Balkan Jazz Musicians - Trio Balkano

Trio Balkano

official MySpace page: www.myspace.com/triobalkano

Trio Balkano was formed in 1999 by experienced musicians who were trying to express the Greek musical tradition. They created a music style that combines ethnic elements with jazz improvisations, a style which is known as "Balkan jazz". However, their compositions are not restricted to one musical genre. They keep searching their ways through the pluralism of their musical environment and the common memories which are carried throughout time and space. Their music is characterized by originality, adaptability and emotional strength. They therefore form a creative and modern musical identity. Their debut album "Sometime Now" is out now on Melissamusic. It is produced by George Pentzikis.

official webpage: www.myspace.com/triobalkano

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Trio Balkano, Some Time Now CD

Trio Balkano Band Members:

• Pantelis Stoikos (trumpet,kaval)


• Lakis Tzimkas (bass)


• Alekos Papadopoulos (drums)

Balkan Jazz Musicians - Boban Markovic and his Gypsy Brass Orchestra

Boban i Marko Markovic Orchestra

official website: www.piranha.de/english/piranha_musik_verlag/boban_i_marko

Boban Markovic is a Serbian trumpet player and brass ensemble leader from Serbia. He is frequently recognized as the greatest trumpet player to emerge from the Balkans. He and his brass band have received world acclaim and won numerous awards.
The Boban Marković Orchestra has been the leading Balkan Brass Band in Serbia over the last 17 years.
Boban Marković Brass Band also contributed a song to "Unblocked (Music from the Eastern Europe"), a compilation on Elipsis Arts in USA.

official website: www.piranha.de/english/piranha_musik_verlag/boban_i_marko

CD order from CD Universe:

Go Marko Go! Brass Madness CD	Balkan Brass Fest CD	Live In Belgrade: The Best Trumpet Of Guca CD

Band Members:

• Boban Markovic flugel horn, vocal


• Marko Markovic trumpet, vocal


• Sasa Jemcic flugehorn


• Srdjan Spasic flugel horn


• Dragan Kocic flugel horn


• Dragoljub Eminovic tenor horn


• Isidor Eminovic tenor horn


• Asim Ajdinovic tenor horn


• Goran Spasic tenor horn


• Mustafa Salimovic helicon


• Sasa Stanojevic percussion


• Aleksandar Stosic percussion


• Nedzat Zumberovic big drum

Balkan Jazz Musicians - Lajko Felix

Lajko Felix

official website: www.lajko.hu

Lajko Felix is extremely talented violinist. He is a virtuoso and wild at the same time, he brakes strings and bows, but his music sounds extraordinary.
Lajko Felix (born December 17, 1974) is a jazz and world music violinist and composer born in Backa Topola, Serbia.

Lajko's music is difficult to categorize; it is based on wide spectrum of influences of traditional string music from Pannonian plain. It can be viewed as a specific form of jazz, but it is based on traditional music.

He is a virtuoso violinist, playing with great fervor and passion, and occasionally he plays other traditional instruments, such as Citera. On concerts, he usually performs with his small band, but sometimes also plays solo violin.

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Collaborations and work
Lajko has also played together with a large number of well-known bands and musicians. He was a member of Gyorgy Szabados's band, Makuz and Boris Kovac's band, Ritual Nova. He performed together with the world-famous Japanese butoh dancer, Min Tanaka and the French Noir Desir band a number of times. He has had many concerts together with the Romanian violin player living in London, Alexander Balanescu and with Boban Markovic's brass gipsy band. He has composed music for some theatrical plays. Among others he wrote the complete music material for the Szabadka Theatre's Public enemy production, but Jozef Nadj from Orlean also asks him to compose music for his performances regularly and he has also composed music for coreographies of Ivett Bozsik. He composed the whole musical score for Wheels, a film by Ljubisa Samardzic from Yugoslavia. It was also him who composed the hymn for the 1998 Sarajevo cultural festival, Sarajevska Zima. He has participated in many fiction films and Miklos Jancso made his short film Play, Felix! about him. He wrote music for Towards a New Atlantis, a project of the Venice Biennale in 2000. Lajkó also composed music for and acted as the main character of Kornel Mundruczo's film Delta- a film which won a small prize in Cannes, and was nominated for the Golden Palm. It was the Hungarian Film Festival's winning film, and Lajko was awarded the best original soundtrack of the Festival.(source: Wikipedia)

Balkan Jazz Musicians - Theodosii Spassov

Theodosii Spassov

official website: theodosiispassov.com

Theodosii Spassov was born on 4 March 1961. He is Bulgarian kaval (wooden flute) player. Theodosii with his music has toured over the world and recorded 16 albums during the carrier. He often appears on albums and performances in association with diverse jazz and world musicians, but it is kept his unique style.

