The Velvet Revolution had its roots in the underground rock clubs that kept the braver Czech sonic youth tuned in to something more than the monotones of the Party during the gray 1970s and 1980s period known as Normalization. The Communists' persecution of the garage band Plastic People of the Universe, named for a Frank Zappa refrain, motivated playwright Václav Havel and his friends to keep the human rights heat on the Politburo. As president, Havel paid homage to rock's part in the revolution and kept company with the likes of Zappa, Springsteen, Dylan, and the Stones -- all of whom paid tribute to him as "the rock-'n'-roll president."
Almost universally, the amps in clubs are turned up to absurd distortion. But while most wannabe bands playing Prague today lack the political edge of the prerevolution days, some have kept their unique Slavic passion without being overtaken by the urge to sound like Soundgarden. Throughout the rock clubs on any given night you might run into the acerbic pounding of Psí vojáci (Dog Soldiers), the no-holds-barred horns of Laura a její tygri (Laura and Her Tigers), or bohemian Dan Bárta's Illustratosphere.
Jazz--While Dixieland swing was huge in Prague during the First Republic, urban jazz really made its mark here during the 1960s, when those testing the Communist authority flocked to the smoky caves and wore dark glasses. The chubby Czech songstress Vlasta Pruchová grabbed a few hints from Ella Fitzgerald for her throaty voice and set the standard for Czech be-bop wannabes in the postwar period leading up to the Prague Spring. After defecting, her son Jan Hammer made it big in the United States with his computerized scores, among which is the theme for Miami Vice.
Luckily, most of Prague's ensembles follow Vlasta's lead and not Jan's. There are several good venues for a cool evening with a traditional upright bass, piano, sax, and drum group or occasional shots of fusion and acid jazz. The most publicized gig was at the Reduta Jazz Club, where Bill Clinton played "Summertime" and "My Funny Valentine" for then-president Havel and Madeleine Albright during a state visit in 1994.
Look for bookings with the venerable Pruchová, who's still belting out the blues along with her Swinging Quartet, or her be-bop heiress apparent, Jana Koubková. The Karel Ruzicka or Stepán Markovic quartets are also solid, with surprising doses of soul.
U Maleho Glena also offers jazz, fusion, and sometimes funk on most nights in its cellar.
