Evil Rabbit Records

19/04/2024

Re-introducing releases by Evil Rabbit Records!

Here's catalogue number #11:
"Chaque Objet" by Pablo Montagne, Adolfo la Volpe, Francesco Massaro & Alessandro Tomassetti

Photography by Monique Besten.

Check it out here:
https://evilrabbitrecords.eu/.../chaque-objet-la-volpe...

.la.volpe

10/04/2024

Re-introducing releases by Evil Rabbit Records!

Here's catalogue number 07: Tone Dialing - "Rigop Me"

Jorrit Dijkstra - lyricon, analog synthesizer, loop machine
Paul Pallesen - guitar, analog electronics
Steve Heather - drums, percussion, sampler

Photography by Monique Besten.

Check it out here: https://evilrabbitrecords.eu/catalogue/rigop-me

04/04/2024

Re-introducing releases by Evil Rabbit Records.

Here's catalogue number #03: " #1" by Playstation 6.
w/ Maartje ten Hoorn - violin, Eric Boeren - trumpet, Tobias Delius - tenor saxophone, clarinet, Achim Kaufmann - piano, Meinrad Kneer - double bass & Paul Lovens - drums.

Photography by Monique Besten.

Check it out here: https://evilrabbitrecords.eu/catalogue/1-playstation-6/

15/03/2024

This piece!
Please listen.

Ab Baars - tenor saxophone
Meinrad Kneer - double bass

Provided to YouTube by CDBabyThe Pledge · Baars / KneerWindfall℗ 2010 ©BUMA/STEMRAReleased on: 2010-02-01Auto-generated by YouTube.

26/12/2023

Evil Rabbit #36: George Dumitriu's "Monk On Viola" made it among Karl Ackermann's top 10 of the year 2023!

George Dumitriu's Monk on Viola, an unusually inventive reading of Thelonious Monk's work. The Romanian multi-instrumentalist and composer, a virtuoso on violin, viola, and guitar, the Amsterdam-based artist led the group, Dumitrio on two albums, played in the Kaja Draksler Octet and quintet, and has co-led an eclectic mix of Eastern European hybrid recordings. On Monk on Viola, Dumitriu's first solo release, he interprets nine of the legend's best-known compositions. Monk's unforgiving keyboard style was complex, with unconventional harmonic and rhythmic structures, dissonance, and angular melodies. Dumitriu's viola trades the more jarring aspects of Monk's music in mesmerizing ways. He approaches complicated compositions with a clear uncluttered style, but he does not avoid experimentation as on a barely recognizable "Round Midnight." Dumitriu's accentuation of aural waves and Eastern European folk influences bring a purposeful eccentricity to "Locomotive." He whirls through an energetic "Boo Boo's Birthday," and a peculiar take on "Crepuscule with Nellie" where he literally drags the piece across the viola's strings. In de-emphasizing complex mechanical rhythms and accentuating fluid phrasing, Dumitriu exposes the vital facets of Monk's role in the development of bebop and post-bop styles. Monk on Viola succeeds in offering an innovative look at some very familiar music.

Karl Ackermann, 26 december 2023, allaboutjazz

Karl Ackermann's Best Creative Music Of 2023 article by Karl Ackermann, published on December 26, 2023 at All About Jazz. Find more Year in Review articles

26/08/2023

A great Italian review of Evil Rabbit #34:
Sonoria - Le Jardin Sonore

Cosimo Fiaschi – soprano saxophone
Alessandro Giachero – piano, prepared piano
Emanuele Guadagno – electric guitar
Nicholas Remondino – drums, electronics

Sottopongo alla vostra attenzione due documenti sonori interessanti, validi e, soprattutto, molto importanti. Entrambi i progetti sono stati concepiti nell’humus fertile, per il jazz e per numerose altre cose, che circonda la città di Siena.
“Le Jardin Sonore” è il secondo disco firmato dal collettivo Sonoria e, al pari di quello che l’aveva preceduto, viene pubblicato dall’olandese Evil Rabbit Records. Purtroppo, più o meno in concomitanza con la sua uscita, l’animatore del quartetto Alessandro Giachero ha lasciato questo mondo e il disco si accolla così l’amaro ruolo di testamento sonoro. Le registrazioni, al pari di quelle del disco precedente, sono avvenute nel contesto di Pisa Jazz 2019, e il pianoforte di Giachero è ben coadiuvato dal sax soprano di Fiaschi, dalla chitarra elettrica di Guadagno e dalla batteria di Remondino (tutti suoi allievi). Azzeccato il titolo di giardino sonoro per una musica definibile come un ambient-jazz minimale e perfettamente organizzato, elegantemente disegnato e ben lontano dalle jungle selvagge del free jazz anni ’60. L’uso di tecniche non convenzionali, l’assenza di melodie ben definite, tutto contribuisce alla creazione di un disegno che possiamo ben definire astratto. È come se il giardino fosse stato progettato usando piante e fiori inusuali, evitando geometrie facilmente riconoscibili, ma pure con un suo ordine e nessuna discrepanza fra le varie forme e i vari colori utilizzati. Magistrale.
(...)
Non sono soltanto il Palio, il panforte e la Nannini ciò che la città toscana può offrire agli appassionati.

