js On Dustan Jevtovic’s previous album, “Am I Walking Wrong?”, he served up noisy guitar textures backed by a muscular jazz rock rhythm section. If you were expecting more of the same on his follow up album, “No Answer”, you may be in for a surprise as Dusan has decided to change up direction quite a bit. The heavy fusion drum and bass rhythm duo of the previous album is gone, and in their place on this new CD is a more swingin jazzy fusion drummer in Asaf Sirkis, plus the romantic classical meets post bop keyboard work of Vasil Hadzimanov. Dusan has also changed his approach to the guitar on “No Answer” as well. Whereas on “Walking Wrong” he veered away from solos per se and concentrated more on dissonant sounds and metallic textures, on “No Answer”, he provides scorching jazz fusion rides and plenty of fleet fretboard work. The combination of Dusan’s heavy guitar and Vasil’s fluid acoustic piano might seem like an odd match, but they make it work while they produce a sound that is quite different from anyone else.

Lots of interesting cuts on here, “Lifetime” is the rockin number, and possibly it is a tribute to the Tony Williams group of the same name. On “Yo Sin Mi” they almost sound like vintage Pat Metheney and Lyle Mays, only darker and less pastoral. Title cut, “No Answer“, features dramatic Eastern Europe piano chords topped with a snarling guitar solo, and “Prayer” sounds like its name in a Middle Eastern tonality. There’s even a taste of post bop swing on “El Oro”. Throughout this CD there is often a East European and/or Middle Eastern flavor to the melodies, while the sound production reflects a modern darkness and somber ambience.

kev rowland t must be said that I wasn’t the world’s biggest fan of Dušan’s last release, 2013’s ‘Am I Walking Wrong’, and I think it was probably the first time I had ever given a Moonjune album a poor review, but I just didn’t get it. So, when this arrived in the post one day I wasn’t immediately over-enamoured, but I opened the digipak and realised that the drummer was none other than Asaf Sirkis, someone whose work I highly admire. The line-up was completed by Vasil Hadzimanov on acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano and Mini Moog bass, and I was immediately intrigued. Further investigation led to the discovery that the album was recorded in just two days last February, and knowing that they had toured together in different incarnations, as opposed to being put together for a studio project, made me think that this could be quite a special album indeed.

I put aside any preconceived ideas, and as soon as the first notes came out of the speakers I was transfixed. Here were wonderful guitar lines, perfectly accompanied by different keyboards with both lightness and strong bottom end, and then there was Asaf who was playing as if he was the lead player in the band. There are many times during this album where Vasil is valiantly managing to keep it all together, as both Dušan and Asaf attempt to be the main in charge. This is simply a wonderful album, full not only of wonderful melodies but great interplay between all those involved. Ideas bounce between the trio, and there are so many thing son here to enjoy, from brightness and sparks to reflective and delicate, such as on the emotional “Yo Sin Mi”. Dušan’s guitarwork is exemplary throughout, as he switches styles and tones, yet there is always clarity and finesse. This is not a guitarist who feels the need to prove his skills by playing five thousand notes to the bar, but instead shows it every time he uses sustain.

This is one of the most interesting and enjoyable instrumental albums I’ve come across in 2017.