This festive season we present the music of three talented jazz composers and performers – Borislav Petrov, Ludmil Krumov and Vladimir Karparov, who have had a number of joint projects. All three have a solid education earned abroad, abundant experience on stage in various genres, and they all share a love of jazz and of Bulgarian folklore. They say that the blend of these two musical traditions, born in cultural environments that are so different, is a challenge, a cultural collision, a journey into different musical domains. To them, it is an endless source of inspiration and ideas which we discover in their new projects, presented in 2022.
Be-Bop-Hop-Tropis the title of the new album by Jazzanitza, a group founded as a student project by drummer Borislav Petrov in 2008 in the Netherlands, where he was studying at the time. Its current members are: Jivko Petrov – kaval, Borislav Iliev – guitar and tambura, as well as two musicians who have been working with Borislav Petrov for many years – Dimitar Lyolev – saxophone and Mihail Ivanov – double bass. The music from the album was presented at the A to JazZ Festival, and the concert was recorded and aired by the French TV channel Mezzo. “I sincerely hope that as they listen to the album, even the most hardboiled bebop fans will want to get up and dance to the rhythm of the Bulgarian folklore,” says Borislav Petrov, author of all pieces from the album. For Radio, Bulgaria, the musician selected a piece with the colourful name Lyut Praz (Hot leek).
Ludmil Krumov, who has been living in the Netherlands for years, released a new album a few months ago called Cultural Collision - From Danube to Mississippi. The virtuoso guitarist is also producer of this project, in which The Small Bulgarian Folk Jazz Orchestra also take part. Besides Ludmil Krumov, the other members of the orchestra are: Peyo Peev – gadulka, Zhivko Vasilev – kaval, Vasil Hajigrudev – bass, Teodor Petkov – piano, Borislav Petrov – drums and percussion. “I see a small ship setting sail from our lands, with the typical rhythms and tunes, crossing the European harmony, to reach Mississippi and the jazz of New Orleans, the bebop of New York… and then back,” Ludmil says in an interview with Radio Bulgaria.
As a matter of fact, Radio Bulgaria was the first media outlet to present the album Cultural Collision – in our podcasts, as well on Radio Bulgaria’s website. Radio Bulgaria was also the first to air pieces from Iglika, the album by Vladimir Karparov, who has been living and working in Germany for dozens of years. The album Iglika features nine original compositions by the renowned Bulgarian saxophone player. Audiences in this country will be able to hear some of these pieces at a concert by Vladimir Karparov, together with the BNR’s Big Band in April.
With wishes for a New Year, filled with health, wealth, and joy, here is a piece from the new album – Kamelino Horo.
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