Big Band RTS (Serbia) & Alan Broadbent (New Zealand): From Newport to Belgrade
RTS BIG BAND (Serbia)
Nikola Cvetković, Marko Đorđević, Vladimir Krnetić, Nemanja Banović – trumpet, flugelhorn
Corey Wilcox, Kosta Vukašinović, Nemanja Zlatarev, Ivan Platner – trombone
Rastko Obradović, Aljoša Andrejević, Kristijan Mlačak, Ljubomir Turajlija, Ivan Teofilović – saxophone
Ivan Aleksijević – piano
Milan Pavković – upright bass
Petar Radmilović – drums
The RTS Big Band is the only professional jazz ensemble in Serbia in the formation of a large orchestra. Founded in 1948, it quickly established itself as a top-performing band. Among the distinguished conductors who led it were Mladen Bobi Guteša, Vojislav Bubiša Simić, Zvonimir Skerl, Duško Gojković and Stjepko Gut, and among the great soloists who started notable international careers in it were Mile Pavlović, Bora Roković, Duško Gojković, Lala Kovačev and Stjepko Gut.
The orchestra performed with numerous world jazz greats and show business stars. As the backbone of the Serbian jazz scene, the ensemble held numerous concerts throughout the country, participated in leading jazz festivals, as well as in many well-known international events. It is the recipient of the Sretenje Order of the Third Class, for special merits to the Republic of Serbia and its citizens in public and cultural activities.
Today, the RTS Big Band is a modern orchestra that realizes successful concert seasons by performing with the country's and world's most outstanding jazz musicians. Since 2015, the orchestra has released five albums: Balkan Soul, Latin Haze (with Duško Gojković), Aquarelle (with Samuel Blaser), Mimo od Budve (with Mimo Mitrović) and New Seasons (with Francesco Santucci). Since the revival of the Belgrade Jazz Festival in 2005, distinguished guests have always performed with the orchestra at the event: Benny Golson (2006), John Faddis (2008), Duško Gojković and Peter King (2011), Bert Joris (2013), Christoph Lauer (2015), Bobby Shew (2018) and Omar Sosa (2022). The orchestra is the undisputed record holder for the number of participations at the Festival, performing for the 18th time this year. Balkan Soul, Latin Haze (sa Duškom Gojkovićem), Aquarelle (sa Semjuelom Blazerom), Mimo od Budve (sa Mimom Mitrovićem) i New Seasons (sa Frančeskom Santućijem). Od obnavljanja Beogradskog džez festivala 2005, sa orkestrom su na manifestaciji uvek nastupali uvaženi gosti: Beni Golson (2006), Džon Fedis (2008), Duško Gojković i Piter King (2011), Bert Joris (2013), Kristof Lauer (2015), Bobi Šu (2018) i Omar Sosa (2022). Orkestar je neprikosnoveni rekorder po broju učešća na Festivalu, ove godine nastupajući 18. put.
ALAN BROADBENT (New Zealand)
Alan Broadbent – conductor, piano
Alan Broadbent was born in Auckland (New Zealand) in 1947. With a scholarship from DownBeat magazine, he studied at Berklee College in Boston. From there, he joined Woody Herman's band as a pianist and arranger. At the same time, he collaborates with the singer Irene Kral. Among the numerous artists he worked with during the 1970s and 1980s are Nelson Riddle, Johnny Mandel, Bud Shank, Bob Brookmeyer, Warne Marsh, Percy Faith and Barbra Streisand. Today, he is often engaged as a conductor in orchestral concerts and albums by Diana Krall. He also wrote arrangements for albums by Glenn Frey and Paul McCartney. DownBeat studirao je na koledžu Berkli u Bostonu, odakle je direktno ušao u orkestar Vudija Hermana, kao pijanista i aranžer. Uporedo ostvaruje saradnju sa pevačicom Irenom Kral, a među brojnim umetnicima sa kojima je radio tokom sedamdesetih i osamdesetih su Nelson Ridl, Džoni Mendel, Bad Šank, Bob Brukmajer, Vorn Marš, Persi Fejt i Barbra Strejsend. Danas je često angažovan kao dirigent na orkestarskim koncertima i albumima Dajane Krol, a pisao je aranžmane i za albume Glena Freja i Pola Makartnija.
He recorded dozens of albums as a solo pianist, leader of small combos and orchestras, or as a sideman. Since 1991, he has been the pianist, arranger and conductor of the Natalie Cole Orchestra. This engagement won him his first Grammy for best orchestral arrangement accompanying a vocal in 1997, for the track "When I Fall In Love" (the second duet featuring sampled vocals by her father, Net). Since 1987, he has been a member of the legendary Charlie Haden's Quartet West, with whom he recorded nine albums and participated for the first time at the Belgrade Jazz Festival 2010 in the same hall where he will perform this time. For the arrangement of the "Lonely Town" track, on which the quartet was guest singer Shirley Horn, he won the second Grammy in 2000. He has held the high New Zealand Order of Merit since 2007.
The program From Newport to Belgrade evokes the memory of several jazz greats who participated in our event. We'll hear original Broadbent arrangements of works by Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk and Charlie Haden, as well as compositions inspired by Newport and the legacy of Dizzy Gillespie.
