DJs Techno Conference

22/09/2025

Marius Popp - Library Music Crate Diggers [Test Pressing Direct Metal Mastering ''DMM'' - Samples]

https://www.discogs.com/release/29402914

Label: Djs Techno Conference - DTC022
Series: Romanian Sounds Unearthed - 11
Format: 3 × Vinyl, LP, Album, Remastered, Test Pressing, White Label
Country: Romania
Released: 12 Sep 2025
Genres: Jazz, Rock, Funk / Soul, Stage & Screen
Styles: Jazz-Funk, Contemporary Jazz, Jazz-Rock, Theme, Soundtrack, Space-Age

Tracklist :
A1. Stele De Iarnă = Winter Stars [Original Soundtrack Version] (2:39)
A2. Controversa = The Controversy (5:33)
A3. Câmpeneasca = From The Field [Original Version] (7:58)
A4. Peisaj = Landscape [Original Version] (6:47)
B1. Prelucrare După O Melodie De Stevie Wonder = Variations On A Stevie Wonder Piece (8:52) / Arranged By - Adrian Enescu / Music By - Stevie Wonder
B2. Epilog (In Memoriam Richard Oschanitzky) [Original Version] (9:57)
B3. Prelucrare Pe O Temă Populară Din Hațeg (Temă Din Hațeg) = Variations On A Folk Theme From Hațeg (Theme From Hațeg) [''Xibaba'' Original Version] (4:14) / Music By - Airto Moreira

C1. Drumuri De Câmpie = Plain Roads (8:38)
C2. Păpușarii = The Puppeteers (6:38)
C3. Doina = Doina (7:06)
D1. Nodul Gordian = Gordian Knot [Fragment, Live @ Sibiu Jazz Festival, 1981] (4:02)
D2. Mijlocaș La Deschidere = Opening Midfielder [Library Sound #5] (1:38)
D3. Mijlocaș La Deschidere = Opening Midfielder [Library Sound #2] (1:01)
D4. Mijlocaș La Deschidere = Opening Midfielder [Library Sound #4] (2:06)
D5. Mijlocaș La Deschidere = Opening Midfielder [Library Sound #11] (1:41)
D6. Mijlocaș La Deschidere = Opening Midfielder [Library Sounds #1,6,9,10,7,3] (8:07)
D7. Mijlocaș La Deschidere = Opening Midfielder [Library Sounds #8,12,16,17] (4:06)

E1. Rețeaua "S" = The ''S'' Network [Library Sounds #52,53] (1:49)
E2. Rețeaua "S" = The ''S'' Network [Library Sounds #54,56] (1:41)
E3. Rețeaua "S" = The ''S'' Network [Library Sound #59] (2:01)
E4. Rețeaua "S" = The ''S'' Network [Library Sound #55] (1:20)
E5. Rețeaua "S" = The ''S'' Network [Library Sound #62] (2:13)
E6. Rețeaua "S" = The ''S'' Network [Library Sound #45] (1:55)
E7. Rețeaua "S" = The ''S'' Network [Library Sound #27] (2:03)
E8. Rețeaua "S" = The ''S'' Network [Library Sounds #29,30] (2:46)
E9. Rețeaua "S" = The ''S'' Network [Library Sounds #33,39,40,41,42,50,57,58] (6:34)
F1. Rețeaua "S" = The ''S'' Network [Library Sound #61] (1:30)
F2. Euclid = Euclid (11:13)
F3. Bătuta Pe 5 = ''Bătuta'' Dance On 5 (3:43)
F4. Veghe De Dor = Longful Vigil (5:51)

Recorded at Radio România București
Recorded at Studioul „Al. Sahia”
Recorded at Sibiu Jazz Festival
Remastered at Djs Techno Conference

