(KM CREATIVE 05)
On the 30th Deutschen Jazz Festival in Frankfurt the present recording „Ultramarin" was made with the guitar player Enver Izmailov, who is already known in Germany. Theodosii Spassov (kaval, voice), Anatoly Vapirov (sax) and Stoyan Yankoulov (tupan, percussion) create an independent form of "Bulgarian World Jazz" in a way which is speaking for itself, with free improvisation, with singing without words. The impressive and often slightly melancholic sound of the kaval combines with the saxophone voice of Vapirov and the deep drum sounds of the tupan as if they have belonged together for ages. With an astounding easiness Enver Izmailov integrates with his clear guitar lines.
It is played to the dance, comparable to Bulgarian wedding music - the musicians get into faster and faster rhythms nearly into ectasy with their brilliant solistic performance. Once it is rather rock music which is obvious, then there are Arab sounds influencing or the wideness and loneliness of some Bulgarian landscape find a worthy pendant - especially in the calmer sequences. The "Fairy Tale Trio" is justified to bear its name - basically "Ultramarin" is in simple words "Music for Dreams".
CARINA PRANGE / Jazzdimensions
The music, composed by the trio, makes full use of their resources. There are a few odd-meter rave-ups, but there are also some quieter, textural pieces. The kaval and soprano sax take turns soloing and supporting each other, while the percussion supplies a sturdy rhythmic framework. There are also a few solos and duets that, along with great attention paid to dynamics, help keep the sound varied and interesting. In its more peaceful moments this reminds me a little of Codona, the old Don Cherry-Collin Walcott project. Then the musicians turn up the heat and could be mistaken for an Art Ensemble of Chicago offshoot. But the approach taken here is a melding rather than a juxtaposition, with the jazz elements logically flowing from the Bulgarian roots, and as such is one of the more successful folk-jazz fusions I've heard in some time.
JOE GROSSMAN / RootsWorld
(KM CREATIVE 04)
Around ten years ago Peter Ralchev was the up-and coming young virtuoso of Bulgarian accordio - but he was regarded with some suspicion by the old guard as dangerously adventurous in his approach to traditional music. This disc proves them absolutely right.
Ralchev and his two equally skilled collaborators, guitarist Ateshghan Yuseinov and drummer Stoyan Yankoulov, have produced a breathtaking set of tunes, and a musical masterpiece which triumphantly solves the notorious problems of moving a folk tradition into the field of art music.
In "Turn Around" the accordion, beginning with an obliquely constructed mosaic of tiny motives above an unchanging guitar ostinato, starts to spin an intricate thread of complex patterns, interspersed with short melodic fragments. At the same time Yankoulov, in an amazing display of control of simultaneous tempi, throws in comments on, and rhythmic transformations of, the accordion lines.
The resulting weave of modal jazz, fleeting references to folk dance, sudden harmonic side-slips and sleights of hand is quite unlike anything else I've ever heard. None of the tracks follows the same pattern, but all are equally inventive.
Certainly, you can trace some of the roots back to the wedding band movement of the 80s, and to the jazz-folk experiments of Milcho Leviev, but the difference is that these pieces hang together as formal wholes, no matter how far away from the opening the soloists may wander. It's wonderful: if you want to hear how far up the beach the Bulgarian New Wave has reached, then get this recording.
KIM BURTON / Songlines
Music store owners are going to have a field day with this one. The first clue is the "file under" instructions, which might read: World Music, Bulgaria / Crazy Wedding, Jazz. One can only assume that the "Crazy" is added so as not confuse anyone looking for standard Bulgarian wedding music. Zig Zag Trio does use elements of that genre, however, in their complex meters and fast virtuoso playing, they take the genre way out of the box with fusion-inspired jams, funky guitar, and avant-garde arrangements.
Ateshghan Yuseinov's guitar work techniques are mind blowing, yet he is not all technique. On faster numbers, he has a seventies-era jazz-fusion buzz, while on "The fog is lifting" his tenderness is evident. Peter Ralchev's work on accordion is rippling and flashy without sacrificing musical depth. It would take a percussionist of consummate skill and inventiveness to keep up with these guys, and Stoyan Yankoulov is up to the task. Yankoulov handles tupan and trap set with equal finesse. A highlight of the disc is "Leka-poleka/Slow Down." It starts slow and moody, with drifting melodic interplay, and then almost imperceptibly, accelerates to a breathtaking pace. In between, there are some tricky little episodes to keep the listener's senses on alert. It is "crazy wedding" music, all right. If the wedding guests aren't in an altered state of consciousness before these guys start to play, just give them time.
PEGGY LATKOVICH / Rootsworld
NOW, there's something unique about Bulgarian folk music, even if you listen to its diluted form, chal-ga, in a fnendly taxi driver's yellow Lada. The Zig Zag Tno does not dilute folk music' they build from it, adding elements of contemporary jazz and maximising the power of well-structured improvisation. But enough about big words: the Zig Zags do please the ear. The 53-mmute long album features three well-established musicians, virtuosi on their respective instruments, having a lot of fun in a studio. The nine-and-a-half compositions are all based on folk tunes, played on instruments traditionally used by village wedding bands, and characterised by the odd-meter Balkan rhythms that drummers of 4/4 rock supergroups could hardly follow. Interaction between the musicians is breathtaking as the titles are developing. A great example is how the two accompanying instruments intelligently support the eventual soloist. While solos are integral parts of the composition, the musicians do flash their technical superiority, leaving the listener to wonder how those everyday instruments can produce sounds like that. This time the superb music comes in a great package and part of it is the sound. This is an exceptionally well-recorded album with a distinctive sound. The only reservation is that the sound does resemble that of Al di Meola's latest World Sinfonia recordings, from the notable presence of the accordion to the finger-twisting acoustic guitar lines. I would also bet Yuseinov uses the same type and brand of guitar strings as Al di Meola himself. As for the actual packaging: the artwork and concept of the booklet look impressive, and this time materials and print quality are of a reasonably high standard. The whole thing Just looks tasty. Buy this record for your friends and relatives at home who frowned when you first mentioned Bulgaria to them. Buy this record for yourself for times you have returned to your home country. Add a bottle of Melnik wine and memories of Bulgaria will come up. And only the nice ones, I daresay.
STEVIE W. SZEKERES