Zagreb Jazz Quartet - The Best Of Zagreb Jazz Quartet (1960 - 1984) (1997)

ZAGREB JAZZ QUARTET - was among the first significant jazz ensembles in Croatia. It was founded in 1959.Soon the quartet became famous, home and abroad, for its distinctive art of chamber music and folk elements which were included in the compositions. The quartet has also received two Porin prizes in 1996, one for the best jazz album (Jazz Galla Zagreb 900) and one for the best jazz performance (Jazz Galla Zagreb 900). They've performed in Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Nederlands, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, France, Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, Esthonia, etc. They've also made recordings for the Croatia Records, Philips, Atlantic, Fontane, Black Lion, Alta, Jazzette. Today, the ensemble is no longer active, but the members perform with many other established jazz ensembles.
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DAVOR KAJFES: Pianist, composer and teacher was born in 1934, in Zagreb, Croatia. He graduated in the Academy of Music in Zagreb in 1964, but his professional playing experience dates back to 1957, when he began performing with the Zagreb Radio-TV Big Band. While with the big band, he composed for the worldly known Zagreb Film Company and various TV shows. In 1959, he joined the Zagreb Jazz Quartet and quickly thereafter became its leader. In the period that followed, he toured with the quartet in Europe and the USSR, and played and recorded with: Art Farmer, Buck Clayton, Csaba Dese, Helen Humes, Big Joe Turner, T-Bone Walker, Albert Mangelsdorff, Red Mitchell, and other prominent jazz musicians and singers.
Since 1967, Davor has been a resident of Stockholm, Sweden, where he performed among others with Swend Asmussen and Alice Babs. With her he also made a record “Simple Isn’t Easy”. His daily work was devoted to the University College of Dance and Choreography, where he has been teaching, playing and composing for dance (modern and jazz) for more than 30 years. Additional composing and performances included the TV ballet “Balanse” with W. Nicks as choreographer, and the TV production “Choreographer is Improvising” with P. Christopher. On his many visits to his native city Zagreb, he played in many concerts, jazz clubs, and made various recordings at the radio, TV Zagreb and CD productions.
Most important performances were in 1979, at the Monterey Jazz Festival with trio and “BP Convention” group. In 1995-96, he played piano duo with John Lewis in a performance in Stockholm, Sweden.
Some of his more important compositions are: Davor’s Blues, Degression, Ornaments, Boogie Balkanique, Eftertanke, Collision (1974 won the prize at the “Concours International de Composition de themes de Jazz-Monaco”). Working with dance in various forms was and still is his main preoccupation,, but occasionally he is returning to his lifetime passion, the music of jazz. Nowadays, he is working with composer/cellist Peter Schuback. Their CD “Impositions” was released in 2002.