Band, Performer – Marius Popp Quartet (tracks: A1, A3, B2, C3, D2 to F1)
Band, Performer – Formația Marius Popp (tracks: A2, A4, B1, C1, C2, F2, F4)
Band, Performer – Marius Popp Quintet (tracks: B3, D1)
Band, Performer – Marius Popp Trio (tracks: F3)
Piano, Keyboards – Marius Popp
Music By - Marius Popp (tracks: A1 to A4, B2, C1 to F4)
Saxophone – Alin Constanțiu (tracks: A1 to A4, B2 to C3, D2 to F2)
Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet – Alin Constanțiu (tracks: D1)
Saxophone – Peter Wertheimer (tracks: A2, A4, B3)
Bass Guitar – Mircea Tudoran (tracks: A2, A4, B1, B3)
Bass Guitar – Bogdan Cristea (tracks: A1, A3, B2, C1, C2, C3, D1 to F4)
Drums – Marian Toroimac (tracks: A2, A4, B1, B3)
Drums – Eugen Gondi (tracks: A3, C2, F2, F3)
Drums – Florin Diaconescu (tracks: A1, B2, C1, C3, D1 to F1, F4)
Trombone – Corneliu Meraru (tracks: D1)
Guitar – Radu Goldiș (tracks: B1)
Music Consultant – Nicolas Simion, Rodica Popp
Liner Notes – Mihai Alexandrescu
Remastered By [Remastered Tapes], Engineer, Edited By, Research [Audio Archives], Research [Archival & Library], Liner Notes, Producer – Remus Miron

Recorded in 1975 - B1
Recorded in 1976 - A4, B3
Recorded in 1977 - A2
Recorded in 1978 - A3, C2, F3
Recorded in 1979 - F2
Recorded in 1980 - B2, C3, D2 to F1
Recorded in 1981 - A1, D1
Recorded in 198? - C1, F4

Test pressing DMM (Direct Metal Mastering)
Made in France

''When trying to understand the idea of underground, how do we define what belongs and what doesn’t, what is underground and what is mainstream, especially in the social and political circumstances of Romania before 1989?

Should we discuss it in terms of mainstream appeal? Genres such as jazz-rock or prog-rock have always been niche when compared to, let’s say pop music. What about censorship? Bands from the Romanian Sounds Unearthed series faced everything: having their songs banned, having their lyrics changed or censored, being declared persona non grata by the state authorities or being forced into obscurity by a state apparatus that had complete control over the media channels. With most of them being young men, the extremely regimented life under the communist rule, with its mandatory military service and the appointed workplace system, ensured that some of these bands would be physically unable to play.

In these terms, we cannot consider Marius Popp to be a member of the underground music scene.

It would take a lot more than this short text just to list all the awards he won for his activity, both before and after the fall of the regime. Marius Popp was (and remains) one of the most important names in the history of modern music, both as a composer and performer, both locally and internationally. In these terms, Marius Popp can be considered niche but not underground, yet that does not change the fact that he was one of the most important figures among the musicians of that era, both in the underground scene and in the mainstream. Not only did his compositions end up on the albums of mainstream artists, he also made OSTs for a number of movies and was a major figure of the Sibiu Jazz Festival, a nationwide event which we discussed throughout the entire R.S.U. series.

Marius Popp had a number of official records with his band, both during the Communist years and after the Revolution but the track versions you’ll find on these records are a premiere, never released in any capacity. Recovered from various national and private archives and restored to the highest possible degree of quality, these compositions offer a fresh, first-time-heard perspective into the oeuvre of an artist whose contributions defined an entire era.

What makes this record one-of-a-kind is not just the quality of the restoration process but the source material itself, the result of a decades-long hunt through various public and private archives. It would also be the first genuine Library Music record to be released in Romania, containing compositions by M. Popp which were made exclusively for film and were never available commercially until now.

Once again the artwork of Lucian George Păiș (previously seen on the 3rd R.S.U. release, “Modal Q”) serves as a fitting visual companion to the audio alongside Antonio Cioarek’s photography. And of course the record in its current, final form would not be the same without the input of Nicolas Simion who served as a music consultant for this premiere release.

As always, R.S.U. continues the effort of bringing this forgotten past back to life and offers you yet another high-quality restoration that will be a thrill for both newcomers and veterans of this series.''

https://youtu.be/HWrxMqVxfZs?si=qaLtcOZ9bYOfYMlG

Marius Popp - Library Music Crate Diggers [Test Pressing Direct Metal Mastering ''DMM'' - Samples]Label: Djs Techno Conference - DTC022Series: Romanian Sound...

