Vladan: Ornaments

Eastern Europe and, particularly the Balkans, have been fertile ground in the evolution of jazz, with an excellent recent example of Markelian Kapedani's Balkan Bop. Another pianist emerging from that same fecund spot is Vladan. Vladan is Vladan Mijatovic, a Serbian pianist and composer intent on trashing genre designations and fully expanding the piano sound palette. Vladan accomplishes an impressively seamless mash-up of Eastern European, Western Classical, and American jazz styles. Orchestral in scope, Vladan's pianism is muscular and virile, demonstrating a forceful kinetic energy that is highly listenable.

Vladan's compositions are very user-friendly in the same way that much ambient piano music is, but it can sneak up on the listener and get their attention. These pieces a consonance filled, all resolving in a well-behaved manner. The title piece is Perpetuum mobile with tumbling rolls and arpeggios. Tuneful and bright, it interacts well this work and thought. "Folk and Rock" plumbs percussive depths with echoes of Philip Glass. The constant left had propels the piece, with the right adding acceleration. Vladan's four-part improvisations range from the rapid conversation of "Relative Impressions" to expansive "My Spontaneous Heart."