Slovenian jazz-rock band PREDMESTJE (Eng. "Suburbs") was formed in Ljubljana (Slovenia, ex-Yugoslavia) in 1975, with the following founding members: Peter Gruden-guitar, vocal; Andrej Pompe-keyboards; Aleksander Malahovsky-saxophone; Janez Hvale-drums and Gabriel Lah-bass. They released the debut album in 1977 which immediately established them as an important jazz rock/fusion ensemble in the former Yugoslavia. The following year they recorded their second album "Danes, vceraj in..." with two new members, Lado Jaksa-saxophone and Tone Dimnik-drums, both veterans of the Slovene jazz and rock scene and both having collaborated with the popular avant-satiric prog band BULDOZER. Although playing not very commercial music, this album helped them become one of three most important rock acts from Slovenia, along with SEPTEMBER and BULDOZER. The major changes in the team came with the making of the third album "Hazard", when the sole original member A. Pompe invited the members of the then disbanded group IZVIR to join him in studio. These were: Marko Bitenc-vocal, percussion; Marjan Lebar-bass; Slavko Lebar-guitar; Andrej Petkovic-drums, timbales; Jernej Podboj-saxophone. In this period PREDMESTJE used to play as a backing band for female rock singer, Marjeta Neca Falk, and they disbanded in 1982 after the release of the last album "Kama sutra". First three are all excellent albums, with wonderful jazz-rock performance, mostly instrumental, resembling varied influences - from a standard RETURN TO FOREVER and Billy Cobham-style fusion, to a more percussion-oriented Latin rhythms of SANTANA. This rather unknown band is highly recommended to all prog and jazz fans.

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