22/09/2025

Cvintetul de jazz ''Gramophon'' al lui Paul Weiner + Gramophon II - Spirale II = Spirals II [Test Pressing Direct Metal Mastering ''DMM'' - Samples]

https://www.discogs.com/release/30785607

Label: Djs Techno Conference - DTC019
Series: Romanian Sounds Unearthed - 10
Format: 3 × Vinyl, LP, Album, Remastered, Test Pressing, White Label
Country: Romania
Released: 12 Sep 2025
Genres: Electronic, Jazz, Latin, Funk / Soul
Styles: Modal, Jazz-Funk, Jazz-Rock, Latin Jazz, Balearic, Fusion, Experimental

Tracklist :
A1. Hornuri = Horns (1:19) / Music By - Paul Weiner
A2. Grijă = Carefulness (4:00) / Lyrics By - Marin Sorescu / Music By - Paul Weiner / Vocals - Béla Kamocsa, Tiberiu Ladner
A3. Perla = The Pearl (5:33) / Music By - Paul Weiner
A4. E Prea Târziu = It's Too Late [with Silvia Seracin] (2:21) / Music By - Carole King / Vocals, Featuring - Silvia Seracin
A5. Mă Cheamă Marea = The Sea Is Calling Me [with Silvia Seracin] (2:26) / Music By - Johnny Răducanu / Vocals, Featuring - Silvia Seracin
A6. Fata Din Ipanema = The Girl From Ipanema (4:25) / Music By - Antonio Carlos Jobim
A7. Perla 33 = The Pearl 33 (3:03) / Music By - Paul Weiner
B1. Alberta = Alberta [Live] (3:37) / Music By - Paul Weiner
B2. Căutări = Searches [Original Version] (4:44) / Music By - Paul Weiner / Vocals - Tiberiu Ladner
B3. De-a Baba Oarba = Blind Man's Buff (3:40) / Music By - Paul Weiner / Lyrics By - I. Manolescu / Vocals - Tiberiu Ladner
B4. Hoțul Prins = The Thief Caught (1:39) / Music By - Paul Weiner / Vocals - Tiberiu Ladner
B5. Darul Nopții = The Gift Of The Night (2:03) / Music By - Paul Weiner / Lyrics By - V. Brătulescu / Vocals - Béla Kamocsa
B6. Umbra Zâmbetului Tău = The Shadow Of Your Smile (4:32) / Music By - Johnny Mandel
B7. Ad Lib Blues = Ad Lib Blues [Short Version] (2:55) / Music By - Paul Weiner

C1. Urme De Pași Pe Nisip = Footprints In The Sand (6:35) / Music By - Doru Apreotesei
C2. Urme De Pași Pe Lut = Footprints On Clay (5:59) / Music By - Doru Apreotesei, Liviu Butoi
C3. Între Nori = Between The Clouds (8:49) / Music By - Doru Apreotesei, Liviu Butoi, Paul Weiner
D1. Argument = Argument (6:21) / Music By - Doru Apreotesei
D2. Întâlniri = Meetings (6:05) / Music By - Doru Apreotesei
D3. Urme De Pași Pe Infinit = Footprints On Infinity (9:19) / Music By - Doru Apreotesei / Harmonica - Mihai "Miși" Farcaș

E1. Urme De Pași Pe Omăt = Footprints In The Snow (9:20) / Music By - Doru Apreotesei, Béla Kamocsa
E2. Jubileu = Jubilee (6:18) / Music By - Doru Apreotesei
E3. Cântec Pentru Copiii Lumii = Song For The Children Of The World (5:37) / Music By - Doru Apreotesei
F1. Cântec De Leagăn = Lullaby (3:32) / Music By - Doru Apreotesei
F2. Temă De Jazz = Jazz Theme (2:09) / Music By - Paul Weiner
F3. De La A La A = From A To A (8:05) / Music By - Doru Apreotesei
F4. Timpul Probabil = The Probable Time (8:36) / Music By - Doru Apreotesei, Mihai Farcaș

Recorded at Sala de concerte a Liceului de muzică din Timișoara
Recorded at Studioul muzical al TVR
Recorded at Radio România București
Recorded at Radio România Timișoara
Recorded at Casa Tineretului din Timișoara
Remastered at Djs Techno Conference

