Music
Press
Pavol Bodnar's release of Ecce Jazz is a truly one of a kind jazz project. The CD is well-rounded with various styles such as eclectic jazz fusion, folk music melodies, Latin rhythms and universal harmony. The music on this CD clearly reflects an international sound like no other CD that we've heard recently. Pavol's piano arrangements are very diverse, along with spontaneous improvizing over baroque forms. One of the titles on the album, "3 Roses 4 Martina", is one of our favorites. This track says I am jazz, I am love, I am peace. The vocal style is very similar to Will Downing, and the fretless bass wraps around the melodies, like a tight fitting glove to a hand. This album definitely ranks very high in our book as one of the most sensual, and harmoneous projects to have been released in a long time. We strongly urge you to purchase this CD by Pavol Bodnar, a jazz pianist, composer and arranger.
-Groov for RadioIndy - Radioindy
Discography
CD Slovak-Polish Jazz Quartet - Song for Helena PB-IB 1996
CD Pavol Bodnar - Ecce Jazz 2006 Hevhetia
All Songs have had radio streaming on:
Radioindy.com
RadioIo.com
Noisehead.com
and others
Photos
Bio
Pavol Bodnar - pianist, composer, arranger and teacher. In 1996, the Slovak Jazz Association awarded him Ladislav Martonik Prize and the title Jazzman of the Year 1996 in Slovakia. In 2006, ECCE JAZZ CD was awarded AUREL 2006, the annual prize for best CD release in category jazz & blues. In 1990, Pavol was a finalist at the international jazz competition Concours Internationale des Thémes de Jazz in Monaco with his composition Cheerful Afternoon. This success resulted in his winning full scholarship at Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA.
Over the years, Pavol has been working with musicians of diverse styles, including music projects in terms of classical music, traditional jazz, swing, bebop, modern mainstream as well as Latin. Then, in 2006, he finally anchored in Slovak-Jazz fusion. At the beginning, the group counted eight members, including two singers. Today, there are six musicians involved: phenomenal violinist Stano Paluch with passion for Slovak folk music, a very fine woodwind and bagpipe player Marek Pastirik who masters all Slovak and Balcan melodics and polyrhythms; the engine is driven by eccelent bassist Tomas Baros from Prague, Peruvian percussionist Eddy Portella, drumer Marian Sevcik and pianist Pavol Bodnar. All musicians have been clasiccaly trained and posses incredible instrumental technique.
And what does set Ecce Jazz Band music apart from other bands? Ecce Jazz music sounds widehearted, uplifted, as if embracing the whole world. It is not only emotionally powerful while speaking its Central European language in a nicely way blended with Latin and Jazz, nevertheless, in addition, it is result of compositional work of its author Pavol Bodnar holding his personal imprint. Pavol´s inspiration as a composer is rooted in his passion for Slovak folks music, Jazz, Latin and contemporary classical music. Songs have colorful melodies and are mostly composed in odd rhythms.
His compositions reflect diverse influences he soaked up from childhood. In his music, Slavic melodics, Latin rhythmic structures and American jazz harmonies are noticeble, whereby all these together are joined in a unique eclectic music concept. Considering formal frames of Pavol´s compositions, he uses typical jazz forms as well as original forms naturally created by means of compositional techniques of modern classical music. All these makes the music of Ecce Jazz Band unique and different to others.
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