ECHOES
magazine (April 2001, page 39) Elia Rulli
Enough on here to have
you purring for weeks, from the Head Hunters-esque title track from RTB
Big Band, to the soundtracky Emina courtesy of Lala Kovacev. But the
two tracks here destined to make noise are clear: Bora Rokovic's
String-Em which inhabits a world all it's own. Several worlds, in fact,
mixing some fine string arrangements with nasty funk. And for vocal
fans, Gaby Novak's take on Caravan will have you absolutely fienin'.
DUSTY
GROOVE AMERICA
In the tradition of the
excellent other compilations on the Cosmic Sounds label -- this set
features some killer jazz and funk gems from Yugoslavia, the kinds of
tunes that we might have missed otherwise, thanks to the Iron Curtain!
Finding the set's like discovering a pile of great records in the back
of some dusty bookshop in a neighborhood you've never visited before --
as each one's got a different groove, mixing together electric funk
with big band swinging and small combo modal grooving.
STRAIGHT
NO CHASER (Summer 2001, page64) C.P.
Generally, I'll pass
over compilations - there's simply too many available and rarely do you
find one that's actually sayin' it! However, three tracks in on 'Balkan
Express' I'm compelled to jump to and proudly present one that does.
Rare Yugoslavian jazz/fusion gems that you're never going to have the
pleasure of experiencing unless you take my advice and hunt this LP
down. You needn't be a jazz dance enthusiast to appreciate this
glorious tracks. The smokey atmosphere of Pork recordings from Tom
Tyler would sit perfectly along side the heavenly Lala Kovacev, ripping
it up with horn solos on intergalactic tip. Listening to the jazz samba
magic from Dusko Gojkovic I'm transported to Russ Dewbury's Jazz rooms.
Extraordinary is the only word fit to describe 'Caravan', which is sung
in native tongue by Gaby Novak and simply buzzes along augmented by the
funkiest of backing vocals. You'll not be disappointed. (C.P.)
PLASTIKS
magazine, Belgium (issue 47, page 77) [in Flamish]
Cosmic
Sounds blijft er in slagen om ons maandelijks een nieuwe portie
Oostblok jazz voor te schotelen. Deze maand is het de beurt aan ‘Balkan
Express’, een compilatie vol Joegoslavische rare jazz an fusion van de
jaren zestig tot nu. Het varieert van funky bigband fusion in ‘Balkan
Express' van RTB Bigband tot uptempo jazzy samba in ‘Quo Vadis Samba’
van trompettist Dusko Gojkovic. De meeste tracks zijn lekker
ontspannen, laidback jazz en fusion composities, met als uitzondering
de snelle sixties vocal jazz van zangeres Gaby Novak (‘Caravan’). Een
speciale vermelding verdient ook ‘String-Em’ van ex-RTB Bigband lid
Bora Rokovic. De track verrast voortdurend met nieuwe sfeeren
stijlbreuken. Met ‘Balkan Express’ bledt Cosmic Sounds alweer een
boeiende, uiterst exclusieve compilate voor de fusion liefhebbers. ****
(wdk)