Band, Performer - Gramophon (tracks: A1 to B7, F2), Gramophon II (tracks: C1 to F1, F3, F4)
Piano - Paul Weiner (tracks: A1 to B7, F2)
Organ - Paul Weiner (tracks: B1)
Keyboards - Doru Apreotesei (tracks: C1 to F1, F3, F4)
Synthesizer - Doru Apreotesei (tracks: D3, F3, F4)
Flute - Liviu Butoi (tracks: A2, B2, B3, C3)
Oboe - Liviu Butoi (tracks: B1, C1, C2, D1, E1)
Bass Guitar - Béla ''Kamo'' Kamocsa (tracks: A2 to A6, B1 to F4)
Drums, Percussion - Georg ''Puba'' Hromadka (tracks: A1 to A6, B1 to B7, F2)
Drums - Mihai "Miși" Farcaș (tracks: C1 to F1, F3, F4)
Percussion - Tiberiu Ladner (tracks: C1 to F1, F3, F4)
Music Consultant [1] - Paul Weiner
Music Consultant [2] - Doru Apreotesei
Music Consultant [3] - Georg ''Puba'' Hromadka
Music Consultant [4] - Mihai "Miși" Farcaș
Music Consultant [5] - Johnny Bota
Liner Notes - Mihai Alexandrescu
Remastered By [Remastered Tapes], Engineer, Edited By, Research [Audio Archives], Research [Archival & Library], Liner Notes, Producer - Remus Miron

Recorded in 1975 - A1 to A3, A6, A7, B2 to B7
Recorded in 1976 - A4, A5, B1, F2
Recorded in 1979 - C1 to D1, E1, E3
Recorded in 1980 - D2, D3, E2, F1, F3, F4

Test pressing DMM (Direct Metal Mastering)
Made in France

''The underground music scene in the city of Timișoara had always been a hotbed of Western cultural influence throughout the Communist years and some of the greatest names in the history of modern music hailed from there, among them Richard Oschanitzky, Phoenix, Progresiv TM , Pro Musica and Post Scriptum, bands whose musical activity and indeed legacy endures to this day. But there were also bands that never achieved mainstream recognition, bands that were shunned from the start by the regime and were never allowed to have a real presence. Enter “Gramophone” or Gramofon, a band that can be considered the very definition of true “underground”.

Fans of the Romanian Sounds Unearthed series know that if there is one common element shared by all the musicians whose work was released in this series, that would be mobility. The bands that were part of the underground music scene would often change their line-up, would reform under a different name, would often employ session musicians from other bands and, generally speaking, would be defined by their adaptability. This was imposed by outside circumstances, namely the mandatory military service and the work repartition system that could see a young man sent across the country to an assigned workplace.

In circumstances such as these, Gramophon, like all the other bands, was forced to adapt, yet one name stood out as the driving force behind it: Paul Weiner, the piano player and composer responsible for most of the band’s musical output. Alongside him, there were Gheorghe ‘’Puba’’ Hromadka on drums, Liviu Butoi on flute or oboe, Tiberiu Ladner as vocalist or percussion, and Béla “Kamo” Kamocsa, the bass player whose name is more often associated with Phoenix, one of the greatest bands in the history of Romanian music. This was the band’s original line-up until 1977 when Doru Apreotesei (keyboards) and Mihai Farcas (drums) replaced Paul Weiner and Gheorghe ‘’Puba’’ Hromadka.

Even in the underground music scene, Gramophon were in a niche of their own. Their brand of music was anything but mainstream and, while the aforementioned Phoenix added folk elements to their compositions and achieved popularity in the country and a short-lived modicum of grudging acceptance from the regime, Gramophon stuck with their own brand of jazz with various influences from multiple niche genres and achieved greater popularity abroad.

Gratitude is in order for the contributions made by Paul Weiner, Doru Apreotesei, Gheorghe Hromadka, Mihai Farcaș, Liviu Butoi and Johnny Bota, all of whom served as music consultants for this triple LP vinyl record, as well as Ramona Marc, whose artwork provided a “packaging” worthy for this unique release, made using recordings from various sources, the result of a seventeen years hunt through archives, both private and national, using each and every resource available to track down the works of a band whose contributions to Romanian music were criminally neglected.''

https://youtu.be/XXpA2Kf-cXE?si=o7tivYUTCVwvL2it

Cvintetul de jazz ''Gramophon'' al lui Paul Weiner + Gramophon II - Spirale II = Spirals II [Test Pressing Direct Metal Mastering ''DMM'' - Samples]Label: Dj...

