Lungau Big Band feat. Uroš Perić

The Lungau Big Band was founded in 1983 and now unites selected jazz musicians from all over Austria as well as neighbouring countries, in addition to some Lungau veterans. What once began with classical swing repertoire experienced its first highlight with the invitation to the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1999. Under the direction of Horst Hofer, LBB presented an independent programme, which the renowned jazz critic Mike Zwerin commented on in the International Herald Tribune with these words:

"This is no exaggeration; the Lungau Big Band and its soloists were as accomplished as the legendary Thad Jones/Mel Lewis band of the 70s."

 

Over the years, the LBB has performed with international soloists such as Nils Landgren, Randy Brecker, Bob Mintzer, James Morrison, Michael Abene, Bill Watrous, Gunhild Carling, Bobby Shew, Ray Anderson, Jiggs Whigham and many others, and has established itself as one of the most active and successful jazz orchestras in Austria.

In 2002 the idea was born to create a programme away from the conventional big band sounds. Together with the London singer Tony Momrelle, who has played with the British cult band INCOGNITO and artists such as Sade and Celine Dion, LBB created a new, soul-oriented programme and was nominated for the Austrian music prize ́Amadeus ́ with the CD ́Soulmiles ́. In 2007 the second soul production was released, featuring almost exclusively original compositions by Tony Momrelle and Burkhard Frauenlob and Martin Gasselsberger. With ́Message in the Music ́ LBB suddenly finds itself as CD of the month of a Dutch radio station as well as in the charts of SolarRadio in England. On programmes with works from their own ranks, the Lungau Big Band repeatedly invites young Austrian musicians to create new works and perform them together. This has led to creative collaborations with Carinthian drummer and composer Reinhold Schmölzer, Salzburg singer Ángela Tröndle, Upper Austrian trumpet virtuoso Lorenz Raab and, most recently, with Emiliano Sampaio, a Brazilian recording artist, guitarist and conductor who lives in Graz and has won numerous awards. For the 40th anniversary, concerts with Sara de Blue, Anna Buchegger, Uros Peric, Hubert von Goisern, Josh ́Socalled ́ Dolgin and the Bruckner Orchester Linz under the baton of conductor Wayne Marshall are on the calendar for 2023. 

Uroš Perić: For the 40th anniversary of the band, the Lungau Big Band continues this tradition and presents the fantastic Slovenian singer and pianist Uroš Perić.
Blues, soul, gospel and country are the genres in which Uroš Perić finds his inspiration. He was most influenced by artists such as Ray Charles, Nat King Cole, Aretha Franklin, Billie Holiday or Otis Redding. His voice is unbelievably amazing and, when his eyes are closed, makes you think that Ray Charles himself is sitting on stage. More than 450 "Tribute to Ray Charles" shows in Europe, the USA and Africa (!) actually earned him the reputation of a "white Ray Charles!" in the trade press.
In his short career, Uroš Perić was a guest soloist with the World Jazz Orchestra in Las Vegas, the radio big bands in Ljubljana (SLO) and Belgrade (SRB), the Groove Orchestra (D) and played with Ernie Watts, Michael Abene, Dusko Goykovich and many others.