X/Y Goran Kajfeš

June 14, 2011

Rock-a-Rolla

Ostensibly two separate works - the first a wide-ranging ensemble set, the second a more minimalist and experimental suite - X/Y is jazz trumpeter Goran Kajfes´s ambitious third outing as a bandleader. Working with The Subtropic Arkestra, on "X" this Croatia-born, Sweden-raised musician seamlessly adds an interpretation of Don Cherry´s Solidarity (For Moki) to a vibrant mixture of Blue Note grooviness, ethno-funk fusing and modern jazz invention. Elevated throughout by Kajfes´s soulful horn, his spirited soar at times recalling Lee Morgan and Miles Davis, the combination of snake-charmer rhythms and warm, exotic playing makes for a rich, mobile flow that´s hard to resist. Taking a major direction shift with "Y", across the nine parts that form "Perfect Temperature For Leaving Home" Kajfes´s emotive trumpet is paired with lush analouge electronics to produce a stripped-down and beautifully otherwordly form of jazz. Housed in a deluxe hardback book with visual works by contemporary Scandinavian artists attached to each track, even he packaging is as inspired and arresting as the album itself.

 Andrew Carden