Theodosii Spassov was born on March 4th, 1961. He began his early training on the kaval at the Kotel Music School and The Academy of Music and Dance in Plovdiv/Bulgaria. The kaval, an eight-hole wooden "shepherd" flute, is one of the oldest Instruments in Europe, rich in tone and technical possibilities. Theodosii Spassov has developed his own unique style of playing the instrument by synthesizing traditional folklore with jazz, fusion and classical music.

For over 20 years, Theodosii has toured all over Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Australia, Canada and United States. In 1994, he performed with Sofia Women's Radio Choir which was awarded with a Grammy award for "Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares". In April of 1995, "Newsweek" magazine recognized Theodosii Spassov as one of the most talented Eastern-European musicians in its "best of the East" article, noting that "Spassov... is not merely surviving the post-communist cultural wasteland. He has actually invented a new musical genre."

THEODOSII SPASSOV invented a new musical genre. Theodosii gets everything out of his KAVAL when playing his unique compositions. They include elements of traditional folklore music as well as jazz, classical music and even pop. His very own way of playing has not only impressed audiences during his concerts and festival appearances, but also fellow musicians, who cooperated with THEODOSII SPASSOV in the past years. Among them are Dave Liebman, Andy Sheppard, Yldiz Ibrahimova, Ennio Morricone, Jamey Haddad, Albert Mangelsdorff, Mark Johnson, Kazumi Watanabe and many others.With his amazing trio, THEODOSII SPASSOV performed in Argentina, Australia, Austria,Brazil, Canada, Finland, Germany, Greece, Holland, India, Israel, Japan, Nepal, Russia,Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, the U.K., the U.S. and of course in Bulgaria, where he is known as a national hero. All over the world, he is known as a GRAMMY WINNER (with "Le Mystere Des Voix Bulgares", 1994), as a movie score composer and genius performer. His steadily growing fan community is addicted to his music.
THEODOSII SPASSOV began studying the KAVAL at early age at The Academy Of Music and Dance in Plovdiv/Bulgaria. Later, he recorded 10 solo albums (e.g. "The Fish Are Praying For Rain", see discography below) and contributed to 11 albums by fellow artists. (Spasov's website)

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Balkan Jazz Musicians - Nicolas Simion

Nicolas Simion

official website: nicolassimion.com

Nicolas Simion was born 1959 in Dumbravita, a small village in the Carpathian Mountains of Transylvania. He showed his musical talent very early and was sent to the Brasov Music School at the age of ten. After that he appointed the Music Academy in Bucharest where he completed his classial music studies.
With 'Lullabies & Fairytales', the latest outcome from this works, Nicolas Simion reflects his roots in the traditional music of his homeland and combines its motives and colours with modern forms in improvised music. With musicians from different countries of the Balkans in his band he creates wonderful, almost spiritual, ballads as well as wild and fiery carpathian dances. In fall 2001, german label Intuition Music in collaboration with german radio station Deutsche Welle released a live recording from the Stadtgarten in Cologne. On this CD, Balkan Jazz, Nicolas Simion found a congenial partner in legendary yugoslav trumpeter Dusko Goykovich. At this time, another highlight is presented in the rediscovery of romanian Master pianist Jancy Korossy. One of the most original pianists on Europe's scene in the fifties and sixties who emigrated to the US in 1970, Korossy returns after more than 30 years to play his comeback with Nicolas Simion. The first tour will lead them to Germany, Austria and homeland Romania, joined on some occasions by legendary sax player Lee Konitz. Besides some live recordings, Nicolas Simion and Jancy Korossy will do some studio recordings as well. Korossy in his own words: 'the flame is still burning'. Nicolas Simion is one of the most innovative musicians on today's scene. A growing audience is observing his development as he is finding his way to the musical 'Olymp'. (from Simion's website)

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Balkan Jazz

Balkan Jazz is the composition of Balkan ethno music, European classics and classic jazz. It is a specific style of European jazz characterized by dynamic and complex rhythm and ethno elements with jazz improvisation. Solo strings are often followed by explosive and wild, but very emotional and musically rhythm in accordance with the tradition of the Balkan nations. Balkan jazz is usually performed on the classic jazz instruments, guitar, bass, drums. Themes and the main solo sections are running in the Balkans traditionalism instruments: trumpet, lute, bagpipe, bouzuki... The genre encompasses both vocal and non-vocal (instrumental).
In Serbia and Bosnia, Balkan jazz orchestras and performers are often accompanied by a very popular traditional Gypsy Brass Orchestra.

