Wind Rose
Self-Released, 2022
8/10
The Serbian pianist Maja Alvanovic and her trio return with a 4th studio album, where intricate jazz sensibilities are filled with lyrical melodies and delicate song craft that makes their inimitable chamber formula so alluring.
“The City Of Jewels” starts the listen with emotive and flowing piano, as tense drumming and expressive bass playing enters the meticulous 9 minutes, and “Passarola” follows with an upbeat approach of dreamy, melodic musicianship that’s as dynamic as it is timeless.
“Green Room” and “With Or Without You” land in the middle, where the former is initially bare before erupting into a rhythmic album highlight, and the latter moves cautiously, amid well timed bass and mesmerizing keys.
Near to the end, “Long Embrace” welcomes clarinet into the moody and mysterious landscape, and the title track exits the listen with the stylish rhythm section guiding the wordless vocals and busy textures that are quite pretty,
A listen that tips its hat to Bill Evans and the Nordic icons E.S.T., Ervin Malina (double bass), Lav Kovač (drums), Aneta Georg (vocals), and Ulrich Drechsler (bass clarinet, basset horn) are in fine form here, and their cinematic and ambient gestures makes every second here impressive.
Travels well with: Esthesis Quartet- Esthesis Quartet; Chris Mondak- Glass Spheres