Title - 'Sleeping Beauty'
Artist - Srdjan Ivanovic Blazin' Quartet
For those not in the know, blending oriental musical philosophy with the adventurousness of Jazz, Srdjan Ivanovic's Blazin' Quartet has created a unique sound, ranging from melodic to rhythmic, concrete to abstract and acoustic to electronic.
Never has a five-member quartet sounded better! Or bigger! Or more profoundly, organically, articulate!
On their just-released new album, Sleeping Beauty, we discover nine tracks of unpredictable, potent, refreshingly-divorced-from-the-status-quo-while-exceedingly-brilliant creative mettle that are offered, awaiting our gleeful listening pleasure.
Joined by special guest, maestro flutist, Magic Malik, Srdjan Ivanovic's renowned Blazin' Quartet - featuring Andreas Polyzogopoulos (trumpet), Federico Casagrande (guitar), Mihail Ivanov (double bass) and Srdjan Ivanovic (drums; keyboards; composer) - delivers in truly omnipotent fashion.
1. 'Intro' (1:28)
2. 'Sleeping Beauty' (6:00)
3. 'The Man With The Harmonica' (7:04)
4. 'Guchi' (6:46)
5. 'Andreas' (2:15)
6. 'Rue Des Balkans' (5:41)
7. 'Sleeping Beauty' (Solo Guitar) (2:12)
8. 'A'Laube Du Cinquième Jour (Gott Mit Uns)' (4:38)
9. 'Outro' (1:39)
In truth, seldom does such an ensemble jazz cast weave so seamlessly, yet play with such heartfelt emotion, conviction and, at times, abandon than here on the simply magnificent Sleeping Beauty.
They open with a melodically quick intro before sliding into the earthy, ornate ambiance of the exquisite title track ballad (which was inspired by his wife, Catherine), before bringing us a reworked version of Ennio Morricone's western-themed 'The Man With The Harmonica' (here where a trumpet lyrically replaces the harmonica, so to speak), the intimate dialogue between trumpet and flute of 'Guchi,' and the short, but sweet, trumpet tones of 'Andreas.'
The aching yearn and reach of more trumpet and flute come forth on the excellent 'Rue Des Balkans,' making this one of my own personal favorites from the album, and that is followed by the dulcetly masterful solo guitar reworking of the title track, before we get the second of his Morricone renditions, this time the melodic 'A'Laube Du Cinquième Jour (Gott Mit Uns),' closing on a dutifully serene :90 second outro.
"When initially asked to talk about this new album, my first thought was to say that beauty ‘’sleeps’’ in everything," Srdjan reveals, "but when I think again I would rather say that everything is beautiful but we are ‘’asleep’’ and don’t experience it."
"But, sometimes, somebody creates something that touches us, wakes us up, and for a moment we see everything shining in it’s true light. I hope this recording does that to you."
Official Purchase Link
www.srdjanovic.com
Srdjan Ivanovic @ Facebook
www.moonjune.com
Srdjan Ivanovic @ Bandcamp