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After the return of Matús Jakabcic from his studies at the Berklee College of Music in Boston in 1995, his idea to form a chamber orchestra matured artistically. The musician was attracted to the special type of music, which a six-horn band is able to produce. At the same time, the ensemble was designed to bring to life the compositions composed by Matús Jakabcic during his stay in the USA. The invitation to perform at the Bratislava Jazz Days ’95 challenged the formation of the tentet. At the beginning, there was an urge to start something new. For Matús Jakabcic it was something different from what he had done before. As a leader of the fusion band Stop Time (1987), or as a guitarist with other groups (Dusan Huscava Quintet, Esprit, Jakabcic-Burian-Jaro Trio, Jakabcic-Jonas Duo) he largely used simple song forms with a great deal of improvisation. In regard to the type of music the tentet plays he felt particularly attracted to through-composed jazz, which uses larger music forms. Matús Jakabcic has varied musical experiences derived from being engaged in various orchestras, as composer, arranger and guitarist (VV-System, Bratislava Conservatory Big Band-The musical to Die for Beauty, Big Band Radio Bratislava, The Gustav Brom Big Band). With his tentet – six horns and rhythm section – he intends to equally use composition and improvisation. The inspiration is derived from the history – economical and colorful Duke Ellington, Miles Davis and his Birth of the Cool, Gil Evans and his new conception of orchestra with the only soloist – Miles Davis on the album “Miles Ahead”, Charlie Mingus, Wynton Marsalis. Finally, the project is influenced by Matús’ studies in Boston and his teachers at Berklee – Greg Hopkins, Herb Pomeroy and Ken Pullig. The ideas presented in the compositions on this album are linked together in various ways. The thematic material is sometimes repeating (for instance, repeated theme in the composition Contra following the free-concept second part, reprise of Drummer’s Turn in Last Piece). Some of the compositions have a simple song form (269 Sumner St., Bas Relief), others are closer to a suite (Contra, Modal 2, and Last Piece). Each of the compositions offers new ideas – interesting atmosphere (Snow Day), expressive dissonant harmony (Who was this King Called Duke?), imitation within polyphonic voices (Drummer’s Turn), catchy ostinato (Desert Blues), pleasing melody (269 Sumner St.), swinging polyrhythm (Drummer’s Turn, Modal 2, Contra)… The sound is subtle and reserved in some, energetic and intense in other compositions. The sound of the ensemble is acoustically quite compact and the instruments sound balanced and nicely by themselves. When composing, Matús Jakabcic prefers the combination of sense and sensibility: “If you do not know which way to go, you can get lost easily.” Melody is important for his way of musical thinking, however invention and taste are of primary important. “There are plenty of possibilities how to compose music. The today’s world offers lots of information available to everyone. The important thing is to choose what to accept and what to omit. A great supply of material is useful, however the taste and style are decisive. The prerequisite is the ability to go deep down.” | ||
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