Potamos - POTAMOS (2025)

I listen to a lot of improvised music these days, much of which is guitar and often effects led, but here we have an album where Atzmon is often to the fore, Lambrakis often providing a supporting role and Ntolas some additional colour with the others sometimes controlling the foundation or going off on their own tangents. The use of woodwind in this setting means the music somehow feels more honest and with plenty of space, and there is no doubt we get some unusual Mediteranean and Eastern feelings with the use of the Ney, making this quite a different album from many. It has a World Music style which is somewhat removed from the Jazz and Free Jazz improvisation I often listen to, and often these songs have a defined leader who has an idea which the others follow, as opposed to everyone striving to take their time in the spotlight. This means that while it does feel free it is less atonal and more structured than many, which is somewhat strange in this field and I am not sure it always works.