DUSKO GOYKOVICH — A Handful O’Soul (with The International Jazz Orchestra) (review)

DUSKO GOYKOVICH — A Handful O’Soul (with The International Jazz Orchestra) album cover Live album · 2005 · Big Band Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
snobb
Dusko Goykovich (originally - Duško Gojkovič)was born in small town Jaice in W.Bosnia in 1931.When some years ago I spent few hours there on my business trip, I found sleepy village,forgotten by God with two or three very twisted streets with huge holes in asphalt,bunch of homeless dogs and two or three almost empty cafes.Not strange, he left this place in his teens for Belgrade.When studied in Belgrade Music Academy, he joined Big Band of Radio Belgrade.Soon he left Yugoslavia to continue his musical career in W.Germany.Four years he played with Kurt Edelhagen’s orchestra as a first trumpet, collaborated with Chet Baker and Stan Getz.

In 1961 he got the scholarship from Berklee College and after studies stayed to play with Canadian Maynard Ferguson's band.After return to Europe in 1964 he recorded "Swinging Macedonia" album - with his original compositions,influenced by Balkans folklore. This release is often counted as Yugoslavian jazz cornerstone release. Based in Munich, he played with Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Gerry Mulligan, Sonny Rollins, Duke Jordan, Slide Hampton and others.

In late 90s-early 00' he returned back to active music - live and recordings."A Handful O'Soul" is recording with his founded Belgrade-based international All Star Big Band,where he plays some standards and original compositions. Few songs are really big band's music, others are just Dusko played cool jazz with supporting orchestra. Possibly the biggest release advantage is music there sounds quite traditional, almost conservative, but the listener doesn't have that vintage feeling,very usual for many nowadays big bands when playing old standards. I believe the reason is Dusko himself: being a live legend, he doesn't imitate now-one, just plays the music he played for decades.

It's interesting that few included original compositions with names as "Yugo Blues" or "Balkan Blue" has nothing to do with modern Balkan-fusion. They don't contain Balkan/ Gypsy folk elements at all and are really great example of Western Balkan jazz classics from 60s or 70s,where musicians saw inspiration in American jazz,but not in Turkish folk as happened in period after Yugoslavian wars.

Very professional and surprisingly freshly sounding album of traditional big band music and cool jazz.
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