Naša velika pjesmarica

Naša velika pjesmarica (The Great Yugoslav Songbook) is the seventh studio album and second jazz album by Croatian singer and songwriter Vesna Pisarović. The album was released in two versions for international and domestic, Croatian, market. The international version titled The Great Yugoslav Songbookwas released through Jazzwerkstatt on 11 November 2016. The domestic version Naša velika pjesmarica was released through PDV Records on 19 April 2017.

The album contains cover versions of popular Yugoslav songs from the 1950s, 1960's and early 1970's. In addition to featuring cover versions of Yugoslav songs, Naša velika pjesmarica stands as a significant artistic departure for Vesna Pisarović, marking her return to singing in her native Croatian language.

Background
On 5 June 2012, Vesna Pisarović released her sixth studio album, With Suspicious Minds marking her debut in the jazz genre. This artistic transition marked a significant departure from her previous pop-oriented works and marked the inception of a new phase in her career. The album did not feature any original compositions; instead, they exclusively comprised cover versions of songs originally performed by Elvis Presley. Over the subsequent years, Pisarović actively participated in numerous jazz concerts, with a notable concentration of performances in Germany and Croatia. In late 2015, she initiated the production of her forthcoming second jazz album.

Recording
In a late 2016 interview with tportal, Pisarović disclosed her longstanding ambition to release an album featuring Yugoslav classics, a project she had contemplated for the past decade. She revealed that her pursuit of this endeavor commenced in earnest when she crossed paths with Maja Perfijeva, a Croatian lyricist known for her contributions to some of Indexi's songs.

In contrast to her preceding album, this release was recorded over two studio sessions in November 2015. It features renditions of popular Yugoslav songs from the 1950s, 1960s and early 1970's such as Arsen Dedić, Tereza Kesovija and Indexi. Additionally, this album marked Pisarović's return to singing in her native language, Croatian. The album was recorded in Berlin, where she had been residing for several years. She collaborated with a diverse group of international jazz musicians such as Ulli Blobel during the recording process. In an interview with Ziher.hr, Pisarović elaborated on the selection process for the songs, explaining that "I was looking for songs that immediately resonated with her, without much overthinking. I simply took a song, reharmonized it, and tried singing it".

Release and promotion
The album was released in two distinct versions. The initial version, titled The Great Yugoslav Songbook, made its debut in the German market on 11 November 2016, and was made available in CD, digital, and streaming formats through Jazzwerkstatt. Subsequently, a second edition, titled Naša velika pjesmarica, was released on 17 April 2017, via PDV Records, specifically tailored for the Croatian and ex-Yugoslavian market. Vinyl LPs were also released for the Croatian version in late 2017.

The album's initial single, "Balada," a cover of Indexi's identically titled composition, was released in advance of the album in 2016. "Bijela lađa plovi morem", originally performed by Zvonimir Krkljuš, was released as the album's second single in 2017. Following this, the album's third single, "Nogometna utakmica", a reinterpretation of Rita Pavone's "La partita di pallone", was subsequently released in March 2018.

Between 2017 and 2019, Pisarović actively promoted the album through a series of intimate jazz concerts in both Croatia and Germany. In the promotion of the album, Vesna Pisarović conducted concert tours in several cities, including Rijeka, Osijek, and Zagreb.

Track listing
Credits adapted from AllMusic.

Personnel
Credits adapted from Amazon Music.
 * Vesna Pisarović – Vocals
 * Chris Abrahams – Piano
 * Greg Cohen – Double Bass
 * Tony Buck – Drums
 * Francesco Bigoni – Saxophone
 * Gerhard Gschlößl – Trombone
 * Dieb13 – Turntables, Sampler
 * Walter Quintus – Mixing, Mastering