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THE SKOPJE CONNECTION meets ERNST REIJSEGER THE SKOPJE CONNECTION meets ERNST REIJSEGER THE SKOPJE CONNECTION meets ERNST REIJSEGER

THE SKOPJE CONNECTION meets ERNST REIJSEGER THE SKOPJE CONNECTION meets ERNST REIJSEGER 1 Giovanni da Nembro 4.35 Recorded in Hilversum, Holland October 2010 2 Branko, Branko, Branko 4.07 Recording engineer: Dick Lucas 3 Gotcha 1.03 Mixing and mastering by Alen-Hadzi Stefanov and THE SKOPJE CONNECTION meets ERNST REIJSEGER 4 Marsh na V’nka 4.59 Dzijan Emin at Fm in Skopje, Macedonia. 4.35 Recorded in Hilversum, Holland October 2010 5 One Legged Tango 0.33 Final mastering at Rainbow Studio, Oslo 4.07 Recording engineer: Dick Lucas 6 Zlust 5.05 Produced by Enrico Blumer 1 Giovanni da Nembro Mixing and mastering by Alen-Hadzi Stefanov and 1.03 110-2 LOS Losen Records 7 Outskirts 5.01 Executive producer: Odd Gjelsnes

2 Branko, Branko, Branko Dzijan Emin at Jazz Fm in Skopje, Macedonia. 8 Love Song 2 4.59 Front cover photo: Finn Aasum 3 Gotcha 4.59 Final mastering at Rainbow Studio, Oslo 9 Tiny Waltz 3.09 Cover design: www.medicineheads.com 4 Marsh na V’nka 0.33 Produced by Enrico Blumer 10 Kas Kas 2.59 5 One Legged Tango 5.05 Executive producer: Odd Gjelsnes 11 The Old Man and the Seal 4.49 Info & Booking: 6 Zlust 5.01 Front cover photo: Finn Aasum 12 Midnight Rooster 2.12 Enrico Blumer Management 7 Outskirts 4.59 Losen Records LOS 110-2 LOS Records Losen Cover design: www.medicineheads.com

3.09 13 Gjotzville 2 4.01 [email protected] www.enricoblumer.eu

8 Love Song 2 Ernst Reijseger appears courtesy 9 Tiny Waltz 2.59 4.49 Info & Booking: Total Time 47.54 of Winter & Winter. 10 Kas Kas Enrico Blumer Management 11 The Old Man and the Seal 2.12 [email protected] www.enricoblumer.eu Dzijan Emin - French horn, melodica Ernst Reijseger plays a fi ve-string cello made by 12 Midnight Rooster 4.01 Ernst Reijseger appears courtesy Luca Aquino - trumpet, fl ugelhorn Jaap Bolink and Annelies Steinhauer, granted by 13 Gjotzville 2 of Winter & Winter. Georgi Šareski – guitar The Dutch Instrument Foundation. Ernst Reijseger – cello Luca Aquino plays Van Laar instruments Total Time 47.54 Ernst Reijseger plays a fi ve-string cello made by exclusively.

Jaap Bolink and Annelies Steinhauer, granted by Tracks 1, 2, 6, 8, 9 and 11, Dzijan Emin - French horn, melodica Losen Records LOS 110-2 The Dutch Instrument Foundation. composed by Georgi Šareski. Luca Aquino - trumpet, fl ugelhorn Luca Aquino plays Van Laar instruments Track 4 composed by Dzijan Emin. Georgi Šareski – guitar exclusively. Losen Records LOS 110-2 Ernst Reijseger – cello Tracks 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, and 13 are composed by the band. Tracks 1, 2, 6, 8, 9 and 11, composed by Georgi Šareski. LOS 110-2 Track 4 composed by Dzijan Emin. All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication, public performance and broadcasting of the music on this CD is a violation of applicable laws. Tracks 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, and 13 are composed LOS 110-2 LOS 110-2 © 2011 Losen Records www.losenrecords.no [email protected] by the band. LOS 110-2 THE SKOPJE CONNECTION meets ERNST REIJSEGER CONNECTION THE SKOPJE ISRC: NO2NJ1010. Made in Norway. |

All rights reserved. Unauthorized duplication, public performance |

ISRC: NO2NJ1010. Made in Norway.

ERNST REIJSEGER REIJSEGER ERNST meets CONNECTION SKOPJE THE

Photo: Lena Herzog The Skopje Connection meets Ernst Reijseger

Recorded in Hilversum, Holland in October 2010. Recording engineer: Dick Lucas Mixing and mastering: Alen Hadzi Stefanov and Dzijan Emin Final Mastering: Rainbow Studios, Oslo Produced by Enrico Blumer

1. The Skopje Connection

The Skopje Connection is a unique trio, put together by the Italian producer Enrico Blumer, and featuring the new Italian rising star, Luca Aquino on trumpet, and two of Macedonia’s leading contemporary and jazz musicians, Dzijan Emin on French horn and melodeon, and Georgi Sareski on acoustic guitar. For this special project they are joined by one of the most renowned contemporary European musician, the Dutch cellist Ernst Reijseger.

