English
Born to a family of musicians, his father played clarinet in the Czechoslovak Radio Symphony Orchestra and his mother sang in SĽUK Folk song and Dance Ensemble. Juraj studied piano at a primary music school and at the age of twelve, he began playing drums and guitar. With such variety of interests, his father decided he would study double bass at the Bratislava Conservatory (1978-1984). At the conservatory, he played in funk groups Tamis and Tagore, The Bratislava Conservatory Big Band, Martin Kratochvíl’s Jazz Q, Esprit band and Vlado Valovič’s VV System (performed on Copenhagen Jazz Festival 1987). Between 1987 and 1991, he furthered his studies of double bass at the Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in Bratislava, and played with professional bands – the Czechoslovak Radio Big Band and the Czechoslovak Television Big Band. He scored success as a member of the fusion music group, Stop Time (led by Matúš Jakabcic). The group performed at several Jazz festivals— Jazz in Duketown (Hertogenbosch, Holand) and Jazz festival Aix en Provance (France). He has appeared repeatedly at the Bratislava Jazz Festival. Many people still remember his jam session with Stanley Clark at BJF (1985).
In the early nineties he played in ASH Band and The Quartet. With The Quartet, he recorded the CD „Alice in Jazzland (1992),“ the music of which reflects the mainstream of the nineties. The group performed to high acclaim in the Czech and Slovak Republics. Juraj also is a very successful studio musician having recorded about 60 CDs. He appeared on the profile CD of Madre (1994), he played in the Matúš Jakabčic Tentet and recorded with them the CD „Matúš Jakabčic Tentet,” featuring Greg Hopkins (1998).
In 2000, he recorded his first CD “Bass Friends” with special guest from New York, Ron Affif. The CD “Bass Friends” was highly evaluated by the very well known and internationally acclaimed magazine “Bass Player.” The composition “Codfish,“ a track from the CD, has been featured on the “CD Sampler Station,“ released by another respected US magazine “Bassics,“ as a recommended new release alongside such bass greats as Marcus Miller, Matt Garrison and Ray Brown. In 1994, the Slovak Jazz Association awarded him with the Ladislav Martoník Prize “Jazzman of the Year.”
He teaches jazz workshops: 12th International XXXL JAZZ Workshop 2001 Innsbruck – Tyrol-Austria
International Jazz Workshop Jazz and Wine Summer 2000 — ’02, Poysdorf -Austria
International Czech Jazz Workshops 2008 — ’13
Jazz Workshop Leszno, Poland
He is Sadowsky player.
http://www.sadowsky.com/artists/index.html
Juraj divides his time between jazz and classical music. In 1988, he toured Europe with
the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra conducted by Claudio Abbado, Václav Neumann and
James Judd.
Since 1991 he is a member of the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra. Whith S.P.O. he
performed in most European countries, Japan, South Korea and the United States.
Presently he playing with his band Juraj Griglak & Company, Anita Soul, Martin
Valihora trio, Boris Cellar trio, Miss Moravia — www.missmoravia.com
He occasionally working with New York guitarist Ron Affif, Frank McComb and Poogie
Bell Band (European tours 2012,13.)