Mario Biserni, 24 june 2023, sands-zine

Sottopongo alla vostra attenzione due documenti sonori interessanti, validi e, soprattutto, molto importanti. Entrambi i progetti sono stati concepiti nell’humus fertile, per il jazz e per numerose altre cose, che circonda la città di Siena. “Le Jardin Sonore” è il secondo disco firmato dal col...

26/08/2023

Thank you for this review Vid Jeraj!

Evil Rabbit Records, #36: George Dumitriu - Monk On Viola

Thelonious Monk's music belongs to the early postmodernist lineage of American culture that flared its wit beyond the piano language, choosing not to compete with the classical concert techniques. It developed and established its own language instead, coalescing with the nerdy statements of be-bop.
Decades later, it's not surprising that the monkism's torchbearers are the saxophone and guitar players, but it does make a difference when the ante is upped by a viola. Such is an example of an Amsterdam-based Romanian guitarist and violinist, George Dumitriu, who assembles the unstrung phraseology of viola either bowed, plucked or laid tabletop.
A fatty instrument, perceived by its stringy nuanced kinship to tenor-saxophone, is rarely played in jazz and improv. And yet, the thematic universe of Monk's tunes delivers its earbug charm to the swinging character that Dumitriu approaches with almost forensic brilliance.

Vid Jeraj, 26 may 2023, XXII Century Musicx

Reviews and reflections on new music after new normality

24/07/2023

Ken Vos wrote a really beautiful review about Evil Rabbit's #36: George Dumitriu - Monk On Viola!
Thank you Ken!

Thelonious Monk is een van de meest vruchtbare bronnen voor improvisatoren en jazzmusici, en dat zal voorlopig niet veranderen. Zijn composities, maar ook zijn wijze van improviseren hebben een onweerstaanbare combinatie van suggestie van asymmetrie en heldere logica in zich. De Roemeens-Nederlandse Dumitriu behoort op zich al tot een van de meest avontuurlijke en creatieve impromuzikanten op gitaar en altviool, maar zijn deconstructies van negen Monk-composities zullen ook een breder publiek aanspreken. Op dit solo-album onttrekt hij telkens kenmerkende elementen van een compositie om die uit te bouwen zonder direct aan het hele thema refereren. Vaak werkt dat vervreemdend, maar dat proces van deconstructie is op zich al een verkenningstocht die soms vlak langs het bekende scheert of juist vrij ver van het herkenbare af kan staan. Een voorbeeld van de eerste werkwijze is zijn bewerking van Evidence, het eerste stuk, waarin vrij gauw elementen van het thema op hun plaats vallen. Een voorbeeld van het zo lang mogelijk handhaven van de abstractie en de afstand tot het thema is Round Midnight waarbij via zachte noise-soundscapes tergend langzaam naar de bekende sequenties toe gewerkt wordt. Daarnaast weet de altviolist in zijn eentje nog frases zodanig te stapelen dat het soms lijkt of je naar improvisaties van verschillende musici achter elkaar zit te luisteren. Niet alleen intrigerend, maar ook reuze spannend.

Ken Vos, 9 july 2023, jazzism

Monk On Viola

15/06/2023

Here's Ken Waxman's review of Evil Rabbit's #36: George `dumitriu - Monk On Viola.
Thank you Ken!

