The Matúš Jakabčic CZ-SK Big Band first introduced itself to the public in 2004 at a festival in Přerov. In 2005 (still under the name Czechoslovak Big Band of M. Jakabčic), it performed at festivals such as Jazzfest Brno, Jazz Goes To Town (Hradec Králové), Jazz For Sale (Košice), and Pet Jazz (Bratislava). In 2006, the big band took part in a jazz festival and workshop in Prešov together with world-class saxophonist Harry Sokal, and also performed at Divadlo Aréna in Bratislava and at the ORF Radiokulturhaus in Vienna.
In 2007, the big band performed at music festivals in Šahy and Levice. This was followed by the concert Slovakia–Hungary: The Art of Cultural Communication, organized by the U.S. Embassy in Slovakia. In October 2007, the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF) released the CD Matúš Jakabčic CZ-SK Big Band featuring Harry Sokal. The album launch concert took place at Divadlo Aréna in January 2008. In 2008, the band performed at festivals including Jazzalive in Martin, Bohemia Jazz Fest in Prague, Domažlice, and České Budějovice, the CZ-SK Jazz Weekend in Hodonín and Uherské Hradiště, Jazz pod Hradom in Trenčín, a standalone concert at the Fatra House of Arts in Žilina, and the 25th Czechoslovak Jazz Festival in Přerov. In October 2008, the big band performed at Prague Castle; the concert recording was released on CD as part of the Jazz at the Castle series. In January 2009, together with soloists Sigi Finkel and Berco Balogh, it performed a New Year’s concert at the Slovak Philharmonic concert hall. In 2009, the band appeared at festivals in Piešťany, at the Viva Musica festival in Bratislava, at Jazz Goes To Town in Hradec Králové, and at the Novi Sad Jazz Festival. A concert at the Blue Note club in Nové Mesto nad Váhom was also recorded and released on DVD.
The Matúš Jakabčic CZ-SK Big Band consists of leading jazz musicians from the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The core of its repertoire is made up of compositions by M. Jakabčic and his original arrangements of jazz standards. The orchestra also includes in its repertoire Ellington and Strayhorn’s The Nutcracker Suite – their jazz adaptation of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker.