Dream Hunter Project

In jazz today, creative aspiring musicians are challenged by an industry that favors a small group of proven names, preserving a narrow stylistic convention. Despite this, there have been and will always be those who change the direction of a particular genre, pushing it into new unexplored territories. Such a group of musicians is DREAM HUNTER. This ensemble's identifiable sound is created by the blending of jazz, classical chamber music elements, and the Argentinian, Austrian, and Bulgarian folk music of its multinational members.

Description of Several Dream Hunter Pieces:
"Pictures From a Train Window" written by Errol Rackipov, shows the strong influence of Bulgarian folk music in its use of odd meters - see description below - as well as other folk motifs and modes-all contributing to the unique sound of the work. The first impression one receives upon listening to "Folk Dance" is the contrast in overall character within the other pieces. Its brisk and lively mood is also strongly influenced by Bulgarian folk music. Parts of the melody of Stoger's "Aeolian Tyrolian" are borrowed from "Laendler" an Austrian folk song from the rural areas of Upper Austria. Most significant is his use of modal harmonic colors and rhythm changes to create a mood that shifts between "dark-tense" and "bright-loose." The composition "Far Away From Here, Long Time Ago" is written in a style reminiscent of the Romantic period, yet expertly crafted within a contemporary arrangement.

Odd Meters

More and more contemporary composers, lately, are exploring asymmetrical (odd) meters. Years ago, Bela Bartok,   Igor Stravinsky and Peter Tchaikovsky were among the few composers who dared to use those "unorthodox" oddly sounding subdivisions. Later on, their example was followed by contemporary composers like Leonard Bernstein, Roger Sessions, Elliot Carter, Arnold Schonberg and many others. In Bulgarian folk music all odd and regular meters were the product of a variety of folk dances and songs preserved and developed by village musicians, dancers and singers for hundreds of years. This is one of the main reasons why Bulgarians and people studying these metric subdivisions have a phenomenal sense and play them automatically, without an effort. Bulgarian odd rhythms became increasingly popular in jazz and pop music, ever since Dave Brubeck performed his "Take Five" and "Rondo a la Turk."

Groove Culture Project

Both experimental and comfortably familiar, pensive and impulsive, the music of vibraphonist Errol Rackipov and trumpet player Jason Carder, originators of the "Groove Culture" project, resides somewhere on the boundaries of contemporary jazz. "Groove Culture" have molded folk motives from Eastern Europe and the Orient (among others), with acid, hip-hop, funk beats and more traditional grooves. The result: imaginative musical metaphors that are simultaneously easily appreciated by the ear and offer aesthetic sophistication to the mind. And equally important - they are communicated by the finest of instrumentalists.

In part, the appeal of "Groove Culture" is in the passion and spontaneity of their live performances. The combination of acoustic and electronic instruments leaves the audience curious and impressed. With their original performative techniques and story-like compositions "Groove Culture" always seem to keep the listeners attentive and involved, sparing them the trivialities of "packaged" smooth jazz and easy listening pieces.

The infusion of jazz with world music and modern-day popular styles is a stable trend, which "Groove Culture" representatively embody. With a stamp of authenticity.