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Soncna Pot - Sončna Pot CD (album) cover

SONčNA POT

Soncna Pot

 

Jazz Rock/Fusion

4.53 | 12 ratings

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percussionist
4 stars Sončna pot, often translated as Sunny Way, although IMHO it sounds more like Sun`s Path, unfortunately was one album project led by Lado Jaksa, Slovenian kinda "jack-of-all-trades" artist - not only playing saxes, clarinet and keyboards, but also being responsible for all of the photos included in the cover artwork. The album, still available as LP only and often quoted as rare collector`s item, nowadays can be classified as an international project: well known, classically educated progrock, jazz and jazzrock/fusion drummer Ratko Divjak is Croatian, Jordan "Dani" Gančev is a Bulgarian exile/immigrant/dissident who had chosen now ex Yugoslavia to be his new homeland and Uros Sećerov, the guest musician is jazz percussionist from Serbia.

Moods and grooves - this is a short description of musical waves that hit the listener`s emotions. Check out the versatile, more than two dynamics often heard in contemporary music, including our beloved prog genre! Dynamics of the drum solo! The warmth of Gančev`s basses often compared to Jaco`s style! Well, to be honest, his sound is very similar, but then again, his playing is slightly different and original. Sećerov`s percussion were only a spice to it all. To make the long story short - simply not overdosed. Check out the cuica part in the composition Na poti (On the Path) that lasts for two bars only!

And, Lado, of course... Using folklore, ethno themes, some thirty and a bit more years ago, and merging them with jazz, jazzrock/fusion... And the moods, before or after the grooves, can be described as autumnlike, dreamy, kind of bittersweet, at the same time reflective, hypnotic and, I dare to say, sexy. For an example - the soprano sax part in Zarek (The Beam) could be expressed in one short sentence: "This is a soul on a plate, man!"

The more let`s say professional review of this album could probably look like this: Very different, original and by all means out of the framework project. A masterful, sophisticated piece of work containing everything that jazzrock/fusion album should have - complex arrangements, slightly dissonant now and then, as polymetric as a progrock piece should be, with virtuous solos that are not exaggerated to the point when one cannot listen to them anymore; with some ethno touch to it, regarding the fact that it was recorded in 1979. and, as we all know, world music was not that popular then. And so on...

Instead of the conclusion I would rather make a recommendation, not only to all those jazzrock/fusion aficionados, but also to all of you looking for something different, progressive ( let me be a bit presumptuous), trying to broaden your... whatever you call it.

Four stars. Although personally, I would give it 4.5 with no guilty conscience.

percussionist | 4/5 |

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