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Yordan Kostov Ensemble: Intertwining a Fugue
ByThe COVID-19 pandemic gave many musicians time to complete projects that were on hold due to constant touring and many other obligations. As a result, Kostov has been writing and recording new music as if running on a treadmill. This was his second major release for 2021 among other projects he executed during that year.
Intertwining a Fugue is Kostov's most ambitious one to date and is a testament to the accordionist's longstanding love for avant-garde music. Kostov writes compositions that are light in touch but whose arrangements continuously evolve into intricate designs. Expertly executed by a band that includes 9 brilliant young musicians on the Macedonian jazz scene Kostov's compositional acumen rings clear and true through these 12 wide-ranging compositions. But the way the group moves from motif to motif only provides ample evidence about their internal chemistry i.e. the shared flow, communal mechanics, and the ways they expand the composer's creative options. Throughout, the voice of poetess Anna Michaels-Gaudreau can be heard as she reads excerpts of her poetry intertwining with the music.
Intertwining a Fugue offers a challenging listen, but one that rewards close examination.
Track Listing
Awakenings; Routines; Reflections; Boredom; Melancholia; Never Ending; New Beginnings; De Ja Vu; Hot Jazz Night; No Regrets; Mornings End; Life’s Mornings Again
Personnel
Additional Instrumentation
Yordan Kostov: composer, arranger, toy piano, accordion; Anna Michaels-Gaudreau: lyrics + spoken word poetry; Petar Hristov: clarinet, tenor sax, alto sax, lira; Andrea Mircheska: double bass, electric bass; Stephan Karastojanov: double bass; Aleksandar Ninich: tuba; Stefana Markovich: flute; Damjan Grujo: drums, percussion. Sashko Temelkovski - bass clarinet Filip Bukrshliev - electric guitar
Album information
Title: Intertwining a Fugue | Year Released: 2021 | Record Label: SJF
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