27.5.12

Vinilija @ Radio Marš: Tone Janša IV

TONE JANŠA QUARTET - GOA (JUGOTON 1983)



































A1 GOA (Tone Janša)
Soloists:
Tone Janša ss
Bernd Dietrich b
A2 TRAININ' (Tone Janša)
Soloists:
Tone Janša ts
Slavko Avsenik jun. p
A3 YATRA (Tone Janša)
Soloists:
Dejan Pečenko p
Tone Janša shinay

B1 STROLL AND FIGHT (Tone Janša)
Soloists:
Slavko Avsenik jun. p
B2 BLACK TIME (Tone Janša)
Soloists:
Tone Janša fl
Andy Lummp p
Adelhard Roidinger b

Tone Janša celebrates the tenth anniversary of the existence of his quartet. On this record he represents the last four versions of his group, which changes its members according to need:
Tone Janša ss, Dejan Pečenko p, Bernd Dietrich b, Gerhard Wennemuth dr on "Goa" A1
Tone Janša ts, Slavko Avsenik jun. p, Karel Novak b, Ratko Divjak dr on "Trainin'" A2 and "Stroll and flight" B2
Tone Janša fl, Andy Lummp p, Adelhard Roidinger b, Ratko Divjak dr on "Black time" B2
Tone Janša shinay, Dejan Pečenko p, Adelhard Roidinger b, Ratko Divjak dr on Yatra A3

After having finished his studies in Classical music and Jazz in Graz and after his Jazz studies at Boston's Berklee College of Music, Tone Janša returned to Yugoslavia, joined the RTV Ljubljana Big Band as saxophonist and devoted more time to his own music and quartet. He recorded in Ljubljana at North German radio station in Hamburg, in Trieste in numerous Yugoslav TV and radio studios. Further he played and recorded on Jazz Festivals at:

1974 the Polish "Jazz nad Odra", in Graz where he played in the international Big Band under the direction of Slide Hampton
1975 in Debrecen and Nagykanisza in Hungary, Ljubljana Jazz Festival, Finland "Pori Jazz Festival"
1976 in Prague with Gustav Brom's Big Band, Ljubljana and Belgrade Jazz Festival
1978 UER/EBU (Europena Big Band) in Perugia - Italy
1979 Yugoslav Jazz Festivals (Maribor, Novi Sad, Belgrade, Zagreb)
1980 Yatra Jazz Festival in Bombay + an extensive tour of India Burghausen Jazz Festival in Germany
1981 Berlin Jazz Festival "Jazz Buhne Berlin 81", Austrian Jazz Days in Linz, Aarhus EBU Jazz Festival in Denmark
1982 Saalfelden in Austria, Ljubljana and Maribor Jazz Festival, Nagykanisza and Sombathely in Hungary and many others

Tone Janša is without doubt one of the most promising jazz musicians in our country. He represents a new trend, which one readily recognizes after having listened to his music. His music is fresh, dynamic, and modally as well as rhythmically very interesting. He composes and plays his own music.

JANEZ GREGORC

Down Beat (USA)
Yugoslavian saxophonist Tone Janša, who has studied at Berklee College owes much to Trane-ish manner of building a solo use of trills, some of his phrasing -yet there often is not- Trane-ish edge to his tone a bite that owes a little to Eastern European folk reed instruments.

Mid-Day (Bombay-India)
Tone Janša a big name in Yugoslavian jazz made his mark on Yatra by his well knit coordination with his quartet and his original compositions. This was a group that didn't belive doing their own thing at the expense of the audience but concentrated instead on murmuring into a pleasant whole.

Neue Zaitschrift fur musick (BRD)
Den zweiten Abend (Beim  Burghausener jazz Festival) eroffnete internationale Gruppe um den jugoslawischen Saxophonisten Tone Janša. Die Stucke des Quartetts sind durchwegs Eigenkompositionen von Tone Janša, die stilistisch im modalen Bereich angesiedelt sind, durch die Einbeziehung von der Musik vieler jungerer Gruppen unterscheiden. Unuberhorbar der Einfluss der jugoslawischen Folklore die der Music von Tone Janša einen eigenwilligen Charakter verleit.

