The same trio, varied, and playing the same songs on two albums. Here is jazz at its essence!
The Rare Ebb album features Igor Matkovic on trumpet and flugelhorn, along with Samo Salamon on electric bass and Kristijan Krajncan on cello. They play eleven tunes together, with Salamon’s electric bass creating creative sounds as on the rustling “Another Rain” or they splashy and synthy read of “Same” as Matkovic brings warm embers on the brass, and Krajncan mixes high pitched pizzicatos with reflective lines. The three are contemplative on the thoughtful “#7” with hammering strings creating a rich tension on “Floating” and “Serenity” with long and rich impressions reflected from Matkovic’s horn.
Instruments are switched a bit on for the exact same songs (although in a different order) on Common Flow, as Salamon plays an acoustic guitar and Krajncan moves to drums. This album is even more pastel’d and pastoral, with Salamon’s strings evoking rich and pretty themes during”Crooswijk” and Krajncan creating a gentle march for Matkovic’s trumpet on”Burmonster”. Gentle mists float on “Here” and “Duchie” with warm and evocative tones delivered by Matkovic on the big sounding “#7” and the fragrant “Dunes”. The melodies may be the same, but it’s like hearing the same sentence in two different languages, and the music is fascinating both in comparison or on taking them on their own terms. Brilliant.