Development of Jazz in Slovenia in the Fifties and the Sixties of the 20th Century
The Master thesis presents the survey of development of jazz in Slovenia in the Fifties and the Sixties of the 20th century. Although precursors of jazz on the Slovenian territory stem from the Twenties when the first band with the word “jazz” in its name appeared – its music could not be labeled as jazz. While during each following decade there were more jazz elements in the bands’ music, especially more improvisation, we can only speak of true jazz in Slovenia after the year 1960. The end of the Forties and the beginning of the Fifties was marked by a strong opposition to jazz. At the symposium of music editors in Belgrade Bojan Adamič won the permission for jazz to be performed and a few years later he had to repeat that via articles in Slovene newspapers. Jazz was spreading forcefully among the youth that listened during the night to the Voice of America radio; later it also spread with American movies, such as Bathing Beauty, and concerts of foreign jazz musicians (Jutta Hipp, Tony Scott, Louis Armstrong, Modern Jazz Quartet) in Ljubljana. 1953 saw the founding of the band Soloists of the Radio Ljubljana Dance Orchestra,later Ljubljana Jazz Ensemble, that mostly performed traditional jazz, followed by also by the Mojmir Sepe Ensemble that played more modern jazz (cool, bebop) and Jože Kampič Quintet that followed the example of the Art van Damme Quartet. The Academic Dance Orchestra that in a way served as a university for the Radio Ljubljana Dance Orchestra recorded in the Soviet Union a few tracks that were issued on two records. At the end of the Fifties the Ljubljana jazz scene spread with a huge number of various bands that mostly played at Ljubljana school dances. Right at the end of the Fifties the Ljubljana Jazz Ensemble recorded the first jazz record in postwar Yugoslavia, followed a few years later by the Mojmir Sepe Ensemble and the Jože Privšek Quartet. 1960 saw the first Yugoslav Jazz Festival in Bled, firstly attracting Yugoslav jazz musicians, while in a few years foreign ones started coming, representing an important reason for the development of jazz in Slovenia. In the beginning of the Sixties the orchestra Ad Hoc is founded, performing arrangements of Janez Gregorc in the style of Stan Kenton and Gil Evans, successfully performing and winning recognition around Europe. Jože Privšek continues heading his quartet and a few years later travels to the United States to study jazz, becoming the First Slovene with jazz education. Upon his return Privšek takes over the Radio Ljubljana Dance Orchestra and brings it into the company of European Big Bands of highest quality. The ounding of the Jazz Institute at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz presents the 6 closest opportunity for university level jazz education for Slovenian jazz musicians – until the
jazz course of study at the Ljubljana Academy of Music opens in October this year (2023).
|
