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This time it’s the turn of Romania and all the tracks are taken from the archives of Electrecord (great name) between 1966 and 1978. Two years at the extremes of English football but clearly a very consistent period for Romanian jazz.

Perhaps all we need to know in terms of quality is that it’s compiled by Jazzanova and Stephan Steigleder.

Starting off with two upbeat blues, it almost seems cruel that we only get a 5 minute 28 seconds edit of ‘Latino’ by Orchestra Universitatii de Jazz din Illinois. That must have been a brilliant band in their day and if the full version is as good all the way through, let’s have a 12” please for Latin/modal big band heads.

But not to worry as there are more Latin tracks, heavy piano trios, big band TV themes and the Romanian equivalent of Urszula Dudziak, Aura Urziceanu; you’ve got to hear ‘Iarna, Iarna’ and ‘Nu-mi Cere Sa Coint’.

Classic space-travel-loving jazz vocal bossa-swing music of the organ is rare to find so ‘Cercuri’ by the Vocal Jazz Quartet is another must but if pushed hard to choose a top track it’s got to be ‘Xybaba’ for its big band break fusion for eleven and a half minutes.

Hectic Mix nominations: ‘Xybaba’, ‘Latino’ ‘Balada’, ‘Nu-mi Cere Sa Coint’, ‘Cercuri’

Reviewed: Various - Romanian Jazz (compiled by JAZZANOVA) Cat. No. SK132CD Release date: 26th February 2007

Tracklisting:
1. Guido Manusardi - Blues For Vali
2. J.Carisi - Blues Minor
3. Orchestra Universitatii De Jazz Din Illinois - Latino (Edit)
4. Guido Manusardi - Arriving Soon
5. Johnny Raducanu - Balada
6. Aura Urziceanu - Iarna, Iarna
7. Paul Weiner Quartet - Colinda P
8. Marius Popp - Xybaba
9. Aura Urziceanu - Nu-Mi Cere Sa Cint
10. Vocal Jazz Quartet - Cercuri

Links:
www.sonarkollektiv.de
www.myspace.com/sonarkollektiv