Dimitris Kakavoulis Quartet - Curves (2023)

The shortest distance between two places is a straight line. However, travelling on a curve can provide a more scenic view. The music of Athenian multi-instrumentalist Dimitris Kakavoulis combines elements of afro, funk, Latin, Brazilian and jazz music to create energized pieces full of improvisational skill and arrangments that always take the scenic route.

Kakavoulis' quartet is completed by Dimitris Kollias on the saxophone, Periklis Trivolis on the double bass, and drummer Leandros Fratnik. On the ensemble's debut album, Curves, Kakavoulis leaves ample space for his colleagues to operate independently while incorporating them into his intuitive lines. This is undoubtedly the case for the opening track "Dodedahdum", where Kakavoulis' decidedly light touch allows Kollias to lead with saxophone passages. Throughout the album, Kollias is an antagonist to the protagonist of Kakvoulis. Kollias' aggressive and investigational saxophone lines offset Kakavoulis' gentle and more traditionally beautiful playing. For example, on "Siganopapadia", Kollias blows as if to extinguish a fire, while Kakavoulis fancifully hangs out on the peripheries.