Label: FWF Records, 2024

Personnel - Sokratis Votskos: soprano saxophone, bass clarinet; Leandros Pasias: piano; Evangelos Vrachnos: double bass; Kostas Anastasiadis: drums; Giorgos Klountzos-Chrysidis: drums (#6).

Greek saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer Sokratis Votskos champions the eclecticism and genre-bending trajectory of today's European jazz scene. His quartet features Leandros Pasias on piano, Evangelos Vrachnos on double bass, and Kostas Anastasiadis on drums.

Pajko, Fire in the Forest on the Mountain is the follow-up album to Sketching the Unknown (2019), presenting a lineup that fosters authentic, creative exchanges across a spectrum from spiritual jazz to avant-garde to traditional folk inspirations. The adventurous journey commences with “Oson Zeis Fainou (Seikilos Epitaph)”, an ancient Greek tune in 6/8 from the 1st or 2nd century. Flowing as a breezily modal sequence, it transitions from novelty sensation to genuine upheaval for Votskos’ dynamic flights, marked by wind sprints and chromatic color.

As the title suggests, “Footprints of Some Giant Steps” blends Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints” and John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps”, delivered in a tension-release arrangement delivered at a 5/8 meter signature. Equally audacious in the rhythm department, “Moment’s Aeternity” features probing piano and exploratory bass clarinet over a catchy 14/8 dance adorned with brilliantly placed cymbal splashes.

Prone to creative fusions, Votskos offers “Balkan Riff” and “Here’s to Oghene Kologbo” with inspiration and abandon. The former, showcasing a perfect understanding between bass clarinet and double bass, is dedicated to Bulgarian pianist Milcho Leviev, while the latter crisscrosses anthemic Afro-centric celebration with jazz riffery, featuring guest drummer Giorgos Klountzos-Chrysidis and the voice of Kologbo himself, the Nigerian guitarist associated with Fela Kuti and Afrobeat in the ‘70s.

In the title track, the rhythm team pulls its weight with pulsating fluctuations, enhancing the music’s poise and appeal. This is a special feature for Pasias and Anastasiadis, with Votskos joining them elusively on soprano saxophone towards the end.

In the company of supple accompanists, Sokratis Votskos emerges as an interesting soloist and talented composer whom we want to keep an eye on.