Ján Jankeje, born on July 30, 1950 in Bratislava, Czechoslovakia, is a jazz musician, composer, bassist, bandleader, and producer. In 1968, during the Prague Spring, he emigrated to Germany, settling in Weinsberg near Stuttgart. Jankeje's early career involved collaborations with notable jazz figures such as Ella Fitzgerald, Benny Goodman, and Eugen Cicero. In 1974, he co-founded Jazzpoint Records with his wife Gerti Jankejova, releasing his own albums and the first recordings of Biréli Lagrène. In 1988, he formed the Jazz Jokers with Bernd Marquart, who debuted with a self-titled album and performed internationally at the Edinburgh Jazz Festival. Jankeje also contributed to the soundtrack of Rainer Werner Fassbinder's film Querelle, composing "Erster Tango".