Neue Zeit (Austria)
Perfektion un Lockerheit. Es ist relativ selten dass vier Musiker dermassen aufeinander eintugehen verstehen eine Ausgewogenhiet war die Folge, die als Basis fur Janšas weitlaufige Improvisationen diente. Das vielzitierte Zusammentreffen bzw. Spielfreude wurde von dem Quartet uberzeugend zum Leben erweckt. Janšas eruptive Klangkaskaden wirbelten um die Holzkonstruktion des Raumes. Soli und kompaktes Zusammenspiel erganzten sich ungezwungen in logischer Folge.

Jazz B. Berlin
Ein 50 minutiges "Hormusik" Solo
An sudslawischer Folklore orientierte Quartett des jugoslawischen Saxophonisten Tone Janša verband in seinem Spiel Virtuositat und kreative improvisationen aufs das glucklichste.

Jazzpodium (BRD)
In seiner Stilistik und Spielauffasung sowohl auf dem Sopranals auf dem Tenorsaxophon, das in seiner auselrichen Abgenutzheit von einer bewegten instrumenten vergangenheit zeugt, verdankt Tone, gegen wartig mit zahlreichen Rundfuk-und Festivalengegements sicherlich einer der richtungsweisenden Jazzmusiker seines Landes, viel John Coltrane, mit dem er sich durch technische Perfektion, souverane Pharsierung, figural arabeske Solodurchfuhrung und fast hymnisch anmutende Expressivitat verbunde wiess.

Vinilija @ Radio Marš: Tone Janša III

TONE JANŠA - PATTERN (HELIDON 1979)




































A1 NOČ (Night) (Tone Janša)
A2 LABIRINT ( Labyrinth) (Tone Janša)
A3 KJE SO TISTE STEZICE (Where Are Those Little Paths) (Tone Janša)
A4 PARABOLA (Parabole) (Tone Janša)

B1 PATTERN (Tone Janša)
B2 DAN IN VZGON (Day and Buoyancy) (Tone Janša)
B3 ROM (Gypsy) (Tone Janša)
B4 POTOP (Sinking) (Tone Janša)

Tone Janša ts, ss, fl
Andre Jeanquartier p
Ewald Oberleitner b
Miroslav Karlović dr


For this album, Tone Janša's aim was to select recording which greatly vary from one another. His intent to make a versatile record has surely succeeded. Harmoniously and rhythmically, the record includes current and modern music, from the eight note feeling with contemporary harmonies, to madal jazz in complicated rhythms, and bi-tonal to atonal free jazz. At first glance, the record overwhelms the listener with an abundance of musical material. The pieces are intricately composed and each musician contributes his individual talents, producing a kaleidoscope of sound.

"Night" is a lyrical composition for tenor sax, in two parts with a straight eighth note rhythm. Part A has sicteen bars, the first eight repeat an ostinato bass in varying harmonies. Part B follows with four bars. The two solos are by the pianist and Janša. The theme is then repeated and is followed by a coda.

"Labyrinth" is an interwoven composition, consisting of many thematic and transitional elements. It is characterized by a labyrinthine structure, allowing plenty of room for solos on piano, drums and soporano sax. Of special interes in Tone's solo, is a section utilizing some kind of phrygian mode, with the addion of a major third.

"Where Are Those Little Paths" is very interesting use of Slovene folk song in jazz. Whit interesting reharmonization the liric song becomes a jazz ballad. Arranger plays quite free cadenca and then the coda follows.

"Parabole" is a composition for soprano sax with the heavy emphasis on drums, in the first part. The second part is in straight rhythm. The solos are on soprano, piano and bass.

The RTV Ljubljana Big Band, conducting by Jože Privšek surprises us on side B, with Janša's 10/4 composition, "Pattern". Tone starts it on flute, the band follows with the theme, and then Tone appears again on tenor. The climax is reached when the orchestra repeats the theme. The music calms down and dies out.

The following two selections were performed as one, live, at the Ljubljana '78 Jazz Festival. "Day" is a modern composition beginning with arco bass and flute, with the addition later on, of piano and drums. In a collective improvisation, the soloists use scales from the basic mode in atonal playing, return then, reach the climax and fade away.

