Gyezz

Released on Michael League’s GroundUP Music label, this latest album from Hungarian five-piece Söndörgő features the distinguished US sax player and bandleader Chris Potter, who adds a completely fresh dimension to the band’s dynamic signature sound. Cast in three parts, the multilayered moto perpetuo, ‘Liras’, proves an exhilarating album opener. ‘A.B.’ presents a thrilling arrangement for tambura orchestra and double bass of one of Béla Bartók’s best known and most widely performed solo piano pieces, ‘Allegro Barbaro’, characterised by pounding ostinatos and biting bitonality. Built from Macedonian folk music elements, ‘wRap’ possesses an equally monolithic force. Potter shines in a Söndörgő-style revamp of the lush 1940s ballad ‘Laura’, a tune beloved by sax players. Previously recorded on their 2019 album Nyolc 8 Nyolc, ‘Riba’ is a wondrous assault on the senses, while the concluding ‘Hid’ is a thrilling tour de force that leaves a similarly indelible impression.