22/09/2025

Experimental Q2 - Marș funebru la moartea unui astronaut = Funeral March For The Death Of An Astronaut [Test Pressing Direct Metal Mastering ''DMM'' - Samples]

https://www.discogs.com/release/26261765

Label: Djs Techno Conference - DTC039
Series: Romanian Sounds Unearthed - 9
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Remastered, Test Pressing, White Label
Country: Romania
Released: Sep 12, 2025
Genre: Jazz, Rock, Classical
Style: Jazz-Rock, Prog Rock, Avant-garde Jazz, Modal, Psychedelic Rock, Lo-Fi

Tracklist :
A. Marș funebru la moartea unui astronaut = Funeral March For The Death Of An Astronaut [Part 1] (23:46)
B. Marș funebru la moartea unui astronaut = Funeral March For The Death Of An Astronaut [Part 2] (23:43)

Recorded at Studioul Academiei de Muzică „Gheorghe Dima” din Cluj-Napoca

Band, Performer, Music By - Experimental Q2
Piano - Johann Anton German
Guitar - Valentin Farcaș
Bass Guitar, Violin - Johnny Bota
Drums - Vasile Bârsan
Percussion - Ioan Kovacs
Music Consultant [1] - Johann Anton German
Music Consultant [2] - Johnny Bota
Music Consultant [3] - Ioan Kovacs
Music Consultant [4] - Valentin Farcaș
Co-producer - Robert Raiz
Liner Notes - Mihai Alexandrescu
Remastered By [Remastered Tapes], Engineer, Edited By, Research [Audio Archives], Research [Archival & Library], Liner Notes, Producer - Remus Miron

LO-FI private lost recording, live from 1978
Test pressing DMM (Direct Metal Mastering)
Made in France

''Those of you who have journeyed with the Romanian Sounds Unearthed series from the start will know this is not the first time we’ve offered you a glimpse into the underground music scene of 1970s Cluj-Napoca. In fact you will recognize both the band and the track that gives this album its name from the previous release, “Experimental Q2”, the fourth in the R.S.U. series. Derived from its first iteration but without keeping the original line-up, this band from Cluj-Napoca was, like many others, a collaboration between Conservatory students, inspired by the musical influence of their Western counterparts.

Lengthy compositions have always been the hallmark of progressive-jazz-rock and by 1978 the genre already had examples that have become classics, like the early works of King Crimson (“Lizard”; “Larks’ Tongues in Aspic”) or Pink Floyd’s “Atom Heart Mother” with its full brass section. By comparison, Experimental Q2 appeared to be late to the party: the aforementioned works had been released at the beginning of the 70s when most of the Western prog-rock bands had moved away from this sort of compositions for various reasons. Nevertheless, in 1978, Experimental Q2 came up with the unusual piece you are listening to right now.

“Marș funebru la moartea unui astronaut” = “Funeral March For The Death Of An Astronaut” was performed full-length for the first time at the Conservatory in Cluj-Napoca’s studio hall. Clocking in at one hour and employing the Conservatory’s entire percussion instruments array, it turned out to be the best example of what this band would become known for in the underground music scene: the complex arrangements, the interlocking instrumental solos and of course, the aggressive, driven percussion, a hallmark of this “suite” (to use Pink Floyd’s terminology) and of the band itself.

Like other similar compositions, there is a theme running throughout the entire piece, one best expressed within the title: a funeral march for the death of an astronaut - an elegy for a man facing the infinite, the immensity of the cosmos and the solitude of existence (much like an astronaut on a spaceship), an expression of a journey leading to the inevitable conclusion of the man’s own mortality.

The effort to restore the original material resulted in a unique recording, the result of hundreds of hours of meticulous, painstaking restoration of the cassette tape which was originally recorded by band members during the live performance. Add to that the fifteen years of searching for the tapes in question and you can get an idea about the sort of effort involved.

Veterans of the R.S.U. series who also purchased the previous release by Experimental Quintet 2 and recognized the name from that tracklist will finally get the full version of the 14 minutes snippet, a one-of-a-kind performance in the history of Romanian Avant-garde jazz-rock.

