Jazz Spinning: A Review of «Latvijas zivis»
Review of Miķelis Dzenuška and «Uzvaras bulvāris» album «Latvijas zivis» (Latvian Fish)
Our jazz scene has endured many things. Now, it faces a new challenge: a suite dedicated to Latvian fish, aptly titled «Latvijas zivis». Using his composer’s prerogative, vibraphonist Miķelis Dzenuška has selected five of his favorite fish representatives for his fifth album — Perch, Chub, Zander, Pike, and Trout.
As any of Latvia’s hundred thousand anglers might guess, these are river fish. The suite performed by Dzenuška and his group, «Uzvaras bulvāris,» flows like a single body of water, with musical themes recurring, creating a work that is distinctly a cohesive whole.
The Catch: A Track-by-Track Breakdown
And yet, the top five representatives of «Spinner-man» Miķelis’s fish list each possess a unique character, expressed more or less clearly in their respective tracks.
«Asaris» (Perch): This is quite lively, even playful jazz with a groove that would fit perfectly in a river-themed fairytale production. Daniēls Pelčs’s underwater bass motif keeps it anchored from below, while the vibraphonist performs a «spinning» solo. As befits a perch, the middle section features a sudden drop in tempo, where Reinis Puriņš’s trumpet rushes in to clear the confusion, hinting that the fish will wake up eventually.
«Līdaka» (Pike): Fans of detective noir will perk up here. The menacing, «criminal» intro gives a slightly misleading impression of the leisurely reggae that dominates the album’s longest track. It results in a sort of Rastafarian with a cigarette tucked in the corner of his mouth — complete with sunglasses, dreadlocks, and a tri-color Jamaican hat — levitating in slow motion over a dozing fisherman, much like the painting by Katrīna Biksone on the record cover. Predictably, the reggae is broken in an avant-garde fashion in the middle, but even the «Pike» returns to its «seagrass roots.» Sven Vilsons’s appropriately reverberated guitar plays a vital role in this fusion of nature and dub, enhancing the feeling of levitation.
«Sapals» (Chub): After the A-side concludes, the Chub slowly pokes its head out at the start of Side B. This is Miķelis’s signature funky drive with fitting fusion accents and a logical surrender to a dreamy vibraphone solo. Artūrs Sebris’s truly «fancy» tenor sax also finds its place here. Of the five, the Chub seems the most stylish — it’s a prized catch for anglers, though you won’t catch a grown one smoking in a crowd of other chubs. These funky gentlemen are loners. A certain similarity to the fishermen themselves, isn’t it?
«Zandarts» (Zander): This story begins much more distractedly, becoming more active toward evening. This part of the suite is most firmly supported by Matīss Žilinskis’s immersive Fender Rhodes whirlpool, warning that things might not end quite so peacefully.
«Forele» (Trout): The rapid-fire Trout finally proves itself by throwing a true disco party with a straight beat and funky guitar. In the middle, it dives into a swirling solo dance taken over by the saxophone, creating a great jam-session vibe in the best traditions of «Uzvaras bulvāris». The rhythm shifts emphasize the trout’s character, serving as a reminder that what we just heard is, indeed, a jazz record.
Production and Legacy
Furthermore, in the best traditions of Jersika Records, this was recorded analog. The result is a quite excellent «jazz spinning» session that makes one look at the calendar for the first free dates for a boat trip and start dusting off the fishing rods.
Will the next suite be about mushrooms? The group «Lupa» already covered trees, and Dzenuška exhausted the theme of «the bender» (kodiens) with his first album «Pritonā» five years ago. Thanks to that album, the group actually ended up in the Dailes Theatre play «Kodiens», which tells of Charles Bukowski’s intoxicatingly regenerated world.
But otherwise — we await the next suite from this heart-winning octet, whether it be about mushrooms or even «river cats.» Those will be in style for a long time.