Label: PKmusic

Personnel - Michalis Tsiftsis: guitar; Yiannis Papadpoulos: piano; Yiannis Vagianos: bass; Nick Thessalonikefs: drums.

ARBOR is a contemporary Greek jazz quartet with a versatile flow and a keen microscopic focus. The band’s name is not only a reference to the wildfires that have been devastating Greece’s landscape for years but also a word of protest against the destruction of natural habitats. Three members of the quartet contribute compositions—four by co-leader/guitarist Michalis Tsiftsis, three by co-leader/bassist Yiannis Vagianos, and one by pianist Yiannis Papadpoulos. Rounding out the group is drummer Nick Thessalonikefs.

“Polygonal” opens the eponymous debut album with a pulse in triple time before expanding shapes and bending angles while shifting into a 4/4 meter. The track boasts a catchy melody, a hallmark also evident in “Dream Machine”. This introspective ballad showcases the group’s stylistic range, blending dreamy tones and glam-rock melancholy reminiscent of Radiohead and Placebo, all propelled by a simple yet effective marching drum pattern. The track, named after a stroboscopic flickering light art device, carries an evocative and cinematic quality.

Vagianos’ “Fundamental” highlights the quartet's polyrhythmic sensibilities, drawing inspiration from Nik Bartsch’s minimalistic approach. Tsiftsis adds depth with distortion, while Papadopoulos injects dramatic intensity through his pianism. Both musicians deliver uninhibited, impassioned solos. Tsiftsis’ “Counterfactual” embodies a spirit of adventure, radiating energetic transcendence and forward-thinking dynamism. After a commanding guitar statement, Papadopoulos takes the lead with a vibrant, subtly intricate piano discourse that flows seamlessly into the track’s bright and colorful theme.

ARBOR maintains their distinctive sonic identity throughout, including on “Blues”, which defies its title by eschewing traditional blues conventions. Instead, it layers bowed bass, piano, and guitar to create a meditative, pathos-filled atmosphere of subdued grace and suspension. The album comes to a close with “Nicotine”, another tune with rock propensity. Unfolding in seven, this number features a scalding dialogue between Tsiftsis and Papadopoulos, who first take turns before intersecting their sounds. The group then opts for hyperrealistic bluesy and gospel chops in the last section.

With masterful command of their instruments and a first-rate debut, ARBOR emerges as a bold and promising force in contemporary jazz.