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XVII YU Jazz fest - program

Some fifteen years ago I heard a nice anecdote: Jovan Maljokovic was sitting with a few of his friends in the hotel ''Narcis'' one evening. Deep in conversation, they literally didn't notice an agitated waiter who, for the third time, was unsuccessfully trying to get an answer to a very simple question: ''What would you like to drink?'' Finally the waiter, completely aggravated, raised his voice rudely, at which Brka Jet, one of the talkers, uttered a historic sentence in the waiter's face: ''Hey man, what's the matter with you? What drink are you talking about? Can't you see we are organizing a jazz festival !!!'' It is completely unimportant whether this anecdote is true or it is the result of Valjevo humour, because the whole story goes in a similar way: not knowing what they were getting into, Jova Maljokovic, Nikša, Vasa Brada and Voja Cora entrusted the Cultural Centre, which had a good ear for jazz daydreaming, with their most daring dreams. The city authorities showed understanding of it (they still do) and something BEAUTIFUL and GREAT was created!!! RTS (Serbian Radio Television) Jazz Orchestra played the introductory rhythms. Ivan Švager Quintet, Sinan Alimanovic Quintet from Sarajevo, Yu Bop All Stars (a selection of jazz performers from Belgrade and Zagreb), Janša-Divjak Selection (formed by Belgrade and Ljubljana musicians), Jazzy, Jovan Maljokovic Quintet, Ljubomir Matijaca Dixieland Ensemble and Markovic-Gut Sextet took part in the festival that year.

The first YU Jazz Fest was opened with a version of the song ''Valjevo Outwitting''. The two-day manifestation in the beginning soon got its third and then the fourth programme evening. There are more and more performers on the stage of the Cultural Centre and the programme is more varied and of better quality. Some of the great performers who appeared on the stage from year to year were: Duško Gojkovic, Bora Rokovic, Nenad Petrovic, Džo Mirkovic, Lala Kovacev, Miša Krstic, Jovan Maljokovic, Stjepko Gut, Mica Markovic, Miloš Petrovic, Miša Blam, Lazar Tošic, Vlada Maricic, Ivan Švager, Laci Fidri, Luka Boškovic, Pero Ugrin, Rade Milivojevic -Nafta etc. At about half of its lifetime Valjevo Jazz Fest started cherishing female vocals. ''Ladies sing jazz'' was the title of one evening starting a new trend. Those wonderful voices which gave the Festival its even better and more refined shades belonged to Tanja Jovicevic, Vladana Markovic, Marija Mihailovic, Nada Kneževic, Bisera Veletanlic, Zdenka Kovacicek, Alma Vucinic, Katarina Kacunkovic, Madam Piano etc.

Better quality was achieved by the versatility of the programme, starting from swing and jazz standards of RTS Big Band, through Maljokovic Latino-rhythms, Miloš Petrovic ethno-variations, the combination with rock music produced by Matijaca Dixieland, Campus Caravan intertwining different music cultures, up to the synthetic sound of the Hazari group. The 10th Fest found place for blues without any problems: the guests were Sirova Koža and Zona B.

''All Valjevo Jazz Players'' is the name of the concert which has been organized within the Festival since 1986. Planned at first as an impetus for Valjevo musicians (especially young ones) to direct their interests towards jazz, this evening has become an equal part of official programme due to wide awake attention and love of M.D. Voja Milutinovic. ABV Jazz Selection band, a music team which has been performing for over three decades, is certainly the support of those wonderful happenings.

It is necessary to say that programme announcers and jazz-animators during all these years were Dragutin Grdinacki, Mica Markovic, Miša Blam and Raša Petrovic.

In 1995 the Festival was an international one, but it was a big financial bite for the producer, therefore the programme relies on Yugoslav musicians, some of them our music masters living abroad, with occasional visits of foreign jazz performers. Radio Valjevo has been following this festival since its very beginning and its role has been an important one. Jazz does not belong to the category of popular, even less does it belong to commercial music, that is why the support of media was (and still is) extremely important. Together with Radio Valjevo, great help in promoting this manifestation was provided by Radio Belgrade, some time later by RTS, Studio B, Patak Radio etc.

The form and the essence of the institution called Jam Session, as was seen during the first Fest, exceptionally fits the spirit of Valjevo audience. Although the organizers frequently changed the place where the Session was held, the hall was always crowded. Till the early morning hours. And it was played in the Hall of the Cultural Centre, Central Club, Youth Centre ... The picture, however, has always been the same: both the musicians and the audience competed to prove their endurance! There were a lot of different faces and melodies. The hall achieved harmony with thick cigarette smoke, brilliant performance, energy of improvisation and the smell of cold ''Valjevo beer''.

Generally speaking, the atmosphere in Valjevo during ''the big party which must not be missed'', as Mr M. Blam would say, is very specific. It is always cordial, joyful and a bit euphoric! Jazz musicians are said to be extremely natural and simple which is confirmed in Valjevo in the best way. To tell the truth, they say that the people of Valjevo are always such hosts that any conventional and formal behaviour is out of the question. That is probably the reason why the Festival always creates a warm, relaxed ind friendly ambience. Welcome to Valjevo city !!!

''All clubs actually look for jazz, that certainly means that the audience is interested in listening to jazz, especially young generation, and particularly here in Valjevo - I see that more and more people listen to jazz. They are probably fed up with all those electronic sounds, punk, rock, and are probably looking for something new which only jazz can give them.''
Zdenka Kovacicek, 6th Jazz Fest

''Time should pass in order that something may be created. The generation which has made Yu Jazz famous is slowly going away. I think that now there is a young generation of musicians educated in America or Gratz in Austria, they are those we should expect something from. As in any profession, I think this is only a passing phase, something will appear because this region always works well for jazz.''
Lazar Tošic, 10th Jazz Fest

''I am very happy because young people are coming back to jazz, and that is important, especially when it is so obvious, like here in Valjevo, on the stage and in the audience. If there were more concerts, more jazz clubs as well as festivals, that would certainly have more effect on the audience and it would be better for all of us.''
Nada Kneževic, 8th Jazz Fest

''I like coming to Valjevo and taking part in this 'Valjevo' festival. Jova Maljokovic and I started here in 1975, actually a long time before the festival, we occasionaly gave concerts in Abraševic Club and the basketball playground. It has given me great pleasure to come here ever since. Now I am a soloist and the conductor of the jazz band I have long been a member of. We have a nice main stream programme, taken from the repertoire of big bands, Duke Ellington, Count Basey, Clark Terry, the leading ones. We took a song or two and fitted it in, we added an interesting meadly based on the street rhythm of New Orleans or the rhythm of Vranje which are basically very similar and fitted it all into a nice programme.'' Stjepko Gut, 13th Jazz Fest