This record would not have seen the light of day in its current form without the contributions of Johann Anton German, Johnny Bota, Ioan Kovacs and Valentin Farcaș, the band members who acted as music consultants for this release, alongside Lucian George Păiș, the man whose artwork adorns this one of a kind album, yet another gem in the unearthed musical treasure this series brought back from the past.''

https://youtu.be/z5J3zgWTDC0?si=57ps3TJ8kfeMJP5i

Experimental Q2 - Marș funebru la moartea unui astronaut = Funeral March For The Death Of An Astronaut [Test Pressing Direct Metal Mastering ''DMM'' - Sample...

16/07/2025

16/01/2025

Bega Blues Band - Concert Aniversar - 40 De Ani 2LP (2024_DTC049)

Format: 2 x Vinyl, LP, Album, 180g
Released: Nov 6, 2024
Genre: Jazz, Latin, Blues, Classical
Style: Modern Electric Blues, Smooth Jazz, Big Band, Bossanova, Opera

Concert Aniversar - 40 De Ani (Part 1) (17:35)
A1 Uvertură (6:32) - Composed By – Gabriel Almași
A2 Iubirea Noastră (5:09) - Composed By – Richard Oschanitzky
A3 Cheek To Cheek (5:54) - Composed By – Irving Berlin
Concert Aniversar - 40 De Ani (Part 2) (17:29)
B4 Summertime (5:26) - Composed By – George Gershwin
B5 Fields Of Gold (6:18) - Composed By – Sting
B6 Lady Be Good (5:45) - Composed By – George Gershwin
Concert Aniversar - 40 De Ani (Part 3) (15:41)
C7 Hey Joe (5:44) - Composed By – Billy Roberts
C8 Brassica Oleraceea (9:57) - Composed By – Johnny Bota
Concert Aniversar - 40 De Ani (Part 4) (19:24)
D9 Song For Sasha (5:53) - Composed By – Johnny Bota
D10 Everyday I Have The Blues + On Broadway (13:31) - Composed By – Memphis Slim + Composed By – Cynthia Weil

Remastered, engineered and designed at – Djs Techno Conference

Band, Performer – Bega Blues Band
Orchestra – Orchestra Facultății de Muzică și Teatru din cadrul Universității de Vest din Timișoara
Conductor – Radu Popa
Vocals – Maria Chioran (tracks: A2, A3, C8 to D10)
Guest, Cello – Alexandra Guțu (tracks: A3 to B6)
Guest, Vocals – Aura Twarowska (tracks: A3, B4, B6), Bogy Nagy (tracks: B5, C7, D10)
Guest, Viola – Sasha Bota (tracks: B5, C8 to D10)
Harmonica – Bogy Nagy (tracks: C7, D10)
Flute – Lucian Nagy (tracks: A2 to D10)
Keyboards – Toni Kühn (tracks: A2 to D10)
Guitar – Mircea Bunea (tracks: A2, A3, B5, C7, C8, C10)
Bass – Johnny Bota (tracks: A2 to D10)
Drums – Szekeres Ferencz (tracks: A2 to D10)
Percussion – Lucian Nagy (tracks: C7, C8)
Liner Notes – Florian Lungu, Virgil Mihaiu
Recorded By – Bogdan Racz
Mixed By, Graphics, Layout – Mircea Bunea
Mastered By, Sound Designer, Edited By, Producer – Remus Miron
Photography By – Dana Moica

Înregistrare live din 30 aprilie 2023, sala Capitol a Filarmonicii "Banatul" din Timișoara

Gatefold sleeve and Eco-Friendly Vinyl
DMM (Direct Metal Mastering)
Fabricat în Olanda (Made in Netherlands)

Photos by Benedek Bela

The double LP album was scheduled for release on July, 2024, but due to technical issues regarding the Side C stamper, the release was delayed. On September, 2024 the test-pressings were both validated by the producer, but on October 22, 2024 Deepgrooves B.V. was declared bankrupt, so the release was again delayed

