SERBIAN ALL STARS: Past, Present and Future (Serbia)

Luka Ignjatović – alto saxophone 

Dragan Ćalina – piano 

Milan Nikolić – upright bass

Aleksandar Cvetković – drums 

Guests

Milena Jančurić – flute

Rastko Obradović – saxophone 

Ivan Radivojević – trumpet 

Miloš Čolović – upright bass 

The Belgrade Jazz Festival has always paid special attention to local artists, taking responsibility for the affirmation of Serbian jazz, both locally and internationally, given the large presence of foreign media at the event. At the second Newport in Belgrade, the Yugoslav All Stars Band led by Duško Gojković and Bora Roković performed, bringing together 19 prominent jazz artists from the country and the diaspora. As of 2024, around 140 local ensembles/soloists performed at the event, which makes up about a quarter of the total number of participants. The RTS Big Band has a record number of performances (this year marks their 18th time). Among soloists, the record is held by trumpeter Duško Gojković with nine performances, and among instrumentalists, drummer Lazar Tošić with at least 16 performances in the main program. 

Since 2009, the Festival has commissioned an original production by a prominent local band or soloist (most often with an international guest soloist), and since 2015, the Serbian Showcase has also been organized, where 26 bands or soloists, mostly of the younger generation from the country and diaspora, have been presented to date. For the anniversary edition of the event, a quartet of professors from the Department of Jazz and Popular Music of the Faculty of Music in Belgrade will present the original festival production Past, Present and Future. The first part of the concert will be dedicated to the memory of Serbian jazz icons who participated in the event, with music written by Duško Gojković, Bora Roković, Lala Kovačev, Mića Marković and Stjepko Gut. The second part will highlight the work of the greatest talents, who will join the quartet on stage as program guests.