While interpretations of Thelonious Monk classics are nothing new, especially as his stature has grown among conventional and conservative players since his 1982 death, performances of these nine melodies on solo viola is almost certainly unique. But that’s exactly what Romanian-born GeorgeDumitriu, who now teaches in Utrecht, has done with Monk on Viola (Evil Rabbit ERR 36 evilrabbitrecords.eu). While his playing encompasses microtones
and repetition, and his instrument includes preparations, the dominant approach involves deftly reconstituting the pieces so that
familiar themes are present along with original variations. This is aptly
displayed on ‘Round Midnight, Monk’s best-known composition,
which begins with woody slaps, and angled string sawing until a
twanging variant of the melody is heard and recognized at the same
time as it’s pinched and descends the scale. The concluding
Crepuscule with Nellie gets a similar treatment, vibrating in and out
of tempo as adagio rubs and spiccato slides change places, culmin-
ating in an exciting col legno finale. Analogous strategies are exhibited on the other seven tracks. Boo Boo’s Birthday almost becomes a simple country dance tune, then in a reversal deploys and fragments the theme with high-pitched, multi-string changes. Double stops finally become a jagged stroke representation of the melody. More traditionally Trinkle Ti**le begins and ends stating and recapping the head, with an initial high-pitched race up the scale sliding from presto to moderato and repeating melody variants as it descends. Fractured enough to be distinctive, this idiosyncratic program doesn’t subvert Monk’s purposeful body of works.

Ken Waxman, june 2023, theWholeNote
https://www.thewholenote.com

The sun is shining, most COVID restrictions have been lifted,   and Canada’s internationally acclaimed children’s Junior Festival is about to take flight at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre

18/05/2023

And here's another great review of Evil Rabbit #36: George Dumitriu - Monk on Viola.
Thank you Guy!

De Roemeense componist en multi-instrumentalist George Dumitriu maakt intussen al even deel uit van de Amsterdamse muziekscene, waarin hij actief is met onder meer hedendaagse muziek, muziektheater en geïmproviseerde muziek. Zo is hij lid van het Kaja Draksler Octet en kon je hem al horen met veteranen als Ab Baars en Ig Henneman. De voorbije jaren werkte hij ook aan een Monk-programma op altviool, dat nu op cd beland is. Met de muziek van Monk waag je je sowieso op glad ijs, want het is verleidelijk om wat gemakzuchtig de excentrieke kwaliteiten van het jazzgenie nog te versterken of te blijven hangen in slaafs uitvoeren van die nog steeds ongeëvenaarde ontmoetingen van ritme en melodie. Niets van dat bij Dumitriu.

Hij gaat vrij radicaal te werk, door enkele van de meest bekende Monk-composities totaal te ontmantelen of haast obsessief in te zoomen op kleine details. Dat levert een wonderlijk verhaal op; waarin hij zonder overmoed of aanstellerij toch een enorm bereik tentoon kan spreiden, terwijl hij de overbekende kernen behendig ontwijkt, alsof hij in de weer is met botsende magneten. Dat maakt de momenten van herkenning net zo heuglijk. 'Monk on Viola' is inventief en intimistisch, en bevat misschien wel de meest ontregelde “Round Midnight” in tijden. Nu eens neigend naar ontregelde fluisterfolk en dan weer kamermuziek à la Eyvind Kang, maar vooral toch George Dumitriu met een hyperpersoonlijke ode aan de grootste jazzcomponist naast Ellington en Mingus.

Guy Peters, may 2023, jazz&mo’

De Roemeense componist en multi-instrumentalist George Dumitriu maakt intussen al even deel uit van de Amsterdamse muziekscene, waarin hij actief is met onder meer hedendaagse muziek, muziektheater...

