Hristo Vitchev Quartet

“In Search Of Wonders”

(First Orbit Sounds Music FOSM 272)

The guitarist and composer Hristo Vitchev was one of the first overseas musicians to make contact with the Jazzmann. Bulgarian born he has long been resident in the San Jose area of California and although we’ve never met and are separated by the width of an ocean plus an entire continent I still regard Hristo as a friend.

I sense a warmth in his personality which finds expression in the series of excellent albums that I have reviewed for the Jazzmann beginning with the 2009 quartet offering “Songs For Messambria”, a tribute to his homeland. Other group recordings have included the 2011’s “The Perperikon Suite”, a quintet album featuring vibraphonist Christian Tamburr, and “Familiar Fields” (2013) which marked a return to the more familiar quartet format. 

Vitchev has also recorded two duo albums with his long term collaborator Weber Iago, the Brazilian born, California based pianist who appears on all of the group albums mentioned above. “The Secrets Of An Angel” (2010) and “Heartmony” (2012) are intimate, highly melodic and quietly adventurous and illustrate the instinctive rapport between these two fine musicians.

In 2013 Vitchev released a third duo record, this time featuring his compatriot, the clarinettist Liubomir Krastev. “Rhodopa” represented something of a return to roots for Vitchev as the duo explored a mix of original compositions and arrangements of traditional Bulgarian folk tunes in a series of beautiful performances.

As can be seen from the above Vitchev is a prolific and talented composer with a rare gift for melody, a quality that he shares with the great Pat Metheny, a musician with whom he is regularly compared, not least by me. But Vitchev is very much his own man and has plenty to say on his account with his Balkan roots helping to give his music a distinctive identity of its own.

“In Search Of Wonders” is arguably Vitchev’s most ambitious project to date, a double set of new material that was comprehensively ‘road tested’ by the band before being committed to disc. It marks a change in the group’s working methods with Vitchev commenting; “we decided to first take the music on the road all around the world and let each piece evolve night after night, letting it settle naturally and effortlessly into its final shape and place”.

The line up for the new album is Vitchev’s working quartet, the same group that recorded “Familiar Fields”, with Weber Iago (now known as Jasnam Daya Singh) on piano, Dan Robbins on bass and Mike Shannon at the drums. With the exception of Vitchev’s guitar it’s primarily an acoustic group but the range of textures and colours that this quartet are capable of generating is quite remarkable. Vitchev’s writing is melodic, intricate and sophisticated with each piece telling a story, this is music with a strong narrative arc and an almost cinematic quality. These characteristics are routinely attributed to Metheny’s music too and for Pat’s many fans I’d suggest that Vitchev’s music fills something of the void left following the demise of the Lyle Mays edition of the Pat Metheny Group.
Connoisseurs of the Anglo-American ‘supergroup’ The Impossible Gentlemen are also likely to find much to enjoy in the Vitchev Quartet’s music.

Despite the obvious ambitiousness of the recording the compositions presented across the course of this two CD set appear to be stand alone pieces rather than representing a suite or some other form of unified concept.
Disc one commences with “The Transitory Nature” which finds the group developing their ideas gracefully and elegantly, subtly building on Robbins’ opening bass notes. The music is full of luminous textures from the beginning with Vitchev and Singh demonstrating their well established rapport from the start, they complement each other’s lines yet never seem to get in one another’s way. Robbins’ bass playing is also supremely melodic and the crisp shimmer of Shannon’s cymbal work also serves the music well. Vitchev and Singh build their solos intelligently, developing their ideas in an unhurried manner yet still deploying a high degree of invention. The effective use of dynamics is key to Vitchev’s writing and the music gradually builds to a peak that incorporates the dramatic bowing of Robbins’ bass, suggesting that Vitchev and co. may also have learned something from the music of E.S.T. and particularly bassist Dan Berglund. 

Singh’s unaccompanied piano leads us into the thirteen and a half minute “It May Backfire”. His playing is reflective at first but he subsequently establishes a quick-fire Latin sounding motif that forms the backbone of the tune. There is some superb group interplay throughout plus a dazzling piano solo from Singh. Robbins combines superbly with the pianist and also delivers an impressive solo of his own before Vitchev’s own powerful, and surprisingly hard edged guitar feature. The constant ebb and flow of the piece is typical of Vitchev’s writing, a further example of his mastery of dynamics.

