Čudars invites listeners to take their time
Čudars, Ozols, and Arutjunjans have recorded compositions from their historically acclaimed «M/Darbnīca» concert
The long-time trio of like-minded friends — Matīss Čudars, Edvīns Ozols, and Ivars Arutjunjans — through the «Jersika Records» publishing house and under the mediation of producer Mareks Ameriks, offer the audience the album «Take Your Time.»
Matīss Čudars, who has proven himself a skilled and artistically bright guitar virtuoso over the years, has managed to ascend to a higher level and study composition at Yale University. After his studies, the musician spends most of his time across the ocean, engaging in various projects. The bond with his homeland is never severed, and Čudars is seen in Latvia with greater or lesser regularity.
The album title, «Take Your Time,» invites listeners to reflect on the fact that things in life require time. Sometimes, not everything happens quickly or immediately. The title also reflects the gradual process of creating the compositions. The musicians themselves explain that the pieces were created over a long period, regularly meeting for jam sessions over several years. Čudars admits that some of the melodies had been swirling in his head for even ten years before taking on their current form and becoming suitable for recording on the album.
The music material, totaling just under 40 minutes, was recorded in a three-day recording session in July 2022 under the supervision of sound engineer Krišs Veismanis. It is worth noting that shortly before that, the trio of musicians had a concert at the culture space «M/Darbnīca,» which later received a nomination for the «Concert of the Year» at the «Lielā Mūzikas Balva,» thus leaving a lasting mark in Latvian music history as the first jazz-related project honored with an award in this category.
In this recording, Matīss, along with his like-minded friends, returns to their roots, recalling in their use of musical expressions what had been relevant to them when they began their musical journey — rock music, blues, as well as influences of folk melodies. Memories of Čudars’s collaboration with Jānis Runģis and Artis Orubs in the ensemble «Spāre» come to mind. Compared to the previous material created with saxophonist Kārlis Auziņš, Čudars steps away from a mathematical and emotionally cool composition language, rediscovering a long-forgotten starting point within himself. This time, with a more mature perspective.
As is typical for jazz, we can hear various influences in the language of music—from American country and bluegrass to exotic rhythm modulations. The artists’ ability to weave Latvian strings into the musical fabric also warms the heart. The composer indirectly points to the closeness of music to nature, brightness, peace, and simplicity. This aspect is emphasized by the photograph adorning the album cover, taken by Jānis Deinats.
«Bēniņu ēniņā» begins with a recitative, narrating soloist cadence on the guitar. In free time, without a strict rhythmic pulse — the contribution of the other two ensemble members is subordinated according to Matīss’ expressed musical thoughts. The groove, balancing between slow-rock and swing aesthetics, only appears in the next stage of the form. Relaxed and bluesy, as if warming up and preparing the listener for further experiences, the mid-section of the piece sounds, followed by a reprise — a repetition of the initial material.
«Medus Bauska» is characterized by a rhythmically pulsating, simple accompaniment in Arutjunjans’ performance. With a specific playing style and intonations, Čudars achieves a sound similar to a banjo. The presence of positive excitement and enthusiastic joy in the melody is ensured by the occasional fragments of melodic phrases. These, along with the composition «Take Your Time,» can be considered the most easily accessible pieces for the listener. The title track wants to be described as a «song without words,» as the melodic pattern making it up is very suitable and comfortable for singing along. The bass and drums here play a distinctly supporting role, never overshadowing.
Comparatively easier to listen to is the carefree and playful «Blu.» From the beginning, consciously melted and hazily muffled genre boundaries are noticeable, creating headaches for listeners who like to categorize and neatly compartmentalize everything. Stabilizing for a few seconds with a fairly straight rhythm texture, the music moves to almost a swinging march characteristic pulsation typical of the New Orleans 2nd line. At one moment, the musical texture is very dense, but it becomes much more transparent without blinking.
Not all the titles of the pieces provide information about a specific story. They may be more abstract or simply denote an element of the composition’s structure. In this album, there are two such pieces — «7 Blues» and «15,» which refer to the time signatures used in the pieces. These two could be considered the most jazz-oriented compositions as they function more as playgrounds for the musicians’ playful interactions rather than a specific character or mood illustration.
In terms of duration, the longest piece, «Wawa,» begins with a very quiet, transparent, and ambient sound landscape. Seeking and exploring, the listener needs to find some point of reference that would allow them to sense what the musicians are creating at that moment. After a few minutes, the music gains a rhythmic structure consisting of small segments of two or three eighth notes. The irregular alternation of short and long motifs creates associations with exotic folk dances’ characteristic rhythms.
The pieces «Veni Vidi Vici» and «Miers» create more lyrical and contemplative atmospheres, resulting in a well-balanced overall sense of the album. The former is more rhythmic, and the latter is a slow ballad. The musicians show how similar shades can be created using different expressive tools.
«Take Your Time» is a truly successful embodiment in which the trio of musicians once again demonstrates their mastery from various aspects — instrumental performance, composition, and improvisation. Matīss Čudars delights with his developed composition skills and nuanced harmonic language, which are on par with the legendary British guitarist Alan Holdsworth or modern guitar star Julian Lage. Together with experienced colleagues Edvīns Ozols and Ivars Arutjunjans, they have created a convincing and substantive high-quality musical message.