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'' În 2023, când Timișoara a deținut titlul de Capitală culturală europeană, formația Bega Blues Band și-a aniversat patru decenii de existență. O performanță rarisimă, în lumea noastră tot mai frământată. Trupa inițiată de tandemul Kamocsa Béla & Johnny Bota debutase la Festivalul de jazz de la Brașov, ediția 1983. Ca observator amical-imparțial al activității neîntrerupte desfășurate de BBS timp de patru decenii, pot afirma că grupul s-a dezvoltat esteticamente la modul organic, afirmându-se pe termen lung ca „lider regional" al formațiilor de jazz din Vestul României. Dacă până la decesul regretatului Kamocsa (1944-2010), BBB acordase prioritate elementului blues - ca imanentă resursă vitală a jazzului - în anii din urmă raportările stilistice s-au diversificat. De la formula de trio, preponderentă în prima perioadă de activitate (Kamocsa/vocal, ghitară; Bota/bas, vioară; Lică Dolga/baterie), Bega Blues Band a evoluat spre o formulă instrumentală complexă. Aceasta menține prospețimea și seriozitatea abordării muzicale inițiale, căreia i se adaugă binevenitul coeficient de maturizare artistică acumulat de-a lungul timpului. În bună măsură, istoria BBB se confundă cu aceea a Galelor Kamo (longevivul festival inițiat de Béla Kamocsa în 1990, ajuns în 2023 la cea de-a 32-a ediție). Principalul merit al impresionantei continuități și evoluții ascendente a formației și festivalului îi revine lui Johnny Bota - muzician clasic/jazz/blues, lider al formației Bega Blues Band, rasat intelectual și om de omenie. Deloc neglijabil pe parcursul acestor procese de anduranță este atașamentul său, și al formației pe care o păstorește, față de specificitatea mentalității bănățene!
La nivelul fiecăruia dintre muzicienii combo-ului reunit sub sigla BBB sunt evidente „acumulări cantitative și salturi calitative" demne de a fi promovate în contexte dintre cele mai exigente: perpetuu-surâzătorul Toni Kuhn rămâne același improvizator plin de fantezie, atât pe claviaturile de pian, orgă, melodica, pian electric, cât și pe ghitara acustică sau electrică. Similar, infatigabilul poliinstrumentist Lucian Nagy își transfigurează înnăscuta muzicalitate prin saxofoane, clarinete, flaut, caval, varii percuții etc, prin adecvarea la inițiativele solistice ale colegilor săi, dar și ca inventiv compozitor. Bota reprezintă reperul basistic - acustic sau electric - pe care se susține edificiul muzical. Bateristul Szekeres Ferencz a ajutat ansamblul să depășească tragica despărțire de veteranul Lică Dolga, adăugând flexibilitate și avânt prestațiilor marca BBB. Acestea constau în cea mai mare parte din compoziții proprii, cu revărsări de energii în crescendo, de la o piesă la alta. La rândul său, vocalista Maria Chioran aduce un timbru personal în negocierea sofisticatelor armonii impuse de partiturile lui Bota, Nagy, sau Kuhn, și în enunțarea angularelor trasee verbale imaginate de textierul-compozitor Johnny Bota. În fine, dar nu în cele din urmă, solourile de ghitară ale lui Mircea Bunea își integrează tumultul de sorginte blues în policromia jazzistica a grupului.
Albumul de față conține înregistrări de la concertul aniversar Bega Blues Band - 40 de ani, desfășurat în Sala Capitol a Filarmonicii Banatul din Timișoara, de Ziua Mondială a Jazzului, 30 aprilie 2023. Acolo, sextetul BBB a cântat în ambientul (reciproc stimulativ și degajând energii juvenile) furnizat de Orchestra simfonică a studenților de la Facultatea de Muzică a Universității de Vest, dirijată de maestrul Radu Popa. Ca soliști invitați au evoluat violoncelista Alexandra Guțu, mezzosporana Aura Twarowska - solistă a Operei din Viena, bluesmanul Bogy Nagy - voce și muzicuță și violistul Sasha Bota, demn continuator al ilustrei tradiții jazzistice familiale și, prin extensie, timișorene. Legat de aceasta din urmă, relevez binevenita includere în program a melopeei de esență bossa nova, Iubirea noastră-i o vioară, compusă de Richard Oschanitzky (1939-1979). Prin grația Providenței, acest geniu tutelar al jazzului de expresie română s-a născut tot în ambianța culturalmente fertilă a Timișoarei.
Regalul concertistic - ocazionat de venerabila aniversare BBB 40 - merită să-și transmită reverberațiile spre viitor prin intermediul albumului de față. Poate fi o mărturie, cu amprentă bănățeană, despre salvgardarea umanului prin muzică.''
(Text by Virgil Mihaiu)