“Post Nubes” presents a slightly more reflective side of the band following the pyrotechnics of “Backfire”  but there’s still a rigour about the music which incorporates some taut group interplay plus probing, intelligent solos from Vitchev and Singh. 

“Fuschia Brown Eyes” is a genuine ballad introduced by a delightful passage of solo guitar from Vitchev before expanding to incorporate sympathetic support from double bass and delicately brushed drums. There’s also a supremely lyrical piano solo from Singh and a melodic bass feature from Robbins.

The title track features the melodic, occasionally grandiose, ringing of Vitchev’s guitar supported by the rich purr of Robbins’ bass and the tick of Shannon’s drums and cymbals. Singh weighs in with a flowingly lyrical piano solo.

Track six is a solo drum passage that serves as an introduction to “Almost Home”, the piece that closes the first disc. The main track features complex, tightly knit ensemble passages and features the impressive Robbins taking the first solo, an impressive display of muscular dexterity. Vitchev’s own feature exhibits his usual fluency and Singh’s expansive piano solo maintains his high standards. Taken collectively it’s a very impressive first half.

The second disc begins with the Metheny-esque “ Falling In Orange” with the leader’s warm guitar sound closer here to Metheny’s trademark tone than elsewhere on the album. Singh’s joyful pianistics also feature, his solo tumbling lightly over the engaging bustle of Shannon’s drums. It’s always tempting to think of Singh as the Lyle Mays to Vitchev’s Metheny.

There’s more than a hint of Metheny about Vitchev’s tone on the lively “Old Theme” too, with its dazzling high speed unison passages and expansive solos, the leader going first followed by Robbins on the bass. Singh adds a Latin inflection and takes a joyous solo and there are a series of effervescent group exchanges with drummer Shannon. There’s a playfulness and joie de vivre about this piece that is hard to resist.

The nine and a half minute “It Is Here, Somewhere” initially offers a pause for some reflection but gradually begins to develop a characteristically strong narrative arc as it journeys through effective features for some of the individual musicians. Robbins delivers another wonderfully melodic but highly dexterous bass solo, Singh exhibits a sublime touch on the piano with a searching solo and Vitchev adds his usual mix of sophisticated chording and fluid, elegant single note lines. There’s a strong sense of narrative throughout this episodic, atmospheric piece of writing.

“Stay (Prelude)” is Singh’s richly moving solo piano introduction to the sublime ballad “Stay”. The main tune also features Vitchev’s crystalline guitar sound, Robbins’ deep bass undertow and the fluid rustle of Shannon’s drums. 

A bristling energy informs the taut, bop inspired riffery of “Without Words, As The Full Moon Shines” with its spirited unison passages and quirky, inventive solos for piano, bass, guitar and drums. There are many elements at work here in this spirited example of the Vitchev group at their most animated and playful. 

“The Invisible Stairway” possesses a charming Brazilian flavoured lilt, the relaxed feel informing the expansive but lyrical solos from Singh at the piano, Robbins on double bass and Vitchev himself on guitar as Shannon’s low key but colourful drumming weaves in and out of the fabric of the music.

The concluding “We Search For Wonders” is a delightful cameo, an exquisite miniature lasting barely more than a minute that features just Vitchev and Singh and serves as a reminder of their beautiful duo recordings. 

Vitchev is only thirty five but has already amassed an impressive back catalogue. Packaged as usual in a sleeve featuring his own oil paintings “In Search Of Wonders” represents the apex of his achievements thus far. The Metheny comparisons remain but this is arguably Vitchev’s most individual group recording to date, the decision to take the material out on the road first certainly seems to have worked. As ever the album is immaculately crafted and features some excellent writing from the talented and prolific Vitchev, plus some superb playing from the members of the band.

Vitchev remains little known in the UK, I’d like to think that things are rather different in the US and other parts of the world. Certainly his talent deserves greater recognition from British jazz audiences, hopefully he’ll be able to tour here one day and start redressing the balance. 

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