"Buoyancy" is a piece with a break on tenor and a rather complex modal theme in ABCD form, with D in 7/4 meter. Solos are on tenor, and piano, followed by a break for tenor and a coda. "Day" and "Buoyancy" live from Jazz-Festival, Ljubljana '78.

"Gypsy" is a bi-tonal composition with gypsy music influence, featuring soprano sax. In the third part, the "gypsy minor" scale is used, and at the end, the composer's own composite scale.

"Sinking" is a free jazz composition, starting and ending melodiously with a collectively inspired improvisation by the quartet.

This album reveals a wide range of musical material and presents Janša as a very balanced musician, composer, and improvisator, who is capable of combining very different musical approaches, resulting in meaningful expression. This record of international team work is a valid representation of his credo.

JANEZ GREGORC

Vinilija @ Radio Marš: Tone Janša II

TONE JANŠA KVARTET - BEOGRADSKI JAZZ FESTIVAL '78 (RTB 1978)




































A1 MOTIV (Motive)
A2 SEDMINA (Seventh Day)

B1 MRAK (Dusk)
B2 VIZIJA (Vision)
B3 VZGON (Buoyancy)
B4 SONCE (Sun)

Compositions by Tone Janša

The times in yugoslav jazz music have changed. Sympathetic jazz listening and the amateur playing of the musicians, based mostly on talent, has, due to a specialized education, evolved into professional playing, with numerous opportunities to participate in international jazz festivals, modern studio work, and in professional concerts. At this stage in the development of European jazz we can add another expressive jazz talent and realize the importance of Tone Janša on our jazz scene.

Tone Janša is representative of a new generation of jazz musicians. The development of his music is logical for our modern times. He received his first playing experience in a big band in Kranj - a city which has provided jazz with some outstanding names. He continued his music education in Ljubljana, later at the Institute of Jazz in Graz. In Graz he studied tenor-saxophone and other instruments of the same family. He successfully completed his studies in Graz, first in classical music (1974) and than in jazz (1975). These studies provided him with the fundamentals for realising his own projects, including the formation of his own small combo, an important role in Radio-Television Ljubljana's Big Band and in his serious composer's work.

Tone Janša is a fully developed musical personality on our contemporary jazz scene. He is, without doubt, our leading tenor-saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist, with an admirable technique and talent for improvisation. He plays flute and soprano-saxophone as well as tenor-saxophone. He is musician with a lot of energy and full awareness for modern free improvisation. The repertoire of this, his second album, gives a good picture of his fresh and dynamic music, which is modally and rhythmically very interesting. Janša has already proven his abilities many times before on several domestic and foreign stages.

On this album, Tone Janša is presented with his quartet, consisting of collegues form Graz: pianist, Andre Jeanquartier from Switzerland, bassist, Ewald Oberleitner and drummer Johann Preininger, both Austrians. Preininger is replaced in some selections, by the talented young Yugoslav, Miro Karlović. Janša is obviously selecting experienced musicians, who are primarily able to realize able to realize his ideas, as well as contributing vital, individual solo work.

Concerning repertoire and sound, Janša and his quartet are presented on this album in a wide spectrum, from a lyrical ballad with the tender flute's tone, to robust improvisation with powerful tone in a very fast tempo and complicated rhytmical formulas. The program selected for this album therefore presents a wide range of Janša's musical creativity. The first selection MOTIV (recorded in the Zagreb studio "Lisinski") shows the composer as a real tenor saxophonist. So does the following SEDMINA, written in 7/4 meter and medium tempo. The "B" side of this album includes four originals of a wide and dynamic nature. MRAK is a ballad in a slow-medium tempo, where we hear the composer as a flutist. After the rubato introduction, the music goes in 13/4 meter, consisting of 6/4 and 7/4 formulas. In the following composition VIZIJA, the sound, metrical construction and tempo are changing. Having already appeared as tenor-saxophonist and flutist, the composer plays soprano in the meter of eighths, medium tempo and pop-rock rhythm. VZGON is an interesting and dynamically inventive theme, constructed in ABCD form - in four parts, where the fourth one is in 7/4. The introduction is a tenor-saxophone solo, then the music goes into tempo. The album ends with another original Janša's called SONCE, where once again the composer is heard on tenor-saxophone, and Johann Preininger on drums, as in the first two numbers. It starts as a ballad and then goes into 10/4 with an Ostinato figure. At the conclusion, it returns to its original ballad form. This album well expresses the personality of Tone Janša as a musician, composer and leader.

