Sdban Jazz | Fusion 10 Items

Sdban Records is proud to present Doo's Blues, a collection of previously unreleased radio recordings capturing Serbian jazz trumpeter, composer and band leader Dusko Goykovich (1931-2023) at the moment he definitively established himself as one of Europe's most distinctive jazz artists.

Dusko Goykovich was born and raised in Jajce, Bosnia and Herzegovina, at the time part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. He studied at the Belgrade Music Academy from 1948 to 1953, playing trumpet in Dixieland bands and joining the big band of Radio Belgrade at the age of 18. After leaving Yugoslavia in 1956, Goykovich spent the next ten years developing his sound. Moving to Frankfurt he first established himself on the West German jazz scene, where he played with the renowned big bands of Kurt Edelhagen and Kenny Clarke & Francy Boland. Then, after appearances at the world's largest jazz festivals such as Comblain-la-Tour in Belgium, Antibes in France and Newport, Goykovich moved stateside where he spent four years studying at the world famous Berklee College and worked with the likes of Woody Herman and Maynard Ferguson.

Returning to Europe in the mid-sixties Goykovich soon introduced the world to his innovative Balkan jazz sound with Swinging Macedonia (1966), an album characterised by the melancholic melodies and sophisticated rhythms reminiscent of his native land. Today Swinging Macedonia still stands as one of the most important and sought-after works of European folk inspired jazz and demonstrates how Goykovich was not merely an excellent instrumentalist, but also a gifted composer and versatile artist in his own right.

Not long after Swinging Macedonia's release Goykovich was invited to record two sessions for BRT (Belgian Radio & TV), which he performed with three different ensembles. For the first session, recorded in late January of 1967, Goykovich was accompanied by Belgian vibraphonist Fats Sadi's quartet. Later that same day Goykovich was also joined by the BRT Jazzorkest, Belgium national radio's in-house jazz orchestra then playing under the direction of alto saxophonist Etienne Verschueren. Less than two months later Goykovich found himself once again ensconced in BRT's Brussels studios, this time heading up an international quintet that also included Bent Jædig (tenor saxophone and flute), Scott Bradford (piano), Jimmy Woode (bass) and Al Jones (drums).

Whilst the metaphor 'jazz with an accent' has been widely used to describe the music that European jazz artists created in the 1950s and 1960s, it fails to do justice to the entirely new language that Dusko Goykovich was developing. No mere dialect Goykovich's jazz was a delicate, multi-layered language, one that owed just as much to the folk music of the Balkans as it did to the modern music of America. And to the blues. For this is Doo's Blues.

Sdban Records is an independent, groove-obsessed record label based in Ghent, Belgium. The label started off as a 60's and 70's compilation and reissue label. The very first release, the acclaimed 'Funky Chicken: Belgian Grooves from the 70's', was a milestone right away. Recent releases include reissues and retrospective compilations from artists like André Brasseur, René Costy, and Jack Sels, as well as the compilations 'The Belgian Soundtrack' and 'Hip Holland Hip', which respectively cover the musical connection of Belgium with cinema and modern jazz in the Netherlands between 1950 and 1970. Doo's Blues was compiled by Lander Lenaerts, a DJ and writer who plays an important part in documenting the rich jazz history Belgium has to offer.

This collection of rare and previously unreleased recordings pays homage to the life and jazz of Jack Sels.

Sdban Records is delighted to announce the reissue of this genre-defying jazz album originally released on library label Selection Records in 1972.

Delving into the story of the American pianist and composer Phil Raphaël reveals more questions than answers. He was born in New York where he played with Charlie Parker, Jon Eardley and Howard McGhee, but a 1951 recording with Red Rodney for Prestige Records is the single remaining trace of his bebop days. Raphaël appeared under unknown circumstances in Belgium in the 1960s, playing among others at the 1966 Jazz Bilzen festival, and he eventually settled in Brussels. A multifaceted musician, he did not limit himself to jazz and also worked in pop groups, directed the music for the spectacle Hair, and even had a brief residency at Pol's Jazz Club where he played the music of Johann Sebastian Bach four nights per week.

His album 'Stop, Look, Listen', which was recorded with the rhythm section of Babs Robert's group, consists of four long genre-defying tracks colored by the dreamlike vocals of opera singer Rose Thompson. A surreal blend of genres, hard to pin down. It's highly imaginative jazz, that much is sure. Raphaël shifts from serene late night piano jazz to more free or even spiritual passages, magnificently paired with the otherworldly vocals of Rose Thompson. The LP was put out by Selection Records, a label that primarily issued library music at the time, and thus went largely unnoticed upon release. The recording makes clear that Phil Raphaël was a highly gifted artist whose talent will forever remain undervalued, since it was his only effort as a leader. Raphaël's passage through the Belgian nightlife was just as mysterious as his music, and few people seem to remember him. Drummer Bruno Castellucci describes him as remarkable, both as a musician and as a person: "He was a hippie before there were hippies. He wasn't part of the system but he had a system of his own."

Reissue of the Belgian milestone jazz album originally released in 1975.This is groundbreaking, experimental and funky jazz fusion!

Sdban Records continues its reissues of the legendary library series 'A Special Radio - TV Record' with Selection 23, releasing a variety of notable tracks from the 70s library label together on a physical compilation for the first time. With this release, the label continues the vinyl reissues of the Belgian imprint 'Selection Records,' featuring tracks originally released between 1976 and 1981.

Essentially, the tracks take you through a cinematic musical landscapewhere funk and soul merge with a hint of jazz, always evoking a sense of familiarity.

One name that immediately springs to mind is René Costy. From this virtuoso and insatiable artist, the compilation 'Expectancy' was previously released. With 'Strange Dream' and 'Crystal Waltz,' he shows once again that he was not only a versatile composer but also a curious jazz cat. With 'Space Shuttle Jazz', pianist and harmonica Jacques Siroul shows his fascination for synthesizers. Which, as a composer, earned him an unofficial title as an expert in music on demand. This, and much more, make Selection 23 a must-have for fans of previous compilations like Beat Action, Funky Chicken, and Funky Chimes!

Limited edition 2LP on grey vinyl, in gatefold sleeve with liner notes. Delve into the Dutch jazz scene of the 1950s and 1960s with a selection of classic and rare hard bop and cool jazz tracks from artists like Herman Schoonderwalt, the Diamond Five, Wessel Ilcken and Tony Vos. Holland never sounded this hip before!

Standard version on black vinyl. 2LP in gatefold sleeve with liner notes.Utopic Cities is an eclectic selection of forward-thinking jazz from the Belgian underground, including the left-field fusion of Marc Moulin's Placebo, Koen De Bruyne, Solis Lacus and more.