North Macedonian guitarist Filip Dinev received the “Best young jazz musician” award at the Jazz Factory Festival in his home country.
On the strength of Romann, his sophomore album, he has left any pure jazz strains far behind and is instead forging ahead with his own recipe for the guitar trio, blending blues, Balkan music and scratchy improv into a wholesome stew. Choosing the backing of bassist Tilman Oberbeck and percussionist Jan Zeimetz has imbued this album with a more exploratory sound compared to 2020’s Szvetlo and you can feel his confidence rising. Although shorter in length, it feels more assured and more willing to take risks.
The tone of the guitar is quite harsh and there is a feeling of vibrancy because of that, a certain unrestrained quality in the tumbling notes as they run arm in arm with the equally sharp and entangled rhythm section. You also feel the resonance of the studio, but it is Filip’s willingness to let the music tell the story, fretboard-wide explorations taking in a wealth of ideas in one broad sweep. It is kind of jazzy but scrappy, bass and drums pushing him hard away from any comfort zone. Theirs is no passive accompaniment, so Filip diving into hot expressionism comes on like a foot dipped in icy water, the disparity making for reflexive leaps.
It is a whirl of styles and although I am not familiar with the indigenous music of North Macedonia, there are hints of unseen places reflected in some of the phrasing, bluesy licks hijacked by disparate chord progressions. Plus, the enthusiasm of the three is palpable whether they are tackling a dark Django Reinhardt spy theme with off-kilter bass rhythm and skittering rolled-up newspaper percussion or a dreamy, diffuse yet barely recognisable “Blackbird” with extra scampering and harmonics aplenty.
Vibrant punk-ish chords are split by fretboard action that is hard to follow, yet the momentum is undeniable. The virtuosity is impressive but a lot of fun, particularly the pointillist attacks that pepper the rhythm section with aural shrapnel, and the trio do seem willing to give anything a try as they gradually return to an original motif like a particularly well-thrown boomerang.
Romann is an adventurous and engaging second album that pushes away from the enigmatic but more measured sounds of Szvetlo, which is still available and, with a more recognisably jazzy rhythm section of Pierre Martin on drums and Dani Arday at the double bass plus a more measured, cleaner guitar sound, is noticeably different.
Still idiosyncratic, with bits of blues textures tempered by a Balkan buzz, it moves at a slower pace and due to the slightly longer form of the pieces, I was reminded of some of the late nineties work from Thrill Jockey, particularly Pullman. That can only be a happy coincidence ,but gives an indication of the scope of ability and as the propulsive drumming gives way to a lovely version of Ennio Morricone‘s “Tema d’Amore”, and the final track has an almost Balkan James Bond feel, with a Monty Norman-esque bassline leading to a dreamy conclusion.
The difference between the two albums is not a question of progress but more of discovery, the uncovering of another landscape and a willingness to open up to more influences and see where they lead. As a bonus, both discs come with a QR code that gives access to live or video sessions. Unfortunately, I haven’t that facility, but can only assume that they further expand the experience, one I heartily recommend.-Mr Olivetti-
