Friday, September 1, 2017

Fusion CD of the Month - "Dusan Jevtovic: No Answer"

Fusion CD of the Month
Dusan Jevtovic: "No Answer" (MoonJune MJR085)
Rating: **** (musical performance & sonic quality)

Produced by Dusan Jevtovic
Executive Producer: Leonardo Pavkovic
Recorded live in studio by Jesus Rovira @ La Casa Murada Studio, Banyeres del Penedes, Spain, on February 22 & 23, 2016
All tracks mixed and mastered by Juan Pablo Alcaro, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Cover Photo: Joan Abella Escuer
Graphic Design: Alexander Popovic

All songs composed and arranged by Dusan Jevtovic
Featuring: Dusan Jevtovic (electric guitar), Vasil Hadzimanov (acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano, Mini Moog synthesizer) & Asaf Sirkis (drums)

The inspired pairing of guitarist Dusan Jevtovic and pianist Vasil Hadzimanov, mobilized by the convincing playing of Asaf Sirkis on drum kit, has resulted in a sound that cross-pollinates the most forward thinking aspects of progressive music with the excitement of post-jazz. Think ECM record label vibe filtered through Radiohead played at an intimate after-hours jazz venue and you’ll catch the vibe. Choosing to work without a bass player opens new dynamic possibilities and allows the guitar and keyboard voicing to dance and weave in a textural ballet. Vasil’s beautiful arpeggiated piano serves as delicate counterpoint to Dusan’s raw textured playing. Asaf alternates between the delicacy of Jon Christensen and the driving power of vintage Billy Cobham. Mini Moog bass brings a powerful bottom end for Jevtovic’ soaring acrobatics and reinforces Sirkis' driving grooves.

As with the very best instrumental music, there is a lot of careful listening, creative comping, and building off the other players’ energy, resulting in a music that is at once confident, inspired and original. Dusan Jevtovic' second international release (his third) on the New York progressive jazz label MoonJune might be his groundbreaking work which will intrigue fans of guitarists such as John Abercrombie, John Frusciante, Terje Rypdal, David Torn, Nels Cline, and Jimi Hendrix.

Dusan Jevtovic is Serbian guitarist based in Barcelona, Spain since 2003, and has released two solo albums: "On The Edge" (2009, L'Indi, Spain) and "Am I Walking Wrong?" (MoonJune, 2013), and has recorded and toured with a vast arrays of artists such as Xavi Reija, Tony Levin, Gary Husband, Asaf Sirkis, Vasil Hadzimanov, Marko Djordjevic, Xavi Reija, Bernat Hernandez, Markus Reuter, Rafa Pons, Rim Banna.

Vasil Hadzimanov is Serbian pianist/keyboardist based in Belgrade, and son of two iconic pop singers from 60's and 70's, who are still active: Macedonian legend Zafir Hadzimanov, and Senka Velentalic. Alumni of Berklee College of Music, Vasil has recorded and performed with Theodossi Spassov, Marko Djordjevic Dusan Jevtovic, Toni Kitanovski, David Binney, Antonio Sanchez, Matt Garrison, Vlatko Stefanovski, Nigel Kennedy, Vlatko Stefanovski, David Gilmore (jazz guitarist).

Asaf Sirkis is one of the busiest European drummers, performing over 200 shows per year. Based in London, born in Israel, he recorded and performed with Tim Garland, Jacob Collier, Larry Coryell, Gwilym Simcock, John Abercrombie, Jeff Berlin, Kenny Wheeler, Gary Husband, Gilad Atzmon, Andy Sheppard, Bob Sheppard, Mark Egan, John Etheridge, Mark Wingfield, Nicolas Meier, Dwiki Dharmawan, Dewa Budjana, Kamal Musallam, David Binney, Billy Sherwood, Carles Benavent, Nguyên Lê, Jimmy Haslip, Beledo, Mauro Pagani, Soft Machine Legacy, and many more.

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