The Perperikon Suite is the brand new album by the Hristo Vitchev Quintet. The music, which is inspired by the spirit and magic of the ancient and sacred Thracian city of Perperikon, combines modern jazz, fusion, world, and orchestral elements into a large scale jazz suite in 7 movements. For the realization of this project the Hristo Vitchev Quartet is joined by virtuoso vibraphonist Christian Tamburr, which takes the well established impressionistic sound of the group to a whole new world .
As jazz critic Brent Black describes: "Hristo Vitchev may be one of the best kept secrets in jazz today. There is an incredible warmth to Vitchev's playing, a fluidity of movement and direction held firmly in place by a stellar quintet that provides ample support for the lyrical imagery created on this release. Aside from the superior sound which almost smacks of a live in the studio recording, there is a true working band feel that Vitchev has been able to obtain. Vitchev displays an unparalleled versatility moving from the flash of "The Acropolis" to the more introspective "The Southern City" allowing for a wonderfully paced recording. The drumming of Joe DeRose creates a special dynamic tension on the tune "The Great Hall." A release that ends far too soon. Wonderfully crafted, well paced and a sonic tapestry that stands up as well as any release for this past year."
“Bulgaria-raised, San Francisco based guitarist-composer Hristo Vitchev fronts an accomplished quintet on this seven-movement suite inspired by the ancient Thracian city of Perperikon. Vitchev’s sophisticated and adventurous work is imbued with shimmering harmonies and lyrical improvisations by vibraphonist Christian Tamburr, pianist Weber Iago and Vitchev himself on flowing, warm-toned Metheny-esque guitar. Completed by the rhythm section of bassist Dan Robbins and drummer Joe DeRose, this flexible unit travels from thoughtful offerings like “The Stone Passage,” “The Southern City” and “The Palace,” to more urgently driving numbers like “The Acropolis” and “The Great Hall” and the intricate stop-time vehicle “The Northern City.” - JAZZTIMES MAGAZINE (June 2011)
As jazz critic Dan Bilawsky describes: “Shimmering harmonies resonate throughout these modern jazz marvels, and the soloists work their way around and through this accessible and exciting music with equal measures of taste, technique and spirit. Vitchev's pieces are peppered with signpost sonorities and ideas that often reappear throughout a given song, creating a sense of continuity and thematic steadiness that develops around individual soloists. While this group ably establishes its own aural identity, which threads its way through the whole album, each movement of the suite has different strengths and a unique sonic footprint. Brought to life as a tale of two cities, The Perperikon Suite ultimately occupies its own wondrous world within the confines of its jazz borders.”
As jazz critic Bruce Lindsay describes: “The music, performed by a terrific quintet, is beautiful: it captures images not of a city in ruins but of a city full of life, of vibrant activity. The Perperikon Suite is an impressive creation. Each individual tune is beautifully crafted, but so, too, is the Suite as a whole. Vitchev's response to the ancient city is remarkable in both its conception and its performance.”
As jazz critic Michael Bailey describes: “Many time motifs are used throughout this suite. Tick-tock ascending and descending figures pass as a thread through cloth, to hold this musical garment—a coat of many colors—together. Vitchev achieves this effect with no apparent effort or change in guitar tone or approach. Merely by affecting the time signatures, Vitchev makes his magic. The Perperikon Suite is soft-spoken and brainy music that exists out of the ordinary.”
As jazz critic Brad Walseth describes: “The new songs are the strongest Vitchev has written yet, and the addition of Tamburr serves to take the music to an even higher level. Vitchev, meanwhile, continues to impress the listener with his addictive blend of jazz with touches of classical, Brazilian and Eastern European influences in both his playing and songwriting. In lieu of visiting the legendary site yourself, listeners are urged to take a musical journey to the ancient location as seen through the senses of Hristo Vitchev and shared with you through his highly satisfying musical presentation.”
As jazz critic Ed Blanco describes: “Hristo Vitchev and his inspirational quintet provide an all-new experience on The Perperikon Suite, a concept album that is accessible, creative and a pleasure to spin often.”
Hristo Vitchev is a modern jazz guitarist and composer from Sofia, Bulgaria. Now residing in the San Francisco Bay Area, Hristo leads his modern jazz quartet which features the Latin Grammy-nominated pianist Weber Iago, drummer extraordinaire Joe De Rose, and virtuoso bassist Dan Robbins. Hristo has toured nationally and internationally with a wide variety of formations and has also performed guitar clinics in Europe and Japan. He has written more than 270 original compositions, many articles on jazz improvisation, and a book on chordal theory and construction entitled Between the Voicings: A New Approach to Chord Building for Guitarists. The Hristo Vitchev Quartet’s 2009 debut album, Song for Messambria (First Orbit Sounds Music) quickly received outstanding reviews by the international jazz community and was selected as one of the six best jazz albums of 2009 by E-JAZZ NEWS.
As jazz critic Edward Blanco describes, “Vitchev is the newest guitarist to enter the national jazz scene and does so with a stunner of a recording in Song for Messambria, one of the finest debut albums I've had the pleasure of appraising this year.”
The record presents a unique blend of ECM-style modern jazz, classical, and Brazilian tone textures, and showcases the completely unique and masterful interpretation of the jazz idiom by each one of its members. In late 2009, Hristo Vitchev released his second studio album featuring Latin Grammy-nominated pianist Weber Iago. The Secrets of an Angel is an impressionistic landscape painted by the delightful and graceful conversation between the two instruments (guitar/piano).
As jazz critic Brad Walseth describes, "On the heels of his impressive debut recording, Song for Messambria, guitarist Hristo Vitchev returns along with pianist Weber Iago for a wonderful guitar/piano duet recording - The Secrets of an Angel...while the gentle title track shimmers like a glistening iceberg on a cold sea. The delightful two-part ‘The Last Pirate’ is a highlight - brilliantly showcasing the exciting romantic bend inherent in Vitchev's music, while the nostalgic lullaby “Leka Nosht (Good Night)” recalls a faraway youth and rounds out this fine release.”
In 2010 Hristo Vitchev wrote a large scale jazz work (The Perperikon Suite) especially to be premiered at the 53rd Monterey Jazz Festival. This 7 movements jazz suite is inspired by the ancient Thracian city of Perperikon (located on the territory of Bulgaria), and combines orchestral, classical, jazz, and fusion elements depicting the history and mystery of this enchanting place. For the recording of this project the Hristo Vitchev Quartet was joined by virtuoso vibraphonist and multi-instrumentalist Christian Tamburr.
On top of leading his own quartet, quintet, and duo projects, Hristo Vitchev also co-writes and plays guitar with Joe De Rose and Amici - an energetic jazz/fusion formation lead by drummer Joe De Rose. Their debut record Sounds for the Soul (First Orbit Sounds Music) was released in late January 2010 and it is already gaining critical acclaim on the international scene.
Hristo Vitchev has appeared on countless radio shows including the Bay Area’s KCSM, KRML, and KKUP, and Jazz FM 104 in Sofia, Bulgaria. Hristo has also performed in world-class jazz venues and festivals including Yoshi’s Jazz Club (Oakland, CA), Anthology (San Diego, CA), The Herbst Theater (San Francisco, CA) as well as major jazz festivals including the 53rd Monterey Jazz Festival (Monterey, CA), 2009 and 2010 AT&T San Jose Jazz Festival (San Jose, CA), 2010 Redwood City “Jazz on Main” (Redwood City, CA), Okazaki Jazz Festival (Okazaki, Japan) and many more.
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