 In music, the new is only created by looking at tradition, the talent that comes with it only matures through mastery of the craft. The new album "Purple Sky" by guitarist and composer Vlado Grizelj is a perfect example of how the balance of these two artistic driving forces can lead to a rousing result. After all, one of the roots of Grizelj's compositions is the memory of his hometown Sarajevo, which he left when he was 17, and his late father Marko, to whom he dedicated the album. However, the early influence of rock and jazz, especially his love of the funk and soul of the sixties and seventies, is expressed even more strongly. Purple Sky" begins with the typically syncopated "The First One", which grooves casually and whose melody is particularly memorable thanks to the unison playing of guitar and organ. "Wanna Dance?" and "Bring It On" shift up a gear with uptempo, effective stops and energetic guitar, piano and drum solos. Things get more emotional with "Purple Sky": in the title track, which is underpinned by a lyrically husky Fender Rhodes electric piano, Grizelj's guitar indulges in the memory of his father with a gentle, striking melody line briefly interrupted by a scream of a distortion rock solo. “Fine" immerses itself completely in a gentle ballad tone. The rocking character of "Dark Storm", on the other hand, cannot deny a slight south-eastern European influence, just as "Coming Home", inspired by a visit to Sarajevo, cannot do without its transfigured, nostalgic undertone despite all its coolness. "Wow!" returns to a heavy, extremely relaxed groove before the album ends with a real sonic "supernova". Vlado Grizelj's virtuosity, nonchalance and conciseness reminds one of many guitarists in the broad fusion spectrum between Larry Corryell, John McLaughlin and Volker Kriegel to Pat Metheny or George Benson, but it always remains his own expression and style. It is above all his talent for far-reaching but always memorable melody lines that characterizes his eleven compositions. Exciting musical stories are told, which Grizelj draws on the experience of 30 years in the business. A line of development runs from his world-music-based fusion band Etna, with which he was at the forefront of genre-busting young German jazz 20 years ago, to his trio with bassist Sebastian Gieck and drummer Sebastian Wolfgruber, which is bursting with wit, to this new funk quartet. The fact that Grizelj can, indeed almost has to, leave so much room for improvisation and solos here is due not least to his outstanding accompanists, all three of whom are exceptional talents in their field. Croatian-born bassist Boris Boskovic (who also plays guitar and clarinet) has built bridges between the Croatian and German jazz scenes with Vladislav Cojocarus Moy Avaz, Miriam Arens' Liliath and many other bands, and as a teacher has also shown many people the way to rhythm-driven jazz between funk and the Balkans. The Austrian Christian Lettner has been one of the most versatile and sought-after drummers in Europe for years. A specialist in Brazilian rhythms as well as energetic jazz and fusion, he has been part of Klaus Doldinger's Passport and Joo Kraus' Basic Jazz Lounge for a quarter of a century. He has played with stars such as Karl Ratzer, Nils Landgren and Johannes Enders and is now a professor at the Munich Academy of Music since three years. The versatility associated with a strong preference for grooving unites Lettner with Matthias Bublath, and the two have already played together in a number of projects. Bublath may be from Munich, but you could also call him an American jazz musician: He lived and played in New York for ten years, making his way in the toughest scene in the world and acquiring an enormous range from Latin to modern jazz. For many years now, he has also been continuing this in the southern German jazz scene as a sideman and with many of his own projects, including his own Eight Cylinder Big Band. As you can hear on "Gomera", Bublath is one of the world's best Hammond organ specialists. On "Purple Sky", the four form a perfectly harmonizing quartet. Which ignites a bright fire from the spark of classic funk. And which stages Grizelj's compositions with such emotion, dynamism and coolness that it is impossible to resist them.
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