By Fotis Nikolakopoulos
This recording coming from a tour of the Balkans (Greece, Northern
Macedonia, Serbia and Bulgaria) is treat to all of us that still believe in
the transcending nature of the volume that free jazz incorporates. Five
tracks, the first two from the gig in Thessaloniki (I was there!)
and the next three from Kragujevac in Serbia.
This powerhouse quartet consisting of (order of appearance is irrelevant
dear reader) Giotis Damanidis on electric guitar, Petros Damianidis on
double bass, John Dikeman on tenor saxophone and Aleksandar Skoric on the
drums is on top form. But what that means exactly? Obviously musicians love
to play their music, especially with like minded players. But here on this CD, but also on the actual live experience, the listener can certainly find
and enjoy the rapport between the players.
There’s a certain interaction going on, one that appears when the musicians
are there firstly to enjoy. When you are there, confronting the music, even
as a listener of a recording, you can almost always tell when the artists
are really enjoying their presence in the here and now of the music in
contrary to “the another day at work” feeling.
Don’t get me wrong, musicians are also workers who need to make money on a
day to day basis too, but the difference lies in the Greek word pathos,
meaning passion. Add energy, collectiveness, togetherness even and you have
recordings like this that can easily defy the time distance and transport
(transcend maybe?) you, me, the listener to that certain moment of time and
space they were created.
I tend to write less and less about the individual players when it comes to
collective ways of playing. This is, certainly, not a way to avoid anything.
The biggest compliment coming from me, the power that, still thankfully,
makes me enthusiastic about this music, is when the artists try and
succeed, and that is hard work really, to play in unison.
Live in the Balkans is one of those rare occasions.
Listen here:
@koultouranafigo