Balkan jazz is actually a kind of fusion - a jazz version of balkan music, taking over the rhythms and melodic structures of the region, but with a jazz line-up, and hence cannot be really called world music. The performers do not necessarily have to be from the Balkan, although it helps if you look at the list below. Some American musicians should get a permanent visa for each balkan country, though, such as reedist Matt Darriau and guitar/saz-player Brad Shepik. Balkan music is by itself already a mix of many influences : European folk, roma music, Turkish music and jewish klezmer. The complexity of its rhythms, the important role of free improvization and its openness to other musical forms make it in spirit closely linked to jazz.
- Babkas - Fratelli (Briggan Kraus, Brad Shepik and Aaron Alexander)
- Ekrem & Gypsy Grooves (the absolute real thing : rather world music, but so jazzy...)
- Goran Ivanovic & Fareed Haque - Macedonian Blues (acoustic guitar duo)
- Vasili Nenad Band - Joe Jack (sax, piano, bass, drums)
- Paradox Trio - Flying At A Slant (Matt Darriau, Brad Shepik, Rufus Cappadocia, Seido Salifoski)
- Pachora -Unn (Chris Speed, Brad Shepik, Skuli Sverisson, Jim Black)
- Brad Shepik - The Well
- Nicolas Simion - Balkan Jazz (Roumanian jazz with some Germans thrown into the mix)
- Slavic Soul Party - In Makedonija (Americans bring balkan brass band music)
- Ferenc Snetberger - Nomad (acoustic guitar + bass + drums - from Hungary)
- Miroslav Tadic - Without Words (acoustic guitar with Peter Epstein on sax)
- Vlatko Stefanovic & Miroslav Tadic - Krushevo (2 x acoustic guitar )
- Samo Salamon - Arabian Picnic (Arabian in name, but definitely Balkan guitar trio)
- Bojan Zulfikarpasic - Yopla! (master piano-player, has more than one excellent album)
- Dave Douglas' Tiny Bell Trio (Douglas, Shepik, Black)
- Borbely Mihaly - Crystal Mountain (reeds, guitar, bass, drums)