18/05/2023

Here's a review by Ken Waxman.
Thank you Ken!
Evil Rabbit #35: AoA Impro Group - Live at Pariser Platz
(Floros Floridis, Almut Kühne, Elena Kakaliagou, Antonio Borghini & Dag Magnus Narvesen)
Distinctive improvised sounds from Berlin that by happenstance both feature Greek-Austrian French hornist Elena Kakaliagou, could be said to represent inside and outside music. Not that the inventive textures on both brief CDs are that diverse. It’s just that Omokentro was recorded within the Prenzlauer Berg water reservoir, while Live at Pariser Platz was recorded inside the Akademie der Künste.
Another chapter in Kakaliagou’s ongoing Nablóse duo with Viennese Ingrid Schmoliner’s prepared piano, the hornist, who has also been part of Zeitkratzer and the pianist, who has worked with the likes of Pascal Niggenkemper, take full advance of the spatial properties of the reservoir, allowing its echoes and vibrations to extend not only instrumental textures but also their voices. Kakaliagou doesn’t vocalize with the AoA Improv Group. Instead that role is taken by inventive German singer Almut Kühne, who has worked with Gebhard Ullmann and others on both sides of notated/improv line. Besides the hornist, her associates are Greek saxophonist/clarinetist Floros Floridis, Italian bassist Antonio Borghini and Norwegian drummer Dag Magnus Narvesen, all of whom live in the German capital.
On Omokentro the splashes and drones from the reservoir amplify, alter and sometimes mutate the duo’s output. They include portamento brass slides, blustery plunger echoes and rugged metallic scoops from Kakaliagou, plus percussive keyboard pressure, single key clips, gong-like resonations and clattering of implements vibrating on the piano’s inner strings from Schmoliner. Sometimes in unison with their instrumental output, the two also vocalize with textures hanging distantly in the air or bouncing back from the walls of the structure. Ranging from lyrical intoning, spooky invocations of ghostly tones and near-replications of medieval plainsong, the experimental is most prominent than the ecclesiastical. Eventually the propelled and reverberated broken octave respirations and augmentation reach a crescendo with the concluding “Amygdalaski”, given a Slavic variant for the emotional part of the humans brain. The pseudo-Gregorian chanting moves from almost toneless to near polyphonic with what could be words wrapped in lyrical expression. Making further use of the spatial overtones, tremolo echoes are mixed in with string twanging and dissonant horn slurs for a climax that moves to a linear conclusion as vibrations continue to hang in the air.
While variable in tone and delivery Live at Pariser Platz, Kühne’s vocal equipment allows her to move from choked squeals to emphasized screeches and rugged growls, with approximations of s**t singing and Bedlam-like mumbling included. At the same time her ululations and syllable stretching are harmonized with Floridis’ vibration collection and accompanied by near-vocalized triplets and warm shading from the French horn; Borghini’s steadying string pulse and Narvesen’s intermittent pops and drags. On saxophone, Floridis can curve his output into rooster-like crowing, honks and tongue slaps and on bass clarinet leap from mellow flutter tonguing to clarion responses, with a touch of circular breathing. Speeding up to presto, key percussion and wet gurgles intersect with vocal squeaks or basement moans, with the roughened connection underlined by sul tasto bass string vibrations. When the quintet reaches a resolution as Kühne’s voice approximates the rhythmic freedom of Jazz, the reedist’s peeps and squirming vibrations ensure that any listing toward an expected conclusion is avoided.
Exciting, exploratory and energetic these sets show how much can be done melding voice and instrument output while still avoiding the expected or commonplace.

Ken Waxman, 16 may 2023, jazzword

Nablóse Omokentro Bohemian Drips BD 016 Distinctive improvised sounds from Berlin that by happenstance both feature Greek-Austrian French hornist Elena Kakaliagou, could be said to represent inside and outside music. Not that the inventive textures on both brief CDs are that diverse. It’s just th...

01/05/2023

What about that?
Here's Peter Margasak's review on Evil Rabbit #36: George Dumitiru - Monk On Viola.
Thank you Peter!

There aren’t many composers in jazz (or any other tradition) that created pieces so instantly recognizable and connected to a single voice as Thelonious Monk. Naturally, a lot of people have performed and recorded his music, and despite a wide range of interpretive choices, technical competence, and taste level, his signature always seems to emerge clearly. But as widely performed as his music remains, it’s pretty hard to improve on his own recordings, where his bands revealed a dazzling internalization of his ideas. Both supporting Monk and in work outside of his band like reedists Steve Lacy and Charlie Rouse, and drummer Ben Riley routinely demonstrated a deep understanding and connection, while plenty of others who worked with him—whether John Coltrane, Coleman Hawkins, Johnny Griffin, Art Blakey, or Milt Jackson—were certainly committed and original enough to lift his music higher even if they weren’t entirely immersed in its complexities.
There’s a certainly a novelty factor in a collection of solo Monk readings performed on viola, but what makes Monk on Viola (Evil Rabbit) so gripping is how George Dumitriu imparts and expands the elliptical phrasing of the composer with such originality and effectiveness. In some ways his approach gets at a particular strain of Monk’s genius—the sense of play, the jaggedness, and the oblique lyricism—as well as anyone. I’ve encountered Dumitriu’s playing in the sublime octet of pianist Kaja Draksler as well as in the trio Black Sea Songs, but I’ve never been able to pick up the luscious grain of his sound and his razor-sharp sense to time so convincingly before. He applies all manner of extended techniques and effects, many connected to classical music far more than jazz-rooted improv, to nine indelible themes, frequently delaying and frustrating the exposition of a particular theme. “Round Midnight” opens with some masterful bow play, as the musician drops it across the bridge and allows it to bounce and skitter, before embracing an irregular rotation of light pressure arco, unpitched scrapes and scratches that transformed into high-pitched harmonics, spare pizz, and terse phrases that sneakily spell out gradually and finally build into something recognizable during the final two minutes. The performance is truly astonishing. Dumitriu manages similar feats, throughout, constantly toying with those themes in a way that celebrates their brilliance. The violist’s deep respect for Monk is made more profound by the way he f***s with the material than if he had played it straight.

