Floros Floridis/Yorgos Dimitriadis

Deepening the affiliations developed over decades Thessaloniki-born, Berlin-based saxophonist/clarinetist Floros Floridis and drummer Yorgos Dimitriadis demonstrate their intuitive musical skills in an intimate duo setting. Floridis, who recorded Greece’s first notable free form disc in 1979, has since played with a multitude of improvisers. A former Blues drummer, Dimitriadis, who works with Achim Kaufmann and others, was for years part of a trio with Floridis and a pianist. Happily as a duo this program of six instant compositions isn’t reductionist. In fact there may be even more textures involved than in the former configuration since both players judiciously use electronics in tandem with their instruments.

Emphatically starting the date with a shrill bow sweep across a lathed cymbal, Dimitriadis maintains fluid drum beats throughout as Floridis at junctures adds clarion bites, peeps and slurs from his reeds. Enhancing and commenting on the foreground are voltage whooshes and oscillated crackles. “Live check I – ain’t got no choice” cannily interspaces programmed buzzes among the metallic percussion and clarinet flutter tones so that all timbres echo back onto one another. “Live check II – psycho pension” mirrors the first tune as shaking alto saxophone bites, disconnected whistles and percussion shakes mark sonic descent and complete the circular interface. The session concludes with the electronics steadily becoming louder in response to frenetic reed smears and drum shuffles before the track settles on a connective percussion pattern.

However the extended “It’s about time”, situated between the two live checks showcases the triple or sometimes quadruple interaction. Moving among hand rubs and resonating thumps, Dimitriadis’ percussion patterning is the perfect foil to Floridis’ squirming reed flutters and tongue stops while programmed organ-like sputters and wavering pulses sound around them. A final motif stacks a well-modulated and exuberant reed solo on top of uniform drum thumps and cymbal coloration leading to a high-pitched climax.

Tone Sequence Evaluators easily confirms two mature improvisers can operate as distinctively as any larger ensemble.

—Ken Waxman

Track Listing: 1. Disturbed whispering 2. Barking to the moon 3. Live check I – ain’t got no choice 4. It’s about time 5. Live check II – psycho pension 6. All kinds of prisons (6:11)

Personnel: Floros Floridis (soprano and alto saxophones, clarinet and bass, clarinet and electronics) and Yorgos Dimitriadis (percussion and electronics)