The Soul of Epirus

Petroloukas Halkias (also spelled Chalkias) is a revered 85-year-old clarinettist, while Vasilis Kostas is a rising player of the eight-stringed laouto (a Greek lute that looks similar to an oud). Kostas has lately become a member of Global Messengers, a multinational group formed by the Panamanian pianist Danilo Pérez. This Greek duo bridges the generations, with both being born in Epirus, the home of a folkloric tradition that's usually pentatonic or polyphonic, and often features the clarinet as a central instrument.

The overall mood of this duo's collaboration is one of melancholy, whether at a brisk or a dirge-like pace. The album features a significant third contributor: percussionist Andreas Papas, on darbuka and daf (frame drum). Halkias and Kostas are devoted to dialogue, always exchanging phrases, each releasing cascades of notes that ornament phrases at high velocity. Some tunes explore a lower, slower character, or even accelerate midway, with Kostas sounding like two players. He's doubtless overdubbed an extra part, as second laouto player Thanasis Vollas only appears on one tune, ‘Fysouni’, which reels with swift exchanges and simultaneous lines. The closing ‘Mariola’ features guest singer Kostas Tzimas, who stretches out with weathered experience, as the laouto treads water and the clarinet embellishes. This number sprawls out over ten minutes, making for a satisfyingly atmospheric levitation.