Drummer and composer Zan Tetickovic, aka “Jean John” assembles a classical and jazz team to create a musical experience of a journey that involves the thoughts and moods of “an immigrant on an unforgiving emotional path of acculturation.” While it could have gotten preachy, the music holds up well on its own, and is fascinating of it’s ability to capture thoughts, reflections and environs.
The jazz tam of Alba Nacinovich/voc, Lenart Krecic/ts, Tomaz Gajst/tp-fh, Jani Moder/g, Marko Crncec/p and Myles Sloniker/b fit in well with the Janus Atlier String Quartet and Ziga Murko’s electronics seamlessly like a Raphael tapestry. The first few movements include exciting reeds, sounds of transportation and classical strings before modern classical sounds mix with electrical guitar on ”I. Farewell” leading to full movements interspersed with solos like a thoughtful piano on “Transition to Euphoria”, reflective bass on “Transition to Adjustment” and drum thoughts during “Transition to a New Beginning.” Lovely strings counterpunch jazzy grooves with tenor sax on pieces such as “V. Adjustment” while pizzicato musings serve as a frame for Gajst’s velvety horn on “II. Euphoria.” A speech by then-President Barak Obama gets a good point across about legal immigration (with no mention to “illegal” immigration) but the point of our country being the land of the free is well taken. Intriguing for both red and blue states for thoughts on entering the United States.