Boško Petrović born 18 February 1935

Boško Petrović (18 February 1935 - 10 January 2011) was a Croatian vibraphonist, composer, band leader, producer , promoter, discographer and jazz educator. 

Bosko was born in Zagreb, Croatia,  and in his early childhood he started playing the violin, and at the age of fifteen he switched to the accordion. It was whilst listening to American radio, he became in love with jazz and remained faithful to it all his life.  As a violinist he founded his first combo group in 1950. 

He made his first recordings for Radio Zagreb in 1954, playing the accordion in the Radan Bosnar Quartet. He played his first blues on a vibraphone in the former basement of Radio Zagreb together with pianist Mihailo Pub Schwarz and Pero Spasov.  Schwarz had all the latest records from the 'Modern Jazz Quartet' and were a big fan of that jazz band, and later became great friends with its members. 

After opting for the vibraphone as his main instrument in 1959, Bosko founded the Zagreb Jazz Quartet whose repertoire was based primarily on original music inspired by the musical tradition of his country. The Quartet soon gained recognition aboard for the original style of what came be called Balkan jazz. During its Eight active year, the Quartet gave numerous concerts home and aboard (Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Germany, France, the Soviet Union). After a one year break, the Quartet become the Zagreb Jazz Quintet joined by the distinguished American trumpet player Art Farmer in the season 1968/69. 

Apart from Croatia records, they have released their albums for a number of other record labels such as; Phillips, Atlantic, Fountains, Black Lion, Alta and Jazzette. The ensemble ceased to operate as a quintet in 1969, and its members continued their careers in numerous other Croatian jazz ensembles. In 1970, Bosko reorganized the group again. This time he relied on talented young musicians and formed the B.P. Convention, which toured all over Europe, India, Japan, the Soviet Union and the United States. In association with several brilliant jazz musicians from Eastern Europe, Bosko also organized the Novocovertibile All Stars group with which he played and recorded from time to time. After that he played in a duet with Neven Frangeš (1985-1988). 

                       Here’s “Silver Side” from above album.

                              

As a top and recognized jazz musician, Boško Petrović traveled all over the world and played at various jazz festivals. Since the founding of the BP Club, he has traveled less frequently in Zagreb, and in addition to the international jazz festival held in the Irish town of Cork , he has traveled to Italy , Slovenia and Austria once a year.

As a guest he performed at the world's most prestigious jazz festivals ( Montreux , Monterey, Detroit ,Berlin ). He was a member of HGU (Croatian Music Union) and the International Biographical Association and the International Who is who in Music. Bosko frequently appeared on radio and TV as author and MC of jazz programmes. 

During his rich career he received numerous awards and recognitions, is a multiple winner of Porin, including the one for lifetime achievement (2003), was awarded the Order of the Croatian Danica with the figure of Marko Marulić (1996), and in 2005 was included in the European Jazz Masters. 

His discography includes dozens of albums containing his first recordings with the Boško Petrović Quartet and members of the Quincy Jones Orchestra, all the way to collaborations with great jazz musicians such as Clark Terry, Ernie Willkins and Art Farmer, Joe Pass, Buck Clayton and Joe Turner, Buddy de Franco, Kenny Drew, NHO Pedersen and Alvin Queen. 

In his later years Bosko lived & worked in Zagreb, operating his own jazz club (the B.P. Club) in the very centre of town and successfully running his own Jazzete record company. He passed away suddenly in his apartment in Zagreb on January 10, 2011.  (Edited from Wikipedia)