THEODOSII SPASSOV - Kaval, Vocal
The Bulgarian composer and kaval player Theodosii Spassov was born in 1961. In his musical compositions Spassov blends the traditions of folklore with the latest developments of other musical genres ranging from jazz to classic. In the last few years he has also written music for symphonic orchestra and kaval.
As a pupil of Veselin Nikolov he started his career with the legendary group „Jazz Linia" from Plovdiv at the beginning of the 80s. Already at that time his virtuous folkloristic playing of the kaval in connection with improvisation became apparent.
Different projects followed. He played together with Bulgarian folklore groups as well as with musicians such as the Trio Bulgarka and "Le mystere des voix bulgares" etc., and jazz musicians, e.g. Milcho Leviev, Simeon Shterev. Spassov also realized several recordings and projects in his unique way of playing kaval fusion.
„Welkya" (GEGA) was his first great project, realized with the Bulgarian folk singer Yanka Rupkina of the Trio Bulgarka - a successful mixture of folklore and jazz.
"Beyond The Frontiers" (GEGA) is a collection of various recordings as film music. Theodosii Spassov composed and produced the music for a number of films ("Granitza / The Border " 1993; "Gori, Gori Ogantche / Burn Fire, Burn" 1994 etc.). On invitation by two Italian composers - Carlo Siliotto and Ennio Morricone - he has recorded themes for their latest films - "An Italian Story" and "The Breakout of the Innocent".
1997/ 1998 play on the project/recording „The Glimpse" of Trilok Gurtu. He work the last years in The Fairy Tale Trio together with Anatoly Vapirov and Stoyan Yankoulov.
1999 a new project with Rabih-Abou Khalil and Glen Velez.
2000 play on the Black Sea Creative Formation with Enver Izmailov, Vladimir Volkov, Harry Tavitian, Anatoly Vapirov and Stoyan Yankoulov. The last recordings in New York with Dave Liebmann.
PROJECTS
The Fairy Tale Trio with Anatoly Vapirov and Stoyan Yankoulov
Trio with Haig Yazdjian und Glen Velez
DISCOGRAPHY
"The Long Road" with Stefan Moutafchiev (Balkanton / 1987)
"The Sand Girl" (Balkanton / 1989)
"Gourbet Mohabet" with Milcho Leviev (Balkanton / 1990)"Welkya" (GEGA / 1994) "Beyond The Fronties" (GEGA / 1995)"
Concert sur le toit du monde / Everest Concert" with Nikolai Ivanov (RFI Sofia / 1996)
"The Glimpse" Trilok Gurtu / Teilnahme (CMP / 1997)
"A Fairy Tale" with Anatoly Vapirov and Stoyan Yankoulov (Marko's Music / 1997)
"Jazz Across The Border" with Anatoly Vapirov and Stoyan Yankoulov (Wergo Records / 1998)
"Bratimene" (GEGA / 1998)
REVIEWS
"... counterpoint to the virtuous play of Theodosii Spassov on the kaval. What he manages to produce on his wooden floote is sensational. Once dark sounds reminding of a clarinet, then mystical ones when the tones are overblown in the upper register he also has command of the technique to sing through the wooden tube during the play and thus producing an unexpected sound of two voices."
Theodossii Spassov plays tones on the kaval that no one else would be capable of playing."In the West many people think that the way I play the kaval is typical of the way this flute is played in Bulgaria," he says. "That is, however, not the case. If one asked a Bulgarian kaval player how to play as I play he would not be able to answer. The kaval is usually played in a rather restrictive manner. I play this flute in a way which is much more open." Over the course of time Theodosii developed his own embouchure and fingering techniques that differ from the traditional Bulgarian style of playing kaval. "While playing with jazz musicians I discovered that, played in the traditional sense, my instrument was limited. If I wanted not just to "play" but rather to communicate with the other musicians I needed to somehow extend the kaval's capacity. I was obliged to develop an entirely new way of playing." Although in Bulgarian folklore the kaval is predominantly played diatonically, Spassov systematically chromaticized his instrument to accomodate his playing in other musical contexts (jazz and symphonic music) with a dialogue-enabling capacity. By means of his own special fingering and embouchure techniques he also managed to change the timbre of his instrument, at times achieving tone colors reminiscent of a saxophone or clarinet.
