Jazz
Format: CD
Code: 112430
EAN: 3838898112430
The conductor TADEJ TOMŠIČ
Born in 1975 in Slovenia’s capital Ljubljana. People immediately noticed Tadej’s gifts for music. His father was an accordion player and successful local musician. So at 6 years old young Tadej was already performing professionally in the southern part of Slovenia near his home town of Kočevje, sometimes against his will. At age 13 he entered a local music school there for clarinet, but left home at an early age to continue his studies at the Secondary School of Music and Ballet in Ljubljana,
where he graduated with honors in 1992, majoring in classical clarinet. In these younger years of his life, when other kids were outside playing, he was known to lock himself in the garage and practice clarinet for hours on end. During this time Tadej was also slowly developing a love for improvised music, and he took a chance. As he proceeded to pass the entrance exam for classical clarinet at the Music Academy of Ljubljana, Tadej simultaneously passed the entrance exam for jazz saxophone at
the University of Music and Dramatic Arts in Graz, Austria. This chance he took, giving up clarinet and switching to saxophone, would further develop his lifelong love, jazz. At that point Tadej bought his first tenor sax, packed his clarinet and left his home country to pursue his jazz dreams. There he received a master’s degree in 1998 with honors, rarity for foreign students at that time specially.
After graduation he was tempted by many special offers. But what caught his eye and ear the most was a chance to play 1st tenor and arrange for his home country’s Big Band RTV Slovenia. Given that the number of big bands in Europe slowly recedes with each passing year, Tadej took this opportunity, hoping to be able to put his special mark on the band, and continue working on creating his own sound. And he has not looked back. In 2004 he was asked to become the primary conductor of the band.
The various projects he has participated in and/or directed include over a 1000 concerts.
Among the highlights are performances with: Herb Pomeroy, Carl Drewo, Clark Terry, Dusko Gojkovic, Bill Holman, Michael Abene, Bob Mintzer, Jon Riley, The Yellowjackets, David Murray, Ed Partyka, Diane Shuur, George Lewis, Kate & Mike Westbrook, Mathias Rüegg, Butch Morris, Ron McClure, Adam Nussbaum, Peter Erskine, Mark Murphy, Bobby Shew, Gary Burton, Karl Heinz Miklin, Fritz Pauer, Sigi Feigl, Ewald Oberleitner, Steve Klink, Martin Gjakonovski, Stjepko Gut, Bosko Petrovic, Miljenko
Prohaska, Damir Dicic, Radojka Sverko, Misa Blam, Milos Krstic,... Petar Ugrin, Ales Avbelj, Renato Chicco, Primoz Grasic, David Jarh, Blaz Jurjevcic, Peter Mihelic, Milko Lazar, Ratko Divjak, Jaka Pucihar, Alenka Godec, Mia Znidaric, New Swing Quartet, Oto Pestner...
Tadej has also performed in hundreds of different television, radio shows and jazz festivals. Among them some selected highlights: 1st Tenor performance with Slovene guitarist Primož Grašič, music composed and conducted by Jože Privšek, live broadcasted on national radio stations Europe-wide in 1997. Karlowih Warih Jazz Festival in the Czech Republic (1998), 40th Jazz Festival in Križanke, Slovenia (1998), Alpe-Adria Jazz Festival Nagykanisza, Hungary (1996), European Broadcast Union (EBU)
concerts of his own compositions and arrangements in 2006 and 2007, broadcast on national radio stations Europe-wide.
Creativity is a process which can be broken down into four distinctive phases: preparation, incubation, illumination and verification.
Big Band RTV Slovenija, 15 years ago. Tadej was then the youngest member of the orchestra, a tenor saxophone soloist. In his solos, Tadej explored the world of his musical instrument. Preparation.
Tadej soon became an arranger. His zeal for group playing and a love for the sound of the saxophone stimulated him to pen his first arrangements for the saxophone quartet Saxtet. In this phase, Tadej explored the multidimensionality of his instrument. Incubation I.
This was also a period when various artists from abroad began to play with the orchestra, and each of these artists brought with them their own diverse views and musical tastes. Tadej seized these opportunities to
learn how to design the sound of the entire orchestra and he started to form his own views regarding expression in music. Incubation II.
By the middle of his career, after performing in many small jazz groups, especially the T. T. Jazz Institution, Tadej created his first arrangements and compositions for big band. In the beginning they were more traditional, even cautious, but very honest. Later they became more direct, original and convincing. With them Tadej expressed his own musical personality. Illumination.
Now we have the opportunity to listen to the culmination of Tadej's development, reflected through his many musical roles: composer, arranger, conductor and soloist. This is Tadej's CD debut. We hope it will reach and enthral all jazz enthusiasts. It's time for re:start. Verification.
Foreword: mag. Jasmina Tomšič
Translated by: Polona Mertelj, Steve Klink
Compositions:
1. Autumn Leaves
2. Cat'z Rhumba
3. Ava's Song (listen!)
4. Caleidoscope Online
5. Pass The Peas
6. 4 Others Brothers
7. The Chicken
8. It Was Some Sort Of Sand, Again...
9. Got A Match
10. I Got You (I Feel Good)
