Chad McCullough, Gordan Spasovski, Kiril Tufekčievski, Viktor Filipovski - Transverse (2025) [Hi-Res]

Tracklist

01. Lake Ohrid Lament
02. Falling Tide
03. Across the Deep
04. For Leni
05. The Forlorn Tale of Tomorrow
06. Manu Casus
07. Twist
08. Real & Unreal

"McCullough showcases beautiful tone, scintillating upper register, and terrific mix of lyrical melodies and angular, modern compositions." - International Trumpet Guild

Transverse documents a remarkable international collaboration between American trumpeter Chad McCullough (recently recognized as a Rising Star Trumpeter of the Year in the 2025 Downbeat Critic's Poll) and three pillars of the Macedonian jazz scene: pianist Gordan Spasovski, bassist Kiril Tufekcievski, and drummer Viktor Filipovski. What began six years ago as a chance encounter when McCullough sat in with the trio at a small café in Skopje has blossomed into a deep musical friendship and the quartet's first recording together on American soil.
The album's eight tracks showcase compositions written specifically for this ensemble, combining American jazz sensibilities with Macedonian folk elements in what Spasovski calls "a subtle symbiosis between the contemporary jazz sound and the Macedonian folklore rhythms." For McCullough, who has been traveling regularly to Macedonia to perform with these musicians, the recording represents years of developing "a symbiotic communicative style" between busy professionals from two very different musical scenes.

The album opens with "Lake Ohrid Lament," Spasovski's arrangement of the traditional Macedonian song "Oj Ti Momche, Ohrigjanche," about a boy from the historic lakeside village of Ohrid. The piece alternates between 11/8 and 13/8 time signatures that the ensemble navigates effortlessly, opening with McCullough's intense trumpet over dense piano figures and driving rhythms before settling into the lyrical, plaintive folk melody.

McCullough's "Falling Tide," inspired by tidal cycles, features the leader on flugelhorn in a delicate, vocal performance. The piece's shifting key centers and unusual form provide a platform for Spasovski's piano solo, which explores dramatic contrasts between dark and light modal harmonies, followed by an emotive flugelhorn solo that stretches into the instrument's extreme upper register. Filipovski demonstrates his coloristic range throughout, drawing varied sounds from his kit with hands, mallets, and brushes.

The more straight-ahead "Across the Deep" reveals the band's solid grounding in the jazz tradition. "The melody and harmony were inspired by the impressionistic classical composers and some of the fathers of the contemporary jazz piano like McCoy Tyner and Kenny Kirkland," explains Spasovski. The track showcases tight interplay and swinging solos that demonstrate the quartet's versatility.

Tufekcievski contributes "For Leni," written for his young daughter—a piece that begins in a mainstream vein before veering into freer territory, both playful and chaotic like its namesake. The bassist's strong, woody tone is featured prominently here and throughout the album, particularly on the Ursula K. Le Guin-inspired "Real & Unreal," where his compelling solo leads off the track.

The album's centerpiece is McCullough's 13-minute "The Forlorn Tale of Tomorrow," written specifically to showcase each musician in a different light. The suite-like composition moves through various moods—sometimes searching, sometimes introspective—culminating with McCullough's stratospheric trumpet work.

Spasovski's "Manu Casus" (Latin for "by chance") was coincidentally written on McCullough's birthday and recorded on Spasovski's—a connection the musicians only discovered after the fact. The piece features strong, swinging solos from both composer and trumpeter, while McCullough's "Twist" provides a haunting flugelhorn showcase over exotic drum grooves and twisting meters.

Transverse stands as both a celebration of cross-cultural musical exchange and a document of four musicians who have found common ground in their shared love of creative improvisation and rhythmic adventure. The result is a testament to the power of musical friendship that transcends borders, languages, and cultural differences.

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