Live!

Live! showcases the Zagreb Jazz Quartet through concert recordings captured in Lugano, Heidelberg, Zagreb, and Vienna. This 2009 release brings together performances from 1965, 1966, and 1984, offering a glimpse into the group’s sound across different periods of its career. At its core are musical dialogue, improvisation, and the immediacy of collective performance.

Boško Petrović on vibraphone and Davor Kajfeš on piano define the group’s signature sound, joined by drummer Silvije Glojnarić, as well as bassists Miljenko Prohaska and Krešimir Remeta on various tracks. The combination of a resonant vibraphone, piano lines, and a fluid rhythm section creates space for the exchange of ideas and solo passages.

The program blends original compositions by the band members with works by prominent jazz composers. Petrović’s With Pain I Was Born opens the album, followed by Ornette Coleman’s Lonely Woman and Kajfeš’s Arabesque. The inclusion of Thelonious Monk’s In Walked Bud introduces a distinct melodic and rhythmic character, while Digression further highlights Kajfeš’s compositional style.

The recordings from Zagreb include an introduction by Willis Conover, alongside Prohaska’s Intima and Petrović’s Valse for Jazz Mama. The final track, Opus One Blues, rounds off the selection with an extended performance that allows ample room for the development of musical ideas. The album will appeal to fans of domestic jazz and live recordings, as well as anyone interested in hearing how the individual styles of experienced musicians come together to form a harmonious whole. It offers a rewarding encounter with the repertoire and the distinct musical personalities of this quartet.