Peter Margasak, 1 may 2023, nowhere street

Crashing through space into pure grain

25/04/2023

Bruce Lee Gallanter from DownTownMusicGallery reviewed Evil Rabbit #36: George Dumitriu - Monk on Viola.
Thank you Bruce Lee!

Featuring George Dumitriu on solo viola, covering the songs of Thelonious Monk. I recall a period of time in the late 1970’s or early 1980’s when I listened to every Monk album that I bought in chronological to get a better idea of what was/is unique about Thelonious Monk as a pianist, composer and bandleader. I had become a Monk fanatic ever since, acquiring practically everything released under his name whether on legit labels (Prestige, Blue Note & Columbia) as well as illegit labels (too many to mention). Monk was one of the greatest composers in jazz, many of his songs are staples/standards amongst many jazz, ethnic and rock musicians. I am also fascinated by the way that other musicians have covered Monk’s songs, playing them in their own way. There have been a number of great cover records where bands or single musicians have covered Monk’s catalogue. Check out Hal Wilner’s ’That’s the Way I Feel Now’ (A&M, 1984) or Alex Von Schlippenbach’s ‘Monk’s Casino’ (Complete Works of Monk)(3 CD Set, Intakt, 2005) or Miles Okazaki’s ‘Works Volumes 1-6’ (for solo guitar, 6 CD Set - 2019). George Dumitriu hails from the Netherlands and has decided to challenge himself by performing 9 Monk songs for solo viola. This session was recorded at the Bimhuis (famed concert hall) in Amsterdam in June of 2022. I hadn’t heard much from Mr. Dimitriu before now, although has recorded with Ab Baars, Ig Henneman and Kaja Draksler. The viola is not the most popular of string instruments and hence, viola concertos are relatively rare. Dumitriu starts off with “Evidence”, playing the theme or melody at the beginning before he takes off, improvising around the theme. Monk had a unique way of placing notes together in ways that made them sound out-of-tune or bent into an odd shape. Dumitriu seems to favor these bent notes, bring them to life in a similar way to fellow violist Mat Maneri. “Round Midnight” is arguably Monk’s most popular (and covered) song. Dumitriu plays this song very quietly, rubbing the strings delicately, plucking a bit more abruptly later in the song and just hinting at the melody until he plays the entire line once or twice late in his rendition. On “Locomotive”, it sounds as if those bent notes (harmonies) are pushed into the front, seesawing and keeping us all off balance in a rhythmic sense. I like the way Dumitriu takes the melody on “Boo Boo’s Birthday” (nickname for Monk’s daughter) and twists it, adding a series of spiraling lines and then playing around the melody with fragments. I often had the feeling that Monk had a sly sense of humor within his songs and solos. On “Four in One”, states the theme and then he keeps pushing it further and further out, hinting at a “Jack in the Box” fragment in between extrapolations. “Humph” is an early, rarely covered Monk song that was released as a 78 rpm, 10” in 1949. I can’t recall hearing this song before now but I do like the way it is played here, the theme not pushed too far, the jubilant melody at the center and stretched out modestly. Dumitriu’s playing often has a sad or solemn sad in the way he caresses those melodies. It does take some patience to work our way through the way George Dumitriu plays and alters these songs, always adding some unexpected notes or twists to what we think will occur or evolve. The more I get used to his approach, the more I like and understand what he is doing. A true unique endeavor the many other Monk tribute recordings.

