularly played with the George Freeman Trio for three years. He has performed with his jazz organ trio at the jazz festival Jazz in the Park in Gary IN (2008, 2009) and The 14th Annual Chicago Asian American Jazz Festival (2009). He released his second CD "Next Time You See Me" (2010) with his jazz organ trio.
As a composer and arranger, he provided several arrangements and one of his original compositions in the Afro-Cuban style to the NIU Latin jazz ensemble. He has recorded four of his original compositions for the CD "Midnight Shuffle." After living in the US for 11 years, he moved to Japan in June 2010. He was active as a musician and an educator. He has performed at many clubs and festivals including Shinjuku Traditional Jazz Festival (2010, 2013), Yokohama Jazz Promenade (2011), Chiba Bayside Jazz Festival (2011), Asagaya Jazz Festival (2011, 2012), Takasago Jazz Festival (2012), and Shinjuku Spring Jazz Festival (2012, 2013).
In July 2013, he moved to Berlin, Germany. He has already played in Czech Republic, Italy, Norway, Slovakia, Sweden as well as Germany and performed with well-known musicians including Torsten Goods, Tony Lakatos, Nils Landgren, Magnus Lindgren, Bjørn Solli, Peter Weniger and Petter Wettre. His new CD "Swingin' with the Hammond Organ / Hal Tsuchida & European Friends" will be released by Mons Records in the spring 2015.