Floating Orange

Review

Featuring Szilard Mezei on viola & double bass and Jon Hemmersam on acoustic guitar. This was recorded at Novi Sad in Serbia in June of 2013. This is the third disc featuring Serbian violist Szilard Mezei and Danish guitarist Jon Hemmersam, the earlier ones included a trio and a quartet. We list around a dozen discs from Jon Hemmersam, who has worked with Bob Moses, Dom Minasi and Dave Liebman. Even more prolific is violist Szilard Mezei who has some three dozen discs out on many labels: Leo, FMR, Not Two, Red Toucan and ARC, from solo to orchestra. This is an all acoustic offering and it is superbly recorded. The first three pieces are entitled the “Floating Orange Suite” and are over 30 minutes long altogether. There is an bristling intensity going on here as if something is about to explode, yet eventually calms down to some sparse, spacious interplay. There is strong, spirited dialogue going on here, with both players exchanging ideas at both a furious and a calm pace. As one person solos, the other weaves a flurry of activity underneath. Even when Mr. Mezei switches to double bass, the intense narrative continues with tight lines spiraling around one another. There are those occasional magical moments where someone repeats a melodic fragment and the other answers in what sounds like a song or lullaby or sorts. When those transcendent moments appear, it is truly inspiring and makes me smile. – Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG



404