Official opening
16th November 2017, from 8 pm
The Serbian National Theatre
DENISE KING, voice, USA
Zoran Šandorov, voice (guest artist)
Saxophones:Gabor Bunford, alto saxophone; Stojan Grubić, tenor saxophone; Nikola Jevtić, altosaxophone; Nikola Macura, tenor saxophone; Srđan Paunović, baritone saxophone;
Brankica Đukić Jatić, flute
Trumpets: Dragan Kozarčić, Atila Pete, Danijela Veselinović, Stefan Stanečić
Trombones: Vladimir Nežić, Ištvan Segi, Stevan Dragaš, Nikola Milanov
Rhythm section: Aleksandar Banjac, piano; Vladimir Jakovljević, guitar; Vladimir Samardžić, bass guitar; Goran Evetović, drums; Uroš Šećerov, percussions
Conductor, Arranger and Artistic Director: Fedor Vrtačnik.
DENISE KING
Denise King is a native of West Philadelphia, where she was born 31 October 1964. She can becalled a “natural singer”because she learned to sing, outside of any educational system, but through listening to recordings and live jazz performance.Considered “late in life” (at 30 years old), she began her singing career…quite by accident, having never planned to become a singer. Denise King is, above all, a kind small woman, brimming with energy, good humor and swing! As part of a tradition rooted in the history of jazz, she has sublimated the trials of life through her art in authentic jazz expression. Denise King does not overplay, or use tricks, she fully lives the songs she sings.
She is also a living testimony that Europe remains, nonetheless, a promised land – especially Paris – for American musicians. This feeling continues when the dynamism of jazz in the United States is not commensurate with what is on this side of the Atlantic. Although surprising, the European dream for Jazz artist remains strong in its history and empowerment for African American artist especially while racial tensions continue to haunt Obama’s America.
On her first trip to Paris in the mid nineties, Denise King performed at La Villa, a popular club in St-Germain-des-Prés for a week, This engagement became a reality when, after sending the manager of La Villa dozens of promotional materials, a cancellation opened the door for her first Jazz performance in Paris. When she accepted the contract, she jumped on a plane and the rest is history. There she met pianist Olivier Hutman. The performances were well received but did not insure her return. A few years later, in 2008, Mr. Hutman contacted her to propose working on a project together which provided an opportunity for the singer to move to Paris part time. What followed is a collaboration that lasted six years and produced two recordings and tours throughout Europe.
In October, she released Seasons of Jazz (Dot Time Records), which is a collection of four mini-albums (EP), Volume 1 (Fall) of which has been available since last November. She will also be part of the International Jazz Day in Paris on 30 April, 2016 at TresHonore Salon, Paris.
THE NOVI SAD BIG BAND
The Novi Sad Big Band was founded in 2003 by professional and renowned jazz and pop musicians of Novi Sad, with the desire to fill in the place of the former RTV Novi Sad Dance Orchestra and carry on Novi Sad’s tradition of orchestral music in the fields of jazz, pop, film and theatre music. For the 14 years of its work, the Orchestra has presented 360 concerts at almost all cultural events and festivals in our country and abroad. The concerts in RTV Vojvodina’s Studio “M” yielded 18 recordings of Orchestra’s highly quality performances. 2010 saw the release of their first studio CD Samo muzika (Just Music). The new CD of original music Polaris, reinforced with a modern funk sound, was released in February 2017.
The Novi Sad Big Band has recorded soundtracks for two cult series: “Cvat lipe na Balkanu” and “Nepobedivo srce”, while through concert activities, the orchestra has established active collaboration with the Belgrade Philharmonics; the media houses: RTV of Serbia, RTV of Vojvodina, RTV Pink; as well as almost all renowned artists in the region, among whom areToto Cutugno, Emir Kusturica, Jelena Tomašević, Željko Joksimović, Bojana Stamenov, Masimo Savić, Kornelije Kovač, Aleksandra Radović, Tanja Jovićević, Tanja Banjanin, Tereza Kesovija, Colonia, Boris Režak and Sergej Trifunović, to name only a few.
The Novi Sad Big Band has performed in various formations, dictated by the concert programme. The core of the band consists of the best jazz musicians from Novi Sad.