SONČNA POT — Soncna Pot (review)

SONČNA POT — Soncna Pot album cover Album · 1979 · Fusion Buy this album from MMA partners
4.5/5 ·
seyo
It is always a pleasure to discover an old, obscure and little known album from the past. And if the band comes from the former Yugoslav country (Slovenia) the pleasure is even bigger.

There is no much information about the band called SONCNA POT ("Sunny Way" or "Sun's Path") available on the Internet. The band comes from Ljubljana, a city that was primarily known for punk movement in the late 1970s in Yugoslavia but which also was a hotbed for jazz and jazz rock in the same period. Lado Jaksa was a jazz veteran, studio session musician and photographer who also contributed as keyboardist and saxophone/flute player to many rock, pop, folk and jazz rock groups (e.g. BULDOZER, PREDMESTJE, SEDMINA, JUTRO). Ratko Divjak is famous for being a drummer of renowned rock bands TIME and SEPTEMBER, while bassist Dani Ganchev comes from the jazz scene. This trio is responsible for making this, one and only album of SONCNA POT, and one must say they did a damn good job!

Although all of them skillful (multi)instrumentalists, they did not produce a record that would sound cold, technical or academic, which is sometimes the case with jazz rock, but instead made a pleasant, adventurous and highly attractive album, which invokes repeated listening. This is particularly the case with two tracks on A side of the vinyl - a lengthy suite-like "Hrepenenje" ("Longing") and piano-led jazz ballad "Na poti" ("On the Way"). Ganchev's amazing fret-less bass work reminds me sometimes of Jaco Pastorius' playful style, while Jaksa's saxophones and keyboards make wonderful melodies and improvisations. Divjak's strong drumming is occasionally supported by the guest percussionist Uros Secerov.

Even though the side B is slightly less surprising, it nonetheless continues the well-beaten path of improvised solo parts of bass, piano, organ and saxophone, which invokes the best moments of German fusion or certain jazzy aspects of English Canterbury Scene. This album is a must listen for any serious jazz-rock and progressive rock connoisseur.
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