Yugoslavian Music

Larry Vuckovich - Blue Balkan Then and Now (2002) {Tetrachord Music rec 1980, 2001}
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© 1980, 2002 Tetrachord Music / Inner City | [None] / IC-1096
Jazz / Modal Music / Folk Jazz / Neo-Bop / Piano

Pianist Larry Vuckovich revisits his landmark 1980 recording on this combined reissue and new release. Prefiguring the much-lauded work of Dave Douglas and the Tiny Bell Trio, guitarist Brad Shepik, and even John Zorn, the Yugoslavian-born Vuckovich combines the ethnic melodies and rhythms from his native Balkans with modal jazz. Never as avant-garde as his contemporaries, Vuckovich nonetheless pushes the boundaries of both jazz and folk styles. The original tracks featured the brilliant vibe playing of Bobby Hutcherson, who unfortunately does not reprise his role on the four new pieces.

This recording of lute music may be of most interest to fans of the lute and of the Renaissance-Baroque transition era, but it will be of considerable interest to them: it marks the first recording of the Libro d'intavolature di liuto, or Book of Lute Tablatures, of Vincenzo Galilei (1584). Galilei was the father of none other than astronomer Galileo. The work is given the title The Well-Tempered Lute here; that was not Galilei's title, but the music was apparently the first collection intended to demonstrate the possibilities of equal temperament that Bach would exploit so dramatically a century and a half later. Some scholars have opined that this was a primarily theoretical work; as music, it is both technically difficult and a little monotonous, consisting of groups of dances that may or may not have been danced to. Lutenist Žak Ozmo makes a good case for these little pieces as performer's music, differentiating learned counterpoint from works of a more expressive character.

Well into the first half of the 20th century, Sergei Bortkiewicz remained an unreconstructed Romantic composer, a product of the influences of Franz Liszt, Frédéric Chopin, and Robert Schumann in his youth, and his long career showed little change in this style. Bortkiewicz's solo piano music offers flashes of technical brilliance, and in some ways it is comparable to the early work of his Russian contemporaries, Sergei Rachmaninov and Alexander Scriabin, though its sentimentality often makes it seem derivative of parlor music of the fin de siècle.

Digitally remastered edition of one of the most ambitious and costly records to come out of '70s library music, the legendary Rythmes Contemporains from the brilliant Janko Nilovic. This complex and protean work shines out particularly from the rich discography of this Yugoslavian composer, and according to his many fans across the world, is one of his greatest achievements. The year is 1972 and Janko Nilovic is in his most creative period. The label Montparnasse 2000, trusting him entirely, give him the means to make his ambitions a reality, allowing him to put together a gigantic big band comprising 45 musicians, including the gifted drummer Andre Ceccarelli, percussionist Jean Schultheis and Catherine Laura on lead violin.

Short-lived English super group founded in the 70s by John Wetton and Bill Bruford (ex-King Crimson). They were active between 1977 - 1980, and reformed in 2012 with John Wetton, Eddie Jobson, and Terry Bozzio as the main line-up…

Upon graduating from The Music Academy in Jerusalem, Sela evolved from classical music and jazz into ethnic music, specializing in unique woodwind instruments of this genre. Sela plays in a variety of classic and ethnic woodwinds including: Classical Clarinet, Turkish Clarinet, Silver Flute, Indian Bamboo Flute, Turkish Zorna, Armanian Duduk, African Flute, Saxophone, Irish Penny Whislte, Middle Eastern Ney Flute. In recent years, Sela has performed and recorded with some of the best international artists including Omar Faruk Tekbilek (Turkey), Ross Daily (Greece), Adel Salameh (France) and the leading international Jewish singer, Avraham Fried (USA). He has also performed with some of the leading Israeli musicians and singers such as Idan Raichel (The Idan Raichel Project), Rita, Etti Ankri, Yair Dalal, Shem Tov Levy, Din Din Aviv.

September grew out of the short-lived super-group project Jugoslovenska Pop Selekcija in September 1975, whose members included Tihomir Pop Asanovic-organ, Janez Boncina-vocals, guitar, Braco Doblekar-percussion, congas and Ratko Divjak- drums. Charley Novak on bass and formally educated musician Pero Ugrin on electric violin and trumpet joined soon for the recording of the first album, ironically titled "Zadnja avantura" (Eng. "The Last Adventure"). The album was recorded in February 1976 in Ljubljana and released shortly afterwards but passed largely unnoticed. This is in fact a pure gem of Yugoslavian jazz fusion that lacked popularity simply because there was no single hit song on it that would draw attention of the wider public…