Bosko Petrovic - B.P. Collection (2006)

Croatia Records releases four-CD box set on the occasion of the 75th birthday of celebrated jazz composer Boško Petrović
A major work of Croatian jazz discography
On the occasion of the 75th birthday of the celebrated jazz composer, vibraphonist, promoter, jazz club leader, educator, editor and host of radio and TV shows, and discographer Boško Petrović, Croatia Records has released a four-CD box set that brings more than four and a half hours of exciting jazz music.
This release presents several aspects of the work of the great Croatian jazz figure who recently marked two other significant anniversaries: the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Zagreb Jazz Quartet, the most significant group in the history of Croatian jazz, and the 20th anniversary of his B.P. Club.
The first CD brings recordings that Petrović made in collaboration with famous world jazz musicians. Among others, these are singer "Big" Joe Turner, trumpeter Clark Terry, clarinetist Buddy de Franco, harmonica player Toots Thielemans, flautist James Newton, pianist Kenny Drew, double bassist N.H.Ø. Pedersen and saxophonist Jerome Richards. These recordings confirmed Petrović as a musician of international reputation who was friends with and played with the greatest stars of world jazz, and he hosted many of them at his B.P. Club. The second CD includes performances with the legendary guitarist Joe Passo, who opened the B.P. Club with his performance. With this virtuoso, a musician with the same affinities, he achieved them in various formations, from duos, to trios, quartets and quintets to jazz quartets with a string quartet. The third disc brings performances by the current Petović trio with guitarist Primož Grašič and bass guitarist Mario Mavrin. The fourth CD is dedicated to Petrović's collaborations with Slovenian jazz musicians. In addition to performances with the RTV Slovenia Big Band, recordings with a Croatian-Slovenian ensemble founded specifically for recording with him are also included.
Musical Skill
Although he worked in various subgenres of jazz during his career, from collaborations with folk or classical music players, through fusion to contemporary jazz, which he performed at the Zagreb Biennale, the performances included on these four CDs reveal an approach that is closest to Petrović's musical sensibility and commitment to mainstream jazz. His expertise and musical skill are evident in performances that require discipline and respect for arrangements, as well as those that are created according to the principle of jam sessions, an extremely demanding but Petrović's favorite "discipline". Just as he brought together musicians in his club who had never played together before, and to their and the audience's delight, they enjoyed spontaneous collaborations, so he himself adored unplanned encounters and participated in the creation of new music, the kind that happens once and never again. And when all the prerequisites for magic coincide, unforgettable musical moments are created that remain recorded in the memories of the musicians who participated in their creation, the audience present, and those who learned about them from oral tradition. This is how jazz legends are created, some of which are recorded on these releases.
Petrović's oeuvre is enormous, and his versatility in styles and collaborations, as well as his discography and compositional output, deserve a much more extensive discographic presentation. For example, the content of a new album could consist exclusively of Petrović's compositions. Namely, he is an exceptionally creative and prolific jazz composer whose works of lasting value deserve more thorough cataloging and documentation on audio recordings.
Confirmation of musicality
These four CDs alone, for example, do not include recordings from two records released for MPS/BASF, which he made with notable Eastern European jazz musicians in the Nonconvertible All Stars Orchestra, performing mostly his own compositions, or recordings with leading Croatian jazz musicians, from the Zagreb Jazz Quartet (there is only one performance by the ZJK on this release) to the Boilers Quartet. That is why a significant part of this five-CD release consists of "ficleki" that were released as supplements to individual thematic CDs. These are recordings of a trio with guitarist Damir Dičić and double bassist Zdravko Šatrak, and the Zagreb Jazz Quartet.
Croatia Records marked Petrović's 75th birthday with another release. At the same time as the four-CD release "B.P. Collection" released the CD "From Moscow To L.A." which includes previously unreleased recordings that Petrović made in a duo with pianist Neven Frangeš in 1986 at the Berlin Jazz Festival. Their performances of Petrović's compositions are another confirmation of the author's musicality, sense of aesthetics and thinking about jazz through the eyes of a musician who comes from a European tradition. This release was also used for "ficles". As extras, Petrović made performances in a duo with his long-time collaborator, pianist Davor Kajfeš, and in collaboration with famous American jazz players: pianist Lou Lewy, double bassist Monty Budwig and drummer Larance Marable. Writing about this recording in Los Angeles, American jazz critic Ken Borgers noted, among other things, that Borgers noted, among other things, that Boško's composition "Croatia '91", recorded during the Homeland War, is a beautiful ballad that depicts the hardships that Croatia is going through and the hope for peace and tranquility.
With this CD, and the releases that Croatia Records has released in the last few years: "B.P. Convention: Live at Studio M" and "Zagrebački jazz kvartet: Live", the picture of Petrović's career is more complete, but not complete. Judging by the celebrant's statements at the promotion of these releases, this is just an introduction to a new creative period. Namely, his restless spirit has already flickered, permeated with new plans in various fields of activity. The only question is whether he will be able to find collaborators who will be able to keep up with his pace.