TiTiTi - Štafelaj (Sploh, 2022)

By Ron Coulter

The swinging Slovenian free jazz trio, TiTiTi, is Jure Boršič (alto saxophone, clarinet), Jošt Drašler (double bass), and Vid Drašler (drums). They are joined on the fourth track of this May 21, 2022 release, Štafelaj, by Tomislav Vrečar (with some compositionally-integrated spoken word) and pianist, Marina Džukljev. The vocal recitation on track four, Tisnikar, is somewhat reminiscent of Kurt Schwitters’ Ursonate in its character. This track is an outlier on the album and is quite different from the other material.

This trio sounds as if they have a long history of working together. They manage the integration of the compositional and improvisational elements very well. There is a natural flow between composed and improvised material and exacting coordination between the players during composed material. The trio moves seamlessly between free improvisation, swinging in-time grooves, and composed material, giving the album a constant sense of forward development. Short repetitive melodies and unison rhythmic material give a sense of structure in and around busy trio improvisations.

The six-track album clocks in at 38’18” minutes of music that is nicely recorded, mixed, and mastered. It is available as a digital download and as a Compact Disc with visually compelling artwork.