Best of 2016 #30: Paraskevas Kitsos – “Polemos” (Self-Produced)

Considering that Polemos is built on a foundation of improvisation, it’s remarkable that the range of lyricism attained by the sextet of bassist Paraskevas Kitsos falls cohesively into place.  Whether they bring a moody intensity or a wild explosiveness, each song radiates its own unique personality while finding its particular role in the development of the overarching vision.  Key to this approach is having tracks like “Prologos” incorporate both the beauty of “Fovos” and the violence of “Via,” thus serving as a binding agent of seemingly incongruous perspectives.  This way, everything is ridiculously evocative no matter how crazily the tone fluctuates from song to song.  It’s an album that flew way under the radar; Be sure it lands on yours.

Jazz from Athens, Greece.

Read more about the album on Bird is the Worm (LINK).