Impronedjeljak: MARTIN KÜCHEN / ZLATKO KAUČIČ / TOMAŽ GROM & SIMON PATON @ Grof Melin, Zg, 24/04/25

As part of the first Impronedjeljak at Zagreb's Melin, the audience had the opportunity to witness a superb evening of improvised music performed by the trio Martin Küchen - Zlatko Kaučič - Tomaž Grom, as well as a solo performance by young British bassist Simon Paton. From the very beginning, the evening had all the hallmarks of a carefully curated event that transcended the concert format and evolved into a musical ritual.

It is worth immediately praising the organizers for placing the concert in a smaller, more intimate venue. Grof Melin allowed for a strong connection between performers and audience, which is crucial for the kind of music the trio practices - free, meditative, intuitive. However, one minor criticism relates to the occasional clinking of bottles from the other part of the café, which disrupted the silence during one of the more delicate passages. Fortunately, that was the only technical flaw of the evening.

Martin Küchen / Zlatko Kaučič / Tomaž Grom - the chemistry of freedom and sound

The concert was opened by the trio who, as we learned from a conversation with Zlatko Kaučič shortly before the performance, found themselves playing together live for the first time in this formation. Martin Küchen (sopranino saxophone), Zlatko Kaučič (drums, percussion), and Tomaž Grom (double bass) offered the audience an uninterrupted improvisational composition that developed without a classic form, but with a clear internal dramaturgy. From the very beginning, an Istrian melodic flavor could be felt, serving as a tonal foundation for further musical exploration. Tomaž Grom created layered, often atonal sounds with his bow - textures that felt like abstract sculptures in sound. Zlatko Kaučič, a doyen of the European improvised music scene, showed why he is often compared to Milford Graves. Using a palette of percussive instruments, including miniature drums played on the snare, Kaučič crafted subtle micro-dynamic shifts that gave the composition rhythmic depth without a clearly defined pulse. Martin Küchen, extremely expressive and physically engaged in his performance, at one point swapped his saxophone for a drum, and when playing the sopranino saxophone, he would lean towards the floor as if drawing the sound from the very ground.

The entire concert was imbued with a sense of control within freedom - improvisation that never lost its direction despite the completely open form. They played without pauses, without soloist changes marked by expected applause, further emphasizing the collective spirit and mutual listening as the foundation of musical communication.

Aesthetically, the trio's music could be placed within the poetics of ECM releases from the 1970s, when the label was still intensely flirting with more avant-garde approaches. However, rather than quoting the past, this trio built its own unique sonic architecture - interwoven, arrhythmic, yet emotionally and structurally deeply consistent.

The finale of their performance led the audience into rhythmic patterns evoking Native American ceremonies, gradually building intensity and expression until reaching a sound-charged climax. These three musicians brought something of their own, something authentic and sincere - something unrepeatable, tied to that space, that moment, those of us listening, and them feeling us.

Simon Paton - a solo expedition into the unknown

After a short break, Simon Paton took the stage, a young bassist who offered a completely different but complementary experience with his solo performance on electric bass. Paton presented himself as a musician of wide imagination, expanding his sound palette with effects and surprising playing techniques - including using a drumstick, which is rare in the context of the electric bass. His approach varied between deep, almost drone-like structures and frenetic passages reminiscent of Zappa, Hendrix, and the Japanese noise school. Despite the chaotic impression, Paton's music maintained an internal order and logic, and his stage presence radiated sincerity and immediacy. His approach was not that of a "bassist searching for a song" - he was like an explorer in his own mind, seeking sounds he hadn't yet heard himself.

Perhaps his performance could have gained even more strength with an additional musician, such as a drummer, who could provide rhythmic support and open an even wider space for exploration. Paton's music already abounds with layers, contrasts, and surprises, but in dialogue with another instrument - especially percussive - the expression could ignite even further.

Throughout this concert, we were not merely listening to music but embarking on a quiet, yet profound journey with the performers. It was an encounter that required presence in the moment. Sounds came and went, leaving traces in our thoughts. Occasional glances among musicians, the murmur from the audience blending into the dynamics of the performance, restrained smiles after certain passages - all were parts of a larger picture, an evening that didn't seek to impress, but to connect. A special commendation goes to Capri, the organizer of the evening, not only for the perfect organization and atmosphere but also for the smartly arranged order of performances - the trio as the main event, followed by a solo act as a counterpoint. Such dramaturgical structure gave the evening a sense of cohesion and closure.

The next Impronedjeljak takes place on May 5th at Močvara, where one of the most important living jazz drummers, Barry Altschul, will perform with his trio 3dom Factor (Jon Irabagon - saxophone, Joe Fonda - double bass). Please, do not miss it.

jura // 26/04/2025