Slovak violinist / composer Petra Onderuf‘s first solo album is an intriguing proposition. She has gathered around her what is essentially an adventurous jazz trio to bring life to her suite of well-travelled songs on An Odd Time Of Day. Although Petra is the composer of the pieces here, the trio of Rok Zalokar on piano, Luka Dobnikar on bass and drummer Aleš Zorec are an essential part of the sound.
With jazz, classical, improv and global influences, the album is a widescreen melange of all these styles, but at heart is a warm-hearted journey through Petra’s life, using the music as a way of telling stories and relating experiences with sympathetic backing from players that know when to hold back and when to push forward.
First track “Cremm” is a great example, with its lively pointillist piano opening. You sense the players aware and raring to go, guest trumpeter Gašper Selko duetting with Petra and producing a sound that is both sweet and slightly mysterious. They are happy to drop some Eastern hints at points, but it is the violin that draws the sound away from jazz and into something more soulful and elemental.They manage to weave so much into one song, often trading sharp sounds with unusual note choices, madcap violin-led descents that merge seamlessly with melancholic piano which hints at Dave Brubeck while the drums are an ever-tumbling rumble of boulders.The folky melancholy of central Europe comes through on “Tanec” and the violin / piano combo changes once again, but the relationship is interesting; they come across like two very old friends who haven’t seen each other for years. The depth is there, but they have become different people even though they have that ever-present connection. To have a rhythm section that understands this interaction and is able to support, yet be ever bright and eager, is quite wonderful.
“Dete” has plucked violin for a rainy atmosphere, the piano slow and stately, testing the state of things. You can really sense Petra through her playing, mood changing like the weather — and having been to Slovakia many years ago, there is something in the playing that evokes the sparse and desolate wild beauty of the mountainous regions.Meanwhile, down on solid ground, Luka is given an opportunity to shine with a tangy bass line while the odd time signatures and clattering rhythmic textures lend surprising freedom to “Resemblance”. The bass and drums find themselves at opposite ends of the tonal spectrum and are the perfect foils for the appearance of Jure Pukl‘s sax, which lends a romantic air while the violin follows like a shadow.Petra is generous with the space given to Rok’s piano and he uses it well, with some of Keith Jarrett‘s sense of adventure but also a willingness to provide solace where necessary, particularly on the slow and sad “Julia’s Sunset”. There is a real richness and expression to the playing here from everybody and it reflects the roads less travelled, tempo and time changes often surprising the listener.
The sharp cracks and thought-provoking sinuous rhythm of Aleš’s playing show a really modern sensibility and it is this constant search for fresh expressions that keeps the listener engaged, with the rollercoaster ride of “Next Chapter” ushering in the more contemplative side of Gašper’s trumpet playing.They are happy to move from the slow early-morning introspection of “Time Of Day”, with its sparkling piano notes and frosty violin, to the swaggering late-night bass-led groove of “Eleven”, its muted trumpet and lively feel pushing us more towards the dance-floor.
Movement in general is what An Odd Time Of Day is really about; the sense of travel and of disparate places seen through fresh eyes. The unusual tempos, the itchy unwillingness to settle make for an engrossing suite that is satisfying and unexpected in equal measure, and one that it will take a lot to beat.-Mr Olivetti-
