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| 4.610 Ft
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| 1. | Top Down
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| 2. | From A to Z
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| 3. | Little Sunflower
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| 4. | Passion Island
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| 5. | Tourista
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| 6. | Undun
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| 7. | Doin' The D
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| 8. | Good As Goldie
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| 9. | River Raisin Nights
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| 10. | Tongue Twister
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Jazz
Flutist Alexander Zonjic Is Doin' the D On His New Heads Up Recording
Special guests include Kenny G, Rick Braun, Bob James, Jeff Lorber, Chieli Minucci, Maysa Leak and more
Flutist Alexander Zonjic may be Canadian by birth and by citizenship, but Detroit - just across the river from his hometown of Windsor, Ontario - has been his second home for the better part of three decades. Regardless of the numerous roles he may be playing in the Motor City's music and entertainment scene on any given day - recording artist and performer of international stature, morning drive-time jazz radio personality, concert promoter, restaurateur and more - Detroit has adopted Zonjic as one of their own and has supported every aspect of his multi-faceted career.
Aided and accompanied by a variety of songwriters, performers and friends, Zonjic tips his hat to his adopted city on Doin' The D (HUCD 3126) on Heads Up International, a division of Concord Music Group. The album features guest appearances by saxophonist Kenny G, trumpeter Rick Braun, Special EFX guitarist Chieli Minucci, vocalist Maysa Leak and many others. In addition to the many new faces, longtime collaborators Jeff Lorber and Bob James make substantial contributions to Doin' The D.
"It's always interesting when a new record starts coming together," says Zonjic. "I basically throw an invitation out to all my music buddies and wonder how many of them will come to the party. I was completely surprised and pleased with the number of people who participated in this record, including some people with whom I'd never recorded with before. While they are all friends of mine, I'm still also a huge fan of these great artists, and I'd like to think that they took part in this project because they respect and admire my music."
Doin' The D takes its title from a catchphrase that's common to residents of the greater Detroit area. To "do the D" is to spend an evening or a weekend checking out the various cultural attractions offered by a city rich with musical history and cultural diversity.
"Detroit and its people embraced me on a profound level many, many years ago, and they're the main reason that I've had such a great career," says Zonjic. "It's one of the greatest music cities in the world. All you need to do is consider that Aretha Franklin still lives here after so many years. Eminem is here, Bob Seger is here, Mitch Ryder is here, Anita Baker, Kid Rock, and the list goes on. Obviously, the city is going through its share of tough times right now - like so many other cities. But I continue to appreciate everything "The D" has done for my career, and I will always support it."
Doin' the D is more than just a star-studded nod to Zonjic's adopted hometown. In a larger sense, it's part of his ongoing effort to carry the torch passed on to him by figures like Canadian jazz flutist Moe Kaufmann and jazz innovator Herbie Mann - and to perhaps even be the messenger who takes the flute to a place of higher prominence as a voice in the smooth & pop-jazz idiom.
"In the classical world, the flute has a huge stature, but it has struggled in recent years to be considered a solo jazz instrument on the same level as the saxophone or guitar and piano," Zonjic says. "The instrument suffers from this weird stereotype that it's somehow lightweight - something relegated to playing bird sounds in an orchestra setting. But anyone who hears this record will know that the flute is capable of delivering strong melodies and strong solos. In the right hands, the flute is a musical force to be reckoned with."
Alexander Zonjic
Active Decades: '80s, '90s and '00s
Genre: Jazz
Jazz flutist Alexander Zonjic is known for his smooth playing style, in addition to composing and performing his own original songs on solo albums since the mid-'80s. As a youngster growing up in Windsor, Ontario, Canada, Zonjic was first enraptured by guitar, as he played professionally in a R&B band as a teenager. At the age of 21, Zonjic purchased a flute on a whim, and within a year had become quite proficient at the new instrument, leading soon after to a successful audition for the University of Windsor (where he studied with the second flutist of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra). Although Zonjic continued to play guitar at nightclubs to make ends meet, flute soon became his main interest, influenced by the likes of Hubert Laws and Herbie Mann. After college graduation, Zonjic often played at jazz clubs in the Detroit area and one evening, renowned jazz keyboardist Bob James caught Zonjic's act, which led to an immediate invitation into his own band, which the young flutist accepted.
Recording sessions with such jazz greats as Earl Klugh, Kirk Whalum, Harvey Mason, and Angela Bofill soon followed, as well as performances throughout the world, including Japan, England, Philippines, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic, as well as appearances at some of the U.S.' most esteemed venues: Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and the Apollo Theater. Since the late '70s, Zonjic has been issuing solo albums, including such titles as 1978's self-titled debut, 1982's Elegant Evening, 1987's Romance with You, 1988's When Is It Real?, 1990's Neon (the latter a collaboration with Bob James, Earl Klugh, vocalist Angela Bofill, and producer/saxophonist Kirk Whalum), and 1993's Passion. Zonjic has also been part of different projects with his early flute mentor, Ervin Monroe: 1981's The Classical Album, 1995's Piper's Holiday, and 1997's Christmas and Night. In 2001, Zonjic released Reach for the Sky. He kept busy throughout the next decade releasing Seldom Blues in 2004 and Doin' the D in 2009. In addition to his recording and performing career, Zonjic has his own morning radio show on WVMV-FM, Smooth Jazz V98.7 in Detroit, which he hosts during the week from 5:30 to 9:00 in the morning.
---Greg Prato, All Music Guide |
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