Jazz ExTempore Orchestra: East & West

Rating: ★★★

Record and Artist Details

Musicians:

Medina Mektiva (v)
Hristo Yotsov (d, perc)
Andrea Vicari (p, wurlitzer)
Rico De Jeer (b)
Elvis Stanic (el g, ac g, g synth, organ, k

Label:

33 Records

February/2014

Catalogue Number:

33JAZZ235

RecordDate:

June 2013

The international make up and musical direction of this band, initiated by the Croatian Liburnia Jazz Association in 2008, is indicated by the title of their second CD release. Developing out of a cultural tour exchange between Croatia and the rest of Europe, the Croatian guitarist/accordionist Elvis Staniæ and Bulgarian drummer Hristo Yotsov contribute tracks that look to the east for inspiration; our very own Andrea Vicari on piano and Dutch bassist Rico De Jeer look primarily to the west. The younger Trinity Laban alumnus, Azerbaijan-British vocalist Medina Mektiva is a guest vocalist on just one track. The music is an intersection where folk song – with a couple of traditional songs from Croatia and Azerbaijan – meets jazz of the soul jazz and easy listening fusion variety, the latter emphasized by the virtuosic, Pat Metheny-esque lyricism of guitarist Staniæ and a Return to Forever-type wordless vocals and breezy latin-influenced feel piano from Vicari. The writing is shared out among band members and while it sounds as if you've heard the tunes before somewhere, there's something likeably unpretentious about the session. No, it ain't hip, but the joys of crossing cultural musical boundaries together shines through all the same.

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