MoonJune 2015
Download-only raw-rhythm extravaganza from Serbian guitarist caught in transition.
Live
There are records demanding an on-stage extension of their studio intent, and 2013’s "Am I Walking Wrong?" was one of those, so Dušan Jevtović didn’t take his time in bringing its serrated edge out to the public. Laid down the following year in Barcelona and the artist’s hometown of Kragujevac with two different rhythm sections, “Live” comprises two seven-piece sets that, thanks to the spontaneity of delivery, don’t lose their sharpness even within the span of a single spin. The deliberately dirty sound cuts to the bone on the likes of “One On One”: that’s why this dialogue between musicians and the audience – and between the axeman and the groove that’s leaner in Spain and meaner in Serbia – remains catchy and fresh throughout.
Starting carefully with the “In The Last Moment II” dew-dropping to crank its romantic dynamics wild, both trios unhurriedly push the sonic envelope to make room for improvisation which deliciously doubles the duration of “Drummer’s Dance” in the space between Catalonian and Slavic reaches from the tight five to the transparent ten minutes – and none of these is wasted. In its turn, “Embracing Simplicity” lives up to its title as Amar Cesljar’s heavy drums step in the space of Marko Djordjevic’s sensual percussive support to bare the track’s vibrant skeleton before Vladimir Samardzic’s bass ventures for a solo, yet new composition “No Answer” silences the instrumental conversation to a sparse phrases exchange. Tension’s grown, the boogie walk of “Bluesracho” gives a playful angle to the proceedings and lends the simple statement of the album’s name a characteristic of the performance per se. An emotional move.
****2/3
