The Eastern Blok Quartet, from Chicago, Illinois, will be live at The Thompson House Friday July 6, 2012 at 8pm. Ticket price $10
The Los Angeles Times calls Eastern Blok’s music “relentlessly innovative work.” Downbeat Magazine claims that “the ensemble playing is often breakneck and consistently challenging.” Acoustic Guitar Magazine raves that Eastern Blok plays with “blazing virtuosity and sheer beauty.” Innovation! Innovation! Innovation! Such is the musical mantra for popular world fusion jazz ensemble Eastern Blok. This group remains ever ready to outdo themselves by pushing the envelope just a little further with each subsequent performance, often through the employment of unconventional rhythmic patterns and offbeat phrasings. They further challenge themselves by experimenting with music that varies in mood from the intensely lyrical and profoundly emotional to the more animated and light-hearted yet electrifying. Their inventive re-interpretations of old standards and innovative original compositions are a by-product of the artful blending of many diverse styles with jazz including classical, Macedonian, Bulgarian, and Serbian folk, Klezmer, rock and a smattering of Middle Eastern flavorings as well. The band members are all formally trained musicians and virtuosos in their own right, so as one might expect, their music is as distinguished in its complexity as it is technically advanced. Nevertheless, Eastern Blok takes pride in creating music that appeals to all types of listeners and also continues to stand the test of time....
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The Eastern Blok Quartet, from Chicago, Illinois, will be live at The Thompson House Friday July 6, 2012 at 8pm. Ticket price $10
The Los Angeles Times calls Eastern Blok’s music “relentlessly innovative work.” Downbeat Magazine claims that “the ensemble playing is often breakneck and consistently challenging.” Acoustic Guitar Magazine raves that Eastern Blok plays with “blazing virtuosity and sheer beauty.” Innovation! Innovation! Innovation! Such is the musical mantra for popular world fusion jazz ensemble Eastern Blok. This group remains ever ready to outdo themselves by pushing the envelope just a little further with each subsequent performance, often through the employment of unconventional rhythmic patterns and offbeat phrasings. They further challenge themselves by experimenting with music that varies in mood from the intensely lyrical and profoundly emotional to the more animated and light-hearted yet electrifying. Their inventive re-interpretations of old standards and innovative original compositions are a by-product of the artful blending of many diverse styles with jazz including classical, Macedonian, Bulgarian, and Serbian folk, Klezmer, rock and a smattering of Middle Eastern flavorings as well. The band members are all formally trained musicians and virtuosos in their own right, so as one might expect, their music is as distinguished in its complexity as it is technically advanced. Nevertheless, Eastern Blok takes pride in creating music that appeals to all types of listeners and also continues to stand the test of time.
EASTERN BLOK features classical guitar virtuoso GORAN IVANOVIC, joined by DOUG ROSENBERG on woodwinds, MATTHEW ULERY on upright bass, and MICHAEL CASKEY on percussion. The band was originally dubbed Goran Ivanovic Group by founding members Ivanovic and Rosenberg. They teamed up with Ulery and Caskey in 2004. After successfully packing venues throughout the country and honing their musical direction, the band released their self-titled debut album in 2005. “The Goran Ivanovic Group” record met with critical acclaim, combining traditional folk music from the Balkans along with Latin, flamenco and klezmer elements, European classical influences and American jazz. The track “Blacksmith’s Dance” was selected out of thousands of submissions as one of three finalists in the 2005 John Lennon Songwriting Competition. In 2006, the group began performing under the name EASTERN BLOK.
Year 2007 brought the group further recognition following their performance on Chicago Public Radio’s “Chicago Undercover,” and their headlining of the World Music Festival in Chicago. Eastern Blok’s next record, “Folk Tales,” was recorded that same year and released at their performance in the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. “Folk Tales” features a somber, serious sound with a lively and elusive beat. Having drawn upon highly dynamic classical and jazz aesthetics rather than relying on a recent fad of gypsy-jam-band antics, Eastern Blok maintained a timeless sound and virtuosic approach. With “Folk Tales” in hand, the group continued trekking across the country, performing at venues like Blues Alley and Twins Jazz in Washington D.C., The Metro and Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park in Chicago, The Krannert Center in Urbana, Joe’s Pub and Makor in NYC and Chris Jazz in Philadelphia to name just a few.
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