These four musicians come from very different cultural and musical backgrounds as they meet with kindred sensibility and musicianship. The highly emotional songs, sophisticated sound, fantastic interplay and dream like ambience, are just few of the characteristics that make the Skopje Connection a one-of-a-kind listening experience. A tranquil and yet powerful music that deeply resonates within the human soul.

The first encounter of Aquino, Sareski and Emin was in 2009, in the city of Skopje, Macedonia, where they recorded their first album and discovered the sound of the Skopje Connection in a Turkish hammam from the XV century. This particular hammam boasts beautiful acoustics and an incredible natural reverb, which inspired surrealistic compositions and improvisations. The album, entitled “Amam”, was released later that year for Enrico Blumer Productions, and it was selected as one of the best albums of 2009 by the Italian web site italia.allaboutjazz.com. In the new album, the Skopje Connection has maintained the animated, story telling magic of their previous album, “amam” - conjuring up cinematic scenes in the imagination of the listeners mind - this time with the added touch of Ernst Reijseger on the cello providing an element of lush sophistication to the trio’s endearing compositions. The Skopje Connection fulfills the potential promised in “amam” - exhibiting both maturity and playfulness, restraint and mastery, making this album a compelling delight. 2. Biographies

Ernst Reijseger, (born November 13, 1954, Bussum) is a Dutch cellist and composer. He specializes in jazz, improvised music, and contemporary classical music and often gives solo concerts. He has worked with , , , , , Yo-Yo Ma, Albert Mangelsdorff,Franco D’Andrea, Joëlle Léandre, Georg Gräwe, , and , and has done several world music projects working with musicians from Sardinia, , ,, and , as well as the Netherlands based group Boi Akih.

He has made numerous recordings, both as solo cellist and with other groups, and has been the subject of a documentary film. He has also written several film scores, including that for the 2005 film .

Dzijan Emin, plays French horn and melodica with this group. A versatile musician with professional experience only few people can match. A gifted composer and multi- instrumentalist, Dzijan’s talents have been confirmed with numerous albums, awards, honors and recognitions throughout the years. He is the principal French horn with the Macedonian Philharmonic, but also he is an important ingredient of many international and domestic projects and groups, as a composer, arranger, keyboard player, guitarist, vocalist and producer. Dzijan has performed world wide and collaborated with outstanding musicians such as William Parker, Greg Hopkins, Peter Herbert, Damo Suzuki, Giovanni Falzone, Malcolm Burn, Frank London, Bob Stewart, Gianluca Petrella, to name a few. He has also performed with the Portland Symphony and East West World Orchestra. His vast discography includes six albums with his group “Project Zlust”, two albums with Sareski’s quartet, and 10 other releases.

Luca Aquino is a new rising star on the Italian scene. A trumpet player with a true voice, Luca quickly emerged on the scene as one of the leading soloists. As a leader, he has released three albums for Universal Music/Emarcy, including one exceptional solo album “Icaro”, and his latest album “Chiaro” for Paolo Fresu’s label Tuk Music.

Luca has collaborated and/or performed with musicians such as Paolo Fresu, Roy Hargrove, Bob Mintzer, Jimmy Heath, Slide Hampton, Tony Scott, and James Moody, among others. In 2008 he received the 2nd prize Best New Italian Talent Award and the critics’ prize at the International Massimo Urbani Award. In 2009 he received the best new Italian talent award. Luca Aquino is playing Hub Van Laar trumpets and flugelhorns exclusively. Georgi Sareski, is one of the most productive musicians from Macedonia, who in his career as a composer, guitarist and arranger (he began his career in 2005 after graduating from Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA) has released five excellent albums and has successfully promoted his music with numerous performances on many festivals for jazz and new music in Europe. Since graduating from Berklee, Sareski has become a fulcrum of Skopje’s jazz scene, honing an impressive quartet and recording five albums, the two latest of which with the Skopje Connection. Aside from confident playing, there is a strong compositional personality at work here, for which he has received several international awards and accolades, including the 1st prize IAJE (International Association of Jazz Educators) award for jazz composition, and the Berklee Achievement Award.

3. Links

www.lucaaquino.com, www.ernstreijseger.com, sareski.xmkd.com, www.losenrecords.com www.enricoblumer.eu 

4. Final notes

All additional information, high resolution photos, audio files or similar, are available upon request.

Contact information: Georgi Sareski

[email protected] Tel: +38 978330041 address: Mito Hadzivasilev – Jasmin 18/1-8, Skopje, 1000, Macedonia skype: georgisareski

Enrico Blumer Management [email protected] Tel: +39 3357061897 address: Via Ranica 19, 24020 Torre Boldone, Bergamo, Italy

Release MusikkLosen September 2, 2011 Tel. + 47 22 19 82 82 LOS 110-2 Fax. + 47 22 19 81 82 7090025831102 [email protected] www.musikklosen.no www.losenrecords.no