snobb It took five years and some significant line up changes for Serbian fusion band Bosque to release their second album,"Escape from Urumchi". Initially a sextet, here they come as guitar-less quartet with only two original members, bassist Miloš Bosnić (band's leader), and sax player Dušan Petrović. Two newcomers are keyboardist Stevan Milijanović and drummer Aleksa Milijanović.

The new album's opener is actually a short operatic intro of excellent soprano Jovana Čurović with minimalist accompaniment of flutist Jelena Vujnović. But right from the second song, "Welcome to Urumchi", the listener is involved in absolutely unique parallel world - well played and perfectly recorded electro-acoustic song recalling best early fusion examples coming from 70s. Bassist Miloš Bosnić sounds very much as NHØ Pedersen on archival recordings from that time playing with Archie Shepp - anchoring the sound with strong bopish groove.

Other album's songs are more muscular, less jazzy, but the combination of analog keyboards and groovy bass with very well executed songs build a very authentic atmosphere of creative spirit which gave us the best fusion masterpieces almost a half-a-century ago.

Influences varies from Corea's RTF excellent debut to the band's more rock-oriented recordings with Clarke on bass, but most important that Bosque here sounds very honest. During all these decades we evidenced myriads of RTF clones of different quality, Bosque fortunately doesn't sound as one of them. Much more, they sound as rare golden grail from vaults, recorded in 1972 and by chance found right now, or the band from parallel reality, where the year of 1972 isn't over yet.

Anyway, for fans of early 70s quality fusion this album is a real discovery. Surprisingly enough, it is not an example of nostalgia, but a piece of good music, maybe just got lost in time.

snobb Bosque are the young fusion quintet from Serbia lead by bassist Miloš Bosnić. Their debut album "Four Noble Truths" contains four compositions, forty six and half minutes long in all.

Music is well recorded and ever better played - obviously influenced by European fusion of 70s skilled young musicians demonstrate precisely calculated high energy mixture.The opener "Residex P" recall Alan Holdsworth's guitar experiments from 80s, "Four Noble Truths"(longest album's composition lasting more than 21 minute) from very first seconds sounds as Mashavishnu Orchestra's reincarnation, but on the way changes lot of rhythms and structures.

"Millwall Park" is actually a mid-tempo bluesy rock ballad played by jazz fusion band.Album's closer,"River Pilot" opens with bass soloing against jazzy drumming and only after almost three minutes rest of the band starts to participate.This is album's jazziest composition with interesting sax,guitar and keyboards soloing.

Strongest debut parts are good communication between band members, strong interplay and technical musicianship plus respect to best classic fusion traditions. What I missed in their music most of all is adventure,search for new sounds and ways which is such important for any young band.

In all - strong album for fans of Allan Holdsworth and John McLaughlin music, it's great to see how young generation of Serbian jazz musicians returns to world jazz scene.