Yu - All Stars 1977 - 4 Lica Jazza (1978)

The recently established practice of Croatia Records delighting us with reissues of some of the pearls of jazz music from this area continues, so after the recent reissue of "The Zagreb Jazz Quartet" they reached back even further into the past and pulled out another jazz treat from the mothball and they served us in the remastered form.
YU - All Stars 1977 was a jazz ensemble that, on the initiative of one of the founders, Boško Petrović , included a few selected soloists from the territory of the former Yugoslavia, as well as some of those who played and worked abroad at the time. Apart from Boško Petrović on vibraphone, Damir Dičić on guitar and Krešimir Remeta on double bass who were from Zagreb, Duško Gojković on trumpet and flugelhorn and Bora Roković on piano came from Germany, Jovan Miković on tenor saxophone and Nada came to the band from Belgrade. Knežević as vocalist, and Ratko Divjak arrived from Ljubljanaon the drums. This, more than a jazz supergroup, decided to perpetuate its activity discographically and the album "4 Faces of Jazz" was recorded in the fall of 1977 in Zagreb, and the live promotional performances were in December of the same year in Zagreb in the Lisinski Concert Hall and the Lapidarij Club, and in the Union cinema hall in Ljubljana.
Over time, the album achieved a cult status and reached a high price on the collector's discophile market, and here we finally got its vinyl reissue.
From the opening composition " Kosmet" and the cover of the old folk song " Fisherman's Daughter" , through a set of covers of some of the greatest jazz classics performed by Nada Knežević , until the last " Tender Touch" , we witness the great inspiration of these musicians, who each individually got the opportunity to transfer his knowledge, talent and virtuosity to the grooves of this vinyl.
Almost an hour and a half of superb jazz music on this double album performed by these fantastic musicians who have passed through some of the world's biggest jazz stages and united in this YU - All Stars ensemble are another confirmation of the excellence of jazz music in these areas from the earliest days, so here it is and to this day. With "teachers" like these, it is not surprising that even today we witness top jazz musicians and top editions of jazz music in our country.
As I said before, this cult album became one at the time of its release, and the time between then and now has only made its value increase even more, so now is an opportunity that should not be missed. Any true collector will probably not hesitate to acquire this exceptional album.
Albums that are 45 years old are not reviewed, they have already been reviewed many times by now, they are only recommended or forgotten. This album should not be forgotten under any circumstances and it is fortunate that we can enjoy it again.