Croatian Jazz Concert a Smash!

Croatian Jazz Concert at Lincoln Center, May 23
Allen Room at Rose Hall, New York City.

This concert, part of a special series presented by the Croatia National Tourism Office, was a tribute to legendary jazz stylist, John Lewis (1920-2001), musical director of the Modern Jazz Quartet, an adopted son of Dubrovnik, the “pearl of the Adriatic” as ascribed by Lord Byron and Zagreb, the country’s capital city. Its signature was “For | From Croatia With Love.” The evening was a fund raiser for the Allis Inserviendo Consumer Foundation, a relief effort for autistic children in Croatia.

The evening featured noted jazz musicians including Bosko Petrovic, founder of the Zagreb Jazz Quartet whose tenure as a world-class virbrophonist goes back to the 60’s. He was joined by Davor Kajfes, pianist and composer, Marvio Marvin on bass, Matija Dedic, piano, Elvis Stanic, fusion guitar, Krunoslav Spisic, four tone mandolin, Thania Pavelic, R&B vocalist, and the Biava Quartet, winner of the Naumberg Chamber Music Award. From the American side we heard from Lenny White, drummer, and erstwhile accompanist of Miles Davis, George Colligan, pianist and Buster Williams, bass, whose mileage goes back to the days of Carmen McRae, Art Blakey, Errol Garner and a host of famed jazz artists over the last 50 years. The concert was narrated by Tucker Smith.

For | From Croatia With Love will continue its national tour of Croatia, Lado, at St.Patrick’s Cathedral and Lincoln Center, New York in October and at the Harris Theatre in Chicago.

Here’s a chance to hear and see the best of Croatian music and folkloric dance. Not to be missed.

– Michael