Han-earl Park/Catherine Sikora/Nick Didkovsky – “Eris 136199” (2018)

“Eris 136199” was released on October 9, 2018. Album was recorded by Han-earl Park (guitar), Catherine Sikora (saxophone) and Nick Didkovsky (drums). Three musicians have their original playing style and interesting point of view of improvising. They like to create innovative, fresh and adventurous sound. Ambitious, passionate and innovative jazz masters never don’t hesitate to make eclectic combos of styles, expressions or other elements of musical language. The music is filled with lots of colors, sounds, expressions, gorgeous timbres and experimental ways of playing. It’s all mixed in one musical pattern with pleasure, adventure and passion. Musicians don’t go through traditional way – they search specific forms of improvising, use creative and effective ways of playing, mix together sound experiments, unconventional and innovative tendencies and rules. That gives fresh, modern, interesting and vibrant sound of their improvisations. But the pieces aren’t based just on nowadays music and the newest experiments or electronics sounds. It also returns back to the roots and traditions from time to time – avant-garde jazz of 1960’s and 1970’s, traditional, but tremendous and terrific ways of playing, excerpts of the most famous compositions of avant-garde jazz pioneers and imitations of playing styles and sounds of great jazz stars… These elements always rest part of the most important base of improviser’s music. Gorgeous synthesis, inventive and wild musical decisions and expressive improvisations create luminous, interesting and innovative sound.

“Eris 136199” has all main elements of free improvisation, avant-garde and experimental jazz and is related with bebop, post bop and hard bop. The music is full of life, energy, passion and vitality. Agility, gravity and vibrant sound mixed together with gentle, soft and relaxing or provocative, sharp, aggressive and impressive culminations. Musicians are improvising in the spot – the most part of the compositions is based on free and shocking musical experiments, drastic abruptions, sudden and colorful changes and passionate solos. The improvisations are based on collective improvising – the musical facture, form and other elements are created by all three improvisers. One of them creates dizzy and remarkable melody, the others – bright and dynamic rhythmic, gorgeous background or dozens of special effects and coloristics. All music is composed by same principe and spontaneously for the most of the time. The musicians have a tendency to experiment – they burst out into sparkling and terryfying solos in the most unpredictable places, or go to silent, calm and soft down in places, who would have to be the culminations. Listening of this album gives a new and fresh pont of view – musicians are taking on risky and adventurous solo, bright and luminous culminations, breaking old rules and creating new ones instead of them. Experimental ways of playing, special effects, search of weird, strange or wild sounds, imitations of very well-known techniques, traditional methods of playing, innovative conception of improvisation and effective playing manner – all these elements form incredible, impressive and modern melodic, rhythmical and instrumentation’s sections. The music is just wonderful and charming – all kinds of colors, rhythms, expressions and sounds are condensed together in one form. Saxophone melodies by Catherine Sikora are based on moving and expressive solos. Vivacious melodies aren’t the only one important element – wide variety of melodic episodes are connected here. Aggressive and rolling, monotonic and depressive, groovy and harsh, heavy and terryfying pieces gently go along with bright, expressive, playful, childish, provocative, funny, hilarious excerpts, or even with simply crazy episodes. Saxophonist is basing her technique on expression, vitality and passion. Her melodies are vivid, bright and active for the most of the time. It has sharp, dynamic and provocative rhythmic and harsh mood. The saxophone has his function in the album – it keeps bringing life, electric and tremendous bursts of energy, glimpsy solos or sparkling passages to whole musical pattern. Han-earl Park’s guitar – sometimes serious, slow and depressive, sometimes – flowing, light, agile and vital. Lots of emotions are condensed in guitarist’s improvisations. Hard core, melodic and rhythmic intonations of some rock styles, energetic, heavy and rough sound, quadratic structure is put against free improvisation, passionate and extremely furious solos and vibrant riffs. That makes an effort to whole sound, but especially for melodic section. Vibrant, sometimes roaring, thrilling and wild duos of guitar and saxophone form solid, strong, bright and luminous melodic section. Rhythmic section is as solid and independent as melodic. Nick Didkovsky is modeling his own and unique version of sound and improvisations. It’s full of wide spectre of colors, unheard timbres, strange noises, spiky, provocative and innovative musical decisions, exotic combos, stylistic virages and hot expression in every way. Drummer gently fuses together all kinds of playing techniques, avant-garde and experimental jazz, free improvisation, bright and original sound and effective playing manner. Three musicians have splendid and suggestive playing technique, extravagant and unique playing manner and are talented, brave and innovative improvisers. That helps them to create remarkable, intense, vibrant and passionate sound.