That doesn't sound too difficult a task on the face of it. A quick check of the sleeve and you see some of the RTB's 'guests' at the time were Dusko Gojkovic, Alan Skidmore, Gerd Dudek and Bora Rokovic. We already know one of the tunes as 'Balkan Express' has already been released on a previous Cosmic Sounds compilation and 'Cosmic Sounds Remixed' (CS-28).

Is 'Balkan Express' my favourite? Well to say all the other ten other tracks are equally good would make it sound bland. And this is anything but bland. It's not only the aching ears of the likes of Matthew Herbert that long for a modern day philanthropist to fund a European Big Band jazz revival. But until that happens, this is a superb substitute.

The album opens with 'Pauk'. After a short tune-up, it's as big a Big Band jazz-fusion sound blast as the digital re-master machine can cope with. Very theme-tune sounding with flute, funky keys and trumpet solos and it sets the scene for the rest of the album.

Inevitably, a traditional folk dance influenced tune gets in and 'Kolo' blows away any 'traditional' nametag elements. It'd be a great first dance at a themed 70s styled wedding. A bit like Lalo Schifrin goes on his holidays to the Balkans. Especially on 'Krug' (The Circle) with a great guitar interlude and a bit of keyboard that sounds like 'And You And I' by Yes (or is it 'Roundabout' – now that would be a coincidence?). And talking of Lalo, 'Macka' (The Cat) is the longest track at nearly 12 minutes. Whilst there's no Jimmy Smith equivalent, it finds its feet after a delicate start and runs all over the place with the tenor sax of Milvoj Markovic including particularly great reed 'swark'.

Trumpet and flügelhorn player, Georgi Dimitrovski, wrote both the 'Wedding Dance by the River Bistrica' and 'Spring Etida'. They sound more like Van der Valk theme tunes to me; loads of horn with a funky guitar. 'Atlantis' is subterranean funky blaxploitation movie soundtrack with groovy moogy keyboard noises. And they also find their way into 'Vilenjak I Vila' (Goblin And Fairy), which has some serious tromboning going on with added elegant trumpet of Dusko Gojkovic. 'I Fall In Love With One Girl' is the love theme and there are Freddie Hubbard echoes with the flügelhorn solo. As I've been pushed, I'm not so keen on the last track, 'Aretuza' which is an alto sax-piano smooth jazz piece but even that ends with a flourish.

'Balkan Ekspres' features Alan Skidmore and Gerd Dudek but by then you're reaching the same conclusion as Zeljko. There is no favourite, as they are all great. Most unusual on a double album, even a quasi 'Greatest Hits' such as this. Don't worry that the front cover looks like some 1970s light entertainment BBC Orchestra on Eurovision Song Contest rehearsal duties, get your order in now for one of the Limited Edition double vinyl albums (see the link to Cosmic Sounds web site below) or the CD version. It's out this week!

Links:
Zeljko Kerleta
RTB Big Band With Guests - JAZZ ORKESTAR RADIO-TELEVIZIJE BEOGRAD (CS-34) CD & Dble LP
Van der Valk