SKC — Student Cultural Centre, Belgrade
Blues Trio was established in 1983. In 1987, we recorded our very first release — a cassette tape in Koper, Slovenia, during a tour through what was then still Yugoslavia. Thirty years later, Dragoljub Stojaković-Dača and his label Vertical Jazz — who have released most of our recordings over the decades — had an idea.
Why not celebrate both milestones at once? Thirty years since the cassette. And thirty-five years of Blues Trio — slightly ahead of the real anniversary, which would have fallen in 2018, but guest availability, the venue and the right timing all pointed to 2017. When the night is right, you don't wait for the calendar.
The venue was SKC — the Student Cultural Centre in Belgrade, one of the finest stages in the city. The guests were friends from years of playing, touring and jamming. The original Blues Trio lineup reunited on stage. What followed was one of the longest and most memorable nights in the band's history — and we have the pictures to prove it. A double CD was released from this concert — you can find it in the Discography.
With our dear friend and master promoter Dragoljub Stojaković-Dača of Vertical Jazz
Original lineup of Blues Trio, reunited for the occasion (l-r: Pera Joe, Mac, Zoran Katrinka-Kuki)
"Double Lapsteel" on stage, with our distinguished colleagues Žika Jelić from Yu-Grupa to the far left and Power Jimi (Milovan Djudjić) to the far right
Enjoying Power Jimi's smooth pickin'
With Nenad Zlatanović — Swagger, Pera Joe's music partner for many years. Nenad is also band leader for Texas Flood, well known rock-blues act from Belgrade.
Power Jimi and us playing "Deep River Blues"
Original lineup of Blues Trio with Zoran Katrinka-Kuki, with the background image of us in 1987 while on our first tour — the year of recording the first cassette for Slovenija Koper
With our dear guests (l-r: Promoter Dragoljub Stojaković-Dača, Žika Jelić, Pera Joe, Jovan Ilić, Bojana Stamenov, Mac, Zoran Katrinka-Kuki, Duda Bezuha, Power Jimi, Vladimir Maričić)
Zoran Katrinka-Kuki playing tamburica — a folk instrument of the Balkans, "adapted" to blues by his imaginative approach when it all began in the early 80s
One of our dearest friends and colleagues, Bojana Stamenov. Her vocal cords are of pure gold no matter the style she's singing. An artist in her own right as a band leader and solo performer — she sings with the persuasion and statement of few. Pera Joe and I have known Bojana since she was a child and we witnessed her success from the very start.
The ticket to hell…. No, heaven on stage with our fiends!
Way back in the room — key people for the live and recorded audio that ended up on the double CD. To the left our music producer Dejan Aksić, here with his colleague (name coming later)
With (l-r) Jovan Ilić — Raw Hide Band; Ljubomir Vučković-Vučko (deceased — legendary DJ and producer of the radio show "Blues Hour" that inspired many players and gave me the chance to talk and play on the radio for the very first time); and Vučko's son Mladen Vučković
Original lineup of Blues Trio with our music producer Dejan Aksić
With Jovan Ilić-Joca, who looks mean and plays gritty while singing a Muddy Waters song…
Blues Trio's original lineup with Jovan Ilić (far left) and Duda Bezuha (far right)
"Double Lapsteel" on stage again — Žika Jelić from Yu-Grupa to the far left and Power Jimi (Milovan Djudjić) to the far right. Our promoter Dača looks a bit tired — but hey, he pulled all this off after many months of preparations. No wonder.