New CD by Aurelius Q

Aurelius Q, the popular jazz band from Trencin, released their fourth album titled Folk Ways 2 in December 2007. The album is a sequel to the previous CD with the same title. The band is working again with the traditional music of their homeland, Slovakia, mixing folk music with modern jazz forms. Contrary to the music of the previous album, Folk Ways 2 contains music themes that originated in different regions of Slovakia, such as Terchova, Sumiac, Helpa and Pohorela. The new album even draws from the renaissance motif called the Vietorix Codex.

The number of musicians who contributed to the album is surprising. By the end of the recording sessions, twenty-one musicians had added their own signature to the final sound of the album. All of the tracks were arranged by two members of the band, Peter Belak (2, 4, 5, 8, 9) and Erich Vladar (1, 3, 6, 7, 10).

The album presents the original folk music of the Slovakia. Many of these compositions have been previously recorded by the Trencin folk band „Brezina“ (conducted by Lubomir Petrovic). The vocals for the new album were provided by a young star of Slovak folk music, Terezka Kohoutova.

An interesting aspect of the album are the tracks where the rhythm section is supported by a band from Brno called Tubabu. Tubabu uses authentic percussion instruments to play the typical rhythms of western Africa.

The Latin-American percussions were recorded by two young musicians, Eddy Portella and Robert Rehak. Eddy, even though he is still quite young, is one of the most respected percussionists in Slovakia and has cooperated with many jazz musicians.

The brass instruments are presented by Jozef Kralik, the prominent Slovak jazz tenor sax player. Erik Rothenstein, a graduate of Jazz Colledge in Grazz, plays sax and flute, and the talented Sisa Michalidesova also plays the flute.

The list of participating musicians would not be complete without a singer and student of the Jazz Academy in Prague, Tereza Rajnincova, who has been working with Aurelius Q since 2005.

The album was recorded at the Piano Club recording studio in Trencin by sound engineers Peter Hajso, Marian Fero and Frantisek Fanco.

The graphics for the album were designed by two young photographers, Dagmara Leitman and Michal Stefan.

• Nedeľa v Šumiaci
• Čo sa deje vo svete
• Hore v horách
• Terchová
• Trenčianske hodiny
• V tom Pršianskom poli
• Hoc aj Pohorelá...
• To tá Heľpa
• Spievaj že si spievaj
• Sarabanda