Bruce Lee Gallanter, April 2023, DownTownMusicGallery

25/04/2023

In 2012 I gave a little interview about Evil Rabbit Records for Cadence Jazzmagazine.
At the time David Haney visited me in Berlin and we were hanging out together and playing 2 concerts in Berlin. He put the music of one of the gigs with Frank Paul Schubert, David, Steve Heather and myself underneath the interview and now, 11 years later, this came out:

track by Cadence Media Podcasts

09/02/2023

Herman te Loo writes here over ERR35: AoA Impro Group - Live at Pariser Platz, w/ Floros Floridis, Almut Kühne, Elena Kakaliagou, Antonio Borghini & Dag Magnus Narvesen)
Thank you Herman!

De openingsklanken van het album ‘Live At Pariser Platz’ zijn voor een eenzame sopraansaxofoon. En wie niet zou weten dat het hier gaat om een opname uit 2020, zou zweren dat we hier Willem Breuker horen. Het blijkt de ervaren Griekse rietblazer Floros Floridis (bouwjaar 1952) te zijn, die na zijna capella-solo gezelschap krijgt van zijn landgenoot Elena Kakaliagou op hoorn. Hun melodieën vlechten zich dooreen en vormen zo een verfrissende start van een gevarieerde cd. Het internationale gezelschap, met verder een Duitse vocaliste (Almut Kühne), een Italiaanse bassist (Antonio Borghini) en een Noorse slagwerker (Dag Magnus Narvesen) stond op 8 oktober 2020 voor het eerst samen op een podium. Gezien het klinkend resultaat mag dat verrassend genoemd worden, want de AoA Impro Group beweegt zich door het improviseren heen alsof ze dit al jaren gezamenlijk doen. In één lange en drie kortere vrije improvisaties horen we klassieke impro-geluiden (een kirrende en grommende zangeres, ongebruikelijke klanken van de blazers, slagwerkgeritsel enzovoorts), maar ook welluidende samenklanken, zoals de voornoemde opening. Het leidt naar een slotstuk dat als enige een doorgaande swing heeft, die door de stemklanken en blazerslijnen van fraaie vlechtwerkjes wordt voorzien. Na iets meer dan 37 minuten is het dan uit met de pret, maar nodigt het album uit om meteen opnieuw opgezet te worden, want er is geen noot te veel gespeeld.

Herman te Loo, 23 january 2023, jazzflits

09/02/2023

Costas Carderini's review for the Greek webzine mic.gr!
Thank you Costas!

ERR35: AoA Impro Group - Live at Pariser Platz
w/ Almut Kühne, Elena Kakaliagou, Antonio Borghini, Dag Magnus Narvesen & Floros Floridis

Το AoA-impro γκρουπ συγκροτήθηκε στο Βερολίνο για να στηρίξει την προσπάθεια συγκέντρωσης πόρων υπέρ της συμμαχίας των ευρωπαϊκών μουσικών ακαδημιών. Οι υπόλοιποι Ευρωπαίοι εταίροι μας όχι μόνον δεν υποβιβάζουν τα πτυχία αυτών ή ανάλογων σχολών αλλά ενθαρρύνουν νέους θεσμούς που θα διασφαλίσουν, ει δυνατόν, την οικονομική τους ανεξαρτησία. Ως πρώτη εκδήλωση αυτού του ευαγούς σκοπού/εκκολαπτόμενου θεσμού, το συγκεκριμένο λάιβ έλαβε χώρα στην πλατεία Pariser που κείται δίπλα στην Πύλη του Βρανδεμβούργου.
Το AoA-impro γκρουπ συνίσταται από την εκ Δρέσδης βοκαλίστρια Almut Kühne, τον Μιλανέζο κοντραμπασίστα Antonio Borghini, την Ελληνο-αυστριακή δεξιοτέχνη του γαλλικού κόρνου Έλενα Μαργαρίτα Κακαλιάγκου, τον Νορβηγό περκασιονίστα-συνθέτη Dag Magnus Narvesen και τον διεθνούς φήμης, καθ’ ημάς πρωτοπόρο, κλαρινετίστα – σαξοφωνίστα Φλώρο Φλωρίδη. Μεταξύ τους είχαν συνυπάρξει ως αυτοσχεδιαστές σε διάφορες στιγμές και μουσικές συναντήσεις, αλλά εδώ πρώτη φορά συμπράττουν όλοι μαζί.
Η πολυετής εμπειρία και τριβή με τον ελεύθερο αυτοσχεδιασμό είναι φανερή σε όλους τους συμπαίχτες. Η άνεση και η φυσικότητα της συνεύρεσής τους επίμαρτυρειται και από την εξαίρετη χημεία που πετυχαίνουν επί σκηνής. Για μάς τους άτυχους, που δεν είμασταν παρόντες σε μια τόσο εμβληματική εναρκτήρια εκδήλωση, υπάρχει τούτη δω η καταγραφή σε σύμπακτο δίσκο ώστε να ευφρανθούμε ακουστικώς, να φαντασιωθούμε νοητικώς, και να απαιτήσουμε να σταματήσει πάραυτα η υποβάθμιση των πτυχίων και να αρχίσει η έμπρακτη στήριξη, η ανεξαρτησία και ο πολλαπλασιασμός των ακαδημιών που προετοιμάζουν τις επόμενες γενιές αυτοσχεδιαστών, σε όλες τις καλές τέχνες και τα γράμματα.
Είθε οι εννέα Μούσες να γίνουν Μαινάδες και να κατασπαράξουν κάθε/μια/τι υπονομευτή/τρια/τικό του καλλιτεχνικού μας μέλλοντος. Αρά κι ευχή συνάμα, αναπέμπω.

