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JAKA BERGER was born in town of Novo mesto in Slovenia on september the 10th 1980.
His musical journey started in 1994 when he entered a junior music school Glasbena sola Marjana Kozina in Novo mesto. He worked on the drum set with teacher Alojz Gradisek for 7 years. During his schooling he was an active member of Symphonical orchestra Marjana Kozina, Woodwind orchestra Krka Zdravilisca and participated in various chamber settings in production of music school. While playing in school projects and visiting drum classes he was also a member of Novo mesto Marching band – Mestna godba Novo mesto.Musical education helped him to get the wider view of the music itself.Being a high school student, Jaka played and formed various rock and funk bands in that time. It got him the knowledge of group playing, arranging songs and studio production.Learning the importance of expanding knowledge all the time, brought him to enter his first jazz workshop in a year 2000 - JAZZINTY – International jazz workshop. With mentor Ales Rendla, Jaka expanded his basic jazz knowledge and in 2001 he attended the precussion classes with mentor Blaz Celarec where he gain the basics in percussion techinque in african, afro-cuban, latin and world music styles.
This amount of information and lack of musicians in his home town took Jaka to a 4 year long period of exploring the drum technique, jazz concepts, improvisation witch became his strong field, composition and working on the drum set as a solo instrument.
In this period Jaka organised and lead a few projects where he applied his new knowledge in practical situations. He decided that all his projects will be titled BRGS TIME. This projects helped him see how certain concepts work in real group playing using mostly improvisation.
First Jaka's project of this kind was in colaboration with some members of slovenian group Moveknowledgement. Vocalist Miha Blazic – N'TOKO, drummer David Cvelbar, guitarist Uros Weinberger and Jaka went to the studio in may 2004 and recorded a 1,5 hour of free improvised music leaded by cues that Jaka arranged for the session. Music is still waiting to be released.
In the fall of 2004 Jaka got invited in a jazz-rock fusion group called OD FRANCLA MOZGANI.The band playes original material influenced by various genres and by Frank Zappa.They are geting a visible space in Slovenian music scene.
Big wish to play free jazz improvisations got him to meet SAMO SALAMON in 2005. Samo is one of the best jazz guitarists and composers in Slovenia and has played with various great names of jazz music. Samo was a big support and inspiration in Jaka's first steps in composition. Jaka wrote 8 songs that Samo helped harmonized and 2 more songs where writen by Samo. Concept was to play a bass-less trio using Drums- Jaka, guitar – Samo and alto-sax/ bass-clarinet – ACHILLE SUCCI, coming from Italy and well established on European's jazz scene. In May 2005 the trio went to the studio and recorded Jaka's first offical record called BRGS TIME – BAS TRIO that was a big step for Jaka. Record was released in 2006.
Also in 2005 Jaka was invited to record a record and play promotional concerts with Slovenian freestyle champion Miha Blazic – N' TOKO. Record was released in february 2006 at NIKA RECORDS.
In the fall of the same year Samo and Jaka played a free-improvised duo in atrium of book label Knjigarna GOGA in Novo mesto, witch was the first of now many free improvised duets that Jaka performed with his musician friends.Year 2006 was specialy inspiring for Jaka. He formed and arranged a noise-dance project called Brgs time- LACNI IN TREZNI (Hungry & Sober), where he cooperated with freestyle artist N'toko producing sound textures and modern dancer Sabina Schwenner. Jaka approached this project with creative and experimental mind using diferent objects to create organic sound as well as using effects on the drumset and vocal.
First performance took place in april on Jazzinty abonma 2006 in Novo mesto, on concert evening with jazz- etno artist from Macedonia VASIL HAZIMANOV BAND. And the second happened in august on TRNFEST festival 2006 in Ljubljana, where they held an strong independent performance.In may 2006 Jaka organized a mini Slovenian tour with Brgs time- BAS TRIO. Jaka, Samo and Achille played three concerts promoting material recorded in 2005.
