Fans of eclectic global jazz music, whether from East or West, will find interesting grooves on Slavo Rican Assembly’s Intercosmic release that was guided by a vision to create a universal music that is “intercosmically” human.  Based in New York, the seven-piece band is a collaboration of Slovenian saxophonist/composer Jan Kus with musicians he met playing Puerto Rican bomba jazz with the Fernando García group, as well as Cuban-Venezuelan Latin jazz with Cesar Orozco’s Kamarata Jazz, Luisito Quintero and Diego Obregón. On the Salvo Rican Assembly’s debut album, García appears as a guest on the concise two-minute “Bomba Jam” playing barril, a wooden drum built from a rum barrel and goatskin. Besides bomba, the Slavo Rican Assembly draws inspiration and incorporates elements of salsa, rumba, as well as harvest songs, lullabies and laments with traditional Eastern European roots. It's no surprise that the album peaked at #1 on The Roots Music Report's World Music Album Chart in December, 2022.

As a student studying music in the Netherlands, Jan Kus fell in love with Latin jazz. After moving to New York in 2012, he discovered and embraced the music of the Spanish Caribbean, especially Puerto Rico. He was soon playing his tenor and soprano sax with acclaimed Latin jazz artists. As Jan jokingly became “Puerto Rican by osmosis,” the group’s electric and synth bassist, Dan Martínez became “Slavic by osmosis.” Multiple tours of Puerto Rico and Slovenia further solidified the concept and musical vision. Jan Kus made his recording debut as a bandleader in 2016 with his critically-acclaimed project, Faith.

Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Dan Martínez has played professionally since age 17. He attened the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico, studied with bass legend Eddie Gomez, arrived in New York in 2011, pursued his Master’s degree in jazz performance, and garnered a reputation as a versatile, in-demand player.

Slavo Rican Assembly is rounded out by Aleksandra Denda (vocals), Ahmed Alom (piano, keyboards), Victor Pablo (percussion) and Žan Tetičkovič aka Jean John (drums). While it might have been ecstatically fun to hear some virtuosic fiddle, accordion lines and unique instrumentation like sopilka (Ukrainian flute) or cimbalom (Hungarian hammered dulcimer) among their tracks, the Slavo Rican Assembly’s jazzy saxophones, electric guitar, piano, bass, drums and percussion combine for a powerful effervescence on their sonic canvas.

Aleksandra Denda’s singing is firm and full of musical personality, and a group of four women (ROSA Vocal Group) is featured on “Vo naše selo,” (In Our Village) a traditional song from Prizrenska Gora, a district of 30 villages on the northwest side of the Sar Planina Mountains between Serbia and Macedonia and incorpoprating a few villages in Albania. Two other pieces of traditional Slovenian or Bosniam origin, “Zrejlo je žito” and “Što te nema” speak to stores about “Ripened Grain” and lamenting “Why are You Gone?” “Što te nema” is an emotional Bosnian sevdalinka, a slow, moody song about missing a loved one which concludes with expressive sax and guitar solos. The jazzy instrumentation infused with traditional vocalizing combine to produce a musical portrait of the Bloc that will delight listeners.

The six original compositions on Intercosmic include five from Jan Kus, and one (“Oda a María”) from Dan Martinez’s pen that is substantive in its tribute to his homeland by describing Puerto Rico’s strength, resilience and courage after Hurricane María in 2017. Uplifting lyrics by Dan’s brother, Hector Martínez, translate as “Little girl, resist, hold on, the dawn is coming.”

Kus’ “Intro Elevation” opens the set with a peaceful atmosphere, and his “True Heroes” closes it with patient moods that slowly develop and evolve over the course of the track’s 10+ minutes, including solid guitar solos by Gabriel Vicéns. “True Heroes,” a heartfelt composition and jazzy gospel tribute to a dear friend who managed to keep his soul intact after dealing with an unspeakable loss, states “Sometimes true heroes wear a cloak of black, sometimes it’s hard to see the gold behind the broken smile, sometimes there’s nothing that can break a man, sometimes the crows are loud.”

Evocative statements, “Thunderbadger” and “Vamp Song” feature some passionate playing, whether peaceful or pulsating, from Jan Kus. “Thunderbadger” is catchy, backbeat driven galactic jazz funk, inspired in part by music of Los Angeles bassist/singer Thundercat. We hear some odd metre rhythms (typical of the Balkans) in its hypnotic groove. “Vamp song” has a simple repetitive melody contrasting with polyrhythmic percussion underneath.  The “song meant for healing of any kind” uses its mantra-like melody to reflect optimism during hard times. The message is then reinforced by a profound spoken word from Jiddu Krishnamurti.     

Slavo Rican Assembly’s cohesive sound has a worldly sound that yields bountiful rewards. Its emotionally-charged personality conveys many moods ranging from spiritual peace to lively outbursts that capture fiery Caribbean rhythms, hectic New York lifestyles, and even impressionistic images of one’s European or Puerto Rican homeland. (Joe Ross, Roots Music Report)