Κώστας Καρδερίνης, 8 february 2023, mic

Διαλεγμένα φετινά αλλά και περσινά -διόλου ωστόσο ξινά- 'σταφύλια' από την δισκογραφική παραγωγή, εγχώρια και ξένη.

09/02/2023

Jan Granlie over Evil Rabbit #35 (AoA Impro Group - Live at Pariser Platz) - Thank you Jan!

w/ Floros Floridis, Almut Kühne, Elena Kakaliagou, Antonio Borghini & Dag Magnus Narvesen

"Kühne is a driving vocalist, mastering all pitches, Floridis is an excellent soprano saxophonist and bass clarinetist, Kakaliagou proves that the French horn works perfectly in an improv context, and Borghini and Narvesen add just the things that make this one of the most exciting improv records I've heard in quite some time.
An interesting, delicious and exciting release, and I'd be more than happy to spend an evening with this band in concert."
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improv group er en kvintett med base i Berlin, som består av vokalisten Aimut Kühne, Elena Kakaliagou på franskhorn, bassisten Antonio Borghini, trommeslageren Dag Magnus Narvesen og saksofonisten Floros Floridis.
Dette er en ny improv-jazz-gruppe, med spesiell interesse for gresk musikk, Albumet blel innspilt på Academia der Künste, Pariser Platz i Berlin, den 8. oktober 2020 og inneholder fire spor (alle med tittelen «live at pp, part I» til «part IV», og gjennom de fire sporene, gis musikerne god plass til å komme med sine ideer, men hele veien gjennom føler jeg det ligger mye gresk inspirasjon i det de fremfører.
De åpner med Floradis sin sopransaksofon, før franskhornet overtar og vokalen og de andre kommer inn. Og nesten umiddelbart legger man merke til den fine kommunikasjonen musikerne imellom. Hele veien fungerer det aldeles nydelig, og kombinasjonen vokal, franskhorn og sopransaksofon er både sjarmerende og spennende.
Dette er, på mange måter, et band som passer inn på en rekke mer frilynte jazz- og improvklubber rundt om i Europa. Og å høre disse på for eksempel Klub Primi i København, hadde vært perfekt. For dette er fem musikere som fungerer svært godt sammen. De er et klart kollektiv, uten at det er noen av musikerne som forsøker å bryte ut av kollektivet og gjøre sine egne «greier».
Alle fire «komposisjonene» eller improviserte strekk, går nesten i ett, så man nesten skulle tro det var en drøyt 37 minutters lang suite. Og selv om jeg ikke forstår ett eneste ord av hva Kühne synger, så føler jeg at hun og bandet forteller meg spennende historier. Kühne er en drivende god vokalist, som behersker alle tonehøyder, Floridis er en utmerket sopransaksofonist og bassklarinettist, Kakaliagou beviser at franskhorn fungerer perfekt i en improv-sammenheng, og Borghini og Narvesen legger akkurat de tingene til, som gjør dette til en av de mest spennende improv-platene jeg har hørt på ganske lenge.
En interessant, deilig og spennende utgivelse, og jeg setter mer enn gjerne av en kveld med dette bandet på konsert.

Jan Granlie, 4 february 2023, salt peanuts

«The Music of William Parker – Migration of Silence into and out of the Tone World Volumes 1-10» AUM FIDELITY, CENTERING 1020-1029