In the beginning of summer (may, june 2006) Jaka took a week long French Tour with freestyle artist N'toko playing concert on Europavox festival 2006, clubs in Leon and south part of France.In august 2006 he was invited to lead the evening jam-sessions on International jazz workshop JAZZINTY 2006 and also took the opportunity to expand knowledge with mentor STEVE ALTENBERG from New York city discusing uper level of improvising, listening, group playing, band leading, etc….During all this time in 2006 Jaka played concerts around clubs and festivals in Slovenia with his band OD FRANCLNA MOZGANI.Jaka's highlight of year 2006 was definitely official release of his record BRGS TIME – BAS TRIO that happen in september 2006. Record was released at SPLASCH RECORDS ITALY, label took care of distribution around Europe, U.S.A., Canada and Japan followed by the critic from ALL ABOUT JAZZ magazine.
Few weeks later, band OD FANCLNA MOZGANI also released their record called POFRANCLJEVANJE at Knjigarna GOGA label, followed by promotional concerts. The band recorded original material in 5 days that includes a strong jazz- rock foundation and lots of improvisation.
In 2007 Jaka decided to expand the free-jazz trio into quartet, so he wrote fresh new compositions and invited great musician, a classical cellist AYA SHIMURA from Italy to join Jaka, Samo and Achille. This time Jaka wrote all the compositions and the quartet recorded Jaka's second record called BRGS TIME – PLANETARIUM SEQUENCE. Recordings took place in march 2007 in recording studio in Novo mesto followed by one concert to promote new material. Record is finalized and Jaka is working on it's release, sending it to some well known record labels in Europe.Band Od Franclna mozgani was not that busy but still performed on various festivals and clubs in Slovenia during spring and summer of 2007.Summer of 2007 was very creative for Jaka as he was invited to play free- jazz concerts around Slovenia. He used the opportunity to play diferent duet setups, inviting musicians to play a 100% free unike improvisations.
First concert was a trio with guitar and indian sarod player IGOR BEZGET and saxophone player from his home town, living in New York IGOR LUMPRET.
Second was played with his friend and co-member from Od Franclna mozgani, bas player DEJAN SLAK using Fender Rhodes and diferent effects.
Third concert was marked with the sound of accordeon and experimenting with midi-accordeon played by DANIEL MARINIC.During International Festival LENT 2007 that is taking place in the city of Maribor, Jaka meat a man of his big inspiration, a highly respected double-bass player, a big improviser and great name in avantgarde jazz music from Netherlands WILBERT DEE JOODE. They talked and decided to play a unanounced free improvisational concert in Maribor's jazz club SATCHMO. Jaka also called Samo Salamon so the set up became a trio and played hour and a half of unike free improvised session.
Same summer 2007 Jaka visited a concert of a Chicago Blues All-star MELVIN TAYLOR, ending with Melvin inviting Jaka on stage to play a session and they both had enjoyed the half hour of creating music together.Creative mind never sleeps, so Jaka took a step to explore how making a painting over the visual projection works with duet all together using free improvisation as a tool to communicate. The duet included friend DANIJEL MARINIC playing accordeon supported by midi sound effect processor and Jaka on the drumset and percussion. The key person behind the screen operating visual projection and creating painting over it was young talented and inspiring designer, arranger of picture and illustrator SARA JASSIM from Ljubljana.
The project was called BRGS TIME – NEW POINT TRIO and took place in october 2007 in atrium of Knjigarna GOGA in Novo mesto.In the fall of 2007 Jaka got together with a well respected senior poet from Maribor BORUT GOMBAC, who offered him a chance to compose, arrange and produce a RADIO-PLAY that he just wrote for the NATIONAL RADIO OF SLOVENIA called SENCE IN SINKOPE (Shades and Sincopations). Jaka took this project seriously and played, arranged, recorded and produced the radio-play with old friend and freestyle artist N'TOKO and young talented and inspiring opera singer EVA BRACIC from Slovenska Bistrica. The play will be on the National program of Radio Slovenia in the spring of 2008.At the same time Jaka got the invitation to perform with ACADEMIC CHOIR OF MARIBOR. The conductor needed a drummer to perform a piece by NORMAN LUBOFF called AFRICAN MASS, that was written for the choir and 7 tuned drums. Jaka performed with the choir in the spring 2007 at the premiere of the African mass, continued with six performances in the december of 2007 and january 2008.
