Jitka Vrbova passed away on March 3rd; she was 84. A notable Czech vocalist, guitarist and sometimes actress she sang for Pražský Dixieland, Hot Jazz Praha, Jazz Fiddlers, Steamboat Stompers, and the Washboard Banjo Band as well as with country bands. She released several albums on the Supraphon and Gallup Music labels. She was known for a tragic life, including long bouts of both TB and whooping cough in childhood leaving her with mobility issues. A national treasure, with one of her songs often heard around campfires, Vrbova was seen as the inheritor of the legacy of famed Czech jazz and pop singer Eva Olmerová.
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