Bojan Z's latest release for Label Bleu is perhaps his most satisfying work to date, showcasing his considerable compositional skills whilst allowing equal representation to the fine musicians who excel throughout.
The opening track, "Ulaz, is a definite highlight. Hypnotic drums, however gentle, with brushes and washing cymbals, a heavily plucked acoustic bass pulse, and a kaval (a Balkan flute) float ethereally in the background like some ancient spirit being evoked. It is not until a minute and forty seconds later that the splash of three piano notes arrives like the first drops of rain. A string of thick, damped notes are followed by a trickle of lighter notes which gather momentum and then softly peter out. This is classic Bojan—shadow and light. And then the unexpected finale. The song recalls the mood of Spirit of Eden (EMI, 1988) by Talk Talk.
The opening track, "Ulaz, is a definite highlight. Hypnotic drums, however gentle, with brushes and washing cymbals, a heavily plucked acoustic bass pulse, and a kaval (a Balkan flute) float ethereally in the background like some ancient spirit being evoked. It is not until a minute and forty seconds later that the splash of three piano notes arrives like the first drops of rain. A string of thick, damped notes are followed by a trickle of lighter notes which gather momentum and then softly peter out. This is classic Bojan—shadow and light. And then the unexpected finale. The song recalls the mood of Spirit of Eden (EMI, 1988) by Talk Talk.
On the mid-tempo gem "Zeven, Bojan allows himself more room to maneuver. Ben Perowsky's drums and Bojan's piano propel each other along, then they swap roles and the drums take up the narrative while the piano marks time.
"Wheels and "Biggus D both feature the xenophone, or customized Fender Rhodes. The former, an in-your-face irreverent blues, has an Indians-on-the-warpath vibe and could be the bastard child of Frank Zappa and Jon Lord. "Biggus D" has moments of dissonance, great beauty and an unforgettable motif.
There are two non-originals on Xenophonia. The first, a tender, heartfelt rendition of David Bowie's "Ashes to Ashes, is the surprise. The leader dedicates it to his father, who died this last year. In recent years Brad Mehldau has shone as the most original interpreter of contemporary tunes, inspired perhaps by Herbie Hancock's The New Standard (Verve, 1995). On the evidence of "Ashes to Ashes, this material could be equally fertile ground for Bojan Z to explore.
The second interpretation is Horace Silver's "The Mohican and the Great Spirit, a logical choice. The music of Horace Silver and Bojan Z both exhibit a wide range of musical styles, no doubt the result in both cases of colorful personal identities. Both artists write memorable compositions with a strong line in harmony, and both inject a dose of fun into their playing. Horace Silver perhaps represents what Bojan Z refers to as "one of the lost colors in contemporary piano playing.
"Pendant le temps, chez le general is easily the most abstract and challenging piece, with its fractured rhythms and fiery runs. "CD Rom, a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the music pirates in Belgrade, is as breathless as it is brilliant, and the virtuoso kaval playing of Krassen Lutzkano is a delight.
This is Bojan Z's sixth record in thirteen years as a leader. There are many more prolific artists, but not so many who consistently produce such quality. If another Bojan Z record of similar standard requires two to three years to see the light of day, then I for one will not complain. - Ian Patterson
Paris
26/05/2006
Xenophonia not only finds Bojan Z venturing into rock territory for the first time. On his new album, the talented jazz pianist continues to perfect the art of the trio and hones the deft, light-fingered style he has made his own.
Bojan Z garnered rave reviews for his 2003 album Transpacifik, recorded with Rémi Vignolo (double bass) and Ari Hoenig (drums). Now the piano virtuoso takes what he calls his “working trio” one step further with a new drummer, Ben Perowsky.
By the time the musicians went into the studio to begin recording sessions at the end of 2004, they had already amassed an impressive amount of raw material. Studio time was thus devoted to installing genuine musical dialogue and forging what the trio hoped would be a totally unique sound. Bojan Z - a regular collaborator with fellow French jazz star Julien Lourau - hit upon the perfect catalyst for creating this, inventing a new instrument: the “xenophone” (a customised Fender Rhodes).
The resulting album, Xenophonia, is never a demonstrative work. No cascading avalanches of blue notes or exuberant swing refrains here, but a slow-building kind of jazz that unfolds in a laidback fusion style. (It comes as no surprise to learn that most of the tracks on this ultra-cool opus were arranged orally rather than written down at any point.) What’s more, many of the melodies on the album have a timeless feel. Tracks such as Wheels and Xenos Blues may hark back to the fuzzy guitar feedback of Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Ladyland, but others, such az Ulaz, evoke more of an ice-cold winter wonderland.
The trio’s music constantly bucks and shifts, taking listeners by surprise at every turn. There is even a moment when the threesome verge on the hallucinogenic, whipping up an electric storm of distorted sounds reminiscent of Frank Zappa’s psychedelic rock. Besides putting an interesting new rock spin on his presentation, Xenophonia shows off Bojan Z’s extraordinary talent as a composer. This new album undoubtedly marks a new stage in Bojan’s artistic career, confirming him as a musician in a class of his own – and already a reference in the French jazz world! - Vincent Fertey
Translation : Julie Street
Tracks
01. Ulaz (Bojan Z)
02. Zeven (Bojan Z)
03. Wheels (Bojan Z / R.M. Tocak)
04. Biggus D (Bojan Z)
05. Ashes To Ashes (David Bowie)
06. Pendant ce temps, chez le général (Perowsky/Bojan Z/Vignolo)
07. Xenos blues (Bojan Z)
08. The mohincan and the great spirit (Horace Silver)
09. CD-rom (Bojan Z)
10. …Izlaz (Ari Hoenig/Bojan Z)
BOJAN ZULFIKARPASIC piano, fender rhodes, xenophone
RÉMIS VIGNOLO doublé bass
ARI HOENIG drums (2, 3, 4, 8, 10)
BEN PEROWSKY drums (1, 5, 6, 7, 9)
KRASSEN LUTZKANOV kaval (1, 9)
On (7) voice simple used from “Negro Prison Blues & Songs by Alan Lomax
Recorded at Studio Davout (Paris), December 2004 and Studio Recall (Pompignan), July 2005
Label Bleu – LBLC 6684 France