Label: ears&eyes Records, 2025

Personnel - Igor Lumpert: tenor and soprano saxophones, accordion; Leo Genovese: piano; Drew Gress: acoustic bass; Damion Reid: drums.

For his new quartet album, Resistance of The Earth, Slovenian saxophonist and composer Igor Lumpert assembles a formidable crew: sought-after pianist Leo Genovese, seasoned bassist Drew Gress, and dynamic drummer Damion Reid. Partly inspired by natural disasters and environmental decline, and partly a family tribute, the record turned out remarkably well for something captured in a single day after just one rehearsal. The music channels the modal spirit of John Coltrane and McCoy Tyner, while embracing modern composition and cross-cultural influences.

The title cut, “Resistance of the Earth”, opens with an assertive drum statement, soon joined by vocal chants and Lumpert’s fervent saxophone lines, enveloped in a modal aura reminiscent of Tyner and Billy Harper. The latter—alongside drummer Chico Hamilton and bassist Reggie Workman—was one of Lumpert’s mentors at New York’s New School. Lumpert’s solo brims with clarity and imagination, followed by a fiery turn from Genovese, who thrives in this setting. The pianist’s rhythmic elasticity also shines on “Sures”, an exciting piece with an intricate relationship with tempo and accentuation.

Among the album’s more athletic tunes, “High Peaks” begins in a controlled Coltranean post-bop frame before bursting into ecstatic avant-garde interplay, while “Mediterranean Samurai”—inspired by birdwatching and nature—unfolds with a 3/4 piano riff and martial snare fluxes beneath Lumpert’s fluid, cutting tenor lines.

The sophisticated ballad “Underwater Snow” cools the mood with soft textures and a chilled backbeat, serving as a touching tribute to Lumpert’s wife. His solo follows the tune’s emotional logic with poise and passion. “Choir Song”, asymmetrical and harmonically rich, channels a Wayne Shorter vibe and features Lumpert on both accordion and soprano sax. In “Panonian”, set in seven, sax and piano move with synergistic coordination, while the closer, “Blues for Code Talkers”, offers a disciplined, spiritual homage to the Native American soldiers who used tribal languages to transmit coded messages during WWII. The Coltrane/Tyner’s synergy is evident throughout this piece.

The album’s cohesion stems from the quartet’s deep rapport and shared sense of purpose. Lumpert’s writing and playing strike a balance between intensity and intellect, and his bandmates respond in kind. Free of pretense or artifice, Resistance of the Earth stands as a solid, thoughtful statement of originals.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Resistance of the Earth ► 02 - Sures ► 03 - High Peaks

Label: Clean Feed, 2022

Personnel - Igor Lumpert: tenor saxophone; Greg Ward: alto saxophone; Peter Evans: trumpet; Chris Tordini: double bass; Kenny Grohowski: drums; Jeff Miles: guitar (#1,2,4,5,9); John Ellis: bass clarinet (#1,2,4,5,7); Caleb Curtis: alto saxophone (#4,8,9).

Slovenian saxophonist and composer Igor Lumpert enlisted a wonderful group of collaborators for I Am The Spirit of the Earth, the sophomore album with his Innertextures project. The complexity within the outlined structure of some pieces doesn’t remove space for improvisation, reflecting his creative spirit in terms of consistency, focus and fire.

Opening the door to a vibrant experience, “Roots” benefits from the nimble movements of bass clarinetist John Ellis in the textural work, who is joined by chained horn-driven lines and the guitar of Jeff Miles. There’s a rambling, effervescent saxophone solo from Lumpert, followed by a precise, acute statement by trumpeter Peter Evans, who enjoys the dynamic comping provided by guitar, bass and drums.

“Slovenian Fight Song” is split into two different cuts. The first part puts on display spectacular saxophone statements, while the second, being shorter, feels more orchestral-centered with plenty of unisons at start, an 13/4 meter in the groove, and a powerhouse saxophone solo with motifs and rhythmic stunting.

The title track starts off as a mystic meditation but ends in a constructive saxophone counterstatement with solos by Lumpert and Greg Ward over an agitated ground. In the same way, with splendid dynamics, “Zoo Frog” boasts staccato-filled phrasing and fascinating counterpoint. Following a striking saxophone solo developed over a poised comping of bass and drums, is Ellis who captivates as he lowers the range of the notes with authoritative pronouncement.

The facility and joy put into this well-written music is mirrored on “Rimbaud”, where the alto saxophonists Caleb Curtis and Ward giddily respond to each other in witty dialogue. The final window, framed as an avant-chamber-jazz vamping, shows off excellent work by the drummer Kenny Grohowski.

Lumpert knits all the pieces together with ecstatic vision, and the result is an organic work that makes every risk feel right and necessary.