It is, by all means another welcome document of our documentary jazz.

Mladen Mazur

Vinilija @ Radio Marš: Tone Janša I

TONE JANŠA - JAZZ KVARTET (RTB 1977)




































A1 YUDACH (Tone Janša)
A2 SKOZI OBLAKE ( Over clouds) (Tone Janša)
B1 RIMSKA CESTA (Milky way) (Tone Janša)
B2 VITTA QUELLE (Tone Janša)

TONE JANŠA - ts, ss, fl -, got seriously engaged in jazz in 1969, when he started to study it at the Institute of Jazz in Graz (Austria). In the years 1971, 1972, and 1973, he played with Dieter Glawischnig in several clubs in W. Germany, Austria, Poland. Later he began to work with his own quartet, played in clubs and recorded in Ljubljana and for NDR (Radio Station) in Hamburg.
In 1974, he was recording with his quartet for RTV Ljubljana, made after that a tour to Poland, where he took part in "Jazz nad Odra" festival. After finishing his studies in Graz - where he graduated in classical music and jazz - and on Berklee College in Boston, he joined as professional the Big Band of RTV Ljubljana and at the same time continued to work with the quartet. In 1974, he played at jazz festival in Graz with the international big band, the leader of which was Slide Hampton; other members were Albert Mangelsdorff, Art Farmer, Rudi Josel etc. In 1975, he appeared with the quartet at the jazz festival in Ljubljana, in the autumn of the same year he visited Hungary - Debrecen and Nagykanisza. During this time he was also working with his Yugoslav quintet, which played at Pori jazz festival 1975. In 1976, he took part again at the jazz festival in Ljubljana and played also in Gustav Brom's big band together with Simeon Chterev at jazz festival in Prague.

Tone Janša is a musician of modern direction and is no doubt one of the most promising jazz musicians of Yugoslavia. One could well believe this after having heard his music. Janša introduced fresh, and dynamic music, which is modally and rhythmically very interesting. He plays his own tunes. His work contains intensification of rhythm, which is characteristic feature of his music. His progress is rapid and there is not enough space to speak about it in detail. However, the essence of his music is hidden elsewhere - in about it in detail. However, the essence of his music is hidden elsewhere - in the exceptional inventiveness and extraordinary energy, that originates in the manner he plays, thus revealing his artistic definition. His playing reaches other members of the group, thus achieving rich improvisation, which reflects both their common life style as well as the feeling of individual group members.

The quartet plays contemporary music with free improvisation, in fact it is concentrated and each new born idea flows from one to the other enriching itself and acquiring lines. Iridescent themes become lyrical variations performed with great inventiveness where every member of the group is will acquainted with his part.

ANDRE JEANQUARTIER - P -, from Neuchatell in Switzerland, finished studies of classical composition in Graz. He played in clubs in W. Germany, Switzerland, Spain, France, Austria, Poland, Yugoslavia and worked with various jazz groups and musicians. He was a member of international group "Nikodemus" which won the first prize at the jazz festival in San Sebastian - Spain in 1972.

EWALD OBERLEITNER - b -, is the Austrian from Graz, who has played in Switzerland, France, Spain, Poland, Yugoslavia until in 1960, he got engaged in free-jazz with Dieter Glawischnig, 1967-1971 with Eye Thelin, group, Albert Mangelsdorff, Slide Hampton and many others. He teaches at the Institute of Jazz in Graz.

JOHN PREININGER - d -, otherwise doctor of philology, teaches at the Institute of Jazz in Graz. He played in 1967-1972 with Eye Thelin and others, with Albert Mangelsdorff, Dieter Glawischnig, Dudek, Joachim Kuhn etc. in W. Germany, Poland, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Yugoslavia. He joined the quartet in 1974.

HARALD NEUWIRTH - p -, in "MILKY WAY"

JANEZ GREGORC