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Aleksandar Jovanovic Schljuka

Self-taught musician, composer, bandleader

About Me

Pianist, keyboardist, composer, born in 1978. in Zajecar (Serbia). He began to learn piano as six years old kid in the Music School “Stevan Mokranjac” in Zajecar, but he leaves the classical music training after a few years and begins to be interested in different music styles. He meets jazz music 1998th when he went to Belgrade and started cooperation with guitarist Edward Bodor. His first solo jazz concert took place in Zajecar early 1999 , when for the first time draws attention of public.That was the start of making and developing his own musical style. Same year, in spring, founded Alegorian Jazz Band, with whom performs the next few years at many clubs, festivals and cultural venues all around Serbia. In the summer of 2000 he went to Austria where he performed in clubs in Vienna (First Floor, Porgy & Bess ...). Upon his return to former Yugoslavia, he went to Podgorica and started cooperation with singer Maria Bozovic. That duo had a lot of appearances in Montenegro, especially in the famous jazz club “Montanaro Jazz”. In 2004th the band “Coolares” was created, and one of the founders was Aleksandar Jovanovic. This band is still active in his recognizable style performances throughout Serbia and Montenegro. In early 2009 was born the idea of founding a new band that will perform original music by Aleksandar Jovanovic, and in spring of 2009 the idea of this is achieved and occurs” Woodcock Group”- the band that explores jazz, pop, classical music and also serbian folk, applying all of its own expression and comprehension. The first more important performance was when the band at Umbria Jazz-Balcanic Windows Festival 2009 in Belgrade, in competition of 28 bands from all over south-eastern Europe, listed in the top six best young jazz bands in this part of Europe. After that the band started touring, playing at clubs, squares and jazz festivals. Woodcock Group performs in various ensembles and the most common formation is a trio. In 2010 the band released it's first album called “Water Stories”, with one of the biggest independent record labels in the world Sunset Records, New York. Aleksandar also performs as a solo pianist, combining his own compositions with jazz standards and different musical styles. Aleksandar Jovanovic had the opportunity to perform at concerts and jam sessions with the excellent musicians from south-eastern Europe, such as Joe Mikovich, Teodosi Spasov, Stefan Wagner, Ivan Jelenkovic, Madam Piano, Bojan Vukelic, Marko Fabry, Ivan Maksimovic, Miodrag Miki Milovanov, Aleksandar Cvetkovic, ... and his music is influenced mostly by modern jazz musicians as Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Pat Metheny, but also Serbian and Balkan folk musical heritage and classical music. Nowdays, as a self-taught musician, with his own approach, Aleksandar teaches young musicians to play and explore music and most of all to develop creative human nature...