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'' Cum era și firesc, formația Bega Blues Band a ținut a-și aniversa în 2023 cei patruzeci de ani de loială dăruire pe altarul artei sunetelor (începând din 1983), printr-un concert de o anvergură aparte, plasat cronologic tocmai în data de 30 aprilie (zi de comemorare a jazzului în fiecare an pe întreg mapamondul), eveniment scenic prefațat cu o emoționantă introducere verbală rostită de însuși liderul Johnny Bota. Astfel, împreună cu combo-ul aniversat au evoluat pe podiumul sălii Capitol, Orchestra Simfonică a Facultății de Muzică și Teatru de la Universitatea de Vest din Timișoara sub bagheta dirijorului Radu Popa și cei patru oaspeți scenici speciali: Aura Twarowska - notorie mezzosoprană vieneză, Bogy Nagy - vocalist și interpret la harmonica, Alexandra Guțu - violoncel, Sasha Bota - violă.
Gratulat cu legitime distincții precum „Premiul pentru cel mai bun grup de blues-jazz din România" și „Diploma de Excelență pentru întreaga activitate muzicală, ca și pentru promovarea imaginii Timișoarei în țară și în lume" Bega Blues Band a oficiat nenumărate prezențe în concerte și participări la festivaluri de gen, în țară și dincolo de fruntarii. Cultivând, în numele unei pertinente diversificări stilistice un repertoriu polifuncțional, BBB a înglobat în programele sale exhibate publicului secvențe de blues, de jazz, dar și opusuri sincretice - de menționat în acest sens spectacolul/albumul „De la Gershwin la Sting" (cu participarea Filarmonicii Banatul), recitalurile realizate în parteneriat cu Filarmonica din Arad, cu Banat Philharmonic String Quartet și cu vibrafonistul Ovidiu Andriș. Cât privește evoluțiile prestigiosului colectiv interpretativ-creativ peste hotare, parte dintre ele subvenționate financiar de Institutul Cultural Român, sunt de consemnat succesele repurtate în Ungaria, în Serbia, Bulgaria (la Sofia și la Festivalul de Jazz din Blagoievgrad), Germania (Stuttgart, Heilbronn), la prodigiosul Festival „Jazz Weekend" din Bruxelles. Și fiindcă neobositul om de artă Johnny Bota este deopotrivă directorul Galei Blues/Jazz „Kamo" (întemeiată în 1990 împreună cu regretatul muzician Kamocsa Béla, ajunsă în septembrie 2023 la ediția ###II!), longevivul sextet Bega Blues Band a marcat includeri nelipsite an de an pe afișele Galei.
O menționare deosebită se cuvine remarcată ca parametru valoric în legătură cu solistica improvizatorică emanată cu gust și logică a exprimării de instrumentiștii Alexandra Guțu la violoncel, Sasha Bota la violă, Bogy Nagy la harmonica (invitați) și Lucian Nagy - instrumente de suflat, percuție, Mircea Bunea - ghitară, Tony Kuhn - pian electric, melodica, Johnny Bota - ghitară bas, Szekeres Ferencz - baterie. De admirat și de neconfundat - contribuțiile vocale materializând conducturile melodice ale pieselor, configurate de solistele Maria Chioran și Aura Twarowska (invitată).
Dintre cele zece ample momente muzicale live juxtapuse pe suprafețele „cântătoare" ale noului dublu LP Bega Blues Band - laolaltă șaptezeci de minute de beatitudine sonor-expresivă - se evidențiază două inspirate creații ale lui Johnny Bota, intitulate „Song for Sasha" și „Brassica Oleraceea" Contribuția de majoră semnificație a autorului pieselor mai înainte menționate nu se limitează doar la concretizările componistice, ci și la abilitatea/profesionalismul său de orchestrator pentru ansamblu simfonic... atribute viabile, raportate inclusiv la prelucrările temelor standard preluate în concert din repertoriul internațional al genului: „Oh, Lady Be Good" de George Gershwin, „Cheek to Cheek" de Irving Berlin, „Hey Joe" - compoziție a lui Billy Roberts, „Everyday I Have the Blues" purtând autograful pianistului Memphis Slim, legată de „On Broadway" - autor Cynthia Weil.
În numele proverbului „Jazz longa, vita brevis" să-i urăm viață lungă acestei valoroase întrupări interpretative... să audiem/reaudiem discul de față și să ne reauzim la BBB 50!!!''
(Text by Florian Lungu)