Antonio Martino dedicates a significant portion of the catalog of his label, the Bari-based A.MA Records, to «Serbian Wave»: Sanja Markovic, Milena Jancuric, Max Kochetov, Ivan Radivojevic, all admirable talents of the new Serbian jazz scene (with a strong female presence), who is now joined by the pianist and composer Irina Pavlovic who has signed a beautiful album entitled The Soulful Heritage. A title that would look good in the collection of some exponent of New York jazz, but which doesn't look out of place at all next to the image of the pianist with Red hair. Because his models are there, in that African-American tradition of modern jazz which sees in Horace Silver the prototype of the pianist and composer of very refined art and technique, but also capable of going to the essentials of a music that aims to move something inside (body and emotions) focusing on melodies and grooves. Sixty years later, it is curious that those "vibrations" are once again relevant, becoming the shared ground of a new generation of Eastern European musicians, as a A.MA Records language of peace and freedom truly conquered only after leaving the communist regime and the civil war behind. On the other hand, even in today's New York many emerging talents have chosen the same language, proving themselves capable of making it their own with personality. Irina Pavlovic is no exception. Having gathered a group with variable geometry, from the simple trio with double bass and drums to the sextet with the addition of a wind line, Irina attacks with a theme rich in Latin «sabor» like Arriba Arriba; drums by Luka Jovicic (who alternates the instrument with Dusan Novakov) draws the quivering intro, then it is up to the trumpet of Radivojevic (already the owner of an album under his name for A.MA) to capture the attention with the fiery first solo. Second song, the one that gives the album its title, and is a walk on velvet carried by the splendid voice of the guest Dean Bowman who after the first verse dissolves into a very musical scat, followed by the trombone of the other guest Corey Wilcox, before of the leader's piano choruses. Dawn in the Warfield is for trio only, burdened by long shadows and a macabre dance punctuated by plush mallets on drums. We return to full speed with the following Pobednik (The Victor of Belgrade), which salutes the very tall statue of the Victor which dominates Belgrade from above, and continues with episodes waiting to be discovered, well constructed and played with conviction by a group of very close-knit musicians. At the end, Pavlovic switches to the Fender Rhodes for the beautiful "cinematic" suggestions of My Return and the solo closing of Our Tree.