Top 100 Jazz Albums of all time

Top 100 Jazz Albums

jazz list from www.justjazz4all.com

• John Coltrane: Love Supreme


• Miles Davis: Kind of Blue


• John Coltrane: Giant Steps


• Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool


• Charles Mingus: Ah Um


• Sonny Rollins: Saxophone Colossus


• Eric Dolphy: Out to Lunch


• Louis Armstrong: Bing & Satchmo


• Dave Brubeck: Time Out


• Miles Davis: Sketches of Spain


• Thelonious Monk: Brilliant Corners


• Wayne Shorter: Speak No Evil


• Ornette Coleman: Shape of Jazz To Come


• Miles Davis: Porgy And Bess


• Duke Ellington and his Orchestra At Newport


• Dave Holland: Conference of the Birds


• Charles Mingus: Black Saint & the Sinner Lady


• Charles Mingus: Blues & Roots


• Thelonious Monk: Monk's Music


• Cannonball Adderley: Somethin' Else


• Benny Carter: Further Definitions


• Ornette Coleman: Change of The Century


• John Coltrane: Blue Train


• Duke Ellington: Take The 'A' Train


• Duke Ellington: Concert In The Virgin Islands


• Bill Evans: Waltz for Debby


• Gil Evans: Out of the Cool


• Dexter Gordon: Our Man in Paris


• Herbie Hancock: Maiden Voyage


• Joe Lovano: From the Soul


• Charlie Parker: Genius Of Charlie Parker


• Charlie Parker: at Massey Hall


• Art Pepper: Meets the Rhythm Section


• Ahmad Jamal: Chamber Music Of The New Jazz


• Count Basie: Complete Atomic Basie


• Art Blakey: Moanin'


• Don Byron: Ivey-Divey


• Ornette Coleman: Dancing in Your Head


• Miles Davis: Miles Ahead


• Miles Davis: In a Silent Way


• Miles Davis: Nefertiti


• Jack DeJohnette: Album Album


• Eric Dolphy: Outward Bound


• Eric Dolphy: Iron Man


• Ella Fitzgerald And Louis Armstrong


• Stan Getz: Getz/Gilberto


• Stan Getz: Jazz Samba


• Charlie Haden: Art Of The Song


• Charlie Haden: Liberation Music Orchestra


• Coleman Hawkins: Body and Soul


• Joe Henderson: Inner Urge


• Joe Lovano: 52ND Street Themes


• John Mclaughlin: Extrapolations


• Charles Mingus: Blues And Roots


• Horace Silver: Song for my Father


• Horace Silver: Blowin' the Blues Away


• Cannonball Adderley: Live in New York


• Albert Ayler: Live At Greenwhich Village


• Count Basie: The Compete Decca Recordings


• Chico Freeman: Lenox Avenue Breakdown


• Anthony Braxton: For Alto


• Ornette Coleman: Free Jazz


• John Coltrane: Afro Blue Impressions


• John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman


• John Coltrane: My Favorite Things


• John Coltrane: Ole Coltrane


• Miles Davis: Miles Smiles


• Miles Davis: Walkin'


• Miles Davis: Milestones


• Miles Davis: Agharta


• Duke Ellington: Money Jungle


• Don Ellis: Electric Bath


• Bill Evans: Portrait in Jazz


• Stan Getz: Focus


• Benny Goodman: Carnegie Hall Concert


• Grant Green: Feelin' the Spirit


• John Handy: Live at the Monterey Jazz Festival 1965


• Joe Henderson: So Near, So Far


• Woody Herman: The Thundering Herds


• Dave Holland: Pass It On


• Bobby Hutcherson: Dialogue


• Joe Pass: Virtuoso


• John Mclaughlin: Industrial Zen


• Charles Mingus: Let My Children Hear Music


• Charles Mingus: Presents Charles Mingus


• Charlie Parker: The Complete Dial Masters


• Charlie Parker: The Savoy Sessions


• Lennie Tristano: Lennie Tristano/The New Tristano


• Art Pepper: Winter Moon

Jazz Definition and Styles

Jazz music is quite difficult to define because it evaluates from early ragtime and blues ages to nowadays fusion by many influences. Joachim Berendt in the book The Jazz Book: From Ragtime to Fusion and Beyond defines jazz as a “form of art music which originated in the United States through the confrontation of blacks with European music”; he argues that jazz differs from European music in that jazz has a “special relationship to time, defined as swing”, "a spontaneity and vitality of musical production in which improvisation plays a role”; and “sonority and manner of phrasing which mirror the individuality of the performing jazz musician". The basic flow on chart below has derived by Berendt's root of JAZZ History. Small modifications have done for contemporary styles and influences.


The basic elements which extract jazz from others music forms are: syncope, vibrato, continual rhythm in “4/4” tact, polyphonic ensemble playing, varying degrees of improvisation, and often deliberate distortions of pitch and timbre. Jazz is characterized by a strong but flexible rhythmic understructure with solo and ensemble improvisations on basic tunes and chord patterns and, more recently, a highly sophisticated harmonic idiom.

Joachim-Ernst Berendt (1922–2000) was an internationally known authority on jazz and the author of more than 20 books. His Jazz Book was first published in 1952 and has been translated into many languages. Günther Huesmann studied musicology, film and television, and pedagogy; a festival organizer and writer for jazz radio shows, he was responsible for the previous revision of The Jazz Book.