Spassov further intensified his kaval playing - singing into his instrument while playing - with vocalization. While on tour in Greece in 1984, fans approached him enthusiastically exclaiming,"You play just like Ian Anderson from "Jethro Tull". But Theodosii at that time had no idea whatsoever of who Jethro Tull was."Only much later did 4I hear Ian Anderson's cassettes."
Whereas singing while playing flute also occurs in traditional Bulgarian music, the usage of such passages here and there occurs in choice moments, adding highlights ("like pepper on a tasty dish", says Theodosii) . Spassov's own dosage of this technique is so extensive and intensified that it independently constitutes a defining characteristic of his style.
Through these and other innovations Theodosii Spassov has transformed the kaval, originally a soft and mild instrument, into a flexible and powerful dialogue-enabling solo instrument in the context of jazz. He had a relatively late start playing the kaval- at the age of ten (as his father founded a school). In those days there were special music highschools in which one could learn to play traditional Bulgarian folklore instruments. Attending such a school in Kotil, Spassov systematically learned to play folklore. Later he continued his studies in Plotiv at the Art Academy for Music and Dance. Two major events opened the folklore-student's door to jazz. A fellow student brought him the first cassettes - music from Sarah Vaughan, Wayne Shorter, Miles Davis and Charlie Parker- and gave him as well some original compositions to play. Says Theodosii: "In that moment, as the folklorists expressed the first criticisms, that this was no longer folklore, I was immediately ready to give up that world." And then Spassov found himself under the influence of the tenor saxophonist Vesselin Nikolov. Nikolov, who had lived many years in Poland and had recorded there with Krystof Komeda and Tomasz Stanko, held in Plotiv at that time the role of a jazz-guru. He took young musicians under his wing and introduced them to his ideas, closely related to the jazz avantgarde. Nikolov was not a music theorist. He taught his young musicians to think undogmatically, instructed them in questions of aesthetics, the structuring of the solo, and the importance of stage presence. In 1983 Spassov founded the band "Jazz Linia" together with his university colleagues ( e.g. the singer Yildiz Ibrahimova). in which the flutist attempted for the first time a fusion of Bulgarian music and jazz. Spassov had barely begun incorporating other influences into his Bulgarian flute playing when the first difficulties appeared. He received harshly critical letters and had to contend with demeaning remarks. The folklorists complained that he was destroying folklore.
On the other hand the jazz-faction propagated the opinion that his music was not jazz. The official cultural publications labeled his music as a cariacature of Bulgarian folklore. The kaval was not a jazz instrument. Why didn't Spassov just buy himself a saxophone, with which he could certainly make better music.
In 1990 as the famous pianist and keyboarder Milcho Leviev returned from his chosen home in the USA, every jazz musician in Plovtiv wanted to jam with the legendary keyboarder (whose enormous success was celebrated in the bands of Billy Cobham and Don Ellis). Among those in the long line of enthusiasts was Theodossii Spassov. The jazz saxophonists, trombonists and trumpeters would have loved to chase Theodossii Spassov with his "shepherd's flute" from the stage.
But after a very short time it was obvious: Leviev rejected the neoboppers in absolute favor of Spassov for his duo. And thus began the musical encounter. with a widely acclaimed duo concert in Sophia, televised and recorded as well.
After this performance the critics asked Milcho Leviev - in Bulgaria regarded as an unshakeable jazz authority "What is Spassov doing? Is this jazz? Or is this folklore?" Leviev retorted, "Do you take me for a fool? He's not playing jazz. He's not playing folklore. He's simply playing good music." And suddenly all the uproar about whether or not this fusion was valid or in fact a disgrace to Bulgarian folklore, vanished.
Since then Theodosii Spassov has won international acclaim with the Indian percussionist Trilok Gurtu's band ("The Glimpse") as well as on recordings with Albert Mangeldorff and the Radio Hessen jazz Ensemble.
"My entire efforts," explains Theodosii, "have been focused on developing a personal musical identity, and to drive improvised Bulgarian music to a point of equality with American jazz... when I began in 1983 to play this style of music many people told me, "You are not playing jazz, what you do is folklore." Today, since I've had success and international recognition, the same people come to me and say proudly, "We also play ethno-jazz." And then I must answer, "I don't play ethno-jazz. I play modern Bulgarian music."
In the summer of 1999 he realized a new project in Varna / Bulgaria - the trio with Rabih-Abou Khalil and Glen Velez.
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