Venue: Kavarna Slovenskega etnografskega muzeja, Ljubljana
Concert date: 29.09.2009
Attendance: 60
Plenty of rock fans will recognize the names in Dedu za petami from Slovenian rock history, since pretty much all of them are well-known figures of both the avant-garde and the mainstream rock scene. First up is the renowned pianist Milko Lazar, who switched to synths for Dedu za petami. Joining him on guitar is his buddy from Quatebrig, Igor Leonardi. On bass we get to see Jani Hace, probably best known right now for his work with Siddharta, though he’s also played on plenty of other projects in the past, such as the avant-garde albums by Devil Doll. Rounding out the lineup is drummer Jure Rozman (Billysi), who’s got plenty of experience too.
Dedu za petami play a seriously interesting brand of jazz-rock, packed with fast-paced moments and loads of keyboard and guitar solos. It all rests on a solid melodic foundation, and you can hear what great songwriters the individual members are. There are also some world music influences in there, which often sounds a lot like Weather Report, while the faster moments bring Return to Forever to mind, especially when Milko Lazar is soloing. In between the original jazz-rock, there were also a few detours into more familiar territory. One of those moments came when, in the middle of an improvised section, they slid into the melody of the folk song “Po jezeru bliz’ Triglava”.
You can tell these are seasoned musicians, since they race through both the composed and the improvised parts without any trouble. Milko Lazar stands out the most with his rich palette of keyboard sounds. Leonardi is right there with him, showing that he’s no stranger to either speed or finesse. The rhythm section also felt tight and in sync the whole way through.
Dedu za petami showed that Slovenia really isn’t short on good jazz-rock bands right now. They also showed that the old hands have more to offer than the younger bands. I don’t know if it’s a better feel for what sounds good or just experience, but with Dedu za petami I get the feeling they know exactly what they want to say with their music. Definitely a band to keep an eye on.
Photos: Rok Podgrajšek
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