Imagine a landscape shaped by the jagged coastlines of the Mediterranean Sea and the mountainous terrain of Belgrade that cradles the past of ancient cultures – a spirit of a fierce and passionate people. Eastern Blok captures this essence with their Balkan roots but creates a musical idiom of their own through the addition of classical and jazz elements to their unique sound.
After playing over 300 shows together and selling more than three thousand records, the band formerly known as The Goran Ivanovic Group has recorded a new album, changed their name, and has been successfully packing venues throughout the country since the release of their self-titled debut album in 2005. They have collaborated with countless artists including Wynton Marsalis, Danilo Perez, Bob Moses, and Fareed Haque. In their hometown of Chicago, Eastern Blok regularly performs at prestigious venues such as the Double Door, Metro, The Green Mill, HotHouse, Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago Cultural Center, Martyrs’, and The Chicago Symphony Center. In 2006, Eastern Blok performed with critically acclaimed Polish vocalist Grazyna Auguscik at Millennium Park for more than 5,000 people. In addition, their mastery of their musical domain has given them the opportunity to lecture at esteemed universities throughout the country such as Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh, and Cornell University.
From appearing on NPR to headlining Chicago’s Around the Coyote Arts and Music Festival, Eastern Blok works without borders and it’s reflected in their dynamic music. The band’s “Blacksmith’s Dance” was selected out of thousands of submissions to be one of three finalists in the John Lennon Songwriting Competition 2005. This past year brought them much acclaim due to their performance of a sublime version of Nirvana’s “All Apologies” on Chicago Public Radio. Eastern Blok has even been selected to be featured in the upcoming major motion picture, “Wanted,” starring Morgan Freeman and Angelina Jolie.
The group’s guitar virtuoso, Goran Ivanovic, brought his musical heritage from Eastern Europe to Chicago ten years ago and has been entertaining audiences with his Balkan fusion ever since. Ivanovic’s compilations juxtapose a somber and serious sound with a lively and elusive beat. Three records have been released under his name, and he has collaborated on a number of records as a special guest. Teaming up with Doug Rosenberg on flute and saxophone, Matthew Ulery on bass, and Michael Caskey (a five-time Detroit Music Award and Downbeat Magazine Award winner) on drums, Eastern Blok was formed. This unorthodox music group takes a fluid, cohesive approach to their compositions and consistently creates beautiful music without borders; the Los Angeles Times considers their music “relentlessly innovative work.”
For more information, visit their website: http://www.easternblok.net
Got a correction? Click
Here
