“We started work on the album three years ago,” Elena Koleva says. “The musicians we recorded it with are friends of ours who have always supported us. They also played in Plamen’s first album, released in USA in 2007. We also invited many guest musicians like Jerry Bergonzi – an internationally acclaimed saxophone player and lecturer at New England Conservatory and cellist Sifei Wen who has been working on joint projects together with the Sofia Soloists. Our collaboration on this album goes back to the 2013 Boston marathon bombing when the city was blocked off and as we were out of town at the time we couldn’t go home. Sifei was close by together with violinist Daniel Tringov – the two live together and have a recording studio in their home. So, we lived with them for three days. Plamen did the arrangement of the piece Night Sun in Blois – part three by Michel Petrucciani and they recorded it that same day.”

Besides performing jazz, Elena also teaches singing. Pianist, accordion player, composer and music arranger, Plamen is the music director of a big Afro-American church. There, he organizes concerts and different kinds of programmes. He also teaches, but has hand-picked a small group of students whom he is hoping to prepare for a serious professional career.

“We play clubs quite a lot in USA, especially Plamen who works with different formations,” Elena goes on to say. “I sing mostly with the Fifth Season – I am kept busy by my students and I also try to spend as much time as a can with my younger daughter. My elder daughter is now in college but they both sing in the album. Plamen wrote Children’s song to present our younger daughter, Simona in church. Later we decided to have both girls record it. And that was our way of saying “thank you” – they both realize that the profession of musician sometimes takes its toll and they support us. The other pieces also have their history. Petrucciani’s Night Sun in Blois which is in three parts has no other recording. Plamen remembered the musical theme during a master class when the composer played it. Later he tried to find a recording of it or sheet music but couldn’t; meanwhile Petrucciani had passed away. So, he did his own arrangement and found it really exciting. We have arrangements of classical works by Tchaikovsky, Debussy and play a piece by Duke Ellington. Plamen wrote the music to For Miles, a song dedicated to renowned jazz musician Miles Davis and we created the lyrics together. As to the name of the quartet, we chose it because it is a reflection of our unorthodox view of music, bringing together our sentiments, our longings and emotions.”

English version: Milena Daynova

-  None but the lonely heart, music Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky;

-  Night Sun in Blois;

-  For Miles;

-  Children’s song, performed by Martina and Simona.